I am looking into buying some faery / fairy books since I am starting to notice that certain aspects of my book CHOSEN has fae elements. I have decided that I should get "Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr, "Tithe" by Holly Black and possibly "The Iron King" by Julie Kagawa. The items that I am debating whether to get are The Fairy Bible (Which is losing in big ways as I cannot find reviews), A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and other Subversive Spirits and lastly (and most heavily debated) The Fairy Ring Oracle, a tarot like set of cards with what looks like a solid history and mythology portrait system of different fae beings from the U.K.
Anyway... I am so TORN!!! I do not know what items here will really be the most helpful to me. However, I did find a totally WOW video that shows off the cards in The Fairy Ring Oracle on YouTube. Enjoy!
My evidance that these images are from the set can be found here.
And here are a couple more reviews of the deck as well.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Dangers of Naming Mary Sue
So my last post was about my hunt for an ideal netbook or notebook. But I am not sure if I really went into detail about why I want it. Well, I have had this concept for a series for several years and I have finally decided to nail my butt to a chair and actually get to the writing of it. Of course there is the fact that I am going to be in Florida this February -- from the 11th to the 27th -- which is the reason for wanting a portable writing device. But with that preface out of the way, lets move onto the topic at hand.
Since I cannot just wander down to the local walmart / future shop / whatever and get my new netbook or notebook, I decided that I would try to get the research aspects for my book finished before I was ready to head off to Florida for two weeks of no World of Warcraft, no Final Fantasy XI, and no telephone calls that I need to become a speed demon to race downstairs and answer. (It also means no Jay, and while this is sad in a way, the fact that he is not coming is part of what has solidified my resolve to write my story while I do not have the (charmingly) distractive pleasure of his company.)
I am a weirdo in how I go about figuring out a market that I want to write for. Once I have decided what I do is read novels from that market and then go to amazon.com -- to read reviews from people who did *not* like it. I do get around to reading the good reviews so that I can clarify issues, but I find that reading what people -- especially if the issue is repeated by reviewers time and again -- don't like can help me in not repeating careless and needless mistakes in my own story.
For example: In "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare a lot of people seemed to feel that the story was predictable and that it borrowed way too heavily from well known series like Harry Potter and the Star Wars movies. Meanwhile, "Chosen" a novel in P.C. and Kristen Casts' House of Night series, obtained a large number of negative reviews for a scene of the heroine losing her virginity to one of the teachers at her school. While I might not have had any intentions of going in that perticular direction with my own work, knowing that I need to test my limits when writing a Young Adult novel -- but also knowing that times have changed since I last read The Bab Sitters' Club books -- is important.
But the one thing that really got to me, the thing that made me scratch my head in utter and complete confusion, was the concept of the Mary Sue / Gary Stu. I am no stranger to the term. I use to write a lot on FanFiction.net as Kianna Starling and Professor Issabelle Snape. It was a prevelant concern then in the FF genre. It is shockingly a common stone thrown at authors on Amazon.com as well. What I find a problem after this evening's research, however, is that the general concept and definition of Mary / Gary have grown and changed.
The initial understanding that I had of the concept of Mary Sue was that she was a proxy, placeholder, replication or avatar for the author. But what does that mean? Taking myself as an example, does it mean that I should avoid any character that is female with a name starting in C or K that is a derivitive of Katherine (of which my name, Kathleen, is an offshooot?) In that case, my character Cait McClure would need a namechange. Furthermore, does it mean that my heroines should avoid having brown hair, brown eyes and having anything resembling physical disability or weight issues?
Now I realize that having one of these things is not the end of the world. Even a second or third can be acceptable. And truth be known, most people are not going to really notice if you do genuinely write solid characters (and not barbie doll immitations of you, family and friends).
At the same time, the thing that I found troubling and disturbing was that the definition of Mary Sue has been extended. It would seem now that any character with a unique destiny risks being a Mary Sue. Any character who has an extraordinary talent discovered after the story begins is a Mary Sue. If your book has anything resembling a love triange (really not a fan of these, but still...) your character is a Mary Sue. Are you putting a rare being into a world in which he or she is not of the dominent species? If there is anything about this that goes with any type of fortune or ease s/he is a Mary Sue / Gary Stu. Hell, even being a generally likeable / liked character could put your hero or heroine in danger.
It has gotten much too far out of hand. Like a guy telling a girl that she is clingy, Mary Sue has become a catch-all phrase that covers a broad spectrum of things without *necessarily* forcing the unsatisfied party to actually identify the problem and, *more importantly*, to provide what s/he would have viewed as a better alternative.
When is a character too nice / likeable / liked and why does that bother you? (The general answer would be that if a character is loved by all the potential for conflict decreases. A decrease in conflict results in weak plot which results in a boring story.)
Why does having a power or gift destroy a character? Luke Skywalker; Zoey Redbird, Harry Potter, Buffy, John Crichton... Each of them has something special about their character that equips them for what their story will require. Can you spot the odd one out here? As much as I love the HoN books, it is Zoey. While Crichton, Luke, Buffy, Harry, etc. have to spend time working and honing their skills, something has pre-determined their ability to have them. (Crichton is a scientist studying wormholes, Buffy knows she is a Slayer, Harry goes to school to learn magic without which the fact that his and Voldemort's wands both have phoenix tails would not matter...
Zoey, meanwhile, discovers her powers in a much more instantaneous (and potentially, to the Casts' target audience, much more gratifying?) manner while attending a ritual of the Dark Daughters. The problem that creeps in is that Zoey, aside from being way too horny for her own good, has no faults that result in perminent and jeopardy-indusing reprocussions. Stevie Rae does not die -- she becomes undead. She cheats on Erik and he takes her back. She cannot decide what she wants from Heath and yet he puts up with her. Yet despite all this, HoN sells well and -- depending on one's tastes -- is an enjoyable read.
I have certain things that I expect from myself as a writer. I expect to tell a story that people beyond me, myself and I will find interesting. If my testers (usually family and friends) find something wrong with what I am writing and can tell me what it is and why -- or at least try to point me in a direction -- I am going to look at it. Especially if the issue is one that is recurrent in people reading my work. If my main character is the same on page 300 as she was on page one, I have failed miseribly as I like to see character growth. If my character has obtained something for nothing, I did something wrong because (as I said earlier) story without conflict is boring. (Speaking of which developing a villain for my newest project is proving a pain.)
All in all, my point is this: there are no new stories, only new interpretations of what has already come. True Love, Revenge, Rags to Riches, Natural Disaster / Survival, Fantasy, Sci-Fi... Its all been done by somebody else. It is your take, your slant, your voice that must be unique. I just find it interesting that for decades people have said "write what you know" and yet now writing anything related to one's own areas of knowledge is suddenly passe and frowned upon. Yet again: I do not think that putting myself into book form would sell or be interesting. But a character is not instantly me if I make her interested in the Beatles.
Since I cannot just wander down to the local walmart / future shop / whatever and get my new netbook or notebook, I decided that I would try to get the research aspects for my book finished before I was ready to head off to Florida for two weeks of no World of Warcraft, no Final Fantasy XI, and no telephone calls that I need to become a speed demon to race downstairs and answer. (It also means no Jay, and while this is sad in a way, the fact that he is not coming is part of what has solidified my resolve to write my story while I do not have the (charmingly) distractive pleasure of his company.)
I am a weirdo in how I go about figuring out a market that I want to write for. Once I have decided what I do is read novels from that market and then go to amazon.com -- to read reviews from people who did *not* like it. I do get around to reading the good reviews so that I can clarify issues, but I find that reading what people -- especially if the issue is repeated by reviewers time and again -- don't like can help me in not repeating careless and needless mistakes in my own story.
For example: In "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare a lot of people seemed to feel that the story was predictable and that it borrowed way too heavily from well known series like Harry Potter and the Star Wars movies. Meanwhile, "Chosen" a novel in P.C. and Kristen Casts' House of Night series, obtained a large number of negative reviews for a scene of the heroine losing her virginity to one of the teachers at her school. While I might not have had any intentions of going in that perticular direction with my own work, knowing that I need to test my limits when writing a Young Adult novel -- but also knowing that times have changed since I last read The Bab Sitters' Club books -- is important.
But the one thing that really got to me, the thing that made me scratch my head in utter and complete confusion, was the concept of the Mary Sue / Gary Stu. I am no stranger to the term. I use to write a lot on FanFiction.net as Kianna Starling and Professor Issabelle Snape. It was a prevelant concern then in the FF genre. It is shockingly a common stone thrown at authors on Amazon.com as well. What I find a problem after this evening's research, however, is that the general concept and definition of Mary / Gary have grown and changed.
The initial understanding that I had of the concept of Mary Sue was that she was a proxy, placeholder, replication or avatar for the author. But what does that mean? Taking myself as an example, does it mean that I should avoid any character that is female with a name starting in C or K that is a derivitive of Katherine (of which my name, Kathleen, is an offshooot?) In that case, my character Cait McClure would need a namechange. Furthermore, does it mean that my heroines should avoid having brown hair, brown eyes and having anything resembling physical disability or weight issues?
Now I realize that having one of these things is not the end of the world. Even a second or third can be acceptable. And truth be known, most people are not going to really notice if you do genuinely write solid characters (and not barbie doll immitations of you, family and friends).
At the same time, the thing that I found troubling and disturbing was that the definition of Mary Sue has been extended. It would seem now that any character with a unique destiny risks being a Mary Sue. Any character who has an extraordinary talent discovered after the story begins is a Mary Sue. If your book has anything resembling a love triange (really not a fan of these, but still...) your character is a Mary Sue. Are you putting a rare being into a world in which he or she is not of the dominent species? If there is anything about this that goes with any type of fortune or ease s/he is a Mary Sue / Gary Stu. Hell, even being a generally likeable / liked character could put your hero or heroine in danger.
It has gotten much too far out of hand. Like a guy telling a girl that she is clingy, Mary Sue has become a catch-all phrase that covers a broad spectrum of things without *necessarily* forcing the unsatisfied party to actually identify the problem and, *more importantly*, to provide what s/he would have viewed as a better alternative.
When is a character too nice / likeable / liked and why does that bother you? (The general answer would be that if a character is loved by all the potential for conflict decreases. A decrease in conflict results in weak plot which results in a boring story.)
Why does having a power or gift destroy a character? Luke Skywalker; Zoey Redbird, Harry Potter, Buffy, John Crichton... Each of them has something special about their character that equips them for what their story will require. Can you spot the odd one out here? As much as I love the HoN books, it is Zoey. While Crichton, Luke, Buffy, Harry, etc. have to spend time working and honing their skills, something has pre-determined their ability to have them. (Crichton is a scientist studying wormholes, Buffy knows she is a Slayer, Harry goes to school to learn magic without which the fact that his and Voldemort's wands both have phoenix tails would not matter...
Zoey, meanwhile, discovers her powers in a much more instantaneous (and potentially, to the Casts' target audience, much more gratifying?) manner while attending a ritual of the Dark Daughters. The problem that creeps in is that Zoey, aside from being way too horny for her own good, has no faults that result in perminent and jeopardy-indusing reprocussions. Stevie Rae does not die -- she becomes undead. She cheats on Erik and he takes her back. She cannot decide what she wants from Heath and yet he puts up with her. Yet despite all this, HoN sells well and -- depending on one's tastes -- is an enjoyable read.
I have certain things that I expect from myself as a writer. I expect to tell a story that people beyond me, myself and I will find interesting. If my testers (usually family and friends) find something wrong with what I am writing and can tell me what it is and why -- or at least try to point me in a direction -- I am going to look at it. Especially if the issue is one that is recurrent in people reading my work. If my main character is the same on page 300 as she was on page one, I have failed miseribly as I like to see character growth. If my character has obtained something for nothing, I did something wrong because (as I said earlier) story without conflict is boring. (Speaking of which developing a villain for my newest project is proving a pain.)
All in all, my point is this: there are no new stories, only new interpretations of what has already come. True Love, Revenge, Rags to Riches, Natural Disaster / Survival, Fantasy, Sci-Fi... Its all been done by somebody else. It is your take, your slant, your voice that must be unique. I just find it interesting that for decades people have said "write what you know" and yet now writing anything related to one's own areas of knowledge is suddenly passe and frowned upon. Yet again: I do not think that putting myself into book form would sell or be interesting. But a character is not instantly me if I make her interested in the Beatles.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Netbook or Notebook? I can't decide!
As my Florida trip quickly approaches I am quickly becoming aware of three things:
(1) I want to re-open my Mystic Guardians concept from 2004 and my Holly Knight Chronicles from 2005.
(2) I am going to have nearly two full weeks of 100% no destractions -- minus a bit of shopping, karaoke and going out to dinner / to the pool.
(3) As it stands the only "notebook" I possess is the old fashioned paper kind.
This is not a great thing to realize when I only have about 4 weeks before I leave for my trip. Now, I did consider taking Beaster -- my old 1987 (or something equally ancient) laptop that is an IBM with nada but floppy disc drive and Windows 3.1 or 95 or something else equally grotsque and decaying. But the problem is, Beaster's floppy drive is defective. Forgive me, Beaster, if I do not want to spend two weeks on a manuscript and not be able to retrieve it.
My next option is to use my sparkly new iPod touch to write my novel. But... Hello?! 23.5 inch screen, tiny touch keyboard and 50,000 -- 100,000 words do not mix any better then beer and cheesies. (Just ask my parents. Seriously.)
Add to this that I am not really in the market for a mobile pc as a main computer either. I have a fantastic desktop that I actually plan to swap for a newer and far more custom designed model later this year -- Dad or Mom can have this one. Point being, I do not need a Super Laptop or a Mobile Desktop / Desktop replacement. I use my fabulous 37" Acer TV / Monitor for my PC and my Xbox 360, it works absolutely DIVINE, and I love it.
So what do I need? I need Baby Bear's Porridge. A machine that will do Beaster's old job, but that will not have me paying as much as I will likely spend at Canada Computers this summer when I get my new tower designed. Which begs the question -- do I need a cheap / budget laptop, or a netbook?
There are some key differences. Notebooks have a CD / DVD drive -- netbooks don't. Notebooks tend to have larger hard drives and more powerful processors and (in comparison, at least) more powerful graphics chipsets. There is much more room for a large screen on a notebook then on a netbook and the keyboard is also much more likely to be full (or closer to full) size.
But I suppose that the best way to determine what I need for my portable PC is to think the same way that I do when I buy for my home PC. "What do you plan to use it for?" Lets see...
-- Writing my novels (Duh.)
-- Checking e-mail / general web surfing
-- Charging my iPod
-- Storing wanted footage off my video camera until I can transfer it & edit it on my big PC (What will I need for this? Need to check.)
-- Ventrilo & MSN
In comparison here is what my Mobile PC's "Big Brother" does:
-- Playing MMOs (Must meet current game requirements; built my last PC for WoW raiding.)
-- Editing video footage (I like Pinnacle VideoSpin personally)
-- Watching stuff on YouTube (I have my Touch for this when traveling -- although I can certainly take advantage of Savevid.com and iTunes if I want to put new stuff onto my iPod. Quite handy!)
-- Watching DVDs (Little guy is likely not going to be used for this. If I *really* want to watch DVDs I could always spend the $20 on a cheap DVD player. It would be nice, but its not *necessary.*)
-- Editing artwork (37" screen > 15" screen > 10" screen. Unless I am DESPERATE with a big capital D I am sure my totally badass home setup will be my editing PC of choice.)
Soooo... I need to find a suitable PC. I have done some looking around and some of the things that I have seen have been pretty cool, ranging from cheap to chic. What have I made up my mind that I would ideally like?
If I buy a netbook:
Must run Windows XP. Why? First off, I am not versed in Linux -- it was Greek to me at my ICSP (Independant Computer Stuidies Program) in 1999, and I would wager it is still Greek now. Why not take a shot on Windows 7? Because (a) I have heard that for Netbooks it sucks, and (b) I am more inclined to go with the least resource stealing OS I can that I am ***familiar*** with.
Must have a good keyboard. This is vital. If it does not have a good keyboard I might as well be using my iPod Touch since I already own it. I plan to take a look at Beaster's Keyboard and screen before I make a final purchase. He is not perfect, but he served me well for quite some time and I did a couple fan fic novellas as well as my first novel "Ring of Darkness" quite contently before his floppy disk drive died on him.
Screen must be ledgible. I will have to go and check out these machines to see whether I can physically see the screen on them. I don't have any qualms about pumping the print on my MS Word to 14 or 16 but if we get into 72 territory for me to be able to see, forget it! It would not be worth it.
It must be a liveable colour. Black, red, white, pink... I could handle one of these. Lime Green? Unless I want that to be The Colour of my machine, the answer is *not so much*. Why? Because I can easily (and affordably) get a skin for my new netbook from www.decalgirl.com . For example, this one:
Isn't it cute? Anyway, as you can see there are oodles of ways to make the thing look cute and personal without deliberately paying a small fortune or sarcrificing goods under the hood in the name of fashion. For instance, there was a cute HP Netbook at BestBuy that caught my attention but it is running Windows 7 and is $349.99 before tax, which is a bit more then I can afford comfortably. (Click Here.)
In essence, it comes down to a debate between two machines: either a netbook or a budget laptop. I found these examples on Walmart.ca and feel that they pretty much sum up the general idea for option a or option b of what I will end up buying. (Although individual store stock and a bit of luck must obviously be taken into account.) Anyway, here they are:
A Potential Notebook
A Potential Netbook
Which will I end up buying? Only time will tell, but your opinions and suggestions are very welcome. Thanks for reading!
(1) I want to re-open my Mystic Guardians concept from 2004 and my Holly Knight Chronicles from 2005.
(2) I am going to have nearly two full weeks of 100% no destractions -- minus a bit of shopping, karaoke and going out to dinner / to the pool.
(3) As it stands the only "notebook" I possess is the old fashioned paper kind.
This is not a great thing to realize when I only have about 4 weeks before I leave for my trip. Now, I did consider taking Beaster -- my old 1987 (or something equally ancient) laptop that is an IBM with nada but floppy disc drive and Windows 3.1 or 95 or something else equally grotsque and decaying. But the problem is, Beaster's floppy drive is defective. Forgive me, Beaster, if I do not want to spend two weeks on a manuscript and not be able to retrieve it.
My next option is to use my sparkly new iPod touch to write my novel. But... Hello?! 23.5 inch screen, tiny touch keyboard and 50,000 -- 100,000 words do not mix any better then beer and cheesies. (Just ask my parents. Seriously.)
Add to this that I am not really in the market for a mobile pc as a main computer either. I have a fantastic desktop that I actually plan to swap for a newer and far more custom designed model later this year -- Dad or Mom can have this one. Point being, I do not need a Super Laptop or a Mobile Desktop / Desktop replacement. I use my fabulous 37" Acer TV / Monitor for my PC and my Xbox 360, it works absolutely DIVINE, and I love it.
So what do I need? I need Baby Bear's Porridge. A machine that will do Beaster's old job, but that will not have me paying as much as I will likely spend at Canada Computers this summer when I get my new tower designed. Which begs the question -- do I need a cheap / budget laptop, or a netbook?
There are some key differences. Notebooks have a CD / DVD drive -- netbooks don't. Notebooks tend to have larger hard drives and more powerful processors and (in comparison, at least) more powerful graphics chipsets. There is much more room for a large screen on a notebook then on a netbook and the keyboard is also much more likely to be full (or closer to full) size.
But I suppose that the best way to determine what I need for my portable PC is to think the same way that I do when I buy for my home PC. "What do you plan to use it for?" Lets see...
-- Writing my novels (Duh.)
-- Checking e-mail / general web surfing
-- Charging my iPod
-- Storing wanted footage off my video camera until I can transfer it & edit it on my big PC (What will I need for this? Need to check.)
-- Ventrilo & MSN
In comparison here is what my Mobile PC's "Big Brother" does:
-- Playing MMOs (Must meet current game requirements; built my last PC for WoW raiding.)
-- Editing video footage (I like Pinnacle VideoSpin personally)
-- Watching stuff on YouTube (I have my Touch for this when traveling -- although I can certainly take advantage of Savevid.com and iTunes if I want to put new stuff onto my iPod. Quite handy!)
-- Watching DVDs (Little guy is likely not going to be used for this. If I *really* want to watch DVDs I could always spend the $20 on a cheap DVD player. It would be nice, but its not *necessary.*)
-- Editing artwork (37" screen > 15" screen > 10" screen. Unless I am DESPERATE with a big capital D I am sure my totally badass home setup will be my editing PC of choice.)
Soooo... I need to find a suitable PC. I have done some looking around and some of the things that I have seen have been pretty cool, ranging from cheap to chic. What have I made up my mind that I would ideally like?
If I buy a netbook:
Must run Windows XP. Why? First off, I am not versed in Linux -- it was Greek to me at my ICSP (Independant Computer Stuidies Program) in 1999, and I would wager it is still Greek now. Why not take a shot on Windows 7? Because (a) I have heard that for Netbooks it sucks, and (b) I am more inclined to go with the least resource stealing OS I can that I am ***familiar*** with.
Must have a good keyboard. This is vital. If it does not have a good keyboard I might as well be using my iPod Touch since I already own it. I plan to take a look at Beaster's Keyboard and screen before I make a final purchase. He is not perfect, but he served me well for quite some time and I did a couple fan fic novellas as well as my first novel "Ring of Darkness" quite contently before his floppy disk drive died on him.
Screen must be ledgible. I will have to go and check out these machines to see whether I can physically see the screen on them. I don't have any qualms about pumping the print on my MS Word to 14 or 16 but if we get into 72 territory for me to be able to see, forget it! It would not be worth it.
It must be a liveable colour. Black, red, white, pink... I could handle one of these. Lime Green? Unless I want that to be The Colour of my machine, the answer is *not so much*. Why? Because I can easily (and affordably) get a skin for my new netbook from www.decalgirl.com . For example, this one:
Isn't it cute? Anyway, as you can see there are oodles of ways to make the thing look cute and personal without deliberately paying a small fortune or sarcrificing goods under the hood in the name of fashion. For instance, there was a cute HP Netbook at BestBuy that caught my attention but it is running Windows 7 and is $349.99 before tax, which is a bit more then I can afford comfortably. (Click Here.)
In essence, it comes down to a debate between two machines: either a netbook or a budget laptop. I found these examples on Walmart.ca and feel that they pretty much sum up the general idea for option a or option b of what I will end up buying. (Although individual store stock and a bit of luck must obviously be taken into account.) Anyway, here they are:
A Potential Notebook
A Potential Netbook
Which will I end up buying? Only time will tell, but your opinions and suggestions are very welcome. Thanks for reading!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Well Christmas has come and gone and in short time the New Year will begin. It looks quite promising as I noted in my posts last week. This year has been pretty solid for me and I am sure that the upcoming year will be just as equally filled with excitement and joy as well. I have something new, cool and unique to share with you all today. I got my video camera last week and thanks to this I was able to capture some very candid (and groggy) family footage of Christmas 2009 with the Colemans'. I hope that you enjoy these. Thanks for watching.
"Let the Fun Begin..." Part 1: As Christmas 2009 begins some of us are arriving and some are just trying to make it to the kitchen for our first cup of coffee. See our beautiful tree and the artistry of our wrapped gifts beneath it.
"Let the Fun Begin..." Part 2: More rugged footage as Christmas 2009 continues, recorded by Mikey and Merissa. Has footage of everybody, including Coco, D'Argo and Jasper. Very funny footage of Mom dancing, Shawn half asleep and Mikey telling what he got for Christmas before arriving at the house. BTW, Terrie does not like being on camera and I think I am a bit of a camera ham.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 1: My attempt to take footage of the presents being handed out did not go so well although I did get these three short clips. This one has grandpa Perry with a gift, mother with a gift and Mikey and Merissa with a Santa Hat on.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 2: Another gift opening clip. The lighting is not so great in this one but it does contain a couple worthwhile moments.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 3: Dad receives his five disc George Formby CD set. Would have been better had I not had a huge golden bag thrust at me near the end so I could have wrapped up the recording more smoothly, but such is the nature of home video. (As opposed to vBlogging itself, which is far less predictable I would imagine.)
***
At any rate, I hope that these snips and clips bring to life the warmth, laughter and joy that always surrounds the holiday seasons within my family's home. Feel free to leave comments or to respond with a video or link to footage or writing about your own holiday memories for 2009. Thank you for reading and watching. May the joy of the season carry through into the new year for you and yours. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
KAt
"Let the Fun Begin..." Part 1: As Christmas 2009 begins some of us are arriving and some are just trying to make it to the kitchen for our first cup of coffee. See our beautiful tree and the artistry of our wrapped gifts beneath it.
"Let the Fun Begin..." Part 2: More rugged footage as Christmas 2009 continues, recorded by Mikey and Merissa. Has footage of everybody, including Coco, D'Argo and Jasper. Very funny footage of Mom dancing, Shawn half asleep and Mikey telling what he got for Christmas before arriving at the house. BTW, Terrie does not like being on camera and I think I am a bit of a camera ham.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 1: My attempt to take footage of the presents being handed out did not go so well although I did get these three short clips. This one has grandpa Perry with a gift, mother with a gift and Mikey and Merissa with a Santa Hat on.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 2: Another gift opening clip. The lighting is not so great in this one but it does contain a couple worthwhile moments.
"The Presents Are Opened..." Part 3: Dad receives his five disc George Formby CD set. Would have been better had I not had a huge golden bag thrust at me near the end so I could have wrapped up the recording more smoothly, but such is the nature of home video. (As opposed to vBlogging itself, which is far less predictable I would imagine.)
***
At any rate, I hope that these snips and clips bring to life the warmth, laughter and joy that always surrounds the holiday seasons within my family's home. Feel free to leave comments or to respond with a video or link to footage or writing about your own holiday memories for 2009. Thank you for reading and watching. May the joy of the season carry through into the new year for you and yours. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
KAt
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
2010 -- A Year In Preview...
My last article was about what happened last year. In this article, I will talk about some of the things that I am hoping for or looking forward to as the new year creeps up upon us.
1. Video Camera: I do realize that I am likely going to be buying this in the next week or two, but I still count it as something that is going to play a big role in the upcoming year. I am debating between all of the various pocket camcorders and trying to figure out which one I want most. I will be putting up an article on this shortly.
2. Great winter / spring games: There is a lot of cool stuff coming out in the next few months. Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and Final Fantasy XIII are the games I am most excited about right now.
3. Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver: I realize that I just listed a ton of games, but I wanted to list this one separately because (a) it is a Nintendo DS game, and (b) it has a neat little gimmick to it by ways of a Poke-Pedometer that will level your Pokemon and give you points you can use to unlock new stuff for them by walking. This little divice is going to be one of the gadgets that I will be using to haul my ass out the door this spring, and hopefully I can get Jay to do this along with me.
4. WoW: Cataclysm: Yet again, another game. I am counting this separately as it is WoW and I do not have anything resembling a release date for it yet. I have a love / hate relationship with WoW. It can either be fun or it can be a pain. It can also help Jay ahd I, or it can hurt us. Which way will Cataclysm go? Only time will tell.
5. Going to Florida (again): If I do go it could be really interesting, or it could be really boring. No Shawn? (Possibly) no Grandma? And Jay does not feel he could get the money and / or time off of work? I love my parents, but I am very torn over whether me going would be better, or whether letting the two of them go and have the equivelant of the honeymoon they never got might be a better call. We shall see.
1. Video Camera: I do realize that I am likely going to be buying this in the next week or two, but I still count it as something that is going to play a big role in the upcoming year. I am debating between all of the various pocket camcorders and trying to figure out which one I want most. I will be putting up an article on this shortly.
2. Great winter / spring games: There is a lot of cool stuff coming out in the next few months. Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and Final Fantasy XIII are the games I am most excited about right now.
3. Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver: I realize that I just listed a ton of games, but I wanted to list this one separately because (a) it is a Nintendo DS game, and (b) it has a neat little gimmick to it by ways of a Poke-Pedometer that will level your Pokemon and give you points you can use to unlock new stuff for them by walking. This little divice is going to be one of the gadgets that I will be using to haul my ass out the door this spring, and hopefully I can get Jay to do this along with me.
4. WoW: Cataclysm: Yet again, another game. I am counting this separately as it is WoW and I do not have anything resembling a release date for it yet. I have a love / hate relationship with WoW. It can either be fun or it can be a pain. It can also help Jay ahd I, or it can hurt us. Which way will Cataclysm go? Only time will tell.
5. Going to Florida (again): If I do go it could be really interesting, or it could be really boring. No Shawn? (Possibly) no Grandma? And Jay does not feel he could get the money and / or time off of work? I love my parents, but I am very torn over whether me going would be better, or whether letting the two of them go and have the equivelant of the honeymoon they never got might be a better call. We shall see.
2009 -- A Year In Review...
Well its that time of year again. The holidays are just around the corner, and after that we will be entering a new year. With that in mind, I decided that this is as good a say as any to give my "review" of things that have happened in the last year and how I feel about them. No, this is not a tribute to Michael Jackson. Nor is it a recounting of who won at this year's academy awards. Rather, it is the highlights and lowlights about my 2009 from how I experienced it. Feel free to write your own and link it in the comments if you wish.
The Good Stuff:
1. Wizard 101: I love this game. Its fun, relaxing and has a whimisical art style that I really enjoy. The gameplay is a mix between an MMO, a turn based RPG and a collectable trading card game. There is lots to do, including questing, having pets, crafting, decorating a house and playing mini games. $9.99 per month, or $6.95 each for two or more accounts linked together. http://www.wizard101.com
2. Going to Florida: It was nice to see Florida again, as I had not been there since I was 11 or 12. Going with my parents was a lot different then going with my grandma and grandpa when I was younger, but it was still a fun adventure and a way to get away from my normal routine. (Although I did miss Jay.)
3. Jay's Visits: So far there have been three of these and we are working toward the next one now, and hoping it will be before I go to Florida again (if I do go again). Meeting person to person, as opposed to via the internet, has definately added strength and foundation to our relationship, moving it past being merely an "online thing". My family actually recognizes that he is real and legitimate. Fun or funny memories include randomly deciding to bake a cake together at 9 p.m., going to see "Taken" and "Star Trek" in theatres, sharing our first kiss (this is a public blog -- that is all you guys are getting from me!) and discovering quirky or amusing habits about the other that cannot be found via a computer.
4. Terrie & Merissa: I usually think my brothers choose idiots to date, but I get along perfectly fine with Terrie and her (now 5-year-old) daughter, Merissa. Most of my socializing takes place online. Its nice to make new friends who are local though.
5. Games -- Small Number, High Quality: There were not a ton of games out this year that I wanted, but I seemed to have the golden touch all the same. The games that I did want -- with regards to Xbox 360, anyway! -- tended to be good games. The ones that spring most quickly to mind are Brutal Legend, Dragon Age: Origins and Borderlands.
6. iPod Touch: Yes, I actually broke down and spent $300+ on an iPod Touch. And I am very happy with my purchase, and it is doing quite a splendid job of keeping me amused and coming up with small ways to break up random bordom. It now has its own hot pink & silver headphones with gel covers (making my ears not hurt) and a hot pink semi-clear case, making it look cute & feminine. All it needs at this point is a car kit, a car charger and a wall charger so that it will be ready to travel.
THe Bad:
1. Muffy had to be put to sleep: Muffy II, my grandmother's adorable yorkie-poo, had to be put to sleep as he was being diagnosed with multiple medical conditions and he was in a great deal of pain. Take care of grandpa with Baby, Belle, Bandit, Cuddles and Muffy 1 for us, little buddy.
2. PlayStation 3 Woes: When will I learn to say "No."? (Or perhaps just listen to Jay a little more often -- heaven forbid! :p ) I spent over $1,000 on my PS3 in games, console and accessories... Only to have it taken by my brother for $100 because he does not have any other form of entertainment and "I don't need it.". Will I ever get a new one? I am not sure. I *hate* repeat purchasing things. I really do need to decide, though, because if I don't plan to I could always use the trade in value of my PS3 games to get something else. (DSi or Xbox 360 upgrades, anyone?)
3. Throwing up in the van: This one was just totally gross. For two weekends in a row during October, I woke up feeling sick to my stomach and vomited without any real logical reasons. Not life threatening, as it has not continued. Just a little gross and embarrassing.
4. Modern Warfare 2: Huge waste of money. Call of Duty games just seem to ooze rotten luck for me though. I am really not a fan of the franchise at this point. (I was neutral on it before.) Forcing me to listen to guys try to guess the size of my boobs (among other stupid things) is not a good way to keep my business, ActiVision.
The Good Stuff:
1. Wizard 101: I love this game. Its fun, relaxing and has a whimisical art style that I really enjoy. The gameplay is a mix between an MMO, a turn based RPG and a collectable trading card game. There is lots to do, including questing, having pets, crafting, decorating a house and playing mini games. $9.99 per month, or $6.95 each for two or more accounts linked together. http://www.wizard101.com
2. Going to Florida: It was nice to see Florida again, as I had not been there since I was 11 or 12. Going with my parents was a lot different then going with my grandma and grandpa when I was younger, but it was still a fun adventure and a way to get away from my normal routine. (Although I did miss Jay.)
3. Jay's Visits: So far there have been three of these and we are working toward the next one now, and hoping it will be before I go to Florida again (if I do go again). Meeting person to person, as opposed to via the internet, has definately added strength and foundation to our relationship, moving it past being merely an "online thing". My family actually recognizes that he is real and legitimate. Fun or funny memories include randomly deciding to bake a cake together at 9 p.m., going to see "Taken" and "Star Trek" in theatres, sharing our first kiss (this is a public blog -- that is all you guys are getting from me!) and discovering quirky or amusing habits about the other that cannot be found via a computer.
4. Terrie & Merissa: I usually think my brothers choose idiots to date, but I get along perfectly fine with Terrie and her (now 5-year-old) daughter, Merissa. Most of my socializing takes place online. Its nice to make new friends who are local though.
5. Games -- Small Number, High Quality: There were not a ton of games out this year that I wanted, but I seemed to have the golden touch all the same. The games that I did want -- with regards to Xbox 360, anyway! -- tended to be good games. The ones that spring most quickly to mind are Brutal Legend, Dragon Age: Origins and Borderlands.
6. iPod Touch: Yes, I actually broke down and spent $300+ on an iPod Touch. And I am very happy with my purchase, and it is doing quite a splendid job of keeping me amused and coming up with small ways to break up random bordom. It now has its own hot pink & silver headphones with gel covers (making my ears not hurt) and a hot pink semi-clear case, making it look cute & feminine. All it needs at this point is a car kit, a car charger and a wall charger so that it will be ready to travel.
THe Bad:
1. Muffy had to be put to sleep: Muffy II, my grandmother's adorable yorkie-poo, had to be put to sleep as he was being diagnosed with multiple medical conditions and he was in a great deal of pain. Take care of grandpa with Baby, Belle, Bandit, Cuddles and Muffy 1 for us, little buddy.
2. PlayStation 3 Woes: When will I learn to say "No."? (Or perhaps just listen to Jay a little more often -- heaven forbid! :p ) I spent over $1,000 on my PS3 in games, console and accessories... Only to have it taken by my brother for $100 because he does not have any other form of entertainment and "I don't need it.". Will I ever get a new one? I am not sure. I *hate* repeat purchasing things. I really do need to decide, though, because if I don't plan to I could always use the trade in value of my PS3 games to get something else. (DSi or Xbox 360 upgrades, anyone?)
3. Throwing up in the van: This one was just totally gross. For two weekends in a row during October, I woke up feeling sick to my stomach and vomited without any real logical reasons. Not life threatening, as it has not continued. Just a little gross and embarrassing.
4. Modern Warfare 2: Huge waste of money. Call of Duty games just seem to ooze rotten luck for me though. I am really not a fan of the franchise at this point. (I was neutral on it before.) Forcing me to listen to guys try to guess the size of my boobs (among other stupid things) is not a good way to keep my business, ActiVision.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Champions Online loses my support. Details Inside!
I have been following the progress of Cryptic's new MMORPG, Champions Online, for the last six to nine months. It looked very promising on paper. You use thousands of options to create your own unique superhero and then explore Millenium City and beyond. It was one of the top three MMOs that I was currently anticipating -- to the extent that I had not even looked at its competitor, DC Universe Online, for a moment. My Xbox clan was going to get it together; it was a complete no-brainer. Right?Well... Right up until Cryptic decided, for whatever reason, to drop a nerf-nuke the size of Canada on the game's launch day and completely split the player community as if the game had been hit by a socio-political earthquake. From what I have read, the amount of health possessed by and damage done by all enemies was doubled and an across the board percentile nerf made all but the most min/maxed character builds utterly useless. This is bad when you consider that the largest allure that Champions Online had was that you would be able to make *your* character, even going so far as to forgo a class system for a skill based system to add further freedom.
The hardcore v.s. casual debate has reached boiling point and beyond on their forums and the reviews on Amazon.com are absolutely abysmal. As someone who tends to teeter very much in the midle of the two broader definitions I must examine a game from my own perspective and know what I want from it. I can handle additional challenge. I can handle having to make currency in a game for multiple hours to get what I want there. I recognize that MMOs must have a gimmick that will ensure that I keep paying. What I cannot understand is the complete disruption of the actual premise that was making me look forward to the game. In essence it seems that Cryptic was so concerned about min/maxers abusing the skill system that they created classes and have left us to figure out what those are. That is not what I wanted from this game.
Therefore, I am not going to be rushing to test it out. If my clan on Xbox Live does eventually get the game when and if it releases on the Xbox 360 I will likely get it. But I am no longer curious what is happening to it or anything of that such. Not only were the nerfs given without warning, they were also done after people had paid for 6 month and lifetime subsriptions. Clearly Cryptic is an underhanded company. Even if I do end up being Rope(r)ed into playing this by my friends I will certainly be reading all the fine print before I attach the game to my gamertag.
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