Slashboing

Slashboing Content Survey

2008-07-09T19:18:00.001-06:00

In the spirit of blogosphere democracy, I thought I would poll my readers to see what sorts of topics you would like to see covered on Slashboing.

Click Here to take the survey

Myth busting: Science Fiction and Fantasy Fandom

2008-07-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

Myth: Sci-fi fans are chronically single, underemployed, and still live in mom's basement.

Not true. Any such broad and demeaning stereotype should be treated as suspect. Fans out of high-school move out just like everyone else. I don't know where this stereotype comes from but the fan groups I'm familiar with are populated by a wide range of professions, none of whom live with mom and dad. These people are either married, engaged, or dating. The single guys are the exception rather than the rule.

Myth: Sci-fi fans are predominantly male.

I believed this one for a long time myself. But once I started attending larger events, I found that every mulit-genre convention I've attended has been about 50/50 genderwise. Granted some of the smaller comic book events have skewed male, but every Anime, Harry Potter, Star Wars event I've been to has been very gender balanced.

Myth: People who wear costumes to Science Fiction conventions are arrested, overweight, adolescents.

Wow. That's a low blow. Costuming is a science fiction tradition that dates back to the earliest conventions. I know costumers who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, and even US Marines and I wouldn't call any of them arrested or overweight. I think number of the overweight costumers is the same as the percentage of overweight fans in general, and probably society as a whole. I don't know where this level of resentment comes from, but I've heard some variation on it from several people.

Myth: Furry Fandom is made up of perverts.

Come on, now you are just being mean. Don't let CSI form your opinions for you. Besides, the fans with the fursuits make up a small portion of those in furry fandom. Many are writers and artists that work with predominantly anthropomorphic characters. Thinking someone in a fursuit is into atypical sex is like thinking someone in a leather jacket is a bondage freak. Grow up and get to know people before you make calls like that.

Greatest conversation ever

2008-07-07T19:18:00.002-06:00

Direct Video Link

Reviews: Merangue Multiriter

2008-07-03T21:27:00.000-06:00

There are very few reviews for pens, which is a shame given their utility and necessity. Even in a digital world, a good and reliable pen can make the difference between being prepared or being a schmuck.

I have owned two Merangue Multiriters, and neither have survived contact with the outside world. At home they preformed very well. They have four very useful and effective nibs: A blue pen, red pen, automatic pencil, and a touch screen stylus. Instead of an awkward set of individual selector sliders, one simply tips the pen to the appropriate side and presses down on the clicker. Very slick, and with no silly cap to lose I thought this would be a fantastic piece for every day carry.

However the clicker is poor, and once it fails all is lost. Neither pen I have carried into the field has lasted more than 8 hours. This product has failed me for the last time.

Forget you pen.

The Noun and the Unrelated Noun

2008-07-02T23:44:00.000-06:00

Sometimes shows have similar titles, which can lead to confusion. I have prepared a short cheat-sheet for future reference.

The Unicorn and the Wasp - Doctor Who Episode
The Squid and the Whale - two young boys deal with their parents divorce
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - The story of editor Jean-Dominique Bauby
The Falcon and the Snowman - 1980s spy thriller with Sean Penn
The Fox and the Hound - Disney cartoon about the friendship of the titular animals.

Don't say I don't do anything for you.

Placeholder T-shirts

2008-07-01T17:51:00.004-06:00

In the changing world of science fiction fandom and internet memes, having the latest, coolest and hippest shirt can be a daunting task.

Now Slashboing brings you "Placeholder shirts" to keep you on the vanguard of geek-hipster fashion. No more waiting to see which meme takes off and which ones fizzle. No more waiting for new designs to be created, ordered and sent in time for an upcoming convention.

These shirts are guaranteed to be appropriate and suitable for science fiction and fantasy conventions and other geek friendly events for years to come. Don't be caught in an out-of-date shirt again. Order Now!

Current Shirts include:
[quote from a cancelled TV show]
[inside joke from my local fan club]
[meme that was funny six months ago]

Ely rhymes with freely

2008-06-28T19:35:00.004-06:00

I was in Ely, Minnesota for a week on business. I was very busy, but I did manage to get out and take some photos. Ely is a small mining and fishing resort town, which makes for some interesting architecture. I'm a sucker for vintage and well worn signs, and here the bar signs seemed to be from the 50's. There are are also great rusted out and preserved historical mining implements to be gawked at. One day I came back to the hotel, and the parking lot was full of antique cars. Apparently there were a few steam cars driving around town, but I didn't catch any of those.

However I did spot a cool boarded up castle-style mansion of sorts. The signs said it was being renovated into condominiums.

My flickr set is here for your Ely viewing pleasure:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The World is Just Awesome - Boom De Yada

2008-06-27T18:27:00.002-06:00

I'm stuck in Minnesota until further notice, so things like this give me great joy.

I would really like to see/make a Dragoncon Version.

Direct Link

Ninja/Pirate flowchart

2008-06-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

Ninja/Pirate flowchart
Originally uploaded by Drhaggis.

A new theory in ninja /pirate relations is under consideration. Inclusion of the oft ignored "cowboy" transitional phase may be the first breakthrough in years.

iPod Touch - The late adopter review

2008-06-13T23:15:00.000-06:00

It's been almost seven years since the first iPod came out, and I think everyone and their mum is on their second or third unit by now. I don't think I can say anything about it that hasn't already been said. However I recently bought a Touch as my first iPod, so I thought I would do a personal and thoroughly unnecessary review.

The Cons: iTunes is powerful though sluggish, and I'm in the market for a replacement.

I also notice a disconnect between the Apple advertising campaign and its technical prowess. The Safari browser was promoted as a gateway to the real internet, not the "watered down" version seen previously on WAP and cellphone browsers. And although it can view most standard, flash-free pages, it really does best with mobile optimized sites. And Apple knows it, due to their promotion of iPhone/Touch "web apps" which are essentially Ajax powered mobile optimized websites. These are the more colourful, shinier cousins of the old WAP sites I would load on my Palm Pilot.

I'm also an the hook for a twenty dollar software upgrade that was supposed to be included in the Touch since January, and I'm unsure how much the iPhone 2.0 upgrade announced this week will cost.

The Pros: Looks good, feels good, smells good, and is generally sexy as all get out. The Wifi is great, as is the Youtube client. Google maps are a must, cover flow is fun and the screen resolution is fantastic. As an iPod, It does exactly "what it says on the tin."

Ultimately this device means that I can put every album I own, and the internet in my pants, and I like it.

NY Times Book descriptions

2008-06-06T20:43:00.000-06:00

Cory Doctorow's latest book, "Little Brother" is currently number nine on New York Times top ten best sellers of children's chapter books. Good on him! I liked what I had heard about it from BoingBoing.net and on Wil Wheaton's blog and I plan on reading it when I finish "Overclocked".

When I read the NY Times description of "Little Brother," it gave me a bit of a laugh: "A teenage hacker takes on the government after a terrorist attack turns America into a police state." That is a heavy topic for young adult fiction. Though reading the synopsis of some of the other top ten books surprised me further. "Tweak" is "a memoir of a teenager’s methamphetamine addiction." "Thirteen Reasons why" is summed as follows: "before committing suicide, a girl sends explanatory audiotapes to 13 people." This is much meatier stuff than I grew up reading. I was scared I'd get in shit if I brought books like this home. "Why can't you read nice books" my mother would wail.

Moving on, I see that "Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is full of" "Archaeological derring-do; a movie tie-in." Fair enough. but hold your ponies. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is a tale where "The Pevensies return to Narnia; a movie tie-in." This is listed as a paperback, which should remove the possibility of the list being on of those dumbed down picture books that are in fact move tie-ins.

C.S. Lewis did not pen "a movie tie-in." I haven't even read any of the Narnia series beyond "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and have several philosophical differences with the author, but I don't think his work should be summed up as mere movie tie-in, no matter how good the films are.

Twitter with me

2008-06-05T21:22:00.000-06:00

I have started using Twitter recently, and I really like it. Those readers who visit slashboing.ca directly have probably noticed this new addition to the blog sidebar, however those who read via an RSS or Livejournal feed have missed my tweets.

I can be followed here: twitter.com/Drhaggis

I also joined Twitter because I didn't want any other 'Dr. Haggises' from taking my username. Also, I really like the "what are you doing now" miniblog aspect of Facebook, but little else about it. I may even be deleting my Facebook account now that several high school friends have found me and its purpose has been served. I'm using a lot of different social networking sites, and I have to chose the right ones for how I actually want to network.

Now instead of having to create a full blog post simply to publish a quip, question, or bon mot, I can twitter it.

Also of note, the Mars Phoenix lander has a feed and he posts regular updates of his progress on Mars. It is done in a casual first-person style that makes it really fun to read.

Tweet you later.

Newspaper Blackout Poetry

2008-05-29T23:51:00.005-06:00

AGORAPHOBIA
Originally uploaded by Austin Kleon

Creative Commons image: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

Aluminum - The Other Steampunk Metal

2008-05-28T19:57:00.005-06:00

Steampunk fashion and art is full of brass, copper, and iron. All fantastic and beautiful metals, but there is an often overlooked material that is attractive, period appropriate and has an interesting history.

Aluminum is a readily occurring element on earth, though it is mostly found in the form of oxides and silicates. It was not named until 1807 and was not isolated as a pure metal until 1825 by Hans Christian Ørsted. The early processes were very inefficient, slowly producing very small amount of impure metal.

This made Aluminum more expensive than gold, sliver or platinum. Napoleon III had given banquets where the most honoured guests were given aluminum utensils, while the other guests had to make do with gold. When the Washington Monument was completed in 1884 it was topped with an 100 ounce aluminum capstone in an elaborate dedication ceremony.

Electrolytic and chemical extraction improvements in the 1880's lead to mass production of the metal, making it the accessible and affordable material it is today.

So depending on your particular steampunk ethic and adherence to "the-past-that-was", consider the inclusion of Aluminum in your props and costumes.

Note: Both "Aluminum" and "Aluminium" are acceptable spellings. How fun is that?

Films in the year 2010

2008-05-23T19:58:00.000-06:00

To keep my elbow on the pulse of the film world, I like to browse through IMDB to find projects with distant release dates to see what is in development. Today I chose the year 2010. Digging through the 855 titles, I found some obvious franchise releases, such as Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and Narnia. However, I also found some titles that surprised me, and I thought I would share them along with a little commentary.

Video Games
Bioshock - Great looking video game with actual plot may make for a good film
City of Heroes - MMORPG as film?
Return To Castle Wolfenstein - Really? Was "Doom" not enough for everyone?

Science Fiction Lit.
20,000 Leagues under the Sea - Jules Vern does not go out of style
Dune - Again, Really? I thought the first film and the miniseries was sufficient.
Fahrenheit 451 - Could use an update given the current political climate.
Illustrated Man
Logan's Run
The Sword of Shannara - Haven't read it. Would this work?
Jennifer Government - Based on a book with a great premise. This could be quite good.

80's
Voltron
Tron
Short Circuit - Could Johnny Five live again?
Thundercats - In the same year as Voltron? The mine of the 1980's is only so deep.
Robotech - Live action? Who can say. This was "Japanimation" not Anime.
Untitled Bill & Ted Project - This could be a a lot of fun, or complete trash.

Comic Books
Thor
Doctor Strange - Guillermo Del Toro is attached to direct and has approached Neil Gaiman to write the script
Green Lantern - Comic book gold.
Sub-Mariner - One of my least favourite characters. Will this work as a film? Could be animated.
Occult Crimes Taskforce - Based on the comic by Rosario Dawson. Yes the "Sin City/MIB2/Clerks 2/Rent/Death Proof" Rosario Dawson. Her fandom godhead is secure.

Other
Dirty Dozen - Will it be an earnest or campy remake?
Have Gun - Will Travel - Will Smith as Paladin? Who can say.
High Noon - Will 2010 be a western year?
I, Claudius and I, Robot - Individually, not really interesting, but I can see the crossover parody SNL sketch already.
Black Hole - Remake of the 1979 film or unrelated offering?

Of course since these films are still in the planning and development stages, there is no guarantee that they will ever be made, or released in the year indicated.

Shane West has mastered Blue Steel

2008-05-21T21:01:00.005-06:00

Shane West - Blue Steel
Originally uploaded by Drhaggis.

Looking through IMDB for steampunk movie photos, I came along the collected photos of Shane West. Shane portrayed the grinning Tom Sawyer in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. While on screen he can display the whole range of human emotions. However at movie premieres and public appearances, only one look will do, and that look is Blue Steel.

See more of this look here.

100 Days until Dragoncon

2008-05-19T12:22:00.003-06:00

There are 100 Days until Dragoncon begins. Are you ready for the onslaught of awesome? There are about 230 guests and bands confirmed, including Jake Lloyd, some of the cast of Firefly and the usual collection of authors and artists.

Cruxshadows concert 2
Originally uploaded by K. Smithington.
Photo Released under Creative Commons by-nc-sa 2.0

Also, crowd surfing stormtroopers.

Unseen Indiana Jones

2008-05-14T22:00:00.004-06:00

Introducing a new feature on Slashboing: Comics. The first offering was inspired by The Temple of Doom.

Slashboing: The Comic Strip
Originally uploaded by Drhaggis.

Tiki Bar TV: The Roman

2008-05-12T21:16:00.002-06:00

New (to me) Tiki Bar TV!

Time travel Continuum

2008-05-10T17:23:00.000-06:00

I thought I would post this graph for any time travellers who may be reading this blog.

see more Graphs

Paris: Photography update

2008-05-08T21:28:00.000-06:00

I have spent the last several nights uploading photos I took in Paris to my flickr account. I had +860 pictures to review and I uploaded them at full resolution, so it took quite a while.

I picked over 300 pictures and a few videos to share, so I won't be posting them all here. The set is in chronological order, with the oldest pictures first, so you can follow my trip along, monument by monument.

I used specific date tags if you want to view each day on its own:
10 APR | 11 APR | 12 APR | 13 APR | 14 APR | 15 APR | 16 APR

Here are some cool monuments and Museum tags to view:
Louvre | Eiffel Tower | Museum of Arts and Metres | Notre Dame Cathedral

I was downloading pictures off my camera every night for backup, so if I ever lost my camera, I would at least have all the previous pictures safe. Reviewing them nightly I was getting annoyed as the inside/no flash shots mandated by most museums were coming out blurry and the resolution of my videos was terrible.

I still managed to score some great shots from the trip, like this tower "upskirt" so it wasn't so bad in the end, but the shortcomings of my camera became quite clear. These issues were echoed by a CNet review that came out after I had purchased the camera, so don't be surprised if a new camera is in my future.

Fast Talking, High Trousers

2008-05-01T18:44:00.004-06:00

We interrupt our regular silence with an unscheduled post. Do you like old movies? I think some of my regular readers do. Here is a good natured summary of period films from Family Guy.

Back in town - Travel Update

2008-04-28T16:12:00.004-06:00

According to a stack of visa receipts and various reports from the web, I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday morning I was in Argentina. I will be updating my flickr account with appropriate pictures, and this blog with suitable stories from the road.

The following is a picture from my window whilst in France. Drink it in.

I sleep now.

Boba Fett Costume in Lego

2008-04-07T18:26:00.000-06:00

Simon makes his Star Wars costumes a little differently. He builds his out of Lego.

I saw his Lego Darth Vader at Dragoncon 2007, and this year he will be premiering a full set of Manalorian armour build from Lego. All the hard goods from helmet, to gauntlets to shin tools are faithfully recreated in colourful blocks. It really is impressive to see.

Photo Credit:"fullA"
Originally uploaded by SIMAFOL.

Books on my nightstand

2008-04-05T20:08:00.006-06:00

I had big plans to make the "Books on my nightstands" entry on Slashboing a regular feature. However it seems only to come up yearly, despite the comings and goings of books from my library. For those who wish to know, here are the current works sitting beside my bed for reading and research.

The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
Reason: Prepare myself against the inevitable Zombie apocalypse.

Paris: Inside Out
Reason: Prepare myself for an inevitable trip to Paris.

Lovecraft Tales - H.P. Lovecraft
Reason: Prepare myself for writing Steampunk fiction that inevitably crosses unrestrained science with psyche curdling horror.

Firefly: The Official Companion Volume 2 - Joss Whedon
Reason: Firefly was an amazing series, and it doesn't look like we will be seeing any more episodes or movies anytime soon. The occasional Firefly comic book is not feeding the need so I have this collection on hand.

Previously on Slashboing