As you’ve probably noticed, I’m goofing around with the layout/design of the site, so bear (or fox) with me while I get this here chingadera figured out 🙂
RANDOMIZER’S REACTION: AetherFest 2012
For more info on Steampunk and Aetherfest, visit the San Antonio Neo-Victorian Association’s website!
The best compliment I can give to AetherFest is that I should have set aside more time for it. Unfortunately, I ended up being a very busy nerd that weekend (to say nothing of stupid work on Friday) and thus, could I only make it out on Saturday. I had a good time, though. Like last year, (actually, like most of these things) I spent a significant time hanging out at my friend Chris Holm’s table, shooting the breeze and watching the festivities unfold before us.
Unlike last year, I did not try to dress the part. I really should put an outfit together, or at least jazz up the half-baked one I currently have. The opportunity was certainly there at Aetherfest, because there were a good number of vendors and dealers there selling all sorts of clothing and accessories. The spirit was there, but alas, the funds were not. Indeed, I felt just a slight twinge of guilt over besmirching the proceedings with my uncouth presence.
Aetherfest was greatly improved over last year, not that there was too much wrong with the event itself. There were more vendors, some of which were put in the main area, and the panels were held in bigger rooms that were located on the first floor, so they were easy to find and could accommodate more attendees. I attended a panel on the history of burlesque and learned some interesting things in addition to being entertained by the presenters and their tales. While I did not attend any of the main events, I heard lots of good things about them.
In conclusion, Aetherfest appears to have fixed the little issues that I had with it the first time around and ended up being a really good event, at least from my limited perspective. I really need to just go ‘whole hog’ next year; take some time off from work, get a proper outfit together and take in all that Aetherfest has to offer.
What the ****
Most of my stories are written for a general audience, and so I try to avoid the use of swear words in my short stories. I also believe that cursing is for the uncreative and unoriginal. Think about it: haven’t we all cussed at one time or another because we “couldn’t think of anything better?” The problem is that there are instances where cursing just works really well and is even expected at times.
Case in point: I am currently writing a story that involves pirates…IN SPAAAACE! Just like any other self-respecting pirates, these scurvy dogs (really, they’re pirate DOGS) spit, belch, don’t bathe, threaten harmless people (or cats as the case may be) and should probably swear like sailors. Thus, I have a few options:
1) Say ‘f*** it’ and use real swear words in my story, which I don’t really want to do.
2) Borrow not-quite-swear-words from other works of fiction, like ‘frak’ from BattleStar Galactica, but I don’t want to do this either because its well, unoriginal, and I know I’m setting myself to get stuck in some “THERE’S NO FURRIES IN BATTLESTAR GALACTICA” debate down the road.
3) Use common words. This method was used often by one of my favorite writers, Isaac Asimov. When a swear was needed, his characters would say things like “Space!” or “Stars and galaxies!”
4) Just make stuff up. This is obviously the hardest one, because I’m essentially inventing new words, and I’d like for them to make sense and not look like a random jumble of letters.
I am going with #3 with a varying degree of success, and who knows, I may invent some new pseudo-cuss words, especially at work, but for now I’ll just have to punt and pepper my story with <SWEAR WORD> placeholders until I think of something better.
Crap.
FREE-book!
UPDATE: The free promotion for “The Rules of Tech Support is now over, but you can still get “One Sheet Stories” for free!
My second e-book “The Rules of Tech Support” is available for free today via Amazon Kindle devices and software, and of course, you can always get “One Sheet Stories” for FREE here!”
Aetherfest: The Unconventional Convention
Come one, come all!
While there are lots of things to like about fan conventions like the upcoming Texas ComicCon and San Japan, there are a lot of things not to like about them, too: crowded hallways, long lines, overexcited sugar-and-energy-drink-fueled teens running around everywhere and the eventual feeling of ‘been there, done that.’
If you’re tired of the same old convention scene and want to check out something different, I strongly suggest dropping by Aetherfest in San Antonio this weekend. “Texas’ First Steampunk Convention” is taking place at the St. Anthony Hotel and will feature a host of activities, vendors and guests for all to enjoy. For the uninitiated, “steampunk” is an odd mash-up of speculative fiction, science fiction, alternate history, and fantasy…set in Victorian times. That’s the best way I can put it, you just have to see it.
Based on my experience attending last year, Aetherfest is very different than your typical fan convention. The Steampunk audience slants a bit older, so there aren’t as many hyperactive kids running around, the con organizers are capping attendance at 500 in order to prevent overcrowding, and as there is no truly ‘definitive’ Steampunk work of fiction, just about everything that will be presented there will be original. In fact, I can say with confidence that you will see many things that you have not seen before at Aetherfest.
In addition, the St. Anthony Hotel fits the aesthetic perfectly, you will feel as if you have stepped into another place and time at Aetherfest. A more civilized time where lords and ladies spoke proper English, paraded around in elaborate outfits, and exotic devices bought to life by the not-quite-understood power of aether were in abundance.
One-day passes can be purchased for $30 or a weekend pass is $60. For more details go to http://facebook.com/aetherfest or http://www.sanvaonline.com/aetherfest
I look forward to making your acquaintance there!
Dear River City Federal Credit Union…
UPDATE: I received a call from the CEO of River City Federal Credit Union the afternoon after sending the email below and apparently their e-statement system is down due to some upgrades they are in the process of implementing. Nice.
Everything is going to be sorted out as far as I’m concerned, but I have to admit to rolling my eyes when I was being told about how wonderful the system was going to be in the future. I mean, seriously, it isn’t working right now so I could care less about TEH FUTURE! So for the moment, its ‘all’s well that ends well’ but we shall see how things work out after they get everything done and (hopefully) working. I am cautiously optimistic.
I joined River City FCU last year partially because I was tired of ‘business as usual’ with banks. I had hoped that joining a local credit union would provide a better overall experience and looked forward to supporting a local business. While your people have been great, your technology has been sorely lacking, especially where e-statements are concerned. Not only did I miss my March statement but after contacting RCFCU via the online system, I was told over a week ago that a statement would be mailed to me and I have yet to receive it. I have also cancelled my e-statements so that I don’t have to go through this mess for the near future and am no longer receiving REWARD Checking benefits because I have to choose between those benefits or not receiving my statements in a timely fashion which is an inconvenience.
This is inexcusable. This is the 21st century and if you want to compete with other credit unions to say nothing of the big banks then you need to accept the fact that keeping an important system like eStatements down for more than hours in UNACCEPTABLE. As much distaste as I have developed for banks, at least their online systems have always worked and as much as I hate to admit it, I may find myself going back to them (or at least another credit union) just so that I don’t have to worry about not having access to my information because a tube popped in the mainframe.
Thank you.
Eduardo Soliz
I AM EDUARDO, DESTROYER OF COMICS!
We barely knew you...AGAIN
Archie Comics is going to give a go at resurrecting their superhero characters again, but instead of handing the reins over to DC Comics again (as they did in the 90’s with !mpact Comics as well as more recently) they are going it alone this time under the also resurrected Red Circle Comics imprint. The New Crusaders is going to feature a group of teen superheroes that pick up the mantle from their famous forebearers under the tutelage of The Shield. Sounds like it could be a nice ‘light read’ to add to my virtual pull-box over at Comic Break.com, but I won’t be reading it.
I won’t be reading it because I want Archie Comics to stay in business. Seriously.
I have developed a knack for reading comics that just don’t last for very long and have even had entire companies go out from under me. Here’s the hit list so far.
- Tekno Comix
- Malibu Comics/Ultraverse
- Valiant Comics
- Impact Comics
- Dreamwave Productions
And the books:
- ExoSquad (only one issue!)
- Buck Rogers XXVc by TSR Comics
- William Shatner’s TekWar (twice! Once at Epic and another at Blue Water)
- The Tick New Series
- DC’s recent reboot of the Red Circle characters
- Dark Horse’s reboot of Magnus Robot Fighter and Solar Man of the Atom
Those are just the ones I can name off the top of my head, I’m sure if I go through my comic boxes I can find the remains of other promising books that I had liked but in doing so also gave them the kiss of death.
If I didn’t know any better, I think I just might be a supervillain. But yeah, I actually like Archie Comics and I’m already pressing their luck by reading their current Mega Man comic, so I don’t want to tempt fate even more. Just sayin’.
Arc-Less
RAWR!
I added Godzilla Legends to my pull box (or whatever Comic Break calls it) mainly out of curiosity. The series was supposed to feature some of the other giant stars of the Godzilla universe. I had never read a Godzilla comic before and except for watching “Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla” at the first Fanboy Flix a few months ago, I haven’t seen a movie starring Japan’s mean green machine in years. Thus, I am hardly an expert in regards to the care and feeding of giant monsters, or ‘kaiju’ to use the proper term. Despite that, I thought I’d give it a shot.
I got my first issue a few weeks later. It was a fun read and Matt Frank’s art provided plenty of monster mashing action. But there was something different waiting for me at the end of the comic.
It was the end of the story. One and done. That was it. No cliffhanger or big reveal or plot twist to coax me into buying the next issue in 30 days. Instead, there would be a completely new story with a new monster in the next issue. I had no commitment to keep, I could stop where I was at and not spend the rest of my days wondering if Godzilla and Anguirus ever kissed and made up.
I kept the subscription and a month later, the second issue dropped. I read it, enjoyed it, and eagerly waited for each new one to arrive. There was something about reading a single issue of a comic book with a self-contained story that I had not experienced in years. It took me back to when I read comics as a kid, before multi-issue story arcs and epic crossovers turned comics into big soap operas. Seriously, even the new Mega Man comic I’m reading goes from one arc to the next, and that one is published by Archie Comics.
It is easy to write off the feeling as nostalgia, but what I really miss is the anticipation of not knowing what is coming in the next issue. If I am reading a comic that ends with a cliffhanger, then I’m left spending the next month or so guessing just what is going to happen next. If the story I’m reading comes to a complete end, though, I have no idea what is going to be in that next book.
I like that. It’s sometimes fun to not know.
What’s Going On
MATT FRANK, Y U DESTROY SAN ANTONIO?
Cover art at right by the irrevocable Matt Frank!
The first in a series of (hopefully) funny YouTube videos called “High Tech Things Said by Low Tech People” is now up. Check it out!
I’m looking forward to a fun-filled time at ChimaeraCon 2012 this weekend. I will be in Artist’s Alley handing out flyers and yammering to anyone who will listen about “The Rules of Tech Support”and my other e-books.
Speaking of ‘other e-books,’ my third one, titled “FlipSide Stories” is now available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com!
FlipSide Stories is a collection of five very short stories with Twilight Zone-ish endings:
A customer discovers that “Future Service” isn’t really for him.
A young woman spends another “Saturday Night” alone in a bar where something isn’t quite right with the patrons.
There are nerds, there are geeks, and then there is the “Freako”.
A cosplayer can’t figure out what to wear and must come to a “Decision”.
A man reunites with a crush from his college years, but “Betty’s Baby” has a surprise for him.
Eduardo Soliz 