leviathan chronicles

Want to know what radio drama has evolved to? Check out the Leviathan Chronicles, or many of the other drama podcasts that are finding their way to the web.

The Leviathan Chronicles is one that Ron found, and we have both been enjoying the story. It is high adventure, across continents and oceans. It can be found here. It was written by Christof Laputka, who works at a sound studio (I think) in New York. I get the impression that Christof is looking for a way to get his work "out there" in a techno-savvy format. I think he may have found a niche.

As a work of fiction, there are a few problems with TLC. Occasionally my willing suspension of disbelief has been stretched. Still, as entertainment, TLC works very well. The voice talent he found to bring the characters to life is good. The adventure is fast paced. There is suspense and mystery and entertainment. You can download for an MP3 player, or burn to a disc for a CD player. Either way is suitable for a road trip.

pants day

What, you thought because it was Sunday, this would be sewing day??? Well, it was. I did go to Roxanne's, and we did sew. Guess what we sewed today? Right in one: pants. We both needed some, and so we cut them out. I started serging on the first pair while Roxanne cut out the second, and by the time I was done, Roxanne's mom was there to help cut out, and man did we go to town. We got 7 pair cut out, 4 pair serged, and one pair completely finished. There was also a nightgown in the mix, which was almost finished when I left. I have two pair of pants that just need hems and casing/elastic to be ready to wear. I also have a pair that is cut out, waiting to be sewn. Not bad in the space of about 4 hours. And when you add in all the visiting we got in, bam! it's magic.

Yeah.

A good way to finish up a weekend.

halloween anyone?

I know, it's still July, and HOT and school is just starting, but for those of us not planning to rush out to the costume mega mart, it's getting to be time to think about HALL-O-WEEEEEEN...

I've made several costumes for Raine, and I'm planning to continue the tradition this year. I've even come up with an idea. Well, actually, it is a group of ideas. Lets start at the beginning, shall we? No, no, not that beginning... the beginning of the idea factory. What would Raine like to be for Halloween? Her favorite things are: dinosaurs, bionicles, and Spore (the computer game). I made her a bionicle costume last year, which I thought turned out pretty good. There was one problem with it, though. It was appliques onto a sweat shirt and sweat pants. For anyone who doesn't live here in the southern end of NM, it can still get plenty warm in October. Last year she just about melted in her costume.

So, what to do? Of course I asked her what she wanted, and she tells me about different Spore creatures she would like a costume of. The creature part stays fairly consistent, but the appendages and accoutrement change and shift, mutate and recombine. See, in a way, that makes sense, because the part of Spore that she likes best is basically building the creature. You put different heads, and claws, ears and noses, fangs and antennae on the things. You change the color, and the texture, and even decide whether you want wings. And you can pretty much change it at any time.

So. my thought is this. Build some pieces. None of the pieces would have to take that long to create, and if I stick to a couple basic colors, then she can mix and match them like crazy. Also, not as much to grow out of. The costume pieces can last for as long as she wants to dress up in them (unlike the dinosaur costume I didn't make, but she loved... until she couldn't put the hood up without getting a wedgie. I think it will be fun to play with pieces and parts for her, and for me, too. A chance for me to play with some embellishment techniques and textures as well. Maybe some reversible pieces, as long as they don't get too many layers, and then become too hot to play in. Some need scales, and some feathers, and I'm thinking vests and hoods for the garment pieces. Now I just need to be on the lookout for cool looking socks and gloves to go with...

once bitten

Fran asked what books we were reading, which makes me think to write about it just a bit. I'm reading Jennifer Rardin's book, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, and I'm really enjoying it. Now that school has started, my available time for reading has been cut way back, but I had a very nice summer for reading. Better than for a long while, now.

We've implemented (read: had thrust upon us) a school wide SSR program this year, so the students have enforced reading for pleasure for 30 minutes about 4 times a week. Well, let me tell you, I am the reading gestapo! OK, maybe not quite, but I do make them sit, and have the book open and be quiet, while I walk around the class, reading my book. No, I'm not reading aloud, but there are many choices of reading material that they can choose from in my room, and much more than that available in the library. Yes, we went. They have even had the opportunity to check something out. So, I get to keep reading...

Back to Once Bitten... It is in that up-and-coming genre of urban fantasy, which I'm finding I enjoy. The main character, Jaz Parks has an interesting mix of strengths and weaknesses, and she is partnered with an interesting vampire "good-guy." Why the quotation marks? Well, they work for the CIA, as assassins. I think that makes them kind of dark for good guys, but the bad guys are really, really bad. Still I am enjoying the book, and want to read more. Good thing its a series! Fran, did you send this book to me? If you did, good job!

sittin' here

I'd been keeping up with blogging this month, well, until yesterday. I had something all ready to go yesterday, too. I really did... but I got sidetracked, and tired, and just finally had to say the heck with it, and go to bed. I would post it today, except, remember that part where I went to bed? Yeah, I slept. I got no clue, now. None. Except that it was gonna be snarky. So, really, it's probably just as well I don't remember.

Tonight? I stayed late at work. Then when I got home, after a lovely dinner of pork curry that Carl made (yum-ola), I wrote the checks and paid the bills. I'd put it off longer than I should have. Anyway, the result is, I really don't have the energy to consider many possibilities of topics for a post. Still, even without a topic, I'm trying to type for long enough to let my hair get a little dry after washing it. Yeah, I know, you are all so gratified to see where you truly fit into my personal schema. What? You knew it already? Oh. Well. Nevermind.

Anyway, we're almost to Thursday, getting closer to the weekend, and now that I'm back at work, of course it matters. Now, if I can only get Raine started back to school next week, I'll be doing good. Of course she is going to have to work on getting up that early again. She certainly wasn't asleep yet, the last time I looked in on her.

philosophy vs politics

This evening I got a phone call from a woman from some Right to Life organization or the other. My response to her? I am not interested in listening. Click.

I understand the need to be active politically. I understand the responsibility, as well. I realize that political decisions made with or without my help can affect people I care about, so I do try to vote my conscience and my personal philosophy. I do not, however, enjoy politics.

I got to thinking, though, that while I do not want to discuss many of these issues with some political fanatic, who is not going to change my mind any more than I am going to change theirs, I would discuss them as a matter of personal philosophy. I have pretty liberal politics, but my personal philosophies tend (at least as I see it) to be fairly conservative. I lean a lot towards tolerance and the Golden Rule, and I would like others to treat me pretty well.

With the advent of mass media, people don't discuss these philosophies as much, and develop their own views through the discussions. They get brow-beaten by endlessly repeated commercials and other media. Brainwashed into thoughtless masses who vote some party line then don't understand when they - or their children - can't get medical care, or some other benefit.

Perhaps, the advent of the world wide web will, in some measure, facilitate that thoughtful discussion between curious and philosophical individuals, no matter how distant from one another they may be. Or maybe I'll just get overwhelmed by spam telling me how those kids these days don't even say the pledge any more...

superheros and supervillians

Carl and I scored a copy of Kick-Ass at Sam's, today. Terrible title, entertaining movie. Not for the young, despite having a preteen as one of the main characters.

Its as much about growing up and stepping up as it is about over the top violence - which it has plenty of. It also has Nicolas Cage.

I don't want to give a lot away but it WAS pretty entertaining, and I did see a bazooka used...