Stepping Away...for Now

Dear All,
I'd really hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but due to being out of work over a year, I have to attend to the rags and tatters that are my personal life and career. As you've probably noticed, my adventures, save recent weekends at CrisisCon and the 501st, have ground to a halt. Yep, there's only so much you can do on little or no budget. Translation: what is supposed to be an entertainment blog about one man's journey through life, is languishing.

Barring a miracle, it'll be pretty quiet around here while I continue putting my life back together and trying once again to find life, work, and ultimately peace, in Orlando, Florida.

Until then, a deep thank you to all those who have supported me, encouraged me, and opened up some wonderful opportunities. I really have had fun meeting and talking with so many good folks and writing about the subjects dear to my heart. Hopefully, in time, I can do that again. Regardless, thank you for the warmth and kindness you all have shown to me.

Here's hoping for better tomorrows for all of us and good vibes and juju to everyone.

Best, Michael - TheRapidsNerd

iPod App Roundup

Tinkering and surfing as always, I find curiousities a plenty. Here are a few notable iPod/iPhone apps that stood out and are worth a look:

• Flickr's app is a very simple, clean, and solid access to your Flickr photo account. Considering I had to modify the blog recently to use Flickr, being able to check my account along with eventually being able to post pics from an iPhone is a good thing.
• Regions Bank has an app to access your bank accounts on the go. This one is also clean, simple, and solid and once it's set up, it picks right up on account particulars. Just being able to check my balance quickly is a big help.
• Both this years Comic-Con and Star Wars Celebration V apps did well for making those of us who couldn't make either event, feel more connected. Sure, you could go to the websites and get all the same panel, picture, etc. info, but the mobile editions were nice to have. They also gave me a good idea of what I'd check out on future visits. (Note: Just like before this year's Comic-Con, the app is back in countdown mode for the 2011 event. Just a heads up if you want to download it.) The CV app has a ton of articles and still has the event schedules available for the curious.
• Star Wars: Battle for Hoth is a realtime strategy game where you play as the Rebel Alliance, staving off Imperial attacks. While a very slight bummer that you can't play the Imperials, the game is very intuitive and really fun if you like RTS play or tower defense type games. As you level, you gain greater access to heavy gunners, turrets, Snow Speeders, and X-Wings. Make sure the generators powering these things are well defended or the AT-STs (Scout Walkers, ala Return of the Jedi) will take your defenses down fast.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of randomness!

2010 CrisisCon

This past weekend I "worked" at CrisisCon in Huntsville, Alabama. Crisis 2008 was my very first con ever and it was where I met and talked with some of the 501st Legion for the first time as well. Two years later, back again and this time supporting the great charity work done by the legion. Yep, I was a booth dude and a schmoozer...and loved every minute of it! Here's a recap:

• The 501st booth had a reproduced IG-88 assassin droid head head and 100+ year old Tuskan Raider Gaffi Stick on display. How can that be, considering Star Wars was released in the 70's? The Gaffi is modeled after a fighting stick from either Africa or South America, and the wood used on this particular one is 100+ years old and wonderfully carved. Very cool (and VERY careful) to hold this item. There was also a mini face cast of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from the Ep. 5.
• Got to shoot candids and documentary pics of the 501st armor panel. Yep, I love shooting promo stuff! (Pics are owned by Fetthunter and taken with his camera during the event.) http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u99/Fetthunter/CrisisCon%202010/
• Hung out and talked the HamaCon coordinators. You can see my article on that 1st year con here if you so desire. They're putting on a minicon November 13. More info here: http://www.hama-con.com/. Glad to see you all again! :)
• Got more interested in Happy Hardcore and J-Pop music after watching some truly wacked-out, screwed up, and just plain weird Anime music videos. I need more Pocky...Oh, and hide your wife, hide your kids...;)
• BittersweetBoo had some cool recycled bottle cap art with a range of pop culture subjects. Necklaces, braclets, and button were available and very creative. Thought these were pretty cool, so check them out out http://www.bittersweetboo.etsy.com/
• Pukey-Chan's Studio was another vender I enjoyed talking with. Some cool custom art that catered mostly to the Lolita set, but with some punk and anime roots. Nice folks both, and the guy looked like a young Sid Vicious! Check them out at Pukey-Chan.deviantart.com.
• Saturday night, I was starved after a long day. Met a few friends at Bridge Street and experienced the awesome hospitality (especially so late at night) of Tommy's Pizza. Man that was a good and flavorful pie! Even met Tommy! Go see him. http://www.tommysnypizza.com/. Big thanks Tommy and crew!
• Had my first Random Battle (Pokemon style?) on Sunday. I used the gentle power of a stuffed happy daisy and armpit con funk to crush my first opponant. Opponant 2 put me in a hurt locker fast with machine gun fire and a sub-orbital nuke strike. Ouch! (At this point you're probably scratching your head thinking "huh?!" Game is played with two people and a ref of sorts flipping a quarter. You call the side. If you call heads and heads lands, you attack and score points. Whoever get's to 15-20 first wins. If the opposite side lands, your opponant attacks. Basically heads or tails with comedic acting, and it's a good time if you have a sense of humor like me.)
• Hit the Rave on Saturday night and enjoyed some good trance, techno, and hardcore. Taught a Gothic Lolita gal some basic Liquid and hammed it up dancing with an LED lantern. Oh yes, there WILL be glow sticks for future events and more Salacious Crumb cackles. :) Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2sE9XMUhTM. (Thanks Josh with 501st for this vid.)
• Costume-wise, saw some well detailed Halo ODST troopers, Steampunk Pyramid Head from Silent Hill, 2 or 3 Gothic Lolitas, and a couple State Alchemists from the Full Metal Achemist series. Had met Colonal Mustang at HamaCon earlier this year and he was back again with the librarian this time. And, of course the always high quality and very detailed 501st had Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, a custom Mandelorian, a Rebel Pilot, and those wacky dancing Tuskan Raiders (http://www.youtube.com/user/jcr0308#p/a/u/1/h-wAjSPvl0A).

All toll, a very good time! Special thanks to Leslie, Randy, and the rest of CrisisCon for the quality hospitality and support. Thanks to Rachel for teaching me about the Gothic Lolita style and trend (I didn't have a clue.) Thanks to Jamey and the rest of the 501st Alabama Garrison (and beyond) for putting up with my subtle and low-key personality all weekend. Always a pleasure and see you all again soon!