I finally took the plunge and started a CafePress store to make some money from my photography hobby. Just one item in the store so far - a 2011 wall calendar with photos of various art items around Ottawa.

EDIT: Deleting the link, since I never did anything else with this and the store's long gone.

In case you don't know already, TVTropes is scrambling like a kicked-over anthill.  If you're interested in why, check out http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/A ... eSituation]this page.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

My roommate picked this up on release earlier this week. He didn't have quite enough to get the pro guitar, but he did splurge on the pro drums and the keyboard. In between bouts of Civ 5 and reading Hybrid Theory I've/we've been fooling around with it. The verdict so far: it's good, though I personally find the new set list a little... wanting. But that's mostly because I'm a progressive rock fan and I can see the keyboard potential in a lot of prog. (Although Yes' "Roundabout" is a part of the set list. It's, uh... oh man, it's hard. Even on easier settings.)

The keyboard itself is a lot of fun to tool around with, both in regular and pro mode. However, a lot of songs have long gaps between keyboard parts that leave whoever is playing them with nothing to do. "Rock Lobster", for example, is keyboard heavy for the first half, and then there's nothing in the second half. Zilch. Once you get a feel for the instrument and the game, though, it can be a lot of fun.

Pro drums are regular drums with cymbals. It's basically the same as before but with added complications, now with the ability to hook up a second pedal for double-kick action.

We're having a pre-Halloween party tonight, so the game will get its big test then.

http://www.thesuperficial...ered-the-burrito-09-2010 Possible NSFW due to other elements on the site.

And more.

http://www.superherohype....e-captain-america-photos

These look rather cool. For one thing, nice bike. Also. I wonder what they built this out of.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/...000005DC-543_634x383.jpg
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

...but in order to know whether the short omake will make sense in-universe, I have to ask:

Bob, what characterization are you using for Minako? First-season and first-half-of-R ultracompetent, remainder of series goofball, Shadowjack's take on her where she's got the weight of responsibility on her shoulders until she passes that weight to Usagi and gets to loosen up, or something else?

(After I get an answer to that, I'll then need to do some research... by watching a few episodes of Rocky & Bullwinkle.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

With 80+ images of his work, http://www.boredpanda.com/80-beautiful- ... by-banksy/]here.  Some of which I've seen before, many of which were new to me.
If you know who Banksy is, you've probably already clicked the link.  If you don't, well, he's a "guerilla artist" -- a graffitist whose work is considered "real art" and can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars/pounds/euros, and yet still gets painted over by authorities.  He's got a very recognizable style and a wicked sense of humor, as well as a strong political sensibility, and if you haven't clicked by now, do so.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

One of the things that I've noticed that helps me get into the proper mindset of certain characters or events is the right song to loop continuously for a while.
That said, can someone suggest appropriate theme music for my other DSKS characters?  More than one song is generally preferred for different 'moods'.  List as follows:
Lum Invader (critical need ATM)
Teletha Testarossa
Miyuki Takamachi
Kuno Kodachi
Also, music for other associated characters might be nice.
Couple other things I'm seriously considering.
One would be a practical item - shifting the time frame of my character's arrival a few months over so events line up a little more properly - such as the Cardian battle during the Cherry Blossom Festival, and my character missing the deadline for enrollment for the spring term and having to wait until summer (this gives the background movers time to set up the 'Special School' to which most of the characters will go to).
The other... well, I'm considering dropping Melon from the cast as well as all the other Akikan stuff in favor of Rocket Girls and Matsuri Morita.
Matsuri, I think, would be perfect for several reasons, but primarily she would probably be the one that keeps the girls from going at each others throats all the time.  Thing is, Matsuri's dad has something like six or seven wives (God knows how many brothers and sisters she has!) so she is perfectly at peace with the idea of sharing a man and is quick to chastise her new 'Sisters' whenever they don't work together.
Zeke meets Matsuri because the school he's at, being progressive and everything, decides that a trip to the Solomon Space Agency is just the thing to get the kids interested in technical careers.  Insanity ensues, not sure exactly what yet.  Still in development.  (^_^  Anywho, Matsuri takes a shining to him for many reasons.  Good with kids, smart, technical, but still talks to the spirits.  Oh yeah, have we mentioned how the Tariho Tribe could use a new Medicine Man? 
I'd still like to throw in characters from Chobits.  Before anyone brings up the old argument about Persocons making AMALGAM's human-scale armslaves look old-hat, hear me out.  I've been giving the idea some thought.
Chi, as before, is a prototype, the first of her kind.  Thing is, though, there's only her and a handful of others, and they are being designed by AMALGAM as a sort of 'softer side' of their human-scale armslaves.  These Persocons are not simply elaborate human-form PDAs... they also serve as Escorts and body-guards.  Yes, they are built to do some hurting.  No, they are not invincible.  Bullets can stop them, but they'll take a few more rounds than a human will.  However, the two scientist that built Chi and a few others doesn't want 'their babies' used as sex-toys/assassins/gun-fodder - especially not for wealthy despots and military dictators.
Of course, Murphy's law being what it is, their defection to MYTHRIL goes terribly wrong: one of the scientists is killed and all the Persocons wind up getting lost and falling into the hands of normal folks in the Tokyo area.  Zeke... dunno yet if he's going to be one of them.
Although it would be hilarious if it was Sousuke Sagara - with him I'm trading Aino Minako for Teletha Testarossa, and adding the Chinese Sisters trained by his nemesis.  Adding Chi will bring his harem to five people.  She'll have an interesting dynamic on the other girls because she'll be hitting their berserk-buttons by unwittingly following her 'please the master' programing... but as she's so sweet natured Kaname and Minako will have a hard time bringing themselves to even attempt to do harm... and the Sisters will have a hard time dealing with her because her defense programming is based on them!
... I think Sumomo would be perfect for Usagi.  The tiny Persocons wouldn't have that Escort package, but they would still do the whole protect and assist schtick.  Imagine cheerful, chirpy, boisterous little Sumomo... laying out caltrops and triplines and polishing her laser with that happy little smile and cheering Usagi on with her homework...  "Usagi-chan!  Fight-o! ... Intruder detected!"
Also, is there any more material featuring Miyuki Takamachi?  I've sat through Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever and she's just kinda... there.  Like as if she was thrown into the story line as an afterthought (something I'd like to avoid myself - note to self: must write shorts such as Kubiak and Makoto's First Date).

By fiat.  Linked article includes photo of three women in Dalek costumes beating up an inflatable TARDIS for no discernible reason.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I'd been hanging out over at my friends Glenn's house since after the Saturday night gaming session. I took my desktop computer with me. I sometimes do that. He catches me up on programs like Top Gear and
Mythbusters that I've missed. And sometimes we LAN game or play online
games like DDO or WoW or City of Heroes.

We went back to my house on late Sunday night to pick up a piece of
equipment that I'd left behind (a video monitor adapter). Everything was
fine then.

I got a call from Dad Tuesday evening, when he said he wasn't feeling well. He was having trouble forming sentences, though his actual speech was fine. His girlfriend Sharon was there and said she'd keep an eye on him until I got there. I left my stuff at Glenns and headed straight there to my dad's place. Well he'd taken some extra blood thinner and was feeling (and acting) much better. I spent
the night just to keep an eye on him. Then I went straight back to Glenn's where I had left my computer.
(I actually carry my desk top with me.)

I am very glad I did.

We caught up on Top Gear and the new Mythbusters and I had just logged into City of Heroes when Glenn's
cable and internet cut out. Well I was going to leave
that night or early Thursday anyway. So I packed up all my gear and headed home, where
I would have net connection.

When I got home and opened the door, I discovered that my house had been
broken into.

The bastards broke a window in the back near the carport where the
little fenced in yard is. Got in that way.

They "turned" my whole house.

The entire place is trashed.

I couldn't even tell what they might have taken at first, it was so bad.

After looking around in utter shock for several minutes and clearing a
path through the rubble, I figured out a few things.

They didn't take any of the TVs. Course they were all of the older type
and pretty worthless these days. (I don't watch TV at my house currently.)

They took a stereo system from my front room. I wasn't too upset about
that. I hardly ever listened to the thing and the CD changer broke a
while back.

They obviously saw the my old computer (that doesn't work) and a monitor
that I had sitting in the living room (that also doesn't work) and had
plugged them in. I guess when they couldn't get anything out of them
they just left them.

They took my PS2 and all my DVDs and games.

They took a couple of "Milk Lug" crates that I used as "shelving" with
the books in them. WHY? I don't know. Why would they take THOSE and not
the CDS? Sitting right next to them?
I'm actually more upset about that then about the other stuff which can be replaced. There were some old Animags and Fanzines from the 80s in there. History that I'll never get back. Bastards don't even know the worth. They probably just grabbed them to stuff the PS2 and DVDs into.

They opened or pried open everything. Including the water heater closet
and prying open an access panel to my plumbing.

Thankfully they seem to have left my art alone. As well as the vast
majority of my books and magazines and manga. But I'm not sure of the
damage at this point from being tossed all around. The art was in
binders and a thick folder with bubble wrap. So it looks ok. At first
glance my old vinyl LPs seem to be ok. I'll have to check more closely
when I start cleaning the place up.

And they took the key out of the lock of my front door when they left.
I'll have to have the locks changed and the window pane replaced.

There's no point I guess in calling the police at this point. What am I
going to tell them? Sometime between Sunday and Wednesday my house got
robbed? Yeah. That'll set them on the trail fast, you betcha.

I still have to clear a space off my bed to sleep later. A lot of stuff was dumped onto it. I don't even
know if I CAN sleep. I'm so tired right now, but I'm wired as well. I
feel rather sick to my stomach from stress.

I'm so goddamned tired.

At 3:44PM Today I received an e-mail with the following subject line:

The Foundry for Star Trek Online Closed Beta Test


Here's a screengrab of the email:

(And you may be wondering why I'm breaking an NDA by showing you this? Well, read on. The next part of this is the FUNNY part. ^_^)



I haven't played STO in months! I was wondering why in hell would they invite ME to this Beta?!? I couldn't figure it out! 

But... In the midst of uttering phrases describing divine excrement over and over, I noticed another e-mail next in queue from 4:03PM: 



ARGH... Gee THANKS guys! Way to build up my expectations for nothing! 

Actually I was laughing my ass off at this whole scenario, really. Yes, I was disappointed. But REALLY now? There's no way I could've been in the Beta except by mistake. 

I was expecting another shoe to drop and most assuredly it DID drop! And here it comes from high orbit! A colony drop right on my head! BOOM!

Anyway, since I am NOT bound and did NOT sign any NDA agreement, I thought you guys would be amused to see this. 

But there is one iiiiinteresting element here. STO apparently is going to get something akin to the Architect system in their game in the not-too-distant future. What about CO? I can't say, cause they haven't made the mistake of sending me an erroneous beta invite. But one has to wonder if something like that is in development? Or not?