Month: February 2008

Webcomics Obsession

I enjoy reading webcomics. When I eat breakfast in the morning, I read e-mail and then webcomics. I have several comics that I read through LJ syndication (including a couple of newspaper comics) too. I’ve discovered that I like webcomics (at least the ones I read) much more that most comics from our local newspapers. For one thing, they’re funnier. 🙂 For another, you get to “know” the authors more by reading their comics, since many of them communicate with blogs or in forums. So for me, it’s no surprise that I like webcomics.

What did surprise me, however, was when I realized that I’m a webcomics’ merchandise junkie. When I found myself ordering the two Bunny books, the Station V3 book, The Devil’s Panties Men in Kilts (with leaf blower) Calendar, and a fleece plush Bunny all on the same day, I realized it. I enjoy the merchandise almost as much as the webcomics themselves. I have several t-shirts from Devil’s Panties, Ctrl+Alt+Del and Sluggy Freelance (with one from Questionable Content coming someday) which are fun to wear and suitably obscure. (However, I have had one person recognize a Sluggy Freelance shirt before.) I think the little stuffed toys from Sluggy, Bunny and Ctrl+Alt+Del are cute and sit nicely beside my computer. And I really enjoy having paper copies of the comics (in addition to the online archives). Heck, for dad’s retirement present, I commissioned a PC Weenies comic to be created.

I decided to gather up several of my webcomics merch for a group photo:


(and to think, that’s not all of it)

I like supporting the webcomic artists & authors with my custom. It’s my small way of saying “Thanks” for the hours of enjoyment that I get from their webcomics. (By hours, I mean hours. I usually go through the entire archive when I discover a new comic that tickles my fancy – Questionable Content being the most recent addition to my repertoire.) It’s neat to watch as techniques are honed as the comics progress.

Three of the webcomics I read are written by people I “knew” before I knew their comic work. Station V3 (and the various spin-offs) by axonite, Arthur, King of Time and Space by scarfman, and Special School by kingandy, all acquaintances from various mailing lists. I’m sure they’d all appreciate your viewership – give ’em a looksee.

For a more complete list of the webcomics that I read regularly, you can check out my main LJ page – along the side are links to my favorite webcomics. And I’m always on the look out for more, so feel free to recommend more.

Sleet Day!

I went to bed last night knowing we were on a 2-hour delay already, which made me happy (I like to sleep in an hour on 2-hour delay days).  I turned on the news at 11pm and it looked to me like the whole thing was going to miss us, so I was feeling sorry for our superintendent (and the dozens of others) who had already set the delay in place.  But when I awoke, we had gotten plenty of freezing rain overnight and the roads weren’t all that good, nor were they looking to improve.  So we had our 6th Snow Day today. 

I spent the day fiddling about, mostly on a series of web pages for a friend of mine.  But I also got some coursework done that was due today.  And I called mom & dad during the sleeting time.  It was so loud mom could hear it when I held the phone up to the window.  Heh.  The streets, which had been getting better, were back to worse again.  After taking some photos of the sleet covered roads, I turned back and saw the kitties on the sofa.

Awwww, ain’t they cute?

Snow Pix

Yesterday, during our bootiful floofy snow, I took some photos.  I sent a few along to mom & dad out in California and they enjoyed showing them to their friends.  Heh.  But one of my favorite shots is of the snow collected on some of the neighbor’s trees.  Plus a shot which makes the snow look like the fake snow you can buy at Christmas time.


Fluffy trees (especially in the back)!  Happy little trees!  Plenty of Magic White used here!  (A joke for you Bob Ross fans.)


See, it was fake snow all along!

Tonight was Parent/Teacher conferences and, as usual, I had no conferences. After getting a lot of paperwork done (mostly professional development committee stuff) I spent much of the night talking with coworkers. One of the secretaries was also nice enough to drive me home since it had begun snowing (again). Who knows, if the wintry mix shows up like they’re predicting, we may have another day off tomorrow. Considering they’ve been wrong so much this season, I’m not betting on it. 🙂

Guess what?

We’re getting pretty fluffy snow.  This is the scene from my kitchen just after we got the phone call that, due to poor road conditions, school is closed today. Yay!  I get to stay home cuz of bootiful floofy snow rather than icky ice.  It’s light out now, and more of the really fluffy stuff is coming down.  Yay!  (This uses up our last Snow Day, so hopefully we won’t get much more bad weather this season!)

Doctor Who Meme

We were informed last night that we had a 2-hour delay today – no surprise there.  What did surprise me was the phone call at 8am this morning (just after I finished breakfast and while I was reading e-mail) which let us know that, due to the country roads being crappy (not his words), school was closed today.  Woohoo!  So, now that I have another day off, I thought I’d start out with the Doctor Who meme that’s been doing the rounds. (I like how one flist member described it as an “interrogation” rather than a meme.)

1. When did you start watching?
In 1982, I believe.

1a. Why?
I missed the Tomorrow People.  TP had been off the air for awhile and I wanted my cheesy British sci-fi.  I’d avoided Doctor Who up to that point cuz dad had warned me about smelly boys living in their parents’ basement.  Or some such.

2. What was your first episode?
“Four to Doomsday.”  However, I had seen bits of “Genesis of the Daleks” and “The Android Invasion” before then.  When I realized they were Doctor Who, I’d turned them off.  “Four to Doomsday” however surprised me – the toothy guy with the scarf wasn’t there, it was some young (cute) blond dude.  And I loved the mouthy Australian.  So I kept on watching.

3. Which episodes have you seen?
All of the existing ones, I believe. 

3a. Favorite?
Original series: “Ghost Light.”  Current series: “Blink” with “Empty Child/Doctor Dances” closely following behind.

4. Are your friends/family interested in the show?
Considering most of my friends I found though Doctor Who in the first place… lots of friends like the show.  My sister used to enjoy the series (the Tegan years).  I showed mom and dad “Blink” and they really liked it. I even have a coworker who knows the original series.

5. Which Doctor is your favorite?
Doc7 as played by Sylvester McCoy.  (See icon.)

6. Which Doctor is your least favorite?
I like ’em all. (See icon.)

7. Which TV companion is your favorite?
Turlough and Martha.  (I usually say Benny, but then I remember “Oh, she wasn’t a TV companion.”)

8. Which TV companion is your least favorite?
Adrip.

9. Do you listen to the Big Finish audios?
Yes.

9a. If so, which is your favorite?
The Fearmonger. (Go Jon!)  The Harvest is also very good.  And my favorite non7th Doc story is The One Doctor.

9b. Also: which Big Finish companion is your favorite?
Hex, though Eveline and Erimem are good too.  Doc8 OTOH – don’t like any of his companions.  Or his stories, actually.

10. Have you listened to any non-Big Finish audios?
Yup.

10a. If so, which is your favorite?
Punchline (BBV) and Death Comes to Time (BBC).

11. Have you read any of the novels or short stories?
Yup.

11a. Have you written any of the novels or short stories?
Nope.

11b. Which is your favorite?
The Left-Handed Hummingbird (Virgin) and Heritage (BBC).

12. Have you read any of the comics?
Not regularly.  I have the 7thDoc compilation (of course).

12a. You guessed it – which is your favorite?
Don’t really have one.

13. Do you watch any of the spin-offs (e.g. Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures)?
Watch ’em both.

13a. Which is your favorite?
SJA thus far.  However, I’ve been enjoying season 2 of Torchwood.

14. Is there any particular episode/book/audio/comic you desperately want to watch/listen to/read?
I never give up the chance to watch “Ghost Light.”

Fandom
1. Do you write fanfic for Doctor Who?
Not anymore.

1a. If so, post a snippet of a work-in-progress (or several)!
N/A

2. Do you create Doctor Who icons?
Yes – Doc7 ones, usually.

2a. Let’s see a sample!
   

3. Recommend a fanfic/icon/fanvid/fancomic/fancreation!
I did rather enjoy Time Rift when I saw it. 

4. Have you been to any Doctor Who conventions?
Visions 95-98, Gallifrey ’98, ’00, ’02, ChicagoTARDIS once.

5. Have you ever dressed up as a Doctor Who character?
Nope.

6. Do you own any Doctor Who merchandise?
Yup. Books, DVDs, toys, collectible cards, playing cards (heh heh – can’t wait to show them to judiang), etc.

7. Are you a fan of Russell T Davies?
Yup.

7a. Steven Moffat?
I’ve been a fan of his since his short story in Decalog 2.  My favorite episode of Murder Most Horrid was written by him.  My favorite eps of the new series are written by him.

7b. Paul Cornell?
I’ve always liked his stuff, but I always liked Kate Orman’s better. 🙂

8. What say you to Season 6b?
If people want to have it cannon, let ’em.  I’m neither for nor against it myself.

9. The UNIT dating controversy?
Heck, all the goobering up that the Doctor’s done with time, it’s no surprise they can’t get the dates right.

10. The Blinovitch Limitation effect?
Fun gobbledygook.

11. Multi-Doctor episodes?
Also fun gobbledygook.

12. What’s your favorite Doctor Who technobabble?
“Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.”

13. Have you watched other TV shows exclusively because of the presence of Doctor Who actors?
Hell yeah.  That’s how I watch TV & movies in general – who’s in ’em, not what it’s about.  Someone says “I’m watching such & such” and my first question is always “Who’s in it?”  I’ve seen mucho stuff with Sylvester McCoy, but I’ve sought out stuff from all the Docs and many companions. 

14. Have you met any of the actors?
The actors who played Docs5-8, several actors who’ve played companions.

14a. Traveled to any filming locations?
Never on purpose. (Unless a BBC studios tour counts as “on purpose.”)

15. What do you think of The Curse of Fatal Death?
Fun stuff, even the fart jokes.  (I’m easily amused.)  Jonathan Pryce is the best Master evah (even better than Derek Jacobi and DelGOD.)

16. Do you have any fannish opinions that you think are fairly unpopular?
That Sylvester McCoy is the best Doctor.  Heh.  How about that Death Comes to Time is cannon?

17. What’s your favorite pairing?
Eh, that’s the realm of one’s own imagination.  And my imagination is warped, so I shan’t answer. 😉

18. What pairing(s) won’t you touch with a really long pole?
I love Rose, I love Docs 9 & 10, but the “pairing” got a bit heavy-handed by the end of it.

Ice Ice Baby

You know that big storm that’s all over the north central and east US?  I’m in the pink band of that, getting lots of freezing rain dumped on me (well, not me, but my house & yard are).  The bad is that ice is icky and road conditions are shite.  The good is that we wound up having no school today.  I’d really like for the freezing rain to switch to snow – snow is much easier to walk on (well, the amounts we get in Ohio) than strict ice.  If we have school tomorrow, I’ll have to decide which is less hazardous – walking or driving.  Ever since I broke my arm slipping on the ice in ’00, I’ve been paranoid when there’s ice around.

Still, I’ve been having a great day off.  I received in the mail yesterday my latest eBay purchase – the Dorothy Edwards novel, The Witches and the Grinnygog.  Nickelodeon aired the British miniseries of that book when I was a kid and I loved it.  Still do, in fact.  I got the bug in my head to find the original book, which is currently out of print.  My cursory glance showed prices of $75+ for the book.  Eep!  But there was a sale on eBay for a more reasonably priced book (£4.99).  I bid and won the book – woot! 

Although I started reading the book yesterday (and last night during a bout of insomnia), I read most of it today to finish it just a short while ago.  The book was just as delightful as the miniseries was. There were quite a few characters combined for the miniseries (there are 6 lead children in the book, 4 in the miniseries) but the story, for the most part, was faithfully adapted to the series.  Much of the dialog by the witches was the same in both.  I have a mind to watch the miniseries this evening yet.  Heh. 

So, despite the nasty, icky weather, I’ve been having a nice day.  Considering I’ve got 5 billion meetings tomorrow (an exaggeration) I’m rather hoping we get another day off tomorrow.  But I’m not counting on it.  If we get it, it’ll be a pleasant surprise. 

(Heh heh – “Herne” is a very appropriate song to be playing right now.)

The fun with Kitties

So, like, I’m watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Linus is sitting beside me on the sofa. Earlier, Lucy was as well. But where is she now? Standing in front of the TV and making squeaky noises with her Soft Paws on the glass. She seems quite fascinated by the set up screen (the movie just ended).

I’m debating whether to put on 3 or head to bed. I expect whatever I do, there will be kitties involved. Heh.

I’m Back! Yay for new Modems!

Well, the Time Warner repairman has been & gone.  He was very friendly and quite knowledgeable. 

The modem, of course, tried to make a liar out of me.  At 4:05pm today, it was STILL not showing the lights for online or computer.  But as soon as he walked in half an hour later, it had all its lights going.  Grrrr.  But no matter, he had a magic box that he hooked it up to, then he contacted the modem directly, and its values didn’t agree between the two.  And when he examined the history, it showed it had been offline a LOT lately.  He went out & got the new modem.  And he also got a new splitter which should help my ‘net connection even better (and yet still enable me to watch telly on my PC if I should desire to do so).

Anyhoo, things seem to be working okie dokie now.  And it feels good to have my body whole again. 😉  (I now know how Sweeney Todd felt when he picked up his barber knives again.)