Oh Mayan

"With the death of Dick Clark this world will never again
see another Rockin' New Year!"

This Friday is December 21, 2012, and for anyone who still celebrates the Mayan New Year, or if you just have an Internet connection, you know that on December 21st the Mayan calendar will click over, ending the current b'ak'tun, which is approximately 394 years, and end the Great Cycle of 13 b'ak'tuns. Now people on the world wide web, Ronald Emmerich, and the people at the History Channel (sigh) have been holding up December 21, 2012 as a day of doom and disaster. It has become a date of much anticipation and fear, when the world is suppose to end, at least according to some people (but not necessarily the Maya).

There has been a lot of hype over this idea and a lot of pseudo-scientists claiming that everything from black holes, to solar activity, to a complete and rapid reversal of the Earth's magnetic sphere will be the culprit of our downfall. According to some beliefs, the Sun will align with the galactic equator of the galaxy and somehow the interaction between the black hole in the center of the Milky Way and our sun will mark the beginning of a cataclysmic event. To back this up, believers often put forth the prophetic powers of the Mayan calendar, claiming that the calendar is as much about prophecy as it is about keeping time. Examples given are the fact that the Maya supposedly predicted not only the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, but the collapse of their own society.

Uh... That's a pretty crappy prediction, because if there was someone in Mayan society who knew that the arrival of Cortes and his men heralded the end of the Maya themselves, why didn't they do something about it? Why wasn't Cortes and his men met with thousands of armed warriors? Instead the Spanish were invited willingly into the palace of Montezuma... and everything kind of went downhill for the Maya after that.

You see the entire "doomsday thing" is all based on a lot of faulty assumptions. First, is that the Long Count Calendar was made by the Maya, when in fact it was probably created by their predecessors, the Olmec. (Like that guy on Legends of the Hidden Temple... Kirk Fogg, I think his name was.) Second, that the turning over of the Mayan Calendar, which marks the end of the 13th b'ak'tun, also marks the end of our current age and the cycle of the world will start again. (sigh) Though the Mayans believed in cyclical time, it was only in the 260 day tzolk'in calendar that such a belief was truly prevalent. The Long Count Calendar is actually not cyclical at all. In fact, the b'ak'tun is not the highest the calendar can go. 20 K'atuns (roughly 20 years) makes a b'ak'tun (394 years), but 20 b'ak'tuns makes a piktun (7,885 years), 20 piktuns makes a kalabtun (157,704 years), 20 kalabtuns makes a k'inchiltun (3,154,071 years), and finally 20 k'inchiltuns makes an alautun (63,081,429 years.) The Maya did not even believe that their calendar was going to end on December 21, 2012.

On December 21, 2012 when you are running for your life
from that 50-foot tidal wave, make sure your are running
in comfort and style. It's what the Maya would have wanted.

This whole 12/21/12 doomsday is a modern interpretation. In the late 1990's Michael D. Coe, anthropologist, author, and real-life Indiana Jones wrote, "There is a suggestion ... that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the final day of the 13th [b'ak'tun]. Thus ... our present universe [would] be annihilated [in December of 2012] when the Great Cycle of the Long Count reaches completion." He only said it was a suggestion. It was one obscure and interesting thought written in a book on archeology that probably only .05% of the population has ever read, yet from that simple statement craziness has ensued. It is true that the Maya see us as living in the Fourth Age of humanity, and that the previous Third Age only lasted 13 b'ak'tuns, (according to their beliefs.) However, that does not mean they believed that this age would end after only one Great Cycle. That would have been like expecting Major League Baseball to collapse after someone beat Babe Ruth's home run record. The Maya fully acknowledge that the previous three cycles were failures and the current one is not. E. Wyllys Andrews V, director of the Tulane University Middle American Research Institute has stated, "The ancient Maya predicted the world would continue – that 7,000 years from now, things would be exactly like this. We keep looking for endings. The Maya were looking for a guarantee that nothing would change. It's an entirely different mindset." So really, even to the Maya, (you know if they had survived the conquistadors and small pox,) December 21, 2012 really would have been nothing more than an excuse to throw the biggest party of all parties. They would have partied like it was 12.9.9.9.9. The world isn't ending, all it means is that we are going to beat the previous record set by the Third Age... Suck it Third Agers... My guess is that it was an age populated by jerk-faced people.

As for the rest of it, Earth is not going become irrevocably irradiated by crossing the galactic equator. (sigh) In fact, we cross the galactic equator twice a year... every year. So on December 21, 2012 (like every Winter and Summer Solstice) the Sun will appear to rise in the center of the Milky Way, (That big cluster of stars on the sky that I can't actually see, because I live near New York City,) but in terms of precision the sun, earth, and galactic center are still not perfectly aligned. In fact, the alignment was more precise on the Winter Solstice of 1998 than it will be in 2012. Also true, is the fact that solar flares and activity will peak in 2012, because the Sun's magnetic field is going through a rapid pole reversal... but that happens every 7 to 10 years or so. It's only coincidence that the peak of solar activity is happening this year. Combine all this with global warming, and the crazy heart-breaking disasters that have taken place over the past few years (like the most recent and tragic loss of life,) and people start to get a little nervous, but it's more than that too.

This was their Christmas card... "Are you my mummy?"

A lot of the problems come from the human need to connect the dots. My own beliefs in God and an intelligent universal design aside, human beings like things that we can make sense out of, including our own existence. In a weird sort of way, believing that we are looking at a predicted end of the world is one of the ways how we try to justify the significance of our own existence. We want to believe that there are forces out there greater than ourselves, even if that means believing in our own demise. We want to see patterns in our world that tell us we are not alone or that in some crazy way everything has a purpose. It is how we make sense of the universe around us, because even more than our own destruction, we are even more frightened by the idea that we may just be insignificant creatures floating on a blue orb in the lonely blackness of space. Yet, even if that is true, why does it mean that we have to subscribe ourselves to the an existences of insignificance?

Human beings are, (now more than ever,) the masters of our universe. We have screwed a lot of things up, but we have the potential to not only correct those problems, but improve the world for the better. I truly believe that every challenge we face can be overcome and that every difficulty can be solved. We just need to start believing that we can do it. After all, if the Maya truly did believe that 2012 would mark the beginning of some new age for mankind, then there is no reason why we can't make it a positive change. Many New Agers believe that this is what will in fact happen on 12/21/12, like suddenly we will all shoot out of out beds and be like "I get it!" Then the world will become eco-friendly, technologically savvy, all the guns will be melted down, all the wars will stop, and herds of puppies will roam the streets offering free hugs to everyone they meet. Personally, I don't for a second believe that this will happen, (mostly because everyone knows hugs are never free... there is always a catch. I mean even puppies have to eat,) but there is no reason why we can't make this kind of world a reality if we try.

If we are to take anything from all this 2012 craziness, maybe it should be a reminder of what's worthwhile. So how about on December 2st, instead of huddling in a bunker or praying for somekind of spirtual reawakening, you get in the morning, hug your kids and your loved ones, appreciate what it truly important in your life, and go out and do something to make your world a better place. If we were all to do that then, maybe in the next "Great Cycle" we coulda ctually see a rise in green technology, the end of global warming, moon colonies and Mars bases, and who knows what else, but I can tell you one thing... It's not going to be magical or automatic. We need to work for it. We can put an end to the strife, the hunger, and the disease of our planet, but the process won't happen in one night like some crazy worldwide Christmas Carol. So, instead of feeling foolish on December 22nd go out and be the change you want to see in this world, because sometimes the best prophecies are the self-fulfilled ones.


 

10/14/12

I have no words left to express what has happened. My heart goes out to all the families of the victims and everyone else who has been affected by these tragic events. You are not alone.

Resistance is Futile

Side Prediction: You're won't be able to
understand your grandchildren's life choices.

In my last installment of my ongoing series about the future, I talked about what technology would do to the economy once it started reaching Picard-like levels. Basically it would destroy it and leave us all in a state of unending material wealth that we will no longer value. This could also greatly increase the depression rates in adults as life continues to lose meaning and permanency, but that's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it. Let's talk about scarier things, shall we?

Our economy will not be the only thing that sees a rise in technology. Humanity itself will continue to become more and more technological. Yes, I am talking about cyborgs, but not in the way you are thinking. Let me explain.

 

 

 

PREDICTION 2. TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY

Currently, I am writing a new novel set in the future and I have been doing a lot of research into what the world will look like in 50 and 100 years. What will humanity look like? And I can tell you some of the predictions and ideas out there are staggering, if not down right freaky. Obviously I can only take the predictions I read with a grain of salt (as I am sure you do with my own predictions,) but there are at least a few basic things I think we can agree upon.

First off, at this point in our understanding of technology and ourselves we must take it as an accepted fact that, (and unlike what was said by the predictions about the future from the early 20th century,) technology will not continue to become bigger and more obtrusive. Instead, the trend of technology is to shrink and become less apparent in everyday life, even while increasing its effectiveness and impact for humans. This means, things like light bulbs will disappear and illumination will be handled by the walls themselves. Laptop computers will be replaced by touchscreen pads, which themselves will be replaced by even smaller and unnoticeable portable tech. After all why do you have to carry something when you can wear glasses that will act as a computer screen and mouse movements that will be tracked by your eyeball... but why stop there?

Side Prediction: In about 8 minutes this woman is going to
be struck by a car while watching The View.

If we are miniaturizing technology enough to put it in a frame of glasses, why not go one step further and put it in a contact lens... and why stop there? If we are putting computers in our eyes, why not just take the final leap and actually give us a technological eyeball? Not only will it be able to project digital screens (literally) right before our eyes, but I'm sure we can make some tweaks to the concept of what are natural eyes are. We can make eyes that see further and sharper than any natural human can. We could even make an artificial eye that changes color based upon the whim of the user. Maybe today you are feeling like having green eyes and tomorrow purple... but why stop there? After all, if I'm watching my favorite Simpson's episode (a show that will still be making new episodes well into the 2050's,) I'll need to hear it too, so why not cochlear implants? You will be able to hear whatever you are digitally seeing, and why not throw in some Superman-like hearing powers while you're at it.

Where would the power come from? Simple. As much rubbish as The Matrix was, they did get one thing right, human beings are really nothing more than Duracell batteries. After many generations of technological growth I have no doubt that we will be able to utilize our own biometrics to power our new external and internal devices, and I am not just talking about the electrical field that our brains generate. I am also talking about the beating of our hearts, the movement of our feet, even our digestive system. they can all generate power in some form. If you wore a watch powered by your biometrics you would never need to wind it or replace the battery... because you are the battery. Yet, in this new world why even wear a watch when you can digitally project the time right in front of your eye with the blink of an eye or even a stray thought.

Here's the scary part folks. Really if you are going to put bio-implants in your eyes and ears... why stop there? Why not in your brains well? It's a much more effective way of controlling all the tech that will become part of your every waking (and maybe even dreaming) second. Also, (while your up there you might as well get the full tune-up and detailing job, because) with computers in our brains there's no reason why we can't get smarter. I am not talking about knowledge, but the ability to learn and reason. We can increase our cognitive abilities, our hand/eye coordination, our memory recall, and almost any center of the brain you might be able to think of... Yes, even the parts that control your dirty little minds. I told you this could get downright freaky.

This brings me to my second point I think we can agree upon, barring some catastrophic worldwide collapse or destruction, technology will always continue to improve, and if (as humans) we can do something (regardless of any moral misgivings) we usually will eventually wind up doing that thing. So despite our old fashioned 21st century misgivings, our grandchildren very well could become walking, talking, brain-texting machines that are as much technology as biology. I am not advocating morality on this point, one way or another. I am simply stating what I see as an inevitable fact of the future. I will leave the morality and the legislation of these new ideas to the people of the future, but seeing as how we are still having problems keeping up with the legal and moral needs of the Internet, I have my doubts that our old fashioned legal system will be able to cope with anything like this.

Side Prediction: In the future, the Roseville Elementary
Volleyball Team will be looking a tad more intimidating.

Yet, they will have to try, because with the growth of these new technologies will come a whole new set of problems. Facial recognition software, (which is already scary accurate on the damn iPhone) will only continue to improve. Couple that with our need to social network and you will have the ability to look at another human being with your optic-computer, and have that computer automatically search the Internet for that person. That means before you ever say anything to another human being you could already have opened up their Facebook, (or whatever they will have in the future, since Facebook maybe on the down slope) their dating profile, the forums they post on, their high school track records, etc. You'll be able to find out more about a person simply by looking at them then by having an hour-long conversation. How the hell is that going to change human interaction? I have no idea. Maybe it will make our conversations deeper and more substantive because smalltalk will be rendered obsolete... or maybe it will be a stalker's paradise... Who knows... but why stop there?

What will this do to professional sports? Lance Armstrong had his Tour De France victories stripped away because he was using something that stored more oxygen in his bloodstream than normal. In the future, I am sure that little feature will come standard on the basic package. We could also expect to see strength augmentation, muscular implants, greater lung capacity, and who knows what else. If a person from that future were to come back to our time, they would very much seem like a real-life superhero to us weaklings. So how does something like the NFL cope. In the beginning, I'm sure it will be easy enough to ban these technological humans from playing in the league, but if implants become the norm how can non-augmented, fully-biological athletes ever compete again? They can't, which means there will be an even bigger drive for physical enhancements. Heck, obsessive mothers and fathers already spend millions of dollars and years of their life trying to push their kids to be professional athletes, (and fulfill some unspoken desire left over from their days as a youth). This kind of technology has the potential to change everything. I mean what about law enforcement? Are all the police officers going to need implants as part of their jobs? If not how can they keep up with the new breed of (literal) super-villains they are going to face? (Then again, maybe police work will just be handled by robots.) What about soldiers? Do implants become standard issue for our men and women in uniform? What if your non-implanted child is bulled by a six-year old with the strength of an ox? Is that considered assault with a deadly weapon? There are just too many questions without answers... and why stop there?



Side Prediction: We're all going to have sweet
looking arm cannons.

Lastly, the one thing we can all agree upon is that no matter how mainstream something becomes there are always people out there who will push it further and abuse it, even past societal norms. That means, if humanity becomes augmented through invisible technology within our bodies, there will be those among us who may not want the technology to be so invisible. How many people are going to to extremes and chop off one of their hands, their arms, their legs, etc, so they can replace them with full robotic implants. It sounds like a bad science fiction, but is it really that far fetched? While we're riding this particular train to crazy town, let's go further still. Who says we even need to add technological human parts to our bodies? Why not a robotic shark fin, or a technology constructed tiger claw? Why not a prehensile tail? Why not feet with opposable thumbs? Why not four arms? Why not an implant that lets us change our skin color, or our hair color, or even the size of other (more private) body parts? Really the more you think about it the more it makes you realize how screwed up we can get, (if we wanted to.)

Scared? Well, there is also a flip side. Think on this: We could also use these implants and this technology to do other things. We can make our bodies resistant to disease, able to survive in extreme conditions, and maybe even to live longer. Do you want to live to be 150 years old... they might (one day) have an app for that. We need to face the good with the bad, because life is about change. We can't fight against it. All we can do is try to figure out what do with it when it arrives and how we shape ourselves and our views of the world to fit these new advances.

This lead me to my next installment: FUTURE LAW AND MORALITY. Now its time to get back in my time travelling telephone booth. Take care future-children, and stay radical.


 

Star Wars VII: A New Despair

"Alright Hayden, remember to make your acting as bland as
possible. I need someone to blame for this fiasco and you're
my fall guy. Good luck."

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Christopher Nolan wrote that line about Batman, but he might as well have been referring to his fellow director, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, one of the most historic and important movie trilogies ever made. He is also the man who has been slowly destroying that trilogy for years now. It is like if the Egyptians built the great Pyramid at Giza, and then tore it down to slowly sell off each brick for fame and profit, but Lucas being a sell-out is nothing new, (just as Jar Jar Binks.)

 

Georgey Boy has been slowly stripping away the dignity of Star Wars for years, and though I can't agree with a lot of the decisions he made, at least he was the one who created the whole blasted thing and you had to at least respect him for that. It's kind of like how you give props to God for making the world, but then he goes and makes things like leukemia, AIDS, and Justin Beiber. Those are some pretty asshole decisions, but I mean it is God's world, just because I don't always agree with the decisions he makes, he probably has the right to make them. Unfortunately, unlike God, Lucas does not work in mysterious ways. We can all pretty much understand what is motivating him. (I'll give you a hint, its small, green, powerful, and not Yoda.)

 

Now Star Wars fans must suffer another indignity, (as if we haven't suffered enough,) Lucasfilm has sold everything, (lock, stock, and lightsaber) to Disney. This has set off a bevy of panic alarms in the nerd community and even more clever photoshop picture mashups. For the most part I would probably try to urge people to keep a rational head about everything, except I can't. Following on the heels of this first shocking announcement came the next shocker, they are in the planning stages for Star Wars Episode VII! I don't want to understate it here, but this is the worse idea I have heard since that Devronian tried to sell me timeshare property in the Alderaan system.

 

Welcome to Hell

First, this movie will be a Disney movie. (If I see that damn castle appear before the opening scroll I am walking out.) I can say with some certainty that the movie will about the children of the Solos and Skywalkers, which is alarming enough, but it also means Disney gets to pick a young cast to star in the movie. Call me crazy, but I am not too keen to see the Jonas brothers, and Selena Gomez in the Star Wars universe, and God only knows who they'll cast if they can't get Hamill, Fisher, and Ford to come back (Billy Dee Williams will come back... he always comes back.)

 

Secondly, I know that the Expanded Universe may not come into consideration for many people, but for a person who so admires the strict canonicity of Star Wars, this new movie is a concern of mine. Before the prequel there had never been much done in the books and comics as far as the Clone Wars Era, as if everyone could sense that was a playground nobody wanted to visit. So it was left alone by authors and a bulk of the EU was focused on the very distant past and the time following the events of the movies. Yet, even when Lucas finally decided to go ahead with the prequel he still gave no regard for the canon, and managed to irreparably damage more than a few key plot points that had repercussions throughout the universe. Since then, they have been retconned and corrected, but now if they make a movie set firmly in a time period that has been so fervently written about there is a potential for catastrophic failure. It will be like an elephant trying to find an apartment in a house of cards, it may all come tumbling down. If that happens Disney runs the risk of turning their new Star Wars franchise into their Narnia franchise... a thing of mediocrity... and even outright disdain by some.

 

The Solo children praying that
they won't be played by the
cast of Hannah Montana.

Thirdly, they may have a problem even if they stick to the canon for the movie. 2013 will mark thirty years since the release of Return of the Jedi. I did some research and thirty years after the Battle of Endor, the events of the Dark Nest Crisis take place. Even by Star Wars standards that event is a bit obscure, so it is more likely that the movie will focus on the later events of the Darth Caedus saga... This is a problem. One, it immediately paints my favorite EU character (Jacen Solo) as a villain. Also, the story is so convoluted I have no idea how even a decent writer will be able to pull anything of use from the multi-book story arc of bantha fodder. Lastly, at this point in time, the Star Wars universe has become so vastly different  from what casual movie-watching fans know it to be, that almost certainly key things and events in the universe will have to be changed to "dumb-it-down." Yet, even though there are far better book trilogies out there to use, (like Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy,) they will be impossible to make because the principal actors are way too old to play the parts required of them. (I mean just look at Harrison Ford.) 

 

So once again this sale and this decision shows that Lucas cares little for his established fans and only about the money in his wallet. It is a disappointing move from a man who started his career making an artsy-hippie film that contained not a single living person in it. Georgey Boy lost his way. A long time ago, he made movies that had action figures made after them. Now he makes action figures and tries to figure out how to base a movie on them. Phantom Menace was like the old GI Joe cartoon where it was just one big commercial aimed at kids... except the GI Joe cartoons were entertaining. George, I can only imagine how tiresome it must get for you to listen to all the complaints and suggestions of die-hard fans, but sometimes, just because they are annoying, does not necessarily mean they are wrong. I mean you insisted on writing the prequel movies despite the fact that Lucasfilm has access to a pool of incredibly talented and Star Wars savvy writers who, anyone could see, were more talented and better prepared for taking on the task.

 

Now that Lucas has sold the whole thing to Disney (The Richest Place on Earth) I can only foresee this downward trend continuing. This whole thing is enough to make a nerd like me lose hope. It's almost like an evil faceless Empire (ruled by an old powerfulf man, and a creature dressed mostly in black with a weird voice,) is trying to take away all the freedom and prosperity of the Star Wars Galaxy and keep it for themselves. If only there was some way to rebel against it, maybe even find a convenient weakness in their sphere-shaped super weapon. There isn't, a lesson Lucas himself taught us. The original trilogy may have shown us how to fight for good and rebel against evil, but his latest installment showed us the true meaning of Star Wars... There is no resisting the Dark Side, especially when there are billions of dollars to be made.

 

Georgey Boy sold Lucasfilm for roughly four billion dollars. Admittedly, he says he will be donating the bulk of that to charity. Hey George, I have a kickstarter charity you can give all your money to if you're in the market. It's going to be called Preserve Star Wars for the Fans project, because whatever has been sold to Disney can be bought from Disney. My goal is about 6 billion... Care to Donate?


 

Twilight According to a Confused Nerd

"Even despite the fact that I have lived for a hundred years and

experienced a century worth of art and literature and history.

I mean I have seen parts of the world a girl from the backwoods

of Washington State couldn't even dream of, but sure I still love

you, even though all you want to do is talk about is what 

happened on Gossip Girls last night."

 

I'm usually not one to discriminate against anything, but I just don't get people's fascination with Twilight (and by people I mean women.) The hype rises to a fever pitch tomorrow as the final installment of the movie series, Breaking Dawn: Part II, is released in theaters. I have never read the books, I have only seen the first movie (under duress and because my date was attractive,) and I have heard bits and pieces throughout the years. So with that said I present to you a summary of the Twilight series as I understand it, (Spoiler: It's about statutory rape):

Somewhere near Seattle (Starbucks and Vampires on every corner) an angsty girl named Bella, who possesses a unique ability to only ever convey one facial expression, meets an attractive boy. The boy ignores her so, of course, she falls for him like how my dog falls for that trick when she thinks I threw the ball, but it's still in my hand. Meanwhile her friend, the equally attractive (yet oddly unnoticed) Native American boy, Fredrick (close enough), pines for her in secret. Also I think Freddie Prinze Jr. falls in love with him, cuts his hair, and transforms him into the prom queen... or am I thinking of something else... Anyway back to the emotionless whiny Bella. She finds out that the really pale guy, Edward, is actually a vampire that sparkles like a drunken Elton John, (which is really ridiculous. Everyone knows that vampires burn-up when they touch direct sunlight, and it is because of that weakness I am not living in a vampire dominated penal colony by now. If in fact, you take away that fatal weakness and replace it with the ability to become a shiny object, as lame and shaming of a weakness as that is, you no longer have a valid excuse for why vampires are not currently enslaving the human race, like how we enslaved cows after the War of 1812. In fact, the war between humans and vampire would be even quicker because humans would be too busy laughing their asses off to actually pick up their weapons and fight. Really this book should have been about a sparkling vampire who works as a guard at one of the many human cattle farms, and inadvertently falls for one of the breeder-girls... Now that would be 50 Shades of Awesome.)

So as our story continues, we learn that Bella does not do the sensible thing and slay the hell out of her angsty-brooding emo crush, instead she falls for old Eddy even more. At this point in the story you would assume she is just asking to be killed and drained of her life's blood by her new boyfriend, but instead, he falls for her too, and they start dating. This of course, is completely against her father's wishes, as he is an old school, nose-to-the-grind stone New York detective who is against dancing, and the vampire is forced to win the Bella's heart by teaching her to let go of her inhibitions and dance like she has never danced before... also I think at one point he teachers her to shape clay on one of those spinning wheel-things or something... I'm sure I'm thinking of the right movie... (Secondly, their relationship is completely against the law, and I'm not talking about some obscure 18th century discrimination law about dating the undead. I am talking about the very real laws set down by the United Stated government against statutory rape. The girl is 16 years old, for Dracula's sake, and though the vampire looks the same age Eddy is very much not 16. He is literally hundreds of years older than Bella. I mean they make a point in the story of saying how many times he freaking graduated from high school. Laws against statutory rape were established to protect young and innocent children from being taken advantage of by adults who have more life experience and knowledge of the world, because older people, like Eddy, can totally use that adult knowledge to manipulate younger people into... oh I don't know... falling in love with them... uh... having sex with them... or turning them into vampires.)

For the love of God, put on a damn
shirt. It's freakin raining out... also
I have a crippling inferiority complex. 

Now going back to the Fredrick, our Native America friend, he subsequently learns that he can turn into a really bad CGI wolf... which is kind of cool until said wolf tries to hump your leg... which I think he does frequently to Bella. This transformation leads to some kind of sexual tension between the three of them now, (or as much sexual tension as can exist between a wolf, a vampire, and a girl who can't express normal human emotions in any way.) Also Eddy and Bella have some kind of weird on-again off-again relationship going on, which makes them a less interesting version of Ross and Rachael (and really I thought Ross and Rachael were pretty uninteresting to begin with.) It also makes them exactly like every other teenage couple that ever existed, but some more things also happen. At some point Bad Vampires show-up, (because apparently Eddy and his kind are the Good Vampires,) and there are a few half-enthusiastic fight scenes (you know cause that will pull in the 18-35 male demographic,) people die, people live, people wish they were dead (mostly the audience), and it pretty much drags on like that for several movies. (Personally, I think I am routing for the Bad Vampires, because even though they sparkle they at least do something other then whine and look like they spend every moment in their room listening to Good Charlotte over and over again... Personally, if I was a vampire I think I'd just buy a pig farm and milk them for blood. then at night I would totally put on a costume and run around a nearby city as a dark and brooding anti-hero that fights for justice... I could be The Darkish Knight.)

From this point forward things get weird... like "zombie cats dancing the can-can" weird, toward the end of the story Snape kills Dumbledore... and I mean that as a euphemism for the fact that Bella and Eddy totally do it. At some point he also turns her from a girl who is incapable of facial expression to a vampire who is incapable of facial expression. So, happily ever after? No, because then they have a demon child, (I'm going to call her Gorgon) who is half human/half vampire. Apparently that means this thing has the ability to talk in full sentences almost from day one of her birth, also Gorgon is capable of walking, lifting tractors off of old men in Kansas, tormenting your sleeping dreams, and generally freaking everyone the frak out. You know that dancing baby meme on the Internet... well she killed that child and now wears his ears on a necklace... Wait there is more... Fredrick, the werewolf, falls in love with baby Gorgon. (Now if you didn't quite believe me that this was a story about statutory rape, I don't think I can make it any clearer than that.) Also the trailer for the newest movie seems to indicate there is some kind of heroic end-battle, but ultimately I don't care. Once you go demon-child on a story all other details tend to become irrelevant.

The End...

So what is the moral of this story?... No really I'm asking. That was not a rhetorical question, because as far as I can figure there is no good moral of this story. For girls the moral seems to be, "Hey ladies, you know that dark brooding guy in class who refuses to talk to you and treats you like you don't exist. It's okay, because I'm sure he's not a drug dealer, he's just a vampire. The more you love him, regardless of how many times he pushes you away or endangers your life, it will be okay. He'll totally love you back and not at all take advantage of you in a windowless van with a secret camera recording it all, or anything like that. As long as you believe him, and absolutely refuse to take any or all action to help yourself, he will always come to your rescue and transform you into something as dark and horrible as he is... Also your children will be the spawn of Satan." Whereas for guys the moral is a bit more straightforward, "Hey guys, give up now, because even if you are a ripped Native America warrior that can transform himself into a wolf, and who is a genuinely nice guy that cares about that girl you are pining for, you will never be able to compete with Edward Cullen and the expectations he has now established her mind." (Side Moral: If you happen to be a hundred year old vampire who looks sixteen, go back to high school and totally trick sixteen year old girls into having sex with you.)
 

A Part of My Hair

Right-Side Part = Awkward; Left-Side Part = Superhero

What does a haircut say about a person? Maybe more than you realize. There is no doubt that a person's choice in hair reflects how they are seen, or how they wish to be seen, (just ask the cast of the Jersey Shore,) but is there a deeper psychological aspect to our doo? Is your hair messy because you just can't be bothered, or are you so vain that you have invested in a hairmut? (It has extra room so you don't mess up your hair-doo.) How does hair affect our patterns of behavior overtime? Is it an influencing factor? I will explain what I mean, but let me start this off by saying that I hate my hair.

It drys out like straw the minute it touches natural or unnatural light (or even a light shade,) and its incredibly hard to manage let alone settle on a style that fits my rather plain and rounded face. If I had a nicer shaped head I would consider going bald, but let's face it, the only kind of white guys who can get away with a shaved head are people in the military or people who have a penchant for burning religious artifacts on other people's lawns. The best style I can usually manage is a half-hearted middle-part that follows the natural contours of my head, but it's far from a perfect solution. On some days when it gets too dry, it makes me look like a carrot. On other days, I sort of look like Wolverine. Sometimes it even turns into a weird Egon Spengler look (The old cartoon, not Harold Ramis.) When it gets long, bed-head or hat-hair often gets too hard to comb out or shake down, and I am forced to just settle for a hat, which I do frequently. Worst yet, my nondescript haircut tends to be up for grabs at the whim of any barber I sit down in front of. I try to explain to them what I want, but in the end, my hair just kind of turns out to be a Picasso painting... In other words, it's usually just left up to everyone's own interpretation.

The many moods of my hair.

For the most part I have resigned myself to my hairy fate, but during the summer I found myself attending a superhero costume party at a bar in my local area. Going as Clark Kent/Superman I took a cue from Christopher Reeves' Superman and moved my part to the left side of my head. When I looked in the mirror, I was surprised to see that I liked what I saw, (which is a rare enough occasion in my life.) The style stayed for the night, with the help of some heavy gel, but getting the left side part to happen naturally has been a process and a battle of less-than-epic proportions. Several months later I now think I have finally maneuvered my follicles into place, and no one has noticed. Now this is not really a problem for me, after all I do not want you to think I'm vain (I am vain, but I don't want you to think that it.) It's only hair right?

Well during my research for my new style, I found one very interesting theory on the Man of Steels' doo (that sounds dirty). In the Christopher Reeves incarnation, Clark Kent has a part of the right side of his head, but Superman has his hair parted on the left side of his head. This of course raises questions of whether Superman carries gel and a comb with him everywhere he goes or does he just use his super breath to freeze it in place? (We may never know what goes on in that phone booth.) We must also ask, how different are the two hair styles.

While researching my superhero haircut, (which sounds like the name of an awesome barber shop I wish existed,) I came across the Hair Part Theory, created by John and Catherine Walter. It is a particularly weird and interesting theory of social interaction that simply states: The way a person parts their hair is related to many subconscious associations when assessed by others. Each hair part type initiates cycles of behavior toward, and response from, the individual. Over time, these cycles affect personality development, perpetuating a system of cumulative and interactional continuity.

Men who part their hair on the right-side (like Clark Kent) have an unnatural and awkward look. The right-side part is said to lead to an unusual appearance, even social shunning. One example given of a right-side part is Al Gore. On the other hand, the left-side hair part (like Superman) is considered more natural. Men with a left-side part are supposed to be seen as being strong, traditional, and successful. Some examples given are John Wayne and John F. Kennedy. The theory also states that men with a center-part (like my old haircut) are perceived by others to be natural, wise, and trustworthy, but also a bit boring... The theory also goes on to talk about the effect of a mirror on the appearance of a hair-part and to talk about how it is possible that by parting your hair one way or another can reflect which side of your brain you are choosing to emphasis. It gets surprisingly in-depth and there is even a hair-part blog that people can follow. Personally, I don't know how convinced I am of the complete rightness of the theory, but it is enough to make a guy pause a moment in his mirror in the morning.

At the heart of the theory is the notion that, how we portray ourselves (specifically through our hair choices) is reinforced by society and reflected back at us. We become caught in a cycle of society and self. For instance, if I walk around in a police uniform, society may think I am a cop and treat me accordingly. The more that happens, the more I may feel like a police officer and the more I will reinforce that belief through my actions... and that was how I wound up on probation that one time... but really this is nothing new, right? Women change their hair every week to impress people, but it's more than that. The Walters' theory states that we choose the hair based upon an unconscious need to showcase some aspect of our personalities. Thus, Clark Kent's right-side part is putting a more negative and awkward vibe and we see that reflected by society. Whereas, Superman is putting out a more positive and stronger vibe with his right-side parted hair and it is also reflected back at him by society.

New hair style. (Vain? Me? Nah...)

So really, what does this all mean about me? Am I subconsciously trying to trick people into thinking I am something I am not? Am I just portraying an aspect of my personality that has been buried and hidden all this time? Have I finally transformed into the person I have always wanted to become? Or did I just choose a different hair style after more than fifteen years of wearing the same old one? I suppose that is up to interpretation. Ultimately, any way we dress, look, style, etc affects how we are perceived and is most likely driven by some need to be seen in a certain way. Yet, I cannot believe that is the end-all and be-all of our personalities or our interactions.

Is simply changing the direction of a hair part enough allow Superman to be perceived as two people. Maybe, but there is more to it, (and though I do not agree with a lot of the choices that got made in those older Superman movies, I do have to give Christopher Reeves' props for his portrayal of the Clark Kent/Superman split.) The Superman/Clark Kent split works only because each person in that dichotomy is essentially a different person with their own personalities, traits, and posture. They talk different, look different, and most importantly, act different.

Even the theory itself states that the effects of right-side or left-side part can ultimately be nullified by the personality type of the man wearing it. So really, your appearance is just that, it is how you appear; and hair is nothing more than a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis, according to Wikipedia. Our hair define us as mammals, but maybe it does not define us as individuals. Who you are is comprised of so many more things, and maybe we should all worry less about whether our hair makes us more like Clark Kent or Superman and more about how our actions align us (I'm lawful good). After all, as a friend of mine, Basil, once explained to me, "I keep my hair cut short, I stay shaved, I dress normal, and I let what I do define who I am."

So basically, the moral of this blog... I got a new hair style...

What Sandy Taught Me

Seaside Height and the rest of the Jersey Shore got hit bad...
[Insert your joke here]

It has been a while since I blogged, mostly due to the fact that I was without power for six days. It's been a long week for people in the New York area, and it's not over yet. There are still hundreds of thousands of people in New Jersey and New York without power, trees still litter the roadways causing unsafe driving conditions, and cars are lined up for hours just to get gas. All in all, it has been a surreal experience, especially when you see pictures of places hit hardest along the coasts. However, throughout this whole experience I have learned a few things along the way, and even though they may not be able to help me survive the coming cyborg uprising of 2018, they at least have managed to scare the hell out of me.

Al Gore Was Right, he did invent the Internet. Yet besides that he has been blowing the global warming trumpet louder than that tone-deaf kid in band camp who used to be a drummer but had to be reassigned after he broke two snares and a bass. Though, I still have doubts about whether it is totally a man made problem (or the fact that we will not eventually be able to make it right,) it is kind of hard to deny the existence of global warming. In fact the reason Sandy caused as much trouble as it did, even as a category 1 hurricane, was due to rising sea levels and warmer ocean currents. If you doubt me just check out this article by NPR. And you know its true, because those guys are too boring to make something like this up.



The Sea Levels Are Going to Kill Us All, and by us I mean everyone on the eastern seaboard of America. Calm down Iowa, you're fine. As you can see from the graphic on the left, the dark green points will be underwater if the sea levels rise 1 meter (3 feet), and the light green will be flooded at 2 meters (6 feet). The light blue is gone with nothing more than a gentle wave, and if the sea levels rise by 6 meters or more we might as well start drawing new maps. Large parts of New York City, New Jersey, and pretty much every retirement community in Florida will be underwater.

The Weatherman Was Right, who'd have thunk it. In all seriousness, I am a person who watches the weather than completely ignores what those funny named newscasters tell me, (Rip Storm, Frank Thunder, Marduk, son of Ea, slayer of Tiamat, etc...) Unfortunately, this time they were right. Maybe they should all pack up and go to Vegas, they might be on a roll, also they can't go to Atlantic City... yeah... awkward...

 

When the Apocalypse Comes 40% of the People will Die of Stupidity, and I don't have a follow up joke to this. People who go without power or Internet for a few days start to panic and then calm down and then re-panic. It comes in waves like a Family Guy joke. It's funny at first, grows less funny with time, and is then hysterical again, (and by hysterical I mean how hard that woman was crying the other day in line for food at the supermarket,) and this is only temporary. I have to wonder how many people waiting in line to get gas actually need gas or were just frightened there out of some primal need to sit in a line. For that matter, why didn't these people get gas before the hurricane like they were told to, or why didn't they evacuate when they were told to, or why didn't they do anything they were warned to do. Partially it is not their fault, (Nobody believes Channel 5's Norton "Nor" Easter, anymore.) People who evacuated during Irene saw a mild storm that did nothing to affect their house or belonging, so they stayed this time. They were wrong.

 

Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, nephew. They're
a wonderful, friendly people – as long as their bellies are full
and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature
comforts... deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers... put
their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time... and
those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become
as nasty and violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon.

In a real apocalypse that rising tide of panic most people will feel will not ebb or be subsided so easily by calm words from a man in a suit. A wise Ferengi once told me that human beings are fine as long as they are comfortable, but the minute you take away their power and make them stand in a six hour gas line of the bygone-Carter era, there are going to be some troubles. New Yorkers are well known for their generosity in a crisis and that's true... as long as the crisis lasts 48-hours and affects someone else. It turns out losing power for a week or more makes certain people testy. In a real situation, people's panic will most likely persist and grow as they realize their life (as they knew it) is over. No more Heating/AC, no more Facebook or Twitter, and no more indoor plumbing. When that kind of realization strikes a lot of people will get desperate and stupid. They will do desperate and stupid things, and for anyone who has their head on straight you had best make sure you are not some how in the way of that derailed train to doomtown.

 

It is Possible to Read a George R.R. Martin Novel in One Week By Candle Light, in case you were interested in ever trying it. However I did find out that candle light is very weak and hurts the eyes like hell. No wonder so many people in colonial times were forced to wear glasses. Their eye sight was probably horrible. I'm looking at your Benjamin Franklin, you bifocaled bastard.

 

The 44th President shaking hands with the 45th President of
The United States of America.

Learn to Laugh, or you'll never survive. This blog comes about because of my own frustrations over the past few days. I have been a bit punchy being out of work for so long without power or proper heat, and resorting to doing my writing by hand has been interesting (to say the least.) I am very happy to have my computer back and working and I plan on spending the next few hours busily at work with my new novel. Yet throughout the whole ordeal the thing that struck me the most was the general malaise I felt. I would wake up, see that my power was not back on and go to sleep. There wasn't much to do other than cook grilled cheese sandwiches and wait. I think that kind of sloth can make anyone irritable but the best way I foudn to counter that, is by laughing and just staying active. In the end, its really going to be your mental state that will determine how and if you make it through a crisis. So when you pack your survival bag for next time, add a joke book or a mad-lib. It may be the very thing that keeps you sane.


 

The Doubleclicks

As I eluded to in my last blog, I want to introduce you to a new nerd band I discovered while at Rock Comic Con this past month, The Doubleclicks. I would not classify their sound as nerd-rock, so much as I might call it, nerd-folk.  Yet despite the lack of mostly electrical instruments, (they do have a cat-keyboard,) these two sisters put on a show that is funny, thoughtful, and especially entertaining. I found myself laughing and smiling along with the crowd as we were treated to their quirky and catchy style of song writing.
 

Angela Webber, who plucks-out on the guitar, ukulele, (because what other instrument do you expect to hear a folksy/nerd/comedy duet play;) and sings the majority of the vocals, is accompanied by her sister Aubrey Webber (cello/back-up vocals). The two sisters hail from Portland, Oregon, (which is ashame because it seems like the nerd bands I like are all from the northwest coast and very rarely get around the New York City area.) They have an impressive list of credits to their name, having been on stage with some major people like Whil Wheton or Hank Green, (when I say major, I mean major to me.) For more information you can check out their bio.

I caught these two beautiful sisters while in the midst of their tour around the eastcoast and even chatted with them a little after the show. From our small conversation I also learned that Portland Oregon was not the treeless landscape of fields, where people named Tim die of dysentery, (or where one kills 450 pounds of buffalo meat only to discover that you can only carry 6 pounds back to your wagon,) as I had expected, but was in fact a city. It is a great place to read books, watch movies, or play with hamsters... Truly a metropolis of the future, but I kid. The Wbber sisters said very gracious things about their time in New Jersey (which was even more gracious considering they spent it in New Brunswick,) and what they described to me about Portland sounded like a pretty cool place to be.

All in all, The Doubleclicks are definitely a band worth checking out. Their songs tend to be on the shorter side, but that means they are more like potato chips. You can't just have one and suddenly you look up and realize you have indulged in more than you expected. Yet, unlike potato chips, you will have a truly satisfied feeling when you are done with their crunchy bag of songs and lyrical whimsy... also no grease on your hands.

If the two sisters ever find their way back to the east coast I will certainly make sure I am among the crowd. I should suggest you be too. The night will not disappoint.

You can check The Doubleclicks out on:

Their homepage: http://www.thedoubleclicks.com/;
Listen to their music: http://thedoubleclicks.bandcamp.com/;
Or on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thedoubleclicks?feature=watch

Check out the music video for their song: This Fantasy World.

 

Comic Con II

There is a special time of the year that I look forward to. It comes every October, when people dress up in crazy weird costumes, go around wearing masks, and walk for miles upon miles without ever really going anywhere... I am talking of course of New York Comic Con.

This was my second year in attendance and it did not fail to disappoint. There were celebrities, panels, music, games, and of course people in costume. The cosplayers (as they are called) really pulled out all the stops this year. I saw costumes ranging from amazing to crazy to awesome to held-together-by-duct-tape. It always amazes me how creative people can be and how impressive a homemade costume can really look. There were a lot of Captain America's (but that's typical;) a lot of Loki's (that's new;) and more men dressed in drag than I ever remember seeing gathered together in one place (that's disturbing.) Also on the rise this year were Anime costumes, which is cool, but most of my anime experience doesn't extend much beyond Cowboy Bebop, Dragonball Z, (and for some reason) Inuyasha. Usually when I watch anime it tends to leave me with a sensation of awe and a disturbance at the pit of my stomach that I can never quite put my finger on. Still, even though I had no idea where a lot of the colorfully-haired and giant-weapon wielding characters had come from, they were impressive.

So far I have not partaken in costuming, but not for lack of interest. My friend and I did throw the idea around this year, but ultimately we could never settle on a satisfactory or doable idea. Yet, we were not without a theme. Last year, I experienced the weekend with my friend Chris, who you may know from another of my previous blogs, but this year our adventuring party grew from two to four, as we were joined by my two friends, Doug and Bobbo (not his real name.) So in honor of the weekend transforming from a two-player to a four-player game, I went with a classic Nintendo theme, Gauntlet II (one of the first four player games available.) Being somewhat of an amateur graphic artist/t-shirt designer I enjoyed making my own brand of t-shirts to show off at the convention for all of us to sport. However, even wearing nothing but a blue shirt that said "wizard" on it (and pants), I got some surprisingly nice compliments, and one inquiry as to where I was selling my shirts. It was not so much the front of the shirts (my three friends had similar shirts, Green Elf, Red Warrior, and Gold Warrior... if we had a lady I would have made one a Valkyrie...) but the custom logo on the back that seemed to impress to draw the majority of the attention.

So dressed in our adventuring gear, my party set off to experience the weekend. It all started on Friday with a quick visit to the Jacob Javits center to reconnoiter the location and get our bearings for the next day. Then it was a trip downtown to grab a quick bite of NY pizza and off to the highlight of the night, Rock Comic Con, the after party rock show for geeks, dweebs, and nerds... my kind of people. I will admit I was hesitant to go this year as I learned my favorite nerd rock band, Kirby Krackle, would not be in attendance, but we forged ahead regardless. However, my trepidation grew when we arrived and were made to waiting in a line outside the club where the event was being held. Last yea,r it was basically held on a stage in the backroom of some dive bar in Midtown, and now I was being forced to wait in in a line, behind a velvet rope. More than once we almost left, but soon enough the rather imposing bouncer allowed us entry into a club that was... basically empty.

I know what the club was trying to do, but they should really get to know their audience for the night. You are hosting a rock concert for nerds. These aren't exactly the most socially forward people and forcing a line at the door could just as easily turn some people off as it could make them wonder "hmm... I wonder what that's line for? It must be awesome, let's wait in it!"

Everyone wants to be Captain America.

The night, however, did not fail to disappoint. We were treated to three amazing bands, The Doublecicks, of whom I will talk about in a future blog, Schaffer the Dark Lord, a hip-hop nerdcore rapper. Of all the bands he was the one I was most surprised by. He was not only talented but clever and lyrical. He also opened up his set by reciting the President's Speech from Independence Day, and let me tell you... if you are ever looking for a way to get a crowd jazzed up into a frenzy that speech really does the trick (when delivered with conviction and over the movie score.) Last to come to the stage was H2Awesome!, the band that generally pulls Rock Comic Con together. There is one thing you can say about the band, they are truly dedicated to their craft. Their tunes are catchy and performed with an energy and showmanship that is usually attributed more to Freddy Mercury than a nerd rock band. Also present were guest artists, drawing pictures for charity auction, a nerd magician, prizes, games, and other sorts of entertainment. Sufficed to say, I got a Superman ice-cube tray... jackpot.

We were up early next morning to arrive back on the show floor in time to check out some panels, including a Nerd Trivia Show, which we did humblingly poor at. Doug broke off to see a panel by Chuck Palahniuk (who wrote Fight Club), while the rest of us wandered see what we could find. Afterwards we met up with some friends Samantha and Adam (who is also one of the main guys over at 215 Ink, check them out,) at our favorite eatery, Burgers and Cupcakes... Unsurprisingly we all had a good dose of burgers, cupcakes, and more fries that we probably should have ordered.

After our late lunch we returned to fight our way back through the crowds of Comic Con. We watched the Cosplay Costume Contest. We went to a panel on a Zombie Survival Course which we agreed defiantly sounded like a worthy activity to check out next Spring. (I won an LED key chain light by asking them a question about socks.) Lastly we ended the night with the panel I was most enthusiastic about seeing, ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, one of my favorite YouTubers. Best known for his Marvel/DC - Apple/PC parodies, he has really come to attention for me with his on-going series that meshes the DC and Marvel universe in small multi-part specials such as "Happy Hour," and "Zero Hour." The latter of which he performed a live seriess finale at the panel. I have always believed that it is always so much cooler and interesting to meet the people who are out there creating unique and special things, rather than just any old Hollywood actor. It is always those little guys that I find so inspiring. They create, and strive, and hope, not because they are being paid millions, but because it is their passion.

In fact, it was meeting these types of people at a conventions and talking with them that first inspired me to really begin putting myself out there with my creative projects and writing. It is no coincidence that the first post of this blog appeared on November 18, 2011, less than a month from my first attendance at New York Comic Con last year.

It's a good thing I am broke, or this picture would be taken
from my shelf and not behind a glass case.

Our final day, Sunday, was filled with a few lazy strolls up and down the show floor, some free giveaway crap, and exhuastion. We stopped to try out some of the new video games, including Resident Evil 6 (which I refused to wait for), and the newest installment of the Hitman series. I tried to see a panel by Josh Gates of SyFy's Destination Truth, but the panel was cancelled after the TV host failed to show up... Really that about sums up all of SyFy's TV programming these days. They get you really excited, but when the time comes they usually fail to show up... They just tend to phone it in, if you're lucky...

We ended the weekend with a table at our favorite sports bar "1, 2, 3, Burgers, Shots, Beers," where we watched the NY Giants crush the San Fransisco 49ers, and basically fought the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that came over us as we filled our bellies and drank our beers.

My poor writing skills cannot even begin to convey how good this weekend was. There is always that moment of fear when you begin to think that you have built something up too high, or that a great experience could never be duplicated. Sometimes that is the truth, but sometimes (those really great times) you learn that those fears are nothing more than irrational. This weekend proved to be as good as I had remembered it. If only because of the spirit of camaraderie one gets from attending a comic convention. You know that everyone is there for the same reason, and no one is judging you for it. It is a spirit felt even more keenly in new York City, the most diverse city on the planet, with the most diverse nerd population you can find.

"Do not be too proud of this technological terror you've

constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant

next to the power of Christmas cheer."

Most people think of nerds as lily white kids from suburbia (like me,) but at comic con I saw people of all races, creeds, sexualities, backgrounds, religions. I saw people who were white, black, brown, green, blue, purple, and all the colors of the rainbow. I saw people dressed like thugs and gang members who geeked out out over meeting a guy dressed as Spider-man. I saw families dressed as Ghostbusters, I saw women dressed as Slave Leia's. I saw men dressed as Slave Leia;s. I saw two Jewish men arguing over Kirk or Picard. Everyone is a geek at heart, and at Comic Con you don't have to hide it.

There is a reason why people feel safe to come dressed as the heroes and villains they so love from movies, comics books, TV, and literature, because they find themselves among people who will not only accept them for it, but admire them for it. People with the best costumes aren't just cool, they are practically celebrities. They get asked by people to have their picture taken, the crowds part for them, and everyone is left with an incredible sense of awe and satisfaction. That is what comic con is really all about, being yourself and loving it.