Returning and Rewatching

I’m back. I’ve been dealing with some health issues, but I feel ready to return to writing now.

First, as you might recall, my review of the Star Trek reboot film was mixed. After watching it, I also posted my rankings of all eleven Trek films made to date. Because those rankings were based entirely on memory for the earlier films, and it had been quite awhile since I’d seen some of them, I decided to undertake the mission of rewatching all ten pre-reboot films to see if my rankings were still accurate and to see how the reboot film compared after seeing the earlier films again.

This was helped by the original cast and Next Generation films finally being released on Blu-ray, with the high definition video and audio making it easier to judge the technical merits of each film. So far, I’ve rewatched the first seven films, leaving three left to go. Some of the more debatable films, like the first and fifth, I rewatched more than once. After my initial viewings, I went back and viewed some of the films again, this time with the filmmakers’ commentaries on.

Once I’m finished, I’ll post new evaluations of each film, and then finish with new rankings. It’s been a fascinating process so far, and I’ve already formed some surprising conclusions.

Geek Girls Rule! #103 – Scribblenauts

I almost titled this one “Wil Wheaton is Smoking Crack” but I thought that might be a little over the top.  I follow Wil Wheaton’s twitter, and while he didn’t say Scribblenauts was bad, he said it was a rent-er not a buy-er, or words to that affect.  Which made me sad.  I thought the game looked cute.

Then I went over to a friend’s place, and once his new room-mate found out I had a DS said, “Oh my God! You HAVE to play Scribblenauts!”  Ran and got me his DS, and I spent about two hours playing it.  When The Husband What Rules said it was time to go, I made him wait until I finished just one more level. 

I was trying to be good and wait a while, but we were out this weekend getting him new headphones at Best Buy, and there it was, in all it’s bright, shiny, candy-like glory…

Between that and the fact that the Roomie picked up Rockband the same day:  Good-bye productivity. 

The Geek Husband What Rules went home sick yesterday, and when I got home had beaten most of the first level of Scribblenauts. I had to pry the DS out of his grubby little hands so we could go to our weekly Marvel FASERIP game.

So far, I have found that the majority of puzzles can be solved by the judicious application of sharks, grappling hooks and jetpacks.  Meg from the Brilliant Gameologists is currently trying to see how many of the puzzles she can solve with a puma.  We have so far discovered that you can get a bazooka, plane, boat, chainsaw, gnome, puma, shark, submarine…  There are many, many more things.  I have yet to stump the game while seriously attempting to solve a puzzle so far.  I did discover that dogs do not stay bribed when you feed them meat and sharks eat piranha.   Also, bees suck.  Oh, and the girl in one of the first puzzles where you’re supposed to put the flowers in her basket, and if you move wrong she’ll kick the damn basket over.  Grrr. 

You can “buy” new avatars pretty quickly.  Right now I’m playing as the witch.  She’s cute.   I’ve been having a blast with it, and once I beat it straight I intend to sit down and try to come up with as many truly bizarre things as I can.  I highly recommend Scribblenauts.

Geek Girls Rule! #102 – Really, Marvel?

Oh for the love of little green apples… 

I first heard about this from Hoyden about Town.  Essentially, villian Chameleon impersonates Peter Parker and sleeps with Peter’s room-mate.  When people start to point out to the writer that this constitutes rape, his response is:

“My understanding of the definition of rape is that it requires force or the threat of force, so no. Using deception to trick someone into granting consent isn’t quite the same thing.
“Which is not to say it isn’t a horrible, evil, reprehensible thing that Chameleon did. He is a bad man.
“He insults parapelegics[sic] and dips people in acid too.”

Faith in humanity sinking… 

So, according to Fred Van Lente, someone being blackmailed into sex, isn’t rape.  Someone having the choice of losing their job or putting out, isn’t rape.  Someone drugged unconscious or passed out being penetrated (you need violence for rape, remember?), isn’t rape.  Someone thinking they’re with one person when it’s really another isn’t rape.

Actually, according to  courts in the US (you’ll want to check your specific state laws) and Canada, if you impersonate someone else  to gain sexual access to someone, it is indeed sexual assault.  If someone has not consented to sex with YOU, it is rape.  Period.  It doesn’t mean you can’t pretend to be a fighter pilot to impress a chick at a bar, although trust me, we aren’t ever fooled.  It does mean you can’t bang your twin brother’s girlfriend without her knowing which twin you are.

Fortunately, several folks over at i09 have been calling this guy on his bullshit.  Not all of them.  There are still a fair number of idiots who don’t get it, but at least some people are speaking out on this. 

The second offensive part of this is the fact that after sleeping with “Peter” once, the character in question immediately turns into the controlling girlfriend from Hell.  Really?  You think women do that?  Seriously?  Have you met one? 

Honestly, the most likely result of a tumble on the kitchen floor with a previously platonic room-mate would be some awkward silence, a lot of “um”-ing and “So, uh, where do we stand after this afternoon?”*  Shit, I can draw the panel in my head.  But I guess a hot Latina in Spiderman’s t-shirt is way more interesting than showing her fully clothed, rubbing the back of her neck and awkwardly not meeting Peter’s eyes. 

So, to paraphrase Keith Olbermann, “Mr. Fred Van Lente, today’s Worst Person in the World!!!”  Ok, not the world.  Just my small part of it.

*Yes, I speak from experience here.  Sigh.  My libido has ever been my Achilles’ heel, and hot geeky boys my kryptonite.

Geek Girls Rule! #101 – PAX

PAX was interesting.  Our friends Kate and Aron who run the Dreaming here in Seattle had secured some tables for RPG demos.  I only ran one game, because after my game I did a turn through the expo hall and came back sort of stunned. 

People were, for the most part, very well-behaved and polite at PAX.   There were a few cos-players, but not as many as I’d feared, and mostly young guys showing off their HALO armor.  There were a couple of Waldos (of Where’s Waldo? fame), several Mario and Luigis, and a scattering of Moogles, I think someone called them, from Final Fantasy.  For having 75,000 nerds crowded into a four block radius, the crowds were exceptionally well-mannered. 

So, after running a game of 1,001 Nights, which went very well, and having lunch with some friends, I decide that I need to check out this here expo hall I keep hearing about.

The expo hall is like a cross between a nightclub and a battlefield.  It’s dark.  There’s loud music and flashing lights, and the press of many, many bodies, and, periodically as you pass certain booths (and calling some of these set-ups booths is a vast understatement) gunfire sounds right next to your ear.  I wandered up to Kate at the Dreaming’s table, and I must have looked absolutely stunned.  She laughed and said, “What do you think?”
“I think this is an ADD nightmare,” I answered.  “I can’t fucking think.”

The majority of the booths were for videogames, videogame consoles, or computer game companies.  I did get to see Diablo III.  Eeeeeeeee!!!  Didn’t play the demo, the lines were kind of long.  I also got to play around with the Warhammer MMORPG a bit.  Thought very seriously about picking up a PacMan necklace from the Namco booth.  But mostly I just wandered around in a daze.  I did get a demo of the Hello Kitty MMO, which I am so very, very tempted to load up and play, just for the sheer absurdity.  A friend of mine was one of the beta testers for it, and she says it’s actually pretty fun. 

My friend Rachel, who goes to San Diego Comic Con, said that PAX was far nicer.  People were more polite.  There were far fewer booth babes.  She didn’t fear being sexually harassed.  And PAX has an anti-harassment policy printed in big letters in their programs. 

 The PAX Enforcers, who act as security and guides for the clueless, are all very able, polite people.  They are incredibly helpful and have a surprising amount of agency.  They are encouraged to act first, and ask for forgiveness from management after defusing a situation or resolving a problem, rather than having to track someone down first.  In fact, as we packed up the gaming stuff from the room the Dreaming ran demos in, we just flagged down a random Enforcer who helped us load stuff into the storage closet across the way. 

I only went the one day, because I do not have a temperament that can handle those kinds of numbers for more than one day in a row.  The Husband What Rules, however, went back on Sunday and ran Mouse Guard and Lady Blackbird all day.  Oh, and I finally got to meet Luke Crane, the creator of Burning Wheel and the Mouse Guard game. 

I’d like to congratulate the Penny Arcade guys for running a damn fine convention, particularly considering the scope of it.  And to congratulate the Enforcers for being genuinely nice, helpful people. 

Oh yeah, I did find time for one round of Rock Band, in the Rock Band lounge.  A group of us did Ratt – Round and Round.  It was kind of fun, if nerve-wracking.

PAX

Leaving for PAX in few minutes.  I’ll be there running games at the tables sponsored by the Dreaming.  The Husband What Rules will be there today and tomorrow. He’s the big bald one.

Stop by and say Hi!

Geek Girls Rule! #100 – TA DA!!!!

Well, actually, if you’ve been reading for any length of time, you know that between my .5′s and .75′s, as well as stuff I don’t think merits it’s own number and all of Danielle’s posts, we’re way over the 100 post mark.  And fortunately I got the making a tool of myself out of my system on the last post.

Before I get into the comic review I have on deck, I want to thank  you guys for reading.  You have no idea how much it means to me to know that people out there read my rants and are entertained by them.  So, thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, and thank you for calling me on my bullshit when I say something hugely boneheaded.

Now, for the actual entry part: Comic Review of Handknit Heroes Issues 1 and 2 by Stephanie Bryant, Marc Olivent and Erssie Major(Issue 1)/H.E. Wintermute(Issue 2) .  I picked up Handknit Heroes at the Seattle Mariner’s annual Stitch ‘n’ Pitch promotion and met the creators.  Stitch ‘n’ Pitch has has various knitting vendors lining one of the terraces of Safeco Field, and as soon as I saw their display, I arrowed over.

The cover for Handknit Heroes Issue #1

The storyline follows Ana and Alex, twins with superpowers, and Ana’s friend Sue.  It appears that Ana and Alex were born with their powers, while Sue got hers from talking on her cell phone near a piece of equipment in her Dad’s lab.  Once Sue figures out she has super powers, she is all over the superhero thing.  Ana is reluctant, but goes along with it because Sue’s her friend. Alex and Ana’s mom also has some sort of superhero vibe going on, in addition to owning a knitting store.

I won’t go any further with the description of the plot, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but I’m really loving it.  Besides, it’s a comic that has knitting and hockey in it.  What more can you ask for?  Oh, yeah, the really awesome knitting patterns in the back of each issue.  In each issue, they provide a pattern for something that one or another of the characters wear.  In the first issue, it’s Ana’s favorite hooded scarf.  That alone might have sold me on it, I have been looking for a good hooded scarf pattern for ages.  The second issue has a knit bag pattern.

The art has potential.  It’s a very raw style.  The colors are good, and fit the overall feel of the story and the art style.   The dialog flows well, and the bickering between the siblings in particular feels very real.  I can’t wait to get the next issue, and not just for the pattern.  I really want to see how things turn out and if the new principal is really as creepy as I suspect.