LJF Wolffe, Weirdo at Large

My StepDaughter had never seen Babylon 5. What?!? She’d thought she’d seen parts of it, but it turned out she’d gotten it confused with Stargate. WhatTheFrell?!?!? We remedied this situation immediately — we pulled out the pilot movie, The Gathering. She was immediately hooked (no surprise), and in the last week and a half we’ve gone all the way through to Sleeping in Light. Next up: the movies and Crusade.

I wrote an Ezine article on B5 and Social Media that got accepted today; I just put a Babylon 5 post up at Popular Delusions to go with it. Why am I being such a SuperFan, especially when the series is over a decade old, and there is so much else going on in science fiction these days? I can give you three reasons.

One: as someone trying to do the internet marketing thing, the story of how Babylon 5 was made, and the communication lines that Straczynski kept open with the fans, holds a lot of lessons for building a fan base and a personal brand online. jms (as he was known in the newsgroups) constantly kept up with and answered fan question on UseNet, as well a GEnie and CompuServe; things he heard online made their way into the show. He gets credited with creating the first “internet marketing campaign,” before such things even existed. Good stuff.

Two: as a lover of SF, Babylon 5 is simply a smart show. The characters are smart, the human space station and craft are all things that we currently have the technology for, the ships move in space as if they’re really in space. B5’s future is a “real” one; by that I mean that the quarters have bathrooms, the situations have complications, and the answers are never easy. Every action has consequences, and some of them are not pretty — and there’s no “reset” button at the end of the episode either. Consequences continue. Just like real life.

Three: as a quote collector and lover of Good Words, Babylon 5 is a gold mine. There are tons of great quotes and words to live by all over this series, in every season; whether it’s quick one liners (Garibaldi: “You know, if I knew who God was, I’d thank her”) or beautiful thoughts (Delenn’s “Star Stuff” speech), you’ll find an absolute ton of great stuff to think on in this part of the Multiverse. One of these days I’d love to go through the entire series with the pause button and my laptop, and write down all the good stuff to be sent to jms for approval and then published as “Good Words: The Wisdom of Babylon 5.” Whether written chronologically by episode or arranged by character, if nothing else I’d love to own that book. It would sure make quoting things easier!

For example, from Marcus Cole: “You know, I used to think it was awful that Life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if Life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the Universe.” Isn’t that a neat thought? I like it. Just like I like most of the wisdom the charactors spout on Babylon 5. Man, that jms can WRITE!

So I’ll quit now. This should be about enough from me about B5. But the show, the universe, really is that good. I haven’t even mentioned the CGI (incredible for its time), the unique aliens, the incredible space battles, or the truths underlying the whole Earth civil war thread. There is too much — I can’t even sum up. Suffice to say, I highly recommend watching it, beginning to end. Then you’ll love it too.

Technorati Tags: Babylon 5, Good Words, TV

We’ve gotten to Season Five of the Babylon 5 education of my StepDaughter, and I discovered that I still had a file I typed out of the Declaration the first time I heard it. G’Kar (and Straczynski) can really write. In the introduction to the Season 1 on the DVDs, jms mentions that he’s heard from pagan circles that use these words in ritual; and I’m glad to hear it. They’re Good Words, and should be spread around. So I’m sharing with you. Enjoy.

Declaration of Principles, Interstellar Alliance (Opening):

The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not Narn or Human or Centauri or Gaim or Minbari. It speaks in the language of hope. It speaks in the language of trust. It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors speaking through us, and the voice of our inheritors waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says: ‘We are One. No matter the blood, no matter the skin, no matter the world, no matter the star. We are One. No matter the pain, no matter the darkness, no matter the loss, no matter the fear. We are One.’ Here, gathered together in common cause, we agree to recognize this singular truth and this singular rule: that we must be kind to one another. Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the Soul of Creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are One.

– Citizen G’Kar of Narn, for the Interstellar Alliance (Babylon 5, The Paragon of Animals, 1998)

Technorati Tags: Good Words

Friday before last, @ChrisKnight asked for a ReTweet of his “Follow @ChrisKnight” post, and promised swag to those who did. Because he is a great guy to follow on Twitter, and because I do love swag, I retweeted him; and, true to his word, he asked for my address and this last Saturday I received a box in the mail. In it were an “I Heart EzineArtcles.com” coffee mug, a T-shirt and baseball cap, stickers, a pad of paper (”My Next 10 Article Ideas”), stickers and a monitor rearview mirror. The baseball cap, rearview, and stickers all include the words “Expert Author.” (He must have looked me up.)

I’ve had a brief and stormy relationship with EzineArticles.com; I’ve only published one article with them, and it took me three tries to get it through their editorial system. I’ve been less than excited about trying it again, although I’ve been following @ChrisKnight and @EzineArticles on Twitter for the great advice they give. But now I’m finding the printed words “Expert Author” in front of me to be a great incentive; I’m actually thinking again about how to tie articles to the subjects I’m covering on my blogs, and just typed up a rough draft of what will be my first submission in a long time. The back of my brain seems to want to earn the title I’ve been given.

I was just looking for free stuff; I’ve come away with motivation and incentive to create. Mr. Knight was looking for more Twitter followers; he’s gained not only those (I hope), but one more site member coming off the inactive list. Which just goes to prove that giving things away is not always a “no return” expense. The return just won’t always fit in the account book.

Technorati Tags: swag, writing

I’ve mentioned NewsCrows a couple of times, so I thought I’d explain myself. You’ve probably heard them too, but never thought about it.

You know that crow that sits in the tree three houses over, yelling like his life depended on it, who after a couple of minutes flies a block away and then does the same thing all over again? That’s a NewsCrow, spreading the latest headlines to whoever’s listening. I’m a little more aware of them, since the biggest tree in the neighborhood sits in our back yard. Sometimes half a dozen of them will gather in that tree, all croaking at the same time, catching each other up on the latest news and gossip; at other times, it seems like we get the entire “NE Quadrant News Crew” in the tree having their periodic NewsCrow Union Meeting. Boy, does it get noisy! They sit for about four minutes, catching everyone up on what’s happening, before they all fly off to go do their different routes and keep the neighborhoods informed.

If only I could speak Crow, I’d know what’s going on. Of course, news to a crow is probably a lot different than what I get through the local newsstation RSS feed. They’re probably talking about which critters have new younglings, the weather, which trees are being trimmed and which formerly-empty houses have a new cat in the yard. It’s news the squirrels and raccoons need to know, but not necessarily us humans. Oh, well — I’m just glad they’re around. Listening to them makes me smile. It’s a teeny bit of Mother Nature that carries through the windows and reminds me that there’s a world out there, and other concerns than mine. And that’s a good thing.

Technorati Tags: NewsCrows

In imitation of the “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me” FriendFeed meme, but without putting it all there . . . here I go! (In no particular order)

1. At the age of 4, the pastor called my parents to come get me from Sunday School, and suggested that I not come back. (Know anyone else expelled from Sunday School? Glad they didn’t send transcripts when we moved!)
2. I once went to Girl Scout camp for the weekend, and my family moved. (They kept the same phone number, though, which is why they had to come get me when I got back.)
3. For high school graduation, I got luggage.
4. I didn’t start college until I was 22. I ran out of money after a year and a half, and never did get that English degree.
5. Our pets include four cats and two corn snakes. Past pets have included rats, hamsters, mice, parakeets, and fish (gold and tropical).
6. We have 1 1/2 rooms of books in the house. A library (floor to ceiling shelves) plus a wall of shelves in the bedroom.
7. Both my last serious relationship and my current spouse had a relationship with the same person before they got together with me.
8. There are 5 computers, 2 PDAs and 2 cell phones in this house (3 people). You can often find us all in the living room, each on their own laptop.
9. I went to 6 grade schools in 7 years. (We moved a LOT.)
10. We have a Video Wall; there are over 600 movies at last count. Our favorite type of movie? “Previously Viewed.” (Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself!)
11. I don’t possess a drivers’ license, and don’t drive. Being at the wheel of 1,000 pounds of moving destruction scares the crud out of me. (So do the other drivers!)
12. We own the complete sets of Star Trek Classic, Babylon 5, Firefly, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Godzilla movies, and James Bond movies, among others.
13. I’m into divination: cards, dice, runes, basic numerology and astrology mainly, but have played with others.
14. I own every song “Weird Al” Yankovic has put on disc. (I may not own the compilation albums; but I do have copies of “Polkamon” and “School Cafeteria!”) I’m particularly proud of my vinyl copy of “Peter and the Wolf.”
15. I think office supply stores are as much fun as Toys R Us.
16. I’m a wanna be hippie, and my mother saw that early; she once told me I was born in the wrong decade.
17. I have three younger brothers, all of whom are leading perfectly normal family lives and have good careers. They don’t talk to me any more.
18. I’m a Doctor Who fanatic, and have seen episodes from all 10 Doctors. (Favorites: Tom Baker, Paul McGann, and David Tennant, not necessarily in that order.) Also keeping up w/ Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures. And I own two modern Sonic Screwdrivers (One is a flashlight). Why oh why does the classic replica cost $250???
19. Despite being over 40, some of my favorite music is recent; I like Disturbd, Rammstein, System of a Down, Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and stuff like that. My “classic” music can go from Styx to Adam Ant. My shuffle feature brings up some interesting combinations.
20. I’m diabetic; or at least I was when I last saw a doctor. I’ve lost 50 pounds since then . . .
21. I’m an Oregonian, but I’ve never seen Crater Lake, and I’m not all that fond of salmon. (Heresy!)
22. We own every Muppet movie, and are working on owning every original Muppet Show episode.
23. When watching Ivanhoe or Robin Hood, I always boo the Normans and root for the Saxons. I named my cat Harold after the “last true king of England” and always refer to William “the Conqueror” as “William the Bastard.”
24. I hate shoes, and only wear them outside the house. I think socks are for cutting off toe freedom, and only wear them when it’s really cold.
25. I don’t sleep well. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night, and often don’t get back to sleep until nearly sunrise. Which is why this list was written at 4 am.

Technorati Tags: FriendFeed, Godzilla, Movies, Muppets, TV, Weird Al

At the family gathering for Christmas, my sister-in-law showed up with “veggie pizza.” It’s tough to describe, but it’s delicious, and so much cooler than trying to wander around with a plate of veggie bits and dabs of ranch dressing. I asked her for the recipe, and this is what she sent:

Veggie Pizza

2 pkg cresent rolls (you bake kind)
3/4 c mayo
1 pkg dry ranch mix (your choice of flavor)
11oz cream cheese
veggies of your choice chopped
1/2 c. each kind of cheese, cheddar and jack shredded and mixed together (I cheat and buy predone)

Unroll and connect all cresents together on baking sheet and bake following package instructions. Cool. Mix all other ingredients except veggies and cheese, spread on baked crust. Chop up veggies and spread on dressing layer. Add cheese. Press all layers together and either put in fridge or serve.

Enjoy!!

Technorati Tags: Recipe

In preparation for 2009, I’ve been reading a lot about goals and time management and self-help and whatever I could get my hands on. I’ve distilled it for myself into three “Motivational Quotes” that I hope will help me get my act together next year. (That’s tomorrow — yipes!) And, surprisingly, none of them are from my self-help reading! But they sum up stuff for me . . .

1. Plant Your Seeds. My fellow Hippie-wannabes might giggle at this one — in the 60s, they were talking about a totally different type of seed — but for me it sums up some of the stuff I’ve been reading. If a farmer planted seeds expecting them to produce within 24 hours, he’d get laughed out of the Grange hall, right? Yet in the world of the Net, people expect their Virtual Real Estate to instantly produce all the time. Really, all you can do is plant your seeds — your blog posts, forum and other blog comments, your twitters and conversations on FriendFeed and FaceBook or wherever you hang out. You can’t tug on the plant to make it grow faster; all you can do is keep planting. You can’t harvest unless you plant first. So keep planting.
2. Be Stronger Than You Were Yesterday. This quote is actually from Godzilla: Final Wars:
   “Kozama! No need to feel proud.”
   “But I won the contest, sir!”
   “The point is not to win. The point is to be stronger than you were yesterday.”
   I may not feel like exercising today, but that will leave me weaker tomorrow; I may not want to clean, but it leaves a bigger mess for later. Every step towards my ideal life makes me more able to live it; just like planting seeds in my virtual real estate. The goal for both of these is to take little daily cumulative actions. Trying for the Big Deal all at once, for me, is a sure road to procrastination. And I can’t afford to do that anymore.
3. Keep Moving Forward. This one’s from the Disney film Meet the Robinsons, and is apparently taken from something said by Walt himself. You’d think that the last two sayings about small daily actions would be enough, but for someone prone to depression and occasionally obsessed with playing games like, “I Shoulda Known When” and “What the Frell Was I Thinking?,” this particular point needs to be emphasized. Looking back just shows your footsteps, where you came from; it is NOT going to help you get where you’re going. As any farmer can tell you, throwing the seeds just any old where is not the way to farm; any body builder or martial artist would say that just doing any old exercises is not going to get you the physical attributes you want. You need a plan; you need to be able to point to the horizon and say, “I want to get over there, and I have the map to do it.” I’m great with plans; I know just where I want to get. It’s actually getting there that I have issues with. So I want to remind myself to KEEP MOVING, and to MOVE FORWARD not backward.

So there they are, the three “motivational quotes” that are on my whiteboard at the moment. Only I would pick quotes from hippies, Godzilla and Disney to make a point for myself! But hey, it’s what works for me. What works for you? I’d love to hear what you use to keep yourself going. You can share by leaving your favorites in the Comments! And have a happy, prosperous and forward-moving New Year!

Technorati Tags: motivation, self-management

I’ve been writing some notes for myself about goals for the next year — and what better place to store them than here? At least I’ll know where they are in three months!

Goals: By 12/25/09, I will be:

1. Making $2000/month or more online.
2. Weighing 180 pounds or less.
3. Leading/Part of the vibrant communities I’ve created on PD and HOOLD.
4. Keeping my home clean & presentable, using rituals/routines created for that purpose.
5. Having a social life, online and IRL.

[Make the money needed to be comfortable, while taking care of myself and losing the spare tire; finding my 'tribe,' my 'Perfect Customers,' and giving them a place to interact and help each other (while helping me, too, as I help them); using my thing for 'ritual' and routine to take care of neglected household stuff; and, for Pete's Sake, interacting with real people, both online and face to face!]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Yesterday afternoon @chrisbrogan tweeted, “Every Knight serves a King, but do all knights seek to be kings themselves?” This led me to scribble, “no, a knight serves (stewards) their fiefdom — more productivity for all!” And that led to this:}

If I’m a Knight, then my fiefdom is my internet real estate. PD is my marketplace and library, meeting hall and theater — my main street. HOOLD is my church, my forum, my place to inspire and share from all faiths. LJFW is my ‘living room,’ tourney-style; where I can tell my stories and share my personal weirdness. LJ is for things I wanna share with a larger audience [for now]; R&R is a little corner where I can get on my soapbox and rant without ruining my other ‘brands.’

A Knight is in service to his fiefdom — his people. He leads, but also serves. It is his duty to stay strong and encourage growth; it is his honor to be helpful, and his privilege to bring his people what he can find that’s encouraging. The better you are at reaching the people, at ‘check moves’ and ‘taking care of business,’ the more members of your community that you’ll find, and the greater the reward.

{”Tourney-style:” when we went to SCA tourneys on a regular basis, we had a tent (our “bedroom”) and a dining fly (our “living room”). People would stop by, we’d talk and laugh and ‘hold court’ and accept drinks and give out drinks and offer aspirin and play tablero and — well, you get the idea. We were pretty popular then, and could always get a good laugh with our little routines and silly stories. I want LJFW to feel like that. ‘Check moves’ and ‘taking care of business’ are from the Wombat Selling book. I got it online for free, and so can you.}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{A little later, another rant:}

When it comes to the brand “LJF Wolffe,” I am CEO, captain of the ship, Knight of the Keep. As such, it’s my job to plan and strategise the best way to make money and maximise my virtual real estate. I need to balance my dreams, my knowledge and my “voice of treason;” my angel and my ego (or negative voices from my past). I need to set the stage.

I am also the only employee; I am the only one to execute the plan, and it all falls apart if I sluff off. The best plan in the world won’t work if it’s not worked. That work must be done no matter what or we don’t make any money. It’s that simple. The bank does not take health excuses.

So I not only need to plan, but to actually DO what I plan. How do you force yourself through the headaches and the aches and the inability to think? There seems to be a wall between me and the keyboard — how do I smash it?

{And that’s what I’ve got so far. Suggestion and pointers to other good thoughts always welcome . . . 8-)}

Technorati Tags: motivation, self-management

When I’m disheartened or brain-dead or just not sure what I’m up to doing (as has been happening a lot lately — post OryCon SAD, I guess), I waste some time on www.icanhascheezburger.com; I just love to aww and giggle at the kitties and the strange captions that humans give them. Today I discovered thelolcats.com; another fun place to upload your cat pictures. Some have captions, some don’t, but all are funny/cute/full of pathos, and fun to scan. And when I saw my favorite movie monster featured, I had to share!

Try to stay sane!

Technorati Tags: FunnyStuff, Godzilla, Kitties

We arrived at the hotel about 12:30, got checked in, got our stuff to the room, and then went out again to see what was up. The answer — nothing. We got to hear about difficulties in almost every department, since we hung out where the volunteers do; everyone was having problems. And there never seemed to be the huge influx of people showing up; even at 5-6 PM, it was busy but never overcrowded. Weird.

The biggest thing that happened to us on Friday was getting dissed by a hotel employee. Since MiLady is in a wheelchair for the duration of the Con, and since we’ve waited 20+ minutes in the past for an elevator with space for her, MiLady gets the combination for the service elevators. At one point during the evening, she punched in the combo — only to be told by some black-suited git with a gold name tag that no, we couldn’t use them, not now or at all during the weekend, because of insurance issues. He wouldn’t even let us get in. (MiLady checked later that evening with the Head of Con Security — it’s good to know people — and he said it was complete bishwah.)

On Saturday we wandered about and saw the sights. I noticed that the big deal readings for the weekend were from someplace called “Broad Universe” — which turned out to be a thing for women writers. Oh, for Pete’s Sake! Women Writers . . . like Women in Business or just about any “women’s” group I’ve run into . . . seems only to say, “We want special attention! We don’t want to compete on any non-exclusive playing field — so we’re going to set up our own group, and if you don’t think we’re Special, then it’s all your own prejudices!” Sheesh . . .

We went to the Art Show. Lots of great stuff — that MiLady hardly got to see, because people were always moving in front of her to stand directly between her and the art. One group of Manticoran officers (from the Honor Harrington universe) deliberately moved around her wheelchair to stand two feet from the artwork so she couldn’t see it. I wanted to say, “Great jobs on the uniforms, guys — but could you go back and read the books you’re emulating about graciousness and MANNERS?!?”

On Saturday night, I hung out with MiLady and StepDaughter while they started the Party Rounds. There was only one floor for parties this year (which says a TON about the number of people who aren’t coming to the Con like they used to), and really only two parties there — the Pirates and the Cultists. We spent some time in the 3rd floor smoking area, and heard others talking about what we were wondering — Doesn’t the Con seem teeny this year? The highest number we could find on a badge was 758 or something; everyone there agreed that the membership was incredibly small compared to the 1200 we had last year, or the 1600 we were used to seeing in the old hotel. We found a concomm member, who said that the Registration head was being very tight-lipped about the numbers this year. In the past they’ve been published in the Daily OryConnian. Hmm . . .

And one more elevator incident — we got chased down by a uniformed security officer on Saturday night, who asked if we had permission to use the service elevator, and when she found that we did (she actually looked disappointed), said, “Well, it’s all right for now, but you two (me and the StepDaughter; not just family, but Helpers for the Disabled Person under the ADA) will have to wait with the rest of them.” A couple of people, hearing about it later, actually told us we could sue. It’s not worth the effort, though. We only saw her the once, and she never used the elevator the next day when I was with her. Why? No need. The place was dead.

Yes, Sunday was dead as a doornail. A bunch of people seemingly left the hotel before we even got up; there were no elevator lines, and hardly anyone in the Con level corridors. We went to a couple of panels (and in one of them, the Feedback panel, someone asked about attendee numbers — and was told we were up to 1300. I never saw them). We went out to dinner, watched some TV (we tried to hook our laptop up to the TV to watch our own DVDs; although it worked easily last year, this year it just would not happen). Then we went to the final event of any OryCon, the Dead Duck (or whatever they’re calling it this year) party. This year was wonderful — the Toast Rounds were excellent (and not overbearing or taking over the whole room exclusively like in recent years), the people were wonderful, the pizza overflowing (they’d ordered the same amount as last year, but only half of it got eaten — another clue?), and when I left at 11:30 the place was swinging.

It wasn’t till I got up the next morning that I heard about the final indignity. Apparently the hotel got hold of the con chairman at midnight and shut down the Duck. They told him that there wasn’t supposed to be any alcohol in the suite we used as Hospitality, and that it all had to be removed — NOW. After how many years, they do this to us? We’ve held that party after every con, every year. THIS year, at midnight, it’s suddenly unacceptable? WTF?!?!?

THE PORTLAND DOWNTOWN MARRIOTT IS NOT WELCOMING TO PEOPLE TRYING TO SPEND MONEY THERE. I’m exceedingly glad that OryCon is moving; I plan on never spending another DIME on that hotel chain. They don’t want my business? They don’t want to trust me? FINE — they don’t need my money. (On Monday, when I asked if I could use a bellhop cart to pack out our stuff, I was actually told No. The git insisted on bring the cart up himself, putting our stuff on it himself, and wheeling it down to the car area himself. As if I was going to try and take it home! After over twenty years of weekend conventions, this is the first time I’ve ever had that happen. EVER. Frell you, Marriott!)

I’m waiting anxiously for the Regress report on this con, in part to see what the attendance numbers are (or if they’ll even be published, or if the “pre-reg but didn’t pick up badge” numbers are even reported). The only times this felt like a con to me were in the Party Wing smoking area or at the Dead Duck. I’m looking forward to next year, in a hotel that might treat us like the money-paying customers that we are; but if the next con goes like this one, it might be the flushing of an SF con going down the tubes that will be he loudest sound. I hope not, but it might.

[To those of you who have never been to an SF convention before -- this was NOT a typical con. Usually they're busy, fun, full of interesting people and wonderful events. I wish I could show you how wonderful they are, and how you'd really enjoy going. This one was not such a great example. Sorry. 8-(]

Technorati Tags: orycon