Friday, December 23, 2011

Movie Review - The Sherlock sequel

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - 8

Although I can't say that this is a ground-breaking movie or even one that I will watch over and over, but it was definitely enjoyable. In fact, I liked it more than the first one and I will probably buy the bluray and watch it a couple of times.

Robert Downey Jr. does a great job once again playing the slightly off-beat genius and he is balanced very well by Jude Law. I didn't really understand their relationship in the first movie, and although there are no real surprises in this one, I think the writing did a better job of making me believe their friendship. I also was surprised by the appearance of Noomi Rapace as the gypsy and I can't wait to see her in more American films (hint Prometheus).

The most rewarding thing for me this time around was the fact that I didn't have to wait until the end of the movie to understand everything that was going on. In Sherlock Holmes, there was really only one big mystery that you were trying to solve all the way through and unless you were paying attention closely (and are a genius yourself), the answer wasn't revealed until the last five minutes. In this sequel, there is a big mystery for the end, but there are also lots of small mysteries along the way and each of those are explained very quickly so you aren't kept waiting.

Finally, I felt like I was laughing more during this one, and that is always nice. If you liked the first one, then this will definitely be up your alley. Overall, this movie rates an 8.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Review: Pandora's Star

Pandora's Star Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, my review for this book cannot be considered quite 'complete', since the story isn't finished. I didn't realize that when I started it, but this is the first of two parts.

That being said, I am really enjoying the story so far and plan to continue the second half as soon as possible. This is almost the exact kind of science fiction saga I have been hoping to read -- far future, with strange aliens and all sorts of interesting social questions. The only small drawback is that this tale is MASSIVE and I was really looking for something on a smaller scale. It wasn't until about 3/4 of the way through the book that I felt I had a decent grasp on all the characters. I am sure I have missed a lot of interesting details and will probably end up listening to the audio version a second time, assuming that the ending doesn't disappoint me.

Another small detraction for the book is that I didn't find too many enthralling characters. There are just so many to keep track of, and not very many of them are explored in depth. There wasn't anyone that I really hated (you know, like a Tywin Lannister), but nor was there someone to really root for. There was just a general, "What's going to happen next?" urge that continued pulling me through this first half of the saga.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed the description of some of the alien species. They really give you that 'alien' feeling. This aspect of the narrative has me very curious about the events of the next book in the series. So I will give it a 4 out of 5 for now, with a caveat that I may amend that rating after I read the second book, Judas Unchained.



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Sunday, November 06, 2011

Review: Reamde

Reamde Reamde by Neal Stephenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

TLDR: I enjoyed this book all the way up to the end. The conclusion felt a little abrupt to me and sort of hollywood-ish since I was expecting more bad things to happen. (I may be ruined by GRRM)

I almost let my internal expectations of this book disrupt my actual enjoyment. My familiarity with Neal Stephenson is based mostly on 'Snow Crash' and 'Diamond Age'. Those were both heavy science fiction settings with long passages of philosophical ramblings. So while reading 'Reamde', I kept expecting there to be either an aspect to the virtual game T'Rain that would make it futuristic somehow, or for the author to digress into a long discussion about how virtual game worlds affect the real world. Actually, now that I think about it, there were a few small tangents about that, but they were short enough that I felt they didn’t detract from the bigger story.

And that bigger story was certainly action-packed! This was a small surprise and delight for me. Again, based on my memories of his past works, I was prepared for Neal to set up some pauses in the story where the protagonists could agonize and theorize about their situation for long periods of time. This book kept me on edge the entire time, continually wondering what would happen next and if the heroine would ever get some rest.

Therefore, when I finally came to the climax of the story, it didn’t actually feel so climatic. Rather I had the impression that the non-stop action, which had been moving at a pretty steady quality and pace, just comes to an end. My opinion on this might be slightly fooled by the fact that I listened to this in audio format and as the fixed end approached, I thought there was another section to listen to, and so I wasn’t really ready for the story to be over.

Another detractor for me was the overwhelmingly positive outcome. I don’t want to spoil things too much – there are some sad parts and not everyone comes through in one piece – however, I did get the feeling that many of the story elements were tied up too neatly. People were able to overcome outrageous obstacles a little too easily. Although I like for there to be a happy ending, I wanted tougher consequences handed out. (This is where I think I may be spoiled by reading too much George R. R. Martin lately. He has skewed my perception of what is a ‘happy ending’.)

Overall, the book was a definite page-turner and something that I will probably read again in the future.



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Friday, October 28, 2011

Review: American Gods

American Gods American Gods by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

TLDR: Very well written, but bland story. I might try another Gaiman book, but I did not really enjoy this one.

I don't think this book and I got off on the right foot. Because I prefer to be surprised by a story, I usually don't do any research beforehand which was definitely the case here. I had heard several people refer to Neil Gaiman as a good author, and somewhere along the line I placed his name in the category of 'science fiction authors' in my head. So lately when I've been feeling this urge to read a good science fiction story, I thought to myself, "Maybe it's time to check out that Neil Gaiman guy." So here on goodreads, I posted a request for recommendations on which of Gaiman's many stories to start with and the most suggestions were for 'American Gods'.

Obviously, the first problem here was my desire for science fiction, which this story is not. This story is placed in present day with strong fantasy elements. These are not necessarily bad things in and of themselves, but this is not what I was in the mood for, hence, the "wrong foot" beginning.

However, Gaiman is definitely a good writer. His prose drew me in at first, and I felt that I should stick it out to see where things went. I was rewarded with some interesting imagery and many surprises, because this plot did not follow along any well-established arcs.

On the other hand, the second problem I struggled with was the nature of the fantasy elements. Here is where the title, 'American Gods' should have clued me in -- the story includes actual gods; deities; beings that are worshiped by humans. My own issues with religion make such a story very difficult for me to enjoy because of the personal drama associated to this topic. Therefore, I was continually looking for other things in the book to entertain me, such as characters or locations. Yet again, this often fell flat for me because I just couldn't relate to the main guy and many of the people described were just confusing or obnoxious to me.

In the end, I would not recommend this book to someone else. However, there was enough talent in the storytelling itself to lend me hope that Gaiman could produce something else I might enjoy. I'll probably come back and try a different story after I'm able to satisfy my science fiction craving.



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Friday, September 09, 2011

Personal Burning Man Messages

So my uncle posted this beautiful essay about his Burning Man experience and I wanted to try and follow up with something from my own perspective. As he tries to describe, even his many eloquent words don't scratch the surface, so there is room for more explanation. And whenever our non-Burner friends and family ask us about it, we continually search for new ways to communicate this indescribable thing.

However, as I started typing out my futile sentences, I began to feel more and more that my words didn't really add much to a general description of Burning Man as a whole. So instead, I decided to speak directly about my personal Burning Man trip this year.

Better than describing what happened, I want to talk about how I felt by delivering some messages to my camp-mates. First an apology -- as I have gotten older, I have become a little more uptight and worrisome about things (yes, some would say obsessive). This unnecessary stress leaks out from time to time making me an unpleasant person to be around. At Burning Man, I consider myself primarily responsible for all the food at our camp, including finding, packaging, transporting, storing, preparing, cleaning, etc. Although in my heart I really enjoy cooking for other people and I consider it my Burning Man gift to my camp to take on this responsibility, I still let the little things get me stressed out sometimes. So I want to apologize to everyone in my camp for my craziness. I hope my stress didn't dampen your Burn in any way.

Next, a super-big thank you to RGB for all the planning and preparation and just overall awesomeness that he brings to Burning Man every year. Yes, we occasionally tease and laugh at his detailed maps and spreadsheets, but without all that order, our group would have to deal with chaos that could detract from our fun. And who else could plan in such detail that hardly anything gets forgotten? Who else would take so much time and care to make sure everyone had an environment suitable to their own tastes? Well, no one else but my RGB, that's who. All the effort was worth it. I can't begin to thank you enough.

Also I would like to thank Hurley for the best shower on the playa to date. It was a little tricky arranging for the transport of a such a large item, but again the effort was worth it in the end. I bet that our camp was probably among a countable few with heated water and a private tent. Yet Hurley also goes through a lot of trouble to take amazing photos and time-lapse movies for us all to enjoy. I am very grateful that he is willing to lug around a tripod and weighty camera to accomplish such beauty.

Butterfly, your smile and warm spirit were a welcome addition to our group. I especially am thankful that you were eager to make ice runs and cart our junk around in your bike's baby-carriage. Oh, and the fire pit! It was really nice to warm up next to that while still enjoying everyone's company. Thank you for lugging that big thing and all that firewood out for our benefit. And finally, I am not sure I can ever repay you for taking out all our trash. That was one of the many 'little' things that often caused me some worry, and you just lifted it completely off my shoulders!

I probably should have started this list by thanking Camplet, because most of this trip is all his doing. I know that at least four of us who wouldn't have gone to Burning Man this year, except we changed our plans when we heard Camplet would finally make it to the playa. Your excitement and energy was truly infectious and for me personally, you were an inspiration that helped spur me to go out more often, see more things and interact with more people. I believe I still have room for improvement, but this was my best Burn yet in part because of you.

Odie, you just made me lose the game. Despite that I'm glad because you also helped make the scaffold successful this year. Without your expertise and positive attitude, I don't know when or if that thing would have been constructed. It was a relief to know that you were available to help out with any camp infrastructure issues. And watching you dance makes me smile.

Thank you to both Snad Nasty and T-Con for being my kitchen helpers. You two probably saw the worst of my stress levels when I was trying to handle all of the food issues, and your genuine support guided me through the week. T-Con, you remain a role model for me as I try to be better at 'mothering', without actually 'mothering'. And Snad, I hope I can learn to laugh as much as you do some day.

I am also grateful that Crash came and I got a chance to get to know him a little. Although he'll always be Crash to us, I hope that next time he can have some fun without the actual crashing.

Finally, Eric -- how did we make it without giving you a playa name? A few ideas come to mind now: Cideriffic, Commander Commerce, Mr. Smiles, or even The Man with the Little Man (because I loved both your hat and your bike basket). I guess you're just going to have to come back so we can give you something official. It won't be Camp Con Sarde without you!

So, as you might have surmised by now, a lot of the Burning Man experience for me has to do with the people. I consider this year my best Burn so far primarily because of everyone involved and all that they did. But it was also everyone I was able to interact with while I was there. Our neighbors, the Not Sure Girls were a lot of fun. And of course, I can't leave out Domitron's group and their amazing technicolor coats!

And thus I will end with my simple plea: if you haven't been to Burning Man, you really should go at least once. And if you're going to go, then you might as well join us, because our group has the most fun!

Into the Dust

This is a copy/paste of a note from my uncle as he tries to describe his first Burning Man trip. He has given me permission to post this here to grant easy access for those without Facebook. I am not this eloquent, but I hope to write my own response within a few days.


Describing Burning Man is just one thin layer of dust shy of impossible. When I have too little time or I'm answering the question of a person I know won't really care about the answer, I just say it's an art festival in the desert. But that's like saying the Pacific Ocean is like your bathtub, only bigger. It's both accurate and tragically wrong at the same time.

There is art, yes. Plenty of art. Staggeringly beautiful, clever, ever original, mind blowing and sometimes gut-wrenchingly emotional art, the kind that can only come from the place deep in your soul that gets touched by a truly unique inspiration such as Burning Man. And it's in the desert, yes. Not the desert that surrounds Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona, or the desert surrounding Las Vegas or even nearby Reno, or any desert in North America, really, because all of those deserts are experienced within reach of a comfort zone, a tether to the default world, a safety net, a television and running water. And they have life in them, even if only in little tiny bits like a salamander or a cactus or a sage brush way over there somewhere.

The Black Rock Desert is a dried up, ancient lake bed, flat as a pancake and utterly devoid of anything that lives or ever did live, whether it had eyes or branches or leaves or any other characteristic of things that move, grow, breathe or dig roots. And it's big - about 400 miles of white, hot, dusty nothingness ringed by mountains in all directions way, way, waaay over there. The nearest town has a population of 206 and looks like towns must have looked over a hundred years ago. The nearest commercial anything that you've seen before - drugstore chain, fast food chain, whatever - is a few hours away. There's just flat out nothing out there, and lots of it.

What is also in volume out there is heat and dust. Blistering heat, drier than any dry you've ever felt before, so dry it sucks away your sweat before it even has a chance to escape your pores. The heat bounces off the hard packed ground back up at you like a mirror. It's a bit like standing in the middle of a big parking lot at noon on the hottest day you've ever felt, with zero point zero zero zero humidity, and no grocery store or mall or light post or curb or stick, twig, pebble or anything anywhere around you for 400 miles. It's kinda like that, and kinda not like that at all.

The pavement under you is nothing like pavement, or dirt, or desert sand, or anything else you've walked on before. It's a highly alkaline dust as fine and flitting as powdered sugar, so light that it jumps up into the air if you touch it with a finger and then hovers there until the wind moves it or gravity eventually coaxes it back down. Cream colored, the dust forms sometimes small and sometimes large dunes when it has enough time to do so, and transforms into a hard as wood, cracked, alien landscape when it really settles. It creates a flooring you can't quite understand while looking at the few inches surrounding your feet, and boldly insults the logic and reasoning of your brain when you take in the vastness of it disappearing out in all directions around you.

That dust combines with the dry air to suck away your last drop of moisture like a Dyson vacuum cleaner and crack the skin around your fingers, toes and nose within a few hours of exposure. It's as pervasive as water - if you drop anything into a pool of water everything gets wet from the top to the bottom and the little undersides of those littlest bits. It's like that, but the opposite of water. Every nook and cranny of every single thing you bring with you gets coated with playa dust in short order and doesn't get uncoated until you leave the playa and scrub it down, and sometimes not even then. Bring a black canvas bag and three hours later it's a gray canvas bag from then on until the end of time, maybe longer.

You eat that dust, breathe that dust, learn to love and become one with that dust, or you leave. When it's dark and you're walking around with one of those headlamps strapped to your forehead you see the dust exactly as you see a snowstorm in the headlights of your car, except there's no windshield and that dust is coming for your face, eyes, nose, tongue, belly, fingernails and elbows like you signed a contract to merge your life form with it. Because, basically, you did.

And then there are the winds. Almost constant and forever threatening to gust like a tornado, the winds pick up the dust and throw it at you like the insignificant spec of nothingness you are when you're on the playa, creating dust devils ranging from a cute few feet in diameter to a humbling beast as wide as the entire playa, 50+ mph strong and unconscionably virile, sometimes lasting minutes, hours or even days without waning, blinding your vision beyond your own hand and relocating anything that isn't tied, tethered or planted into the ground in the most secure fashion.

So what does this crazy, inhabitable environment have to do with that art festival I mentioned? Everything. Because Burning Man has a core tenet that supports its very existence and feeds absolutely everything about the ongoing project that it is, and that is the spirit of inclusion. This is a "no spectator" event, where you can't exist solely as an observer of the experience but rather must participate in it, which you do fundamentally by sharing in the act of surviving and thriving in beautifully harsh and sometimes dangerous conditions together with 50,000 of your fellow citizens of this temporary city.

This shared experience is the heart that feeds the uniqueness of this weeklong event. In the default world we drive on roads together, stand in lines together, sleep in adjacent rooms, ride in elevators, eat in restaurants, etc etc etc, but we move past each other most of the time without connection. When we challenge ourselves together in this way something fundamental changes. We suddenly feel the common experience as a collective rather than an individual, as a compassionate equal to the person next to us and to the collective body made up by all the persons around us, and we see them, ourselves, and everything in front of our eyes as being connected, vibrant, approachable and profoundly energetic. We become one, pulsing and flowing together, and we nurture the tiniest pieces and the immense whole of it all by just being there.

You don't just drive up to Burning Man and consume it like everything else you do in the default world, it's not a drive-in movie or an art show at a gallery or a festival of any kind or anything else that is presented "for" you. You create Burning Man with everyone else who steps out onto that playa, and it then begins to re-create you. The important thing to remember is that this collective life form is created on and in that vast, empty and silent landscape for one glorious week of the year, vanishing away into nothingness again after the last citizen leaves. It is a massive experiment in a temporary community based on self-reliance and the mutual nurturing of life and common values. And it's working.

The second core tenet that makes Burning Man so unique is radical self expression. That is, you can be anyone and anything you choose to be when on the playa, whether that takes its form in your clothing (or lack thereof) or your art, or your camp, or your bike or art car or the lights you put on yourself so you can be seen at night, or even just your state of mind. Burning Man is about creating and nurturing anything that serves to express your contribution to the shared experience. Some apply that philosophy to the construction of massive art installations several stories high, spewing fire or spinning, twisting and reshaping themselves on hinges, pulleys and cables into ever changing shapes created by the wind or the hands of the citizens who walk by and experience them through touch. These majestic and perplexing works of art are created by groups of passionate burners who donate their time and energies just to put something unique on the playa. There are no placards giving credit, no instruction manuals, no price tags, nothing. The art simply is there, just like you.

The third core tenet of Burning Man is that it is a consumer-free event. No money changes hands in Black Rock City. Nothing is sold, except for ice and coffee, throughout the entire event. You can't buy a tissue, a bandaid, a pancake, a trinket, a battery, a hat or a bottle of water anywhere, and yet you can get any of those and much more if you simply ask for it. Burning Man is a community of gifting, of providing for one another and for the whole, and its citizens take that responsibility to heart. As you walk through the dust someone will offer you a handful of nuts, a spritz from their water bottle, a tube of chapstick, a slice of bacon, a lollipop, a patch for your bike tire, a drink of booze, or merely a hug. Entire camps are set up to provide whatever you may need, whether it's a massage or spiritual counseling or a handcrafted trinket. Gifting feeds the love and respect that permeates the massive city, and protects and inspires its citizens.

Because Burning Man is created by its citizens, it has never called itself a festival, but rather a project, equal parts fun and labour. That project had its humble beginnings in June of 1986, when two people created the first wooden structure in the rough shape of a man and erected it on a beach in San Francisco in honor of the summer solstice and a handful of personal resolutions. When they ignited the man in a gesture of the temporary nature of existence, the spectacle drew a handful of curious bystanders. They all felt something that couldn't be put into words, and when the decision was made to repeat the event the next year, history was made.

From that moment forward, without the imposition of agenda or requirement or rules or needs, people responded to the primal attraction of the collective spontaneous experience and were drawn to the event in throngs. No one needed to know why, just when and where. Word spread and the event began doubling in size and scope every year, until it had to be moved to a bigger, more remote location. Today Burning Man is a city with its own airport and a population of over 50,000, all existing for one brief week in that vast nothingness of the Black Rock Desert. The rest of the year the playa is empty and silent, and shockingly without trace of the city that lived there.

The Bureau of Land Management, which protects and maintains the natural environment of the Black Rock Desert, repeatedly gives Burning Man the highest rating possible for its lack of impact on nature. The BLM has called Burning Man the single greatest "Leave No Trace" event in the world. This happens because the Burning Man community self-enforces the Leave No Trace policy, ensuring that every citizen exits the playa with everything they brought into it, including every piece of paper, plastic, tissue, banana peel or drop of water that came in with them. No trash cans are provided at Burning Man, so if you are walking about and you eat a banana, that peel stays with you until you place it in your garbage back back at your camp. And that garbage bag stays with you until you get back home, or find a suitable receptacle for it along the way, miles from the playa.

The condition of the playa is manically respected by the citizens of Black Rock City. Even water is not poured out onto the playa except in the smallest amounts. If you are smart enough to bring a camp shower - which you will adore more than kids adore cookies after just one day there - the water generated by the shower is collected in flat "evap" pools of plastic that sit in the sun to evaporate. And if it doesn't evaporate, it has to go into a container and travel back out with you. Not even a crumb of food is left on the playa, as the citizens continuously look for "MOOP", or Matter Out Of Place, and pick it up and take it with them when they find it. The inevitably missed MOOP, or the traces left by the few citizens who fail to respect the Leave No Trace philosophy, are meticulously cleaned up by the Burning Man organization for weeks after the event, returning the playa to its pristine condition.

The city is set up by the Burning Man organization for weeks before the event, which places street signs and markers delineating a series of "streets" and "avenues" arranged in concentric circles with the Man at the center. The circle streets are labeled with letters from A to J with the radial avenues labeled as time markers on a clock face. So your camp might be located at 4:20 and E, or 6:00 and H. To find your camp, you ride your dusty, beat up and wildly decorated bike up to an intersection and look for the small street sign, then attempt to orient yourself to which way the numbers and letters are going up or down, and navigate to the next intersection to see if you're going in the right direction and continue from there. Or you abandon this logical approach and merely look around for that huge scaffolding or art installation set up by that camp near you and try to find your way to it, or find yourself at that camp with the glass blower or furry swing set and try to remember which way you went the last time you passed them. Or better yet, you just ask someone where you are, and then hope you remember their answer after you have the few drinks they offer you in exchange for conversation, hugs and community spirit.

That spirit, the hugs, the conversation, the drinks and the furry swing set are everywhere you look in every direction at every moment at Burning Man. The city is a cacophony of stimuli for every one of your senses, and your heart races with the attempt to absorb it all. You calculate your survival and then you dive into the pulsing beast of extreme expression, letting yourself be tossed along the waves of creativity, trusting in the community and your own sense of adventure. You head toward Center Camp, where the organizers provide ice for your dehydrated brain, and hours later you find yourself at 2:something and some letter, conversing with a group of Germans or Aussies or New Yorkers or Okies about that art installation way over there somewhere or the best way to keep your skin from cracking or where you can get some extra baby wipes and a private place to take a quick mini clean up, or how to make the best bloody mary on the playa, or simply who you are and how much you love each other for just being there together and offering hugs for no reason other than, well, it's hot and let's hug for the hotness of it all.

It is a walkabout, a roam, a pilgrimage. It is extreme in every way, and it is a permanent fixture in the lives of those who make their way there. The spirit of Burning Man has inspired hundreds of regional events throughout the year along with community service organizations and disaster response teams. Burners remain burners all year long, even as they impatiently await the chance to return "home" at the end of the next summer.

But still, no amount of description can capture this gloriously and naturally evolving event in the minds of a reader. If you had never ridden a roller coaster and someone explained every detail of what it's like to ride a roller coaster to you, you would still have no idea what it is like to ride a roller coaster until you rode a roller coaster for yourself. This is true for Burning Man. When you approach Burning Man for the first time you are considered a virgin, and when you enter it you have lost that virginity forever. It is an apt label, as the experience you have is unlike anything you thought it was going to be, and it forever transforms you. I lost my Burning Man virginity in 2011, the 25th year of its existence.

During the 2011 event, a 22 ton Trojan Horse sat on the Playa with a system of ladders and platforms for citizens to walk inside, leading to a bar up in the horse's head. The wheels of the platform that held the horse were ten feet tall. It was a staggering work of art, made entirely of wood, and it burned in a orgiastic display of hot, hot, hot flames on Friday night. The crowd was rowdy and amazed, cheering wildly as pieces of the horse dropped to the ground in the inferno. You had to shield your face from the heat, but you couldn't take your eyes off of the fire. It was the first big burn of the week and it sent the city into a two day frenzy.

Saturday night was the burning of the Man. Fifty three thousand citizens surrounded the Man and watched the multiple explosions engulf its base and body, destroying the effigy quickly and dramatically. The burning of the Man is the central moment of the event each year, and it gathers every ounce of communal energy and sends it up with those flames. It is awesome, and it ignites an all night party in the desert. It simply must be experienced to be understood.

Sunday witnesses the exodus of many thousands of citizens, leaving the city with about half of its population. It is a calmer day, as the city prepares for what is considered the most spiritual burn of the week, the culmination of it all, the burning of the Temple of Transition. 2011 saw the tallest Temple ever built on the playa, a 120 foot multitiered beautiful structure with arched walkways allowing access to two levels throughout the four buildings. It was built to invite citizens to leave markings and gifts in honor of lost loved ones, or any expression of pain, longing or desire, which would then vanish in the fiery transition to embers and ash on the final night of the weeklong event.

By 8pm Sunday night, about 25 thousand Black Rock citizens ringed the Temple. It was a subdued mood, a somber preparation for the biggest burn to ever occur at Burning Man, and one that would involve the heartfelt gestures of thousands. When the organizers turned off the spotlights that illuminated the Temple, plunging it into milky darkness, the crowd fell silent.

Then the fire began. No explosions, no fireworks, no sound. Just a small fire at the base of one of the four buildings. Soon, the entire structure was overtaken by immense columns of blistering fire in the center of a ring of silent witnesses, participants all. Every one of us knew what was burning, and we had no words to say. We stood in the deep playa in the middle of nowhere under a cloud of stars in awe of this moment, with the only sound being the crackle and rush of the burn. At one point the wind drew a shower of millions of embers over us and onto the playa around us and in between us, with only a few moving away for safety. There was no cheering, nothing. Just the fire and our breathing, and the ancient playa holding us up on weak knees. It was an endlessly humbling moment, and it sealed the deal for me.

I get it now, the whole burner thing. I'm now a Black Rock citizen, and I await the next chance I get to go home. I've told you two percent of my Burning Man experience, and about zero point zero zero zero two percent of whatever yours may be. And yet, you and I are equals. The burner mentality pits no one above anyone else. It's a modern day hippie mentality, proactively compassionate and in search of peaceful co-existence. All of us who have been out there on the playa were once virgins, we simply threw that virginity away in an ecstatic gesture of participation in an ongoing adventure. And none of us would ever take it back.

I now love Burning Man, like tens upon tens of thousands of others. I love the playa, I love the experiment of temporary self-sustaining community, I love that dust that still falls off my glow-in-the-dark bracelet. And I love life just a little bit more.

Maybe I'll see you next year in the dust, back home.

- Jeff Consiglio, September 8, 2011


Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Burning Man 2011

I decided to try and get my pictures up quickly this year. Thus, although all the images are there and ready to view, I'll probably be adding more comments over time. I want to add links to other interesting items and tid-bits that might be worth looking at. But in the meantime, I am pleased with my day-shots and grateful that I took the time to actually use the camera more this year. Enjoy!

Burning Man 2011

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A Precious Visit

My brother and his wife came to visit and brought my favorite niece with them.

Bumper cars for grown-ups

My friend DaNay took me to my first demolition derby at the Johnson County fair. It was more fun than I expected and actually quite a stress-reliever to watch cars pound into each other.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

GenCon2012

It never fails that when I first walk in the door from a long trip, my mind is boiling with lots of details that I want to share. Yet I'm so exhausted that I decide to wait a day or two to let my life return to normal before sifting through pictures and putting it all together. Then, by the time I'm actually at the keyboard, all the cool stories are completely wiped from my memory and all I have left are a few unimpressive pictures.

Here below are those meager images for your perusal.

FYI, I do want to state again that I had a ton of fun at OrcStomp -- the 5K run that I participated in at this convention. I am enjoying running a lot and I now want to sign up for some more races nearby. Once I figure out a plan, I'll post something so maybe a few of you will join me!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Cooking Day July 2011

We had another really productive day yesterday, even though we were trying to do less than last time. I've uploaded a few pictures.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

KantCon 2011

So I haven't had time to really absorb everything from the weekend, but KantCon this year was awesome! I was so busy having fun, that I didn't take many pictures again this year, but the best of what I did take is available in my web album: KantCon 2011.

If you were there and have feedback, please fill out an evaluation form. Several of the organizers will be meeting this weekend to talk about how to make next year even better.


Monday, June 06, 2011

Still running

So most of my training so far has been inside and on an elliptical machine (because that's what we happen to have at home). I was a little worried that this might skew things for me because I know that elliptical is really nothing like actual running. However, I decided to keep with it because of two primary reasons: 1) It was an excuse to keep exercising and add some structure to my routine. 2) Even if I couldn't actually run, I figured this would increase my endurance; especially since when I'm on the machine my 'walking' periods are more like jogging and my 'run' periods are almost at my top speed.

This weekend I finally did my first test outside and on the pavement. I managed to coax my husband to come along since I was still in the first week of C25k and more than half the time is spent walking anyway. We headed out to the park and around the joggling trail there, and it was so easy! I think that the elliptical really is building up my endurance because I never really felt tired until about the last run segment. I did feel a little bit of pressure on my shins, but that's because my running shoes are about a year old and have never been used for real running before. I think with some new shoes, I will be set.

Now that the weather is so nice, my hope is to run outside at least once a week and maybe even more once I continue to adjust to waking up early. I am encouraged, because I feel that this 5K thing could really be in reach!

Monday, May 23, 2011

My Goal to run a 5K

Okay, so when I learned about Orc Stomp last week, it was the final straw to urge me into some sort of running program since I have been considering doing that for awhile. I have never been much of a runner, but I do feel like it is better for my body than simply walking and I figure if a bunch of other geeks can do it, then so can I. Besides, I have also been thinking about some sort of "structure" to add to my exercise routines so a 'Couch to 5K' deal along with some weight lifting seemed like a good start.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been doing interval training on the elliptical machine every morning for 20 minutes. I did a test run of the first session of the Couch to 5k schedule on Saturday to see how it would go -- It felt great! Unfortunately, I spent the rest of the day Saturday doing rigorous yard-work and nearly threw out my back. So yesterday was a big REST and planning day. I talked with my husband on what kind of weight training to do. He has done some lifting in the past and put together a nice schedule for me which starts with a couple of weeks of simple strengthening exercises before I actually pick up a serious weight. (I am a big weakling.)

The plan is to lift on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; run on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays; and rest on Sunday. This works best with my current work and sleep schedule and will hopefully make it easier to stick with for the long term.

This morning I did 90 sit-ups, 18 push-ups (yes on my knees 'cause I'm a girl), 24 squats and 24 calf raises. My legs can already feel a little burn, but I'm sure that will pass in time.

Wish me luck! I'll hopefully keep this site updated as I progress. Feel free to bug me now and then if you want to know how it's going. You know -- accountability and all that. ;)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Sucker Punch

There has been a lot of discussion in my circles lately about Sucker Punch, which I saw this weekend, and I want to express my opinion too. Before I get into too much detail, let me state upfront that that this was NOT an awesome flick that should be applauded by all, but just that it can be enjoyed and may be worth your time and money if you know what you're getting in to. I personally rate it a 7 out of 10. For comparison, my rating for Watchmen is 9 and Transformers a 4.

I bring up Transformers because it is an example I use for comparison. Many critics have said that Sucker Punch fails to provide a deep story or interesting characters and relies heavily on action sequences. That is how I feel about Transformers -- even though there are characters you are supposed to relate to and possibly a story you should care about, I just didn't get all that. To me, Transformers was just a bunch of great special effects tied together with a shoe-string story where the audience can smile and eat their popcorn. This is not necessarily a bad thing because I really enjoy a simple, action-filled popcorn movie from time to time.

And in many ways, this is probably a big reason why I did enjoy Sucker Punch. The action sequences made me smile, even though I could see that the special effects budget was limited (Some sequences looked about a decade behind). But where else are you going to see one film that has Nazis, undead, orcs, dragons, androids, and girls kicking ass all in one place?

Yet there was enough of a story that resonated with me personally that helped me get into the film. Being female, I often feel an inner struggle between the contempt at being idolized physically and a desire to embrace sexuality. Keep in mind most of the story we see on the screen is actually the inner mind of one of characters, which I felt characterized this womanly struggle. However, one of the draw-backs of the movie is that only by paying very close attention do we get any clue of what happened in the 'real' world versus what is just going on in someone's head. I think much of the audience has confused what was supposed to be fantasy with what should be considered real. A better written screenplay might have distinguished the multiple 'worlds' more clearly to the viewer. If you can successfully separate the story elements, I think it makes for a more enjoyable experience.

Finally, I think it is helpful to know going in that this movie has some very dark and depressing overtones, similar in my mind to Saving Private Ryan. There are lots of struggles along the way; in the end things are mostly happy, but there are many defeats as well. With a war movie like Saving Private Ryan, your expectations are correctly set ahead of time that allow you accept a certain amount of cringing and crying. However, I don't believe that Sucker Punch sets itself up appropriately for a similar amount of tragedy. You have been warned.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Vacation for Fun!

So one of our first big trips this year was to PAX East in Boston, MA. I have a few pictures to share: PAX East 2010.

Yes, I know this site has been quiet for awhile. Work has kept me busy, but I intend to change things soon.