Season 2 Preview!

Wonder what it's like backstage at FAOS Reigns Studios?  Well, here's a look anyway.  Slow burn jokes ahead.

Have Fun,
Your Host

Otaku Blues (#FanFicToFame)...

When I worked at [redacted] we had a major push for the "Twilight" films.  Which bothered me because - well, everything bothers me.  But it was for the same reason I grumbled about suddenly selling Lady Gaga and Justine Beiber merch. - I wasn't upset that the store was changing their image away from the one I tolerated, but that we were going with the one thing I couldn't stand - ubiquity.  Twilight, Gaga, der Beiber - they were everywhere - every time I opened the internet, turned on the radio (NPR, bless my twisted, granola munching heart), or had a conversation with my friends at bars more known for cheap-even-for-a-retail-check beers.  The friends would talk about one, the jukebox would play the others, and I'd leave painfully sober and aware that, once again, I was behind the socio-acceptable curve.

Normally, I'd be fine with it.  Hell, I'd been fine with it throughout my life - I was the living embodiment of walking in five minutes after the movie started and sitting in silent confusion.  The thing was, there had always been tons to be confused about - stuff from my elders, my peers, and the (creepily growing) youth - so I could find something that I liked and then hurry to catch up.  This worked well - one of the perks of being a geek during the internet's great leap outward was that I could follow up on everything I wanted to know about.  I had instant access to the complete history of comic books, could parse Neal Stephenson's sentences, and speak at great length about the histories of two empires (one historical, one fictional).  It also expanded my horizons - fed my growing interests in films, books, the cultures of archipelago nations, different forms of government, Buddhism, Taoism, Chaos magic, Chaos theory, string theory, N-space, the difference in output between Wizards of the Coast and White Wolf games, why the phrase "there are no wolves in Ireland" is impossibly loaded in America and kind of meaningless in Ireland.  I saw places that I still dream of going, read the blogs and watched the vlogs of people from all over and felt connected.

I felt less alone, which for me was incredibly important (being both intro-and-extroverted).  When Veronica Melching mentioned Henry Rollins to me, I went from blank faced to utterly obsessed in the space of a weekend (damn, I should have asked her out).  But, in feeling less alone, I also understood that these things were not "mine".  I couldn't complain about a band sounding different, or an author experimenting in "big idea" fiction rather than genre work - because I kept reading what other people thought, seeing the little kernels of the ideas, themes, and future works buried in their past catalog.

But now (which is actually then), I was sitting in the store meeting, learning that the company was requesting (this was not mandatory) that the staff read the Twilight books so that they would know just what the fuck the customers were talking about.  And I winced because I wince a lot, and also because I'd take the bate.  I had to.  It's not right to mock something you don't understand/aren't willing to try.  And I mock everything.  So I hopped on trusty internet sales floor number 354 and scanned the used book prices.  Finding that I could have almost the complete set for five bucks (plus shipping and handling) and complete the set for twenty (I'm rounding down), I ordered and waited and thought of different ways to get out of this.  I needed the twenty for gas.  But it was gone.  And soon enough the books arrived.

Finally, I knew why almost everyone was talking about the Twilight saga.  I read it through once, then skimmed through again.  Taken as a study of the adulthood culminating from a lifetime of repression and shaming, it's actually very interesting - what Stephen King's Carrie would have written if she had lived long enough.  There is a palpable fear of the outside world, and the Mormon themes were pretty clear (having devoured Battle Star Galatica [first incarnation] fan pages) - right down to the persecution by forerunners who didn't understand how flawed their outlook and actions were, and hostile relations with natives touched by the same divine power as the "good guys".

Sure the writing was "childish" - but that played into the theory of repression, of letting the id try to run wild before slamming it down with all the psychological force a single person can bring.

...yeah, that wasn't what people were talking about.  That was what I talked about.  I would talk about abusive relationships, controlling partners, and my deep seated fear of a lack of irony to reading the series.

Now, though...

Now the film series is finally ending.  Stephanie Meyers isn't threatening to write another book as often (this is not as comforting to me as it sounds).  And the banner was potentially replaced by Hunger Games (here's hoping) or possibly the work of Maureen Johnson (here's really hoping) in terms of teen fiction and summer movie escape.

But rising from the almost filled grave, like the vampires they reassembled, has come the fanfictions.

For those not in the know - fan fiction/fanfic are not a new thing.  In a nutshell, they're the stories you know taken over/continued/"fixed" by fans of the series.  Some of them are good.  Some of them are, in fact, amazingly good.  But most of them are on a sliding scale of "meh" to "bad" with a fair share of "why the fuck would anyone do this" outliers screwing up the bell curve.  There is also the "Mary Sue" aspect of fanfics - the creation of a character suspiciously powerful to the point of being god-like.  They tend to be extremely popular (especially with the author's favorite character - with sexy results), accomplished at anything they attempt, and have a character arch of a 180 degree angle.  They exist as a kind of wish fulfillment, an escape from the ordinary world to a place the author would rather inhabit, in a body, with a mind, and with the people, the author wishes they had.

I am not completely against this.  I'm fine with folks having these fantasies, and I'm fine with them putting them out on the panopticon.  For the most part, it seems (to me) like a harmless bit of fun, provided the authors can weather the replies.

Then Fifty Shades of Grey came out and suddenly I hate you all.

We are back among the ubiq - poorly written, plotted like a seventy's porn film, and a major "Must See TV" event.  It started life as a Twilight fanfic, but with the correction to the "no sex" of the books (save the last one which is...disturbing, at best).  Nope - now there's barely three paragraphs without sex.  Which is fine - I remember sex fondly, and can see why people would like such a thing.

But, again, it's everywhere, for one of two reasons - people either love it, or they hate it.

The only really astounding part to me is the fanfic part - not the Escher like "there is a fanfic with fanfic" thing, which I'll leave to far more accomplished minds - but that something, written by a fan, which totally flies against the tone of the books that inspired it (while also, weirdly, hitting damn near all of the themes fans hate to discuss) has been embraced by the same group of fans, now slightly older.

And thus, we come to my scheme...

I'm a big fan of two, very geeky, things: Warhammer 40,000 and Wraith: The Oblivion.  The former is a table top game who's back story is being filled in the Horus Heresy series of books, the latter was a pen and paper game about the afterlife (which sounds cheery, until you read the title).

Warhammer 40k started out as "JRR Tolkin and Frank Herbert got drunk, watched all of the big cultural touchstone Science Fiction films since 1984 and decided to write a violence heavy novel" - I'm honestly not kidding.  The universe depicted is one where the best thing that can happen is that one of the "good guy" species kills you because, otherwise -well, death is not the end, although you will wish it was.  The big bad of the series, the legions of Chaos (please note capital letter), are being controlled by gods (for want of a better term), and the very emotions evoked in battle, in fighting them, and in some cases even thinking of them, feed their growing legion.  Die at their hand, and guess who just got drafted into their army!

The Horus Heresy books tell of the rise of the Chaos legions, and the beginning of...somehow making a universe almost completely under the control of an undying fascist dictator worse.

What I like about the books, though, is how they handle their themes - betrayal is the result of betrayal. Loyalty is debated even among those who cannot fathom a different focus to their lives.  The rise of genetic engineering is halted at "for military use only" leaving much of the general population dependent upon the whims of those now almost completely removed from the human fold, and the effect this has on both the humans and their overlords.  The role of combat in the history of humanity, and it's inescapable pull.  The frailty of some beliefs, and the strength of others - the benefits of religion and of atheism.  There's even a comedy series (Ciaphas Cain) that's basically Black Adder Goes Forth...IN SSSPPPPAAACCCCEEE!

So, I've decided to do a fanfic of Warhammer 40k.  But I want to explore the themes of Wraith: the Oblivion.

As it takes place in the afterlife, Wraith dealt with alot of what I was going through at the time, and what I continue to go through.  Themes of guilt, forgiveness and lost chances, of separation, finding your place and using negative emotions constructively because otherwise the voice in the back of your head will murder you...again, I'm not kidding - it's one of the rules of the game, your Jungian Shadow will murder you.  All of this, rolled around with the shock of finding yourself alive (kinda) after a traumatic event, a life unfinished.  It made for some moments that I and my fellow geeks found deeply moving, cathartic, and...well, life affirming.  Which meant that, to us at least, the game was a smashing success (a fun bit of trivia, the editor in chief described Wraith as "the game of giving a damn").

So, that is the basis of #fanfictofame.  I'm going to try and troll the mass market paperback world.  If this works, I'll become everything I hate, without the whole, you know, decaying sense of self and overall need to remain true to my inner life.

As always, I remain,

Your Host

Episode 18 - And the Season Ends...

Flying solo on this one.  And our First Season is over - see you in August!

Thank you again,
Your Host.

Sequel Decay Theory: Xeno Biology...

MAJOR SPOILERS!

Johnny C is back in a live show about the Alien series - this time without all the spinoffs.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know in the comments!

Thanks for listening,
Your Host

The Gentleman Drunk Interview (Amazingly NSFW)...

The Gentlemen Pete and Bob stop by to promote their show...and then Pete happens.  Tactless, abrasive...like old times.  Links below!

Gentleman Drunk the Show!

Gentleman Drunk the Music!

Gentleman Drunk the Twitter!

And to you, dear listener...courage.
As always, I remain,
Your Host

Sequel Decay Theory 1: The Physics of Endor...

SPOILER WARNING! - MASS EFFECT SERIES - STAR WARS.

Noah's romantic view of the world goes toe-to-toe w/ my cynical one.  ...ye gods, I'm a jerk in this one.


Show Notes!

Yes, that is, in fact, no moon.

Noah's Twitter account!

The Other Podcast!

Book Review: Empire of the Summer Moon

I don't know much about my nation.  I'm not terribly happy about this - the fact that I know more about the various fantasy/science fiction universes than, say, the founding of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the border dispute with New Jersey.  I can (and will) go on at length about various places that only exist between the collective ears of the reading population, but ask me about the westward expansion of the United States, and my ignorance is on full display.

I've been trying to correct this, and my second stop is S.C. Gwynne's "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History".  I really rather enjoyed this book, which avoids a few of the touch stones I was expecting (the trail of tears is mentioned, as is Little Big Horn), and keys in on the Parker family and the role they played in both the history of the Comanche tribe and the Texas Rangers.  A second thread follows Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, a U.S. army office who has been overshadowed by Custer's death despite his contribution to both Manifest Destiny and the fall of the native nations of the United States.

There are long looks at the brutality on both sides of the cultural divide, and I was fascinated by how both the Comanches and the Texas Rangers adapted to confront one another (and how their failure to do so tended to result in massacres of one side or the other).  This is also examined on the personal level, as a few members of the Parker family are taken prisoner by the two forces and have their lives and personalities changed irrevocably, for better or for worse.

Four out of Five - worth the purchase, little reread factor beyond skimming for sections.

Episode 15: "...We're Really Calling It That?"

Noah's back for a rare drunken episode about a thorny situation and adhearance to the "Bro Code".  We'll be back next time with the first part of sequels!

It's a kinda real thing!

Noah's Podcast!

Noah's Twitter!

My thanks!
Your Host.

Episode Fourteen: The Ladies Respond

Jen's back for a discussion on feminism and the direction (and perception) of modern women.   Also, it's me showing my ignorance (boo) and learning better (yay!) - Good times for all!

We'll be back next week with a quick coda to all of this, and the opening salvo of the sequel decay theory!

Jen's Book!

Enjoy,
Your Host

Episode Thirteen: ...And Treat Those Two Imposters Just The Same

Johnny Curcio is back to round up our discussion of masculinity - a bit more pop-culture.

Episode 12.5 - The FHV Interview!

Ms. Nicole Diekow stopped by the studio (which we apparently now have as outsiders are visiting) to talk about her online store, give a few fashion tips, a brief discussion about modern v. vintage, and to make me feel impossibly old.  I don't care - I got to hang out with models.  Episode 12.5 - the Fresh Hot Vintage Interview!

Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, Thanks for Listening!

Until next time, I remain,
Your Host

ITEM: Ms. Diekow has pointed out that she had misspoke, and it is 1990, not 1992 which is closer to the moon landing than today.

Show Notes!

Fresh Hot Vintage - the shop!

Fresh Hot Vintage - the facebook page!


Fresh Hot Vintage - the flamethrower!  ...wait, they don't...?  Well, why not?!

Check out below the show for picks of some of the fashions.




Owner, Nicole Diekow in a 1980s neon graphic black mini dress.

Kristen Lomino in a 1960s asymmetrical wool military dress.

Mark in a 1970s green stripe western shirt.

...And as promised: the Grail!

Episode Twelve: If You Can Meet With Triumph and Disaster...

RATED "M" - FOR MANLY!

A reminder - Nicole Diekow of Fresh Hot Vintage will be sitting down with me for an interview this weekend.  Tune in on Friday!

Co-host Noah Houghtaling and I talk about what manhood means to us, and how it looks from our view in the media.

Our Sponsors! - with far too many exclamation point!

Fresh Hot Vintage!

Aaron McMullan!

Gentleman Drunk!  (Tell 'em we sent you!)

Jen Bresnick's "The Last Death of Tev Chrisini"!

Episode Eleven - We Promise, We Are Not Stalking The Following People...

Johnny Curcio is back to shame me about Celebrity Crushes.  I'm sorry to all those mentioned herein.

And I remain,
Your Host

Episode 10.5 - Geocaching!

Friend of the show Nathaniel Swartz stops by for a mini-cast about GeoCaching.

We're not professional people and it shows!

Infernally yours,
Your Host.



And a few outtakes: Why we didn't talk about Lord British.

Episode Ten: Time with Friends (Going Places)...

A lighter show with co-host Noah Houghtaling - an episode about music, and a little look behind the mental lives of your resident Podcasters.  Please let us know what you think!

Thanks for listening,
Your Host







And here's the Coda! Johnny C. stops by the show to talk about his musical side projects.

Cheers,
Your Host

Episode Nine - What were we talking about...

Show Notes:

Co-host: Johnny Curcio.

I'm really not sure how to feel about this one.  I like that it feels loose, but it also feels a bit more disorganized - coming off the great interview w/ Jen Bresnick, and the dystopia two-fer, it feels very disorganized on my part - but I also feel like we don't quite get our true points across.  By which I mean I don't get my point across.  But this is John's best show yet - so here it stays.

I hope you enjoy, and I remain,

Your Host.

Episode Eight: The Jennifer Bresnick Interview!

This is big folks, our first guest!

Jennifer Bresnick stops by to discuss her first novel: "The Last Death of Tev Chrisini"!

A big thanks to  Jennifer for stopping by - folks, stop by her blog, leave reviews on Amazon - let's make this huge!

Thanks for always for listening!
Infernally yours,
Your Host.

Episode Seven: The Future Sucked (Pt2)

Noah is back!  Wrapping up the Dystopia PodCast with a discussion of order v. chaos in the Fall Out Series.  Please comment and let us know what you think!

Again: Author Jen Bresnick on the next show discussing her book: The Last Death of Tev Chrisini!

A special thank to our lovely and amazing sponsors:

Fresh Hot Vintage!

Jen Bresnick's The Last Death of Tev Chrisini!

Aaron McMullan!

Dan Doran Photography!

Thanks again!
Infernally yours,
Your Host.

Episode Six: The Future Sucked Part One.

 

Show Notes!

Co-host: Johnny Curcio.

Our Sponsors:

Fresh Hot Vintage!  Vintage fashion, house wares, awesomeness.

The Last Death of Tev Chrisini!  Epic fantasy - Jen Bresnick will be on the show this month!  In paperback from Create Space, or on the Amazon Kindle.

The car mentioned mid-rant was the "Tucker Sedan".

Bonus: the SNL skit we talked about.

Meet your hosts...

This week: "The Future Sucked" Part one w/ Johnny C. - we're finally making it!  So, until Tuesday...Here's the cast of "Friends and Other Strangers"!

NOAH:
Class - Cleric.
Alignment: Chaotic-Good.
Supports: NYRed Bull (associated NY teams), Arsenal.
Likes: Makers Mark, His Lady Friend.
Dislikes: Trolls.  Not, like, "internet trolls" - like the kind that lived under the bridge near where he grew up.  No, I don't get it, either.
Fun-fact: Misses his mohawk more than he misses his youth.










JOHNNY:
Class - Bard.
Alignment: Chaotic-Good.
Supports: PENDING...
Likes: Various Alcohols, Ladies.
Dislikes: Extremism, Insomnia
Fun-fact: Once attacked a group of political science majors with a broad sword.  Only your host found it funny at the time.







Your Host:
Class - Barakumin.
Alignment: True Neutral.
Supports: Philadelphia Union, Tobacco addiction, Newcastle.
Likes: Lots of things.  Mostly telling jokes, much to the chagrin of others.
Dislikes: Trust us, you don't have the time.
Fun-fact: Knows who John Galt is.  Not impressed.

Ep.5 - Anger Keeps Noah Alive...

I'm not terribly pleased with this one...but so it goes.  Tech problems, pushing back the big show...argh.  Noah's back for an MLS wrap-up.

NSFW.

Sponsors!

Fresh Hot Vintage!

The Last Death of Tev Chrisini!

Aaron McMullan!

Noah's Twitter!

Thanks for putting up with us!

Updates...

Hey guys - sadly, my co-hosts have lives.  This means that We're still working on recording the Dystopia episodes.  Noah and I will be recording MLS update, and We should have a (crappy) part one and two ready for you (P.1 w/ Johnny, P.2 w/ Noah) on Wednesday!

-Y.H.

Episode Four: We're Sorry/Were Sorry...

An hour-and-forty minutes of crud!  Random topics, followed by MLS News.  Drunken ramblings and poor sound on my part (you're welcome).

Next week: Dystopia part one.

Our Lovely Sponsors for Week Four:

Aaron McMullan's an amazing musician and you should listen to him and buy his disc/mp3!

Jen Bresnick's The Last Death of Tev Chrisini is out on the Kindle now!  Go pick it up!

Noah's Twitter!

Show Notes:

Irrational hatred of holidays!

Henry Rollins on NatGeo!

A look towards Red Bull v. RLS and Union v. Colorado!

Johnny C will be back - he's currently on stage in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Please let us know what you think, and any ideas on how we can improve.  Thanks for listening - Your Host, and Noah.

We're Terrible Astronauts Pt.2

We're back, with returning co-Host Noah Houghtaling!

This ep. we're talking first kick weekend for MLS! (trying to, anyway)

In the Second half, Bioware and the Possible Rise of the Female Protagonist in Action Gaming.  Plus - why are people offended by homosexuality in video games?  We don't have an answer, folks.

Themes throughout -  the asshole percentage, and talking about issues by sheer metaphorical context!

Please leave comments and let us know what you think!

Ep.2 - We're Terrible Astronauts! (pt.1/2)

Show notes!

Batman does sing!

Veronica Lake's last film was Flesh Feast.

The Hulk's take down of Twilight can be found here.

And Johnny Curcio will be in the production of Thoroughly Modern Millie - ticket info here.

More Set-backs

I've recorded two podcast episodes this week - Ep.2 w/ Johnny Curcio, and Ep.3 w/ Noah Houghtaling.  Each episode had problems - volume control in Ep.2, and the apparent complete lack of a file for Ep.3.  Needless to say, I'm very frustrated by these turn of events.  I'm used to the one being fucking up - but when the tech fails, well, I'm up a creek.

Funnily enough, Ep.3 had a bit about the problem with save files.  So, there's that.

I'll be rerecording Ep.2 shortly, but Ep.3 might be here first once Noah sends me his copy of the recording.  I might have to hack at it, as Noah experienced lag problems.

So, there will be new material, hopefully soon.  This will work.

Still - damnit.

Why I need co-hosts! Interlude One...

In other words - get past the "my voice hurts and I need a cup of tea" intro - find out why I don't like Michael Bay's version of bad movies.

The next episode will be better.

First One!

No Editing.  Which is really a shame.  Special co-host Noah.

Let me know what you think!

Show Notes: Florence Foster Jenkins was the singer mentioned.

The Shameless Plugs:
http://www.doranphoto.com/index2.php - Dan Doran.
http://www.exlibrisrecords.co.uk/yonder-calliope.htm - Aaron McMullan
https://twitter.com/#!/realacespade - Noah's Twitter

A post about VD...

I don't like holidays.  The only two I like, when I talk about why I like them at length (of course), seem relentlessly depressing.  Hallowmas (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) allows for a closeness to those who have passed.  New Years helps you put the past failures behind you and focus on the potential to change.  Usually both involve doing things that you regret, so there you are.

But for the most part, I really dislike holidays.

And being a shy, awkward kind who feels uncomfortable around his friends, let alone girls I fancy, I've always felt dread about Valentine's Day.  Once we got into middle school and I stopped getting the bits of thin cardboard with with pop-culture telling my that so-and-so thinks I'm super, it really just became a fairly dark thing.  We ended up becoming enmeshed in the almost satirical idea that the day is important in the scheme of romance, and that if your significant other doesn't do something amazing, then the relationship is doomed and you should just dive into the the alcohol and comfort foods right now.

Which sucks, as I like love.  There's romantic, friendly, familial - love of sport, passive existence, active existence, art, nature, food, science.  There's a lot to love.  I'm rather a fan, really. 

Well, as I lack a Valentine, I'm going to take a minute and just go back to being a little kid.

My mother and father are middle aged office workers.  They've dealt with a fair bit of parental strife of behalf of my brother and I.  And we're damn lucky to have them.

My dad, the great grey god, is stooped with age, hobbled and walking with a cane - he has now for close to fourteen years, which is badass, since medically he should have been using one since I was born, and should be in a wheelchair by now.  It seems that only his spite towards his condition and his dislike of what the handicapped plate on his car means that holds him together.  From a physical standpoint.  He's beaten something like cancer twice (I still have only a vague idea as to the scope of what he's been through medically - but at somepoint the universe realized that crippling him wasn't working and started to go to town on his cells).  He's buried both of his parents, warred and made up with his brother, and has the amazing ability of getting away with saying outrageous things.

My mother...I've often been told that I'm alot like my mom.  It's been fairly recent that I've come to understand this as a compliment - we're so much alike that for a long time I had an aversion to her.  Not a lack of love, but an almost contempt due to familiarity.  When I came home from college with my tail between my legs and saw what my mom had gone through for the past four years.  This helped me get my head out of my ass, and actively try to show her how grateful I was for her, and her putting up with me. It took a lot to hold the family together, and harder still to do it all with grace, wit, and the iron will that mothers seem to possess far beyond any other family role.

I don't have a special someone, but I've been planning on dying alone for a while now (I'm also planning on winning the Mega Millions this Tuesday, 02/14/2012 - you can only say no to one, Universe).  But for right now, as they're far away and don't surf the net, and I won't have to deal with their jokes about being cute...

Thanks, mom and dad.  For everything.  I love you both dearly.  And will you be my valentines?

Embracing My Inner Dwarf...

So, I've decided that I'm going to stick to my New Years resolution of making some changes in my life.  I've cut my cigarette intake by half, and I'm hope to get rid of the habit shortly.  This will be a problem, not just because of the whole "additive carcinogen" thing.  I actually enjoy smoking.  I know that seems a bit odd - it makes you skin, stains everything, and after a long enough time you become a constantly coughing paper bag.  But I guess I've lucked out in that most of my friends merely tolerate my habit, and those who have also embraced it are now in various stages of quitting.

Which leads to another bit of happy-chance - I've also resolved to spend more time with my friends.  The difficulty here is something else: I'm not anti-social so much as asocial.  I've been the company I keep for most of my memory, and I tend to be a lot of people's "friend" while having relatively few myself. (A fact that usually angers people - it's not that I don't like you, but I tend to play shrink to quite a few people.  When they're willing to put up with me in public, knowing that at any minute I'll break into song, then they're my friends.  If they join in, I'll take a damn bullet for them.)

I spent most of December hanging out with friends - with a few attempts that fell through - and I miss it.  But many of them have had the annoying habit of getting lives.  Which is good, of course - I'm happy for them and hope it fills them up the way good thing (truly good things) do.  And, besides, I have an office job now, so the four a.m. trips to Denny's (come for the food, stay because it's acting like an anchor in your gut) are now next to impossible.

To fill the time between these two, I've been taking on new hobbies.  I'm working out more, writing (more that this, believe it or don't), and slowly learning how to podcast.  I'm taking a free course in computer programming and looking at trade schools. ...That last bit mostly came about because I'm sick of having to Google things like "How do I stop water flow to my toilet" only when it's reaching a critical state.

This all worries me a little, because I'm not used to being practical.  I've always been a much more, shoot from the hip, standing on top of the toilet with a plunger in one hand, smartphone in the other, type of guy.  But I think I know the reason...it's because I grew a beard.  It's caused me to finally embrace my true, inner D&D nerd's ambition to be a dwarf.  I'm five feet seven inches, broad yet lanky, and often mistaken for a scarecrow around Halloween, but Goddamnit, inside me is a hard drinking, hard fighting, hard farting miner with a battle axe, a song on his lips, and a very weird relationship with mountains just waiting to look the world in the eye and say something along the lines of: "WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

But seriously, I think all of these changes and chances will be good things.  Even if they aren't, it beats sitting around waiting to die.

Anywhoo, once the podcast gets up and running, I'll be posting some links to it...or just posting it here.  We'll see.

Alud lang syne, folks.