[  Mood: Amused ]
[ Currently: Waking Up From My Nap ]
So I went to the might Chapters to pick up some more biography books for a unit I am doing with my students when I spied

The Comic Book Guy’s Book of Pop Culture

It was a little on the pricey side, until I noticed the large 20% off sticker.

How could I say no?

So now I have read it and what can I say, but funny. The drawing of his apartment with the wookie skin rug, the vulcan death grip coat rack and the Bender Blender is worth the price alone.

Go get this – and get it now. It is a tribute to so many of us.

Next on my reading list? The book about Ralph Wiggum.

[  Mood: Shocked ]
[  Currently: Watching Old Doctor Who ]
Something has been troubling me for awhile and I think I need to get it out.

There is this tendency in genre fans to jump on any perceived error and shout “Gotcha!” It’s as if there is some unwritten geek code that gives bonus points for the first to point out the Emperor’s New Clothes aren’t really there. Extra points are awarded for puns, snarkiness and pwning.

The problem with this behaviour is two-fold. One, it puts off the normals and part-time fans. They are (quiet rightly) intimidated by the forcefulness in which the rebuke is delivered. And, to be honest, they are more than a little creeped out by the behaviour. We can come off as that guy in the suit at your front door on Saturday am wanting to talk to you about God. Two, it leads to flame wars as geek after geek tries to one up the other. People jump down each other’s throats. Feelings get hurt. And once happy groups get blown apart. (Apparently something like this happened to the PSEB.)

Where does this tendency come from?

I have done no scientific studies to determine the origin of the behaviour in geeks. But I have been around fandom for a while now, and I have made some casual observations. (Please note: No fans were harmed in during the course of this research.)

One thing I have noticed about genre fans is that we are a smarter than average bunch. Now, I am not just saying that because I am a geek. As a group we read, a lot, more than the average “community” and there have been many links between increased intelligence and reading.

We also tend to be critical consumers. Despite what people like Lucas and Berman would like, we don’t just blindly consume the genre culture. We look at it from different angles, reimage it and in some cases, as with fanfic, repackage it. Henry Jenkins and his book Textual Poachers does a good job looking into this.

Then we add the last factor. And this one is going to put the Klingon among the Tribbles. The lack of social graces factor. I have noticed in the fan community, a higher than average number of people who struggle with social relationships and graces. Where does this come from? It would be easy to crack a joke about too much time in parents’ basements, but that might lead to a flame war. Maybe it is because we spend too much time in our own heads as children. Maybe it was because our phone time was spent discussing who the “another” Yoda was talking about might be rather than why Billy and Suzy should not be dating. We missed out on the soccer games, cub meetings and other things that taught us about how to interact in appropriate social manners. That pointing out a mistake is best done privately and politely so as not to embarrass the other person.

Maybe it’s just that we are a passionate people and that passion translates into everything we do.

What I do know, is that when I see it sets my teeth on edge, and I feel my inner flamer rising. We can be the most loving and supportive group on the planet. But then every so often we feel the need to eat our young, and that is when we are at our ugliest.

I guess this is not just an observation, but a plea for sanity. There is no need to pants some one when you find a mistake. Take them aside, call them, send them an email. Grant them the courtesy you would hope they would grant you. Follow the Golden Rule. I would suspect that since it appears in every major Earth Religion, it can also be found in the Book of G’Quan and the Paq’batlh.

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
[ Currently: Cause my free time comes quickly to an end. ]

This is the third installment of Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic book. As with the firs three, she has focused on one major character for development and backstory, although the others get good character development adn story time.

This time we look at Daja, the young Trader who was the sole survivor of a ship wreck. This makes her an exile as she has bad luck. Her magic deals with metal, as she can manipulate it using magic.

The backdrop of the story is the four apprentices and their teachers heading off to deal with a drought and forest fire. Daja comes in contact wit more Traders, who shun her as she has bad luck.

Good story, with most stuff being resolved by the end. It is American Children’s fiction.

[  Mood: Shocked ]
So, just wanted to post my thoughts about the Rikti invasion that City of Heroes (CoH) has unveiled in the last month.

CoH uses free game upgrades, what they call issues, to keep the content fresh. Previous issues have included an invention system that allows you to create enhancements, temporary powers and costume additions. This time around, the developers have brought back an alien foe from CoH lore, the Rikti.

The Rikti are aliens (actually its more complicated than that – but I have to go to work soon). They invaded a while ago, but were pushed back by the efforts of the heroes of Earth. Somehow they have found a way back, and are attacking.

Now to celebrate the release, CoH unleashed invasions of Paragon City. All across the various city zones, the Rikti attacked. Dropships dropped bombs, and soldiers showed up in the main squares of zones. The same thing was happening in CoH’s sister game, City of Villains.

This actually lead to some hilarity as the "superhero trainers" just stood there and watched as a battle raged around them. "Hey Miss Liberty, how about some help here?!?"

I actually had the privilege of being their for the first invasion. So was everyone else. My impression of the invasion is cool, until you get 50 or so players showing up , and then the lag hits. Then it’s like walking through molasses. The designers have done somethings to rectify this, but they also expect your drivers to be upto date. The nerve.

Still, this has been hugely popular with the players, so much so that even though the original invasion was only due to last a few weeks, CoH has brought it back for limited one day engagements, with the last day being September 22.

There will also be an invasion generated when a team completes the Rikti Co-op task force.

You can get yourself a 14 day free trial if you want. Please note that this is a subscription based service.

Tell em Studded Canary sent you. No, really, cause then I get your referral credit. Me, ulterior motive. Never!

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio One ]
So I have just finished the second book of the Dresden Files and what can I say but yum.

This book allows Harry to come into contact with werewolves, but unlike other werewolf tales, author Jim Butcher gives us every kind of werewolf imaginable. Those that use a magical object, those that use their own magic, those that are cursed, heck even a wolf that becomes a human.

Like the previous Dresden book, there is a murder, Dresden is called into consult and then becomes a suspect. He clashes with Murphy. He rubs toes with Susan. Bob gets sarcastic with him.

Overall a very satisfying entry into the series.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
So I stayed up way too late last night reading and finished Lady night by Tamora Pierce.

This is the last book of her Protector of the Small Series. This one follows Kel in her first command after becoming a knight. The Kingdom of Tortall is at war with its northern neighbour, Scanran. Kel is anticipating getting to fight bad guys, but is instead put in charge of a refugee camp.

This is a very well written and gripping book. Pierce does not shy away from the brutality of war, although it is not a graphic Doom-fest. Characters die, are raped and treat each other like crap.

I strongly recommend this book.

[  Mood: Confused ]
[ Currently: Getting ready for bed ]
I am currently attending a math teacher’s workshop at the University of Waterloo. For the next three days I am going to learn how to better integrate problem solving into my math class.

Tonight, after supper, all of us early arrivers were taken for a tour of the Perimeter Institute (PI). This is a place where academics gather to think about and discuss theoretical physics. No experimentation, they just think and talk.

This is a place that Charlie from Numbers would feel at home.

The building has been created to facilitate this kind of activity. A significant amount of the wall space has been painted with blackboard paint. This means that as you meet your friend Olga in the lounge, you can use a nearby wall or cupboard to illustrate your concept with an equation or drawing.

There are also other areas to help foster this freeflowing thought. Comfy seating has been arranged in conversation groupings that would make a designer from HGTV swoon. There are fireplaces, pooltables, artwork and expresso makers abound. There is also a baby grand piano, a gym, a basketball court, a library, and a ball hockey court.

This is the geek paradise.

The thought is that by allowing for such conversation, the physicists and other thinkers that come here will be coming up with the theories that we will prove correct in 100 years.

As part of the tour we got a lecture explaining how quantum computing works. I began to wrap my head around it a bit by the end of the lecture, but let me tell you, my brain hurts.

Fascinating stuff.

The institute holds public lectures and open houses, so if you are ever in Waterloo (that’s in Ontario, about 1.5 hours from Toronto), make a point of stopping in.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Watching Classic Doctor Who with the guy in the cricket outfit with t ]
So I got an email response from the store. They apologized and explained the entire fiasco as follows:

"Unfortunately the store manager was on holidays last week and the next in command was on her dinner break. The two associates left in the store were fairly new part timers, and obviously not trained up to our usual standards."

They have offered me and my husband a $25 gift certificate each.

Interestingly enough, the associate at Eddie Bower who helped my husband was also a part timer and was exemplary.

I am pretty much sure I am going to turn down the gift certificate. These corporate types have to learn that sometimes you can’t through money at a problem and fix it.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Watching CSI:NY ]
This is the third book in the "Protector of the Small" quartet by Tamora Pierce. Longer than the first two, this book is much better than its predecessors. In this installment, Keladry has been chosen by Raoul of Goldenlake as a squire. Given that Raoul is commander of the King’s Own, Kel is involved in many battles/raids and political intrigue.

Pierce has a way of relating the most mundane of things to the store, giving it a touch of realism. For example, when Kel is called away with no notice due to a raid, she quickly grabs some rags as she has just started her period. That’s it. A quick mention, no lurid details, but still so real.

This is worth picking up.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Drinking Royal Begal Tiger Tea ]
Woke up a bit too early to get going this morning, so I finished Tris’s Book by Tamora Pierce.

Another good solid offering from Pierce, this is the second book of the Circle of Magic series. This book follows the fallout from the events that ended book one. The four young mages fight off pirate attacks and learn more about their special kind of magic and how to control it. While the focus in on Tris, the book does take time to show us Sandry, Briar and Daja as well.

Good stuff.