Having your body betray you on a daily basis, causing so much pain that you can barely move, is soul shattering. It’s like being in prison, without committing a crime. You’re innocent, but you are being punished anyway. And sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how life can be so unfair.

Www.whitneyhomer.blogspot.com

(via chronically—courageous)

Aside from unfair. I never have thught that no matter I hate hoe it is random and unassociated with living a “moral” or even simply healthy life. A random encounter with a bug you can’t avoid and a set of genes switched on… really not deliberate but also not avoidable. 

Oh I have my emotionally bad days but the times I have used the term unfair is when I think about human responses to it. The mismatch of having to deal with feeling so bad an people telling me it’s my fault for getting it (the cause of RA is connected to genes that are turned on by and exogenous trigger but that’s as far as we have enough evidence to sort of comfortably say.

We get blame because most people find it scary to realise it could so easily happen to them. So they choose a point of difference between you and them so they don’t have to worry about it.

Having your body betray you on a daily basis, causing so much pain that you can barely move, is soul shattering. It’s like being in prison, without committing a crime. You’re innocent, but you are being punished anyway. And sometimes, you can’t help but wonder how life can be so unfair.

Www.whitneyhomer.blogspot.com

(via chronically—courageous)

Aside from unfair. I never have thught that no matter I hate hoe it is random and unassociated with living a “moral” or even simply healthy life. A random encounter with a bug you can’t avoid and a set of genes switched on… really not deliberate but also not avoidable. 

Oh I have my emotionally bad days but the times I have used the term unfair is when I think about human responses to it. The mismatch of having to deal with feeling so bad an people telling me it’s my fault for getting it (the cause of RA is connected to genes that are turned on by and exogenous trigger but that’s as far as we have enough evidence to sort of comfortably say.

We get blame because most people find it scary to realise it could so easily happen to them. So they choose a point of difference between you and them so they don’t have to worry about it.

My modded Blood Dragon armour with my custom Turian enhancements and the Black Widow because I can- this is why I made the BW in the end over a pistol- which I was going to do as I still have some rough patches on this thing. Surprise original costume is a suprise. So fun how many people got it. Especially kids who probably shouldn’t be playing the game!

(Photo credit to Matt Glasgow of Star Wars NZ (I’ll link the rest of the parade photos when I get back from the show- and to the Armageddon Cosplay account).)

Glam paint job is glam. A layer of flat paints then washed with translucent yellows and pinks mixed with interference pigments (green over the yellow and blue over the pink).

I made 99% of this costume from raw materials. And patterned about the same. Huge shout out to trodoon on dA for his renders of his 3D models as I had print outs on my workroom walls for reference and used them heavily.

Her name? Neimhaille which is a word I created in 1999 and has since been taken up by fantasy artists with my explanation verbatim 😉 Also there is a Bioware account holder who snaffled it but I am so not ditching it given I did literally create the name. It was for a sportsfighting persona (Scottish- I had my play in music sorted as well- Give me the Prize from Highlander 😉 ).

Anyway so Neimhallie (Nee- wa-yeh or Neev-ayel depending on how authenically Gaelic you want to be- though I don’t object to Neem-ayel either 😉 )

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My modded Blood Dragon armour with my custom Turian enhancements and the Black Widow because I can- this is why I made the BW in the end over a pistol- which I was going to do as I still have some rough patches on this thing. Surprise original costume is a suprise. So fun how many people got it. Especially kids who probably shouldn’t be playing the game!

(Photo credit to Matt Glasgow of Star Wars NZ (I’ll link the rest of the parade photos when I get back from the show- and to the Armageddon Cosplay account).)

Glam paint job is glam. A layer of flat paints then washed with translucent yellows and pinks mixed with interference pigments (green over the yellow and blue over the pink).

I made 99% of this costume from raw materials. And patterned about the same. Huge shout out to trodoon on dA for his renders of his 3D models as I had print outs on my workroom walls for reference and used them heavily.

Her name? Neimhaille which is a word I created in 1999 and has since been taken up by fantasy artists with my explanation verbatim 😉 Also there is a Bioware account holder who snaffled it but I am so not ditching it given I did literally create the name. It was for a sportsfighting persona (Scottish- I had my play in music sorted as well- Give me the Prize from Highlander 😉 ).

Anyway so Neimhallie (Nee- wa-yeh or Neev-ayel depending on how authenically Gaelic you want to be- though I don’t object to Neem-ayel either 😉 )

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dgaider:

upsettingshorts:

dragonageconfessions:

Confession: One my first playthrough of DA:O I romanced Alistair with my Dalish elf. When it came to the Landsmeet I made Alistair king because I just don’t trust Anora, little did I know that Alistair would break up with me. I was so pissed and I couldn’t go back and change it that I deleted the game and started over as the same warden and made Anora queen just so I could stay with Alistair.

Behold the innermost thoughts of a true kingmaker.

Watching some peoples’ reactions regarding Alistair and the Landsmeet, as they attempt to thread a needle of self-justification for their desires, has always been a highlight for me. It’s fascinating, even if it does make me feel a bit like a mad scientist with little electric probes attached to the patient’s brain.

“Hmm. Now vee shall see how ze subjekt responds to ze stimulus!” ZZZZAP

I really appreciate stories where I can totally screw up or have real consequences. Like destroying the galaxy in a fit of pique… ehem.

brentkeane:

Here’s Michaela‘s Femshep cosplay from Saturday. It was great to catch up with her, however briefly.

And my nostrils!!! 😉 Seeing as a warship is not a suitable environment for animals I decided my armour was 😉 Hold the line for the hampster!

Also note he is within kissing distance 😉

I have tidied the costume in the last few days- huge shoutout to Lapco for having All the Rivets, All the Resolene and the super awesome though simple hand tools for rivet setting. The rivets are mix and match for each diametre so I need to burnish a few replacements. Also I have not got the dragon on again…. and I debated putting it on today (the Resolene means you can paint on Rub n Buff which is brilliant!) and my paint is suitably blood like in texture and opacity… but I have a few other mods to the armour that I hope to debut at the cosplay parade on Saturday XD I may need help up the stairs.. Also I sacrificed another set of crazy cool sneaker wedges for this purpose 🙂 Must see if the glue has cured enough to get some more pieces in place.

Ahh, just realised the sweet shop in the background sells Salmiak flavoured licorice ropes. I love the stuff. Might see if I can order some for after Armageddon…. And though the site doesn’t have shopping available atm they do ship to NZ so yay! I think it may be their “salted” licorice…

BTW big gun is big and as awkward to handle as it looks. And you can see a wee bit of the foam interior support. I had to cut it there to fit in my suitcase. And hey, it survived all that travel 🙂

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brentkeane:

Here’s Michaela‘s Femshep cosplay from Saturday. It was great to catch up with her, however briefly.

And my nostrils!!! 😉 Seeing as a warship is not a suitable environment for animals I decided my armour was 😉 Hold the line for the hampster!

Also note he is within kissing distance 😉

I have tidied the costume in the last few days- huge shoutout to Lapco for having All the Rivets, All the Resolene and the super awesome though simple hand tools for rivet setting. The rivets are mix and match for each diametre so I need to burnish a few replacements. Also I have not got the dragon on again…. and I debated putting it on today (the Resolene means you can paint on Rub n Buff which is brilliant!) and my paint is suitably blood like in texture and opacity… but I have a few other mods to the armour that I hope to debut at the cosplay parade on Saturday XD I may need help up the stairs.. Also I sacrificed another set of crazy cool sneaker wedges for this purpose 🙂 Must see if the glue has cured enough to get some more pieces in place.

Ahh, just realised the sweet shop in the background sells Salmiak flavoured licorice ropes. I love the stuff. Might see if I can order some for after Armageddon…. And though the site doesn’t have shopping available atm they do ship to NZ so yay! I think it may be their “salted” licorice…

BTW big gun is big and as awkward to handle as it looks. And you can see a wee bit of the foam interior support. I had to cut it there to fit in my suitcase. And hey, it survived all that travel 🙂

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ilikecomicstoo:

Cosplay, Creeps and You, Part 2: Electric Boogaloo.

So, was that creep really a creep? I tracked down one of the very cosplayers who appeared in my video to find out. Rian, AKA the femme!Loki to whom Greg joked about having an erection in his pocket, was kind enough to answer some of my questions and shed light on the issue. Highlights:

  • Greg did not know her and she did not know him. In fact, she’d never even heard of him and was surprised to find he was so popular online later on.
  • Greg did not ask her age before the interview and did not get explicit permission to post the footage.
  • Rian was not aware her interview would be a “joke” or include sexual themes.
  • Greg did ask her a number of appropriate questions in the beginning but ended up cutting out all of that footage, including the parts where she displayed more obvious signs of discomfort. The magic of editing!
  • Rian wasn’t even wearing a particularly revealing costume. She donned the equivalent of a shirt (with shoulders covered!) and shorts. How that was “asking for it” is beyond me.

Read the full interview + more information on why being vocal is important + tips on how to stay safe at conventions here!

Above: Kassem G., another notorious cosplay creep.

Okay, so I have had my share of near inappropriate comments and slightly uncomfortable interviews- these bait and switch tactics are common in mainstream media let alone niche/subcultures. But cosplayers if anything like this happens at Armageddon please let me know. As cosplay has become more accepted and indeed expected there will be more potential for this sort of thing. 

G'day, I don't know if your planning on doing a write-up of your experience at Armageddon but can I ask what you though of the showgrounds as a venue compared Jeff's Shed?

brentkeane:

I’ve never been entirely satisfied with the MCEC as a con venue; yes, it’s a short walk to/from Southern Cross for mine, but when it gets busy, it quickly becomes cramped and difficult to move around. This was well-and-truly brought home by the fustercluck that was the first Melbourne Oz Comic-Con; you legit could not move, and it was best just to find a spot & wait it out until the crowds thinned. Melgeddon from 2010 to ‘12 was never as bad, but it had its moments. (Also, for some odd reason, the ‘11 & ‘12 expos coincided with a parenting expo, and 2011 also saw – of all things – a Telstra AGM take place at the venue.) So when the venue change was announced, I was kinda relieved; no more boxed-in feeling!

It also helps that, given Supanova is usually held that the Showgrounds, regular con-goers would know where the amenities et al were. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to find a power point quickly & easily when I needed to charge my phone! On the whole, there’s more space, and even though it got crowded at points, you could duck out easily enough. It was nice just to be able to relax, breathe, and let the experience wash over you. So yeah, definitely a much improved experience compared to previous years.

Always glad when a change in the show is for the better 🙂 For me it wasn’t so great as there was no where to really relax comfortably but my main concern is for the cosplayers and attendees who have different needs 😉

In general I got feedback as well that the venue was good for those on the attending side 🙂