Well, my first week as training instructor went pretty well. All three of my students passed their first (of two) tests — so I must be doing something right! Also, on Friday I was reviewed by Jeff, one of the managers in the office, and he gave me an excellent score!

In other news, I received a package from New Zealand earlier this week — a small cardboard tube, which included 19 new miniatures from the Earthdawn line we’re putting out. They look pretty good, and I may post some pictures in the next few days.

I have my fingers crossed that we’ll soon be a go on the printed books front. We’re still having some problems with the hardcovers (it turns out Lulu uses the same binder for hardcovers that Booksurge does… so we aren’t really avoiding any problems by changing who we go through), so those may be delayed for a while longer.

However, I am expecting proof drafts for the softcover editions of both the Player’s and Gamemaster’s Compendia, and those (according to what Jim has told me about the copies he received), should be fine.

As soon as I hear more, I’ll let you all know. I imagine many of you are waiting with bated breath (which is better than baited breath, because then your mouth smells like fish *grin*). Anyhow, that about does it for this round. I’m enjoying my first real weekend off in who-knows-how-long, and I have another one next weekend!

I’ll try not to let it go to my head.

For those that are unaware, I work for Verizon, in the directory assistance field. I’m a supervisor, which means that from time to time I have the opportunity to teach the initial training class for new hires.

I had my first class today. It was mildly nerve-wracking, but also a bit exciting. Training is something that I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years now, and it’s nice to finally have that opportunity.

I only have a couple of complaints, and really they’re kind of minor. First off, I have to spend a lot more time on my feet than I’m used to. As you can imagine, my job usually involves sitting at a computer terminal for several hours, and I’m a little bit out of shape. During the class I have to walk around and check to see that the students are learning the procedures carefully, and keying information in properly.

The other aspect that’s not so great is the training room is kind of small, stuffy, and at this time of year, hot. I went through my bottle of water much faster than I normally do — in fact, I had to refill it during our final break and I still ended up draining it.

Even with these (relatively minor) discomforts, I’ve got a good group of trainees, and I expect all three of them to make it through the 2-week program.

PS — Over at the right there you’ll see a countdown timer to Snakes on a Plane, a film coming out in August that has already attained cult status. I apologize for the occasional hissing sound that comes out of it (intrusive audio banners are annoying, I agree) — but it’s the only banner avaialble right now that fits my site design.

If you aren’t familiar with the story arond this film, do a quick search on Google and read the relevant articles. I’m not going to belabor the point here, but in brief, It’s a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson about snakes on a mother-f$&@ing plane! Do I really need to say anything else?

I used to be a big fan of TechTV — especially The Screen Savers, with Leo LaPorte, Sarah Lane, and so forth. When the show got canceled (along with several other quality shows) in the wake of the G4 merger, my interest in the network waned — the only thing of interest left was X-Play. But I have since done away with cable ($80 a month for something I only used a couple of hours a week… a little steep, if you ask me), so I’m not even watching that now.

Anyway. Many of the people on the shows kept blogs, and I’ve kind of kept up with the doings in their life. I recently learned that Sarah Lane and Brendan Moran got married, and are planning a year-long trip around the world. They will be producing a podcast video travel diary, and the first couple of episodes are up on the feed.

It’s really good. Both of these guys were great talents when the were on TechTV, and they are obvioulsy using those abilities to make an entertaining show.

I recommend checking it out… head on over to brendanandsarah.com, the home of their little production, with links to their travel blogs and the podcast in question.

With a score of just over 65%…

Two things this time around. First is a quick word that my in-character Vampire podcast, The More Things Change has had an update.

The other thing — I finally finished reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell this past week. I say “finally” because it took me a long while to get through it.

I liked it, but it was long (800+ pages), the pacing was slow, and I couldn’t read more than a chapter or two at a time. Still, it does a very good job at evoking the tone and sensibility of 19th Century literature. I don’t know that I can actually recommend it, but if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual connect-the-plot mass-media best seller… you might find it interesting.

I haven’t been reading as much as I would like, in part because I’m so backlogged on the podcasts that I listen to (not to mention my editorial and development work on Earthdawn. Right now my list of ‘books to read’ includes the following (in no particular order):

• Cell by Stephen King
• Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton
• Carthians from White Wolf (for Vampire: The Masquerade)
• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• The Sandman Papers
• Abrarat by Clive Barker
• A Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K. Hamilton

And that’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure if I pored over the bookshelves in our house I’d find another dozen or so books I’m interested in.

Ah well. Nobody ever said the life of a literary geek was an easy one.

I know I said this would be a series, but I haven’t added anything to it since the initial entry way back in January.

Anyhow, I thought I would actually try and make this a series by adding another chapter in the saga of brainlessness.

You know how sometimes somebody will do something that makes you want to grab them by the shirt-collar, smack them across the face sometimes, and ask them if they’re totally mental?

Well, one of the guys I work with pulled something like that not too long ago. His girlfriend, who also works in the offise, is several months pregnant — due sometime in late June, I think.

Anyhow, this shining example of human intellect and compassion made a less-than-brilliant comment. He expressed concern that she would have trouble losing the extra weight after having the baby, because he “didn’t want a fat girlfriend.”

Hubba-wha?

I’m sure it took a great deal of restraint on the part of the other women in the office to keep from stringing him up by his man-parts.

I have succumbed to the dark side… I have both a LiveJournal and MySpace account.

The main reason for this is beacuse I have several friends who use one (or the other), and I like to keep up with what’s going on with them. I will occasionally cross-post entries from here into my “lesser” blog accounts… but this will be the main place to come for news, info, commentary, etc.

Anyhow, if you’re interested in adding me to your appropriate friend list, feel free to add me.

Here’s a link to my MySpace priofile.

And here’s my LiveJournal.

There is a bill before Congress (being voted on next week) that threatens the ability of average users to access and post content on the internet. Everything we do online will be hurt if this law passes, giving the telecommunications companies more control over the flow of traffic on the Internet.

Providers like AT&T are lobbying hard to gut Network Neutrality — the key to Internet freedom. Right now, the big providers can’t choose which websites open most easily. If they get their way, they can start doing just that.

If Net Neutrality is gutted, many sites — including Google, eBay, and iTunes — would either have to pay “protection money” or risk having their websites process more slowly on your computer. That’s why these high-tech pioneers, plus diverse groups ranging from MoveOn to Gun Owners of America, are opposing the effort to gut Internet freedom.

You can do your part by signing this petition and telling your member of Congress to preserve Internet freedom.

Click here.

The petiton will be delivered to the House of Representatives next week, prior to the vote.

It has been quite a while, but the anime-flavored adventure comic “Blade Kitten” has returned. The artist/writer “Space Captain” Steve hasw posted the first two pages of a new storyline, and says in his most recent newspost that a third is nearly done.

I enjoyed what I read of this comic before, and it’s good to see it back. Head on over, check the archives, and get caught up!

Blade Kitten

A recently resuscitated thread over on RPG net contains a number of pictures of people’s game collections. Since I got a digital camera this past Christmas, and since I haven’t posted anything here in a while (I’ve been slacking, I know), I thought I would share my pics with you (in addition to posting them on RPG.net).

So, here’s a collage of the pics from the bookshelf in my office, arranged more-or-less as they are there. Each image links to a larger version of the same picture.

Starting from the top, and then working down each side of the shelves (top to bottom, then left to right), here’s what each shelf (generally) contains:

• Top: Other miscellaneous boxed sets and games.
• Shelf 1: Old WoD, Aeon/Trinity, Paranoia 5th, Star Wars d6, Castle Falkenstein, the Player’s Guide to Aegis (Conspiracy X), Babylon Project
• Shelf 2: Deadlands & Hell on Earth, Brave New World, Unknown Armies 1st Ed, Playtest copy of ZAON, Over the Edge, Older Ars Magica, Alternity GM’s guide, GURPS & SJ Games.
• Shelf 3: Nobilis, TORG, CoC & Delta Green, Blue Planet 1st Ed, 7th Sea, Deep Space 9, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, Chronopia, and other misc stuff.
• Shelf 4: 1st & 2nd Edition AD&D (some of it on another shelf…)
• Shelf 5:Earthdawn (1st & 2nd), D&D 3rd and other d20 books
• Shelf 6: Shadowrun (1st-3rd Ed.)
• Shelf 7: “Basic” Dungeons & Dragons, more d20 books
• Shelf 8: Boxed sets

From there we move to the shelf downstairs, which has ‘overflow’ (mostly from recent purchases), or books that I am currently using (so I don’t have to run upstairs to grab them).

This shelf has Blue Planet 2nd, Exalted, Ars Magica 5th, Paranoia XP, Ars Magica 5th, Unknown Armies 2nd, Shadowrun 4 (in ring binder), AD&D 2nd core books, new World of Darkness, Mind’s Eye Theatre.

One or two ED books are squeezed in there as well. The ring binder cut off at the bottom is a draft copy of the forthcoming Earthdawn Player’s Compendium (the one we showed off at Origins last year). You can also see a pile of print-outs on the left that I was using as editorial mark-ups.

Finally, the stack on my ‘desk’ in the dining room — stuff I have recently referenced, but not bothered to put away yet.

The titles on these should be obvious. The spiral book at the bottom is the draft copy of the Earthdawn Gamemaster’s Compendium (from last year’s Origins as well).

That’s all for now. I should have more news later.