#but no it's still owned and operated by local film nerds

[symbologic]

watched The Fellowship of the Ring at siff cinema with @brovado on a whim monday, figuring we'd see only the first movie 'cause money

......but then we ended up watching The Two Towers as a valentine's treat, and now we're seeing The Return of the King tonight sjdkflsf

[demonweasel]

GRIM REEFER: A Marijuana-fueled Horror/Comedy Comic Launches on Kickstarter!

What happens when a violent career criminal is gunned down and a crop of marijuana is grown on the spot where he died? You get weed that's infused with his revenge-crazed spirit that possesses anyone who smokes it so he can use their body to get revenge on the people he thinks have wronged him!

BACK US ON KICKSTARTER!

GRIM REEFER is a four-issue, mature-readers, horror/comedy series launching on Kickstarter August 14th, and in the same vein as classic 80's slasher films and with a dash of the "Just Say No!" panic that was prevalent at the time as well (despite being set in modern-day North Dakota). The Kickstarter is looking to fund the production of the first issue and hopefully build an audience for (or fund via stretch goals) the remaining three issues. The series focuses on Marty, a down on his luck Native American 20-something, who is coerced by his scumbag second cousin Grant (who is overly proud of his 1/8th Lakota heritage) to be his wheelman for a "simple robbery." When things get violently out of hand and people start dying, Marty makes his escape. Left on his own, Grant has a bloody stand-off with the cops in an abandoned barn that ends with him being killed in a hail of gunfire. In the aftermath, an opportunistic associate of a drug dealer realizes this could be a good place to expand his weed growing operation. What he doesn't realize is that Grant's spirit is tied to the ground he died on and the marijuana grown there is infused with his spirit. When anyone smokes this "haunted hashish" they become possessed by Grant, who uses their body to try to exact murderous revenge on Marty and the cops that killed him, including the local Sherriff Stan Munroe and his chief deputy (and a constant thorn in Marty's side), Larissa Montez. "This is an idea that's been knocking around in my head for years," says writer and letterer Thacher Cleveland. "While marijuana legalization is becoming more common, there are still plenty of places and situations where using or possessing it can be considered a crime. What we're doing with this series is amping up the ridiculousness a bit by making a generally harmless drug into the kind of thing that incites violence and mayhem that it's been portrayed as in pulp novels and cult movies like 'Reefer Madness.'" Art on the series is by Claudio Munoz, with color art by Kote Carvajal. Click the button below for a link to the campaign's Kickstarter page. Join Us On Kickstarter! Here's a preview of the first five pages of GRIM REEFER:

The Team

Thacher E. Cleveland grew up in New Jersey and upstate New York and has lived in Ohio, Chicago, and currently resides in Tennessee with his girlfriend, several cats, a timid rescue greyhound, and a rambunctious whippet puppy. He writes a lot of things like novels (SHADOW OF THE PAST), short stories (The Winston and Churchill urban fantasy series), and comics (MYTHPOCALYPSE, MONSTROLOGY, BOOK OF DRAGONS). He is also an actor who has appeared in several plays as well as a comic book letterer and graphic designer. He is very tired. You can find him online at www.demonweasel.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr (@demonweasel), if you're into that kind of thing.

Claudio Munoz is a Chilean artist comic with more than 12 years of experience in the industry. In Chile, he has published many titles like Papelucho, Dr. Mortis, Zombies in the Government Palace, etc.  He has also worked with different editorials press like  Norma Chile, Grupo Santillana, Copesa, ArcanoIV, Mytica, Tabula Rasa, Ariete, etc. In the USA he has published different projects for small presses and anthologies like Alterna Comics, Dance Panda Comics, Ginger Rabbits Studio, Monster Creations, etc.

Kóte Carvajal has been a professional comic book colorist since 2008. His projects include work for IDW Publishing, Alterna Comics, Beyond Reality Media, The 4th Monkey Anthology, and Fantasmagoría. Besides his gifted eye for coloring, Kóte has written/published six graphic novels in Chile (Corazón Nerd, El Cardenal, Príncipe Yu among others). In addition to Salty Roos, Kóte is currently writing and coloring an all-ages sport graphic novel with more than 100 pages. He lives with his lovely wife, three bunnies, and a bird in Santiago, Chile.

[crows-murder]

Theater nerd Bozer

I wanna make headcanons about MacGyver so I will.

Wilt Bozer was a smart kid. He was in all Pre-AP and AP classes in both middle and high school. Sure, he wasn’t Mac smart, but he was a studious kid who did his homework and was naturally gifted in math and science.

He was in fifth grade when he developed an interest for the performing arts after going to New York City during the summer and going to Broadway.

In sixth grade he chose theater as his elective (IDK how Mission City worked, so I based it off of my school sue me).

And he loved every minute of it (except that one time he got props crew).

He liked the acting enough, but much preferred operating behind the scenes (especially as costume or make-up crew)

He loved doing research on the time period and looking for costumes for the time period and assembling them, buying fabrics and sewing it together, or browsing through costume stores and antique shops. He loved styling wigs for some characters, or applying stage make-up to make the actors look older in some cases.

He loved readjusting the costumes during dress rehearsals, resizing, fixing the seams, adjusting parts, adding accessories to the outfit.

He also loved being in crew because his mom would always give him make-up tips and help him out with the sewing of the costumes and his dad would help him buy the needed fabrics. It was a type of family activity in its own way.

In 8th grade, Bozer got cast as the Beast in the production of Beauty and the Beast Jr. (it was his first and only lead role).

It was actually his first kiss.

His first kiss was Belle, and it took both of them a while to do it without blushing and burst into nervous giggles.

It also turned out that Belle (played by an 8th grader named Maggie) became his first girlfriend.

They lasted three months, but Bozer had liked dating her and she was nice enough that they stayed friends until graduation.

Mac, of course, was clueless when it came to theater. But that never deterred him. He came to every single one of Bozer’s rehearsals and every single performance (even that one time he had a bad case of the flu and got a lot of people sick afterwards).

Mac will be damned if he won’t be there to support his best (and only) friend.

Bozer’s second elective (that he got to choose in 8th grade), of course, was home ec (his dad was an amazing cook and Bozer wanted to be able to cook just like him, too).

Another reason (that he still adamantly denies to this day) is that he just wanted to bake his friend a birthday cake. He knew Mac’s history with his birthday-- hell, he’d been there two years ago when his old man left for good-- but he refused to not celebrate his friend’s birthday. He was stubborn that way (he blames Mac for that).

For the past two years, Bozer would drag Mac (literally) to the local bakery and buy two cupcakes with his limited allowance and ask for a candle and that was how they celebrated Mac’s birthday. This year, Bozer was going to change things up.

Of course, that year, Mac’s birthday fell on the opening night of their production, but Bozer refused not to bake the cake. His parents had tried to discourage him, but they finally gave up and let Bozer stay up late to finish his best friend’s cake (secretly they were proud of their son and knew how much Mac meant to him-- just as much as Josh had meant to him).

After the performance, Bozer turned down the celebratory waffles at IHOP (a tradition), since he could still go after the next two performances, and instead dragged Mac back to his house where Bozer and his parents had decided to set up a birthday dinner for him.

When Bozer came out of the kitchen with the cake (chocolate, Mac’s favorite, sloppily iced with purple buttercream icing and ‘happy birthday Mac!’ in shaky writing), Mac broke down, understanding what Bozer had done.

Bozer of course, starts freaking out thinking he did something wrong (he didn’t, Mac was just really touched).

They all enjoy the rest of the night and Mac’s twelfth birthday (he skipped two grades) is the best one he’s had since his dad left (Bozer hates James MacGyver a little more because of this).

So Bozer keeps doing theater and home ec all through high school, and joins the film club at the high shool and even the science club for Mac because the poor kid shows up to every rehearsal and performance and Bozer wants to thank him and his big heart.

He usually stayed in crew roles except for one or two minor roles and that time he got props crew in 10th grade 

He hasn’t hated a role as much as he had hated props crew. 

“These actors have NO RESPECT-- ZERO RESPECT-- FOR THEIR DUMB PROPS”

Mac can be heard laughing in the distance.

Bozer, of course, absolutely adored musicals. His favorite has been West Side Story since forever. He loves it as much as Jack loves his Bruce Willis movies, but Bozer’s obsession is more of a guilty pleasure.

Mac now HATES this musical.

For years, Bozer has made him suffer through the songs thousands of times and made him watch the movie at every single one of their sleepovers (Mac can actually recite the story by heart at this point).

Okay, he doesn’t really hate it.

He just tells Bozer that.

But when Bozer has a rough day at work, or just has an off day where he’s sick or just not feeling up to doing anything, Mac clears his schedule and it’s pizza and West Side Story because he knows it’ll cheer Bozer up immediately.

(It does)

All through middle school Bozer dreamt of creating costumes and doing make-up for Broadway musicals.

In high school, he got into making prosthetics more and more and wanted to make movies for a living (while still making the costumes of course).

Just

Bozer as a theater nerd who was also amazing at cooking (because Mac was never going to be)

It’s a thing okay?

Film school AND acting classes?

Passion’s gotta start somwhere.

And that somewhere is school.

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

A Different Time pt5

Warning: Scientific nerdy Ninja

Masterlist

---

Chapter 5 - Taking the Field

As we ate in a local tea house I found I couldn’t shake Yukimura’s parting words from my mind. Each time I tried, I noticed something about her that brought them right back up again like an oil slick on water.

“…So, what do you think?” [Name]’s voice broke my reverie.

“Mmhmm?” Did I miss something? Of course, you missed something Sasuke you weren’t even listening.

“You weren’t listening, were you? You might want to watch that someone might try taking advantage of you.” As she smiled at me I had the notion that I have never felt so easy to read in my life.

“I’m sorry I was just thinking about how long it would take for help to arrive.” I was lying. Whilst that had of course been a minor part in my mind the rest seemed to be filled with thoughts of [Name].

“I was saying I might need to do a bit of training before the storming of the keep.” She repeated her words as she ate the last of her rice.

“Very Tolkienesque.” I replied as I took a drink. The tea was hotter than I thought but I forced it down all the same.

“Hehe thank you. So how about you?” She asked picking up her own cup.

“Well I am nowhere near your level in the ninja arts. I do feel I would need to train a lot before I could even think about training with someone close to your ability.” I wasn’t lying. I had only really been in this era for a little short of four years. I had trained every day until I was told I was proficient enough to not get myself killed and then sent out for on the job experience. I pushed hard to gain more knowledge and skill but compared to a seasoned professional there was no way I was close to them. Although I had pride in my speed… but I suspect that is something to do with being a nerd and having to run fast as a matter of survival.

“You seriously just called it “ninja arts”. What kind of nerd are you?” [Name] smiled from behind her cup looking at me with sparkling eyes. Tiny lines crinkling the corners of them from her smile.

“The not dead kind.” I deadpanned.

“HAHA well I’ll concede and give you that one. Personally, I always found learning easier with a hands-on approach to education. If you like to join me I won’t judge you, you’re not a bad as you think you are.”

Error: Sasuke operating system failure. She not only complimented me but the possible connotations of the ‘hands on approach to education’ alongside the thoughts I was already having after Yukimura’s parting was doing nothing to alleviate my rapidly increasing body temperature or accelerated heart rate. I wonder if I ate a bad bit of fish. Although I would have to admit that now my overactive imagination and basic laws of attraction have a much higher likely hood of being the culprit in this case.

---

After paying the bill we left the teahouse and returned to her camp in the trees. I looked around out of habit and realised that if you had not been aware of its existence you might not have been able to find the camp site in the first place. Nothing looked anything other than natural, [Name] had even covered her firepit with vegetation from the surrounding area.

The sun had dipped lower in the sky by the time I noticed it. We had gone through our drills for timing, balance and attack. Our make shift targets were full of holes from our Kunai and Shuriken. It was when I was timing my climbing and practicing swinging my weight from branch to branch that it happened.

[Name] had excused herself to go fetch some fresh water and when she returned I noticed she was soaking wet. Her skin glistened and her hair was a darker shade dripping at its ends. Her kimono was clinging to her figure swaying as she walked in to the clearing. I could feel my hands start to get clammy and before I knew it I had slipped from my grip and fallen backwards, I shifted my feet and somehow managed to gain a purchase strong enough to keep me from falling further, this did however leave me hanging upside down in a less than dignified position. Oh, please God no… please say she didn’t see that. While I was calculating my odds at having successfully managing to avoid the fall I nearly jumped after I adjusted my glasses and realised I was nearly nose to nose with [Name].

“Well hello there Sasuke bat.” She laughed and as her face lit up I felt something inside me pulling me forward. It was illogical and unscientific. It was a feeling that seemed to come from no where and emulated all those anime, manga, comics and films I had seen. Her eyes were sparkling and when she stopped laughing all that was left was a rich warm smile on her face. Leaning forward with one hand on her cheek, I felt the softness of her lips on mine. The gentle heat of her flowing into my body. I’m kissing her, aren’t I? Pulling back, I steadied my breathing.

“That was no where near as easy or romantic as I had hoped.” My words made her smile even more.

“These things never are. I got water so we should probably have a drink and head back. Need help getting down?” [Name] inclined her upper body and tilted her head so she was looking at me upside down.

“It’s ok I can get down.” After I said this I pulled myself up bending in my centre and gripped the branch with my hands before dropping silently to the ground the correct way up.

---

We had a drink then she changed into some dry clothes before we returned to the Inn as it was getting dark. I managed to convince the owner that [Name] was only a friend and a respectable traveller avoiding for the most part a lot of unnecessary gossiping and the very possible out come of being thrown out of the establishment for ‘bringing it into disrepute’.

[Name] was given Yukimura’s room that was next to mine which allowed us to eat our evening meal together and talk without disturbing the rest of the household. It was strange and comforting to be alone like this but I was aware that my hands were still clammy and my heart was still racing. She had not mentioned anything further after my improvised movie hero moment and I was curious. Did she like it? Did I cross a line? How does she feel about me? I was more than aware I should have ascertained those answers before I had done anything like that at all.

“So… about earlier.” She spoke quietly. Suppressing an internal cringe that threatened to take over my body as the whirlpool of emotions ranging from guilt to panic surged forward. This feels like high school prom all over again. Asking a girl out took a lot more courage than the other guys in the class had made it look like it did. And that was only half the battle.

“I’m Sorry” “I liked it.” Our Voices over lapped and I looked at her in bewilderment as what she just said sunk in. Huh?

“There isn’t any need for you to apologise Sasuke. I didn’t hate it or you. You are a good guy.” [Name] averted her eyes a soft faltering smile gracing her face.

“I have a feeling that there is a Dear John coming.” I muttered half under my breath and in the quite room it seemed nearly as loud as it would have been had I yelled it from a rooftop. Her face contorted and looked like she was recoiling from an invisible hand slapping her across her face. The emotions I felt earlier pooled heavy in my chest making it difficult to breath but seeing her struggling in front of me I tried my best to ignore it and place a strained smile on my face. It was difficult I knew I couldn’t smile properly and I hoped I had made a passable one for her sake.

“It’s… It’s not really a ‘Dear John’.” She raised her face to meet my gaze and the soft brown pools reflected me completely. She wasn’t looking at anything but me in that moment I felt like the single most lucky guy in all the world but also completely aware that that world was about to hand me something that would change it forever. “I’m not someone that has ever be comfortable with a one night… thing. I have no idea what will happen in the near future and I…”

“It’s ok I don’t like them either.” I somehow managed to keep my voice level even with my body feeling like it was about to fall apart. She seemed to sense how I felt and gave a pained smile as she reached to take my hand. I nearly pulled it back but part of me wished to touch her and be close to her in any way it could. My own personal torture.

“I like you Sasuke please believe me when I say that. But I don’t think it would be fair to you to be with someone like me.” She appealed in earnest.

“Someone like you?” I repeated her statement as a question she nodded.

“While I cannot deny that I am certainly attracted to you I think ultimately you would be happier with another. I’m truly sorry.” [Name] bowed before me. Was she right? I have no desire to push myself on someone who is not interested. By her own admission she is and yet she has also declined the chance to take the field. The only gentlemanly thing to do would be to back off.

“It’s ok. I like you too. I guess I already managed to make that painfully obvious.” I shrugged trying to relieve some of the awkwardness of the situation. “I will not press the matter further.”

“Sasuke…” [Name]’s voice trembled. I stood from my position from where we had been eating moving to the sliding doors.

“Good Night [Name]” I bowed low enough for me not to have to see her face. I could hear from her breathing that she was on the verge of tears and like a coward fleeing I left her room entering my own at a brisk pace and once my doors firmly closed I slid down the wall and allowed myself the painful release of that trapped whirlpool inside.

---

Time passed in the solitude of moonlight, along with several bottles of sake. I had seen how the great men around me had self-medicated to deal with the phantoms they wrestled with at night. I was not arrogant enough to think myself a great man but I could not deny that I saw the emotional benefit in seeking out such a thing even if I knew it to be scientifically impossible that alcohol could erase how I felt.

It was around the end of the third bottle of strong sake that I felt myself become woozy and my mind became clearer for a brief moment. I didn’t feel the pain of a love unrequited. I didn’t feel the hurt of rejection. I found an agreeable clarity. It wasn’t that they didn’t like me, we might not become anything more than what we are right now but was that really such a terrible thing? I slipped into slumber at peace.

---

It was raining. It started off light and quickly became a torrential down pour. I was standing in front of the stone monument at Honno-ji. The air was electric and there she was. That girl I saw that night of the time slip looking up at the sky before turning her eyes to mine. I remembered. I remembered every detail of her face as if it was imprinted on my mind. Why would I see her right now at a time like this?

The Lighting cracked loud as I remembered and rent the stone in two in front of us.

“Be careful, Miss –” I held out my hand towards her, the look of confusion on her face. The world around me twisted as it turned into the warped distorted lines of the wormhole and everything was lost.

---

[classicmoviesetc1]

Best Classic Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

Outer space. Inner space. New worlds. Tech frontiers. Artificial intelligence. The best science-fiction movies take us to places beyond our own imagination, dreaming up impossible futures that inevitably go on to shape our own technological advances. We fully expect our science fiction to transport us to far-off places, to unimaginable alien vistas populated by things beyond our wildest dreams.

Science fiction isn’t just for nerds anymore. In truth, it never really was. The best sci-fi films do what any good movie should do, and that’s tell us something about ourselves and the world around us. The only difference is that it might invent an entirely different world to do so. Sure, there may also be some convoluted time-travel involved, or fantastical technology, or odd creatures that are either benevolent or mean as hell.

As you’ll see below, that leaves plenty of great films. As we go about our lives with appliances more powerful than the super computers of a few decades ago, take a few hours here and there to check out some of these you haven’t seen and to revisit some you have. Chuckle at those futuristic visions that now seem all too quaint, marvel at those that still blow your mind, and perhaps squirm uncomfortably as you watch those that strike a bit too close to home.

 Tomorrow’s War 2021 Dvd

Actors: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin

Format: Dvd, Remastered

Language: English, 5.1 Surround Sound

Run Time: 138mins

Region: Region-Free Playable Worldwide

Extras: None

Plot: The world is stunned when a group of time travellers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: thirty years in the future, mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species.

 Project Power 2020 Dvd

Actors: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Rodrigo Santoro

Format: Dvd

Language: English, 5.1 Surround Sound

Run Time: 113mins

Region: Region-Free Playable Worldwide

Extras: None

Plot: A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary, unpredictable superpowers.

 Infinite

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Cookson, Dylan O’Brien

Format: Dvd, Remastered

Language: English, 5.1 Surround Sound

Run Time: 106mins

Region: Region-Free Playable Worldwide

Extras: None

Plot: Haunted by memories of places he’s never visited, a man joins forces with a group of reborn warriors to stop a madman from destroying the endless cycle of life and reincarnation.

 Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)

Actors: Giancarlo Giannini · Inspector Tellini ; Claudine Auger · Laura ; Barbara Bouchet · Maria Zani ; Rossella Falk · Franca Valentino ; Silvano Tranquilli.

Format: Dvd, Remastered

Language: English, 5.1 Surround Sound

Run Time: 89mins

Region: Region-Free Playable Worldwide

Extras: None

Plot: An Italian detective (Giancarlo Giannini) hunts a health-spa killer who uses a knife dipped in venom.

 The Reptile

Actors: Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett

Format: Dvd, Digital Remastered

Language: English, Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: 1hr 30mins

Region: All Regions-Playable Worldwide

Extras: Original Theatrical Trailer

Plot: In a Cornish village, various locals die from mysterious snake bites, but the coroner rules the deaths as heart attacks, until a family of newcomers starts an investigation.

 Nightwish

Actors: Brian Thompson, Jack Starrett, Elizabeth Kaitan

Format: Dvd

Language: English, Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: 1hr 36mins

Region: All Regions-Playable Worldwide

Extras: None

Plot: A professor and four graduate students journey to a crumbling mansion to investigate paranormal activity and must battle ghosts, aliens and satanic entities.

 The Android Affair

Actors: Harley Jane Kozak, Griffin Dunne, Ossie Davis

Format: Dvd

Language: English, Dolby Digital

Run Time: 1hr 30min

Region: All Regions

Extras: None

Plot: Karen Garrett, a promising young doctor, is assigned to perform a difficult operation on Teach, an advanced android who has never “blanked” (had his memory erased.) She soon realizes that Teach is much more than an assignment, and is drawn to his desire for a very human life. When Karen takes Teach into the outside world, they soon discover that there is something far more mysterious and dangerous than a medical experiment planned for them.

 The Machine (a.k.a La Machine)

Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, Didier Bourdon

Format: Dvd, Remastered

Language: French with English Subtitles, Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: 1hr 36min

Region: All Regions

Extras: None

Plot: Marc Lacroix is a psychiatrist, a student of the brain, with a rocky marriage, a mistress, and a ten-year-old son. He also has a secret laboratory where he’s built a machine he thinks will allow him to penetrate the mind of any person hooked up to the machine with him. He tests it with Zyto, a psychopath who has killed three women. The machine fails and exchanges the men’s brains. Zyto passes himself off as Marc, and Marc (now in Zyto’s body) escapes from the asylum to the flat of his mistress. She tries to warn Marc’s wife, exposing herself to Zyto. All are now in grave danger. Can Lacroix find a way to get Zyto back to the machine before irreversible damage is done?

 Hands of Steel DVD

Actors: Daniel Greene, Janet Agren, Claudio Cassinelli

Format: Dvd

Language: English, Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: 1hr 34min

Region: Playable All Regions

Extras: None

Plot: A cyborg is programmed to kill a scientist who holds the fate of mankind in his hands. He fails and hides in a diner in a desert run by a woman who likes him. The people who sent him are after him and so is the local arm wrestling champ.

 Time Runner DVD

Actors: Mark Hamill, Rae Dawn Chong, Brion James

Format: DVD

Language: English, Dolby Digital 5.1

Run Time: 90 Mins

Region: All Regions

Extras: None

Plot: Finding itself invaded by a superior alien force in the year 2022, humanity’s last hope lies with fighter pilot Michael Raynor who is hurled through a time warp back to the year 1992. Relentlessly hounded by a ruthless agent belonging to a super-secret government organization, Raynor learns he can affect the future and, with the help of scientist Karen McDonald, attempts to alert authorities to the upcoming alien threat.

The science fiction movies of the old decades might lack the computer graphics element but have the best story lines to give you chills. The vintage horror genre is something different that the new movies cannot match. The optimum utilization of available resources and the sheer talent of the entire team members made these movies a great hit at the box office.

The Hollywood horror classics DVD collection will be the best choice for a movie marathon. Find out how science fiction movies were made back in those days. Discover the elegance of every scene and indulge in collecting these masterpieces as lifetime assets.

[historyisgaypodcast]

Episode 5: Stars from a Bi-Gone Era

In this very special episode, hosts Leigh & Gretchen travel to the red carpet and the silver screen to hear stories about queer actors from the golden age of Hollywood. Along for the ride is a room full of queer women who came to listen to the podcast being recorded live at TGIFemslash, a convention dedicated to the queer ladies of media, the ladies who love them, and the fans who love them. Join us and a room full of big gay nerds as we discuss the early years of film and the sexploits of the rich and famous! Who was gay for pay? Who was Hollywood’s favorite lesbian? Who wore violets on the crotch of her dress to advertise her queerness? Tune in to find out, plus listen to our friends at TGIFemslash discuss their favorite queermos from history!

 Special Shoutout

Special thanks are due to Beth Hommel, our friend and fellow attendee of TGIFemslash. Beth generously offered to help us out by designing and ordering T-shirt samples that we both wore and sold at TGIFemslash. She's an amazing and gifted designer of nerdy queer swag, so check out her store on Etsy: Glorious Wierdo! 

And that means...we're going to have merch soon! Stay tuned for details about pins, magnets, shirts and more from your local big gay nerds at History is Gay podcast!

Our Cast of Stars for Silver Screen Sexploits

As people were coming into the room for our panel at TGIFemslash we had them play a game called "Silver Screen Sexploits." We had images of ten silver screen actors up on the wall; people were each given the same set of ten facts about these actors and asked to guess which fact went with which actor. Below are the actors, the facts, and some fun stats about the guesses people made!

Clark Gable

The Fact:

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."

Number of correct guesses: 2

Fact most frequently assigned to them:

"A quintessential sex symbol, this actor had strong preferences for partners of the same gender and is rumored to have had affairs with two of the actors on this list. Claimed one of their partners “had a gigantic orgasm and shrieked like a maniac” but then turned spiteful when the actor turned them down after being asked for another round."---6 guesses

Cary Grant

The Fact: 

“Married 5 times and had 1 daughter. Lived with a fellow actor for 12 years and then with a different actor later in life. Prior to becoming famous, dated a fashion designer on and off for 9 years.”

Number of correct guesses: 1

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

“One lover described sex with them as ‘pleasant, unhurried, gentle. There was what I can only refer to as a kind of refinement about it. It was erotic, tantalizing, fulfilling. High class stuff all the way.’”---5 guesses

Marlene Dietrich

The Fact:

“Came of age in post-war Berlin where the LGBT culture thrived and came to the US with a more open view of sexuality. At the premiere of a film, this actor walked on stage with a bunch of violets pinned to their crotch, a symbol of homosexuality in Germany. Was married but had several passionate gay affairs, one with another actor on this list!”

Number of correct guesses: 17

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!  In fact, everyone who played got her right!

Greta Garbo

The Fact: 

“For a time in the 1920s, they lived openly with a partner of a different gender; later, they conducted their relationship with a playwright and poet of the same gender with similar directness and lack of pretense. The poet was a ‘best friend’ and lived with this actor for 30 years. Called their love affairs with same gender partners ‘exciting secrets.’”

Number of correct guesses: 6

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Katharine Hepburn

The Fact: 

“25 year relationship with differently gendered acting co-star was more about friendship than romance or sex, and their public relationship was likely a publicity stunt by studios as both of them were gay. Was allegedly set up by known Hollywood pimp Scotty Bowers with 150 sexual partners of the same gender. Had a particular attraction for one partner, whom they saw off and on for 49 years.”

Number of correct guesses: 8

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Marilyn Monroe

The Fact:

“A quintessential sex symbol, this actor had strong preferences for partners of the same gender and is rumored to have had affairs with two of the actors on this list. Claimed one of their partners “had a gigantic orgasm and shrieked like a maniac” but then turned spiteful when the actor turned them down after being asked for another round.”

Number of correct guesses: 7

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Marlon Brando

The Fact: 

“Had multiple affairs with famous actors in Hollywood and once told a French journalist, ‘Homosexuality is so much in fashion, it no longer makes news. Like a large number of [actors], I, too, have had homosexual experiences, and I am not ashamed. I have never paid much attention to what people think about me.”

Number of correct guesses: 3

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."---8 guesses

Vincent Price

The Fact: 

“One lover described sex with them as ‘pleasant, unhurried, gentle. There was what I can only refer to as a kind of refinement about it. It was erotic, tantalizing, fulfilling. High class stuff all the way.’”

Number of correct guesses: 0

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."---5 guesses

Raymond Burr

The Fact:

“Was married to an opposite gender partner once but it only lasted a couple months. Met a same gender actor on the set of an iconic TV show in 1960 and they remained together until 1993, when our famous queer actor died. The fellow actor is often named as a “business partner” and still owns and operates the joint vineyard they founded together in Sonoma.”

Number of correct guesses: 8

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Joan Crawford

The Fact: 

“Known for having an “insatiable appetite for sex with men and women,” who may even have slept their way into becoming a screen legend. Also linked with another actor on this list!”

Number of correct guesses: 0

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

“Married 5 times and had 1 daughter. Lived with a fellow actor for 12 years and then with a different actor later in life. Prior to becoming famous, dated a fashion designer on and off for 9 years.”---8 times

 How do we know about these folks?

Most of the stories that we discussed came from one guy: Scotty Bowers, a Hollywood pimp of the queer silver screen actors of the 1940s and beyond. He was also associated with Alfred Kinsey in his famous study of human sexuality in the 1950s by providing many of the interview subjects.

A former marine, Bowers kept quiet for many years about these stories, as he did not want to adversely affect the lives of any of the actors who were still around. Many of the stories were actively hushed up using fixers paid by the studios at the time, and several of the actors were in "lavender marriages"---marriages arranged by the studio, frequently with another queer actor. At the time, studios especially would not have wanted the queer attractions of their headlining actors to be widely known, as that would have damaged the 'wholesome family image' of many of the films they wanted to market.

After all of the actors died, Bowers finally decided that his experiences and stories couldn't harm their image or beloved status---plus the world was a more open place to queer attraction---so he wrote about it. His memoir, Full Service, records many of the tidbits that we talked about. What makes his book so special is his refusal to be embarrassed by sex, meaning that he handles these stories with a distinct lack of judgment. Good job, dude! 

If you want to learn more about these folks, as well as other queer silver screen stars, check out our full list of sources and further reading below!

Online Articles:

22 Rumors, Orgies, And Relationships From The Golden Age Of Gay Hollywood

Clark Gable exposed in sex-obsessed biography

New Film Showcases Orry-Kelly, Fashion Master — and Cary Grant's Boyfriend

Secretly Gay, Bisexual, Or Queer Stars Of Golden Era Hollywood

Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book

Books:

Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Live of the Stars by Scotty Bowers

James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes by Darwin Porter and Damforth Prince

Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood by William J. Mann

Clark Gable: Tormented Star by David Bret

Kate: The Woman Who Was Katharine Hepburn by William J. Mann

The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling And The MGM Publicity Machine by EJ Flemming

Until next time, stay queer and stay curious!

[isroselalondebisexual]

To go with that previous ask about the kids being swapped with their patrons, what would you think of Kanaya Lalonde, Terezi Strider, Karkat Harley and uh,, Tavros Egbert?

Two near-identical asks that came in about the same time as each other! :3

Kanaya Lalonde, our darling Kanaya raised by a drunk but loving mother who sort of lets Kanaya do whatever, with lavish wealth. Gonna wind up somehow, impossibly, even more of a mom friend, because she is very very used to taking care of her own mother. She’s the one that gets all the “surprisingly mature for your age” comments and the “oh I thought you were 18!”s from adults she works with. Everyone thinks she’s older than she is, so mature and responsible and all grown up, what a delightful young lady she is. She’s gonna wind up absolutely fucking terrible at talking about her own problems, which we see happening in canon too, always one to ask what other people need but unsure how to bring up what she needs. Probably gonna end up a little more dramatic than we’re used to seeing her though. She’s got opulence to work with here, and her mom likes to make games of expressing affection through gifts and wealth, Kanaya is 100% the kind of girl to stand on a balcony in a low-back dress with emeralds and pearls and a lace shawl with a champagne glass of cranberry juice on a full moon like she is totally going to be that bitch. Still likes trashy vampire fiction and can afford Hot Topic’s more expensive merchandise. Isn’t quite sure how to emotionally connect with the people around her, but knows caretaking so that’s probably close enough, right? As Sylph of Light, her quest starts with her using her Luck to heal others around her, as she has been led all her life to believe is her duty and role. But as she grows and flourishes, in many ways thanks to the help of a meddling alien ;3, her role is more focused on her own enlightenment, on focusing her energy towards patching up the holes of her own psyche and devoting her time and energy into self love and personal healing, learning that she deserves better, and learning how to operate with others so she can heal.

Karkat Harley, a high-energy boy raised by a magic dog and some weird chess people. He’s the kind of kid who likes to brag to his friends about his robotic expertise, when in actuality he knows jack shit about robots. He’s a nuclear scientists who knows how to radiate steak for his dog. Sorta like in canon how he bragged about his coding skills to Sollux, when in actuality he had approximately 0 coding skills? Yeah it’s like that. He can actually, like, go outside and run around and do things without fearing people seeing his blood color and killing him immediately, so in all likelihood he’s not gonna be half as crabby as we’re used to. Locking himself up in that hive all night every night, I firmly believe, played a large role in why he was so grouchy, and then that behavior just sort of stuck, but now he’s out and about and doing things and playing with his magic dog so he’s got an OUTLET for all that energy. Still the type of dude who shouts in all caps on the internet, don’t get me wrong, but at least in this verse he’s not constantly simmering on the edge of a boil. He proooooooobably isn’t too fond of the Prospitians, they likely annoy him, and he IS easily annoyed as a person like in general, and the clouds probably piss him off because they’re cryptic and he is Not The Brightest. I love him but Karkat is kinda stupid. As Knight of Space, his role is similar to Dave Harley’s role, where they are the defenders of the whole. Karkat likely would still be the leader, tbeh, but in this verse he’s more of a “everyone’s got a job to do and mine is breeding all these goddamned frogs” kind of dude. He absolutely gets attached to them. He makes the mistake of naming the first frog and then it’s just a rapid downhill from there.

Terezi Strider, a girl who is invariably drawn to bad relationships just so she can say that she’s in one, raised by a dude like Bro Strider. Very likely gonna end up with a similar complex to Dave, where she thinks Bro is genuinely a really cool dude who’s looking out for her with all these “ninja attacks” and weird “training” and who has her best interest in heart. She loves him and looks up to him and won’t hear from people who say maybe it’s weird that he’s like… hitting her with swords and pushing her down stairs all the time. What likely ended up happening was there was an accident in one of their strifes that wound up with Bro blinding her. Terezi probably engages with his Saw games and sees the smuppets as fun and cool plush toys that she plays courtroom with, but the death penalty is the go-to penalty and she probably stabs them with kitchen knives or shitty swords or whatever. If she told a human therapist that’d probably get labeled as something between an “obscure and morbid interest” and “coping mechanism.” She’s the coolest and raddest girl in town, and puts a lot of stock in that image, so it’s even harder for her to meet Latula, who is even better than her at projecting that persona, because Terezi’s self esteem is uh. Not high. As Seer of Time, she’s got access to a lot of fucking timelines, all playing like the worlds most inescapable horror film inside her brain, but she’s used to living a life that is basically just her being trapped inside a shitty horror movie so H4H4! 1T’S F1N3! Is she gonna go down that path? Well the moment she stepped foot on the sidewalk she got a vivid, almost tangible mental image of her body smeared across the wall by a trap, so noooo she’s not. Should Karkat go breed frogs? Yes, but when he goes to climb up onto the rim of the forge she gets a flash of his body falling into lava, and her own outstretched arm unable to catch him before he falls, so maybe he should go to a more structurally sound piece of the volcano’s rim to do his froggy thing. Her life is a neverending nightmare of stress and needing to be faster, sharper, more competent, things that go wrong are in HER power to fix, which means they’re HER fault if she can’t stop them. Takes the blame of the world on her own shoulders and doesn’t once stop to think that she maybe deserves better. She cannot see that on her own, Seer powers or no, in canon or in this verse, so it’s up to people who genuinely, actually care about her to step in and show her that she’s worth so much more than what she’s gotten so far, that the weight of the Game is not hers and never has been, that she’s allowed to be the compassionate, empathetic person that she is without the universe punishing her for it.

 And a Tavros Egbert! (Y’all are swell Con Air, but rather Peter Pan and Dadbert would read the book out loud to him, a chapter a night, as his before-bed story. Dadbert still has all Tavros’s little Halloween photos of him dressed up as Captain Hook and Peter Pan and Michael Darling. Probably actually really enjoys the piano; it’s engaging, and you can sit to do it, which means post-paralysis it’s a hobby he can keep up with really well. Get’s weirdly upset whenever people get their fairy lore wrong and owns a copy of Grimm’s Fairytales. Probably has a grudge against commercialized fairies the way John has a grudge against betty crocker cooking shit. As Page of Breath, his role doesn’t change too terrible much from his troll self’s. He is still the one with the potential of Freedom and the Wind, and after god tiering you bet your ass he never puts his feet back on the ground. He’s wanted to fly since he was a KID this is a DREAM COME TRUE for him. I think TavRezi would actually be a really good pairing for this au? The two would get along well, I think, and Tavros could really help her with some of that giant heap of dogshit that she was dealt over the course of her life. He sees the potential within her, and seeks to free her from the metaphorical blindness that prevents her from seeing her own worth. Would also wind up being pretty good friends with Kanaya, I think.

Thanks for sending me all of these, by the way! I know it takes me a long while to respond to them but they’re all really fun!

[racefortheironthrone]

Thoughts on Spiderman: Homecoming

I’ll put my short, non-spoiler version above the cut for people who haven’t seen it yet: it’s good. It’s really good, head and shoulders above the Amazing duology and it holds its own against the Raimi films more than you would think. 

Specifically, it has two major strengths: first, as many people have noted, Tom Holland’s Spiderman feels like a real teenager way more than either Andrew Garfield or Tobey Macguire did - in part because the movie makes the most of out its science high school setting by giving Holland a secondary cast of other teens to bounce off of, and by making the conflict between his superhero life and his regular life being about high school things generally (making Lego Death Stars, Academic Decathalon meets, detention) instead of just about his romantic relationships. 

Second, as other people have noted, Spiderman: Homecoming feels way more New York  (more of a neighborhood Spiderman, you could say) than previous Spiderman movies. The Amazing movies’ idea of New York was some abstracted Times Square theme park, and with the best will in the world, even the Raimi films portrayed an extremely white New York that didn’t go beyond Midtown canyons and various landmarks. But Homecoming felt like Queens, from the multicultural student body at Midtown Science to Spiderman and the Prowler (you were great, Donald Glover!) arguing over which bodegas have the best sandwiches, to the jokes about how the outer boroughs aren’t well-stocked with tall buildings to web-swing off of, to Spiderman’s interactions with neighborhood locals who get pissed when would-be superheroes web their hands to their cars or repay subway directions with churros. 

Protagonist

So let’s start with Tom Holland. For all that people complain about the Marvel “machine,” one of the things the machine does very well is make sure that their writers and directors nail the main characters, even if that’s at the expense of the plot, because you have to sell the audience on the character to get the audience to care, and because superhero plots are generally pretty secondary anyway. And Homecoming does a really good job of building on the excellent work that Civil War did. To quote myself:

“I buy Tom Holland more than I ever bought Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire - Tobey was always a bit too soft and saccharine for me to buy that he was the irreverent snarker behind the mask, whereas Andrew’s performance was way too much of an over-reaction to the backlash against Spiderman III, and came off as way too cool.

That’s the thing about Spiderman/Peter Parker that makes him tricky: he’s a nerd and a bit nebbishy (although he kind of ages out of that a little - there had to be something there that Mary Jane Watson liked), but once he puts the mask on, he gains the confidence to express himself, even if that is as a smart-alecky motor-mouth. There’s a side of Peter Parker that has an ego, a yearning to show the world that he’s not Puny Parker any more - after all, the first thing he did when he got super-powers was to get in front of TV cameras - that makes him prank J. Jonah Jameson to get back at him, or not just fight the Kingpin but relentlessly crack fat jokes at him.

As I’ve said above, it’s really easy to grab one part of that personality and not the other. And one of the things I really like about Tom Holland’s Spiderman is that I feel like you have both...”

So how did Homecoming build on this? First, the nerd side of Peter Parker was nicely contextualized by his high school (which because it’s an elite magnet school is full of nerds) - he’s extremely high-scoring (he’s bullied by Flash because Peter’s constantly showing him up in class, and he’s the lynchpin of the Decathalon team until MJ steps up in his absence) but you get the sense that he feels like he’s maybe too smart for school so he sometimes gets himself in detention and probably hurts his GPA a bit by not doing homework in favor of his own projects; he’s a joiner (Decathalon, band, etc.) because he’s not very socially confident (hence his small friend circle of Ned and MJ, hence his mini-freakouts about Liz’s party and the eponymous dance) BUT he’s also someone who over-extends himself and then quits (holy crap did that one hit close to home), so he’s seen as a bit of a flake. 

Second, that nerd side nicely parallels his super-hero side, with the wonderful euphemism of the “Stark internship” (god, no wonder Flash is jealous). Peter is desperate for recognition, to get called up to the big leagues, to the point where he’s constantly biting off more than he can chew (literally taking the training wheels off too early) to prove himself to “Mr. Stark” and then tries desperately to hold everything together or explain his screwups away when it blows up in his face. (Notably, all of the major action setpieces in the movie except the last one involve situations where Peter’s over-enthusiasm has actually created a bigger problem: foiling the bank robbery causes the bodega fire, his investigation of the alien power source causes the damage to the Washington Monument, his web-slinging damages the fission gun that damages the ferry, etc.) At the same time, he’s trying to live up to the image of what he thinks a super-hero ought to be, whether that’s in posing for commuters and doing backflips for hot dog vendors or making quips at bad guys (notably, his smart-alecking always comes off as a mixture of nervous posing and too much energy rather than coming off as mean). 

But most importantly, at root Spiderman is a genuinely selfless hero - his first thought is to save the bodega owner and the bodega cat, he gives the ferry rescue everything he’s got even if he comes up short as 98% sucessful, he tells criminals to shoot at him rather than at anyone else, and in the film’s master-stroke, he goes all-out to save Adrian Toombs who’s repeatedly tried to kill him the moment he realizes that his wing-suit has gone unstable, because Spiderman doesn’t want to “instant death” anyone. And he’s utterly determined, as we see in the whole third act where he goes right after Toombs despite getting his ass kicked by the Shocker, then pulls himself out from the rubble Toombs buried him under, then gets himself onto the Quinjet then saves Coney Island from the crashing Quinjet, and on and on....

Antagonist

So...Michael Keaton. While not given a ton of time, Keaton does a great job reframing Adrian Toombs as the voice of blue collar upper-middle-class resentment, justifying theft and murder with his hatred of Tony Stark and the 1% on the one hand and the need to provide for his family on the other, and selling you on how this guy gives more and more reign to his dark side while trying to hang on to his hypocritical moral code. Also, it was an inspired idea to build on the idea of the Vulture being a scavenger by making him both a salvage operator and someone who later makes his money by stealing the aftermath of the Avengers’ battles and turns them into weapons. (BTW, even though the wings were re-done as military high-tech, they still had some personality - the way they draped down feather-like when he was resting on the billboard, the way he used them to pick up Peter and maybe use them as blades.)

Critically, the movie didn’t kill him off. See, Marvel’s villain problem isn’t always about how generic they are (although that was a problem for Malekith and Ronan the Accuser) but that they constantly kill off their villains which means that there’s no opportunity to build up a relationship between hero and villain - Robert Redford’s HYDRA true believer or Ultron would be great recurring villains, except they’re dead now. If Keaton ever wants to reprise his role, it would only take a jailbreak to put him back in the mix gunning for revenge according to his own code. 

Also, the movie did a good job seeding future villains. We see the mantle (or rather the gage) of the Shocker get passed on in the film, the Tinkerer seems to get away in the end so is on hand for future movies, we get a great setup for why the Scorpion would go after Spiderman, and we even meet the Prowler who’d make for a great frenemy villain. 

Secondary Cast

The kids are more than all right, they’re damn fantastic. Ned was a great audience stand-in as well as a voice of reason, was great as “the chair,” and even got to use the webshooters, Liz Allen nicely avoided a lot of “superhero girlfriend” pitfalls, Flash was a nice alternative to the over-used jock archetype, and Zendaya was a genuinely oddball presence who makes for a very different MJ than we’ve ever seen before (my friend @elanabrooklyn thinks that she’s basically comics Jessica Jones in all but name, which I would be ok with). 

Marissa Tomei as Aunt May could have used more screen-time, but what there was, was great, from the ongoing gag that she’s completely oblivious to the fact that pretty much all the men in the service sector she meets are in lorb with her, to her very real mix of showing concern and trying to encourage while giving a teenager room, to her final F-bomb - which thankfully cut short the “Aunt May can’t know” storyline. 

RDJ as Tony Stark actually didn’t over-shadow the film as much as people had worried - mostly, he’s there being simultaneously neglectful (answering some text messages, providing some encouragement outside of post-crisis situations, and actually explaining why you’re doing what you’re doing would be a good idea, Tony) and over-bearing (tracking devices and surveillance cameras are not a substitute for communicating, Tony), which is sort of how you’d expect him to handle being a mentor/surrogate father on his first go-round.

Plot

Despite how confident people were about what was going to happen in the movie from the trailers, the film actually did a great job throwing the unexpected at you, whether it’s the suburban lawn-chase sequence that wasn’t in the trailers, or the FBI showing up on the ferry, or the fact that Peter and Ned were directly responsible for the Washington Monument crisis, or why the Vulture and Spiderman were on a plane. 

More importantly, the high school plot really really worked and intersected nicely with the superhero plot - Peter’s indecision about using his Spiderman persona to boost his and Ned’s social standing leading into the suburban lawn-chase, the Academic Decathalon giving the Washington Monument rescue real stakes, and best of all, the moment where Adrian Toombs opens the door for his daughter’s date and the commonplace dad/boyfriend tension goes into overdrive.  

[mokosmart]

LoRa devices from MOKOSmart

An estimated 70 million devices are expected to be connected to the Internet and exchange data by 2020. From the coffee machine to the doorbell to the pill box: Connected devices that talk to apps and online services have so far been part of the realm of visions of the future. Lorawan stands for “long range wide area network” and is a radio network with a wide range and small energy requirement. Although they can only transmit tiny amounts of data – images are already eliminated – Lora devices can work for miles and can do with a small battery for years. The chips are small like a two-franker, thus fit into everyday objects and are at the same time cheap – around ten francs. This makes them ideal for bringing devices to the grid at a reasonable price. Small sensors or switches could soon appear in all everyday areas, in flowerbeds as well as on letterboxes or bicycles.

How much do you know about LoRa technology and NB-IoT?

As a low-power WAN communication technology, LoRa offers cost-effective solutions for battery-powered IoT applications. Because of these technical characteristics, the LoRa network consists mainly of terminals (built-in LoRa module), gateway (or base station), server (server), and cloud. The most important point is that application data can achieve bidirectional transmission, easily integrated into existing network infrastructures for greater coverage than cellular cellular cellular networks, while technology has end-to-end AES128 encryption to track assets without GPS.

In contrast, NB-IoT (narrowband Internet of Things, also known as the Narrowband Internet of Things), is a standard defined by the 3GPP standardization organization, which develops a narrowband radio frequency technology for the Internet of Things. NB-IoT is more dominant for completing real-time, large amounts of data.

The application of the Internet of Things must take into account many factors, such as network costs, battery life, data transfer rate (throughput), network coverage and type of use, it is clear NB-IoT and LoRa two technologies have different technical characteristics, wide coverage, low speed, low cost, low power consumption and other features that are suitable for applications with low power consumption in the Internet of Things, and they also actively expand their own ecosystems.

At communication distance, NB-IoT compared to other low-frequency wide-area propagation technology can achieve the link budget 20dB increase in open environment, signal coverage can be increased seven times. Among them, 20dB corresponds to the loss of the signal through the outer wall of the building. Coverage of NB-IoT in the indoor environment is relatively better, and the overall communication distance can reach 15km. LoRa can provide a maximum connection budget of 168dB. In general, the range of wireless distance is 1-2 km in the city and 20 km in the suburbs.

We have successfully iterated to Use LoRa devices and Radio Frequency Technology (LoRa Technology) into our smart bike locks that complement their licensed spectrum connectivity options for full network connectivity, even in remote areas and densely populated buildings. MOKOSmart is a pioneer in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) and has led the application of NB-IoT, NFC, BLE and other IoT technologies. Omni is integrated in the products of wireless communication, artificially specialized intelligent, sensor technology, which is a national high-tech company, integrated the development of hardware, software and system solutions.

Development history of LoRa devices

Hackers want a network for all

From a very different point of view, a growing number of tinkerers are approaching the subject, who would rather see a free, universally accessible Internet of Things. The idea of the Dutchman Wienke Giezeman has been kicked off. The Internet entrepreneur from Amsterdam has launched a foundation with the Things Network, which Lora wants to democratize. The intention: to build a free alternative in addition to commercial networks. With a swarm financing, one is currently looking for patrons who receive hardware for donations. The Kickstarter campaign has already exceeded its funding target of €150,000.

First, the networked technology is made possible by a peculiarity of Lora devices: The costs per connected device are vanishingly low compared to other network technologies. For example, a so-called gateway, connected to the Internet in a private apartment, can bring up to 10,000 radios online within a radius of several kilometers. Such a gateway currently costs around 200 Swiss francs, and the trend is falling. Unlike mobile phones, such a small group of volunteers can connect an entire city with little money. “I’m excited about this opportunity,” says Gonzalo Casas, who is working for the Things Network in Zurich. In his spare time, the software developer builds the Internet of Things for Zurich with office colleagues and other interested parties. Two LoRa gateways are already in place, and seven more are expected to be added across the city over the next few months.

The nerds still rule

The Things Network is still a matter for computer scientists. “Hackers now have to build the infrastructure, which clears the way for users,” says Casas. The Kickstarter campaign from Amsterdam is also to build a bridge here. The hope of the supporters is a kind of Apple effect: The Dutch want to make the hitherto unwieldy and complicated technology accessible – with simple operation and appealing device designs.

Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) are suitable for sending small amounts of data over a long distance. They consume little energy and ensure long battery life.

The LoRa Alliance, an open, nonprofit organization, drives the standardization of LoRa technology because it can be used safely and economically for many IoT applications. LoRa Alliance certification requires LoRa-certified devices to meet the functional requirements of LoRaWAN protocol specifications, which is confirmed by a successful test against the LoRa Certification Program.

The accredited test laboratories of 7 layers in Ratingen have been one of the first independent 3rd party laboratories in Europe to receive the authorization to carry out tests under the LoRa test and certification program.

We offer a comprehensive portfolio for LoRa devices manufacturers and smart IoT service providers:

•LoRa Alliance Test & Certification •Regulatory testing and type approvals •Technical support and testing to improve antenna and radio performance •IoT Services Services: Consulting, Acceptance Program Development, and End-to-End Verification

Full connectedness for the Internet of Things

LoRa devices: Cost advantage Flexibility

But it is not only the SIM cards that need to change but also the mobile operators. Given the different functioning of the devices, traditional contract models no longer make sense. In the future, it will be essential to make flexible offers to the customer that can be tailored to their requirements. For medium-sized enterprises in particular, the savings could not be negligible thanks to such individual contract offers. Finally, it makes a difference whether sensors should check the condition of a product in a truck loading room in real-time or passengers in coaches should stream films in HD format.

Providers have therefore set up their own departments, whose employees deal exclusively with IoT or Industry 4.0 and prepare corresponding offers. But this applies not only in connection with SIM cards but also with LoRa applications. If the volume of data to be sent is small, they are a good alternative. These LoRa devices send and receive data only at predetermined times, keeping energy consumption low. Ideal for traffic management: Street lighting could be based on traffic, for example, so that lanterns only consume energy when vehicles are actually on the road. Parking spaces can also be better managed: LoRa communication would allow cars to be used in an orderly manner to create a free parking space, which could optimize utilization rates.

Connectivity is what the customer makes of it

To optimize connectivity, developers and providers need to critically assess what type of connection is needed and what is best for them. Every situation requires a suitable solution – which also depends on other aspects, such as bandwidth, the location where the application is used, as well as the respective sales and business model.

In addition to local IoT solutions for WiFi, developers and providers should also be able to use other technologies that are just as essential to M2M connectivity. 2G, 3G, and 4G networks are already playing an important role and LoRa devices will soon become more widely used. This will provide a suitable technology for every possible IoT application. In other words, connectivity is what the user makes of it.

LoRa devices from MOKOSmart

MOKOSmart, which has located connected LoRa devices as a future business area and operates test networks in Shenzhen, China, is also one of those interested. Flory heads the sales department M2M (machine to machine) at Shenzhen. He sees Lora technology on the verge of gaining a broad foothold. It is high time for device manufacturers to have the Internet of Things on their screens: “If you don’t deal with it yet, it will be hard to catch up.” The telecommunications service is at the heart of building networks and bringing together key players, from chip manufacturers to software developers and service providers. “We are in a good position to drive forward the development of the infrastructure to more LoRa devices,” says Florry.

 LoRaWAN gateway with LoRaWAN server functionality

MOKOSmart offers the LoRaWAN Gateway MKGW2-LW for LoRaWAN technology as a solution for building autonomous, provider-independent networks in the license-free 868 MHz ISM band.

The Gateway MKGW2-LW, which is suitable for LoRaWAN technology, is also suitable for applications with FSK modulation. In addition to the traditional packet forwarder mode, it also has LoRaWAN server functionality (LoRa WAN Class A & C 1.0.2 EU), which eliminates the need for the additional setup of a LoRa server. Other features include the small dimensions of 75 x 75 x 25 mm, an external SMA antenna port, an Ethernet network connection and the supply of 5 V/0.5 A via micro USB cable.

LoRaWAN gateway with efficient 8-channel LoRaWAN solution

The LoRaWAN gateway can be used to implement an efficient 8-channel LoRa solution, which can also be configured via a remote JAVA application. Up to 100 LoRa devices can be managed. The MKGW2-LW is also available as an outdoor version.

Introducing the world’s first open-value-chain LoRaWAN IoT network

The first phase of a project underway in Shenzhen.

MOKOSmart, an industry leader in the field of large low power wide area networks (LPWAN), announced today that two more national LoRaWAN networks are planned: in cooperation with telecommunications and IT provider, the service provider and pioneer in wireless broadband, media, and corporate IT infrastructure.

“The networks show that LPWA technology can not only be transformative but also offers groundbreaking opportunities for the economy that could not otherwise be presented.”

The introduction of the open-value-chain IoT network is unique in the world. To deliver this groundbreaking business proposal, we are upgrading the LoRa network to provide second-generation multi-use IoT connectivity across the country, as well as LoRa devices and wireless technology to provide high-quality geolocation services.

“The upgrade of the existing LoRaWAN™ radio network with new base stations and the subsequent nationwide rollout will be a good deal as we integrate a large part of the LPWAN gateways into existing wireless broadband locations.”

With support, we have started to launch the nationwide LoRaWAN network. Successful tests were carried out, where full coverage will also be achieved as the first phase of the project.

[circular-time]

So... Gallifrey One diary

The key to landing a Gally ticket after three years of trying, it turns out, is to say “Oh, I’ll never get into Gally. But that’s fine, because I love LI and Regen.” *click* HEY!  (Yes, it helps they fixed the servers.)

Unfortunately, I also landed a whopper of a sinus infection. So I had to pace myself.

Here’s everything I can remember about the weekend; brace yourself for a long post!

Thursday— I finished my portrait of Anneke, then, so sick I shouldn’t have been driving, I clawed my way up the 405 freeway on the back of Emerald Tiger. Figuratively speaking.

I poured into the hotel around 4.30. After unpacking and resting, I slithered down to LobbyCon where I met @comic-rust looking dapper in Four’s Logopolis outfit sans coat.  He was far too kind and took me to dinner, where we had a pleasant geekfest.

Kim-- Kim, drat, I am so terrible at names! led me down to karaoke, since I had not yet figured out the majority of Gally takes place on a subterranean level like Jabba’s palace. I people-watched for a little while before sinus headache and off-key singing decided to part ways.

Friday—

Panels! Panels! Panels!

11 AM  - The Ties That Bind Us promised a meet & greet for diverse fans, although by the time I arrived (fifteen minutes late) it was a fairly sparse audience with a panel telling us how great Gally was compared to lesser cons like LI Who and Regen. I kept my mouth shut. When in Rome... 

12 PM - Gentlemen’s Agreement — Frazer, Peter Purves and Prentis Hancock (Space:1999) rambled about their work on various shows. They kept poking Prentis to use a mike so we could hear him, which became a running gag. Frazer finally dangled a mike in front of him like a sound boom in a classic Who recording. Peter told funny production stories about old massive TV studio cameras, the challenge of setting them up for filming to avoid crossing their cables, and a Who director who kept doing just that.  Peter reminded us that early Who was filmed “as live,” with exactly an hour and a half to record the episode after rehearsal and the dry run to figure out said cameras. He recounted how Morton Dill (that hillbilly he played on the Empire State Building in The Chase) turned out to be his unwitting audition. He’d impressed the regulars enough — and, crucially, William Hartnell liked him — that Maureen suggested him to replace Russ & Jackie (Hartnell was very distressed about their leaving). So Peter had 3 weeks’ notice that he was joining the show. He’s always stressed his good luck, being in the right place at the right time. I wish I could remember what mischief Frazer got up to in that panel; he’s always a hoot.

1PM - The Sarah Jane Adventures — Katy Manning came for the second panel in the same room. There was fond reminiscing about Nicholas Courtney and Lis as well as Katy being her usual hilarious blind-as-a-bat batty self, waggling her butt while climbing over everyone. Also ranted about her room not having a full-length mirror, forcing her to teeter on the loo and try to see in the bathroom mirror; cue humorous hand-waving as she described falling into the toilet a la Trainspotting and surfacing in other people’s toilets. (She told this story a few times throughout the con). She mentioned the UNIT adventures coming up in which Jo and Mike and Benton team up with new Who UNIT. Jo and Osgood work together. Katy’s glad she doesn’t have to pretend to be young, for a change). Somewhat eclipsed by Katy, Matt Irvine, the K-9 operator, joined them and talked about the ins and outs of operating the dog. He kept the original K-9 in his workshop all those years so it’s still around.

For these panels I was sitting next to @rachel-aldridge​ wearing a perfect Dodo cosplay. I’m sure Peter approved.

Note to self: Gally schedule is confusing; it shows when panels start but not when they finish, and some start on the half hour. I missed Anneke’s interview (woes!)

At some point I peeked out of the cave mouth basement entrance to see the Deluge:

(From Wunderground) 

But I forgot to photograph anything because my brain was full of phlegm. Rain was sheeting down outside, but we were very snug down in our basement apart from some flooding in the main bathroom. STC reported lots of trees blown down back in OC, freeways blocked by water. 

2 PM -  You Just Got Holtzmanned! Gender-Swap Panel with @whovianfeminism​ and others was brilliant, of course. There was lots of intersectional discussion about representation/nonrepresentation of gender and genderqueer, people of color, class in Britain which is mostly lost on American audiences, characters with disabilities being few and far between, the Geena Davis 17% study and similar studies showing how men tend to perceive the ratio of women talking/existing in a given group as much greater than it is. We talked about the fact that Who EU and spinoffs like Class have better representation since they’re not controlled as closely by BBC bean counters deciding what will sell best at home and abroad. I especially liked the discussion of the pros and cons of genderbending— recasting established male characters as women — vs. creating original female lead characters. Also the pitfalls of so-called “color blind” casting vs. acknowledgement of the issues various minorities face.

3 PM - Lalla Ward Interview with Gary Russell: I try to separate actors from characters, but let’s face it, Lalla puts an awful lot of herself into Romana...

... so, hella charismatic, intelligent, and poised, with decided opinions about things (including what personal questions Gary asked that she wasn’t about to answer). She has a glare that could shrivel diamond as well as a smile that could make it bloom. 

Lalla talked about her early career — it turns out she went into acting mostly as a dare and challenge to herself, when she was originally trying to be an artist. She started with a Hammer film (recently rewatched and was a bit shocked by gore), and played Ophelia in Derek Jacobi’s Hamlet. From Jacobi she absorbed the advice that people shouldn’t be actors unless they absolutely need to be, because otherwise they won’t have the drive. 

Her first Who role was Princess Astra, of course; she had no idea Mary Tamm was leaving (in fact she recalled Mary saying in the cantina that she was thinking of doing another season). So it was a surprise to be asked back. She was chosen because, the producer said, Tom got along with her, making her “worth her weight in gold.” 

Talk turned to costuming. Lalla said that for her first serial (Creature of the Pit, filmed out of order) she was wearing something “glamorous” that would’ve looked good on Mary but not on her, after which she worked with June Hudson to find her own style. 

(She hated the white scarf with the pink coat because it snagged on everything!) Lalla had the idea that Romana would shop at bazaars in different times and places, mix and match time periods to create her own distinctive style of no particular era. 

There was some frank personal talk about the brief romance/marriage with Tom and the dangers of getting so lost in the characters you play that you lose sight of yourself and the other person. Sounds like Tom was more head over heels with her, though that’s hindsight. She was not especially enamored of JNT (part of the reason she left) or his choice to replace her with Adric. Yeah, I know, most of this isn’t new news.

Finally, Lalla talked about her work with Danville Hall, a care home in Britain for actors and others associated with the acting profession; she spoke passionately about how society must do a better job of looking after the old. Gally’s charity auction at Gally raised over $18000 for Danville Hall and left her in tears; Lalla’s first two quilts —portraits of her dogs— were auctioned off.

Later in the afternoon came a Big Finish panel that’s kinda blurred together with the later ones and...

5.30 Paul McGann & Daphne Ashbrook Panel— Unfortunately by that time I was wiped and I don’t remember a thing other than Paul’s magical soft, soothing voice. ;) Oh, and his talking about Steven Spielberg sussing out he was lying through his teeth when he said he could ride, but still hiring him for Empire of the Sun and getting him a riding instructor. Paul clearly loved the horses and as usual was being too modest by half, saying the horses did all the work.

8.30 The Fan Club Invasion was the meet & greet I hoped for in the morning, a low-key social gathering. New Who fans found themselves suddenly wildly popular, since the icebreaker game/scavenger hunt asked for “someone who has never seen classic Who.” I rescued one (I hope) from a well-intentioned nerd trying to tell her classic Who stories in the most boring way possible. More importantly, I found a local Who group: Real Time Lords of Orange County.

Happiness Patrol— I caught the tail end of Dominic Glynn’s amazing show which I missed at Regen. I loved his arrangement of Colin Baker’s “Ten million years of absolute power. That's what it takes to be really corrupt!” speech and theme song.

Alas I was turning into a slug and couldn’t make it to Paul Cornell’s late-night podcast, which by all accounts was fantastic, and involved blacksmithing? I dunno. 

A lot of attendees liveblogged on Twitter — it’s well worth perusing Twitter’s #gally1 tag. Lou Jameson and others remarked on a red Dalek on someone’s balcony. Sure enough, it was across the courtyard from my room the next morning, storm or no storm!

(oh say can you seeeeeeee..... )

...and the Dalek was still there!

On Saturday morning, I made the unwise decision to try fresh-squeezed orange juice while on antibiotics. So I missed most of the day. But first...

10AM - Creature Feature panel - Nick Briggs hosted a roundtable with various monsters including Barnaby Edwards and Nicholas Pegg. (The short and how-the-hell-does-he-fit-he’s-too-tall Dalek operators.) Simon Fisher-Beck was there as well making tasteless jokes, and Jimmy Vee (new Who) and everyone else kept mock-scooting away from him. They gushed about various co-stars, especially Billie Piper. Nick confessed to an attack of evil, freaking out Jenna Coleman by whispering to her through her headphones while she was inside the Dalek. Barnaby recounted falling out the bottom of his Dalek in the first Dalek episode and alarming Billie Piper while she was doing a heck of an acting job. And he and Nicholas Pegg described the gushing-exploding-Dalek mess in The Magician’s Apprentice. Mud, McD chocolate shakes and compost squirted EVERYWHERE including inside the Daleks. (Nick called the episode “Poo of the Daleks.”) They went back to their hotel afterwards, totally covered in mud, and alarmed the patrons. (Having gone on 8-day horseback riding/camping trips and disturbed a wedding party in a hotel in much the same way, I know exactly that look of “uncleaaaan!”) 

After that, autograph alley time, where I tried not to make a fool or pest of myself while face to face with con guests. Lalla was polite but appeared to be nonplussed by my silly Lalla portrait (below) which I had side by side in the portfolio with the one I asked her to sign. Louise Jameson was sweet and encouraging about the Leela portrait I put in front of her. 

I snapped a few photos of great cosplays including @rachel-aldridge​ in her Black Orchid Tegan outfit (great pose!) and a Five wearing brainy specs (yay!)

Alas I didn’t get into the Nick Briggs/Barnaby Edwards Kaffeklatsch (missed cutoff by two). I was barely holding up the wall by that point, so it’s just as well. I returned to my room to faceplant for a couple hours until the world stopped spinning and the hot/cold flashes eased off. 

My main regret was missing the June Hudson panel; she’s the famous costumer of classic Who in the mid-seventies. Much love was heaped on her all weekend by stars and fans, richly deserved.

2PM Days Gone By — lovely classic Who panel with Katy, Anneke, Frazer, Peter, Prentis Hancock and Michael Troughton, but I was so blasted all I remember is Katy’s adorable/sad story about how proud she was to try and do her own stunts the first day— they had her roll out of a moving car! Got it perfectly on the first take, but tore all the ligaments in an ankle on the second take; Jon found her sobbing later being afraid she’d be sacked and defended her against idiot directors (I infer the last bit). Anneke repeated her story about how she was the one who wound up doing Pat Troughton’s hair, and also the general observation that if he hadn’t been able to establish regeneration and show that the show could continue without Hartnell, none of this (the con, fandom, Who) would  be here now. A fan put Peter Purves on the spot by asking him to sing Last Chance Saloon. He said “Fuck off!” but eventually, with everyone pestering him with lyrics and singing at him, he did it, for the first time since the episode was recorded, and he sounded fantastic. Anneke and Frazer got up and danced (why didn’t I get my camera out quick enough)? At the end, Michael Troughton distinguished himself by making the sound of Woody Woodpecker heard on a scratchy 45 record player — uncannily accurate— and the sound of a cat being sick— even more uncannily accurate. 

3PM - The highlight of my con was seeing lovely @barnabyedwards​ in late afternoon at the autograph table. He’s written one of my two fave BF audios and directed many more, and I’ve exchanged occasional Twitter banter with him for years, so I’ve been eager to meet him, all the moreso since I kept being confused by the other Barnaby Edwards listed in the schedule for LI Who. (They finally met at Gally; no observed Blinovitch effect.) When I told him my Twitter handle, Big Finish Barnaby lit up and said “Oh, it’s YOU!” Hugs all round. I asked him to autograph Emerald Tiger and picked up his cute "Barbara: Queen of the Galaxy” postcard, although I feel bad for not buying any of his finer art. I’m afraid I inflicted my art on him (he browsed through both my portfolio and another fan’s), and he very kindly gave me some tips.

This is an awful picture, like I said, but I don’t care because BARNABY IS SUCH A DEAR:

(Yeah, my bad eye was showing.) 

Outside it had almost stopped raining by Sat afternoon, and cosplayers collected under the “cavern” overhang [photoset and K9]. I was menaced by Sutekh and minions while helping a couple Fourth Doctors take pictures of one another. Afterwards: 

Then it was back to panels/interviews. I caught the tail end of an interview with Deep Roy, an amazing actor who’s played everything from Mr. Sin in Talons of Weng-Chiang to Scotty’s assistant in the Trek reboots. 

4.30 PM - The Gallifrey Chronicles panel was GREAT, Scott Hancock hosting (he wrote/directed recent audios) with Lalla, Lou, Sean Carlsen, John Leeson, and Gary Russell. Scott asked them what they wanted, and “another season of Gallifrey!” was the consensus. Exec Producer Jason Haigh-Ellery in the audience confirmed a new season, and then Scott spoiled that it’s going to be set in the Time War. Sean Carlsen spoiled me about plot points I haven’t heard yet (I’m up to Season 3), but he’s so cute I forgive him. I didn’t realize what a huge Who fanboy he was, so stoked to be working with Leela and Romana! Lou and Lalla talked about their “cheese and chalk” relationship, how they clash over their hippie/homeopathy vs rationalist/science worldviews, and how their friendship works despite having to “agree to disagree.” Which they and some Gallifrey writers have woven into the Romana & Leela dynamic. They loved playing/parodying each other in Spirit. I think this was the panel where Lalla mentioned she’d bloody well make a better president than the one we have. Much applause. (We mostly avoided politics this weekend, although it was the elephant in the room; veiled #resist comments peppered nearly every panel). 

John Leeson was too adorable, breaking into the K-9 voice to answer some questions, and at other times was quite naughty (when asked how he liked voicing two K9s and having three mistresses he said “Doggy heaven. We’ve already discussed the doggy position.”) He’s usually the last to know when K-9′s going to be used and hasn’t yet been contacted about possible new movie.

Gary Russell talked about how frustrated he was in the 70s that there were no female characters on TV but love interests or characters in menial/supporting roles, until Tenko (landmark show about female prisoners of war in WWII in which Louise Jameson starred). He felt female friendship and characters were interesting and not seen in media enough. So Gary initially came up with the idea of Gallifrey after seeing how Lou and Lalla hit it off while recording Zagreus; he wanted a West Wing style political drama with two strong women as the leads. He did consciously rewrite characters as women a lot during his time on BF, although he apologized for not hiring more women writers when he was producer.  I hit the mike to comment about how the relationship between Leela and Romana in Gallifrey is welcome and unusual in Doctor Who, because its leads are usually a man and a woman; SF in general seldom develops relationships between women or explores how they work together (or even how they argue.) 

In the evening I attended the Gallifrey reception where fans sat at small tables and the guests circulated in the nerd equivalent of speed dating. That meant we had brief face-to-face time with Lou, Lalla, Sean Carlsen, John Leeson, Matt Irvine (K-9′s designer, the self-described “back end of the dog”), Phillip Hinchcliffe, designer Roger Murray-Leach. Really great, although I feel bad for everyone who can’t afford this kind of thing (the organizers said it helped fund Gally and bring more guests). 

Lou was as warm and Earth Mothery as ever, Lalla gracious and warmer in person, looking understated but stunning in a kimono whose designer she was careful to note (and I’m not fashionable, so I can’t remember). John Leeson was adorable and sweet and so happy to be spending time with fans and clearly loves being K9. Phillip Hinchcliffe was dignified but delighted that some of us were listening to his new Big Finish audios— he was pushing them in a charmingly genteel way. Roger Murray-Leach, the designer of Weng-Chiang and Invasion of Time and a lot of the classic Fourth Doctor era, was glad we’re still having fun with his work (I gabbled something about “you set the stamp on Gallifrey and established what it looked like in all our minds,” which seemed to please him.)

The reception ended just as the Masquerade was letting out— that’s where I snapped the fab gel guard, Omega and Alpha Centauri with Three.

Sunday 

Hooray, I did NOT have orange juice and made it through most of the day without feeling diseeeeased!

Yes, the red Dalek was still there.

The @whovianfeminism​ meetup was cancelled after she was called away by a family emergency. It sounds like she had a thoroughly rotten weekend. :(   [Update: :( :( We should send warm thoughts her way. ) I hadn’t checked online, so I went down to the meetup as did writer Valerie E Frankel, who wanted to pick our brains for her book on the women in Doctor Who. She and I chatted. I’m afraid I got a little defensive at her characterizing most classic Who companions as 20-year-old miniskirt-wearing screamers. She seemed surprised when I pointed there were some alien companions, some scientists, that Vicki and Barbara sometimes wore trousers and/or sensible shoes, and that one fan has has found a lower scream-per-episode ratio for many classic companions than modern ones. Also I argued that miniskirts aren’t automatically a marker of sexism, but were originally something 60s women chose for themselves to be liberated, and that Sarah Jane was originally portrayed as a proponent of women’s lib. Frankel disputed me (She hadn’t seen SJ’s intro) and said that she saw classic Who through her “personal filter,” a modern perspective, and that she was basing a lot of her impression of classic Who women on Polly in Power of the Daleks (which is about as bad as it gets, admittedly). Frankel was planning on covering Charley, had heard of Evelyn, and I also suggested Erimem because (a) PoC and (b) first 50 Main Range are free on Soundcloud. I pointed her towards The Marian Conspiracy as well.

At noon I finally caught Anneke for a quick hug and friendly chitchat; she was so much fun at LI and Regen, and I’m sorry I didn’t see her more this time. She’s really enjoying having a second crack at taking Polly on new adventures and is all excited about an upcoming Short Trip.

12PM -  Loiuse Jameson Interview clashed with the Big Finish roundtable, woe! But I’m not about to miss a minute of Lou. She talked about nearly killing a cameraman with a knife throw (after which Leela’s knife was swapped for a blunt one), about having trouble with Tom until she finally stood up to him in Horror of Fang Rock (but they get along now), and about how Stuart Fell the stuntman discovered sexism on set when he was dressed as her for a stunt and got his bottom pinched twice. Once again she talked about how she modelled Leela’s body language and heightened senses on a little girl she knew upstairs plus her own dog (a pharaoh hound mix). She occasionally had her dog on the set; it was well-behaved except when she was being “attacked,” then they had to put it in another room so it wouldn’t protect her. Also while rehearsing her departure, the dog came over by John Leeson and mimicked his body language, both little doggy heads going down and being sad because Leela was sad. The producer tried to talk Lou into staying, but she refused partly because she wanted to move on, partly because the character of Leela was being weakened and forced to ask lots of "What Doctor/Why Doctor?” questions. She’s really enjoying recording Leela for Big Finish nowadays. I was intrigued to hear about her work on that 1980 series Tenko, a powerful show written by and for women. She’s been working almost continuously all her life. Right now she’s directing a play based on a boy who committed suicide from cyberbullying; producers have contacted her about turning it into a film.

And then as I was leaving I saw the cosplay twins Chihiro and Chieko in their Weeping Angels costume and landed the best con photos I will ever take by waiting for Lou Jameson to come down that hallway. :D

1:30 PM - Scary Monsters and Super Geeks— a tribute to Who fan David Bowie (whom Katy hung out with while dating Jimi Hendrix?! she was part of a wild crowd and enjoyed every minute, clearly). Paul McGann was crestfallen to learn Bowie had turned down the part of the Master for the movie because he was working on something else. They discussed a lot of Bowie’s career; big lovefest. I love the fact that male British actors are more relaxed about remarking on other men’s beauty; Paul referred to Bowie’s “unearthly beauty” while discussing Man Who Fell to Earth.

I had a photo with Lou, Lalla and the REAL, original K-9 (his eyes were lit, although you can’t see it!) Ignore my ghastly posture; look at Lalla and Lou being photogenic and gorgeous!

4.30 PM - Look Where We Are, Look Where We Started was an absolutely amazing panel on the women of Doctor Who ably hosted by Deborah Stanish of Verity! podcast; she managed to ask thoughtful questions tailored to each and every one of: Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson, Anneke Wills, Katy Manning, Katrin Stewart (Jenny Flint), Naoko Mori (Torchwood), Christine Adams (new Who & Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Hattie Hayridge (Holly on Red Dwarf), June Hudson, Daphne Ashbrook. What a lineup. The young and old, working and retired, actors and designers/artists. Can’t possibly summarize it all.

Here’s a few more of my miscellaneous cosplay photos including a greate couple dressed as John Cleese and Whoosername from City of Death.

Wrap-up had everyone come onstage (and dear gods Michael Troughton keeps imitating a cat being sick FAR TOO WELL the goofball), and we filled the auditorium.

Apparently some people kvetched at this con for not having enough guests? True that there have been more Doctors at the other cons I’ve attended, but this was a heck of a lineup, and that still wasn’t all of them— there were Titan comics, EU and new Who people I barely saw. I’m just sorry William Russell had to cancel (and Miles Richardson, who’s filming), as I fear I’ll never see Russ. 

Afterwards I went up for final LobbyCon, where I met @colinbakerstreet​ and @zetasigma​ (sporting the spiffy CIA outfit), plus @d_compare on Twitter (nice academic nerd, notice his Twitter is about half Who and half #resistance). Barnaby was down there too— no, @elvisomar​, he had not brought edibles but was flattered we liked his cooking Tweets! A hug goodbye. 

The Resistance was never far from anyone’s minds, although we spent most of the weekend taking a brain break and hiding from the storm. 

Monday 

Leisurely breakfast. Flight delays out of LAX meant a lot of guests were milling around in the lobby; I saw Lalla, Lou, Matt Irvine, Phillip Hinchcliffe, John Leeson who was delighted at the con experience and chatted cooking with me (he had to get home since he’s the cook in his family). 

I drove home listening to Primeval since it’s easier to focus on driving and not get distracted if I already know and love an audio. And then I collapsed and slept most of the day with a VERY annoyed cat pressed against me and making sure I couldn’t escape.

It was tons of fun, and I’ve met a few new fans to keep up with. I’ve been incredibly depressed and not sleeping well since the inauguration, so a brief break was just what the doctor ordered, sick or no. 

[DISCLAIMER: I wrote this down Monday night and Tuesday after the con, and my memory is by no means perfect.]

[mentallydatingcolinfirth]

Kingsman: Agent Guinevere

Fan fiction I wrote based on the events of the film Kingsman: The Secret Service. I was inspired by the Harry Hart x Reader fan fictions I read and tried my shot at writing.

Disclaimer: Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

[ 1 ] [ 2 ]

She stepped out of the dorm room, with her bags in hand and unsure what to feel. She takes one good look at the base that has served as her home, probably for the last time, before she bids her final farewell to the rest of her team. Right now, it feels like getting stuck in a fire fight on some desolate part of the world is easier than this. 

On the way back to base last night, she received the news that her mum's condition has worsened. Their tour wasn't over yet, but she knew she needs to fly back to England and take care of her mum. 

3 months ago, Riley's mum broke the news that she's diagnosed with leukemia. Riley knew something was off with her mum even before she told her she was sick. Yet her mum kept reassuring her to not to worry too much.

Riley's father wasn't in the picture anymore. She barely remembers him at all. She and her mum rarely talk about him. Her mum was doing her best juggling her duties and responsibilities as a mother and a teacher, there's not much room to dwell with what happened with her father.

When Riley arrived at her mum's flat, she's met with a hug by Ana. Ana is her mum's friend and colleague. Riley walked over to the kitchen to see her mum light up as she saw her, but it was clear as day that her mum is in pain.

As a teenager, Riley was tech savvy and with her experience with intelligence, she decided to get a job as a cyber-security analyst. It certainly wasn't par to her previous job as a SEAL operative. New to the job, she's only been given menial tasks, she's bored out of her mind but on the brighter side, it meant she can take enough time off to accompany her mum on check-ups and treatments. 

Everything was going well despite the situation, or so she thought.

About a year's battle with the disease, Riley's mum passed away in her sleep peacefully. She knew it'll come to this, it wasn't something she was surprised. Nevertheless, she's devastated. But after everything they've been through, she somehow found comfort at thought that her mum's finally free from pain.

Lost and alone, she found working at an 8-to-5 desk job too suffocating. She quit her job and jumped from one to another until she decided to do freelance work. She knew she needs to do something to keep her busy as well as keep up with her finances. Her flat, the bills and the drinks she downs bottle after bottle wouldn't pay for themselves after all.

She's mostly alone, seeing as her friends in England are busy with their own lives and most of her other friends lived overseas. Although, there's the occasional guy she'd meet at the pubs. She would flirt with them for a while, but would make it clear she wasn't interested after realizing this guy is not worth her time.

When she was younger, she might have been a bit of a rebel, but she still kept herself in check. She used to drink only to loosen up. Now, she clings to drinking like her life depends on it. There are days when she’s blackout drunk and there are days when can manage to keep a straight head to work on whatever project she has at the moment.

One day, a former colleague of her mom asked her if she can gather everything she could find about the research in using neurological brainwaves to alter human behavior. Dr. Charleston is old, the concept of the internet is too foreign for him. He mentioned that the research wasn’t published, and that only few people were knows about it. 

Despite it seeming like a boring task, she just had a gut feeling that she should take it. Riley’s not a type-a nerd, but she took interest on the topic. Somehow, this task made her revert her excessive drinking to casual drinks. She wants to focus on this, she went back to training at the local gym and going out on runs to keep her mind and body sharp. 

Months of research yet she wasn’t able to find a lot of new information. Whoever’s behind this kept this in wrap. But why? All she has are parts of the incomplete research. Empty handed, she just stared at the photo of the author and it seems like she’s seen him before, she just couldn't quite put her finger on when and where.

Weeks later, as Riley’s down on the deep web, she stumbled upon another party that’s looking into the same research as she was. Her curiosity grew. What’s so important with this incomplete research? She tried to trace this user, but their security's tight, it’s something she hasn’t seen before. The caliber almost seems like they're intelligence of some sort or maybe just a smart-ass that's smarter than her.

This piqued her interest. She did her best to figure out how and who are these people. Somehow, someway, she managed to hack into a remote device with the same security signature.

Riley saw a live feed of some room. The device she hacked in is a camera, but with some sort of weird shape, it wasn’t square like a normal video feed. It also has some sort of user interface which she’s not familiar with. It’s moving around and then it turned to a guy with blonde hair. It seems like this guy is speaking at the camera, although it kind of looks like he is talking to someone. She grabbed her earphones in hopes that the feed has sounds. 

She heard three different voices, one from the blonde guy and one with a distinct English accent and the other has a Scottish accent. She was astounded when she realized that it wasn’t just a simple camera,  the blonde guy wasn’t speaking at the camera, he was talking to someone. She figured that video shape feed is in the exact same shape as the glasses the blonde guy was wearing, meaning what she’s seeing is what the person wearing the glasses sees at the moment.

"What the fuck was that?!" Riley, a little frantic, quickly closed the feed with the fear that she might be caught hacking them despite the security she set. She hasn’t seen anything like that during her time in the navy. They used cameras and radios strapped into them to communicate and send video feed during missions. But these guys, they have both tech into a pair of glasses?

“No, I’m not going crazy. What I saw is real.” She assured herself. She needs time to process what she saw. She left her flat and took a walk to clear her head. And then she asked herself, 'Do modern villains have to look dapper now? What the fuck did I miss?'

Millions of thoughts are swimming through her mind that is slowly turning to mush. She knew that this was something big. 

She called Dr. Charleston, sounding apologetic. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to find anything useful, all the information that I could dig up was the same everywhere." The guy's too old to handle the truth anyway and she doesn't want him to think that's she's gone crazy.

Spies in suits are not unusual though, but these guys doesn't look like the typical James Bond and Riley needed to know if they're good guys or not.

[severelyfoggytragedy-blog]

MOTIVATIONAL PUBLICATIONS (318 Textbooks)

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After people expenses, Lyft estimates a $170 thousand gross profit in 2015, which it needs to develop in 2016 to about $400 million. Generally in most U.S. K-12 community colleges, a local school board ballots where textbooks to get from a selection of guides that have been authorized from the State Dept of Training. It's possible somebody with an increase of stubbornness could make one of those notion work immediately, but not likely — the reason you can't get anywhere using any of them is really because they truly are not letting you tell the story you really want to inform, lower inside the dirty unconscious. Merely create a sound trusted pack that can handle changes for decades present them upgrades as required, and to come. 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She lives in the world of text onpaper, and her own is written by her. Lastly, she boasts the Wellers requested the books to be fudged by her to costs that are obscure the. Customers commenting on Internet boards claimed digital editions of the Harry Potter books and the books of Ayn Rand's disappearance . superfit-blog.com are not the create-or- factor in a lovely game, nonetheless I” particularly on mobile phones. The variation between the ladies on Waters and my lineup: these ladies learn better-than to try and look like you're 20 when you're 50. Nevertheless it should at least notate ejaculation the increasing activity, and dropping action of the new new. Throughout, you will discover basic books for visitors of ages which were digitized for online reading, as well as directories of headings that are advised that may be acquired at try your library. Instead, it provides as more of a music somebody — a body of operate that the overall gameis created tunes took its hints. 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Sarakiniko Seashore will be the many photographed landscaping within the Aegean - the white boulders that are bright Mimic the moon's outer lining and decayed over time contrasted thus fantastically contrary to the turquoise of the waters that were encompassing. It's really a visible book and all you need to-do is sit back because it's the kinetic sort that does not need any interactions and study. I am hoping this list as well as the books onto it are useful to anyone if you're exceptional ache of a breakup.

[multiracialmedia-blog]

Saint Thomas Vacation: Not What We Were Expecting

For my Letter From the Editor column yesterday, I wrote about my husband’s and my Saint Thomas vacation. In fact, I wrote the column while still on vacation. Today I’d like to share what we did on on our vacation.

Saint Thomas vacation

Paul and I are not your typical vacationers. We don’t seek out the beach and we also don’t cram elevendy million things into our vacations. We take each day as they come and make the best of them. We live less than an hour from the beach (on Puerto Rico) and we have been maybe 5 times since we moved here in 2008.

For this vacation, we had a very specific reason to visit Saint Thomas. Two friends we’d met through our farm website invited us to visit them and see what they were growing and how. Ec0-organic farming, if you haven’t guessed, is a big part of my life.

A Little About Saint Thomas: Vacation and Living There

The largest of the four islands in the USVI (United States Virgin Islands), Saint Thomas boats a population of just under 52,000 people. Shoot! Multiracial Media’s Facebook page has more followers than there are people living on Saint Thomas. First settled in the early 1500s by the Cibony people (who are actually the same tribe of indigenous people who lived on Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Jamaica and Hispaniola known as the Taino), once the Europeans discovered it, like all islands in the Caribbean, it has been a colony of some country for eons.

First the Dutch, then the Danish, even the British (for an entire 13 months) occupied / colonized Saint Thomas. It went back to the Danish in 1815 and in 1917 the United States bought Saint Thomas from the Danish. Like Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas (Saint John, Saint Croix and Water Island) are still colonies of the U.S.

According to the United States Census, the demographic breakdown of Saint Thomas is as follows:

Black or African American 76 %

White 15.6%

Asian 1.4%

Other 4.9% (I have no idea what “other” means. My guess is that it’s a combination of Jewish and Cibony people, although I am not sure.)

Mixed 2.1%

Saint Thomas is the size of Manhattan but with far fewer people.

Our Saint Thomas Vacation Was the Bomb Because of Our Hosts

We only stayed a few days but for two people who hadn’t been on vacation in ten years, it was perfect! Our hosts Eron (pronounced Erin) and Mike couldn’t have been better hosts. For one thing, they are amazing in the kitchen, particularly Mike. Mike has the sort of personality that means he never met a stranger. Dynamic, effusive and very outgoing, if you aren’t happy, Mike will take it personally. It’s probably why he is so successfully in his business (more on that in a bit). I thought I was outgoing, but I have nothing on Mike.

Eron is introverted, like my husband and is really happy when Mike is being animated and the center of attention. Her introversion is why she is successful at what she does. (More on her profession in a bit, too.)

The first night of our Saint Thomas vacation was something we couldn’t have predicted but it was definitely memorable.

American social work students (both under grad and graduate) had been visiting Saint Thomas to look at various agencies around the island. They focused a lot on education and the water problem on the island. Part of their goal was to better understand the political implications of Saint Thomas’s colonial status.

A party was thrown for them on their last night, which was our first night there (Friday) at Shangra La VI: a 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 2000-square foot villa that can accommodate up to 8 people, owned by a woman named Catherine. Catherine is also working with the water utility to help provide safe drinking water for all on the island.

Diana (second from left) with a few of her social worker friends on our Saint Thomas vacation.

Each student talked about the impact their week-long trip had on them. I loved the fact that students spanned the ethnic and racial rainbow. Paul and I chatted with Diana (pronounced Deeahna) Mena, whose family is from the Dominican Republic. She is currently in Washington, D.C. doing an internship at an organization that strives to provide comprehensive immigration and family legal services to low-income members of the Spanish-speaking community in various U.S. cities.

Diana is one of many remarkable young people we met that evening.

The next few days we did things we never get to do at home with a menagerie of animals: we slept late, had someone else cook for us (Mike is really amazing! He ought to consider opening a restaurant), and we also went to three beaches (ironically, since we don’t really like the beach). We ate well (lots of greens) and visited a local bar.

Turning a Saint Thomas Vacation Into a Place to Live

It’s one thing to fall in love with Saint Thomas (or anywhere else) while on vacation, but another to figure out how to make a living there. It’s particularly complex when the place you’ve fallen in love with doesn’t have the same economic base you’re accustomed to. I make a living as a writer and a content marketing agency owner. My clients are mostly all in the United States as few people living here can afford my rates.

Paul works the farm and makes sure we’re fed. You definitely have to be clever and either provide services needed by people living off the island or one that nobody else is doing yet or better on the island.

Our hosts, Eron and Mike, are successful at doing both. Eron is the owner of Nerd for Hire VI. From computer freezes, laptop repair and peripheral support to spyware and malware removal to social media management and expertise with search engine optimization (I already implemented one suggested Eron gave me) and server and network support, as well as NAS and RAID backup, Eron is technical and knows her way around the software and hardware of personal computers and companies’ network systems.

Eron diagnoses and troubleshoots over the phone and makes house and office calls. Eron also does remote entry, so she doesn’t need to be in the same room, let alone the same country to manage a company’s servers. She knows Apple and PC, so no matter what your operating system, she’s proficient.

Mike, by contrast, needs to be around people, not computers.

What are some of the happiest moments of your life? Wedding, engagement party, vacation, family portrait, Mitzvah, Quinceañera, birthday, birth of a baby, milestone birthday, anniversary, retirement? Did I cover most of them?

Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography.

Now think of those moments caught on film by a professional photographer. Mike owns Toes in the Sand Photography. No matter the occasion, Mike can take your once-in-lifetime moment and turn it into a lifetime of memories. Fewer things evoke emotions like a photograph. A glimpse into the past, a moment frozen in time, an opportunity to revisit the best pieces of your life, nothing does this quite like a photograph does.

Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography

Mike’s talent is magical for two reasons: the person taking the shot can make something seemingly ordinary and make it extra special. Not all people behind the camera can do this. As an example, I am not a photogenic person and he made me feel beautiful in this photo of Paul and me.

Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography

  Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography: your destination wedding photographer.

The other thing that makes Mike’s talent a must when shopping for a photographer is that he’s anything but boring. I used to be an event planner and I worked with many photographers. Long on talent and short on personality, the photos some of the photographers I worked with captured something special but there was no soul or depth to the photos. As you can see, there’s warmth and depth to all of these photos.

Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography.

Mike’s personality, his direction, his smile and the way he engages people, mean you want to be drawn in and it shows in the photos he takes.

Saint Thomas Vacation, Toes in the Sand Photography (me with Mike and Eron’s dog, Groucho).

And the Initial Reason We Went to Saint Thomas

Together Mike and Eron provide a service nobody else is providing. They grow greens, like lots and lots of greens: Basil, arugula, lettuces, tomatoes (okay, that’s red), herbs, peppers, eggplants, onions and garlic and many more.

Saint Thomas Vacation, Mike and Eron’s organic garden.

They make various types of bread and from their working garden, they can make some incredible sauces. Their pesto was the best I have ever had!

While we were there, two clients stopped in to buy some of their organic greens. All the meals we ate this past weekend were from their garden.

As you can see, it’s more than possible to make a living on an island you’ve decided will be your forever home.

Well, folks, it’s time to wrap this up. I have babbled on long enough about our Saint Thomas vacation. We had an amazing time and it wasn’t at all what we anticipated.

    Saint Thomas Vacation: Not What We Were Expecting if you want to check out other voices of the Multiracial Community click here Multiracial Media

[newstfionline]

Japan’s trains are in a league of their own. Japan’s subculture of train fanatics is no different.

By Anna Fifield, Washington Post, January 6, 2017

TOKYO--Just as Japan’s trains are in a league of their own, so too are its trainspotters.

This country, where a 20-second delay leads to profuse apologies on the platforms and conductors bow to passengers as they enter the train car, has taken train nerd-dom to a new level.

Sure, there are the vanilla trainspotters who take photos of various trains around the country. They’re called tori-tetsu. (Tori means to take, and tetsu means train.)

But there are also nori-tetsu, people who enjoy traveling on trains; yomi-tetsu, those who love to read about trains, especially train schedules; oto-tetsu, the people who record the sound of trains; sharyo-tetsu, fans of train design; eki-tetsu, people who study stations; and even ekiben-tetsu, aficionados of the exquisite bento lunchboxes sold at stations.

And that’s not even getting into the subcultures of experts on train wiring, the geeks who intercept train radio signals or the would-be conductors.

“It’s really hard to find people here who hate taking trains,” said Junichi Sugiyama, a journalist who writes about trains and the author of train-related books including “How to Enjoy Railroads From Train Schedules.”

“Our railway systems are very well developed despite the small land size and trains are familiar to people. The amount of contact that Japanese people have with trains is very high,” Sugiyama said.

Take Tetsuya Suzuki, a 48-year-old yomi-tetsu who has more than 660 volumes of train timetable books dating back to April 1980. He uses the latest edition--yes, Japan still prints phone-book-size schedules--to map out imaginary journeys just for fun.

He began reading timetables in first grade, and started going out on trips by himself to test his itineraries when he was in second grade.

“I can do my hobby anywhere,” Suzuki said in his apartment, where the living room featured a large train set--he said it was for his young son, who was wearing a sweater with trains on it--and the balcony offered a view of the tracks. “Whether I’m traveling or at home, I can always have my timetable book with me.”

His skill is somewhat in demand. A television program trying to get to seven famous ramen stores around the country in 10 days asked him for advice on the most efficient way to do it--and while the stores were open. Suzuki went through 20-odd different routes before coming up with the perfect itinerary--which he made just for kicks, not for money.

“It’s a good way to relieve stress from work because it’s so completely different from what I do during the day,” said Suzuki, who runs health screening programs for a hospital.

Then there are tori-tetsu like Muneki Watanabe and Katsuhiko Orido, 43 and 49, respectively, who spend many of their weekends taking photos of various trains.

In Japan, there are the famous bullet trains that whiz the length of the country in about the same time it takes Amtrak to get from the District to New York, and the slightly slower but perfectly punctual commuter trains. But there are the special trains: the retro, 1950s-style cars, the cars festooned with leaves in fall or cartoon characters like Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the trains with indoor playrooms or foot spas.

“I can’t explain why, but ever since I was little I’ve been attracted to trains,” said Watanabe, who does sales for a hotel, as the duo headed out on the Tokyo monorail on a recent Sunday. “My parents’ theory is that it was because my grandfather’s house was close to the tracks.”

Orido even chose his current house specifically because it’s close to the tracks--he likes to open the windows and watch the trains. “When I started doing this, I was still using film,” he said. “I have the photos stored in the closet at my parents’ house. The shelves are groaning under the weight.”

The friends like to go places where there are no other tori-tetsu, partly because they like to take different photos, but also because they don’t like the commotion at the most sought-after spots.

“When a rare train comes along, hundreds of people camp out overnight to secure the best spots,” Watanabe said.

Watanabe recalls a trainspotting melee when he was in junior high school: Hustling for the best spot to see a special train, he saw two classmates get into a fight and fall onto the train tracks. (They got up before the train came through.)

The Japanese train system is a microcosm of Japan itself, says Takashi Noda, the author of books including “The Way of Tetsu: Riding, Photographing and Making Carefree Stopovers,” and a nori-tetsu of 60 years.

“Trains and train systems appeal to Japanese people as trains are operated on time and accurately,” Noda said. “Train fans find joy and get excited when they can make a tightly scheduled transfer. For them, trains are not just means of transportation, but their purpose.”

For Takafumi Mochizuki, a 40-year-old radio scriptwriter, it’s the precision of the lunchboxes, not the trains themselves, that is alluring. He always loved eating “ekiben”--a combination of the Japanese words for “station” and “lunchbox”--but now it’s a serious pastime.

“There’s so much effort put into an ekiben. They use local ingredients, so they’re different all over Japan, and they have to figure out how to keep the ingredients good for some hours,” Mochizuki said at the gargantuan Tokyo Station after a day riding the rails.

He’d been out for more than 12 hours and had eaten four ekiben in that time: There was the box containing clams he ate for breakfast; the fisherman’s meal box containing fish and squid that he ate at his first stop; the sea urchin and clam bento from his second; and finally a whale-meat bento.

Mochizuki returned from his journey with four other ekiben, which he planned to take home for dinner with his wife, who isn’t particularly wild about his hobby, he said.

“I think my wife and my friends think it’s strange,” Mochizuki said, admitting that there aren’t many ekiben connoisseurs as fanatical as he is--he even keeps the wrapper of every ekiben he eats.

Another reason for Japan’s train obsession? It’s something that everyone can do, said Hirohiko Yokomi, a well-known train expert who has alighted at every station in Japan.

“This is an easy subject to follow,” he said. “It doesn’t require much effort to ride or take photos, and anyone can get into it easily--even schoolchildren--because Japanese trains arrive on time.”