#selling for $60 instead of the $100

[cortexifansquint]

Hello! Looking for anyone interested in a Lucy Lawless photo-op ticket for the upcoming Xenites Reunion Weekend in Burbank this month. I bought it a year ago but am sadly unable to make the full trip down as it's too costly (flight, hotels tickets to the con itself). They're sold out now and Creation doesn't give refunds so if anyone is interested shoot me an ask!

[steviewashere]

I shouldn't have to buy more storage for my fucking fic edits to be saved to the Cloud, Apple.

I shouldn't have to funnel more money into your seemingly bottomless pockets. Especially since the computer I'm using to fucking type on is roughly $1000 retail.

You can suck my fucking dick. And shove your iCloud subscriptions where the sun doesn't shine.

[vintagegeekculture]

I remember a friend of mine had some LPs that were Star Wars themed disco albums, and it brought back a very weird memory from back in the 70s (yes, I'm old!) of listening to a Star Wars disco mashup on the radio. What was all that about? I also remember something like that for Close Encounters, too.

You remember correctly, and this went on for a long while. In 1983, disk jockeys around the country played a record that involved an Ewok rapping the plot of Return of the Jedi in Ewokese. This made it to #60 in the Billboard Top 100.

This is hard to explain to people who weren’t there….but in the wake of Star Wars in the late 70s and early 80s, scifi was so beloved and mainstream that the orchestral music for nerdy scifi and fantasy movies about outer space were remixed and sampled into Giorgio Moroder-esque Italo-Disco dance numbers. And the most astonishing thing is, instead of being consigned to convention acts the way “horse famous” Brony dubstep acts are, this received national airplay on the radio, reached the pop music charts, and were played in discotheques. And incredibly, this continued for years and expanded from Star Wars into Star Trek, Wizard of Oz, Black Hole, Close Encounters���.

All of this was the work of one specific person: Meco (or Dominico Monardo). The term “ahead of their time” is thrown around a lot, but Meco really was: a combination producer-songwriter and Italo-Disco pioneer in the style of Giorgio Moroder, he did several things that are now absolutely standard: he used remixes and sampling before hiphop made that standard for musicians, he wrote “fandom music” on a Moog synthesizer decades before Bronies turned their conventions into cringey dubstep concerts with songs like “Everypony Dance Now.”

It's stunning to me that Meco has not been rediscovered, considering every single trend in the culture essentially went his way.

The most startling thing about Meco’s Star Wars disco album, the one that got the ball rolling on this trend, is this: I always assumed it was some kind of cash in created by a record label mandate, a label executive’s completely cynical choice to hop on a hot new trend. That isn’t a crazy thing to think at all, since Star Wars is and always has been the most merchandized and sold out scifi property ever. But it wasn’t! You see, it was all the product of a single man’s specific vision: Meco had to convince his record label to make the record because they were skeptical.

When Meco went to see Star Wars in 1977 on Opening Day (what an experience that must have been) with his friend and fellow Italian chest hair/gold medallion enthusiast Tony Bongiovi, he was already an experienced producer-songwriter who had worked with Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, and formed DCA, the Disco Corporation of America. If you've ever listened to Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out," Meco actually played the trombone solo in that song. Seeing the Star Wars movie for the first time, though Meco thought the movie was nothing short of a religious experience. Originally, he wanted to do Star Wars music as a b-side on a Gloria Gaynor album, but expanded the idea into an entire album.

In Meco’s own words:

"When I think about what I did, nobody came to me, nobody said 'Meco, why don't you do this.' Nobody says 'Here's some money go make a record of this movie.' It was just my own... It was magical, it was just out of this world when all that happened."

Not only did this album hit platinum, not only did it actually outsell the Star Wars soundtrack, his remix of the Star Wars theme also went to #1 in the charts. It’s actually the best selling instrumental single of all time. A record, that, incidentally, it holds to this day.

Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, had this to say about Meco:

"In 1977, Meco Monardo accomplished something no one else has ever done to the best of my knowledge. He was the first one in history to out-sell the soundtrack of a motion picture with his own distinctive version of a film's music. The music was totally danceable, and broke new ground. It's no wonder the STAR WARS THEME went to # 1. I loved his treatment of music from THE WIZARD OF OZ. Again, Meco created something innovative. The fun and the excitement gave a whole new feel to that totally familiar and well-loved music."

Like a lot of studio producers, Meco had an insane work ethic and hit when the iron was hot: he did an album about Close Encounters that exact same year, but also did a Star Wars Christmas Album, one of the strangest pieces of Star Wars kitsch around.

One of the most interesting things about the Star Wars Christmas album is that one of the songs, “R2D2’s Wish You a Merry Christmas” is the first professional vocals by John Bon Jovi, who was Meco’s friend Tony Bongiovi’s seventeen year old younger cousin (he was initially known as John Bongiovi). It's incredible to hear a squeaky voiced teen Bon Jovi on a kitsch album about a robot Christmas.

1978-1979 was really his best year. Meco made an Italo-Disco remix album entirely devoted to Superman, and at this point, Meco had the pull to get access to John Williams's sheet music for the score before the music even came out. In my personal opinion it's the best of them because he has to recreate it entirely with his own instruments, leading to a very unique sound.

He also did an album based on the Wizard of Oz:

And a combination album of Star Trek/Black Hole. It's probably the earliest remixing date of Goldsmith pieces of music: the Motion Picture Theme (which is now associated with the Next Generation - hearing it done in Italodisco is uncanny) and the Klingon Theme:

Incidentally, I think the design here of the Meco Enterprise, which had to be modified for legal reasons, would make a wonderful canon starship if anyone wants to be inspired by it. It reminds me of the same concept that would be used in the very next film for the Reliant-class of ships.

Meco eventually retired from music in 1985, but unfortunately he is no longer with us, as he passed into the next dimension in 2023. I think he showed us that creativity is often about transformation, and was inspired to make his art by a legitimate awe of space, the cosmos, and human imagination that the scifi movies of the 1970s and 80s provoke.

[mydollsaregay]

new ag historical releases, let's go!!!!

nanea

nanea's volunteer outfit is $36 and her care kit accessories are $40.

nanea got an outfit that is both cute and story-relevant (according to some other folks, i haven't gotten to her books yet)! that's pretty hype, man! this is a pretty cute fit - it comes in multiple parts (shirt, skirt with suspenders, and tie), which is a bonus, too. it's not 100% my style, but i'll definitely be picking it up at some point (i'll likely wait for a sale, though). the only thing i actively dislike is her bow barette. it's not that i think it's historically inaccurate or anything (i don't think it's inaccurate, but idk), i just am personally not a fan of plastic bows. that's fine though, i'll just replace it with a ribbon.

now, nanea's accessories on the other hand are OUTSTANDING. all the little items are so incredibly cute. my only wish would be for less plastic, and real leather instead of faux leather, but that ain't happening in this era of ag. i love all the little items, and i love that the flashlight really works! i'll definitely be picking this up.

maryellen

maryellen's 2-in-1 outfit is $36, her dinner accessories are $36, and her stove is $125.

maryellen received a new playsuit outfit, finally!!! i'm so excited to have more clothes for her that it looks like she can actually play in! it's really cute, too. it's not my favorite color scheme for her, unfortunately, but i can work with it. i still think her originally vacation playsuit and her strawberry outfit are superior (and suit her coloring better), but this is plenty cute.

her accessories and stove are cute enough, but just not for me. i don't really have anything else to say about them.

melody

melody's salon outfit is $36, her salon accessories are $40, and her salon chair set is $150.

melody's got pants! i love a historical outfit with pants, and this is no exception. once again, the color scheme isn't my most favorite, but it's still super cute. i'll definitely be getting it when i have a chance. i'm also just. so relieved that the poor girl isn't getting cubed. i was worried, with the lack of releases, but this makes me very happy to see.

her salon accessories are bit steep for having no complex pieces, imo. i'd be interested in having them for my melody, but if i don't get the chance to pick them up, it'll be fine. i don't do a lot of different haristyles on my dolls, so i'm not really the target audience here. i do love that the instruction booklet for the hairstyles is made to look like it's from the 60's as well. if this set goes on a major sale, i'll pick it up then.

i'm shocked and pleased that our girl melody got a major play set! it's a pretty cool set. those magazines are awesome, though it's a shame they're gated behind such a big ticket item. the hot comb is so fun. idk how this set will do, but i'm glad ag though melody was worth it. (kinda sad when that's surprising to me but. these are the times we live in.)

overall

i am very happy with this release! i think there's a lot here to please both kids and collectors. i can see myself picking up all of the outfits and most of the accessories at some point, given sales, reward points, gift certificates, etc. I'm not interested in the big ticket items or maryellen's cooking accessories, but that's fine. they aren't meant for me.

while i think all of the outfits are cute, they do follow the color scheme of recent ag releases: they all look a bit like they got run through a "pastel-izer" machine. i get that pastels are fun and cute, (and they likely sell well considering ag keeps doing em), but i'd love a bit more variety. i'm hoping it's a "springtime release" thing, and we might get some more saturated/deeper/darker colors on a historical release this fall or winter. honestly, im also just hoping we get ANY historical release this fall or winter.

things had been pretty quiet with historicals for quite some time before this drop, and tariffs are going to start kicking in sometime soon, so i am going to continue to expect the worst while hoping for the best.

in the end, this release is pretty great!

[sexisbetteronthemoon]

Hi! i've made an introductory post!

he/him/his

known as:

sibotm author

anon

red

you can call me whatever the fuck you want tbh

old enough to have been worried about y2k, but young enough not to understand who darren is or why it matters that there was more than one.

and that's enough on me, this blog is for my klance writings. sometimes i post excerpts, progress updates, ficlets, and silliness.

all questions welcome (including nsfw), but leave fandom drama at the door. i don't care what's going on, i have a life and i'm busy writing.

↓ read further for tags/fic/writing stuff ↓

--

ao3 fics posted so far:

Change Ringtone For Keith Kogane? (25,778 words, rated T)

younger ceo Keith who takes his assistant for granted. older assistant Lance who gets tired of being taken for granted and leaves. happy ending.

Sex is Better on the Moon (181,908 words so far, rated E)

half galra Keith who lives like a total hermit. half altean Lance who gets stranded with only Keith for help. happy ending. (music post, spotify playlist, if you have a suggestion, send it in!)

use #sibotm spoilers to filter them out

Dog Days (35,502 words, rated E)

summer vacation fic where Lance gets a dog, gets asked out for the first time, and meets his soulmate, not exactly in that order. it's a magical experience.

DNI: Lance (1,473 words, rated T)

Lance finds Keith's socmed and proceeds to ask him about it. he finds out far more than he meant to.

When the Dust Settles, Soft and Unheard (1,360 words, rated T)

Lance gets dolled up for a picnic date. untagged, watch out.

--

tags to watch, plus its and bits:

answered asks

color chat for group chat shenanigans

polls

excerpts from wips

is red writing things for ficlets, thoughts etc

music (spotify playlist for sibotm)

all sibotm stuff

sibotm worldbuilding only

sibotm art

change ringtone for keith kogane & extras

wedding stuff, pregnant Lance

dog days & extras

if Lance was transformed instead

wips: (as of July 2, 2025)

lmtmll a.k.a. hostage - wip (next in line to be posted bc y'all voted for it)

100% drafted, undergoing edits, @ 45k

iakoawsad a.k.a. interrupted/bunny!Lance - wip

90% drafted, @ 54k

heavy metal heart a.k.a. music - wip

70% drafted, @ 77k

basket - wip

100% drafted, @ 25k

money - wip

95% drafted, @ 5k

the gardener - wip

78% drafted, @ 23k

that one really long fic i'm going to dismantle and sell for parts a.k.a. the scientist - wip

60% drafted, pending complete rewrite, @ 168k

dizzy, dizzy, dizzy a.k.a. zombie fic - wip

92% drafted, @ 7k

wanna go steady? - wip

100% drafted, @ 3k

tcbae - wip

100% drafted, undergoing edits, @ 10k

F.A.Q.:

“Will you ever reveal yourself/your fics/your other fandoms?”

not likely, but you can try and ask. :)

“What writing program do you use?”

Ellipsus. more info here.

“Can I send you an ask even if I don't know you?”

none of you know me, so yeah, go ahead.

“How long will [fic] be?”

buddy, i have no idea. i just write until it's complete and all is resolved.

“Lance?”

yeah, Lance. 🥰

[genderisareligion666]

Gyns I hate to do this from this account instead of main but I need help fast getting my ancient Lexus out of impound, I couldn't drive it to my court date involving the ex who attacked me this Friday because it can't even go a few miles without stopping rn and I just use it to drive to and from the train and store and was about to sell it for parts to pay rent

It's my fault I left it there and forgot thinking I'd parked it down the street like usual and walked to the station, having to go back to where I was attacked is bad on the amnesia but my lawyer is saying that was the last time at least. Also last week I was short on my gabapentin which is the most effective fibromyalgia painkiller and went from taking the maximum you can take a day to the minimum so I could barely move at first, by Friday my brain fog must've been stupid

I haven't been home basically at all since court because while the results were slightly better than I expected I needed to emotionally collapse and like finally deal with what happened and needed to be around my safe people who know about the DID to do that. Got back home today and switched alters some and realized I fucked up majorly with the car

I have about $200 now towards impound but tomorrow will be either day 5 or 6, I can't get an actual total until they open tomorrow but I think he said it was $60 a day. I get paid about $100 on Friday but that won't be enough by then and if they charge some other kinds of fees for the tow itself or some other bullshit

Tomorrow I will update this with that and if any of you can send even $5 anything will help rn 🙏🏽 DM me for Venmo or PayPal, and if you're willing to lend it to me I can pay you back whenever my tax return comes

[milkweedman]

NEED TO MAKE RENT SALE

As you may have seen I'm selling some of my handspun yarn, along with some fleece, batts, rolags, and other odds and ends. I'm really short on rent this month, largely due to having so many flare up days that working was almost impossible. So, I'm selling some of my work in the hopes that I can still make rent somehow. I need over $500.

Im also linking to my kofi. If you don't wish to buy anything but still want to help me make rent--which I would appreciate so much <3

I'll be updating this post as I sell things so please make sure to click back to my original post to check if it's still available. First come first serve. Unless otherwise stated, all shipping is $5 USD to within the USA. If you're outside of the USA please let me know--shipping will likely be between $30-50 USD depending on to where, but I am happy to work with you if you're interested.

PLEASE DM ME IF YOU WANT TO BUY SOMETHING <3

YARNS (please ignore the slips of paper, ive given everything a nice label now)

A: 572 yards/ 480 meters. 5.75 oz/ 165 grams. 2 ply, approximately DK weight. Silk and merino blend assembled by myself. There are stripes of different greens which are arranged to be bigger at one end than the other, so a triangle shawl (working from the correct end of yarn) will have stripes that are more or less even instead of getting thicker near the narrow end of the shawl. I don't know how noticeable the effect will be, though. Silky soft and shines beautifully in the sun. $100 USD or best offer.

B: 175 yards/160 meters. 2 oz/ 57 grams. 2 ply, light fingering weight to sport weight. Luxury blend of alpaca, cormo, debouillet, silk, silk noil, angora, and cashmere. Very textured due to how I plied it and some noils, but also extremely soft and with lovely drape. Next to skin soft. $60 USD or best offer. SOLD

C: 176 yards/160 meters. 2.25 oz/64 grams. 2 ply, light worsted. Merino, silk, silk noil, angora, and mystery wool blend. Next to skin soft, lots of different colors, and good drape. $50 USD or best offer. SOLD

D: 152 yards/130 meters. 2 oz/57 grams. 3 ply, light worsted. Cormo, alpaca, and merino blend. This yarn was arranged into a stripey gradient--white stripes separating a light purple to dark purple gradient. 3 ply. Incredibly soft--would be perfect for a hat or cowl. $55 USD or best offer.

E: 100 yards/91 meters. 2.5 oz/71 grams. Traditional 3 ply, aran/bulky weight. Romney 3 ply. Durable, squishy, and warm, but not particularly soft. Would make a great hat or gloves. $35 USD or best offer SOLD

F: 140 yards/128 meters. 1.75 oz/50 grams. Traditional 3 ply, fingering weight. Beautiful BFL yarn in autumn colors. Due to the traditional 3 ply the colors constantly shift and change. Very soft and with good drape. $45 USD or best offer. SOLD

G: 325 yards/300 meters. 4 oz/115 grams. 2 ply, fingering weight. Wool, silk, silk noil, alpaca, and Angelina blend. Very textured but soft and drapey. $80 USD or best offer.

H: 166 yards/145 meters. 2 oz/57 grams. 2 ply worsted weight. Targhee, BFL, Angelina blend. Incredibly soft and drapey. Fuzzy and lightly underplied for maximum softness (so a little delicate). Next to skin quality. $45 USD or best offer.

(I'll accept the highest offer I get in a timely manner, so if you really want something and think other people also want to buy it, you can offer more to potentially guarantee you get it. Or offer less, and get it for cheaper if nobody else wants it. Although I wont accept very low offers, sorry.)

BATTS AND ROLAGS. These all contain several large handfuls of milkweed floss, because why not. Very fun and soft to spin.

A. 0.75 oz/21 grams. Romney, BFL, silk, bamboo, Targhee, milkweed floss. Somewhat soft, would be very soft if plied with a fine fiber. Lots of purples and blues, with small amounts of rainbow. Should yield a heathered, smooth yarn except for bumps of milkweed floss. $15 USD or best offer. SOLD

B. 0.75 ounces/21 grams. Naturally dyed Shetland combing waste (yellow), BFL, silk merino, milkweed floss. Many different colors arranged in stripes--yellow and blue primarily. Should yield a textured yarn due to the combing waste, but also lofty and colorful. Fairly soft and very squishy. $15 USD or best offer.

C: 0.5 oz/14 grams. Tussah silk, BFL, merino, merino combing waste, milkweed floss. Very soft. Majority tussah silk which is charcoal black. The other colors are dark purple, a few streaks of red, and the shining white from the milkweed floss. Should spin up to a fine and soft yarn. I am also able to make more of these, which would be the same weight and price and matching the original as closely as possible. Let me know if you want several. $12 USD or best offer. SOLD -- but i can make more, if youre interested !

D: 0.5 oz/14 grams. Merino combing waste, merino, BFL, silk, milkweed floss. Buttery soft. Mostly dark brown with purple, blue, and white streaks. I can make several identical ones if desired, for the same price each. $12 USD or best offer. SOLD -- but i can more, if you're interested !

E: 0.5 oz/14 grams. BFL merino, mystery wool and milkweed floss blend. This has stripes of purple and blue, suspended a squishy mystery combing waste. Should yield a fine but squishy yarn. $10 USD or best offer. SOLD

If I sell all or most of these I will make some more !

FLEECE. I am selling by the ounce (28 grams). I'm also willing to process these into fluffy hand carded rolags or fine hand combed top as desired, which will cost extra depending on how difficult the fiber is to process.

A. Jacob lambswool. Very soft but lots of large vm (so, easy to pick out) and nepps/noils. Those will stay in the fiber unless combed, so this tends to produce a very soft, bumpy yarn. I love this fleece but I just can't seem to use it up. Primarily dark brown, but I also have some white and mixed as well. I have about 8 ounces. Washed but still a tiny bit greasy (just to my preference). $3 an ounce.

B: Rambouillet. I have almost a pound of this stuff. Incredibly buttery soft. Like touching seafoam. But it has a ton of fine VM, so it can only be cleaned either lock by lock on hand cards or combed. I am willing to clean it for you. Takes a long time to get into a spinnable state but it is SO worth it. $2 an ounce. SOLD

C: Breed unknown. Some sections are salmon pink, others closer to hot pink. Not much vm, can be combed open lock by lock on hand cards or combed into top. Yields a silky, strong, hairy yarn. Willing to process for you (this would be one of the cheaper ones to do, it's very easy). I have 5 ounces. $2 an ounce. SOLD

D & E: These are both rya lambswool, naturally dyed with yellow onion skin (the bright yellow one with alum, the copper one with copper). Very soft and silky, spins up to a surprisingly robust yarn. Absolute treat to work with. Some vm but the nature of this fleece causes the vm to fall out pretty easily. I have about a pound total. Will process for you. Washed and dyed by myself. $5 an ounce. D IS SOLD, E IS STILL AVAILABLE

F: Sunshine Shetland. Very soft and fine. Naturally dyed, again with onion skins. The tips are somewhat felted and need to be pulled off, which is quick and easy. If combed lock by lock and then spun that way you can get a subtle gradient of orange to yellow with each lock... absolutely gorgeous. Will process for you. I have about 10 ounces. Washed and dyed by myself. $5 per ounce. SOLD

G: Red Hampshire. Not neon red like in the picture, more of a brick red. Very soft and foamy. Some vm. Easy to process on hand cards by combing lock by lock or turning into a rolag. Washed and dyed (using food coloring) by myself. I only have an ounce and a quarter--which is $6 for all of it. SOLD

COMBING WASTE GRAB BAGS

These are 1 ounce bags of primarily combing waste (so, short fibers and likely some vm) along with other interesting scrap such as mohair locks, colorful merino, and sometimes the occasional single rolag. Lots of the colors are naturally dyed by myself. Great for turning into rolags or using for batt fodder. These are $5 USD if you're buying more than one item (that could be yarn, another grab bag, some fleece, etc) or $10 USD each if you are only buying a single grab bag.

SPINDLES

Lastly, I'm also selling some spindles. A-C are whittled and decorated by myself. D is a beautiful Dealgan which I never could figure out how to use.

A. Supported spindle carved from a fruit tree. I gave it a steeple shape, which does make it slow to spin with. Really enjoyable for special spins that you want to do slowly and thoughtfully. Small spindle, about the length of my hand. $55 USD or best offer.

B. Onion dome supported spindle. Very light for its size, so it can hold a decent cop on it. Small spindle--about the length of my hand. $50 USD or best offer. SOLD ! thank you 🩵🩵🩵

C: Larch spindle. This one has lots of beautiful spalting, as well as being woodburned. Also the length of my hand. Has a very distinct feel to it, sort of in an alive way. $90 USD or best offer.

D: Lightning Dealgan. I got it for $50 and it's basically unused, so reselling for $50 USD. Very heavy and smooth.

And thats it ! If you don't want to buy anything but still wish to help me make rent, you can also donate to my kofi, which would mean the world to me <3

[taylor-on-your-dash]

SCANS FOR MARIE CLAIRE UK - NOVEMBER 2012

SCANS ORIGINALLY FROM EL RINCON DE TAYLOR

Conducted on July 18th 2012 in New York.

[My Transcript for my interview spreadsheet] 'Music Is Everything That I Am'

Speaking her mind with her lyrics hasn't done

TAYLOR SWIFT any harm. She's dating a Kennedy and is the world's richest young celebrity, leaving even Rihanna and Gaga trailing behind.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID ROEMER. STYLING BY JAYNE PICKERING WORDS BY TONY HORKINS

Taylor Swift is feeling the burn. With a new album on the horizon and a promotional schedule to rival that of a presidential nominee, she thought she'd prepare with a little extended time in the gym. But while she's been busy eyeling to nowhere, strutting her stuff on the cross-trainer and working extra hard on those abs, her body has said a big thank you by delivering a cough. The result? A pain like a sashimi knife through the ribs with every convulsion.

I thought that if I don't get my stamina up, I'd just be passing out from exhaustion, she says mid hack, holding her torso tightly as if it were about to split open from the pain. 'Working out is hard and I don't like it, but I do it because I am about ready to go crazy promoting stuff, flying all over the world. But, she splutters again, "the pain!"

Taylor has brought her 'no pain no gain' attitude to NYC, flying in from her native Nashville for a day of primping, pouting and posing for Marie Claire. After the shoot, she's slipped into her own clothes-polka-dot, slim-fit J Brand jeans, Pretty Ballerinas gold flats, Helmut Lang white linen shirt, light Gorman sweater and a blue polka-dot headhand she picked up from Urban Outfitters for less than a tenner. The look is all very late 50s/early 60s modern gal on the go I'm obsessed with it right now," she says. "I can't get enough of going to vintage shops and buying dresses."

Not that she's going to have much time for that over the next... well, who knows-50 years? Swift is in it for the long haul. A singing, writing smiling, hit-making machine, her outrageously successful career since releasing her 2006 eponymous debut album at just 16 years old has smashed multiple records and won her more than 100 awards worldwide, including an impressive six Grammys.

The week before we meet she hits another milestone: being named by Forbes magazine as the highest-paid celebrity under the age of 30, beating the musical heavyweights that are Bieber, Gaga, Rihanna and Perry and pulling in a wallet-straining 857 million in a single year of work. That's a pretty impressive day rate.

"Yes, I heard about that and I think. I called my dad and said, "How did that happen? she says. "I just wake up every day and go about my life and do what's on the schedule. I don't think in terms of how much money it's making. 1 just knew the crowds were getting bigger and the shows were selling out faster. For something like that to come out is certainly unexpected and nice."

While most may feel a $57 million pay day to be a little more than 'nice", Swift has never been motivated by the cash, despite attracting it by the shedload. Instead, as a pre-teen living in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania- famous for being the home of American commercial giants like Toys R Us and Old Navy she had her sights set on Nashville, the hub of country music giants such as The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain and Faith Hill.

While the young Swift may not have been the first American schoolgirl to dream of life as a country singer, she may be the first to have convinced her parents to move across the country and relocate to Nashville to pursue her aspirations. At just 14 years old, most of us were barely able to convince our parents to let us stay up late, let alone ap roots and move across the country I know she agrees, smiling at the memory. I was just constant, non-stop annoying, perpetually bringing it up. At this point I'd been playing shows every weekend, and then most nights in coffee houses, and my parents saw that I was so obsessed, that I wasn't going to drop it, that it wasn't some adolescent phase." On one of their regular trips to the southern state, Swift's mother found a house on a lake and, knowing her husband had a penchant for boats, she finally managed to convince him to make the move. They were far removed from the classic showbiz parents: mother Andrea was a stay-at-home mum, her father Scott a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. Now, Swift says, they're very involved.

"My parents were thrown into this they never had any desire for me to do music," she says, 'itut now my dad tells me what to invest in and what not to, and my mum has a great marketing mind she always has a good gut instinct on things.

Brother Austin, who at 20 is two years her junior, is also involved in the family business: while studying at college he works freelance as a photographer for Getty Images. Some of his Taylor pics have appeared in People and Rolling Stone magazines.

The instinct to make the big move turned out to be a wise one for the whole family: shortly after hitting Nashville -and still only 14 years old-Taylor got a job at Sony Publishing as a songwriter.

I would go to school during the day and then Mum would pick me up and I'd go and write songs at Sony in this office after school, she says. It really taught me about songwriting."

It's been Swift's songwriting that's really got her noticed, and in more than a little trouble too. Her three albums-and her soon-to-be-released fourth, Red -are spilling over with pre-and post-teen confessionals, occasionally naming names and always casting blame. With a love life that's like a roll call of young Hollywood-exes include Joe Jonas she wrote Better Than Revenge about his ex girlfriend, Camilla Belle). Taylor Lautner Rack To December is suspected to be about him and is written as something of an apology), Jake Gyllenhaal (who broke up with her over the phone and may have had the song Mean penned about him) and John Mayer her Deur fohn track apparently 'humiliated the singer and guitarist) she's entirely unapologetic about turning her experiences into verses and choruses.

She also went on to write about the incident with Kanye West. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards the rapper stormed the stage as she was accepting her award for best video, stealing her shining moment by shouting, 'But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!" into the mic while Taylor was trying to thank her fans. It became a national news story, with even President Obama chiming in to call West 'a jackass. Taylor got her revenge in the song Innocent; on the CD's lyric sheet, where Swift always puts coded messages in capital letters, the letters spell out life is full of little interruptions".

Meanwhile, her most recent single which broke Lady Gaga's record to become the fastest single to reach number one on iTunes ever- has the brutally illustrative title of Together (which includes the rather abulous lyric, And you will hide away nd find your peace of mind with some nidie record that's much cooler than mine). Does she issue a warning at the beginning of a relationship, something ke: just beware that if you piss me off, twill be used in a song against you?

"Ha!l Well it's not like it's in fine print," she grins, "but music is absolutely everything that I am and everything that I stand for. It's not my fault if someone gets into a relationship with me and then cheats and I write a song about it."

Unapologetic, she's most recently been seen at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port on the arm of Conor Kennedy, grandson of the late Robert Kennedy and part of a family that's the closest America has to royalty. Despite the age difference at 18 years old Conor is Sour years her junior and still at boarding school-Taylor seems to be throwing herself into the relationship, and has even been rumoured to have purchased $5 million mansion next to the Kennedy family estate (now that's smitten).

What's more, the love-in between Swift and the usually private Kennedys seems mutual: Conor's grandmother Ethel says the family would be "lucky' to have Swift as a future family member, while the singer herself says the only time she's been star struck was when she first met Ethel.

Regardless of her standing in America's original First Family (you've got to admit "Taylor Kennedy has a sort of ring to it) she says that love is something I've always been fascinated by, ever since I was a little kid". And despite the well-documented failures, both in the press and on her records, she still loves the idea of love.

Even after it explodes into a million pieces and burns down and you're standing in a pile of the ash of what it once was thinking, "Why did I have to meet this person, why did this have to happen? she says, momentarily pausing for breath. 'But then, when you make eye contact with someone across the room and it clicks and, bam, you're there. In love again."

Does she fall in love easily?

'Not if it's the wrong person, yes if it's the right person," she says after an extended pause.

She says her experiences both good and bad have taught her plenty, and that she now knows when to walk away and how to be a better person in the process. Which begs the question: why, having been burned by high-profile types who virtually scream 'this a bad idea' does she keep inviting trouble and dipping back into that dating pool? After all, these are not people known for having an interest in the meaningful, long-term relationships she craves.

I agree with everything you're saying she says slowly, a smile creeping over her face. I think I have to trust that you end up with the person you're supposed to end up with, and that everything in between is there to teach you stuff. Plus it makes for great stories when you're older The way things are going for Taylor Swift, she'll be able to write a whole anthology of stories by the time she hits her thirties. She's got no plans to stop this train rolling, but she does have her sights set on a life beyond the globetrotting. She may have blown. some of that hard-carned cash on a house, a condo and a car, but the rest is earmarked for a more settled future.

That money will be really good for sending my kids to college some day-or maybe I'll have a few more kids than I thought,' she muses. "I want a bunch of them running around, minimum four. I want to wait a while, but... the idea of pouring everything you are into another person when you become a parent has always been amazing to me.

She says that a lot of the choices she makes are ultimately for what her kids. would think one day.

That factors into everything 1 do,' she says. "They're going to have computers and they're going to be able to read what I said in this interview.

She's right there: Taylor's digital footprint has enormous reach. She's been using her MySpace, Twitter and Facebook accounts to communicate with her fans from the beginning of her career, and insists that she does all the updates herself. 'What else am I doing when I wake up early?" she says. The attention to detail is paying off she currently has around 34 million Facebook 'likes', her Twitter feed has nearly 18 million followers and her MySpace page has had a staggering 120 million views. All followers are treated to daily updates and insights into the minutiae of her life. All of which makes Taylor Swift one very busy pop star, a star with one wish left to fulfil: to stop over-analysingand just to enjoy. She says she's already spent way too much time thinking too hard about what others think of her, and she's decided it's time to stop. At some point you have to snap yourself out of it and go, "You know what? Right now your level of insecurity is bordering on vain. Stop it." That's when I stop myself and go, "Everything's fine, your family's healthy, life is good."

[https-hunter]

How I think characters from ghosts would vote in the US 2024 presidential election

- Sam & Jay vote for Kamala. They, along with June and Ally, are the only ones in the neighborhood to do so

- Alberta is 100% for Kamala. She loves the Jamaican rep and uses her TV time on interviews with her

- Hetty is still appalled by the fact that Sam *can* vote, but she has long-standing beef with the Trump family and she’s in her feminist era so she approves of Kamala (though it takes her a second and a *very* long conversation with Alberta to get there)

- Pete loves Tim Walz. Enough said

- Thorfinn doesn’t believe in democracy, so he really doesn’t care. Whoever’s not Danish has his vote

- Flower is for Kamala for obvious reasons, but she also remembers meeting a very snobby young adult Trump in New York in the 60s. She would somehow accidentally vote for Patience, the worm, though

- Isaac is thrilled every time an election rolls around. Watches every debate and televised rally. Hosts his own stump speeches to weigh the options out. He thinks anyone who votes red is for the redcoats and tries to get everyone to vote blue for the patriots. Though, when it comes down to it, he would write his name on the ballot if he could

- Sasappis doesn’t really care (since he can’t vote, because, dead) and often points out how flawed each candidate is. He would quietly vote for Kamala and watch the election drama unfold in the house

- Trevor initially remembers Trump as being cool in the 90s, but the second Sam catches him up to speed, he switches. He ends up voting somehow on the ipad & sells political merch for stocks

- Nigel is just annoyed by the "yankee" antics. And that the British elections don’t reach America. So Sam makes him some tea & promises to tell him when the UK elections are and he feels better

- Jenkins & Baxter literally have no clue what’s going on until Carol tells them. Carol strikes me as a Trumper

- Stephanie wouldn’t be old enough to vote. She would turn everyone against each other by telling them that someone in the house is against their vote, when, in fact, they’re not and go back to sleep before the results are even out

- Crash is missing for the entirety of the election

- Elias would vote for Trump and sends campaign emails out of Hell

- Patience thinks the election process is sinful and just prays the entire time

- Nancy & Stuart get into a fight & divide the cholera ghosts. They don’t even know who’s running

- Mark & his wife vote for Kamala. They're the only ones that are pretty normal about all this

- The Farnsbys own MAGA merch and donate to Trump’s campaign. They don’t understand the voting technology and just don’t vote. They play pickleball instead

- Randy (yes, the pickle guy) is surprisingly voting for Kamala. His pickle business wasn’t doing well under Trump and he blames the government for it. He also hears Jay is voting for her and he *has* to support his best friend

[j-richmond]

Taking our TTRPG to Origins, part 1

This week my brother Nick and I are taking our TTRPG The Magical Land of Yeld to Origins Game Fest in Columbus, OH.

This is a big deal for us. It's the first large show we've taken our game to. Here's what we had to do to get ready:

1. We applied for Origins nearly a year ago and were accepted last Fall. The booth space is expensive (about $1000? I don't remember exactly). Booths come with absolutely nothing. Just an empty 10 X 10 space surrounded on 3 sides by black drape. The con facilitator sells booth packages from $500 to $17000 (in addition to the cost of the booth). For real. The cheapest option gets you a 6 foot folding table, 2 folding chairs and a small trash bin. That's it. We can't afford that, so instead our plan is to stop by Walmart when we get into town and buy a table and 2 chairs for 60 bucks. We'll return them after the show.

2. We don't live in Columbus. We live across the country in Portland. So we had to get all of our stuff to the show, and us too. We're coming to Origins to sell, so that means transporting a LOT of product. 100 hardcover books. 180 softcover expansions. 200 resin miniatures. 30 GM screens. Are we expecting to sell all that? IDK. But Origins is a huge show, so our hopes are high.

We also need to transport our display. That's a large wire book rack. 2 banners, a display case and a box of odds and ends. In total its nearly 500 pounds of stuff. So, how do we get it to Origins?

Option A: Drive to Origins. We load everything in Nick's car and spend 3 days driving to the show. This means 3 days of gas, 3 days of lodging and 3 days if food (and the same back). Plus we show up to the show exhausted.

Option B: Ship our stuff, fly our bodies. We originally thought we'd pack everything on a pallet and ship it to the convention center. That's a service offered by the con facilitators. But we priced it out and the cost was about $4200!!! The shipping itself is expensive, but half the cost is just the fee for the convention center to accept the package, store it for a day or two and then cart it to your booth. We couldn't afford that, so we looked for other options.

We found that FedEx could ship all our stuff (14 boxes) for about $1200. We could ship it to a FedEx location in Columbus and pick it up the morning of the show and cart it to our booth ourselves. Good deal! We'll also have to pay to ship everything home, but our hope is that we'll sell most of what we bring.

And of course plane tickets cost money too.

We decided on option B. The costs were similar, but flying/shipping saved us 6 days of travel.

3. On the ground in Columbus. Since we're flying we need ground transport in Columbus. Once we arrived we rented a Uhaul van. This was MUCH cheaper than renting a car. We used the van to pick up our table and chairs at Walmart (as well as some cheap groceries for the week).

Tomorrow morning we'll pick up our boxes from FedEx, and deliver everything to the convention center. The van comes with a hand truck, which we'll use to move everything inside. After we're done we'll return the van. We can save money and parking fees by taking the city bus each day. We'll rent the van again on the last day to load everything out and return our tables and chairs to Walmart.

Thats it for today. Were in Columbus now. Right now we're relaxing in the apartment we've rented for the week. The last big show we did we just rented a two bed motel room. This is a bit mire expensive, but we have our own rooms, an air conditioner space yo relax snd a kitchen to cook in. This is a big 5 day show, and having a comfortable place to relax will help us get through it.

Origins is a huge investment for us. Will it be worth it? IDK. We'll see, I guess.

Tomorrow I'll post about setting up our boothand day 0 of the con!

- J

Part 2 here

[treba-neco-napise]

i hate having four fucking ads on a 20-minute podcast episode.

(it's a rant, enjoy.)

no, i don't want to get your shitting plus subscription, i don't even pay for 95% of the films and shows i watch online. stop fucking begging for patrons, it's not our problem you want to do this full-time. good for you if you do it but it's not somehow our duty to get you there just because you're a creator. not everyone can afford 60 fucking subscriptions. instead of people getting the minimum to at least get by as a basic human right, i bet like 85% of creatives online are making elite clubs on patreon and shit for those who have spare money. i get that you need it, but so many people (especially PDA neurodivergents) are extremely put off by being asked to pay and won't do it (like me) just because of that. i've encountered art that had the option to pay without requiring it, and I did. because they deserved it anyway, and they understood the classism and capitalism ingrained in the internet creative culture and that a lot of people don't have the means to become members of the club. i'm planning on starting a podcast, been wanting to publish fiction in paper since i was a kid, and i still want to make all that 100% free with the option of payment, because i believe that knowledge, stories and art should be accessible to anyone, regardless of financial situation (what do you think libraries are for, hm?????). when it's not, that's when elitism starts to rise and i'm just too tired for that shit. the empty snobbery culture around modern art alone is driving me insane.

Starkid has been recording their performances for years and guess what - they're massive, they sell out, people attend their live plays for the experience, but those who can't are still able to be a part of the fandom (as opposed to broadway musicals that get shared through bootlegs, hm) and they don't expect their fans to be responsible for their means of living. people who want to see a live performance, to buy your book in a bookshop professionally bound and keep it, to thank you for making your day by buying you a coffee will do so of their own free will. don't beg them to pay for your groceries if you made the choice to put your art out there. it's the system that is responsible for taking care of your basic needs, not your fans.

[wannabedragon-yep-lumenemporium]

Okay, reality break in between Rick&Morty/Arcane/Skyrim posting: Revolution is great, but careful abt who's the next piece of sh1t that gets the crown: some words of caution:

If French Revolutions wasn't so commercialized in the cheap western fashion, people would know that it was one of the best class future-faking of history: royalty needed to go, but the new emerged ruling class simply used poor people as a weapon made of flesh against it. The aftermath wasn't much different for the very poor, rather an upgrade for middle class and for those who could use the new form of government for personal enrichment. And what I see here nowadays is basically a French Revolution pt. 2: new emerging lobbies and old, too greedy ones, are clashing, pushing and crushing people in between. Why do I say that? Too much sus stuff, or propaganda if you wish:

Tik tok propaganda episode: the app becoming votary of justice against the evil f4scists, out of nothing, while they still are and always been a greedy company selling your data and processing your face parameters, crushing small competitors, using an alarmingly r4cist algorithm, an app born from a dictatorship with just some little fancy adjustments to meet the Westerners tastes; they just pushed a clean-cut dude in court and played the hero role against conservatives, which is quite an easy game tbh, everyone's a saint if u put Putin in the same room.

And everybody was so on fire, praising the app, instead of praising the people who made actual journalism and activism, those who found a looot of tiktok bans before stuff like Gaza became a trending and a very convenient topic for Tiktok to portrait. So, new big corp trying to be the young, friendly dad in his 60 with your gen z friends.

Trump literally putting in danger US people by day one (foiled nuclear strike on random countries, abortion ban who killed thousands, literally assaulting democracy, elections fraud, and the list goes on & on, you know all that sh1t), is not that surprising if you think about his ties with Russia: a weaken western country means a more independent dictatorship, means not having to worry about so many consequences if, idk, I want to invade other people homes, right? Trump was just a rich dude with no values who changed direction every second to gain money throughout his whole "career", so if he's doing what he's doing, is a 100% bcs of personal gain more than ideology. So, some lobbies pushing US into self destruction to their own benefit.

Official famous news (the new york times) talking abt n4zi government on youtube? weird narrative to push, especially bcs in terms of interests, we have kind of a Versaille situation more than a n4zi situation: we have an elite, overly rich class, with no contact with reality whatsoever, using some ideological bs to squeeze money out of people, resources are abundant, but withhold by few.

It's pretty clear that the majority of people do not support the government's bs, because the government is hurting anybody, right, left, it really doesn't matter until billionaires and lobbies are secured. Germany situation instead was: we are tired af of the war, we have no economy whatsoever, like the majority is literally starving, and we need a scapegoat in order to go on with our lives, so we really don't care much if you deport a fraction of the population that we hate bcs we were brainwashed by anti-semitic associations for years. This time we are talking about deporting random fully integrated and operative Americans, it's not the same thing and people are not reacting in the same way. This is not a civil war, it's people being generally mad at a strict elite of armed degenerated. So, yes, they act like n4zis, but the socio economical situation is completely different, the motivations are different, people are different, and these are quite key elements, I would say. So, the press is actually pushing a half true, a quite inaccurate narrative, because avoiding the lobby interests part is much easier and it focuses panic in just one simple direction, f4scism, distracting us from the climate change and from the inevitable fall of capitalism.

In other words, I see like there's a lot of pushing towards panic, action, revolution, without having an actual plan: at least, common people, the one crushed in between, have no plan. People can't tell a narcissist (C.R.A.V.E.D. conflict, rigidity, antagonism, vindictiveness/ Victim/ vulnerability, entitlement /exploitativeness, dysregulation) from a person with boundaries, how can they chose wisely a new leader, for example, if there's no information and confrontation but only action like the good old days?

Fear, panic, black and white thinking instead of innovative thinking, radicalizing ppl towards very old school methods that shouldn't find place in times like this, is dangerous and you really don't know who could benefit from all this.

This is not a heroic raise against the ultimate evil in defense of our rights and democracy, this is a lobbies war of conservative, exclusive capitalists, against liberal, little-bit-more opened capitalists: our common-people freedom and well being are in danger in every possible scenario if we don't think for ourselves.

Stay critical.

This told, a revolution against oppressive, disgustingly rich cult members is great, but everyone should careful plan ahead what will come. Acting out of fear and rage makes you very vulnerable to manipulation: you can instead connect, share with your community, share on socials, speak with friends and family about the society you want to build, stay organized and united in your democratic values, support and chose independent social media, providers, brands and political associations. Cultivate ideas made by people for people.

Don't let others lit you aflame and then sweep your cinders away.

That was my point of view, let me know what do you think abt it, I really would like to know bcs wubba lubba dub dub for what is happening right now 💔

[foxika]

hm, well. they dont 100% fit the requirements? but like. 60-70% maybe.

wriothesley got thrown into prison bc as a child/young teen he very purposefully killed his foster parents (who, instead of adopting them out, had been selling his foster siblings for A Good While Now). now hes the head of the prison, has improved conditions greatly even. good guy with some rough edges kind of vibes. definitely willing to kill ppl if they try to make life in his prison harder tho

sylus was accused of but didnt Actually kill the MCs brother and grandmother so im not sure it counts? i was leaning a bit on the jason parallels bc sylus is like, Thee mob boss. "most wanted on two planets" criminal. definitely killed a lot of people, does some light kidnapping to MC when they meet and all that. virtually unkillable and very efficient at Doing the killing. he goes soft mode for MC but his reputation is not even a little but unwarranted

what is happening in these games omg. wriothesley needs to meet naruto STAT.

but yeah alright they can go in the circle. i see the vision

[flawedfoxen]

Ok there were a few more babies that hatched these past few days.

Eublepharis macularius - Leopard Gecko

9/1/23 TSF Mack Snow Black Night

9/1/23 TSF Hypo Mack Snow Black Night

9/4/23 TSF Super Hypo OR Black Night

9/5/23 TSF Black Night

9/5/23 TSF Super Hypo OR Black Night

(This one looks weird in the photo because she’s trying to dig a little hole. She’s fine.)

•

I will have to wait and see what these babies look like as they grow up. They will change so much.

(I’m just gonna say black nights instead of possible like the other posts because they are black nights. The father is a 100% pure black night. The babies are just going to be low expression. I don’t know what they will look like though.)

Also there are two that I don’t 100% know the father yet. One male is a super hypo but he had a prolapse (he’s better now) so I bred the female to the male black night just to make sure. One looks slightly more orange than the others so I just have to wait. I cannot tell yet.

They should be low expression black nights (dark morph). Some will be hypo (have fewer spots).

The black night and the hypo morphs are line bred traits. These babies won’t be pure black or pure spotless. They should look about in the middle.

Most will be raised up and bred back to a pure black night. That should produce the all black animals.

If any are actually super hypos, I might sell those ones. I just have a lot of that morph. Unless I get attached. I know I sold all my babies from 2016 and I wish I kept the one or maybe 2.

I don’t know what a hypo Mack snow black night will look like but we have a few.

I am putting my honors biology class to good use. I actually use Punnett squares in everyday life.

Mack snow is an incomplete dominant gene. Two of the moms have one copy and the dad has none so those babies have a 50/50 chance of being Mack snow. So far, the odds have been perfect. 4/4 I do have one more egg so hopefully we get 5/5 on snows.

Also here’s a line bred example: breed a dark animal to another dark animal and the baby could be even darker. There’s no dominant/recessive genes controlling that.

•

Here’s the first 3 babies if anyone missed them.

8/31/23 TSF Mack Snow Black Night

8/31/23 TSF Black Night

9/1/23 TSF Hypo Mack Snow Black Night

•

Some of the snows have a grayish look to them. They should be black and white but their white is grayish.

I have two more eggs in the incubator but those won’t hatch for awhile. One is from a second clutch. All the other second clutches went bad or were infertile but I have one good egg.

I used the same male so fertility was down. I think 10 is enough for this year though.

The other egg was just laid later than the rest. 4 years old and first time mom. She laid her first egg on top of a rock which went bad but there’s one good one in there. She has some good genetics so I hope that egg makes it.

I can’t wait until these babies start showing their adult coloration. They have their baby bands. They don’t get spots and colors until they mature.

I might have studied leopard gecko genetics a few years ago. Now I know why they look pretty.

TSF = Temperature Sexed Female

They should all be females. Incubated at 81° for 55/60 days. (Males are incubated at a higher temperature in less time.)

They are all named after Vocaloid characters.

[xingxueyue]

Hi @missshinazugawa and those who wonder how does the mic function works, please refer to my ss below.

You'll need to nagivate through your store and find the tools/props icon. Then you'll find the mic for sale.

For 7 days mic, it cost 60 purple gems and you can purchase twice a month. For 30 days mic, it cost 180 purple gems and you can purchase only once a month.

Do note that mic is not shared across the 3 LI, instead it's selling as solo LI.

P.S do check if your server has it as I'm playing on CN server. Some of my gamemates and players on discord did mentioned that they do not have these on Global (Asia/US) server.

The duration for each Mic function range from 13 to 16 minutes, and it has a cool down period of 20 hours. Meaning you can use the function again after 20 hours.

They do not respond to 100% of what you say/tell them. Rather, it's how you phrase it and what word do they respond to.

For instance, when I say "call me jiejie (older sis/female)" LiShen responded. However, when I say "I'm jiejie", he reponds with default replies set by Paper's algorithm. It's more of a trial and error for us to see what he responds to.

Perhaps they will add more in the near future?

I hope this helps to clarify 😘

[aurora-nova-fic]

Things I Wish I'd Known About Star Trek Conventions

I finally made it to a Trek convention (Creation Trek to NJ) and learned a few things I wish I'd known ahead of time, as it would've made the experience more enjoyable. So I am sending it out into the ether in the hopes that it will help someone else be savvier than I was.

BRING CASH. Most of the actors were selling autographs and photos directly to fans at the vendor tables, and I did not see a single one taking cards for payment. The convention center's ATM ran out of cash, and Mr. Nova, who sweetly went to a nearby bank, reported long lines there as well, so I wasn't the only one who expected to pay with my card. This is important information which ought to be on the convention website.

How much to bring? We saw prices ranging from $40-110, as each actor sets their own pricing structure. If you want to get multiple autographs/photos from the big names, bring hundreds of dollars cash.

Skip most official photo ops. Creation sells photo ops, and they do warn on the website that it last seconds. What they don't mention on the website is that most/all of the actors selling autographs directly to fans at the vendor tables will add a selfie/photo on your phone for an additional fee (amount varying by actor). Unlike the production line of the official photo ops, these are more relaxed and fun. Again, it will depend on the actor, but there's a greater opportunity for interaction.

I paid $60 for an autograph/photo combo with Terry Farrell, and it was more fun than the $100 official photo op with Jeri Ryan, plus I got to actually speak with Terry for a minute. The picture is better too - sure there are people in the background instead of a neat blue screen, but I'm clearly more excited and Terry is much more relaxed.

Exceptions: if you want the duo or group photos with multiple actors, and have the money to splash out on them (they went up to $400 for a group with 5 TNG actors), you'll need the official photo ops for that. Also, the official photos might be your only option for some actors - it was for Jeri.

Tickets can be bought last-minute online. I was making a game day decision, and Creation's website said that ticket purchases will be emailed within 2-3 days, with tickets available at the door as long as they aren't sold out. When we got there, we were advised to buy tickets on our phone and told, "Oh no, you'll get it instantly." Not the end of the world, but I'd have liked to have just walked in with the tickets ready had I known I could buy ahead of time.

The schedule is a guideline. I'm not just talking about delays, those happen. What I found very surprising was the chaos of the panel schedule. A group of Lower Decks actors crashed and basically took over the end of Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner's time on stage, and that was after Marina Sirtis dropped in for a few minutes. Todd Stashwick crashed Jeri Ryan's for a conversational detour into discussing Dungeons & Dragons. Some people in the audience seemed to enjoy these unscheduled appearances. I was not one of them, so if you're like me and you prefer adherence to the plan, moderate your expectations.

Everything is expensive. No, I did not expect bargains, but neither did I expect $23 price tags on magnets. If you have your heart set on souvenirs, budget extra. (All the vendors selling wares took cards at least.)

Final thought: don't get your heart set on too many 'must-dos.' This is one that I think I did right going in. There are a lot of moving pieces, different events at different times which can clash with the slightest delay in the schedule, etc. If you go in with a list of several autographs you'll be crushed if you don't get, multiple photos you have to take to be happy going home, and panels you must see, you're going to experience more stress than fun. Pick a couple and otherwise go with the flow - you will enjoy yourself more for it.