First, I want to suggest you folks go take a peek at this thought-provoking post. It was brought to my attention by the ever lovely Dungeonmum, and I figured I'd mosey over and chat a bit.
http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2011/02/female-gamer-roundtable-is-go.html
I have to say I'm not a usual frequenter of the site for a variety of reasons. However, it is by all metrics available, the most popular and highest traffic RPG blog out there- and giving lady gamers a chance to talk about their perspectives and ideas is a pretty good thing in my book.
I did notice that out of 630+ followers, he's only getting something like 30-40 replies. Zak's not dumb though, and he's putting up a follow up post for more discussion. (Actually, Zak and I have talked off an on via comments in a sundry number of RPG blogs and he's an excessively fun and intelligent guy.)
In other news, my Hero System game set in Hawaii is on hiatus at the moment. TheJoe, the GM, recently got a promotion. (YAY! He deserved it.) Due to this his schedule is a little wonky and he's waiting until things settle down to restart the game.
Some of you may have heard (or guessed), but I've decided to retire Eile in the near future. Exactly how (and when) is still very much up to my evocative and story-driven ST. I have some basic ideas about what will happen- but how I react to it and where it leaves the other players is the meat of the matter. It's very much the crux of the D1 style discussion as was brought about by Porky and expanded on by a large number of folks.
Once Eile's story is concluded (or perhaps a better word is withdrawn), I'm not sure where that will leave me on the RPG front. I'm actively thinking about my game world again- and I have some new questions and thoughts to go along with the making of a world. Porky's got me all flustered on naming conventions, though. I wonder if his "place" in the community is stirring things up, as opposed to mine, which is inspiring others. Food for thought.
I have more subjects for the "core" RPG series I was doing, but this week I wanted to discuss what *I* am doing, and then get back to community.
Community is what I love, and I'm always interested in what's going on around me. I am trying to make my feeds and links direct content that's compelling and provoking- so I'm working on keywords and really honing in on what I want to discuss.
Be Well,
'Lo
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label words. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
Sunday, December 5, 2010
[Weekly Whimsy] Lexicon
[Welcome to Weekly Whimsy! Loquacious' love of language laid low.]
Do You Even Understand The Words Coming Out of My Mouth? - Chris Tucker, Rush Hour
------------------------------------------------------------
I am very purposeful and pay close attention to intent when I chose my words. Some days, I am a lot more casual and off the cuff, and others I'm much more deliberate. I'm always aware of what the words I am using mean, even if it's a simple complement, or a quick one-liner. I'm especially careful when talking about myself in regards to gender.
I was given a challenge a while ago to find a single word that one could use to describe "women" without the word having reference to or connection with "men".
As a student of words, meaning, history and how they fit together, this was a pretty interesting challenge. I started a collection of words commonly (and sometimes not so commonly) used to describe the female kind and started taking notes. By using Webster's, Roget's, Bartlet's and a few other (more obscure) resources, I have a pretty comprehensive list here.
[An important comment on sexism here: I'm specifically and deliberately talking in a fairly "binary"sort of way on this post merely because it's expedient. I have no grudge or disdain for the trans community, and I am not trying to leave them out of any future conversations; just this one.]
Also, this post is intended mostly as a tool for discussion from all comers, and really has less relevance to the gaming community than my past entries- but it's a subject I find truly fascinating. I thrive on the intellectual considerations behind the words we choose, and hope that by considering this, I can bring some illumination and introspection to the way we interact with each other.
Do You Even Understand The Words Coming Out of My Mouth? - Chris Tucker, Rush Hour
------------------------------------------------------------
I am very purposeful and pay close attention to intent when I chose my words. Some days, I am a lot more casual and off the cuff, and others I'm much more deliberate. I'm always aware of what the words I am using mean, even if it's a simple complement, or a quick one-liner. I'm especially careful when talking about myself in regards to gender.
I was given a challenge a while ago to find a single word that one could use to describe "women" without the word having reference to or connection with "men".
As a student of words, meaning, history and how they fit together, this was a pretty interesting challenge. I started a collection of words commonly (and sometimes not so commonly) used to describe the female kind and started taking notes. By using Webster's, Roget's, Bartlet's and a few other (more obscure) resources, I have a pretty comprehensive list here.
[An important comment on sexism here: I'm specifically and deliberately talking in a fairly "binary"sort of way on this post merely because it's expedient. I have no grudge or disdain for the trans community, and I am not trying to leave them out of any future conversations; just this one.]
Also, this post is intended mostly as a tool for discussion from all comers, and really has less relevance to the gaming community than my past entries- but it's a subject I find truly fascinating. I thrive on the intellectual considerations behind the words we choose, and hope that by considering this, I can bring some illumination and introspection to the way we interact with each other.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
[Weekly Whimsy] Dice
Welcome to Weekly Whimsy! Discussing dueling dodecahedrons, dancing deciders of destiny, denizens of dicebags and deliverers of defeat.
[I don't think I'll ever get tired of that...onto today's topic!]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roll With It, Baby- Steve Winwood, Roll With It
We women have a terrible reputation for taking a long time to get ready, and being extra-particular about accessories and styling.
I've stumbled upon an area that puts girls to shame, and it's pretty universal across the board.Guys, girls, old or young, the subject at hand is one that fascinates us all.
Dice!
Put a gamer in front of a dice display, and you get the same general response all over.- "OOOOOOOOH, shiny!"
Aside from general fascination, there are some things we all share in regards to dice. Things like superstitions, obsessions and silly tendencies.
We've all heard of cursed dice- or worse, cursed people. There are a couple of guys down at the game store who are forbidden from touching other guys' dice for fear of "tainting" them.
Some people collect dice according to special themes- color, according to their army faction, shapes or other inscrutable reasons. TheDude is one of those collectors, with a great assortment according to a particular idea.
Here's a shot of his SPARE dice:
Can you guess the theme?
A better shot, about half full.
This is not a die! It's one of the "Rainbow Ninja"- universally known in our gaming circle. There's a pink one and a blue one, too.
Another one of TheDude's dice. With another die inside it.
And an orange round die.
No idea yet? The Dude collects the weirdest, strangest, most unusual dice he can find. Which usually end up being ugly. Our friends have all gotten in on the action, and bring home some of the craziest dice I've ever seen from conventions, game stores in other towns and other locations unknown. As seen above, he now has a HUGE collection and keeps his spare dice in a huge ice cream bucket. Spares- the ones he doesn't use every day.
These are my dice. The red ones are my spares. The black ones are my regular gaming dice.
This is what's inside my black bag.
These are the dice I use for Eile.
So what do you with mass rolls? With the rise of the iPod and iPhone, electronic dice rollers are becoming more common. The apps for deciding outcomes have gotten more sophisticated and easy to use, and some guys have been using them at the store. They certainly have a place and I like them for what they are, but they are not as fun to me as rolling big handfuls of dice. I remember 20 or more years ago, my dad had a Dragonbone that he used, but it felt more like a remote control than a way to determine chances.
[I don't think I'll ever get tired of that...onto today's topic!]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roll With It, Baby- Steve Winwood, Roll With It
We women have a terrible reputation for taking a long time to get ready, and being extra-particular about accessories and styling.
I've stumbled upon an area that puts girls to shame, and it's pretty universal across the board.Guys, girls, old or young, the subject at hand is one that fascinates us all.
Dice!
Put a gamer in front of a dice display, and you get the same general response all over.- "OOOOOOOOH, shiny!"
Aside from general fascination, there are some things we all share in regards to dice. Things like superstitions, obsessions and silly tendencies.
We've all heard of cursed dice- or worse, cursed people. There are a couple of guys down at the game store who are forbidden from touching other guys' dice for fear of "tainting" them.
Some people collect dice according to special themes- color, according to their army faction, shapes or other inscrutable reasons. TheDude is one of those collectors, with a great assortment according to a particular idea.
Here's a shot of his SPARE dice:
Can you guess the theme?
A better shot, about half full.
This is not a die! It's one of the "Rainbow Ninja"- universally known in our gaming circle. There's a pink one and a blue one, too.
Another one of TheDude's dice. With another die inside it.
No idea yet? The Dude collects the weirdest, strangest, most unusual dice he can find. Which usually end up being ugly. Our friends have all gotten in on the action, and bring home some of the craziest dice I've ever seen from conventions, game stores in other towns and other locations unknown. As seen above, he now has a HUGE collection and keeps his spare dice in a huge ice cream bucket. Spares- the ones he doesn't use every day.
These are my dice. The red ones are my spares. The black ones are my regular gaming dice.
This is what's inside my black bag.
These are the dice I use for Eile.
These are some of my favorites- custom dice from our game store!
Now we have some themed collections out of the way. Buying dice is pretty personal. Some guys get new dice every convention (TheDude), new game (TheDude) or new character (TheDude). Some match their dice to their character's outfits. Some take the dice out of the shell and look at them in depth- others just grab whatever looks good. Some guys order straight from the catalog- but we all buy dice in a way that makes sense to us.
There's even different approaches to dice- Crystal Caste, Game Science and Chessex are all different ways of making a gamer's heart leap with excitement.
I see a lot of "wishful thinking" with dice- the tendency to sit them with the optimal number facing up, in hopes that doing so will encourage the dice to roll that way more often.
I also see lots of crazy dice carrying methods. Plastic ziplocks, cigar boxes, dice bags, tupperdudes, deck boxes and much more. I love seeing how they're treated and what we make of them.
I think we all love dice in some way. Sometimes, they are a pain- like when you play --IG-- or Orks and have cover saves or to hit rolls for 40+ figures.
So what do you with mass rolls? With the rise of the iPod and iPhone, electronic dice rollers are becoming more common. The apps for deciding outcomes have gotten more sophisticated and easy to use, and some guys have been using them at the store. They certainly have a place and I like them for what they are, but they are not as fun to me as rolling big handfuls of dice. I remember 20 or more years ago, my dad had a Dragonbone that he used, but it felt more like a remote control than a way to determine chances.
I love dice- picking them, rolling them, and buying them for TheDude. (Especially really ugly ones!)
Come on and share some of YOUR dice stories!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
[Weekly Whimsy] International Suit Up Day (Part 2)
Welcome to Weekly Whimsy! Discussing delivery of the debonaire, dissing the douche that doesn't dress, diving into the depths of the dearth and death of determination, derring do, and drive.
[Love my weekly word-nerd fit. On to today's topic!]
Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man- ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man
Earlier this week, Dave over at CrewShakenNotStirred talked about International Suit Up Day. He approached the subject from a lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek. His post was well received and he was able to get a group of folks to admit their foibles as former slobs.
His closing statement was meant as a rally cry, a shot of morale- "Suit Up. Score Chicks. Win Games!"
The "Suit Up" portion of his was clear in point and purpose. I love the sentiment and would like to see more of my local crew take it to heart. Dave did a great illustration on the benefits of better grooming, and his bumbler-turned-Barney was easy to identify and commisserate with in retrospective amusement.
It was the brandishment to "Score Chicks" that was slightly lacking, and I'd like to step up to the challenge. While Dave was lighthearted and jovial in his delivery, my tone will be a bit more sisterly, wise, and slightly serious. A strong nod to Chumby's advice is needed here- "Get A Job" and "Hit The Gym" are not bad words of wisdom at all; definitely worthy of attention.
Dave and Chumby don't do enough for their fellow dudes. They approach the subject, and make pointed comments in the general area, but miss the heart of the matter. So I propose a primer- primarily from the perspective of the pursued. So as a favor to my comrades in dice, I offer:
The Do's and Don'ts of Dudes
Do- Suit Up. Dave is right- an improved appearance and the following self confidence he discusses makes a world of difference in the way a dude is perceived by the world. Self confidence and all it encompasses can make improvements to the general nature of the dude in question, benefiting him in a multitude of ways.
Do- Get Out of the House. Dave suggests getting off the internet and interacting with your pals at the pub, watching telly and drinking brews. Certainly a social life with the guys is a step in the right direction. But if it's finding a chick you seek, hanging with your friends won't get you very far. You need to
Go Where The Girls Are
Where is this magical land of females? Is there some hidden door you have to make a 5+ roll to find? Does it smell funny there?
Amazing thing to hear, but girls are people too. They have interests, hobbies, passions and pursuits just as well as the guys. As I mentioned in my "On Shoes" post, it doesn't hurt at all to learn about the very things that ladies enjoy.
Unfortunately, every girl is different. The more you know the girl in question, the more you can personalize the conversation- and the better off you'll do with said lady. However, there are some things that are somewhat safe- much like sports, cars and guns for guys; there are a few things you can assume are good topics of discussion with the female kind.
These topics include (but aren't limited to) dancing, cooking, creative crafting, home decor and furnishings, movies & television, popular books, and music.
If you're hoping to find a specific kind of girl, you're in luck. Get involved in a group where a girl of that kind is likely to congregate, and you'll probably have some luck. Very importantly, Geeky girls are becoming less of a rare breed and are easily found at anime clubs, libraries, drama groups, Mystery Theater troups, and even the occasional game store.
Going to and getting involved in activities outside of the pub and the local 40K night can be a good way to meet a girl.
Once you find a girl worth your time and attention, there's a VERY important point you need to heed.
DON'T treat her like prey. Girls, as delicious as they are, don't like being treated like they are dinner (at least not until much later). Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to her, but not so much that she can obviously feel that she is your sole focus. I'm sure you've all witnessed the guy going in for the kill- zooming in on the "target" to the oblivion of the rest of the room, only to be batted down.
Nine times out of ten, it has nothing to do with what he said. It's almost always about HOW he said it. If he said it while crowding her personal space, while stepping on people behind him because he was so focused on her he didn't see them, or while blocking her from an exit; he's out of luck.
Now you have a girl who you'd like to pay attention to, and she hasn't rejected you. There's just one more important thing to know, and the rest should work itself out.
DO Have Ambition. Have something concrete you want to do and have an action plan of how you want to do it. This is somewhat an offshoot of the "Suit Up" lesson earlier- self confidence will certainly assist you in this regard; but having something- ANYTHING you want to do and are passionate about is an absolute must.
I'll be honest, even a guy living at home with mom/parents may not be an automatic "no" if he's in med school or taking care of a sick family member. A guy with a steady but dead end job isn't out of the running if he's taking night classes, teaching himself a language or skill, or knows that in X years he's going to explore a challenging area of study, travel or have accomplished something noteworthy. A dude with ambition is well worth a woman's time, and definitely at an advantage over the guy who hasn't yet learned to "Suit Up".
One last don't for you, fellows:
DON'T lie or cheat. Simply not cool and disrespects all that work you did to improve yourself over the slacker you might previously have been, or are competing against.
While this is not a complete collection, it's a stepping stone to superior situations with the other sex. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I'll have something fun for you next week.
[Love my weekly word-nerd fit. On to today's topic!]
Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man- ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man
Earlier this week, Dave over at CrewShakenNotStirred talked about International Suit Up Day. He approached the subject from a lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek. His post was well received and he was able to get a group of folks to admit their foibles as former slobs.
His closing statement was meant as a rally cry, a shot of morale- "Suit Up. Score Chicks. Win Games!"
The "Suit Up" portion of his was clear in point and purpose. I love the sentiment and would like to see more of my local crew take it to heart. Dave did a great illustration on the benefits of better grooming, and his bumbler-turned-Barney was easy to identify and commisserate with in retrospective amusement.
It was the brandishment to "Score Chicks" that was slightly lacking, and I'd like to step up to the challenge. While Dave was lighthearted and jovial in his delivery, my tone will be a bit more sisterly, wise, and slightly serious. A strong nod to Chumby's advice is needed here- "Get A Job" and "Hit The Gym" are not bad words of wisdom at all; definitely worthy of attention.
Dave and Chumby don't do enough for their fellow dudes. They approach the subject, and make pointed comments in the general area, but miss the heart of the matter. So I propose a primer- primarily from the perspective of the pursued. So as a favor to my comrades in dice, I offer:
The Do's and Don'ts of Dudes
Do- Suit Up. Dave is right- an improved appearance and the following self confidence he discusses makes a world of difference in the way a dude is perceived by the world. Self confidence and all it encompasses can make improvements to the general nature of the dude in question, benefiting him in a multitude of ways.
Do- Get Out of the House. Dave suggests getting off the internet and interacting with your pals at the pub, watching telly and drinking brews. Certainly a social life with the guys is a step in the right direction. But if it's finding a chick you seek, hanging with your friends won't get you very far. You need to
Go Where The Girls Are
Where is this magical land of females? Is there some hidden door you have to make a 5+ roll to find? Does it smell funny there?
Amazing thing to hear, but girls are people too. They have interests, hobbies, passions and pursuits just as well as the guys. As I mentioned in my "On Shoes" post, it doesn't hurt at all to learn about the very things that ladies enjoy.
Unfortunately, every girl is different. The more you know the girl in question, the more you can personalize the conversation- and the better off you'll do with said lady. However, there are some things that are somewhat safe- much like sports, cars and guns for guys; there are a few things you can assume are good topics of discussion with the female kind.
These topics include (but aren't limited to) dancing, cooking, creative crafting, home decor and furnishings, movies & television, popular books, and music.
If you're hoping to find a specific kind of girl, you're in luck. Get involved in a group where a girl of that kind is likely to congregate, and you'll probably have some luck. Very importantly, Geeky girls are becoming less of a rare breed and are easily found at anime clubs, libraries, drama groups, Mystery Theater troups, and even the occasional game store.
Going to and getting involved in activities outside of the pub and the local 40K night can be a good way to meet a girl.
Once you find a girl worth your time and attention, there's a VERY important point you need to heed.
DON'T treat her like prey. Girls, as delicious as they are, don't like being treated like they are dinner (at least not until much later). Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to her, but not so much that she can obviously feel that she is your sole focus. I'm sure you've all witnessed the guy going in for the kill- zooming in on the "target" to the oblivion of the rest of the room, only to be batted down.
Nine times out of ten, it has nothing to do with what he said. It's almost always about HOW he said it. If he said it while crowding her personal space, while stepping on people behind him because he was so focused on her he didn't see them, or while blocking her from an exit; he's out of luck.
Now you have a girl who you'd like to pay attention to, and she hasn't rejected you. There's just one more important thing to know, and the rest should work itself out.
DO Have Ambition. Have something concrete you want to do and have an action plan of how you want to do it. This is somewhat an offshoot of the "Suit Up" lesson earlier- self confidence will certainly assist you in this regard; but having something- ANYTHING you want to do and are passionate about is an absolute must.
I'll be honest, even a guy living at home with mom/parents may not be an automatic "no" if he's in med school or taking care of a sick family member. A guy with a steady but dead end job isn't out of the running if he's taking night classes, teaching himself a language or skill, or knows that in X years he's going to explore a challenging area of study, travel or have accomplished something noteworthy. A dude with ambition is well worth a woman's time, and definitely at an advantage over the guy who hasn't yet learned to "Suit Up".
One last don't for you, fellows:
DON'T lie or cheat. Simply not cool and disrespects all that work you did to improve yourself over the slacker you might previously have been, or are competing against.
While this is not a complete collection, it's a stepping stone to superior situations with the other sex. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I'll have something fun for you next week.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Friday Fancy, Facts & Food
This is a somewhat random post, not as awesome as I'd like, but I have things on my mind.
Important fact: I'm a terrible letch and in addition, a pretty incorrigible flirt. I'm pretty equal opportunity in my leering. I have a type for guys, girls are hit or miss. I'm also well and truly married and beyond disgustingly in love with TheDude. [It's a little gross how much I adore him.]
I have a lot on my plate this weekend, with much of it gaming related in one way or another.
Tonight I'm making some great eats for our Saturday WOD game, which happens to be on my daughter's birthday. TheGirl, who is fabulous & fun, turns 14 tomorrow. I'm preparing some extra special goodies in her honor. The oven will be ON at my house...
When I'm not baking, I'll be painting- I got the jet/jump packs on all of the Mexi-Marines done last night and need to move onto the chest eagles.
I'll be scouring my massive music collection for quotes- I'm always on the lookout for quotes to use in conjunction with my RPG or Weekly Whimsy posts.
Got a great quote you can never find a use for? Want to expose a fabulous band? Have a TV show or movie with excellent dialogue or witty quotes? Send 'em my way. I have a quote file I'm filling with good stuff to use, but I'll always take suggestions and ideas.
Important fact: I'm a terrible letch and in addition, a pretty incorrigible flirt. I'm pretty equal opportunity in my leering. I have a type for guys, girls are hit or miss. I'm also well and truly married and beyond disgustingly in love with TheDude. [It's a little gross how much I adore him.]
I have a lot on my plate this weekend, with much of it gaming related in one way or another.
Tonight I'm making some great eats for our Saturday WOD game, which happens to be on my daughter's birthday. TheGirl, who is fabulous & fun, turns 14 tomorrow. I'm preparing some extra special goodies in her honor. The oven will be ON at my house...
When I'm not baking, I'll be painting- I got the jet/jump packs on all of the Mexi-Marines done last night and need to move onto the chest eagles.
I'll be scouring my massive music collection for quotes- I'm always on the lookout for quotes to use in conjunction with my RPG or Weekly Whimsy posts.
Got a great quote you can never find a use for? Want to expose a fabulous band? Have a TV show or movie with excellent dialogue or witty quotes? Send 'em my way. I have a quote file I'm filling with good stuff to use, but I'll always take suggestions and ideas.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Weekly Top X Shout Out- Be More Awesome
Those fabulous guys, Brent, Lauby and Dethtron made me part of IHoP's Weekly Top X!
I have to say that this is a big step up from where I was just about two months ago, when I first saw the multitude of IHoP announcements pop up across the web. Nearly every 40K site I visited was proclaiming this "new idea" and these crazy guys who were trying to do something different in the 40K blogsphere and BUILD A COMMUNITY. (Anyone who knows me in real life knows this is a HUGE part of what I am trying to do gaming wise- so it struck a nerve. I had to be part of it.)
I read the announcement and marveled at the number of times they swore in a single sentence. I swear that much in real life, but rarely online (go figure). I knew my blog didn't have a focus yet, but I sort of talk about 40K (sometimes) and I figured that maybe the cool kids would let me hang out with them for a bit. I sent off an application letter (but failed in the essay), and they very kindly took me in as part of their nascent experiment.
I read quite a few of the blogs on the rolls and noted how much BETTER most of them were than mine. I knew I wasn't a bad writer, but I lacked anything resembling focus or cohesion. I decided that my blog needed way more awesome so that I could hang with the big boys, and started adding content at a furious pace. I also got some incredible encouragement and guidance from my buddy Christian around this time, and with a little thought and clarity, my blog began to not suck.
All this "blah blah blah" is an obvious and shameless suckup to the masters who have helped make me better. Since that jerk DaveHowitzer at Crew Shaken Not Stirred went and made frickin' COCKTAILS in the IHoP gang's honor, now I have to come up with something equally fantastic in order to stay on their good sides. (Just pointing out that I don't hate Dave- in fact I think he's pretty keen.)
I don't have a "theme" over here, really. I seriously struggled with how to define myself for the Members' Index Page. I'm not an Internet Personality (yet) and I don't have any gimmick to my thoughts or my space on the web. Trying to come up with something that's fitting to ME in order to honor the IHoP guys was a true challenge, but one I knew I could handle.
I ruminated for a bit and then it hit me like the voluminous volume of vocabulary I carry around-my name is my gig. I've gotten a multitude of comments on my online name, and its definition and appropriateness. What I find more than a little amusing is that these folks have no CLUE how much I talk in real life. My chattiness in the e-world is just a hint of what I'm like in reality, so I take a little perverted pride in getting noted for that talent. My haikus were worth notice, so I figured I was onto something.
Being full of words, I decided to come up with acrostic/anagram tributes to IHoP, Brent, Dethtron and Lauby. I've got a couple for each one. One's sort of tongue in cheek and the other's supposed to hit on their qualities in a more serious way. Here you are:
No matter how hard I tried, I could not get "Hugs & Gropings" OR "Stalks Jawaballs" into Brent's little tribute. I feel a little shame, but I figure pointing out that Dethtron isn't just an asshat; he's a hottie more than makes up for it. (Dudes in suits are HAWT. Drummers are additionally hot.The end.) Ok, I know that's weird for most of you guys, so I'll stop with the salacious silliness and throw down the challenge-
What will YOU do to make YOUR blog more awesome? It could get you onto the Top X, gain you recognition and fans, and improve the blogging community! Get on it!
I have to say that this is a big step up from where I was just about two months ago, when I first saw the multitude of IHoP announcements pop up across the web. Nearly every 40K site I visited was proclaiming this "new idea" and these crazy guys who were trying to do something different in the 40K blogsphere and BUILD A COMMUNITY. (Anyone who knows me in real life knows this is a HUGE part of what I am trying to do gaming wise- so it struck a nerve. I had to be part of it.)
I read the announcement and marveled at the number of times they swore in a single sentence. I swear that much in real life, but rarely online (go figure). I knew my blog didn't have a focus yet, but I sort of talk about 40K (sometimes) and I figured that maybe the cool kids would let me hang out with them for a bit. I sent off an application letter (but failed in the essay), and they very kindly took me in as part of their nascent experiment.
I read quite a few of the blogs on the rolls and noted how much BETTER most of them were than mine. I knew I wasn't a bad writer, but I lacked anything resembling focus or cohesion. I decided that my blog needed way more awesome so that I could hang with the big boys, and started adding content at a furious pace. I also got some incredible encouragement and guidance from my buddy Christian around this time, and with a little thought and clarity, my blog began to not suck.
All this "blah blah blah" is an obvious and shameless suckup to the masters who have helped make me better. Since that jerk DaveHowitzer at Crew Shaken Not Stirred went and made frickin' COCKTAILS in the IHoP gang's honor, now I have to come up with something equally fantastic in order to stay on their good sides. (Just pointing out that I don't hate Dave- in fact I think he's pretty keen.)
I don't have a "theme" over here, really. I seriously struggled with how to define myself for the Members' Index Page. I'm not an Internet Personality (yet) and I don't have any gimmick to my thoughts or my space on the web. Trying to come up with something that's fitting to ME in order to honor the IHoP guys was a true challenge, but one I knew I could handle.
I ruminated for a bit and then it hit me like the voluminous volume of vocabulary I carry around-my name is my gig. I've gotten a multitude of comments on my online name, and its definition and appropriateness. What I find more than a little amusing is that these folks have no CLUE how much I talk in real life. My chattiness in the e-world is just a hint of what I'm like in reality, so I take a little perverted pride in getting noted for that talent. My haikus were worth notice, so I figured I was onto something.
Being full of words, I decided to come up with acrostic/anagram tributes to IHoP, Brent, Dethtron and Lauby. I've got a couple for each one. One's sort of tongue in cheek and the other's supposed to hit on their qualities in a more serious way. Here you are:
I; "H", Opine Profusely
Internet Houses Outrageous Perspectives
Brent's Really Excellent; Not Typical
BoK Regular, Exceptionally Noteworthy Typings
Long Address; Underrepresented Blog, Yanno
Laudible, Authentic, Understated; Best Yet
Defiantly Evanescent, Totally Hot, Thoroughly Rockin', Offering Nonsense
Delivering Evil To Hostile Trollers, Rips on 'Net
Internet Houses Outrageous Perspectives
Brent's Really Excellent; Not Typical
BoK Regular, Exceptionally Noteworthy Typings
Long Address; Underrepresented Blog, Yanno
Laudible, Authentic, Understated; Best Yet
Defiantly Evanescent, Totally Hot, Thoroughly Rockin', Offering Nonsense
Delivering Evil To Hostile Trollers, Rips on 'Net
No matter how hard I tried, I could not get "Hugs & Gropings" OR "Stalks Jawaballs" into Brent's little tribute. I feel a little shame, but I figure pointing out that Dethtron isn't just an asshat; he's a hottie more than makes up for it. (Dudes in suits are HAWT. Drummers are additionally hot.The end.) Ok, I know that's weird for most of you guys, so I'll stop with the salacious silliness and throw down the challenge-
What will YOU do to make YOUR blog more awesome? It could get you onto the Top X, gain you recognition and fans, and improve the blogging community! Get on it!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
[IHoP] bangin'!
My honorable mention haiku(s)
It's a great world here
Brent and Lauby swear for us
we owe fealty
weekly top x great
shout outs and webby findings
could be yours awesome
it's a man's world here
girls game with hearts thunder
check World of Wonder
It's a great world here
Brent and Lauby swear for us
we owe fealty
weekly top x great
shout outs and webby findings
could be yours awesome
it's a man's world here
girls game with hearts thunder
check World of Wonder
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