How much is too much?

Thanks to Ernie and Carolyn for inspiring this blog!!

At one point does one question ones geekdom?  At what point does it become an obsession?

I was up at Carolyn and Ernie's house to drop of my guard helmet for a repaint and we sat down and watched  "My Crazy Obsession" which got us thinking on how far do we take our fandoms?

Do we devote whole rooms to our Geekdoms?  Do we dress up in costume?  Alter our cars, our looks our appearances to represent the characters that we costume?  Eat, breathe, sleep our fandoms till we drop?  Some people do but the question is where do we draw the line?

I know that for me I'm obsessed with Star Wars.  I'm not going to lie, I've been that way since I've been a little girl.  I've got two costumes and about to get a third.  I have a decent sized collection only with 50 some odd Vader's/Anakin's plus a few of the other characters.  My whole apartment though isn't covered though with my collection because right now I don't have room or shelves to properly display it.  So it's boxed up in my second closet in my bedroom.  Someday I will display it again but right now I don't have the room.

Yet, there are some geeks that society says that take their fandoms too far.  Some dress up as Barbie all day and all night, have a collection of thousands of dolls, or some Star Wars fan has their entire house and then some devoted to their collection.  Not that there is anything wrong with that but does it become an obsession?  Driving us further and further into our geekdom, further in Debt?  Further into isolation?

I don't think I can answer these questions because I'm not a psychologist but I do believe that there are some that take their fandoms too far.  I mean would I seriously alter my looks to fit the stigma that a face character should be skinny and to more accurately portray Padme and soon my ROTJ Luke?  Would I put Vader/Anakin tattoos all over my body to satisfy my obsession with all things Vader or Anakin?  Probably not.  For one, I know that even if I got the lapband tightened even more or went with Gastric Bypass after lapband my body would never be the same.  I'd have tons of left over skin and even after Skin Reduction my body would be full of scars.  I'm also not a big fan of tattoos granted I tolerate them on others but not on my own body no.  Plus, being a teacher I don't think I could get away with wearing a tattoo at work or having one so that's off the table.

I think there's a healthy line that divides obsession and fandom.  It's a thin line and really I don't think it can be defined by society but rather than the person who is obsessed with the fandom.  Sure, go to Conventions, Comic Book stores, watch BBC America for Sherlock, Doctor Who, and Sy-Fy for Defiance and other shows.  You have that right.

However, I feel that if you do have an obsession make sure that it's a healthy one and have fun with it.  I can't tell you to stop it because it's not my place and two it's your obsession and you're the one that has to live with it.


Till next time
-Jane

Gregorian Chants,Beethoven and Halo???

As I was watching the latest episode of Doctor Who tonight, I kept thinking back to an earlier blog where I wrote about the Music Geeks.  I am very much a music geek though I don't play any instruments now I am very much a fan of soundtrack music, having just downloaded the Knight Rider theme earlier this week.

There is something about hearing an old Gregorian Chant, Handel, Beethoven, J.S. Bach that gets me stirring.  Every time I hear a Gregorian Chant, I am reminded of an old dusty monastery or cathedral lit up with candles at night time with monks walking through it.  Handel, automatically I think the oratorio Messiah having heard it in many performances including ones my dad usually sings in every 2-3 years and now yearly with his choirs.  For Beethoven, I love his Ode to Joy or Ninth Symphony hearing the choral strands and I want to thank my elementary music teacher Mr. Kleckner for getting me hooked on the classical music.

Since joining band in fifth grade, I have developed a keen sense of hearing for knowing which composer is which.  For example, I can tell that certain harpsichord  runs means that it's more than likely a Handel piece.  Certain violin pieces and concertos lean towards Bach, and Beethoven ...old Beets as I call him is just a legend.

Going back to the gaming music, there has been some epic gaming music coming out in games such as Halo and Skyrim.  Skyrim being my favorite game music of all time with the vocals sounding like something out of a viking or medieval time frame though music back then from a historical standpoint was different.  Still, I like the vocals on it.

Overall, I like hearing choral and classical music that is related to the different time periods and some of it I'm  sure has been represented in the different genres.  I know on Star Trek: The Next Generation  or any of the newer Star Trek series all they have to do is hit a button and boom you have a classical tune or theme playing from the computer.  No doubt it's the same in other shows but still instrumental music can have an overall soothing effect on the Geek Minded.

Till next time,

Jane

Radio Silence and looking?

So because I"m a member of certain costuming groups, I can't say much on the decision by Disney to drop LucasArts and close it.  Other than I enjoyed playing LucasArts related games such as Rebel Assault, Jedi Knight, Mysteries of the Sith,  Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.  Boy those games take me back in the fact that my best friend Jim and I would get on MP (multiplayer) and play those impossible battles that you could never have in the canon universe.  For example, we did Luke ESB vs Luke ROTJ,  Anakin vs Luke ROTJ, Vader vs Maul (yes don't remind me about the comic), Obi-Wan vs Luke etc etc.  Still it was fun to mod Jedi Outcast and Academy to the point where you could play Episode III two years before the movie ever came out and then a little bit after the movie.

I loved playing Mustafar's custom map with a few friends and yes I did all three characters (Padme', Anakin and Obi-Wan.)  Also, what was highly amusing on Jedi Academy were the single player mods where you could play as Episode III Obi-Wan, Anakin or Darth Maul.  You can only imagine what I said to the computer a few times when I played as any of those characters.

I also played Force Unleashed 1 and 2 and yes guys I know it was another outsourced company like Raven with the last two Jedi Knight games but still.  I guess I loved seeing the LucasArts logo and with the cancellation of Clone Wars I think it's all made us a bit batty.  However, with the closings comes a bit of speculation so that's why I'm maintaining radio silence so that way nothing I say can get taken out of context, I won't lose my membership and costuming groups can maintain their positive relationship with Disney.

Radio Silence also means I can't talk about how I feel about the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney so if you want to know I can't tell you.

*******

So originally I was going to make Blog 21 an open point blog where I talk about any topic that you the readers wanted me to talk about.  I know I only got two so really I might have to hold off on Open Line blog till a later blog.

I will say this though, I am so sick of people assuming that just because I am not dating or have had very little interaction with male geeks that interest me that I live in my parents basement or have no interest in meeting guys.  First of all, I live 80 miles away from my parents and have my own apartment.  Second of all,  I'm shy.  EXTREMELY SHY!!  If I don't know you, if I haven't talked to you, if I have never met you and we do meet for the first time, expect an awkward silence period from me.    I'm an observer, I take things in before I act on them which is naturally me.  I wouldn't know how to go on a date if it hit me on the backside of my rear.  I wouldn't know if a guy was hitting on me flirting with me or what not, or if he's interested in me.  Granted, I had to ask a friend a few weeks ago if I was flirting with someone and they said yes from what I told them about the potential flirt.  That's how clueless I am about dating or having a relationship with guys.  I've only been with one other guy and well he broke my heart, and others have fallen by the wayside and it was more mutual friendship than anything.

There are times, yes when I want to be with someone but also there are times when I don't want to be with someone because I'm afraid of getting my heart broken again (No I didn't give birth to twins and then die a lame death two minutes later!!) .   I know with the weight coming off from surgery that some guys are taking notice and yes, thanks for looking guys, I"m sorry that I seem awkward to you it's just that no one has told me much of that dating thing or what to look for.  I'm afraid I did it wrong the last time so what will make this time different?  I'm trying to venture out there again, even bought some nice dating clothes that don't make me look like a grandmother.

*sighs*

Well I guess I'll go crawl under my rock again till Blog 22.  

Till next time,

Jane