A Lady and Gentlemen of Extraordinary Sound

Greeting, Fair Followers of the electronic pen! Allow me to welcome you to the leather-bound world of Steampunk. If you haven't learned by now what it consists of, you will have to make the venture to learn of such on your own. Until then, let me introduce you to an extraordinary new sound that I've come to find quite exhilarating.



The Extraordinary Contraptions have put the "punk" back into steampunk. They are not the typical straight-lace, bow ties, and clockwork. They are the striking metallic smudge on the crisp, boring collar of the antiquated steampunk style. Their sound combines the electric spark of ska and punk music with the whimsical persona of a picnic in an industrial park. All in all, not a bad sound in the least! Harmonic vocals and sophisticated lyrics backed by strong bass are fun to listen and to dance to.

Aelus, Dmitri, Sephora, and Corbin are time-traveling to a Terminus station near you! Check put their MySpace page for upcoming concerts, events, music downloads, and all sorts of glittering contraptions. While you are at it, explore the photographs I've collected for them from their Masquerade concert.

Become a friend, and even a fan, of The Extraordinary Contraptions have a taste of past and punk.

Ten Years to the Day

For all of you oh-so-cool kids still taking advantage of the "4-20" hysteria, here's something to process with those remaining few brain cells:

Exactly 10 years ago, 2 boys armed themselves with an arsenal of weapons and changed the lives of every student, teacher, parent, friend, brother, and sister at a high school in Columbine, Colorado. Twelve students and one teacher lost their lives at the merciless hands of unstable, mistreated, and vengeful cohorts. Twenty-three others are lucky to be alive after the shots they took, and countless others will never be able to forget the horrors they faced today.

Now, in a day when childlike innocents seems like an oxymoron, we find ourselves no further from these savage situations. A school hallway is not just a social hub for young minds, it's a walk of shame, an overexposure, and a friendless tunnel of ridicule for some. Bullying is real, and not every child is strong enough to handle such premature abuse on their own. If it goes to far, the results can be the massacre that occurred in Colorado, or the fatality that darkened hearts in Dekalb, Georgia today.

Eleven years old is not even old enough to experience the best parts of life, but when you are daily put down, picked on, and beaten physically and emotionally, I'm sure it's hard to see into a promising future. As the sister of someone who was once bullied, I have no tolerance for anyone of any age abusing their self-proclaimed power over someone else. Thankfully, my family's situation came to a head and was exposed before anything tragic happened, but years of damage had already been done.

The poor little boy in today's story did not find the help he needed in time and many are feeling a terrible sorrow tonight. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jaheem and to the families of Columbine victims. It hurts me to know that so many lives could be taken for reasons so petty and minds so disturbed. May God bless us tonight and always, and give us the insight and wisdom to do what it right for every soul on the planet. We are all we are ever going to have, and life is far too short to ruin if for ourselves or anyone else.

Rest in Peace.

It matters if you're Black or White

I keep starting and stopping posts. I'm going to finish this one! This is why I will never be famous: because I cannot follow through with a simple idea until its published!

On to business. Over the last few months I've been thinking of topics for my BGVTA entries. This one began to take shape while discussing the cliche and rather distressful role of the black women in sci-fi/fantasy movies. I noticed that all but 2 of the women featured on my site were in an interracial relationship, and that of those who were, about half of the time, their significant other dies. Yes, dies. I can prove it.

Now, I want to put a SPOILER WARNING into affect now so that no one can blame me for ruining a movie that have not, but are yet to see! Referring to my previous statistics on the latter paragraph, you probably want to make sure you've either seen or don't want to see all of the movies/shows on BGVTA. I'll also throw in the movie "Wind Commander" since presently it is not up on the site.

All right, all eyes ready? Here's the breakdown:

Aside from "Independence Day" and "The Matrix," I guess it is assumed that in if there is one black chick around, she is associating with the surrounding white people enough to find herself in a relationship. Most of these women are scientists, which I guess in not an occupation to find a vast majority of black people? Then again, given the situations these scientists find themselves in--sub-zero temperatures ("AvP," "Ice Spiders", middle-of-the-ocean abandoned oil rigs "The Thing Beneath"--I cannot imagine why black people would want to take that job. We sort of hate the cold. . . and oil rigs. We also get vengeful when insects and aliens pull and oh-no-you-didn't against our boyfriends. Then, the true warrior woman comes out and kicks butt all the way to the ending credits.

In terms of the space-aged romances, I guess I'm not too surprised. There are no nations, no real borders or boundaries to distinguish a people outside of what cultural or spiritual beliefs they might share. Looking at movies like "The Chronicles of Riddick" where the Necromongers went planet-jumping to recruit all of mankind into their cult, it's not hard to see how Lord and Lady Vaako found each other. They're both crazy. Need I allude to "Diaries of a Mad Black Woman" to further push my point about how a sister's going to act to get what she wants? I didn't think so.

Let's take it to the skies now. The Washburnes seemed the most unlikely couple to sail the skies together, and not because of their skin color. The Chinese New Years Dragon and Dog do the best to explain this misleading match-up. Zoe, herself, said, "I don't like him, sir," before she even knew what was going to happen. In the tragic coupling of Maniac and Rosie in "Wing Commander," I find the first of hopefully very few instances where the black girl takes the fall. However, they could not even kill her off at the hands of an actual enemy. It had to be her own fault for being a show-off and losing control of her ship. She zapped that last alien tail, but could not make it back on board for seconds with her blond boy-toy.

I cannot forget to mention the "Cloverfield" madness that doesn't fit into science or space. It's just downright unfortunate. Poor Lily just wants to throw a good party in New York. After all, she was fortunate enough to have the brother who was not moving across the ocean the next day. Nope! Cannot have that. Chaos, sea monster, and a broken bridge, and now she's single. At least the directors did giver her a break by letting her escape the city before the monster and a bad helicopter pilot could do her in.

Lastly, I thought I'd mention the strange love affair going on between Calypso and Davey Jones. Now that I think about it, there is a chance Calypso wasn't always black since they apparently trapped her in a human form to keep her from messing up the sea for hardworking pirates. But what we know of her outside of her human form is just a bunch of gray crabs. . . . Not nearly as alluring as a swamp witch with rotten teeth and face tattoos. Regardless, Davey Jones loved her enough to help put her in that body, but what did I say earlier about making a black woman do what she don't wanna? SNAPPED!

So I think that about covers it, although I don't think it's really fair. I think we deserve a happy ending once in a while without all the death and separation. Is the media trying to portray that interracial relationships are dangerous or can only end in heartache? I really do hope not. Perhaps there's some assumption that black ladies are strong enough to survive after such a loss? If so, why is it always the white guy who dies, not someone her own race? Something for future filmmakers and directors to think about. People do read into these things,so just be careful of the message you're sending out, even if you have the best intentions.

Let's get ready to RENDER!!!

Final Cut Pro is the new standard for video editing. If you are a journalism or film student, chances are you've come in contact with this program at least once. What seems backwards is that a major news corporations like CNN is just now beginning to upgrade their software to use Final Cut Pro. Previously, editors of CNN Atlanta were using an outdated version of Adobe Premiere. This makes a bit of sense, since the change from Windows' software to Macintosh is a huge jump for an entire international corporation. However, it is funny to know that a public broadcasting station, KAET in Tempe, Arizona, has been using Final Cut Pro exclusively for years. CNN Atlanta (as of 2008) did have a handful of Apple computers with Final Cut Pro software, but less than a handful of proficient users of the new editing systems.

Without getting into PC versus Mac politics, I do have a confession to make regarding my reasons behind ever purchasing a Mac computer. Final Cut Pro is worth all the hype that's put into it (unlike the rest of the Mac OS). Although much about the Mac can be quite frustrating to an avid Windows user--the keyboard, the mouse, the flying windows, the "Apple" key--if you had to put aside your bias for one program, it should be Final Cut Pro. So for anyone who is NOT in the journalism or film field, or any field related, I cannot even begin to comprehend your choice in a Mac. ;P

I've been editing on Final Cut Pro for about two years and I am always discovering new ways to tweak my projects. I must admit, this is not a program you can just sit in front of and learn by osmosis. Concepts like Batch, Capture Scratch, and Sequence were foreign to me before my first confusing editing lessons at that Tempe station I was talking about earlier. I managed to pick up a few terms and got the hang of the the Apple keystrokes enough to make a basic video promo. That then set me up to explore the rest of the software on my own once a more liberal-use computer was available. Once the basics are down, everything else in FCP is more or less self explanatory. Much of it is drag and drop, almost like a puzzle--or like my friend John calls it, Brick Breaker.

Now why is it that Windows cannot have a comparable editing program that gets just as much hype? Unfortunately, not only are PC users satisfied with a simpler Windows Media Player, they are also convinced that anything Adobe is automatically great just because PhotoShop is so incredibly popular. Adobe Premiere is the PC version of Final Cut Pro, but with what I see as a much darker and overly technical feel. Ironically enough, I much prefer the FinalCut interface, despite the fly-away windows and distracting dashboard movement. Apple definitely sold their users a product that is not only pleasing to look at but enjoyable to handle. Adobe's purpose seemed to be to get down to the hard-edge, no-nonsense editing wire with a strict techno-professional interface. Maybe it's the old-style windows look or the straight-edged buttons and icon structures, but just looking at the screen made me feel overwhelmed and frustrated.

I never did get that feeling with PhotoShop or Illustrator, but I can see the Adobe family resemblance in the sheer complexity of executing the simplest of tasks in Premiere. When editing photos I found that resizing an image would require me to select a layer, right-click, select the transformation option, change the size, then confirm that I indeed wanted to make the edit I just performed before being able to perform a new edit. In Premiere, a simple screen shot of my footage seemed to require me to download and upload and transfer between programs to the point where Print Screen and Paintbrush would have taken less time and energy.

Video editing is already a long process that requires a lot of patience, trial, and error. So much work isn't necessary when just learning how to use the program. I was able to pick up the basics of Final Cut Pro after a few hours of playtime. Once I made it past the initial production aspects, learning elements like filters and color correction were the icing on the cake for my video projects. In the same amount of time, I have not been able to become comfortable with Adobe Premiere, despite the fact that it could me much more readily available on my home PC or laptop. After my 30 trial I was finished, making up my mind that Final Cut Pro really is the best option personally and professionally. Not only will my ability to use it prove to most employers that I have editing experience, but also give guarantee them that I am proficient with both Windows and Apple operating systems.

Without sounding too much like a cover letter, I close with this: I'm a PC, but I know when to give credit where it is justly due. I've seen peers--who had never even used a Mac, let alone editing software--put together amazing video pieces after less than a month of basic Final Cut knowledge. Who's to say that they could not have done the same with Windows Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere, but for someone like me who has worked through my share of computers and software my entire life, even I was slightly baffled and disappointed by Windows' versions. I'm so impressed my Final Cut that,yes, I have even thought about buying myself a MacBook to keep my editing (and journalist) skills sharp, no matter where I go. However, if I do, it will be a cheap Mac with nothing but Final Cut Pro, Word, Paint, and the internet. I won't want my little Acer to think I loved the Mac more.

Frag Dolls

This will be a short one, I promise!

So there is a group of girls called Frag Dolls that might need to be my new group of BFFs. What a coincidence that as soon as I create a Twitter account, they are one of the options for "following" as they say? And that after only a day or so I read a blog about joining their Frag Girl clique? That's a pretty sweet opportunity, I think! Especially after spending the past 30 minutes explaining to my mom why I spent $70 on an extinct copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and the difference between Greatest Hits and non-Greatest Hits PS2 games.

Sure, there are probably hundreds of girls who know more about video games than me. Frag Girls seem to focus their attention on FPSs which I am just now becoming competent with. I'll have to do some major gaming overtime to get better at them if I hope to get near a competitive level. However, I think I'd bring a lot of other awesome factors to the job either way...though I suppose I should be telling this to the Frag Girl HR, not you!

I am also realizing that Chocolate Bubblegum needs a makeover. Since that is the site dedicated to video game characters, it should be presentable if I'm going to boast my gaming qualities. Maybe a good weekend project...after my real homework. Gah! -__-;;

The Seven Princesses of Heart

The Seven Princesses of Heart were a select group of young women destined to hold the keys to unlocking Kingdom Hearts. Their hearts were said to be the purest, filled with the power of Light and lacking any traces of Darkness. Sora, the Keyblade Master, fought to free the Princesses from Ansem and his cohorts who stole each of their hearts in order to unlock a Dark keyhole in Hollow Bastion. Although their plan succeeded and they were steps closer to opening Kingdom Hearts, most of the villains met their demise when the powers of Darkness proved too much for them to handle. Eventually, the Princesses were able to foil Ansem’s plans by holding back the Darkness throughout the worlds long enough for Sora, his friend Riku, and King Mickey to shut the door once again.

The Seven used to open Kingdom Hearts were Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Alice, Jasmine, Belle, and Kairi. No one knows exactly who chose each Princess or why there are only seven, though it is safe to assume that since the Keyblade could choose its wielder, it may also be responsible for appointing the Princesses. Though the title implies royalty, not all of the Princesses have regal backgrounds; thus, status had no influence in the Seven’s fates. It was strictly their inner strength and their abilities to stay strong even when hardships threatened their hearts.

Snow White and Cinderella faced similar struggles even before Darkness took over their worlds. Both oppressed by evil stepmothers, they were forced to work relentlessly, though never complained or bore harsh feelings for their tyrannical families. Under the shadow of cold authority, their hearts remained bright and touched those around them. Snow White was able to escape death by the guard who took pity on her even after the Evil Queen had ordered him to bring back the young woman’s heart. Even the seven dwarves soon welcomed her into their home after witnessing her kindheartedness. Cinderella’s pleasant spirit allowed her to become friends with the birds and mice that her stepmother and sisters despised. Along with her Fairy Godmother, her dreams of attending a ball came true.

Aurora and Jasmine were born into prosperous kingdoms, but the evil that seeped within the peaceful walls threatened their happiness and their lives. Aurora, though blessed at birth by the Good Fairies with two wonderful gifts, was also cursed by the witch Maleficent to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. However, since the last Good Fairy had yet to grant her gift, she countered the curse by replacing death with a deep sleep until awakened by true love’s kiss. Hidden for many years to escape any temptation from Maleficent, Princess Aurora grew up beautiful and pure, though naive to the world outside of the forest and her Fairy guardians. She was content without even knowing she was of royal lineage or that she was betrothed to a prince. When she accidentally meets her true love, they are both unaware of each others’ true identities and fretful when they think they cannot be together just because of their pre-arranged royal engagements.

Jasmine faces a similar dilemma when she is told she must marry a prince before her eighteenth birthday. Though sheltered her entire life, her heart begins to yearn for life outside of the palace. After meeting Aladdin, both as a pauper and a prince, she falls in love, not for his fabricated status, but for the courage and compassion she knows he has in his heart.

Belle grew up in a world surrounded by thick books and fairy tale stories. Living with her father, a very imaginative inventor, she was happy to support him, though dreamt of the adventure beyond the careless antics of her shallow suitor. When her father was to be held captive by a cursed prince in a desolate enchanted castle, Belle made the selfless decision to take his place as the Beast’s prisoner. Though frightened, her love for her father overcame the fear and gave her the courage to remain in the company of the Beast. Ultimately, her tender heart and kind feelings toward the inhabitants of the castle allowed her and the Beast to become very close friends.

Alice was in no way related to royalty, though appeared to come from a privileged family. The fact that she became one of the Seven Princesses may have something to do with her childlike innocence and curiosity. After falling into Wonderland and meeting with the many bewildering characters, she remains courteous even in the most bizarre of situations. Probably the youngest of the Princesses, her heart is still untainted and utterly honest.

Kairi’s enigmatic past makes it hard to find reason behind her purity, but it is mentioned that she truly was a princess of the world she came from. There is subtle evidence that she grew up in Hollow Bastion (previously Radiant Garden), but only based on memories Sora uncovers while Kairi’s heart is inside of him. When she arrives on Destiny Island she cannot remember anything about her home world, though to end up on another world unharmed, without a vessel in the Darkness, she would have had to have a strong power of Light to protect her.

Though each of the Seven’s stories differ, they all relate when it comes to the strength of their hearts while in turmoil. But why only seven and why not any of the other princesses or young women affected by the chaos surrounding Ansem’s search for Kingdom Hearts? Why couldn’t Princess Ariel of Atlantica, Wendy, or even Aerith or Yuffie meet the requirements as a Princess of Heart? Since it obviously does not have to be a matter of royalty, the next best assumption is that their hearts were not completely filled with Light at the time it was necessary.

Aerith and Yuffie escaped from Hollow Bastion with Cid and Leon many years before Sora became the Keyblade Master. In the years since, Maleficent and Ansem’s power increased and the girls continued to help fight off the powers of Darkness while in Traverse Town. Unlike Kairi, who supposedly escaped from the same world when it was attacked by Heartless, Aerith and Yuffie remembered the destruction and fear from the disaster. The trauma could have left a lasting impression of sadness and hatred in their young hearts as they grew older. Later it is discovered that a young man named Cloud and his dark nemesis Sephiroth played a large role in their lives as well.

When Wendy Darling met Peter Pan, she was already nearing the age of "growing up." Her father scolded her for believing in such fantastic fairy tales and fascinating her younger brothers with make believe. However, even after arriving in Neverland with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, they treated her as their Mother. Wendy’s love for Peter was never fully requited, though he did care for her greatly in his heart. The pure innocence of her heart was waning as she matured. Emotions like jealousy and defiance could have clouded the Light in her heart, though could never extinguish it.

Ariel, daughter of King Triton, faced a lot of restrictions in her underwater kingdom of Atlantica. The mermaid princess was free-spirited and adventurous, though rebellious, to a point, when it came to her father’s warnings. Unlike Cinderella or Snow White who were true to their authority even when they were treated maliciously, Ariel disregards her father’s words on multiple occasions when he is only concerned for her safety. After meeting Sora, her desire to travel to other worlds became so grave that she was willing to make a deal with Ursula the sea witch, also seeking to rule over the worlds with Darkness. Ultimately Ariel was tricked by the sea witch into stealing her father’s magic triton, yet her initial doubt, dishonesty, and reliance on one with Dark powers had an affect on her heart. Though she underwent many conflicts within her heart and was unable to be one of the Seven, the Light she holds would forever flourish due to the love of her friends and family.

Truly it takes a resilient heart to prevail over the cunning evils of Darkness. The Seven Princesses of Heart were well chosen, even if their purposes were abused by the Dark forces. In the end, those seven glimmers of Light outweighed the powers that destroyed worlds and consumed hearts. The Princesses never lost sight of their Light even while Darkness surrounded them. They faced their opposition with warmth and hope, believed in their dreams, and followed their hearts and the hearts of others toward triumph.

How to be a Good Gamer Girlfriend

It doesn’t always feel easy competing for your boyfriend’s attention; especially when you know just how enticing his distractions can be. Even if you are just as much of an addict as your boy, there will be times when he slips off into his own personal bubble of gaming bliss. Most girls would not understand the fundamental necessity of this time, but unlike most girls, you understand games as well. Just think, you wouldn’t interrupt a man while he was hunting for food. The primordial instinct of man to kill for satisfaction has just evolved into a more "docile" pastime.

Personal life experiences and little bit of research has allowed me to put down a few guidelines for the gaming girlfriend of a gamer. Hey, maybe even a non-gaming girlfriend could learn a few things!

• Relate. Remember those two weeks that you couldn’t get enough of Mass Effect? Your boy does. He was probably straining more for your attention during that time than ever before in your relationship. Unfortunately, that’s just how most guys work. When they feel threatened by something else stealing your attention, they freak out and try to squeeze their way back into your lap. So if he needs some time to conquer a new virtual terrain, be understanding and let him have it. Who knows when the tables will be switched again? Maybe the game he’s playing is worth a bit of your time when he’s done.

• Participate. If the situation permits, ask if you can join in or have a turn. Usually a permissible situation involves ONE boyfriend and NONE of his friends. Have at least a reasonable idea of how the game works to avoid asking "Now what do I do?" fifty times. Boys like to gloat, so if the game is multiplayer he will certainly have fun beating another human. That is, until you get the hang of it (or get lucky) and kick his butt a couple of times. He’ll recognize your skill by offering his advice for improvement, though you’ll ever be marked as a possible threat and that much hotter!

• Know Your Boundaries. When boys get together to play games, it is best to leave the whole "male-bonding" situation alone. A Soul Calibur match against AI is one thing, but a 4-on-4 online Left 4 Dead zombie massacre makes your man virtually untouchable in the real world. Nonetheless, you should realize the difference between new shoes important and car accident important. If his fingers are moving faster than your lips are, he’s most likely tuning you out anyway. It’s best to just hold all avoidable communication until later. Wait until the round ends; or he dies.
  

• Public Display of Information. It is only fair that if your boy has to tag along while you try on every sundress in the mall, you wait patiently while he tests out yet another year of Madden in the game store. This actually sets up for an ideal moment to flaunt your cute gamer-girl powers. Browse the shelves for anything familiar to joke or make references about with your boy or the sales clerk. If any of the test games look interesting, grab a controller and play around. The more knowledgeable you appear, the hotter you start to look to the other guys in the store. Your man will be proud of his rare find in a girlfriend, though may think twice before bringing you along again--just in case.
  

• Be Tech Savvy. NEVER unplug, uninstall, or undo anything you won’t be able to redo later on. As a girl who also games, you’ve felt the overwhelming frustration and sensitivity toward your gaming apparatuses when someone mistreats them. Leaving a system in any condition other than how your guy last left it is the equivalent of him leaving your toilet seat up. You could easily return it to normal, but it’s the principle behind it! Most systems play movies, music, or even allow internet access, so there really is little need to play around with wires and cables. On the rare occasion that you feel you must, simply turning the TV off is just as affective of an attention-grabber as touching or unplugging a console (which I have heard of some girls doing)! Not to mention it is in many ways less risky.
  

• Get Naked. Okay, maybe not literally! Still, here is a good way to draw your significant-figure away from the controller long enough for some quality time together. After exhausting every other possible way of grabbing his attention, fight dirty! No grenade launcher, magical sword, or dark elf spell is as deadly as the female figure. Slip into that thing that you know he’ll like (or out of it if that’s how well you’ve got it!) and casually pass by or tinker with something close to the television set. If you’re bold enough, drop the subtleties and go in for the kill! Remind your boy that even though games are fun, you can be even more entertaining!***