Violet and I just got finished raiding the kids candy (telling them that they had to stop first of course). This is our first Halloween in our new neighborhood and we are very impressed. Everybody was happy and talking and the weather has been amazing. It’s funny, but I can’t remember a Halloween ever that had nice weather. Here in the A.V. it is always raining or windy or bitterly cold on October 31st. It’s currently 54 outside and has been for most of the evening. I little chilly but nice with a light jacket.

After about 10 rings of the doorbell our house mates had given up on answering the door and had put the candy bowl out on the front porch. By the time we made it home the bowl and the candy were gone. Violet found the bowl next door. Kinda funny and we knew exactly who had done it. Oh well, no harm done.

Have a nice Halloween if it’s still going on for you.

Excellent article over at 1up regarding the current uproar over video games. I find it amazing that parents see fit to just completely blow off responsibility for their children when it comes to video games. I also don’t buy the argument about not being able to understand the games enough to make an informed decision. If you don’t understand the content then don’t buy it, very simple. Or you could take some interest in what your kids are doing and actually play a game once and awhile or at least make it a point to brush up on the game rating system. I don’t listen to pop music but I at least go to the trouble to know which groups are appropriate for my nine year old daughter to listen to.

Just finished reading a good article on fandom in all it’s many forms. Fanfics, cosplayers, remixers, it’s all there. The article even digs in to the seedier side of things such as hentai and “slash” fanfiction (fanfics involving homesexual relations).

I even learned a new term, “soulbonding” which is basically the belief that the in-game (book, comic, movie, etc.) world exists somewhere and that characters can be invited into your mind. I had no idea that kind of thing had a name. Violet and I channel various characters all the time. We speak in their language and mimic their actions. I’m not sure that we go as far as “inviting” them to take up residence in our heads but we do feel the need to open chests whenever we see them. You know, in case there’s an important item inside.

Violet and I were looking for examples of the Norwegian language and in the process we happened upon a Norwegian language radio station. I started it up hoping to soon be awash in a foreign culture and guess what came on. An American pop/rock song. Methinks our culture may be a bit too prevalent.

It wasn’t even a good song.

So since it’s late and I’m tired I decided to give everybody another day to see Serenity before I talk about it. I just can’t Put words to what I’m thinking right now to be able to put down anything clear about the BDM. I need to get it out but I just can’t right now. Which is a huge shame because I really need to find time to concentrate on Goblet of Fire.

*sigh* There’s just too much going on right now. What’s a geek to do? The holiday season is always a time of not enough time/money but this year seems really harsh. Harry Potter movie (yay!), X-Box360 (boo!), Serenity (yay!), more games than you can shake a dual shock at (I tried shaking one of the original gargantuan X-Box controllers at them but they got scared and ran away). I can already hear my wallet screaming.

Violet and I went and saw Serenity last night. We went to the 7:30PM showing at our local Cinemark and the theater was completely full which made me quite happy. This movie needs to make tons of money so that we can get the next two.

As for the movie it was amazing. I promised myself that I would not discuss plot points till Monday so I will hold off for now. Come Monday though if you haven’t seen the gorram movie then tough shit, spoilers be comin’. The movie was very dark, far darker than Firefly and far closer to what I understand was Joss’s original vision for the series. Despite the darkness it was also funny as hell and thought provoking. You will see reavers and you will be crying. You will also see River kick lots of ass (I hear that she’s made of chocolate).

Go see Serenity, then go see it again, then get some friends and go see it once more.