Cool Things to Get Into: 2017 Update

I have posted before about cool things I'm into but since my curiosity  is never satiated I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to enrich my life and imagination.  Depending on the day and the climate of my particular attitude, a long commute can be a great space of time to fill with stories, news, theories, and more. Because my commute is what it is, it allows me the time to devote myself to my favorite podcasts without getting in the way of my other interests and obligations.

So here it goes...some of my favorite suggestions for making your 2017 a little bit more fun.

What I'm listening to:

Podcasts:
The Loaded Couch: Fantastic variety show about beer, video games, TV, movies, and general hilarity with a great host dynamic. They have a consistent show format with regular weekly releases.

Limetown: There isn't enough I can say about this awesome series. It is a continuous mystery so you will have to start at the beginning but it is such a cool format. It takes shape through the perspective of a
journalist who will stop at nothing to find out where 300 people from a testing/research site called Limetown, have disappeared to. The closer she gets to the truth, the stranger and more dangerous the episodes become.

Forever Fallen-Doctor Who Short Trips: Besides the story being written by my good friend Josh Wanisko, it is also a great insight into the power and conflicts of our choices. It helps to be familiar with the Doctor Who universe but to listen to Josh's story, it certainly isn't necessary. I'm extremely proud of my friend's story and the positive acclaim it has received and am so happy to recommend it.

Myths and Legends: Folklore and myths from around the world are featured on this podcast. Obscure figures from Greek mythology, sinister origins of familiar fairy tales, and strange superstitions, make this a well
rounded and enjoyable show to listen to. Episodes tend to be in the 30-40 minute range so are perfect for the commute to and from work.

The NoSleep Podcast: Scary fiction at it's finest! This podcast is in the same vein as Wicked Library and Tales to Terrify which I have reviewed in a previous post. There are definitely stories that will make your heart race and your stomach flip. Leave the lights on!

YouTube: A Song of Ice and Fire Channels
My obsession with Westeros is only surpassed by my hunger to sink my teeth into any good analysis on the moving parts that drive the series. Some channels are devoted to the story and shedding light on the mysteries and unanswered questions the series leaves in it's wake.

Preston Jacobs: Great theory-crafter with intelligent reviews and insight into all things ASOIAF. My favorite videos include: Deeper Dorne, Prepping for Winter (analyzes released sample chapters by George R.R. Martin), and Littlefinger's Mistake.

The Last Harpy: Short dynamic analysis on all the theories that keep us obsessed fans awake at night. Great channel!

What I'm reading:

The Witcher Series: My amazing husband bought me the books that inspired one of his favorite games, The Witcher 3. We both tend to share similar interests so it's pretty easy and refreshing for us to recommend new things to each other. We never run out of things to talk about. The story is filled with all of the usual traits of the Fantasy Genre and yet stands alone in it's uniqueness and beauty.

What I'm playing: 

A Game of Thrones Living Card Game-Second Edition: This is a deckbuilding, faction based, strategic card game highlighting the military tactics, intrigue, and power struggles of the great Houses of Westeros (in the vein of Magic but VERY different). I got into the game during the First Edition and fell in love with it. It has a very competitive environment for play and I have been lucky enough to play against some of the best players in the Meta and attend some store championships and draft tournaments in the NYC area. I'm not very good and don't have the time to devote to improving that I wish I did, but I do love to play when I can.  It is a great time to get into the game for new players because to catch up with the current card pool you wouldn't have to back track too much. The core set and two House expansion sets are released and the monthly chapter packs are only in their second cycle. (Each cycle is themed and is defined by 6 chapter packs of 20 new cards @ 3x each.)

Balticon50 Part 4: Panels and Convention Highlights

I will start off by saying we did A LOT at Balticon. We took advantage of a lot of the kids activities, we sat in on some gaming panels, Jeremiah attended a podcasting tips panel, and my neighbor Jen and I ditched our Men and the kiddos to attend the Masquerade CosPlay contest. It was a great few days of general geek stuff and I had a blast.

Panels Saturday:
George R.R. Martin Interview-Moderated by Balticon50 Toastmaster and Author, Mark Van Name: I thought this interview was too generic. I don't need the "loaded questions" effect but I would have liked a little more substance. The interview questions  were okay if you knew absolutely nothing about GRRM but my bets were that the audience had been long time fans of George and had heard most of these responses before. It was great to see George but I think the interview questions could have been a lot better.

Special Highlight: While standing on line to get into the Panel room, I heard someone behind me who's voice I distinctly recognized as one of my absolute favorite 'ASOIAF' theorists that I follow on YouTube, Preston Jacobs. We spoke for quite a bit about some of his theories and I told him that while I am not a subscriber to his R+L=D theory (I believe R+L=J), his ideas were still quite compelling. He told me about his experience at the Balticon50 Feast of Ice and Fire dinner with George R.R. Martin (a charity event that cost $1000). We talked for a bit about his conversation with GRRM and how Preston felt a bit disappointed when George told him he might be over-reading his interpretation between Plato's 'The Republic' and GRRM's Tuf Voyaging (a story in the1000 Worlds universe)  I won't pretend I am an expert on 'The Republic' but I can see why Preston made the connection. Interpretation of literature takes on a life of it's own according to each reader and sometimes connections are there whether they were intentional by the author or not. Preston was really great to talk to and it was a unexpected surprise to run into him at Balticon.

Me and Preston Jacobs

Games of GOT: This was a fun panel hosted by folks from one of my favorite podcasts, History of Westeros. Moderators included: Aziz Al-Doory, Ashaya, and Jeff Hartline. They mostly talked about the many GOT games available on PC and tabletop. I even got to pipe in from the audience about how awesome the Game of Thrones Living Card Game is. It can be very competitive but I enjoy it on a casual level and had a lot of insight to offer on why it's not only a great game but also why it's a great time to get into it. After the panel I got to chat with the hosts and tell them how much I enjoyed their podcast.

Other Fun Things: 
Hoola-hooping, learning a couple of Medieval dances, meeting Peter S. Beagle, attending the Masquerade contest, having a delicious Sheppard's Pie for dinner, Mad Hatter Tea Party, and Fairy Gardens.


Panels Sunday:
Liars Panel with authors, George R.R. Martin, Jodi Lyn Nye, Joe Haldeman, Mur Lafferty, and moderated by Mark Van Name: This was a charity panel to raise money for children's literacy. The rules were: Each panelist answers a set of questions. All answers must be the truth—except three. After each answer, anyone in the room can challenge the answerer. After there are no more challengers, the panelist tells whether the answer was the If it was true, each challenger puts $1 in a bucket that runners pass. If it was a lie, the panelist puts $10 in the bucket. The panel was just fantastic and laugh-out-loud hilarious. I cracked up when Mur Lafferty discussed 'impolite promises' and Jodi Lyn Nye demonstrated that she was double-jointed. Some things that are surprisingly true about George R.R. Martin include, he once got a gift certificate for a nipple piercing that has been re-gifted to other sci-fi/fantasy writers, one of his favorite shows was 'My Mother the Car', and he loves the theme song to the old show, 'Petticoat Junction'.

George R.R. Martin Reading:

We were offered three choices and the wild majority of us hooted our assent for a chapter from GRRM's anticipated novel, 'Winds of Winter'. It was an Aeron Damphair POV chapter that hadn't been previously released on George's website nor read out loud before. I won't give too much away but it starts, "It was always midnight in the belly of the beast..." and that set the tone for an incredible and shocking chapter. George received a standing ovation when he finished the chapter and he took time to answer some questions from the audience. When someone asked, "Who are Jon Snow's parents?" George replied to our delight, "Some Kardashian and Justin Bieber." He also talked about Brienne and how she was sort of his improvement to the Fantasy cliche of women fighting in chain-mail bikinis. He said with a chuckle, "She is one of my favorite characters but that doesn't mean she is safe." He also confirmed that Brienne was a descendant of Duncan the Tall from the 'Dunk and Egg' stories. The reading from Winds of Winter was the perfect ending to an awesome convention and I was ready to go home.

George R.R. Martin reading an Aeron Damphair POV chapter from Winds of Winter