I had an awesome time at Dragon*Con 2011! My decision to attend was rather abrupt but I felt prepared, having seen the PBS documentary. I’ve also had my share of music and numismatic conventions . If you go, use their nifty iPhone app to navigate the plethora of panels and hotel maps. There were a TON of simultaneous events and over 40,000 people; you don’t want to get lost in the crowd. If you plan to buy merch, many dealers accept plastic but bring cash too – it’ll save you time. Also, you can save up to 50% by getting your badge in advance [online].

I thought my favorite part would be the celebrity guests – and seeing William Shatner, Carrie Fisher and more! was super cool – but I actually enjoyed cosplay and people-watching the most. If you haven’t heard, cosplay is short for costume play (think Halloween). The annual D*C parade – like most parades worldwide – is an excellent example of cosplay en masse. At first, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed donning my newly-acquired Starfleet uniform, complete with comm badge, pips and phaser. But once I reminded myself how much I’ve always loved dressing up in suits and tuxedos, it made perfect sense. See my modest collection of D*C photos on Facebook

If you have never been to a convention before, or don’t enjoy large crowds, I don’t recommend making D*C 2012 your first experience. Also, unsupervised kids is a bad idea. This is not a place to drop-off 12-yr-old Timmy for a few hours.

Now, I have seen many Con names hyped these past two weeks post-D*C. The pros (experienced Con-ners; Con-artists like myself) are all debating which Con to attend next – we need our fix! For my own sanity, I decided to compiled the dates and URLs into a chronological list. I only included those that interest me. I won’t get to most of them, but it’s fun to put it out there! Comment with corrections or additions:

Note: Don’t let distance prevent you from supporting the Comic and Sci-Fi Arts. Most Cons offer “Supporting Membership” packages for patrons who can’t attend.

Oct. 13 – 16 = NYCC, super mega huge comics event,
Oct. 28 – 30 = Vulcan Events (Orlando, FL) everything Star Trek!
Nov. 26 = Anime Day (ATL) check the site for other cities!
Jan. 28 – 29 = Wizard World’s Comic Con (New Orleans) comics!
Feb. 17 – 19 = Mega*Con (Orlando, FL) comics, Star Trek and Sci-Fi
Feb. 17 – 19 = Con*nooga (Chattanoogah, TN) Dr. Who and other Sci-Fi
TBA, Spring = Imagi*Con (Columbus, GA) Sci-Fi literature, TV and film
Mar. 16 – 18 = Wonder*Con (Anaheim, CA) huge comic con
Mar. 24 – 25 = Wizard World’s Comic Con (Toronto, Canada)
Apr. 20 – 22 = Trek Trax (ATL) everything Star Trek!
May 19 – 20 = Wizard World’s Comic Con (NYC)
May 25 – 28 = Mediawest (Lansing, MI) Memorial Day Weekend
June 1 – 3 = Wizard World’s Comic Con (Philly, PA)
Labor Day Weekend = Dragon*Con (ATL)

scenic-city.com/sfrg, awesome webcal of every Con that exists!
geekcal.com, another neat webcal
upcomingcons.com, another webcal

If you follow my Twitter, you may have noticed that I began playing a new game in April. Words With Friends – essentially Scrabble with slight alterations (probably just enough to avoid a lawsuit) – has become my favorite iPhone game. I’m not addicted, but I do average ten simultaneous games. Avoiding insanity is easy: one major difference from the boarded version of our childhood is that after you move, you close the app and essentially walk away. Instead of waiting five boring minutes for your sister to place her word, you can proceed with real-life activities while she delibarates. Push notifications announcing her moves, and when a convenient time presents itself (grocery store checkout, bathroom, etc.) place your next word. Days may pass between moves, but the app neatly keeps track of the games for you … this is the genius of iPhone, isn’t it? The only real question here is that age-old nag, “Why didn’t I think of this?”
Most of the other modifications lend themselves to inflated scoring: some key letters have increased value; bonus squares are in different locations; I’m sure this factors into my enjoyment.
Up for a challenge? Warning: I’ve won over 90% of my games and have experienced point spreads so great (+150) that my opponents forfeited! If you don’t plan on throwing in the proverbial towel, my username is NickGrooves. See you in cyberland

~ read part one of Word Wars here ~

Two bits of wisdom – well, one biggie in two parts. #1: Talent is code for strong work ethic. There is no substitute. The FX pedal shown here does not exist. You have complete control over your talent level. People often think of talent as being assigned by G-d, but it’s time and effort. Every athlete is born with the same muscle and skeleton structure. Every guitarist had to learn how to play at some point. When I began singing, I was horrible. Like, really bad. I worked on it. I got better. On Tuesday, a gentleman from Shure said I had “an amazing voice” (they make microphones). Look at Larry Bird, who was probably told as a kid that he could never play pro basketball due to his height. Work hard, practice, improve your game and you can achieve any goal. You may have to work harder than anyone else – not everyone has the same hill to climb – but you’ll reach the top eventually. Which brings us to #2, the formula for distance: Time x Effort = Distance.

The harder you work, the less time it will take to reach your destination. If you only practice once a week, it will take you seven times longer to [play guitar well] than your classmate who practices daily. Sometimes my students are discouraged by this part; they want that Talent Simulator. I think it’s because American pop culture encourages quick fixes – microwaves, magic diet pills (or liposuction), tanning salons … I’m sure there are better examples but you see my point.

The harder you work, the farther you will go in the same amount of time. Rat Race? No worries when you are working harder than your competition; you will go farther. The only risk is burning out. Recall the astronomical metaphor commonly heard when famous people die young, “the brightest stars burn fastest.” This may be true, but with moderation you can avoid becoming a burnout. Moderation is key. Everyone has different limits, everyone has different struggles. Maybe the tools you need are not available? Maybe you have it harder than the next person. But maybe you can work a little harder and focus more on what really needs to be done to achieve your goal(s).

Since my last album was named after a Chinese Zodiac sign (Year Of The Ox), I found today’s trending topic of new zodiac signs worthy. This photo is Rho Ophiuchus cloud, a star-forming region. The “new 13th sign,” Ophiuchus seems to be a region where new things are born – stars, to be exact. Named after a Greek demigod, this constellation briefly had me convinced that I’d morphed from Capricorn to Sagittarius. New stars born, new signs, new year (2011 – and new decade!) … the timing of this story is strangely coincidental with my current situation: new band name, new logo, first show under the new name less than two weeks away … and even though I’ve been playing with these musicians for a while (some over 3.5 years) the current combination is relatively new. It feels new, anyway. It’s exciting, like a new chapter in your favorite book. And we are excited to have you along for the ride.

If you don’t know already, it’s a false alarm. Americans have two sets of “Zodiac signs,” tropical and sidereal. Most follow tropical, and they haven’t changed. The following is from CNN’s blog:

“tropical zodiac – which is fixed to seasons, and which Western astrology adheres to – differs from the sidereal zodiac – which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East, and is the type of zodiac to which the Star Tribune article ultimately refers.” -Jason Hanna

And in case anyone’s still confused, I am [still] a tropic Capricorn.

To read more about Ophiuchus, check this out: ianridpath.com/startales/ophiuchus.htm

So, I had this crazy idea that while preparing for Nashville I’d blog daily (with the hope of continuing that practice afterwards). People like updates, right? I managed to blog on Saturday (day 1). Yesterday was a miserable failure   It was a great day, actually but I didn’t blog one word. For what it’s worth, I did watch a movie about words – Word Wars, a documentary about professional Scrabble. Quite fascinating and well-done. It reminded me of a couple things. First, don’t forget to blog today!  LOL.

Second, don’t let your career negatively affect physical or mental health, social behavior, or personal happiness. I probably could’ve said that better but you’ve got the idea. These guys (in the film) are definitely amazing at what they do, but they look miserable. They sound miserable. They rarely smile. They have no social life and minimal if any family interaction. They willingly admit that they’ve become obsessed with Scrabble to the point of unhealthy addiction, which in one guy led to his gambling addiction (side bets on non-tourney Scrabble games).

It’s sad for me to see people living that way and yet, they are champions of Scrabble. Is it worth the cost? They claim “yes,” but I believe their eyes cry “No!” Maybe that’s why I’ve walked away from bands on the verge of major success … I don’t believe it’s worth the cost.

On this official “Snow Day” in Atlanta, when businesses and schools are closed, I hope everyone is enjoying quality time with their family and friends. And while you’re having fun throwing snowballs at your kid sister … don’t forget to tell all your Nashville friends about Tuesday, January 25th @ Wildhorse Saloon!

New this week is the music player! Used to be on top of the page, now it’s below. I’ve had my eyes on Streampad for a while now. Everyone uses it, from major-label to Indie. Play some tunes and lemme know what you think!

~Nick

Carl Orff (German composer and educator) passed away in 1982 at the age of 87, the same year I was born. He promoted folk music, improvisation, and theater. What follows was taken from the Library of Congress via Pomegranate Publications:

“In all my work, my final concern is not with musical but with spiritual expression,” said Carl Orff, who first gained wide attention in 1937 with his magnum opus, Carmina burana. Born into a Bavarian military family, Orff studied music from childhood and, later, composition at the Munich Academy of Music. Among the early influences on his compositions were Claude Debussy, Arnold Schoenberg, and Richard Strauss. In 1924 he cofounded the Güntherschule, an institution devoted to exploring and teaching new correlations between movement and music. As a musical pedagogue, Orff was influential in using radio as a means of teaching musical principles and in furthering the use of folk instruments and simple improvisation in classrooms. Orff wrote primarily for the stage and conceived his works as total sensory experiences. Of these, Carmina burana, a musical celebration of love and sensual pleasure based on anonymous medieval Latin manuscripts, has become a staple of the modern repertoire.

And now that the rituals are over … time for the chocolate Seder-plate-shaped dessert version!  hahaha thank G-d for Manischewitz!