August GeekFuel Mystery Box

I have been receiving subscription boxes for about a year now and always see everyone doing their blogs and unboxing videos. I thought I would jump in and provide my thoughts on these boxes and the random items that come every month. 

Up first is going to be the August box for GeekFuel. I kept seeing this as a sponsored ad on my Facebook and decided to see what it was about. GeekFuel's website says, "Monthly Mystery Box of Geeky Goodness." They offer a few different plans that include monthly, three months, six months, and one year. The six month and one year plan come with special bonuses if you sign up for the either of those. I opted to do just the one month to see what it was about. Finally, the website also says, "$50+ Guaranteed Value in Every Box." 

Let's get to the good stuff that came in the box.

The box opens nicely with all the goodies covered with a paper wrapper.

I must say that I was a little impressed with the paper wrap that came around all the items. Other boxes don't do this but it doesn't really need it. Just a nice touch. 

Upon opening the paper I found a nicely packed box with the monthly magazine right on top.
I got a t-shirt, in a size that I selected, that is supposed to be exclusive to the company. Kind of a cool Deadpool shirt that I'm going to be giving to a friend. 

In addition to the t-shirt, there was an awesome hardcover book called The World According to Wolverine. This was a random draw as I could have ended up with Spiderman which would have been totally cool too. 

There were a few smaller items included. I got a nice magnet to hold my post apocalyptic money, if there is money after the apocalypse. A code for a downloadable game called Aaru's Awakening. I'm not much of a computer gamer so this will be finding a new home too. Finally, there was a Funko Adventure Time Pop! Keychain. Again the key chain was a luck of the draw, you either got Finn or or Jake. And I can't forget the lamest part of the box, a lollipop. It was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but still just lame. 

                   

That was all in the box for August. I was a little disappointed but that's why they are mystery boxes, they won't make everyone that gets one excited every month. And since I had only signed up for the one I felt OK about it. Then they started advertising September. Oh they got me good with September and I had to get my hands on it. There's going to be an exclusive Bob's Burgers item. I love Bob's Burgers so yeah, I will be anxiously awaiting to see what this exclusive item is in the September box. 

Steam Crow Scouts = Awesomeness

I first learned of Steam Crow when I attend the Los Angeles Festival of Books a few year ago. They were exhibiting their amazing artwork which was a cross between steampunk and horror. I was hooked from day one and I can't remember how much money I spent that day. 

Today, well yesterday, they started a Kickstarter campaign for their newest adventure, Steam Crow Scouts. In two days they have hit their target goal to bring the Steam Crow Scouts to even more monster loving people. There's a lot to be read on their website Steam Crow Scouts and even a neat orientation video. 

One more video for this post and this is the Kickstarter video because after all I'm trying to get you to support the Steam Crow Scouts and believe in monsters. Plus you can earn badges! 

I'm Not a Crazy Cat Lady . . . Not Yet

I love cats. Always have. I have three right now. No, I'm not a crazy cat lady- I believe that honor is bestowed when you have five or more in your home. Mine are all rescues. I love each of them in their own way because each one of them has a unique personality. Can they be standoffish? Yes, yes they can. Can they be super loving and wonderful? Absolutely yes they can. Are they better than dogs? I can't answer that one- I love both. 

My cats are as follows: 
Sport, will be 14 in July, rescued from the CT Humane Society

Cleo, who's four, rescued from the Pasadena Humane Society

Godzilla, just turned 1 (lord help the dogs), rescued from a backyard in the Antelope Valley through a co-worker

If I see a cat I will stop and stare. If I see a cat on the street, for the most part I try to pet it. Doesn't matter what the kitty looks like. Cats have a spot in my heart that will never be full. It was a good thing the wait to see the adoptable cats at the 2015 CatCon was over 30 minutes because I may have just slept there surrounded by the lovable creatures. 

Billed as the 1st annual, CatConLA, was the place to be over the weekend of June 6-7. I only went for Saturday but two days wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for 2016, which they have already announced. There were exhibitors, artists, discussion panels, and celebrity cats. I was kind of surprised that one of the internet's most famous cats, Grumpy Cat, was not in attendance. Not really a big loss as seeing any of them was next to impossible. Attendees were not allowed to bring their own bundles of joy and that is probably best considering how crowded it was. 

The event was held at a place called The Reef in downtown Los Angeles which is part of LA Mart. I'm sure the space would have been great for a smaller turnout than what the actual crowd size was. Many of the spaces were too small to even get more than the vendor into and larger spaces filled quickly with people pushing to get a closer look or move in. I'm OK with crowds though not a fan. I did sidestep many exhibitor spaces though to avoid being stuck somewhere I wasn't comfortable. When I went by the Pusheen spot it was so crowded that I decided I would go home and just check the website, generally that means I won't get any special convention pricing on stuff, but at least I won't be getting jostled and stepped on while reaching for a soft Pusheen plushy. 

I did manage to get a picture with this big Pusheen.

What I did come home with some cool artwork and lots of cards for artists that truly appreciate the feline subject. One of my favorite stops was the Japanese American National Museum where I picked up a print of a cat using an old style tattooing method to put stripes on another cat. I was happy that this was also the only spot that anything remotely related to Hello Kitty. Not that I don't like her but she isn't technically a cat according to the company that created her. I did hear that a few times during the day how there was nothing with Hello Kitty though. 

My crazy cat friend and I at CatConLA.

Overall it was a nice day out spent with a good friend who shares an equally healthy love for cats. Again, neither one of us is a crazy cat lady, by definition it takes five. Well by my definition it takes five. Then again maybe I am a cat lady since I did sign up to try this new subscription box for cat ladies Cat Lady Box. Who wouldn't want a monthly gift of fun stuff centered around cats. I got the Cat Lady Box but they have another called Crazy Cat Lady Box that includes items for your kitty. I figure my three can fight over the box once I take everything out of it. 

For next year I hope they have it someplace with more space so that getting around to see everything is possible. It really does fit its billing, "CatConLA is like Comic-Con...but for cat people." See you next year all you feline loving fanatics. 

My Bowling Tirade from League Tonight

Many people that know me know that I bowl and that I'm quite good at it. My average hangs around a 135 to 145 depending on all kind of things. My co-workers will never bowl with me again, at least I don't think they will, since the first time we went bowling I bowled a 160 something scratch and I don't remember if anyone else broke 100. That however is not the point. The point is that I know I will never be a professional bowler and that at best I'm as athletic a bowler as Homer Simpson.

Not knowing who reads this or will read it I think giving some basics will help.

• Scratch is the score before any handicap is applied.
• Handicap is the number of pins received to equalize the playing field.
• Keep your post-shot celebration (or anger) to your own lane.
• Have fun with your team, but be respectful of your opponents. 

The last two are meant for people, like me, who bowl in leagues. Yep, I bowl in a league once a week for 36 weeks just so I have an excuse to go to Las Vegas. This is yet another reason I don't think my co-workers will be bowling with me again. The league being the sticking point not my adherence to the last two points above.

League bowling is supposed to be fun. It is a time to meet with others, many who become friends over the years, and have a night out. That's for some. Others see leagues as a chance to do something, what I'm not sure, but it usually involves anger and all around jerkiness. Most people who are bowling in a league know that the USBC won't come calling them, or I, for any major tournament anytime soon. However, I think that there some people in leagues that hold out hope they will be discovered and rise to the glory of a professional bowler.

Tonight in league my team bowled another team that takes this way too serious sometimes (i.e. someone looking to be discovered). We bowl for fun and have fun doing it. We aren't there to impress anyone and at the end of it I'm either happy or a little disappointed in my scores.

There was one person on this team who never seems to have fun and stands at the ball return in a foul mood (hahaha foul) if he doesn't get a strike every time. And it isn't him, it's the lanes fault, or the oil on the lane, or the balls fault, but not human error. Hell if we all got strikes all the time we would all be professionals raking in millions of dollars. The point is this guy isn't and he has a bad attitude. Someone likes this can make the evening a little less enjoyable but doesn't steal the whole night of fun. In fact every time I got up to bowl and he was in the lane, I tried really hard to get a strike, especially if he had one pin standing. Not so nice I know but it was my personal war.

In the end it all comes down to putting yourself out there. If this dude wants to be on the professional circuit then he needs to get his butt to the professional tournaments and leave the leagues for those looking for a fun time. Now before I get comments, there are some leagues that are by invite only from management, still they aren't professional and they won't be aired anytime on television.

The dream is real and still alive, I will have a ring like this someday.

My tirade comes down to this: just have fun! If you are gunning for something special like that 200 or 300 game you can be serious but also be a little lighter. Don't get your pants in a bunch because you are five strikes in and end up with a split or something else. If you don't get it at first try again. Keep trying until you do, as of yet I have not bowled anywhere near a 300. Someday, I'll just keep trying and remember that I'm not a professional, no one will discover me as some hidden talent in the center just waiting for the chance, and I will have fun doing it.

Oh and if you are a co-worker reading this, please give me another chance on the lanes. I had so much fun the first time and I won't bring my own gear the second time.

Musings from My Commute

I have a commute in the morning and night to get to my work place. I have lots of time to think and observe the world out my windshield. Today was interesting because my brain was in a frenzy to put to words what was going on in my mind. 

I leave my house by 6:30 am to start my drive. I have to leave that early in anticipation of messy traffic but if there's not then I get to work about an hour early. Most of my commute involves a normal three to four lane freeway (highway for my east coasters). At a certain point the freeway expands to about six lanes, one of these is a carpool lane. 

Not to long ago I bought a low emissions vehicle and have special decals that allow me to use the carpool lane even though I'm single occupant vehicle. Having this helps tremendously with this long commute I have. 

Today as I merged into the carpool lane another vehicle merged in behind me. This SUV then tailgated me all the way to the carpool interchange with another freeway. Rather than taking the ramp to the other freeway as I thought was going to happen, he took the chance to go around me and almost hit a retaining wall in the process. As the brake lights reflected in front of me when he hit the backed up traffic in the carpool lane I had to chuckle. 

This is my musing now that you have the backstory. When did the carpool lanes become the equivalent of the Autobahn in Germany? There are signs everywhere about the speed limit but that doesn't seem to apply to some that use the carpool lane. People will use the lane and then proceed to speed down the road at 80 miles per hour like it's nothing. It drives me nuts. If the carpool lane was meant for impatient people of two or more than I think that's what it would have been called. I don't drive slow I'm doing between 65 and 70 miles per hour myself but for others that isn't fast enough in a lane meant for people of two or more in one vehicle. 

That was this morning. My drive home was more about the music I was listening to than crazy drivers.

My new spiffy low emissions car also has satellite radio. My preset stations in order are: Prime Country, Y2Kountry, 90s on 9, Highway, 80s on 8, and Alt Nation. With that line up it doesn't sound like there could be something that amusing but just wait. It all started because Highway started playing a song I don't really care for so I start the task of channel surfing my presets. 

The song I heard on 90s on 9 made me skip it and then go back to it. What song could have that kind of draw? How about a song that when I saw the year of 1990 my brain screamed, "What?! 1990?! I was 10 when this song was being played on the radio? What has my sister done to me?" OK maybe not that last part about my sister, although she did have an influence on my musical choices for awhile. I mean come on who doesn't want to be like their older sibling. 


So this song that made me go kind of nutty, it was by a group called Digital Underground and the song itself is called "Humpty Dance". Yes that song. I was grooving to a song about doing the humpty hump and when I was 9 or 10 probably had no frigging clue what it was actually about. I was just kind of awestruck by this realization. Then the next song came on.

I don't feel as strange about this one except for the fact that I thought it was only a theme song for a television show. I didn't know it was actually a real song by a real group. I'm sure if I tell you the show that it is the theme music for you will start singing the catchy chorus. That show is Cops. Yes "bad boys, bad boys, watcha going to do?" Of course the only part of the song I knew was the part that goes, "Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" So not just a theme song for a popular television series, but a real song by a real group, for a real album. Who knew?

Just like that my trip of the 90s was over when I switched back to the Highway for my country music fix. But I was still kind of hung up on what just transpired on my radio. Shocking! No not really but it kind of felt that way.

That's it. My musings about my drive today. Tomorrow is Friday maybe some new things will assualt my brain. I can't wait to see. 

I Have A Strange Condition

I wrote this post sometime near the end of last year and never published it. I have come back to it time and time again with the thought of publishing it and haven't. Today I have decided to share this. - Spaz


Hello to my blog readers at least the ones that stick around as I take months off in between my posts. I wanted to be more consistent but have found that I don't have much to talk about. 

I want to share something that's very personal about my person. I've decided to share this because well it is a part of who I am and my last episode (I hate to call it that) banged me up pretty good. Some of my friends who I have shared this with know and others don't. Most of my family knows. 

I have a medical condition known as Vasovagal Syncope (vay-zoh-VAY-gul SING-kuh-pee) . Try saying that three times fast. What is vasovagal syncope? To put it simply, "Vasovagal syncope is one of the most common causes of fainting. It occurs when your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress.

The vasovagal syncope trigger causes a sudden drop in your heart rate and blood pressure. That leads to reduced blood flow to your brain, which results in a brief loss of consciousness." Definition from MayoClinic.org

I had my first episode when I was young probably pre-teen I'm thinking. It isn't consistent and I can go years without it ever happening. I lived in CT for 3 years and it never happened once. Other times it can happen more than once in a year like it has this year. The first one was my fault, I thought I would watch my sister get stitches and that turned out to be a bad idea. I blame that on my curiosity because I like to watch strange things and learn stuff. I learned I won't watch anyone get stitches again. The most recent occurrence wasn't because of anything, it just happened. 

It really isn't as bad as it sounds. I do get symptoms before it happens so I do get some warning although I wish it was more than just a few seconds or minutes. My symptoms include getting hot really fast and then having cold sweats, tunnel vision, and lightheadedness. None of which are any fun but they are the warning signs that something may happen because sometimes the feeling passes. The only serious problem with this condition is that I could faint and hit my head which could cause some major damage. I'm not superstitious so I'm not going to knock on wood but you go ahead and feel free if you need to. 

The majority of the time I'm fine and living life normally, well as normally as I can, I do have my quirks. It has never happened while I've been driving but happens mostly at home and one time at work. People ask what they can do if it happens; I tell them if possible get me laying down with my feet elevated, talk to me even if you ask silly questions, and just be patient as it could take awhile for me to fully come about again. I will and I'll bounce back as if nothing has happened. 

I'm working with my doctor and she will most likely be prescribing a medication to help but really there isn't much medical science can do. It is one of those things that I have had to learn to live with. It doesn't interfere with my life and I refuse to let it ever come to that. I also don't want anyone to ever treat me differently. This is a part of who I am and I am one amazing person. 

Carrie (1976)

While the Dodgers fought a good battle in St. Louis and the Seahawks won over the Washington Redskins I was watching the classic horror movie Carrie on the big screen at Arclight in Sherman Oaks. This really was classic '70s horror but it hasn't lost its edge. 

I haven't read the book by Stephen King and really the only thing I knew of the film was the scene at prom when she gets covered in blood. The music reminded me at times of Psycho with that high pitched noise. 

What first hit me was how nasty the girls are to Carrie. Come on high school seniors shouldn't be acting like children and still picking on other people. There comes a time when everyone grows up. Sure it might happen in high school but by the time you're a senior you're expected to be somewhat of an adult. It also made me glad that we never had to shower after gym in high school. I mean really the first five to ten minutes rate as high as a good '70s porn. 

Scary as fuck crucifix. Not kidding.

Then we got to meet Carrie's overly protective ultra  religious mother. The woman  beats her own daughter with a book making her say things like, "And the raven was called sin!" and "The first sin was intercourse." Yelling at Carrie while all she is trying for is some sympathy from a mother who never told her about her period. I mean seriously the woman is convinced that Carrie had sex and if she hadn't she would have had, ". . . this curse of blood." And of course the best cure is to lock the girl in a closet with the scariest as fuck crucifix I have ever seen. That's going to really help her. 

There of course has to be one hero and while I would have hoped it would have been the gym teacher to me it was Sue Snell. Sue asks her hunky star athlete boyfriend, Tommy, to ask Carrie to the prom. Of course he obliges but Carrie of course turns him down or more to her character runs away because holy crap a guy just talked to her, mom better not catch wind of that. Tommy doesn't give up and finally Carrie says yes. What happens at the prom is a cute little love arc of the star jock realizing that sometimes the shy girls are the most interesting. Too bad that never worked for me in high school. 

From prom queen to red queen

Then prom the best time of senior year. Carrie is just in awe of everything and Tommy is drinking up her innocence and lost in her childlike wonder of what he has known all along. And we couldn't have prom without a king and queen. Carrie honestly looked beautiful in her dress with her makeup and hair. She looked beautiful standing there next to Tommy but one girl, Chris, got a burr up her butt and decided to teach Carrie a lesson because you know if you are the biggest bitch and are told you can't do something then by all means torture who you think is to be blamed. I'm sure many are familiar with what happens next with Carrie's rage and such. 

And no Stephen King movie would be complete without a total crazy ending. I mean really there was nothing that jumped out and nothing that made me want to cover my eyes. It was just a horrific series of events that happened to be the one person you probably shouldn't have messed with. Oh and the messed up survivor of the whole ordeal, Sue, well she'll never have a normal life after that I don't see how she could. 

Overall, I felt that it was a lot of build up to a  moment that I've seen numerous times depicted in multiple ways which was wonderful to see in its original glory but at the same time kind of a let down. The fanatical mother was just . . . I have no idea. She was there and she would have scared the hell out of me. It was good and I enjoyed it. I'm happy I got to see it on the big screen because the ending wouldn't have looked the same watching it on TV. 

I guess my evening ended on a positive note because two out of three things went good. Seahawks won and I saw a good movie. On the down side, the Dodgers dropped another game to St. Louis. I'm hoping for a Dodgers win tomorrow so they can come back to LA and win a spot in the NLCS.