I have power!

I got back from the SDCC last night, rescued the pooch from the dog-gulag and went for the usual walk. Hot. Humid. When we got back, I fled for home and airconditioning and sleep...only to find darkness. According to the neighbors, the power had been out since 6pm.

The strange thing: it was actually a "brown-out". I've experienced brown-outs where the lights/power dips for a few seconds and then comes back up, but this was different: the power coming into the house was only a trickle-- just enough to run the led-clocks. If you turned on a light, it gave off about the same light as a single candle. But nothing large would power up (TV, computer, 'fridge, etc.). Very surreal: no power to do anything, but enough to be teased by.

The house was stifling: even with all the doors and windows wide open, it was like a stifling sauna-- humid, thick and hot. Even the cold water in the shower is uncomfortably warm (not even "tepid"-- actually warm!). The power finally came on about noon and I lasted about forty minutes before I gave in and turned on the AC for a little while. I'm told it got up to 115 locally...and was still in the high 80's after midnight (with about 60% humidity).

One thing I was reminded: the durability of a book: no power, no internet, no nothing this morning, but I could still pass time reading a book. Good ol' books!

Con report later...

PS: it's 6:30pm and still 101 degrees...

I have power!

I got back from the SDCC last night, rescued the pooch from the dog-gulag and went for the usual walk. Hot. Humid. When we got back, I fled for home and airconditioning and sleep...only to find darkness. According to the neighbors, the power had been out since 6pm.

The strange thing: it was actually a "brown-out". I've experienced brown-outs where the lights/power dips for a few seconds and then comes back up, but this was different: the power coming into the house was only a trickle-- just enough to run the led-clocks. If you turned on a light, it gave off about the same light as a single candle. But nothing large would power up (TV, computer, 'fridge, etc.). Very surreal: no power to do anything, but enough to be teased by.

The house was stifling: even with all the doors and windows wide open, it was like a stifling sauna-- humid, thick and hot. Even the cold water in the shower is uncomfortably warm (not even "tepid"-- actually warm!). The power finally came on about noon and I lasted about forty minutes before I gave in and turned on the AC for a little while. I'm told it got up to 115 locally...and was still in the high 80's after midnight (with about 60% humidity).

One thing I was reminded: the durability of a book: no power, no internet, no nothing this morning, but I could still pass time reading a book. Good ol' books!

Con report later...

PS: it's 6:30pm and still 101 degrees...

I have power!

I got back from the SDCC last night, rescued the pooch from the dog-gulag and went for the usual walk. Hot. Humid. When we got back, I fled for home and airconditioning and sleep...only to find darkness. According to the neighbors, the power had been out since 6pm.

The strange thing: it was actually a "brown-out". I've experienced brown-outs where the lights/power dips for a few seconds and then comes back up, but this was different: the power coming into the house was only a trickle-- just enough to run the led-clocks. If you turned on a light, it gave off about the same light as a single candle. But nothing large would power up (TV, computer, 'fridge, etc.). Very surreal: no power to do anything, but enough to be teased by.

The house was stifling: even with all the doors and windows wide open, it was like a stifling sauna-- humid, thick and hot. Even the cold water in the shower is uncomfortably warm (not even "tepid"-- actually warm!). The power finally came on about noon and I lasted about forty minutes before I gave in and turned on the AC for a little while. I'm told it got up to 115 locally...and was still in the high 80's after midnight (with about 60% humidity).

One thing I was reminded: the durability of a book: no power, no internet, no nothing this morning, but I could still pass time reading a book. Good ol' books!

Con report later...

PS: it's 6:30pm and still 101 degrees...

SDCC 2006

I love the San Diego ComiCon (but refuse to call it by its new name): it's a giant nerd-shopping mall! Yes, it's gotten too huge; yes, a lot of the little-guys have been squeezed out; yes, corporate wins over all...but still, it's THE COMICON!



Once again I took the Surfliner/Amtrak down and the trip was blissfully uneventful. Even the obnoxious, loud and loutish group of frat boys who decided to have a party on the train didn't spoil the trip. I arrived late Friday afternoon and met up with Martes, who had done pre-reconnaissance for me. She found a number of werewolf comics (though no toys this year) and we went off to gather them. Saw cooner and set up a dinner date. Tried to see missmonstermel but she was off wandering the con in-costume. She's got bigger ones than me to creature-costume at SDCC! Between the heat and the crowds-- Wow! Even Galactus had trouble getting through the crowds!

I stayed at the Marriot Gaslamp Quarter Hotel: I thought this was a new construction, but cooner said it was the old Clarion re-modeled. I argued against that idea, only to discover on closer inspection that he was right! The Marriot Corp had done such a complete remodel I didn't recognize it! Now it's a really nice place to stay! Plus it has a view of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres . I almost called up Terrie Smith to see if she wanted to catch a game during the weekend, but the Pads were (ironically) up in San Francisco playing the Giants that weekend.

The con has transitioned from a large comic book dealer's room to a huge media fest. The studios spend a LOT of money on booths and displays here-- the Samual Jackson/Snakes on a Plane panel was the hit of the con (and Samual Jackson seemed to have a really good time). There was a lot of free loot this year-- really nice things like an LED fan, a maglight and Cartoon Networks' 5X7 sketchbook with the CN logo on the cover. I was amused a group of the shortest Predator-aliens that I've ever seen at the Sideshow (fancy maquettes) booth.



And of course there were all the things I wanted to buy, but couldn't (either because of price or unavailability). Minotaurs were the species of choice this year-- all kinds of models, toys and art from independent sources to Narnia to Worlds of Warcraft, as well as a WoW collectible card game. There was a cute Lassie maquette at the Sideshow booth (not out yet); that and a Rin-Tin-Tin would make great bookends! There was a neat sculpture of Naruto w/Kyuubi demon as well (pic for tsukinobara).

SDCC 2006

I love the San Diego ComiCon (but refuse to call it by its new name): it's a giant nerd-shopping mall! Yes, it's gotten too huge; yes, a lot of the little-guys have been squeezed out; yes, corporate wins over all...but still, it's THE COMICON!



Once again I took the Surfliner/Amtrak down and the trip was blissfully uneventful. Even the obnoxious, loud and loutish group of frat boys who decided to have a party on the train didn't spoil the trip. I arrived late Friday afternoon and met up with Martes, who had done pre-reconnaissance for me. She found a number of werewolf comics (though no toys this year) and we went off to gather them. Saw cooner and set up a dinner date. Tried to see missmonstermel but she was off wandering the con in-costume. She's got bigger ones than me to creature-costume at SDCC! Between the heat and the crowds-- Wow! Even Galactus had trouble getting through the crowds!

I stayed at the Marriot Gaslamp Quarter Hotel: I thought this was a new construction, but cooner said it was the old Clarion re-modeled. I argued against that idea, only to discover on closer inspection that he was right! The Marriot Corp had done such a complete remodel I didn't recognize it! Now it's a really nice place to stay! Plus it has a view of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres . I almost called up Terrie Smith to see if she wanted to catch a game during the weekend, but the Pads were (ironically) up in San Francisco playing the Giants that weekend.

The con has transitioned from a large comic book dealer's room to a huge media fest. The studios spend a LOT of money on booths and displays here-- the Samual Jackson/Snakes on a Plane panel was the hit of the con (and Samual Jackson seemed to have a really good time). There was a lot of free loot this year-- really nice things like an LED fan, a maglight and Cartoon Networks' 5X7 sketchbook with the CN logo on the cover. I was amused a group of the shortest Predator-aliens that I've ever seen at the Sideshow (fancy maquettes) booth.



And of course there were all the things I wanted to buy, but couldn't (either because of price or unavailability). Minotaurs were the species of choice this year-- all kinds of models, toys and art from independent sources to Narnia to Worlds of Warcraft, as well as a WoW collectible card game. There was a cute Lassie maquette at the Sideshow booth (not out yet); that and a Rin-Tin-Tin would make great bookends! There was a neat sculpture of Naruto w/Kyuubi demon as well (pic for tsukinobara).

SDCC 2006

I love the San Diego ComiCon (but refuse to call it by its new name): it's a giant nerd-shopping mall! Yes, it's gotten too huge; yes, a lot of the little-guys have been squeezed out; yes, corporate wins over all...but still, it's THE COMICON!



Once again I took the Surfliner/Amtrak down and the trip was blissfully uneventful. Even the obnoxious, loud and loutish group of frat boys who decided to have a party on the train didn't spoil the trip. I arrived late Friday afternoon and met up with Martes, who had done pre-reconnaissance for me. She found a number of werewolf comics (though no toys this year) and we went off to gather them. Saw cooner and set up a dinner date. Tried to see missmonstermel but she was off wandering the con in-costume. She's got bigger ones than me to creature-costume at SDCC! Between the heat and the crowds-- Wow! Even Galactus had trouble getting through the crowds!

I stayed at the Marriot Gaslamp Quarter Hotel: I thought this was a new construction, but cooner said it was the old Clarion re-modeled. I argued against that idea, only to discover on closer inspection that he was right! The Marriot Corp had done such a complete remodel I didn't recognize it! Now it's a really nice place to stay! Plus it has a view of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres . I almost called up Terrie Smith to see if she wanted to catch a game during the weekend, but the Pads were (ironically) up in San Francisco playing the Giants that weekend.

The con has transitioned from a large comic book dealer's room to a huge media fest. The studios spend a LOT of money on booths and displays here-- the Samual Jackson/Snakes on a Plane panel was the hit of the con (and Samual Jackson seemed to have a really good time). There was a lot of free loot this year-- really nice things like an LED fan, a maglight and Cartoon Networks' 5X7 sketchbook with the CN logo on the cover. I was amused a group of the shortest Predator-aliens that I've ever seen at the Sideshow (fancy maquettes) booth.



And of course there were all the things I wanted to buy, but couldn't (either because of price or unavailability). Minotaurs were the species of choice this year-- all kinds of models, toys and art from independent sources to Narnia to Worlds of Warcraft, as well as a WoW collectible card game. There was a cute Lassie maquette at the Sideshow booth (not out yet); that and a Rin-Tin-Tin would make great bookends! There was a neat sculpture of Naruto w/Kyuubi demon as well (pic for tsukinobara).