PeanutGnome's World

A Canadian Thanksgiving, Halloween style

2009-10-12T08:00:00.002-06:00

As you may have noticed, I've taken the last two days off from the daily Countdown to Halloween. Today, the second Monday in October, Canada's celebration of Thanksgiving, a festival which marks the end of harvest. In preparing for the finals of Miss dEdmonton on Tuesday evening, we've harvested a lot too. In this Thanksgiving post I'd like to thank everyone that has helped us, whether through physical, financial, supportive, psychological or spiritual means.

I have to thank the members of the Board of Directors - the self proclaimed Council of E-Ville - for all the work they have put in over the last year. From the birth of an idea through "what do we do next" meetings over pizza, there is a lot of work into getting a not-for-profit society running. A few of us are the public faces, but all of us have been putting in countless hours on our own pieces of the puzzle, and I thank you each - and our significant others, for without their support we'd be a far weaker team. Thanks to Ruth, Derek and Heather, Dad and the spirit of my Mother for being supportive.

The people that I have met either virtually, on the phone, or in person that have showed support for our plans, thank you too. This includes not only the people that have attended a meeting or an event, sponsored us, given us ideas, contacts or tips, but the Halloween community in general for their support and suggestions.

There are many members of the social media in Edmonton that have help us as well - especially in mentorship. Thanks to Mack, Debra, Britney and Shawna for all your help, tweets, retweets and ideas (plus the hundreds of others who have done the same).

We want to thank the sponsors for all they support they've offered - there will be more thanking with specific links to you shortly. Hey, I need something write about on other days too! :)

The other societies, organizations and groups that have helped us is also a large list everyone will be covered this month too. There are also those that have contacted us looking for information on any of these other groups, or even just looking for a picture or a group of zombies to appear somewhere.

There are actually too many to thank individually - every person that has heard the name and has enjoyed the idea of dEdmonton, whether you are from this city or not - is deserving of thanks. Please keep telling others about it! I'm thankful that we mention it and someone has already heard of it.

And thank you, my dear readers. Enjoy your holiday - I'm just thankful I have another day to prepare...
EAVB_OYZJCQFGFM

These paths might not lead to Grandma's House

2009-10-09T06:00:00.002-06:00

I've been faithfully participating in the Countdown to Halloween by writing a blog post every day and I realized that it's a little hypocritical of me - here I am co-chair of dEdmonton, a festival that is promoting the whole month of Halloween, and I'm counting down to a day... Oh well, at least I'm not trying to move Halloween - yes, that's what I said. Read what Ghoul Friday says about it and let the world know your opinion.

So far my blog posts have mostly been about people I know, but this will change. There are still a bunch that I have to thank and talk about (no Boo, I DID NOT forget about you) but today I want to tell you about a local event that starts tonight - the Haunted Hike.

In 13 hours from right now they open for their first hike of the 2009 season, and it promises to be scaaary. Located just East of Sherwood Park Alberta they have a one-of-a-kind trail walk that is designed as a family event - and kids must be accompanied by their adults at all times. You walk though a woodland trail surrounded by the eeks and creeps abundant in this natural environment. Yes, that's right, an outdoor haunt, in Alberta, in October. Dress appropriately. And admission is a monetary donation to the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation, so help contribute to the thousands of dollars they raise every year while getting scared.

Keep an eye on the dEdmonton Halloween Giving section if you like the "scaring for charity" idea, there are more events happening this year than every before.

If you do like outdoor events, check out the Farm of Fear. After October 17th, the Edmonton Corn Maze transforms. For 8 nights the neighboring farmyard, an old barn and parts of the corn field become Edmonton's most original and scariest Halloween Event.

You never know what will be around the next corner on either of these paths, but it's probably safe to say it's not Grandma's House...

The Undead and Miss dEdmonton

2009-10-08T06:10:00.002-06:00

Just a quick post today as I have been busy helping others get ready for the Miss dEdmonton finals next Tuesday. Have you seen all the videos yet? Watch them and vote on your favourites so that the judges know who the vox populi like:
Brandy JO
Erin
Joey
Roxy
Sarah
Souxie
Vampire Dark Rose

We'd also like to thank another sponsor who has been helping us, Paul Preston from The MediaList Ltd. He's graciously donated some of their services to help the world's press, specifically Canadian press, know about both Miss dEdmonton and the whole dEdmonton festival.

This week I've been mentioning artists - yes, I want to win their prizes in Grimvisions Ghastly Halloween Giveaway 2009, so you'd better enter soon - and today I'm going to tell you about a different kind of artist - an audio artist.

Morbius Kromwell has been doing sound effects for a long time, and has more music than you can shake a wand at. Check out his Gravecast.com website, subscribe to his podcast, follow him on Twitter and enjoy his aural pleasures. It's better you listen to him than me tell you about him anyway.

Going to The Shadow Farm

2009-10-06T06:13:00.002-06:00

Artists who love the spooky, the creepy and the eerie abound around this time of year, and I'd like to hilight another today - the proprietor of The Shadow Farm
Dave The Dead describes himself:

I have been an avid Halloween yard haunter for many years. As my hobby has grown, I have developed a taste for eccentric characters and deep backstories. I have learned a ton since I first decided to build my own scary stuff, and have attempted to take my building to a new artistic level with each new piece.

As you go through his site you see that he makes not only small pieces, but large, yard sized haunt pieces as well, and he pays special attention to each and everyone one of them.
In addition to his creatures, some of which are on sale at this Etsy store, he also generously guest blogs and has created a creature especially for GrimVision's Ghastly Halloween Giveaway 2009. Read all the contest rules and then enter the contest so that you too may be enlightened by his creature's darkness.

Not all Unicorns are light and fluffy

2009-10-05T23:03:00.003-06:00

I marvel at artists that can bring their deepest, darkest imagination to life - especially sculptors. This year I've been marveling at the work that King Unicorn brings into this, and probably some other worlds.

Whether it's creating models that other artists can finish, turning a Barbie into a zombie (can't wait to see this one!) or making the prop that I want to win, the Tomb of Ill Wonder, for someone else's contest, he summons his work from his soul and puts it into his creations.

You should follow him on Twitter as well - he's a nice guy and a active member of the art and Halloween communities online - especially FridayNightArtDorks. There is someone with the same name on Facebook, but beware, it' not a real King Unicorn!

After you finish fawning over his work, get yourself over to Grimvisions Ghastly Halloween Giveaway 2009 and enter. Now. You only have a few days let to get up to 13 entries!

Ghost Hunting and Sightings in Alberta

2009-10-05T06:15:00.004-06:00

Ghosts just aren't named Casper or appear as kids dressed up in white sheets while Trick or Treating. Not everyone believes they are real, but some things are just too tough to explain without them.

Whether you believe or not, this pair of normals - Ben and Rona - are The Paranormal Explorers and reside right here in our fine city of Edmonton. As paranormal investigators they have seen both the easily explained and the unexplained too.

In their series of presentations, you can learn about paranormal investigation equipment and findings, how various phenomena be detected, recorded and even communicated with. Enjoy Ben and Rona's discoveries about haunted places in Strathcona County and other Alberta areas.
Strathcona County Library, 300, 2020 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, Alberta. Free passes at the Information Desk.
07:00PM to 08:30PM, 2009-10-05

Spruce Grove Public Library, Melcor Cultural Centre, 35 - 5th Avenue Spruce Grove, Alberta
780.962.4423
06:00PM to 08:00PM, 2009-10-15

Just remember to check out their other presentations plus other paranormal events like Ghost Tours on the dEdmonton.com calendar.

The daily philosophical question

2009-10-04T10:13:00.004-06:00

Sometimes you wake in the morning, stumble in your zombified state to the kitchen like Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead (itself an homage to an earlier movie) and you are faced with that eternal question: I'm feeling dead right now, do I want Brains or Coffee?

Our friend Ghoul Friday has tried to answer this question in her book entitled Brains Vs. Coffee: The Daily Debate of the Urban Undead. Have a look at the book's website, BrainsvsCoffee.com and enter the contest that she has there.

I already have a copy of the book (signed, thank you GF!) and so will Miss dEdmonton! How does it end? I can't give it away, but let's say I'm both thirsty AND hungry for the sequel!

Also show her artwork some love. Have a visit to her website at GhoulFriday.com, have a look at her How-to section and her Art Ghoullery (pay attention to the tiny underbiters, mid-sized Peek-a-Boo Plants and the larger Montauks) as well as follow her on Twitter - you won't be disappointed.

Grimvisions Ghastly Halloween Giveaway 2009

2009-10-03T08:41:00.003-06:00

One of the things about the internet is you get to see talent that you might not meet due to geographic differences. Over this monthly Countdown to Halloween I'll let you know about some of them that I've, well, not physically met, but chat with on blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

This one I have to tell you about quickly - there is only a week left for you to enter his contest, so I'd better hurry. :-)

Check out Grimvisions.com and his Ghastly Halloween Giveaway 2009. Why? Not only is he an incredible artist with unique talents that he's honed over sculpting many props, he helps to promote the talents of other artists selflessly. He has guest writers (who I'll also blog about this month) and also takes you into the inner workings of his shop to show you how things work in his world.

Then there are the details of his props themselves, and the creative process that goes into them. Just check out Mr. Lo Pan for example. Prepare to spend a lot of time on his site.

Oh, and don't forget, he has props for sale at the Grimvisions Etsy store.

Be sure an enter the contest as well - the more that enter, the better the prizes are for everyone!

Like minded and their origins

2009-10-02T06:08:00.002-06:00

What do you do when a local costume shop goes under? You find other talented people with interests that range from puppeteering, dance, costumes, lighting, acting, and more that want to start their own business, and you purchase the stock from the costume shop.

Meet The Theatre Garage.

After talking with Tessa and meeting only a few of the staff I realized that this was a magical place - especially if you are into Halloween. They have costume lines and masks that I haven't found anywhere else in Edmonton, a good stock of Kryolan makeups (with more on the way!), lots of wigs, shoes, and a HUGE costume rental department. It's not often that you see boxes labeled "Stormtrooper and Football equip" next to another one that says "Red Samauri", is it?

Right now there are several old rental costumes that are for sale. Sure, some of them need a little TLC - missing a bauble, sequin or stitch - but there is an excellent costume that I know will make a perfect Zombie Elvis for this year's Zombie Prom!

Location:
#102 10575-115 street
Edmonton, AB, T5H 3K4
Phone:
780.498.6208
Mon - Wed:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thurs - Fri:
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sat:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun:
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Pecha Kucha Night
Even though it is frequently pronounced wrong (should be three sylables "pe-chak-cha" instead of the commonly used "pe-cha-ku-cha") there is no doubt that this unique presentation format is something that Edmontonians have a handle on, and it's back in town tonight.

Pecha Kucha Night 5 will have dEdmonton's own Christian Nelson presenting some of his 3D architectural renderings - his day job - along with 11 other presenters. The presentation format allows you 20 slides, but only 20 seconds to talk about each one. This format was designed to keep people's interest from waning during a long boring presentation - I wish the corporate world would adopt it, bucause I've been in some sleepers...

How does this tie in to Halloween? Christian did a presentation for PK2 about taking back the slanderous name of "deadmonton" - something that people outside of town, and bored people within it, like to call the place that they percieve that is boring with nothing ever going on. Join that with someone who started HalloweenEdmonton.com and another who runs a horror film festival, a paranormal investigator, and another community minded employee and what do you get? The beginnings of dEdmonton, Canada's Halloween Festival. I feel that we have much in common with the Theatre Garage team - different disciplines coming together to make the most of a unique situation, and making the "boring" city a little better place. How much better? Have you seen the dEdmonton Events Calendar yet?

October is here, let the month begin!

2009-10-01T05:38:00.004-06:00

October is finally here, and with it all the weirdness that normally shows up around this time of year.

One thing that many people realize is that a lot of work goes into people's costumes, props and events - but some people don't realize HOW much work goes into them. Through this month I'm going to not only tell you about some of the events that I know about, but bring some light to the talented people that make this the best part of the year. These will include authors, actors, bloggers, volunteers, voices and of course, prop builders!

And I'm not in this alone! The wonderful team over at Countdown to Halloween has a list of people who are blogging about Halloween this year - some of them every single day! These people work hard, probably harder than me, so visit the blog and show them a little love, will ya?

In addition, I'll be mentioning the little project that I've spent the last few months working on - dEdmonton, Canada's Halloween Festival. If you want to know what is happening with Halloween in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, this is THE place to go. Our not-for-profit organization was formed early this year to promote all the events that are happening in the region. I will try to showcase some of the incredible events, the companies who sponsor them, the charities that are helped by them, and the people who bring them to you, the fans of Halloween..

So let the month begin...

Let's kill Lucy the Elephant

2009-09-17T19:21:00.002-06:00

Okay, now that I have your attention, give your head a shake.

I'm sure that if we were to move her to a sanctuary in the US, she would die. Those of you who are trying to make this happen are actually shouting "Let's kill Lucy the Elephant".

Sure, elephants are pack animals and she is probably lonely here by herself, but she does have wonderful caretakers and is looked after. Issues about her health have been dragged out of records from 20 years ago and Bob Barker's visit here today does nothing to change my opinion - she should stay and Edmontonians can help her live her life to the fullest it can be lived while at the same time providing joy to the inhabitants of this fair city.

Though I'm not an expert, I do not believe that any benefit will come from moving Lucy. If she is moved, and dies because of the stress, I believe that those instigating the move, including Bob Barker, William Shatner, PETA and PAWS representatives, plus the infamous Clayton Ruby, the lawyer who has been retained to fight for her "release", should be charged with animal endangerment. These people are no different than Michael Vick, and should be prosecuted as such.

And who would end up paying for it? Sure, the Bob Barker says that the city won't have to pay, but it would be hidden in our taxes somewhere. In addition, I anticipate a loss in revenue for the Valley Zoo, which the residents of the city WILL end up paying for.

What is the solution?

It's two-fold. First, we need to get off our asses and go and visit Lucy at the zoo. Show her and the Zoo that we support them and the decision to stay.

Second, there are millions of other animals that need our help out there, let's focus our attention on them and their rehabilitation. There are other people like Micheal Vick, there are poachers, there are people's pets recovering from cancer, there is wildlife to be rehabilitated, and there are areas within Alberta that don't have their own animal shelters. Let us focus our time, money, effort and pride on these worthwhile charities. This battle should be settled here, and we should attack on all the other fronts that need to be won. Now.

Let's not spend any more time trying to Kill Lucy the Elephant.

dEdmonton for your Edmonton Halloween events

2009-09-06T10:25:00.002-06:00

Several years ago I started a website devoted to all of the Halloween happenings in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Oddly enough it was called HalloweenEdmonton.com - yep, a catchy name.

I started posting events around Edmonton that I knew about. I'd been volunteering for Fort Edmonton Park's Spooktacular for several years and I was amazed that others did not know about this annual event. Many didn't know about the Scarecrow Festival either. I guess if you don't have kids, events for kids are not on your mind.

HalloweenEdmonton.com was supposed to change all of that, and it started to. I found out about and helped promote events such as the Edmonton Queen Riverboat Halloween cruises, theatrical events, retailers. I was established but did not get a lot of traffic to my site itself, but it was a start.

Then came some interesting coincidences. Through a series of them I was connected with Christian Nelson, Derek Clayton and Kenn Bur, and with another member we've become the Board of Directors of dEdmonton: Canada's Halloween Festival.

In November 2008 we called a meeting of all the people that we all knew to see if they would be interested in having a Halloween festival in the city. The attendance surpassed our expectations, and the enthusiasm of the group that was present lead us to believe that this was possible.

Fast forward to this year, on a bullet-train. Moving at the speed of a scream, the 2009 Halloween season is upon us. The stores have their pieces in stock, now seasonal retailers are opening, including some brand new ones to the city.

The dEdmonton crowd has had a few more meetings, been in 5 parades including the Capital Ex parade in Edmonton, but also represented in communities around the city including Lamont, Vegreville, Spruce Grove and Westlock.

And what do we have planned for Halloween in Edmonton this year? First, we have been and will continue to be THE place to learn about Halloween events, via our dEdmonton Events Calendar. If you know of something that is missing from it, please let us know via the dEdmonton Event Submission form.

We have also started the submission process for the Miss dEdmonton contest where we are looking for someone who wants to represent the festival over the next year, someone who wants to be part of the Halloween and Horror community in Edmonton, can appear in parades, at movie premieres, in bars and also at children's events. Oh, and she should be able to scream! If you, or someone you know, would qualify, read the rules on the site and then upload your videos to YouTube.com.

We've started dotting the city with posters advertising the site and especially the Miss dEdmonton competition. If you see any, take your picture next to them and add them to our gallery on our Facebook Page.

In addition, we are running a couple of events this year, more details are coming so keep an eye on the site!

Wishing you all an excellent Halloween season,
Peanutgnome

dEdmonton website
Facebook Page
You should follow dEdmonton on Twitter here

I Remember...

2009-06-26T19:54:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm not sure if I remember, or whether I remember remembering, or possibly remembering that I couldn't remember...

You see, they tell me I lost my memory, but I can't remember doing it - why or where it happened. Or rather, the events that preceded the fact that I can't remember.

They tell me that things that I should remember, and I think I remember them. I see them in my minds eye, but my memories are shattered when they tell me that Aunt Edna was wearing a red dress - for I remember it as blue. Cobalt blue. I think I don't remember too much that is red anymore. A powdery blue bike, navy pants, Dad's slate blue trucks. But not red.

Yes, I see red, I'm not color blind, nor do I remember being color blind. There are stop signs, stop lights, a lady with a red purse and red shoes I think...I don't remember.

I remember we had orange and white fish in a azure blue aquarium, but the others remember the red-finned sharks that we had. I remember the Prussian bouncy balls that we had as a kid, but others remember the red and white ones. I remember the lapis lazuli bachelor buttons, they remember the red dahlias. I remember the fields of canola, way back when it was still called rape, under the cornflower skies, but they remember Uncle on his red tractor. I remember the steel of the train engine, but they remember the caboose.

They also remember the accident.
They remember the fire engines.
They remember the blood.
They remember the surgery.
They remember the transfusions.

I remember none of this.
I'm just blue.

This short piece of fiction was inspired by several stories that I encountered this week about those that could not remember. I light of the serendipity that has been happening to me lately, though I do not understand my muse, she requested I write it.

This is for Chad, Alice and Eva.

Topsy-turvy week ends on an upnote

2009-06-19T22:39:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted for a while, been a little busy with a side project, but this has been a roller coaster of a week. Thanks to a decent life outlook and some good friends, things ended on a great note.

Work has been a little busy and several things that I had been working on didn't work as intended. Projects were interrupted, things were dropped for those that deemed themselves more important than others, who in turn deemed themselves more important than the person that deemed themselves more important then the other, feelings were hurt, tempers were flaired, hackles were raised, insults were spat, names were called.

And then came Tuesday...

Actually, Monday wasn't bad. My son's band Vyralisk played a short but rockin gig for a battle-of-the-bands type show, and even though they believe the promoter kept their set short because they didn't sell enough tickets, some of the other, more mature bands perked up their ears and took notice. In addition, like true rockers, they helped the other bands with equipment, staging, and bringing the audience to a feverish pitch, complete with head banging and moshing. They've made some good contacts and you should probably check the other bands out - In Oath of Hera and Fringe - when they play next or if they come to your town. I also enjoyed Killing Casual, though my son's band wasn't into them as much - okay, they aren't progressive metal, so I understand. Still, I enjoyed them, and they had good stage presence.

In addition, over the weekend a fundraiser for this year's DEDfest went down, with representation from my festival - well, the one I am co-chair of: dEdmonton. Things were a success, money was raised, my props were displayed, and horror and zombie fans got to see a killer flick in full 35mm. The sponsors were plenty, and things went well!

Tuesday was another roller coaster. My text messages alerted me (following iNews880 on Twitter) that an off-duty police office was found dead in the parking lot of my wife's work. They did say it was non-criminal, but I was still a little worried... It looks like the officer in question had some troubles in his life and committed suicide, though they haven't released the details even yet.

Tuesday night was good though as I went to Edmonton's Pecha Kucha Night 4 and saw some really interesting presentations.

When Wednesday rolled around I was looking at my text messages during a break and found an interesting little tidbit. One of my Tweeps (a Twitter friend) received a letter from Rob Zombie's (yes, that one!) lawyers issuing a Cease and Desist. You see, Eric (aka ZombieRiot) is a really nice guy and put together a group of friends that play some Misfit's songs, and new ones in their style. Their band is called ZOMBIE! Yes, all caps, exclamation mark, 'nuff said. The lawyers had a bit of a fit, and in their letter gave poor Eric two weeks to change the name, and he was not allowed to change it to anything that contained the word 'zombie' lest the public get confused with it. Excuse me?

Eric posted on Twitter that this had happened. Before he even had a chance to post the actual letter online, the Twitterverse was alive with condemnation of Rob Zombie himself. Much of it was very harsh, my own comments included. Several of us that follow ZombieRiot on Twitter tweeted repeatedly and I used the hashtag #zombiefail to denote this. Others started using it, others wrote blogs, tweeted, commented on Facebook. This hit home, the Man kicking the Little Guy when all he wanted to do was coexist with him.

It got noticed.

In just over 24 hours from receiving the letter, tweeting about it, blogging about it, and slamming Rob Zombie himself for his attitude, something miraculous happened. Rob Zombie called Eric. Personally. And they talked for some time I understand. It turns out that Rob did not know of this, found out about it through the social media connections (like Rob Zombie's Twitter account) and reached out to Eric. Immediately after the call, Eric posted on Twitter that things were all right - Rob Zombie was going to call off the lawyers, the name ZOMBIE! could coexist with Rob Zombie, White Zombie and all the other bands that have zombie in their name, and that Rob Zombie was actually a really nice guy. (note: this is something that I've heard before from others!) The lawyers were just doing what they were paid to do, though they went a little overboard (can you actually trademark the single word 'zombie'? Don't think so, therefore you cannot prevent others from using it...) they were acting on the best interests of their client. Or so they thought.

Okay, this little miracle isn't as big as the atrocities that are happening in Iran, but, this is something that I was able to help out in my own neck of the world. It made my Thursday.

Then Friday. It started out like any other day, and during a break I though about checking one of my other email accounts that I hadn't checked since I started running Windows 7 RC1 at home. In the mass of emails I noticed that some items that I had ordered had come in - my Jello molds in the shape of a hand and a heart! (The brain one was backordered, but that's okay because I already have one, I just wanted a second to use for non-food items like latex or plaster...) so I went and picked them up. When I arrived at Karrie's Kostumes in St. Albert to pick the items up, I found out that they are now an authorized Ben Nye theatrical makeup distributor, and they have and excellent selection in stock! Edmonton and area - if you need theatrical makeup, that is the place to go. They even have mint-flavoured stage blood!

I also used this week's Michael's coupon to pick up some more mold builder liquid latex - 16 oz for $13 after coupon is one heck of a deal, the stuff is usually $24. And once I'm done with the project, I'll post things online.

Things were going good. When I got back to work the project that I was failing on suddenly worked. Made a couple little changes and 'hey, it didn't do that before'. Sometimes that is the best thing to do, when it doesn't work and you slave over it to get it work, find something that is good and successful, and then come back to the original problem with a fresh set of eyes - you'll be amazed at what you see. Alternately, you can show it to your boss/peers and you will notice the stupid mistake as soon as the words leave your mouth. The problem is, they also notice it at exactly the same frickin' time and you look like an idiot...

There was one other good piece of news, but I haven't received it officially yet. Once I do, probably Monday, you'll be some of the first to know - keep an eye on my Twitter and FaceBook accounts.

Don't get Twitter? Maybe you should...

2009-04-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

Lately the press has been abuzz about Twitter. Why? First, it's the phenomenal growth that it has achieved in a short time. Second, because they should.

Being a bit of a geek, I signed up for Twitter in late 2008 but didn't see the importance of it at first; it was just a novelty. I could see where it could be useful, but just like Facebook a couple years back, it was more of an experience just to say I was part of the 'in' crowd.

Things have changed.

It became useful. More useful that Facebook or a blog in some cases - though not all.

Twitter is often described as a way to post (or tweet) your status for everyone to see. People then exclaim "Why would I want to know that George is going to the bathroom?" or other inane information. It's true, some of the information is not totally useful, or relevant to you or your life, but lately I've found a surprising amount that is - whether it's knowledge, charity or entertainment. I'm sure that there are other uses too.

In an article in the New York Times Twittering as a Gauge they explain how taken collectively Twitter can be a valuable tool.

Over the 2009 Easter weekend, Amazon found out that it can also be a hindrance, or possibly a notification. Initially called a glitch, and later in the week referred to as a ham-fisted cataloging error, more than 57,000 books (!) were delisted from the main search and sales rankings. I was online and watching Twitter as someone posted a link to an article describing the problem, and mentioned a "hashtag" in their post - a simple way to follow a topic that many people, including those that you don't know, are posting about. This tag was #amazonfail - "fail" being parlance for a failure for a major mistake (check out failblog.org for some prime examples). I passed this information on to my list of followers (people that subscribe to read your posts) and let them know what was going on. Over the course of a couple hours, many thousand people did the same! In addition, people started writing blogs about it, and a major protest was underway.

All in a few hours.

This made people at Amazon sit up and take notice. Suddenly it was called a glitch. This, in turn, made people even more pissed off.

After the weekend, Amazon recanted their glitch and admitted that there was indeed a problem. Was it too late though? Only time will tell.

The previous week protesters also used Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools to rally peers, but to also report what was happening to everyone around the world.

Is Twitter for me?
To find out, try the following. Head on over to TweetGrid. Then, click on the 1X2 symbol. When you get to the new page you are presented with two columns with search bars at the top. Because I live in Edmonton, and I'm interested in Halloween, I'm going to use those as an example. In the top left search box, I type Edmonton OR #yeg and click search. Because Twitter only allows you to use 140 characters sometimes your city name takes up too much room, so people have started using the three-letter airport code for their city as a hashtag - #yeg = Edmonton... This window shows, in real time, any posts that contain the word Edmonton or the hastag #yeg. In the right search box I type #halloween OR #horror OR #zombie to see all the posts with those hash tags. Watch this screen for a while and see if it is something that you might find interesting. Yes, there will probably be posts that you don't care about, but you may find something you like.
Second, go to wefollow.com. The front page contains several categories and many people. Go visit a couple Twitter accounts by clicking on the names of the individuals. Read through their tweets, their bio, and maybe click on the links to their pages - if you find anything that is appeals to your interests, you may want to sign up for Twitter and follow them. If it appalls you - run away...

Like anything, it can be used for good or bad.

So who should use Twitter?

Part of a community: Whether you are part of a physical community, like Edmonton, Alberta, or a group of like-minded people, such as Halloweenies, finding people with similar interests can help you connect with people and/or learn things that you may not have known before
Entrepeneurs: If you are starting a business, you will want people to know about you. Think of using Twitter to post special deals or advance information. Caution: Don't spam or blather incessantly, people will unfollow you!
Like your news or weather up to the minute: I know locally that several media outlets (radio, TV and newspapers) use twitter to report instantly as something comes over their wires. Instantly in many cases. One local newsradio station usually tweets 30-90 minutes before the big TV stations do. Even faster than they are - local Ham radio and scanner enthusiasts. Traffic and emergency frequencies are scanned and things posted on line immediately. I often check a few specific accounts prior to heading out to see if there are any delays I should know about, or roads I should avoid.
You are looking for support: Just like being part of a community, you can find all sorts of support groups and/or individuals on Twitter. As of this writing, I'm not using this function, but whether you are trying to lose weight, have lost someone, are fighting/surviving a disease or have post-traumatic issues, people can help. Seek, follow, ask. Don't be afraid, just ask.
You're a celebrity/celebro-maniac: If you like to follow celebrities, Twitter is another place to get your fix. One word of caution: the "celebrity" that you follow might not be the actual celebrity. They might have one of their assistants tweeting for them, or they might be completely fake. If you are an upcoming or wanna-be celebrity, make sure you register your Twitter account before a fake does. (While you are doing so, make sure you check namechk.com to find out which of the dozens of social media sites your nickname is taken on!)
You love bacon!: There are many memes on the internet, and bacon is currently one of the largest. If you ever want to know whenever anyone talks about bacon on Twitter, just follow @Baconfeed - the search everything and repost anything with the #bacon hashtag. And as long as you just watch, it's cholesterol free.

So, when should you not use Twitter? This article might be helpful: When NOT to use social media. I mostly agree with this article, but with a couple exceptions - you should not use any social media if you are trying to con people, spam people, or be annoying - because I can turn you off! Also, if you are a large business or you fight with your employees, you may not want to actively tweet about things, but you sure as hell want to watch what people are saying about you.

Just look at Amazon...

Careful, those aren't Easter eggs!

2009-04-08T19:26:00.006-06:00

Here is an Easter/Halloween prop that I made a while back, but thought it was appropriate this time of year...because those weren't Easter eggs!

Our poor little Easter Bunny had trouble distinguishing regular eggs from those of another, more Alien species. he lost his head and has a bad case of, uh, heartburn?

What possessed me to build something this sinister?

It all started with another prop I wanted to work on - a skull with bunny ears! I looked around and could not find a child's hat with little bunny ears, and the only ones that I had in my tickle trunk were the headband style ones from a Playboy costume - not what I was looking for. So I waited.

The good thing about being a Halloweenie is that anywhere, anytime, all year round, you can find the perfect item that you can warp into a prop. It was just a couple days before Easter when my local department store had their bunnies for 50% off, so I picked up this cute little guy.

I removed the head to use for my other prop and thought, what can I do with the rest of it? (Another Halloweenie trait - almost nothing goes to waste, it just goes into your junk box and gets reincarnated as something that it wasn't intended for in the first place). I had an idea, now just had to find the parts I needed!

Heading online I found that Troll and Toad happened to have a chestburster plush toy. I ordered it, and with the help of some pink socks from the Dollarama and a scrap of fabric from...somewhere, I set off to construct.

I deconstructed the egg, and refashioned another out of the velveteen material, then opened up the egg top to make it resemble the other one. Okay, purists will complain that the top of the egg doesn't match the Alien's egg pods exactly, but it gets the idea across. Something else that comes in handy as a Halloweenie sometimes is just getting the idea across and letting the people's imagination and memory do the work.

With some other fabric I made a tube - a sock with the toes cut off - from the chest to the neck, added a little blood, inserted the chestburster and called it a day. Okay, took a couple days because I'm not a great seamstress, but it works...

So, hope you all have a happy, hoppy Easter this year! Just be careful what you eat, mmmkay?

A New Arrival in Edmonton

2009-02-13T05:07:00.003-07:00

My alter ego and other friends over at HalloweenEdmonton.com have posted an invitation to a meeting about organizing a new Halloween Festival in Edmonton, Alberta.
View the post on HalloweenEdmonton.com or download the invitation itself.
I also hope to see some of you that are in the Haunter-tainment industry there. This festival will use existing resources - many which have appeared on HalloweenEdmonton.com in the past - to create awareness that they exist. Other than here, nobody has a place where all the Halloween happenings in Edmonton and are are noted. This is a great idea whose time has finally come - there is a new arrival in Edmonton and I personally can't wait to see what it grows into!

Not quite Dead(monton) yet!

2008-10-29T21:54:00.002-06:00

Here's something interesting, not only are/were we the City of Champions, Edmonton is vying for a new title - Deadmonton.

Originally it was used as a derogatory term - some people see this city as boring, and we do have one of the highest murder rates in the country, especially by firearms. It was even printed on shirts showing an AK-47 along with it.

This is a different approach, and we're taking the name back - sort of like the "Take Back the Night" marches that happen (ummm, do they still happen?). We want to become Deadmonton, the Horror capital - turn it into a BRAND. Thanks to Christian Nelson. And a BIG thank you to Derek Clayton. Thank you!

Read what Scott McKeen of the Edmonton Journal has to say on the subject:
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/columnists/story.html?id=f31b6523-296d-40ef-9197-4b17f280bb2f

Then today I received an email via my HalloweenEdmonton.com website from Kenn Bur, a Co-Chair of the Connect2Edmonton group. Connect2Edmonton is a non-partisan community of people who love Edmonton, and wish to promote it to the rest of the world. Currently in their forums they are having a discussion about the McKeen article, about Christian Nelson's involvement, and also from Derek Clayton of the Deadmonton Horror Film Festival - who wanted to promote a larger Halloween festival in the city. Looks like he might get that wish!

Personally, I'm not concerned with who claims the rightful title, and as possession is a large part of the law (just ask Linda Blair!), The Deadmonton Horror Festival will be the original in my hearts. Fortunately, Derek and Christian seem to be on the same path - it's not important about how or who, it's just important that we claim the title back from its derogatory terms and make this the best damned festival the city has ever seen. Hey, we are a festival city, why not put us on the map for another one!

I encourage all of you out there to head on over to Connect2Edmonton and mark your support for this festival:
http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=9491&highlight=deadmonton

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fun and Frivolity

2008-10-29T21:39:00.002-06:00

Well, my season is almost over...those of you who know me know that I prefer Halloween to any other season, even with this crazy and unpredictable Canadian weather! Well, it's only a couple more days until I start planning for next year!

It's not over yet though. Even though I was part of a group that entertained more than 1000 people last weekend (at Fort Edmonton Park's Spooktacular), I have been too busy to get photos of that all together because there is sooooo much still going on.

Last weekend also saw the Deadmonton Horror Film Festival and a Zombie walk and prom by the River City Zombie Committee - neither of which I attended, sadly.

This week is seeing some home decorating and last minute creation - pumpkin carving, costume for my son, building Eddie from Iron Maiden (though I've passed the face sculpting on to some others), and then...what to wear to work on Friday?

One of the others at work came up with the idea of Corporate Pirates - wear a suit, eye patch, bandanna and hook. That's cool I thought, being a Pastafarian and appreciative of Pirates in general (yes, even Depp did a good job, but enough of the films already, and enough of placing pirate costumes everywhere!!!). Yes, waring a suit AND being a pirate would be fun, and I was joking that I needed a wooden leg.

I seem to be currently attached to mine, but should I ever befall a tragedy that necessitates the removal I would ask for a wood-grain prosthetic. Of course, I'd also try and make one as seen in "The Ruins", just for Zombie Walks! So how can I make a wooden leg?

Head on over to Instructables.com and see!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_make_a_fake_wooden_leg/

I'll post some pictures in the future and let everyone know how things went.

Experiments in Intestinal Fortitude

2008-10-13T16:12:00.001-06:00

This Thanksgiving (or Columbus Day for my American Friends) weekend gave me a chance to experiment with creating entrails to use in a Halloween scenario I am doing at Fort Edmonton Park. Today I got a chance to post my experimental findings in the Garage of Evil Forums.

Warning, this might be stomach turning to some...

Experimental Intestines at Garage of Evil

Enjoy

Tokyo Gore Police comes to Deadmonton Horror Film Fest

2008-08-09T19:31:00.002-06:00

The Deadmonton Horror Film Fest is coming October 24th to 26th, 2008. They will be showing the ultra-violent Tokyo Gore Police, Night of the Creeps, Phantasm and a whole bloody pocket-full of short films! But beware, these films aren't for everyone, especially if you are one of those that gets squeamish at the sight of a squished bug, hangnail, or 70's and 80's horror films!

You can buy a single day pass for $20, or the three-day pass for $50. There will be feature length films, short films, music and more - right here in Edmonton!

Check them out at Deadmonton Horror Film Festival.

Oh, and while we're talking about Halloween things around Edmonton, don't forget to check out HalloweenEdmonton.com for everythying that is happening - including stuff for families, such as the Valley Zoo's Boo! in the Zoo.

On childhood, Corvettes, cooking, cops and cats

2008-07-01T20:41:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's great to get out of the city for a couple days - sometimes you don't know how much you need a break until you actually get to drop down a gear and relax for a while. It was nice.

Since I was a child we'd go to yearly Fairmont Hotsprings Resort in the beautiful Columbia River Valley of BC - sometimes hit it twice in the summer! If you haven't visited, I would recommend that you don't. Oh, not because it's not spectacular - but if I tell people about it I might not be able to get a room next time - like the few couples that we saw at the front desk when we arrived. Glad you can phone and make reservations.

Honestly, a hot springs that offers excellent golf (or so I'm told, as I'm not a flogger!), a hiking, skiing in the winter, camping, and a spectacular hot spring pool with adjacent cool and diving pools - unlike some of the other hotsprings in the area - is an incredible place to stay whether in the lodge, it's cabins, or with your RV (sorry, no tenting onsite...). Childhood memories of heading down to the pool when it opened and seemingly not leaving till they kicked us out flood back every time I visit. They are doing some renovations/expansions over the next several years, but there are signs of improvements already. Many years ago the area adjacent to the hot pool contained trampolines, and then eventually that expanded to be more grass where sunbathers could lie. Now they've expanded the sunbathing area to almost 3 times the size it was, and now include trees that offer shade as well. It's nice. I still recommend getting there early though as the lawn fills up if it's going to be a nice day. Oh, and if you stay at the lodge you don't have to pay the $14 for the day pass (in-and-out privileges) as you just mention your room number and name and you're free to enter. Ah, the luxury!

One of the things that I noticed while driving to, around and from there was the amount of Corvettes that were on the road. The weather we had was a little above normal - 34 Celsius on Sunday, 30 Celsius on Monday, which is a little high for the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. In three days I saw at least 15 Corvettes, half of them convertibles. That was higher than the number of Rig Rockets that I saw on the way out there. I'm not sure why, but even though I appreciate the looks of the Corvette, I'm not in love with them. Evidently though, people in BC sure seem to. Good on them, if they can afford the gas. The province just instated a 2.4 cent/litre Carbon Tax starting on July 1, 2008...and it was up over $1.40/litre when we left. Knowing of this in advance, we topped up the tank yesterday.

While we topped the tank we noticed an interesting restaurant next door - call the Hoodoo Grill. It was excellent!
First, we had a top-grade server, Jeni. Oh, excuse me, her business card says supa-serva, and I can vouch for that! When you go, ask to be seated in her section, you will not regret it.
We started off with Mexi-adian style calamari. I can't remember what was in it, but it wasn't your normal deep-fried squid. Yes, it was deep fried, but the batter was unique and it was served with this excellent salsa/chutney. It disappeared quickly.
For our meals Ruth, my wife, had a delicious ratatouille, my son had a huge burger (hand made patties too!), and his friend Claire and myself each had this excellent hazelnut chicken on vermicelli. Too stuffed for desert, but will have to make it back there some time. Check this place out if you are in the area - just south of Fairmont a couple minutes.

We came back on Canada Day, and we noticed that the police were busy...pulling over speeders and other wrong-doers, like the guy who had his long canoe tied diagonally across the back of his truck taking up almost two lanes, instead of over the cab. I had the cruise control set and was motoring along. I had to pull out and pass someone who was going slower than me, so did the lane checks and slightly increased the speed so that I could pass. Out of nowhere came a big red Rig Rockets. I sped up to get out of the way, and when I pulled back into the other lane I was doing almost 140 km/h - and he passed me like I was standing still. I mentioned to Ruth that "I hope he gets a ticket". Well, karma came through for me today! Just south of Leduc, Alberta, we saw an RCMP cruiser come down the on-ramp to pull someone over. Just ahead, 4 more cars - and that rig rocket - were pulled over by other cops. Maybe my friends can help them overcome their problems of an apparent need for speed.

When we got home our poor kitty wanted to go outside. We'd kept her in the house for the two days we were away,with lots of food and water, and the blinds drawn so it would not get too warm. Even when it's hot outside the basement stays quite cool. Maybe she could become a cat on a treadmill and she would have been too tired to go outside!

Lost in Translation - Samsung monitor

2008-06-15T20:15:00.002-06:00

It's Father's day, and as usual my family wasn't sure what I needed/wanted. (I'm kind of cryptic when it comes to that, and then I often buy things without letting others know...so it's my own fault I guess.) Because I had to rebuild another computer for my son to record his band on - one that could be close to the band instead of carting the amps up to his bedroom - I donated my old LCD monitor to him. Now I needed a new monitor of my own.

I normally use two monitors at work, and have had both an LCD and a CRT hooked up at home, but with different screen sizes - and have you ever tried to balance the color between an LCD and a CRT...not fun! - it is a chore. Not to mention, it takes up a whole bunch of valuable desk space.

So did some looking around. I'm not usually a fan of widescreen monitors - probably because when they first came out a 19-inch widescreen was only the height of an older 15-inch monitor with regular aspect ratio...

Now they are making bigger sizes, better prices and newer ones are coming out all the time. I did a little looking around online and found that Future Shop had a good deal on a 24-inch widescreen, only $369.00 (CDN). When we were out at Costco today had a look at what they had and found an Acer with the same specs for over $40 more. And I've heard that Samsung is not too bad of a brand, so I bit and bought my own Father's day present.

One big monitor is pretty cool. Now I don't have to balance the colors and sizes between the two. Okay, there is a disadvantage that I cannot drag something to the other screen and double-click to maximize it, but in the end the 1920X1200 resolution is pretty sweet.

And now I have more room on my desk...for junk!

Unlike many men, I enjoy reading the instructions - especially when they are possibly translated from another language. Because of the idioms of the English language things might not translate directly.

Case in point - This warning about cleaning the monitor:

If excessive force is applied, you can have a stain on it.

This warning should have been on Monica Lewinsky's dress label, it would have prevented a whole bunch of problems...

I think that this will become a regular feature on this (and get me posting things on a regular basis). This whole Lost in Translation (which wasn't a bad movie by the way) can be quite interesting. Feel free to send me some details on things you've seen that are L.I.T.

And if you have a hankering for something before I post next, head on over to www.engrish.com where you can find many of these types of things.

IDD: Intention Deficit Disorder

2008-01-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

What are your New Year's Resolutions? What, you don't have any? If you don't have any "resolutions" - that most people break in a short time, do you have any goals or expected outcomes? If not, you may suffer from a disorder that affects too many people, both young and old.

Intention Deficit Disorder

Now, you might think that I'm confusing this with ADD/ADHD, an affliction characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity that is common in children, and can be treated without chemicals. No, this is much worse because it affects both young and old alike.

Intention Deficit Disorder is the inability to have any direction in your life, to not have any intentions to do or become anything, but rather just drift along and be a slacker.

But even a slacker wanna-be could have a better life if they only intended to do something and focus on doing it to the best of their ability. So, get off your duff and do something.

What kind of something could you do? Well, even if you want to remain a slacker, become an expert in some area by doing a little reading and researching. Pick a subject, and by reading new material as little as 30 minutes a day on that subject you will have more knowledge on that subject than 90% of the population! So, whether it's cooking, the paranormal, making money, or changing your life, learn something. Oh, and as an added benefit, there is proof that learning throughout your whole life reduces Alzheimer's!

Even if you don't want to become a slacker, there are many possibilities out there for you!

What other resolutions do people commonly make and break? Health, Wealth and Fame are common.

Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, reduce your asthma or overcome your anxiety, there are experts available to help.

There are also many ways to improve your financial situation - and they don't involve lotteries! Check out how one of my friends is working towards his retirement!

How about fame? Well, if becoming an expert on a specific subject isn't for you, many people become famous by writing a book or a screenplay. There are contests that help upcoming writers, or writer want-to-bes, start. November is National Novel Writing Month, and April brings us Script Frenzy - everyone is a winner. Check them out!

As for me, I don't make resolutions either - though this year I intend to improve myself by using all of the above techniques. Please feel free to join me. Together we can stop IDD, Intention Deficit Disorder, in it's tracks!

Homeless Gnomes

2007-11-03T07:48:00.001-06:00

Nothing breaks my heart quite as much than to hear that a gnome is homeless! (Okay, homeless people are important too, but homeless gnomes can't even fend for themselves).

That is what happened in Springfield Oregon this week - pranksters collected gnomes from many houses and put them on one lawn. This would have been funny to see!

Unfortunately, these were all deposited at the police station and they don't know who they belong to. And the police are getting annoyed themselves. So they are going to let people identify them, and then auction the rest off.

Can you imagine the police lineup for this one? A dozen 1-2 foot tall gnomes instead of the half-dozen 5-6 foot tall suspects! he he he

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