Anybody want a peanut?

Note to readers: I apologize for the gap in posting. I'm still flying solo for the time being and am still attempting to work out a posting schedule that works better, being the only contributor at present.

Poster art by Shepard Fairey - obeygiant.com

"Never get in a land war in Asia!"

"Have fun storming the castle!"

"Inconceivable!"

"As you wish."

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya; you killed my father; prepare to die."

Since its theatrical release in 1987, The Princess Bride has charmed viewers across the world. Although the film did not see instant blockbuster success upon its release, with Fox not really knowing how to market a film that spans so many genres, it has become a cult classic. However, 14 years prior in 1973, the novel of the same name, and the basis of the film, was published. Both written by novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Goldman, the movie very easily parallels the tone of the book, save for the 30th anniversary edition addition of the chapter for Buttercup's Baby.

In 2014 actor Cary Elwes, who embodies the character of Westley in the film, wrote a memoir recounting his time filming The Princess Bride titled As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. In the book, Elwes tells of his excitement for being cast in the role, having read the novel earlier on, funny behind the scenes moments with the cast and crew, the difficulties of having to learn to fence using both hands, and the amazement of all involved of the enduring loyalty of the ever-growing fan-base. Throughout the book, snippets from Rob Reiner, Andy Scheinman, Fred Savage, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, and William Goldman are included to enhance some aspects and give their personal memories on certain scenes and moments.

Both books as well as the movie come highly recommended personally from myself. I've grown up watching The Princess Bride, I've read the novel (Buttercup's Baby included - it's a wonderful chapter), and I've just finished reading the memoir. Each has its own personality and style, but should always remain together.

To purchase a copy of The Princess Bride: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

To purchase a copy of As You Wish: Simon & Schuster

To purchase a copy of The Princess Bride film: Amazon

The Times They Are A-Changin'

First and foremost, I apologize for the slack in posting over the past month. Things got busy for myself and TTG personally, but also things have changed here at the blog.

TXTrekkieGurl, formerly Dalek Chick, has decided to take a step back from Geeky Adventures. We agreed to keep her account connected should she decide to make posts from time to time about various cons she may attend through the year, or even if she has a neat DIY to share, but for the time being the Captain is flying solo.

So the blog isn't dead, just hibernating as I figure out a new posting schedule and possibly look into getting some guests to contribute content in the meantime (Note: if you're interested in possibly doing that, comment below - no, this is not a paying gig) and just see what happens and where things go from there.

I want to thank all of you for continuing to support GA by reading and sharing the content currently available and I hope you'll continue to do so in the future.

- Capt. Shinypants, AKA Shiny

Cosplay Copyright

There's currently a war being waged in the fashion industry that could have massive ramifications for costumers and cosplayers: can a pattern for an article of clothing be copyrighted?

On January 19th PublicKnowledge.org reported on the case: Star Athletica and Varsity Brands are going toe-to-toe, with VB claiming parts of their designs can be copyrighted due to functionality and SA arguing that the designs are creative in nature and are not eligible for copyright status.

How does this affect costumers and cosplayers?

If the Supreme Court rules that the owner of the original design can sue another creator for having a design that simply looks nearly identical, that can cause a lot of problems for the people who create replicas. That would mean Disney/Lucasfilm could be able to sue you for those Jedi robes you made, or Bungie could come after you for that Halo armor you sculpted.

While it seems far-fetched that the ruling could go that far, it's not unheard of for larger companies to target costumers, like when Fox went after everyone independently selling replica Jayne hats.

Hippo Birdy Two Ewe

Design by Monkey Minion Press

As of January 1, 2016 we turned three years old. TXTrekkieGurl (then known as Dalek Chick) and I decided one day out our mutual love for Sci-Fi and crafting and various other interests and hobbies that we should just start a blog and talk about the things we like. We've covered a lot of topics, from geek-themed drinks to speaking Klingon to crafting how-to's to convention kits (both basic and for cosplay). We've also discussed geeky birthday, holiday, and wedding gift ideas.

We currently have 156 posts, this one will be 157, and we have over 10,000 pageviews from various different countries. We've had a lot of unique opportunities with this blog, including conducting interviews and becoming very good friends with a lot of the folks at Trek Radio. We've been able to do so many really neat things and it has been incredible.

But, of course, none of this would have been possible without you! All of you, whether you've been reading from day one or if you've stumbled across us in your search for something specific - thank you!

Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Solstice, Festivus, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and/or Boxing Day, we hope you have, or have had, a wonderful holiday season. We'll see you guys in the new year!

Gift Exchange

Howdy Nerds!

Today is my Sci-fi Annual Christmas Party, and we do some similar to the chinese Gift Exchange but we called it " Ferengi Gift Exchange" 

Here are some the of the rules of the event. 

1.     “What if I don’t want to participate, for whatever reason and you can’t make me ‘cause you aren’t the boss of me!”  If you do not wish to participate, there is no pressure there.  You are free to talk amongst yourselves or heckle those as they wrestle one another for gifts.

2.     The value of the gift you bring should be between $15 to $20, and should be something someone would actually enjoy receiving.  This is NOT a White Elephant event.  Please make sure it is something everyone would appreciate.

3.     That being said, please remember we have young ones so nothing that would cause them to seek therapy for years to come.( This an be removed if you want to be adult only) 

4.     Bring your gift wrapped or in a gift bag. Got to person in charged and he/she will give you a number to participate.

5.     As Amy Pond once said “Here’s where it gets complicated…”

Once the gift exchange starts, we will draw numbers from a hat.  The person with the first number drawn goes up and may choose any gift on the table that they want.  You must open it at that time for all to see.  If you really like it, you may elect to pay $1 to INSURE the gift against theft by the others.  If you are hoping for a possible trade later on, please be seated.

The next person whose number is drawn has the option to either select from the unopened gifts or if they really like your gift, and it has not been insured, they may steal it from you.

The person who has their gift stolen may then either choose from the unopened gifts or steal someone else’s gift.  *A gift may only be stolen *TWICE**.

This process will continue until all the gifts have been opened and finally claimed

Now the money we earn from "insurance" goes to out Adopted Family. But you can choose what to do the money,give it to a Charity, make a prize for a gift, keep it.. 

Let's us know your Christmas Party games and present swamping.

Stay Geeky

~ TXTrekkieGurl 

Community and Giving

CWHL Twitch stream schedule (times are CST)

 
As I've mentioned in various other posts before, I'm a pretty big fan of Rooster Teeth (I'm 03K64Firefly on the RT site - big shock there, right?). They put out a lot of great content, from the Halo Machinima Red vs. Blue to the RWBY anime to the motion picture Lazer Team. However, one of the truly great things they do each year is the Extra Life 24 hour stream to benefit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and this has caused a ripple effect throughout the RT community.

Many of the RT community members hold their own 24-hour charity streams to raise money, and there's currently one happening today. As of 9am CST this morning, my lovely friend Audrey and a few others began their stream benefiting Children With Hair Loss, Inc. and it goes until 9am CST tomorrow morning. Their main goal is $500, but I'd like to see them surpass that; head over to the Twitch stream to see what shenanigans they're up to, plus they have really neat things to give away, and it's all for the kids!

CWHL is a non-profit organization that provides human hair replacement and hair care packages to children with varying conditions, including cancer and Alopecia among others, with the goal of being able to provide their services to families that are financially challenged.