Beating my Muse with a Keyboard

What are the most erotic words a lover has said to you?

2011-04-08T22:24:00.001-07:00

"I want you to suck my cock." As she lay in my bed stroking her strap-on cock.

Our Geeky Vacation

2011-03-28T05:41:00.001-07:00

As a family we just took a trip to the land of granola, wHolly_ood, LA. It was two days of a vanilla conference and then a day and a half of feeding our geekiness. The only time we got lost was because we did not print out the directions from Google, we had a great vegan meal our first night at the Veggie Grill. The second night Brian, the Kub and I had burgers the size of our heads at the Counter.

After the conference we moved to the Best-Western Dragongate in China Town, we went for a drive, Brian went to Vacation Vinyl, and I stopped in next door at the Secret Headquarters (I did not plan it the stores are next to each other). I picked up the Dr. Horrible graphic novel, while Cinder and the Kub geeked out at a great little bead store.

Then we went to a place very close to nirvana Meltdown Comics. That place was awesome, there were just to many choices in the book selection. But I did pick up a game from the game store inside of Meltdown; Monsterpocalypse. A game where two teams of Kaiju battle in a city, destroying it in the process. We also stopped in at a place called PopKiller and Mr. Musicbrain Gallery.

From there we went onto a BBQ dinner on Hollywood Blvd, and then we went onto the Ripley's Museum. That was interesting, they had a Victorian Vibrator and a shock device for curing 'Hysteria' and other ailments, along with a lot dioramas and weird facts.

During our driving around and walking on Hollywood Blvd. we saw American Electric Tattoo shop, the Massive Scientology compound (the Big Blue monster on Sunset Blvd.) and their brownstone on the Hollywood Blvd, we even saw real live Scientologist in a store front like some kind of Zoo Exhibit. As well as the stars on the walk of fame.

The next morning we walked around China Town then hopped a cab to Little Tokyo. In China Town we bought some kitch and then found a Chines Book Store that sold Fire Cups, we now have six brand new cups we can wait to use and Cinder found a jade turtle. We had a great late lunch at a conveyor belt sushi shop called Frying Fish.

The four of us pigged out for $120.00 and we did not go easy. Then we approached the next closest place to nirvana, the Jungle's two stores in Little Japan, a Otaku's wet dream in two stores, one Anime and Kaiju figurines and other collectibles. I picked up a Robotech Veritechs for my ship collection, I almost bought a Space Battleship Yamato but they didn't have one that I liked enough to spend that kind of cash on.

We walked back to the hotel and drove to the Getty Museum, wow that place is huge, lots of neat art. I saw several pieces that moved me; Zhang Huan's Family Tree, Caspar David Friedrich's A Walk at Dusk, A cast bronze Crowned Naga Protected Buddha, Laura Gulping's Castillo Sunset and Robert Smithson Yucatan Mirror Displacements. We left from the Museum and Brian drove us home.

Is there anything you would not do for love, if so, what is it?

2011-03-17T07:15:00.001-07:00

I will not cheat on my current lovers or help a lover lie to their partners. Other then that love is the driving force in human life. I would do anything else for love.

Ask me anything

Sadism - nature or nurture?

2011-03-17T03:37:00.001-07:00

I think that it is both, it can be nature and it can be learned, as far as Sexual Sadism the classic S in BDSM. I don't think that a Sexual Sadism can exist in the BDSM community. True Sexual Sadist would not bother with the community.

Ask me anything

If you could own any kind of pet, what would it be?

2011-03-17T03:29:00.001-07:00

A Gryphon, about cat would be awesome.

Ask me anything

2011-03-15T23:45:00.001-07:00

formspring.me

2010-01-02T00:38:00.001-08:00

Things degrade as they get older. Is there a skill from your younger days that you've lost and wish you could get back?

Sorry it took so long to respond, but I did not know how to answer this question. I don't think that skills degrade with age only with none use, I try to push my skills when ever I can.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2009-12-21T00:54:00.001-08:00

Favorite toy in your bag o' tricks?

For me it is Rope. I don't care if I am tying someone up, being tied, or tying myself up. I have yet to drop into subspace or anything but I enjoy the restriction and power exchange of being tied up.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2009-12-20T04:12:00.001-08:00

Did realizing you were a bit "adventuresome" come all at once, or was it a slower thing, discovering bits and pieces here and there?

I have always wanted to be adventurous, but in the past I have always held back, hiding. My late dame was in the closet about everything, no one knew about our Kink or the fact that I was in her Service.

When she passed, I made a decision; I would not live in the closet anymore. I set my charges and blew up that closet. Now I live my life in the open and I am proud of who I am.

Ask me anything

Life is change...

2009-12-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Life is change; and change is Hard. In the last year and a half my life has been tossed about. I lost my wife Kelly in May of '08. I dropped my motorcycle, breaking my arm in the process that October. Six months ago I lost the house Kelly and I built, then at the beginning of November I lost my dog, Finley. That was the hard stuff, the stuff I wish that had never happened. But without some or all of those changes I would not be where I am today.

Life is change; but not everything changes. I still have Finley’s sister Star. I still ride my motorcycle every day. I still have a job that I enjoy, even if no one else understands my enjoyment of the hours. I like the Graveyard shift, I would like Fridays or Saturdays off though.

Life is change; and change is good. I have come out of the closet as the polyamorous pansexual, and very kinky person that I have always been. I now have a wonderful woman in my life the kinky and very geeky Lady Panthera. Lady Panthera is married to Hub Panthera. They have a daughter the wonderful young lady Kub Panthera. Because of their roles in the vanilla world the Panthera's are in the closet about Poly as well as kink. So I will not be telling you much more about them. The Panthera's have recently opened their home to a young man (a friend of Kub's, I'll call Wolf Kub here and on twitter) with a problematic family.

Now for the latest and most important change, before the end of the year I will be moving into the Panthera’s home. This change will do several things for us, by combining our house holds it will lower all of our living expenses. It will also save my sanity. I have found that I do not live alone well; I need people around me. In less then two years my life has gone through some drastic changes. I have gone from being in a deeply closeted Service relationship to my wife and Dame, Kelly. To being in an a poly-switch relationship that is as open as it can be.

More poetry - untitled

2009-06-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Cheshire moon grinning in the sky,
My mind is else when; with you,
Grassy scent of rope fills the room,
Limbs straining against bindings,
Heat of your thighs holding me tight,
Your voice growling in my ear,
The sharp edge of teeth biting down,
The aching need

untitled

2009-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Woke by myself,
But I was not alone,
Her taste on my lips,
Her scent on my pillow,
By myself but not alone.

Rope

2009-03-19T14:42:00.002-07:00

Lines taught across smooth skin.
Braid and knots, Burns and bites.
Pale flesh marked by crimson lines.
Muscles pull on unyielding cord.
I am here I can be no where else.
Your praise in my ear angels sing.

Leather

2009-03-19T14:42:00.001-07:00

Surrender to the flame, last act of service.
Simple band, black leather, silver buckle.
Tag with the name you gave back to me.
Icon of our binding, gone with you to ash.

Ride

2009-03-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Dark pierced by beam of light,
Chill night streaming past.
Bike howling her one note song,
Felt through seat not heard.
Golden Earring crooning of love,
Leaning through a gentle turn.
Before the sun climbs the sky,
I will be warm in your arms.

Rain

2009-02-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

I stand just out of the nights rain,
Silver darts in pools of yellow.
Your promise around my finger,
Is all I have to warm me.

Ligature Marks

2009-02-03T06:11:00.001-08:00

IMAGE_066
Originally uploaded by C.A.Sizemore

Did I have fun? Yeah I had a lot of fun.

Saturday's fun

2009-02-03T06:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Lee Harington taught two classes for TNG-AZ. The first was his Shibari You Can Use. I got tied up and was able tie someone else up, :-D lots of fun. I also bought Lee's book; by the same next two name which I just finished my first read through. The second class was on tickling, yeah, tickling that was even more fun.

After the classes was the play party, I saw lots of fun things I want to try; lashings with floggers and single tails, suspensions, fire play especially fire cupping. The fire cupping left some very pretty marks on the people’s backs.

Lots of fun! I will probably have to shave or wax my back before the fun with fire.

This was my first ever play party, I went only planning on watching and helping with clean up. My partner from the tickling class asked if I wanted to play. She wanted to more practice tying someone up and really liked my reaction to being tickled.
We borrowed some rope from another player and she tied me to a spanking bench. My hands tied together, then to the bench and my legs tied separately to the bench. She did a really good job. I thrashed around a lot!

Good thing that bench was heavy because I wound up sitting on the bench where I had been kneeling, at times the only thing holding me up were the ropes. I lost track of time being tickled. She was evil, ;-) using her hands, breath, and a feather; she had me laughing, giggling, and shrieking. From what I hear I was loud enough to be heard throughout the play space. :-) Oh my god that was way more fun then should be legal.

I had some really nice ligature marks on my wrists see the photo above. They faded rather quickly although my wrists still have a pleasant ache.

So on Sunday I went to Twisted Monks’ web site and placed my first order; a curiosity kit of two 5 meter lengths, and one 10 meter length of natural hemp, and one 5 meter length of the hemp dyed a glorious purple, as a fund raiser for Maori/Aids Life Cycle. I also ordered the Naughty Boys book and requested both sampler sets, next month I may be going to Rainbow Ropes for some MPF or some other rope.

Goodbye '08

2008-12-25T22:03:00.001-08:00

First Christmases suck. No on a whole 2008 has sucked! From losing Kelly in May to my accident in October, ’08 has sucked a big one. That is not to say that 2008 did not have some good points. The Twitter Tribe coming together to help me out, becoming a voice on the radio with Slice of Sci-Fi, joining my writers group, starting Phoenix-Polys, and all of the great people I have meet. Deciding to be completely honest about who I am and what I want from life, (still working on that, I guess if I am ever lucky enough to have two partners in my life, I will have to be blatant about it with my family).

But, I would give it all up for one more day with Kelly……… (Nope, no Mephistopheles, yet and I will bargain much harder for my immortal soul ;-).

So what does all this mean; it’s just me bitching about how ’08 sucked and ’09 will hopefully be better. If I have met you or talked to you in that last year online or off please know that I am very grateful for your help. Even if you did not know it at the time you helped me more then you could know.

Blessed Be,
C. A. Sizemore

Poly Meet-up #3 report;

2008-11-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Joy, I am not alone this time and I did not see QoS or KS’s Porno.

Phoenix Poly's third meet-up was a better success then our second, Joy. It was just the two of us but we did have a good time talking about kink and poly in the middle of a mall seams so right and so very wrong at the same time. How good a time, I am so glad you asked; Mall Security kicked us out at 2:30 in the morning. I understand that most people do not want to stay up that late but it’s the weekend for me and I’m a night owl anyway.

So come on out, to the Tempe Market Place on December the 16th, we meet outside the Genghis Grill at about 7pm polytime. It is a great neutral place, you can get almost anything you want to eat or drink. Plus, you don't have to tell the weird guy sitting in front of the Restaurant anything if you don't want to.

P.S.: I’m the dork in the Geek T-shirt playing with his phone.

Saturdays Fun

2008-11-17T01:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I went to APEX’s Kink Karnival. I got there early about 10:30 and that turned out to be good thing, it allowed me to get my feet under me in the strange space. Although I knew only a few people there, I had a good time. I got a great deal on a great brown coat from one the retailers (it felt like stealing). I saw some great demos of Needle Play, Medical Stapling, Victorian Discipline, Fire Play, and caught part of the Puppy Play demo. All of these were very interesting and got my mind going, to bad I don’t have any one to play with at the moment. :-/

Found out more info on the local young kinksters group TNG-AZ and will be going to there next meet-up on the 25^th, although I’ve yet to be able to log into their forums. I think I will join their group, even though their meet-ups are all on the East Side, grr. But hopefully I will have my Syrne back soon and be able to cheaply go out to these events cheaply.

Coming out of the poly-closet.

2008-08-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

So I am polyamorous. I do believe that it is possible to successfully love more then one person at the same time. I know that the key to any successfully relationship, poly or mono is honesty and communications.

I have lived a monogamous lifestyle for the past ten years, Kelly was a monogamous woman, and I respected that. I enjoyed my life with her, but that is over and I have to go on. I lived in a poly-relationship before I met Kelly. That relationship, a triad, ended; although we were still roommates when I met Kelly. That relationship was not as planned and probably would have been helped greatly by both better planning and better communication.

I know there are poly-groups in the Phoenix area, but from what I have been able to find they all meet on the on the weekends and in the far southeast valley, inconvenient and difficult to get to.

To that end I have started Phoenix Polys. The groups mailing list is at Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PhxPoly, there is also a Twitter channel at www.Twitter.com/PhxPolys. We will be having our first meeting at the Genghis Grill at the Tempe Marketplace on Tuesday September 16th. So if you are polyamorous, poly-curious or just poly-friendly. Come and join us (or just me) for a good meal and some conversation.

Day 2

2008-07-04T01:30:00.000-07:00

More fun then you can shake a stick at.

AS I write this I am in the Fat Burger at Metro Center, Peoria and I-17. I sat in on the recording of the Slice of Sci-Fi voicemail show, (Mike, Brian and the regulars decided to only do voicemail this week. I only had a couple of hiccups on the way over. As soon an I finish my Fat Burger, I'm going to the gym and put in a couple of hours before going home.

* * *

I got home, but I did not stop at the gym. On my way in I could see a thunderstorm brewing over the Phoenix Metro area. So I just went home feed the dogs and we are waiting out the storm before going out on our nightly walk.

As for the drive home it went without a hitch, I didn't even get cut off.

Fun and frustration.

2008-07-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

Day 1 as a full time motorcycle rider.

Today I needed to run a couple of errands, pay some bills etc. My first stop was the Post Office, other then random stalling at lights and stop signs; I made it with out any problems. Leaving the Post Office I almost dropped Syrne. I forgot to practice leaving drive ways, doh.

My next stop was SRP's local office; I made it there with out a problem leaving on the other hand was another matter. I flooded the engine trying to keep her running, again with the doh.

It took me 20 minutes to get her restarted, ugh. My errands done I had lunch at On the Border, meh. My last errands were a stop by Wally-World for a smaller lunchbox and a movie. Wall-E was very good, funny and fewer kids then Hulk.

On my way home I was cut off twice by the same cow in a minivan. Both times she was just trying for a better spot at a red light. The Bitch also almost ran into the back of another motorcycle. There are times I really want to be a cop, or mount a video camera. Tomorrow I'm going to be at the Slice of Sci-Fi recording. I think I need a long drive to get truly comfortable in the saddle.

I really enjoyed riding my bike today, even cussing as I sat on the side of the road waiting for the fuel to evaporate.

Why I bought a Motorcycle

2008-07-02T02:04:00.000-07:00

Or is that your new bike or your midlife crisis?

More then once since Friday I have been asked why I bought the motorcycle. (Mostly by people I would not consider friends, coworkers etc.) I could justify; saying it was because of the rising cost of fuel. That is true. I could also say that I have always wanted a bike. That is true as well.

The source of this posting occurred last night. I was at work in a stall of the employee restroom. I over heard one of my coworkers asked another if I was compensating for the recent loss of my wife. (They did not know I was in the stall and I didn't reveal myself.) Awkward, and to be honest, I think I am in some manner.

So let’s go over all three of those reasons in turn:

Gas is not going to get any cheaper anytime soon (I think it will dip around election time, but it will stay over $3.50 a gallon and just go up from there.) My truck has a 20+ gallon fuel tank, last time I gassed it all the way up I paid 80 dollars. My ‘02 Dodge Ram 1500 Quadcab, AKA; Skan gets pretty good gas mileage. He is averaging about 13.6 miles to the gallon, according to the built in trip computer. About 20-26 on the freeway. Depending on if I can get away with 55-65 mph, (It is far too dangerous around here to not keep up with traffic.)

According to my math at current prices I'm putting in $300.00 a month in fuel into the truck. It is paid for but that does not include insurance & maintenance. Payments, insurance and fuel will be about $200.00 a month for Syrne. Even if gas prices double I can afford to drive to work & visit friends.

Before Kelly passed away, we had talked about buying another vehicle, something cheaper on gas, for me to drive back and forth to work. The 3 miles is just enough to warm the trucks engine up, and none of the trip is at anything over 50 mph.

We had even discussed a little 250cc Honda Rebel that a former coworker was selling, until a Suicider on a Crotch-Rocket dropped his bike in front of us. He was only wearing a wife beater, shorts and flip-flops. No amount of "I am not that stupid" would convince her. He lived by the way, fragged his left calf and arm but he lived. I know that statistics, I will drop my bike. When that day comes I will be fully and properly clothed with a helmet on my head.

As for the second part, I had a motorcycle when I was a kid. My Mother and Step-Father made the mistake of saying if you build one you can have it, when I kept bugging them about it. Within a week I had acquired the parts and in three a friend’s dad was welding the engine into place.

That bike lasted until just before the start of school when the throttle stuck wide open. The clutch would not engage the shifter broke off and the brakes had always sucked. So I kicked away and let it slide out into traffic, cussing the whole time. The bike went under a semi and was destroyed. It didn't let the truck off easy either, taking out the big rigs air lines & inside drive tires. I have wanted another bike ever since.

As for the last part; Yeah there is a part of me that is screaming 'Fuck It; Eat, Drink and Make Love to Mary and Beth. For Tomorrow We May All Be Dead." That live for today attitude is there, denying it will not make it go away. But in acknowledging it I can mitigate and deal with it. Kelly would kill me all over again if I left the dogs on purpose. I don't want to leave life. I enjoy life and I have good friends in the Real and Virtual worlds.

I wish she was here, and I don’t think I would have bought Syrne if she was. But at the same time I know that she is not in any pain. I would give anything to have her back with me without the constant pain she was in. But that can not happen so I need to go on living my life. I know she would want me to she said as much and on more then once.

So yeah I bought my motorcycle because the rising cost of fuel, I have always wanted a bike and I am compensating for the loss of my wife. All of that. So Mary and Beth call me.

PS: you can see pics of Syrne on my flicker at http://tinyurl.com/4pzu5a

BTW: Syrne, is a 600cc silver 2007 Honda Shadow. Yeah I name my vehicles, home, computers, even my cell phone. The fucking US navy does it and then calls the Theodor Roosevelt a she on top of that.

Solo Movie Review, the Incredible Hulk review (Spoiler Free)

2008-06-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hulk smash, Hulk smash a lot.

Great Stan Lee & other cameos, Liv Tyler actually acts in places. All in all only with one flaw large enough to kick me out of the film.

The military dress uniform worn by Blonsky during the exposition section is a US Army Uniform. During his introduction it is clearly stated that he is a British Military. He would be in the Uniform of the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, or Her Majesties Royal Marines. Not a US Army dress uniform, if they wanted him to not stick out he would have been in BDU's. Not the Dress uniform with the American medals and awards. Other then that flaw I really enjoyed the film.

On another note it should be considered child abuse and extremely rude to take a child under eight to this or any other non-kids movie. I expect kids in Kung-Fu Panda or Wall-E. But F-ing Incredible Hulk, if the kids are in a damn stroller then you need to see another damn movie.

This woman was not alone and every person who did this needs to be sterilized. I can only hope that during those kids’ bad dreams they pee all over them.

MiiFitness 2 or what to take to the Gym

2008-06-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

So as part of my efforts to loose weight and get in shape I looked at the fitness clubs in the area. I chose the Coyotes Fitness Center three miles from my house. My main reason for choosing this one was the nearness to my home and work. Another plus is the 24 hour availability from Monday to Friday.

So on my first day of working out I learned some lessons about what you need to take to the gym: A padlock and towel, (if the club doesn't offer them,) your shower things; shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower shoes, and a poof or washcloth. Clean clothes to wear out of the gym, a water bottle to drink out of as you work out and a gym bag to carry it all in and out.

Of the list above I forgot the shower shoes. And if your gym has a pool I would add swimming suit and if you swim a lot goggles. As for clean clothes I'm going to start carrying clean work out clothes to wear on my way out of the club. Plus that means that if I can get an extra work out in I have everything I need in one place.

I had a complementary hour long appointment with a personal trainer scheduled on June third, that got messed up but my new appointment is on the fifth. That will be fun especially convincing him that I don't want to work with the weights until I'm in better condition.

I'm going to try and hit the gym two to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will be working out with the Wii, like I describe in my last MiiFitness post, on my off days.

So far everything is working just weighed in at 331.0, w00t, 2 ponds from my first goal.

MiiFitness

2008-05-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

So a lot of things have happened lately that have brought my physical health to mind. I lost my Wife on the 12th; more then likely due to complications from her diabetes and heart condition. On the 21st the last birthday present she would ever purchase for me arrived; a WiiFit. The gift was what I asked for and I look forward to using it, unfortunately that is going to have to wait.

I set up the balance board and inserted the disk. Initial setup was very easy just select my Mii, input height, confirm birth date and following the instructions stepped on the board. That’s the rub; on the box it states a maximum weight limit of 330 lbs. Up until this point to the best of my knowledge I clocked in at about 315, Wrong.

According to the bathroom scale I purchased yesterday I weigh in at 340.2 lbs (Seriously do I need to know the .2 pounds) its official I’m a fatty. I knew this before but now I’m going to do something about it. When I purchased that scale I also picked up a pedometer, salad fixings and I’m thinking about looking at local fitness centers. I would like something with a pool, when we had access to one at our old apartment I slimmed down fairly well. My main hitch with the clubs is their locations the closest is four miles away and the local YMCA is about eight.

Last night the dogs and I clocked in a mile long walk and this morning I played all five of the WiiSports games. My two Mii’s CASizemore, the right handed Mii except pitching and & eromeziSAC his mirror image that is a lefty and throws right. While it may not seem like much I have a nice burn in my upper arms. Before you laugh try it, make your mirror image and go play 18 holes of Golf, 20 frames of Bowling, two best of five matches of Tennis, 6 Innings of baseball and K.O. the Wii twice. I broke a sweat and will do it again tomorrow, switching off between hands in the two player one WiiTroler mode.

So wish me luck on the fitness center hunt, I’m going to go see Indiana Jones and the Crusade after the Last one.

Volcanicmedia Review The Midwest Teen Sex Show

2008-05-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi guys this is C.A. Sizemore with your Volcanic media review. I'm talking to you about, The Midwest Teen Sex Show. No SAM not that kind of Teen Sex Show.

The Midwest Teen Sex Show is a sex information video podcast. This show is geared toward teens but it does not talk down its viewers. In fact I would recommend anyone interested in human sexuality, KRIS.

Nikol, is often the narator of the episodes and acoording to her bio is a former expert practitioner of teen promiscuity and a mother of three. Britney is the main actress who looks far to young to be voting driving maybe voting no way. The Director is Guy Clark (aka Todd) he is the creator of the Midwest Teen Sex Show and several award winning commercials.

In their episodes they have tackled dealing with; Parents, Backdoor Business, Dating, Syphilis, Beatin' It, Homosexuality, Gym Class, The First Time, Birth Control, The Older Boyfriend, Abstinence and Female Masturbation. None of these episode had anything you would not see on the Discovery Health Channel.

Their episodes are funny, insightful and well worth watching. So subscribe watch and support the Midwest Teen Sex Show. http://midwestteensexshow.com/

Wiiview 3.0

2008-02-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

We have been playing Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree; the game play is a little off putting. It is set in a school and your main interaction is with Dr. Brain. A blob like figure bouncing on a scale. The games are challenging and some times down right hard even on the easy settings. If you mess up then you go on to the next challenge no redo.

The cartoon like animation makes this game seem more for kids then adults, the classic market for these type of think hard, work your brain type game. If you mess up Dr. Brain is down right brutal.

Scoring is based off of how much your brain weighs. While an interesting scoring idea this is frustrating because the only comparisons available are fictional Dr. Brain or you other players. My largest complaints about the game play is the limited head to head play and only one active controller.

Over all we would give the game 2 Wiimotes.

Astronomy Cast

2008-02-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

Astronomy Cast

I have started doing media reviews on Volcanicast this is my review for the 01-19-08 show.

Astronomy Cast is an apply named podcast about Astronomy; Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay explain Astronomy and Physics. Fraser is the publisher of Universe Today and not only is Doctor Pamela hot, she also teaches Astronomy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville .

I have been reading Fraser’s Universe Today for several years and I have listened to Pamela back with here former show, Slacker Astronomy. Pamela and Fraser have taken listeners on a detailed tour of the solar system and have explained complex matters like How To Win a Nobel Prize, the contributions Amateurs can make to astronomy, Black Holes and Special Relativity.

Subscribe and listen to the The Astronomy Cast.

Wiiview 2.0

2007-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our first GameFly rental was a bust, Game Party is not worth renting let alone purchase. The graphics are patchy; the static backgrounds are well drawn, this only makes graphics for the players and crowds even worse. Unlike the cartoonish Miis, these characters look and move more like inflatable dolls. This is made all the creepier by the method used to make them emote. Instead of the characters expressions changing; to express joy or frustration by smiling or frowning, the image of the mouth and eyes increases or shrinks. It looks like some one is squeezing and releasing them, making other body parts expand and contract like a stress ball.

Not only the players but the crowd characters standing around, in fact the characters standing around are one of the creepier aspects. Unlike Mii spectators in tennis & boxing or the ones bowling in other lanes; these characters all act as if they have money ridding on the game. Cheering when you succeed and looking like they want to shank you when you miss.

Game play also suffers along with the graphics; the darts and beer pong games require you to select an aiming point on the game field. As far as I could tell these aiming points had little to due with the flight of the darts or bounce location of the ball. The skeeball game plays nothing like Wii Sports Bowling, which is annoying. The air hockey game stuck on me both times I tried to play it. The software and hardware were fine but my player got stuck in the bottom of the screen, annoying as hell. Also the view for a single player game the standard view is overhead, I gave up before discovering if there are any other view points. The Trivia game was random and hard to understand, the only game that was the least bit enjoyable were shuffleboard and basketball, neither of which could redeem the rest of the game.

We would give this game one wiimote.

Wiiview 1.0

2007-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

We finally found a Wii; one of the kids in the electronics section at the local Target told me they were getting a shipment on Sunday. I lucked out and was able to get one of the fifty they had. We love the system it makes the games more fun then I remember from the old Atari or NES days. You can intuitively understand how to play the games. I am not saying anything I have not heard lots of other people say in singing the Wiis praises.

Now on to what I don’t like. First is Nintendo only including one wiimote it would not have hurt their bottom-line to sell the units with two of wireless devices. Of course I purchased a second wiimote and nunchuck when I picked the unit up. So that my wife and I can play either versus or against the Wii.

I also got an aftermarket accessory that makes the wiimotes rechargeable. Great in theory but bad execution, Psyclone made the unit I purchased and then returned on Tuesday. When I looked online the other rechargeables appeared to use same system. The tines that connect the base to the wiimote broke off on one side when I inserted the wiimote. To insert the wiimote you have to remove the jacket and the wrist strap, bad if you have kids who may not put the strap back on.

If you are worried about the batteries go with standard rechargeable AAs from Energizer or Duracell don’t waste your money on these units. As far as games go we got the standard Wii Sports game and enjoy it very much; tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing. All fun and get us moving around. The only thing that I do not like is the tennis game in training mode, the volley game needs to be more forgiving. As soon as returned serve lands out of bounds or is missed; game over you start from scratch. All of the other training games allow you to learn as you play.

We joined also GameFly because, the monthly rate is cheaper then purchasing games we don't like. We would give the Wii and Wii Sports three Wiimotes & nunchucks.

The New Boarder Blasters

2007-12-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

I was at work listening to the podcast of On the Media, the November 16, 2007 episode. The final story for the episode was about the Boarder Blaster radio stations and this got me thinking.

According to the story back in the 20's, pirate radio stations were built on the US / Mexican border. These stations were built for two reasons. The Americans who built the stations had been run out of the states for doing things like prescribing patented medicines and running other scams. The Mexican government allowed these stations to be built because they wanted out of a treaty that limited Mexican access to the prime sections of the broadcast radio spectrum.

These stations were very powerful; one of the first was licensed at 50,000 watts, but was built to broadcast up to a million watts. You could listen to this station everywhere in North America. Supposedly you could hear this station on barbwire fences or bed springs and it knocked birds out of the air. These stations were the sources for pop culture; country music, rock 'n roll, televangelists, infomercials and shock jocks were all started on these stations.

This got my brain spinning; I listen to the next generation of Boarder Blasters. Whether it’s Jonathan Coulton's “Thing a Week”, Beatnik Turtle's “Song of the Day”, or the artists involved in the F.U.M.P., C.C. Chapman and Mathew Ebel or other indie music bands and podcasters. New fiction markets like; Stranger Things, Variant Frequency, Jack Mangan’s “Deadpan”, Prometheus Radio Theater, or Escape Pod, and its buds of Pseudo-Pod and Pod-Castle, or the various writers on Podiobooks. Shock shows like Wingin' It 3d, Distorted View and Dawn and Drew. Talk shows like Skepticality, Open Source Sex, Truth Seekers, ShadowDance, The SciPhi Show, Polyamory Weekly, The Dragon Page, I Should Be Writing, and The Geologic Podcast, all of the leaders in Podcasting community.

These people and the varied media they produce, whether its music, shock or talk, are the new Border Blasters. Anytime you download a program you can find open, honest and frank conversations about subjects as diverse as skepticism, sex, politics, alternative religion, philosophy, responsible non-monogamy, literature and writing, any of these subjects and many more. You can see and hear their shows not only in the United States but everywhere in the world. The truly earth shattering and amazing point about the New Media Border Blasters is not the fact that you can listen to shows from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Aberdeen, Australia from Phoenix, Arizona to Paris, France. These conversations are not one way, from the producers to the listeners; instead these conversations go back and forth from listeners to producers and back. Not only podcasters but the participating listeners are the new Border Blasters.