Reblog: Words From the Master: Review and Contest for CS Moore Grimm Fairy Tales Snow White Ruby Edition Statue

My buddy Gio is running a contest on his site to give away a pretty cool piece of comic-related swag, so even though it could hinder my chance of winning, I thought I'd reblog it here to give some of my readers a chance to enter and perhaps become his readers too. Click the link below to check out the contest and find out how to enter.

Or, y'know, don't, and increase my chance of winning!

Words From the Master: Review and Contest for CS Moore Grimm Fairy Tales Snow White Ruby Edition Statue

Shootin' Straighter Than a Stormtrooper's New Look!

Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for: the unveiling of my blog's new look, crowned by the announcement of the winner of the mascot poll. I'd like to thank everyone that voted; I think there were nine of you, which is about five more than the last time I did this! As you can see above, the Keyboard Stormtrooper, my personal favorite, won after some Florida-style voting chicanery took place on behalf of Target Practice Stormtrooper, seen below.

Shame on you, Target Practice Stormtrooper. Back to the shooting range with you!

As winner, Keyboard Stormtrooper gets a name, and that name is Terry, in honor of two of my favorite authors, Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind.

As you can see though, that isn't all that's changed. The blog itself has a new, slightly streamlined look: smaller pictures, blog previews on the main page instead of the entire entry, different features on the side column that is now on a different side, more colors, etc... Feedback is welcomed, but I don't plan on deviating much!

Also, I don't plan on appearances being the only changes around here. I'm hoping to come up with a few new features to challenge me a little and maybe drive readership up. I'm also totally open to the idea of guest bloggers, something I've toyed with in the past but have never pulled the trigger on. So if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to put out in the world, let me know!

I'm hoping to do some things with this blog, so keep an eye out; you never know what me and Stormtrooper Terry might do next!

Choose the New Stormtrooper II

The feeling came upon me suddenly that I want to change the look of SSTS a bit. I might even go so far as to change the layout around, or I might not (always a tricky proposition for me as HTML and me don't exactly mix harmoniously). One thing I do know is that it's definitely time to change the Stormtrooper mascot featured above, and as I've done before, I'm going to open it to a vote. When I first opened the blog, my mascot was Stormtrooper Fred.

The first time around, Fred was textless. He's moved up in the world since then.

So options were displayed, votes were cast, the results were tallied, and Fred was replaced with Stormtrooper Bart, as seen at the top of the page (so named for reasons I assume are obvious). Once again, I'm going to provide you, my loyal and questionably-existent readers with seven options, three of which are the losers from the last competition back again, and four of which are new. But first, here's one that isn't in the running but is just amusing, just to wet your whistles:

Hobo Stormtrooper!

His employment status hits a little too close to home to be in the running...

Now, last year's also-rans:

Singing in the Rain Stormtrooper!

William Tell Stormtroopers!

Just Chillin' Stormtrooper!

And new, the fresh blood:

Eye Exam Stormtroopers!

Hannibal Lector Stormtroopers!

Target Practice Stormtrooper!

And finally, the one I think might be my personal favorite:

Keyboard Stormtrooper!

 

 So there are the choices. Voting opens now and closes in a little over 48 hours, at 5:30pm EST on Thursday, February 13th. Start voting now!

What should be the next Stormtrooper mascot?

Singing in the Rain Stormtrooper

William Tell Stormtroopers

Just Chillin' Stormtrooper

Eye Exam Stormtroopers

Hannibal Lector Stormtroopers

Target Practice Stormtrooper

Keyboard Stormtrooper

Poll Maker

Please be aware that while you are free comment however you like as always, the only way I'm counting votes is the poll above. Comment votes won't count, but you can definitely share your favorites with the rest of us if you'd like. So help me redesign my blog, vote for your favorite stormtrooper, and come back soon to see who wins!

Merry Christmas!

We here at SSTAS (and by we, I mean me, cuz there ain't no one else) just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Enjoy your day, whatever you're doing, wherever you're doing it, and, most importantly, whoever you're doing it with. For my part, I'll be spending the day with my grandmother and my girlfriend, watching Christmas specials while I wait for the Doctor Who Christmas specials, a box of tissues by my side. I'm not ready to say good-bye to Eleven, y'all. But that's a story for another time, as this is all about the merriness. So enjoy, everybody!

My Musical 2013 Thus Far

It's funny. Of all the different topics I routinely blather on about, I never touch music, and people who really know me will tell you that, despite my complete lack of any musical talent whatsoever, I am a very musical person who tends to "feel" music very deeply. I suppose that's why I tend to discuss it about as often as most people discuss religion and politics at work; I don't like fighting over it or defending my taste, and believe me, I have some weird taste (I swear to you you will never find a straight man with more music from Glee on his iPod than me).

With that said, I decided tonight to share the things I've been listening to most often lately. Two lists. One of albums, one of songs not from any of those albums. Most of it is all from 2013; some of it is from 2012 that I was just late on catching. There are ten items in each list, some expected, some probably surprising. And they're not in any particular order, really. I was going to this post up big time, with album covers and the like, but I'm just so damn tired. Being a Google Foot Print Walker really makes me miss a desk job... but I digress. Here we go!

Albums
Barenaked Ladies - Grinning Streak. Just some fun, happy music.
Fall Out Boy - Save Rock and Roll. I haven't loved lyrics this much since 3EB's prime.
Thirty Seconds to Mars - LOVE LUST FAITH + Dreams. Big, awesome arena rock.
The Airborne Toxic Event - Such Hot Blood. Such good music.
Paramore - Paramore. Fun, upbeat stuff with Hayley's awesome voice at its best.
Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox. This man has become the soundtrack of my soul.
Ed Sheeran - +. Fun, mostly acoustic stuff. And I'm a sucker for acoustic.
Ke$ha - Warrior. Jimmy loves him some Ke$ha. Used to be just Drunk Jimmy, but...
Imagine Dragons - Night Visions. Been on them since before their success.
JT - The 20/20 Experience. The big surprise. Does every song have to be so long though?

Songs
Zedd - Clarity. I just randomly belt out the damn chorus whenever I can.
Icona Pop - I Love It. No, really. I do.
The Summer Set - Heart on the Floor. Features a great Peter Frampton sample...
Nelly - Hey Porsche. Not what i usually like from my Dirrty Nelly, but catchy as hell.
Yellowcard - Here I Am Alive. Love a violin.
Cee Lo Green - Only You. I don't care that he has tyrannosaurus arms.
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble. Sometimes T-Swizzle is just irresistible.
Plain White T's - Should Have Gone to Bed. And...
Plain White T's - Haven't Told Her. The EP wasn't great, but I love these two songs.
Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines. I know I said this wasn't in any order, but, well...

...in all honesty, this song just fucks my shit up. I mean, really.

Happy Star Wars Day!

You know I couldn't let today go by without posting something, right? It started with the book review directly below this post, and now, with that out of the way, the main event of my Star Wars Day plans... a musical ode to Star Wars! Seven videos, one for each of the released chapters and one for the new one coming up. And without further ado...

The Star Wars That I Used to Know!

Star Wars Cantina!

We Didn't Start the Star Wars!

The Saga Begins!

Livin' La Vida Yoda!

Fett's Vette!

And my personal favorite, Galactic Empire State of Mind!

Of course, there are dozens, if not hundreds, more. So if you have a favorite I didn't list feel free to share a link below. And while I know it's crossing the sci-fi stream, the Whovian in me couldn't resist...

Happy Easter!

Even Jedi Masters go Easter Egg hunting, so enjoy whatever festivities you have planned today. If you're like me, that involves waiting for all the holiday stuff to be and Walking Dead and Game of Thrones to be on...

Star Wars Family Tree

Because every so often I have to post something Star Wars related to be worthy of my blog's title (and because it's only fitting that Star Wars be the topic of my 200th post!), here's a "family tree" I came across on the internet. It lists not only familial relations but things like who fought who, who were friends, and even includes a rather nebulous "other" line that might just test how much you know about Star Wars... as will the half-faces used to depict each character.

But if you're like me, that won't pose a problem for you, because this will just reinforce for you the fact that you possess a disturbing (and, perhaps, depressing) amount of Star Wars knowledge...

By the way, the initial work, as well as family trees for other franchises and other cool things, can be found here: http://joe-stone.co.uk/portfolio/swfamilytree.html

Click to enlarge... you know the drill.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Eat, drink, and be Irish. Treat your liver like it's the Death Star and blow that shit up... with whiskey. That is all.

Suicide is Painless

I'm going to do something I pretty much never do on this blog and talk about something seriously for a minute. Suicide has been on mind since Sunday night... no, not committing it, although we'll get to that later... since Tony Scott, a great, talented director (seriously: True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, The Fan, Domino, Man on Fire, and of course, Top Gun... what a resume!), took his own life by jumping off a bridge. The reaction to this event I've seen most, aside from just sadness over a tragic loss of life, is confusion over how someone like a rich, world-famous director could throw it all away like that when he had everything.

Here's the thing. To us, on the outside looking in, sure, he had everything. We look at his life and think it had to be perfect. But we have absolutely no idea what's going on on the inside, what he might have been dealing with... him, or anyone else for that matter. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors? Maybe that's why the morning after the accident, one news outlet was reporting he had inoperable brain cancer, and that's why he did what he did. I'm sure we can all understand how someone might not want to go through all the suffering a diagnosis like that entails; as someone who just watched someone I love pass away after suffering through a year of his body and mind giving out on him slowly and painfully, I sure can. It seems, though, that that report was erroneous, as his family is denying it; still, maybe something else was going on health-wise that drove him to it, something his family doesn't even know about yet.

Or maybe there wasn't, and it was just a senseless, stupid act.

But that isn't for me to say. I think my point in this ramble is that it isn't for us to judge. I don't know. I've known people who have attempted suicide, and I've known people who, sadly, succeeded. Total honesty? I even considered it at one point myself, not seriously, nowhere near seriously enough to come anywhere close to actually trying it, but it did cross my mind when things were really, really low and a friend's best advice to me was to remember that things could always get worse. It was heartfelt advice meant to make me feel better, but all it did was scare the shit out of me. If things could get worse than they were, I didn't want to be here to see what that would be like. But I didn't entertain that notion long, because the flip side of that point is also true: things can always get better, and they do. The only time things can't get better is if you aren't here to see it.

So I guess the other point, the reason I'm writing this so that maybe someone will read it and be helped by it, at the risk of sounding like one of those "very special episodes" of an 80's sit-com, is this: if you're thinking about suicide, don't do it. Just don't do it. Talk to someone; a family member, a friend, someone you trust, or, shit, a complete stranger, for all I care. Just find someone who will talk you out of it. Just don't do it.

Things can, and will, get better.

Choose the New Stormtrooper!

I've been doing this blog for almost exactly two years and four months now, and for the most part, it's looked the same the entire time. I'm not good enough at HTML and whatnot to mess with things too many times, although I have tweaked a few things here and there. One thing that has been constant since the very first day, though, is the stormtrooper up there under the blog's name. I call him Fred.  Fred's done a good job of standing guard at the door... but I think it's time to retire him. I found a few pictures I like that I could replace him with, but the problem is, I can't seem to decide which one of the four I found to use.

So I thought, why not have a little fun and put it to a vote? I'll show you, dear readers, the four choices and let you pick which one replaces Fred.

Before we get to the contestants, though, here's a picture to whet your appetites a bit:

I fucking hate pigeons...

 Now, on to the finalists! First up, we have:

Singing in the Rain Stormtrooper!

Next, there's:

William Tell Stormtroopers!

Then there's my personal favorite:

Detention Stormtrooper!

And lastly:

Just Chillin' Stormtrooper!

Those are the four contestants. Feel free to cast your votes in the comments below, or, if I know most of you people, on the Facebook link you followed to get here because that's what y'all love to do, I think to drive me crazy. I'll count the votes either way (unless you vote for the pigeons; seriously, those rats with wings are not a contender, so don't bother) and hopefully reveal the winner this time tomorrow!

Happy voting!

Big Pimpin'

So, I've noticed lately that a lot of my friends have blogs/websites/projects/causes/whatever that they're trying to spread the word about. I thought to myself, why not gather a bunch of these links together in a blog post and help get some stuff out there for some of my favorite people? So here I am, pimping other peoples' stuff out because, well, they're all awesome people who deserve success.

And before I get into everyone else, let me just remind you, faithful readers, that I'm around for writing jobs as well as the various ministerial duties I can perform, like weddings, naming ceremonies, vow renewals, and pretty much anything you can think of except for circumcisions and exorcisms (and since I neither want to cut babies nor tangle with demons, I'm fine with those exceptions!) so if you have need, hit me up!

I'll start off with one that I would get my ass kicked for forgetting: my best friend is a wonderfully talented bellydancer who is available for shows and parties and whatnot, you can find out more at her website, as well as see some past performances and stuff: http://www.brennadance.com/.

Next up is a guy I've known for the better part of my thirty-one years of life, who has his own advertising agency, which can be found here: http://www.salukcreative.com/.

I'm going to pimp a fellow blogger next, the gentleman who gave me my first Liebster Award earlier this week: Master Gio. His blog specializes in horror, metal, and sexy women, so if you have a need for gore, guitars, or gorgeous woman, he's got you covered at http://themastergio.blogspot.com/.

Now, if you know me, you know I'm not all that fashion-oriented. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, or at most, when necessary, a jeans and button-down or polo shirt guy. So if you want some fashion in your life, leave me immediately and head on over to http://islandchic77.blogspot.com/.

Next, I'm going to pimp the photography of a good friend and talented New York photographer, whose work you can find samples of at http://negativepop.blogspot.com/.

I'm going to double-dip into the photography well here and direct your attention to a beautiful and talented photographer, also working in NY, whose photos you can see at http://kimberlytauber.com/.

I'm going to close by mentioning a cause that one of my good friends is involved in. She's participating in the Brooklyn Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk, and if you're interested, any donation of any size you could make would be appreciated. You can find out more information about the walk and how to donate at the Facebook page for her team, http://www.facebook.com/HenrisHeroes.

I Got a Liebster Award!

Yesterday my blog received it's first Liebster Award from my friend Master Gio (his blog, Words from the Master, can be found here), which is a gesture that is very much appreciated. The award comes with a set of rules involving answering questions given to you by the person presenting you the award, then creating questions of your own and giving the award with those questions to other bloggers. I'm going to skip most of that, just because I don't really know enough other bloggers to send it to, which I guess means I only get an Honorary Liebster Award... but I will answer the questions he gave me!

1. What made you decide to start a blog?
I wanted to do more writing, and needed an outlet for all the ideas and opinions I have, and this seemed like the easiest way. It damn sure wasn't for all the feedback and comments I don't get!

2. What was the first thing you ever wrote about in your blog?
Technically, the very first post was an introduction, but I won't count that. I also won't count the collection of old quotes from me and my friends that made up the second post. So I guess that means the first thing I ever wrote about was whether or not Darth Vader is better than Jesus.

3. What's your favorite place to travel to and where would you most like to travel to?
I can't really answer the first question because the only place I've really traveled to is Michigan, and that was like fifteen years ago. The answer to the second part, though, is without a doubt Ireland.

4. Who do you most look up to?
I don't really know. Probably one of my favorite authors, like Terry Brooks, or maybe R.A. Salvatore.

5. What's your favorite movie and why?
The Crow. It's been the crow for almost twenty years, and that's never going to change. It's just, for me, the perfect blend of topics: it's an action movie built around a tragic love story with redemption and punishment and everything. Plus, the performances, the music, the setting... it all just works.

6. Tell me something about yourself that may surprise me and my readers.
I just heard a Justin Bieber song I actually like. Yeah. How's that for a revelation?

7. What's the best concert you've ever been to?
There's been a lot of great ones. Goo Goo Dolls with Third Eye Blind at Jones Beach in like 2002 is at the top of the list, and so are the K Rock DFPs I went to... but the best? The U2 concert I went to in 2009, without a doubt. Lifelong dream accomplished right there.

8. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
I guess I'd have to say Anne Hathaway, but, full disclosure? My real-life one is much more interesting!

9. If you could have any superpower, which one would you pick?
Teleportation. Think of how many hassles that eliminates.

10. What's a typical day for you like?
Most of my days get split between the internet, job hunting, and writing.

11. If you ruled the world, what is one rule you'd enforce?
The "Just stop being douchebags to each other" rule. That would pretty much take care of everything else as it trickled down.

So there are my answers. Hit up the comment box if you want to talk about any of them, or share your answers!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from a Lazy Irish Blogger

Because it's the day of my people and I can't find the motivation to write up a blog of my own, here's a list from the net of the 30 Sexiest... well, you can read the title below. A warned, though; it's one of those lists that annoys the crap out of me by starting with #1 and counting up, thereby killing all suspense. But, y'know, something is better than nothing! Slainte!

Irish Girls | The 30 Sexiest Celtic Women Caught Wearing Green

Dick Punch Trailer

Over the summer, a friend of mine worked as a PA on an independent film and the trailer is now available. I checked it out and it made me laugh, so I thought I'd share it with anyone who might be reading this; you can find the trailer embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

Dick Punch Trailer from Good Company on Vimeo.

The Ultimate Nerd Guide to NYC

Found on the internet, The Ultimate Nerd Guide to New York City. Click the link beloew to check it out, it's all kinds of awesome, especially if you're a New Yorker like me.

 

That's the main image, but the link below also includes a Google map version which is even better, and a link to an actual Google map page with the sites inserted for an extra does of realism. It's must-see stuff.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/the-ultimate-nerd-guide-to-new-york-city

Super Punch: Art inspired by Neil Gaiman's American Gods

Found this in my internet travels and since a bunch of my friends and I all love American Gods by the amazingly talented Neil Gaiman, I just had to share it. Check out the link for some cool artistic interpretations of one of my favorite books, and here's an example to get you started.

Super Punch: Art inspired by Neil Gaiman's American Gods

Since its Star Wars Day...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

That is all.

Clip from the animated Buffy...

This was supposed to happen years ago, long before the show went off the air in 2003, but for some reason it never did. It looks like it could have been good, especially considering all the voices were done by the actors from the show (except Buffy herself, but that's probably because Sarah Michelle Gellar has, from all accounts, always been a bit of a bitch). The powers that be should think twice about it now, considering all the hype around vampires lately, not to mention the popularity of the Buffy Season Eight comic. Anyway, here's the snippet.