I think maybe I have this seasonal depression thing under control.
Maybe.
Still, I'm having a hard time getting motivated today, so I figured I'd share with you this video I just discovered. If you're a fan of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, you will greatly enjoy this; if you're not a fan, I hope you like the music anyway.
Showing posts with label Battlestar Galactica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Battlestar Galactica. Show all posts
Monday, December 13, 2010
PDF
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
WNW: Grace Park Answers Your BSG Questions
Yeah, yeah, this is about a week past its due date. Sue me. It was either this, or the Wall-E/Watchmen mashup.
Friday, April 4, 2008
I am an idiot
Apparently I was high on crack or something yesterday, because a complete set of BSG dogtags is $119.95, not $199.95.
But if you wanna spend two hundred bucks, send 'em to me instead. That much buys you a deep tongue kiss the next time you see me at a convention.
But if you wanna spend two hundred bucks, send 'em to me instead. That much buys you a deep tongue kiss the next time you see me at a convention.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Buy my stuff
Remember this?
This is the character biography card that accompanies the Battlestar Galactica replica Starbuck dogtags. It, along with replica tags for Apollo, Adama, Athena, Helo, Tigh, and Chief Tyrol, can be bought from Quantum Mechanix for $19.95 each, or the full set can be yours for $119.95.
Quoting from the website:
If you're a fan of the show, I encourage you to buy a pair. If you're a fan of Palette, I encourage to you buy a bunch, because the more profitable they are, the more likely it is that QMx will be able to have me do more freelance projects (or, Lords of Kobol willing, maybe even hire me full-time.)
Support your local Geeky Goth Girl, and all that. ;)
EDIT: If you're not into wearing someone else's dogtags, you can always order a customized pair with your name on them.
This is the character biography card that accompanies the Battlestar Galactica replica Starbuck dogtags. It, along with replica tags for Apollo, Adama, Athena, Helo, Tigh, and Chief Tyrol, can be bought from Quantum Mechanix for $19.95 each, or the full set can be yours for $119.95.
Quoting from the website:
Each character dog tag has been recreated in metal, plated in bronze and weathered to exactly match the tags as seen on the series. All dimensions are taken directly from screen-used dog tags. All serial numbers are screen-accurate, as well. Each set of dog tags is packed securely in a Battlestar Galactica-themed blister pack and features a matching neck chain and collectable character biography card with a description of that character's story so far (as of the end of Season 3).
If you're a fan of the show, I encourage you to buy a pair. If you're a fan of Palette, I encourage to you buy a bunch, because the more profitable they are, the more likely it is that QMx will be able to have me do more freelance projects (or, Lords of Kobol willing, maybe even hire me full-time.)
Support your local Geeky Goth Girl, and all that. ;)
EDIT: If you're not into wearing someone else's dogtags, you can always order a customized pair with your name on them.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
My first real honest-to-goodness professional writing credit
Three years ago, the Cylons tried to murder the human race.
But we would not die.
Three years ago, the Cylons destroyed our colonies.
But we did not divide.
Three years ago, the Cylons swore to hunt us down and kill us all.
But they have been unable to make good on their pledge.
In this never-ending battle between humanity and Cylon, we are all warriors. Our struggle for survival demands constant wariness, constant preparation for the worst, a constant and unflagging spirit in the face of all alarms and disasters. If we have learned anything from the Cylons, it is this:
(Click on the link or you're a dirty toaster lover and traitor to your species)
But we would not die.
Three years ago, the Cylons destroyed our colonies.
But we did not divide.
Three years ago, the Cylons swore to hunt us down and kill us all.
But they have been unable to make good on their pledge.
Humanity is proving very difficult to eradicate.
In this never-ending battle between humanity and Cylon, we are all warriors. Our struggle for survival demands constant wariness, constant preparation for the worst, a constant and unflagging spirit in the face of all alarms and disasters. If we have learned anything from the Cylons, it is this:
(Click on the link or you're a dirty toaster lover and traitor to your species)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
RAC: What I'm currently working on
Blog posts may be sporadic for a while; in addition to my daily tasks I am now working on an assignment for Quantum Mechanix that is due next Wednesday.
It is a backgrounder -- which is to say, "A summary of pertinent information and facts about the subject at hand, provided to the media especially when dealing with a complex issue" -- about the Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Poster Set.
In order to give it that patented Erin Palette Kick in the Junk, I'm researching old World War 2 newsreels to get a feel for the cadence and structure of the words.
So remember: Buy Posters, or the Cylons Win!
It is a backgrounder -- which is to say, "A summary of pertinent information and facts about the subject at hand, provided to the media especially when dealing with a complex issue" -- about the Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Poster Set.
In order to give it that patented Erin Palette Kick in the Junk, I'm researching old World War 2 newsreels to get a feel for the cadence and structure of the words.
So remember: Buy Posters, or the Cylons Win!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Lt. Helen Troy, Raptor Gunship Pilot
In High School they called her "The face that barfed a thousand lips." That is, until the ringleader found a live rattlesnake in his locker one day. After that, they all called her "Snake." She seemed to prefer it.
She also seemed to prefer being left alone. Not liking to talk much, she perfected what she called her "killing stare," a withering gaze delivered by her large, pale green eyes. She had few friends, choosing to spend her time deep in books or with her pet snakes. When pressed, she simply said "At least they don't lie to me and pretend not to be poisonous."
She wasn't an ugly girl growing up, not by any means; she simply wasn't pretty. That was mostly due to her refusal to wear makeup of any kind, and her insistence upon wearing her hair tightly pulled back and braided into submission. This, combined with those large and expressive eyes, gave her face the unpleasant illusion of skin being stretched taut across her skull.
She wasn't sure if being named after a famously beautiful woman was her parents' idea of wishful thinking or a cruel joke. What she did know, however, was that she refused to take any shit about it. Her father beat the hell out of her for the rattlesnake incident, of course (even though the school could prove nothing), but she didn't care. For once she had been on the giving side of venom, and found she enjoyed it.
She developed a slightly cruel, almost sadistic sense of humor after that. People leave alone that which they fear. She studied psychology, learned to read people, to deduce what they feared. A poisonous word here, a killing glance there, and a reputation as a girl crazy enough to play with serpents all but guaranteed her freedom from reprisals.
She could have had a career as a psychologist, but instead chose to join the Colonial Forces. When asked by the recruiting officer why she wanted to join, she simply stated "I want a job where I can kill people and not go to jail for it." She had the qualities of an assassin: cold, patient, methodical. The rush of power she felt when observing a target from a distance was addictive; putting a round through it made her feel like a god.
If she'd been stronger or tougher -- i.e., a man -- she'd have been made a Marine sniper. But she was perceptive, and fast, and best of all smart. She was pegged for Officer Candidate School and Flight Training. Most of the nuggets there wanted to be Viper jocks; she wanted to be a Raptor pilot because "no one expects them to be trouble, and their missile pods carry one hell of a sting."
She stung a lot. A more than capable recon pilot, her true strength lay in ambush. She could lie in wait for hours on counter-piracy operations, floating silently in space on minimal power while waiting for her prey to take the bait and attack the slow-moving, unarmed freighter. She permitted herself a wicked grin before unleashing her full complement of Javelin missiles.
She was "The face that smashed a thousand ships."
Callsign: Medusa.
She also seemed to prefer being left alone. Not liking to talk much, she perfected what she called her "killing stare," a withering gaze delivered by her large, pale green eyes. She had few friends, choosing to spend her time deep in books or with her pet snakes. When pressed, she simply said "At least they don't lie to me and pretend not to be poisonous."
She wasn't an ugly girl growing up, not by any means; she simply wasn't pretty. That was mostly due to her refusal to wear makeup of any kind, and her insistence upon wearing her hair tightly pulled back and braided into submission. This, combined with those large and expressive eyes, gave her face the unpleasant illusion of skin being stretched taut across her skull.
She wasn't sure if being named after a famously beautiful woman was her parents' idea of wishful thinking or a cruel joke. What she did know, however, was that she refused to take any shit about it. Her father beat the hell out of her for the rattlesnake incident, of course (even though the school could prove nothing), but she didn't care. For once she had been on the giving side of venom, and found she enjoyed it.
She developed a slightly cruel, almost sadistic sense of humor after that. People leave alone that which they fear. She studied psychology, learned to read people, to deduce what they feared. A poisonous word here, a killing glance there, and a reputation as a girl crazy enough to play with serpents all but guaranteed her freedom from reprisals.
She could have had a career as a psychologist, but instead chose to join the Colonial Forces. When asked by the recruiting officer why she wanted to join, she simply stated "I want a job where I can kill people and not go to jail for it." She had the qualities of an assassin: cold, patient, methodical. The rush of power she felt when observing a target from a distance was addictive; putting a round through it made her feel like a god.
If she'd been stronger or tougher -- i.e., a man -- she'd have been made a Marine sniper. But she was perceptive, and fast, and best of all smart. She was pegged for Officer Candidate School and Flight Training. Most of the nuggets there wanted to be Viper jocks; she wanted to be a Raptor pilot because "no one expects them to be trouble, and their missile pods carry one hell of a sting."
She stung a lot. A more than capable recon pilot, her true strength lay in ambush. She could lie in wait for hours on counter-piracy operations, floating silently in space on minimal power while waiting for her prey to take the bait and attack the slow-moving, unarmed freighter. She permitted herself a wicked grin before unleashing her full complement of Javelin missiles.
She was "The face that smashed a thousand ships."
Callsign: Medusa.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Razor doesn't cut it
Caution: some Nerd Rage imminent. Also, spoilers if you haven't seen Razor yet.
It should come as no surprise to people who read this blog that I love Battlestar Galactica. I love dark futures, I love survival scenarios where the heroes are massively outnumbered, I love retro-tech, and I love military hardware. I love this show so much that I've even done some work for QMx on BSG material.
That said, I don't love Razor.
I'm going to skip past the part where I say that, as the only new BSG programming we're getting this year, it should deliver a lot of bang (it doesn't) and leave us on the edge of our seats for season 4. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on what I didn't like about this movie. If you accuse me of nitpicking, you're probably correct; such is the stuff of nerd rage.
Things I did like:
Who knows, maybe it'll be better. Maybe it will provide a better framework on which to hang the story, or the deleted scenes will answer more questions. But as it stands now though, Razor is just... dull.
*ba dump bump*
It should come as no surprise to people who read this blog that I love Battlestar Galactica. I love dark futures, I love survival scenarios where the heroes are massively outnumbered, I love retro-tech, and I love military hardware. I love this show so much that I've even done some work for QMx on BSG material.
That said, I don't love Razor.
I'm going to skip past the part where I say that, as the only new BSG programming we're getting this year, it should deliver a lot of bang (it doesn't) and leave us on the edge of our seats for season 4. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on what I didn't like about this movie. If you accuse me of nitpicking, you're probably correct; such is the stuff of nerd rage.
- The movie introduces us to a new character, Capt. Kendra Shaw. She is haunted by the ghosts of the past, and in an effort to put her past misdeeds behind her she lashes out and does drugs and yadda yadda yadda. Not only is this cliché, it is practically shorthand for This character will die before the end of the movie. Seriously, did anyone not see this coming? Please, let me know. I promise I won't mock you. I just want to know if anyone was caught by surprise by this.
- Admiral Caine has a lesbian affair. This bothers me, but not for the reason you probably think, for I have no problems with straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or any other kind of sexuality so long as it isn't done to children, animals, or nonconsenting adults. No, my problem here is that by making Gina her lover, they once again fall back to stereotype: that any strong-willed military woman must be a ball-busting dyke to succeed.
- Speaking of Caine, what is up with her hair? Forgive me for getting all girly on you here, but why does the Admiral's hairstyle go from dark and wavy --
-- to lighter and straighter --
-- in the span of three months? Yes, I suppose she could have changed her 'do, but putting aside the possibility that the Pegasus has a beauty salon aboard to straighten and lighten her hair, please realize that she is an Admiral at war. Officers, especially those at the top of the chain of command, simply do not do that sort of thing, because they have to project the image that they are consistent in thought, action, and deed -- in other words, unchanging. I know this because my father is a career Army Colonel. Say what you will about Adm. Cain (and believe me, a lot can be said), she never once stopped projecting a constant "I am in total command here" vibe. - The movie is told almost entirely in flashback. That in itself isn't an indictment against it, though; some movies, such as Pulp Fiction, make good use of it. This one doesn't, though, because 90% of the flashbacks are of things we already knew happened. What this means is that we spend so much time dealing with needless backstory that by the time the movie is 3/4ths finished, very little has actually happened plot-wise. As a result, the next 30 minutes are resolved in a rather half-assed fashion, and the truly interesting questions the show raises (What did Sharon mean by "evolutionary dead end?" Were the Guardians rogues, or simply left to die by the rest of the Cylon race? Did Jaycie die from her injuries? Were the things that Husker saw on the ice planet simply products of his imagination, or was the hybrid communicating with him in some way?) simply aren't answered.
Things I did like:
- The way they used some original-series BSG stuff (Cylon raiders, Centurions, Colonial Warrior uniforms) to highlight the difference between the First and Second Cylon War.
- Three old-school Cyons in a Raider, speaking in classically cheesy synthvoices. Excellent!
- One of the marines is named "Hudson," in an obvious nod to Aliens.
- The Razor Flashbacks which detail the adventures of Bill "Husker" Adama in the First Cylon War.
Who knows, maybe it'll be better. Maybe it will provide a better framework on which to hang the story, or the deleted scenes will answer more questions. But as it stands now though, Razor is just... dull.
*ba dump bump*
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
BSG vs B5: A Nerd-Off
Pardon me while I phone this in.
Inspired by Salem's comment that "I'm a sucker for the end-to-tail flips the Vipers can do. Those have to be the most maneuverable fighters I have ever seen," I present to you the following nerd-off question:
OR
The SA-23 Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury
(Data and images shamelessly swiped from The Battlestar Wiki and The Babylon Project.)
Inspired by Salem's comment that "I'm a sucker for the end-to-tail flips the Vipers can do. Those have to be the most maneuverable fighters I have ever seen," I present to you the following nerd-off question:
Who would win?
The Viper Mk. II | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Race | Colonial | |
| Type | Military | |
| FTL | No | |
| Propulsion | 1 x Voram VM2-D15 upper turbothrust engine, 2x Voram VM3-D22 turbothrust engines, 2x reverse thrust motors: RCS points | |
| Crew | 1 pilot | |
| Capacity | ||
| Role | Space superiority fighter | |
| Weapons | 2 Kinetic Energy Weapon, missiles | |
| Armaments | 2 x MEC-A6 30mm Thraxon forward-firing kinetic energy weapons (KEW) mounted in the wing roots with 800 round magazine, Dorsal storage bay for 8 x HD-70 Lightning Javelin missiles (optional 50 megaton nuclear warhead)[1], Weapon hardpoints for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings | |
| Status | Obsolete / In current Colonial service | |
| Other Images | More images... | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | (8.4082m)[2] | |
| Height | (2.7247m)[2][3] | |
| Wingspan | (4.7168m)[2] | |
The SA-23 Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury
| SA-23 Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury | ||
|---|---|---|
| Status: | Active | |
| Afilliation: | EarthForce | |
| Class: | Aurora | |
| Length: | 9.56m | |
| Mass: | 48mt | |
| Crew: | 1 | |
| Engines: | 4 Copeland ion engines 4 vaporized solid propellant engines | |
| Weapons: | 4 40mm pulse cannons 2 30mm pulse cannons (rear) | |
| Defenses: | 4.2cm re-inforced hull 1 grappling claw 1 cutting laser | |
| Power: | 3 fusion batteries | |
(Data and images shamelessly swiped from The Battlestar Wiki and The Babylon Project.)
Vote in the poll, argue your point in the comments section... basically, fight each other for my amusement.
EDIT: The votes are in, and the Viper wins, 8 votes to 6. It was a close one!
EDIT: The votes are in, and the Viper wins, 8 votes to 6. It was a close one!
Monday, November 5, 2007
RAC: Shiny new swag
Thought I'd share this with you...
As a "thank you" for the hard work I did for them, QMx was nice enough to send me a personalized Battlestar Galactica-style dogtag!
Inside this neat little metal box, suitable for holding Space Altoids...
... is a neat little bag (I wonder how many cubits it can hold?)...
... with this really shiny dogtag!
Yes, my serial number is "Elite" in l33tsp34k. I'm sure I'm going to Hell for that, but I'd be going there anyway, so why not have a bit of fun in the process?
Anyway, I'm told that this dogtag is unique. Whereas most personalized tags have random serial numbers, I was able to pick mine (because I'm special!) and I seriously doubt that combination will come up again. So, if you ever meet someone at a convention claiming to be Erin Palette, ask to see her dogtags! Because if they don't look like this, then she isn't me!
My tags also came with an "Induction Order," which is a fancy way of saying I've been drafted into the ranks of the Colonial Forces. (I hope I can qualify for flight status... I want to be a Raptor pilot!)
And that's really neat, because it wasn't long ago that I was discharged from the Independent Forces:
This came with my Ships' Papers and was a special deal restricted to those people who ordered within the first 24 hours (Thank you again, Nathan!) If you haven't bought one of these, you really need to... they only made 1500 of these, and 900 have already been sold.
Yes, I do believe I have sold my soul for geek swag.
----------------
Now playing: Bear McCreary - Passacaglia
via FoxyTunes
As a "thank you" for the hard work I did for them, QMx was nice enough to send me a personalized Battlestar Galactica-style dogtag!
Inside this neat little metal box, suitable for holding Space Altoids...
... is a neat little bag (I wonder how many cubits it can hold?)...
... with this really shiny dogtag!
Yes, my serial number is "Elite" in l33tsp34k. I'm sure I'm going to Hell for that, but I'd be going there anyway, so why not have a bit of fun in the process?
Anyway, I'm told that this dogtag is unique. Whereas most personalized tags have random serial numbers, I was able to pick mine (because I'm special!) and I seriously doubt that combination will come up again. So, if you ever meet someone at a convention claiming to be Erin Palette, ask to see her dogtags! Because if they don't look like this, then she isn't me!
My tags also came with an "Induction Order," which is a fancy way of saying I've been drafted into the ranks of the Colonial Forces. (I hope I can qualify for flight status... I want to be a Raptor pilot!)
And that's really neat, because it wasn't long ago that I was discharged from the Independent Forces:
This came with my Ships' Papers and was a special deal restricted to those people who ordered within the first 24 hours (Thank you again, Nathan!) If you haven't bought one of these, you really need to... they only made 1500 of these, and 900 have already been sold.
Yes, I do believe I have sold my soul for geek swag.
----------------
Now playing: Bear McCreary - Passacaglia
via FoxyTunes
Monday, October 22, 2007
RAC: Holy Frak!
Remember this post?
Thanks to a cunningly exploited loophole, I can now show you what I was working on:
Yes, I wrote that. Pretty spiffy, wouldn't you say?
Alas, I can't tell you what project it's for... but if you go to the QMx website and nose around in the BSG section, I'm sure you can find some kind of product where a baseball-card picture and biography would be appropriate....
I'm just saying, is all.
I will now take this opportunity to answer a few questions from the audience. Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the entirety of Season Three.
You completely left out Kara's marriage to Anders/ abusive childhood/ stint as CAG/ months of psychological torture by Leoben on New Caprica.
Unfortunately, I had to. I was given a limit of approximately 175 words. It's impossible to squeeze three years of character development into that short a space without leaving out key details. To get around this, and in an attempt to further reduce wordiness, I tried to write her bio in the style of a military personnel report. Which leads me to my next question...
What do you mean, presumed dead? We saw her at the end of the season finale!
Wrong.
First, you saw someone who, as part of a cliffhanger, claimed to be Starbuck. Until it's verified within the show, for now that's all it is: a claim. Hell, I don't care if you have a signed and notarized statement from Ron D. Moore saying that it's so; ideas come and go, plots are revised, scripts change and actors leave series all the time. Even if she is really alive by the end of Crossroads Part II, we have zero -- zero -- guarantee that the idea will remain unchanged by the time He That Believeth In Me goes to air.
Second, she shows up in the middle of a potential battle. Since, as I said earlier, I am writing this in the style of personnel report, there's no way said report would be updated while the Galactica was set to Condition One.
But isn't she a Cylon?
Man, I have no frakking idea. If I put "Starbuck might be one of the Final Five," and it turns out she isn't, I'll look like an idiot and that card will be wrong. Hell, we don't even know who the Final Five really are or what it means to be one. We suspect that Tyrol, Anders, Tigh and Foster are members, but don't know, and that's what gives the finale punch.
I wrote what I knew to be correct. You're welcome to hate me for it, but I refuse to speculate when writing professionally.
When we buy these widgets -- whatever they are -- will you sign them for me if we mail them to you?
Yes.
----------------
Now playing: Richard Gibbs - Starbuck Buck Buck
via FoxyTunes
Thanks to a cunningly exploited loophole, I can now show you what I was working on:
Yes, I wrote that. Pretty spiffy, wouldn't you say?
Alas, I can't tell you what project it's for... but if you go to the QMx website and nose around in the BSG section, I'm sure you can find some kind of product where a baseball-card picture and biography would be appropriate....
I'm just saying, is all.
I will now take this opportunity to answer a few questions from the audience. Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the entirety of Season Three.
You completely left out Kara's marriage to Anders/ abusive childhood/ stint as CAG/ months of psychological torture by Leoben on New Caprica.
Unfortunately, I had to. I was given a limit of approximately 175 words. It's impossible to squeeze three years of character development into that short a space without leaving out key details. To get around this, and in an attempt to further reduce wordiness, I tried to write her bio in the style of a military personnel report. Which leads me to my next question...
What do you mean, presumed dead? We saw her at the end of the season finale!
Wrong.
First, you saw someone who, as part of a cliffhanger, claimed to be Starbuck. Until it's verified within the show, for now that's all it is: a claim. Hell, I don't care if you have a signed and notarized statement from Ron D. Moore saying that it's so; ideas come and go, plots are revised, scripts change and actors leave series all the time. Even if she is really alive by the end of Crossroads Part II, we have zero -- zero -- guarantee that the idea will remain unchanged by the time He That Believeth In Me goes to air.
Second, she shows up in the middle of a potential battle. Since, as I said earlier, I am writing this in the style of personnel report, there's no way said report would be updated while the Galactica was set to Condition One.
But isn't she a Cylon?
Man, I have no frakking idea. If I put "Starbuck might be one of the Final Five," and it turns out she isn't, I'll look like an idiot and that card will be wrong. Hell, we don't even know who the Final Five really are or what it means to be one. We suspect that Tyrol, Anders, Tigh and Foster are members, but don't know, and that's what gives the finale punch.
I wrote what I knew to be correct. You're welcome to hate me for it, but I refuse to speculate when writing professionally.
When we buy these widgets -- whatever they are -- will you sign them for me if we mail them to you?
Yes.
----------------
Now playing: Richard Gibbs - Starbuck Buck Buck
via FoxyTunes
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