TV is kind of a hobby of mine.

I’ve been watching with great interest as platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, and Hulu have started producing original content that’s been pretty top-notch… and in some cases at least on par with the best of HBO.

I’ve also been watching as the classic networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and their younger siblings FOX and CW) have struggled to figure out how to make the new platforms work for them. (Vaguely ironic, since it was all of those networks that founded Hulu.)

CBS seems to have the biggest plan of them all, and it involves them more or less going it alone. As part of that, they’ve started their own subscription-based streaming service, CBS All Access. Needless to say, people aren’t exactly beating down their door to throw $6 a month at them.

So it’s not all that surprising that they’re going to try to leverage their Star Trek property to try to get subscribers.

Except, I really don’t see this working. And that’s what I talk about in today’s vlog.

What I don’t mention is the way they really should be doing this: by partnering with Netflix or Amazon or Hulu (or even YouTube) to make this happen. Revenue share, have ads, whatever, people will watch this if it’s on a platform they’re already on. Even better if it’s one like Netflix with a solid reputation of good stuff. Second best would be just keeping it on the regular broadcast distribution like a regular show.

Anyway, check out my opinion and share yours if you have one.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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Whew… that was a heck of an end to October.

In part because of all the fun–and in part because of the ridiculousness of Daylight Savings time–my internal clock and schedule is all sorts of out of whack. So, today is just a quick little vlog and general update here.

November is going to be about as active as October, though we don’t quite have a solid “theme” like October has built in… so it’s going to be more random and mixed. There will still be plenty of weird stuff, though… so if you’ve been digging that, no worries.

November is also NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month.  It’s something I’ve ostensibly participated in for about a decade now, though never with quite the vigor or discipline that would actually produce anything worthwhile. But, if you’re looking for an excuse to get writing, NaNoWriMo is great for that.

So, check out today’s quick vlog, and then we’ll see where the rest of the month takes us.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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It’s Halloween and I’m running late.

None of this is a surprise.

The good news is, I’m running late because of great times with people who matter to me.

Well, that and I’m getting old.

But, regardless, Happy Halloween everyone.

In today’s vlog, I muse a little about the meaning of the holiday. Yes, it does have meaning beyond an excuse to dress up in odd clothes and masks. A whole lot, in fact. Unfortunately, due to how late I’ve ended up running, I didn’t have time to really dig into the history and all the other related bits that I actually wanted to. (I even had some other video shot I was going to try to splice in!)

Guess that’ll all just have to wait for another time. Good thing the cycle continues and there’ll be another Halloween next year, right?

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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Once upon a time, I thought I’d have a career doing something with movies.

For a while, it was in the special effects department. Inspired, in part, by my love of horror films.

Sadly, that never came to be for numerous reasons. (Not the least of which was the utter difficulty in finding other people locally with similar interests and the “small” fact that most of the special effects resources were in California, where I was not.)

I do, however, still maintain a total love of the craft of creating costumes and creatures. It’s been a few years since I’ve really been “on my game” enough to really indulge, but I’ve surrounded myself with people who are infinitely more ambitious, talented, and hard-working than I am when it comes to such things.

So I live vicariously through them.

(Seriously, check out Stuido CosPlay if you’re in the DC area… this is how dedicated people I know are to this craft as a hobby!)

With Halloween merely one sleep away, I’m lamenting my slacker ways since I’m once again pulling together a costume or two last minute.

In today’s vlog, I ramble on a little about costumes and whatnot.

Oh, and that cover photo? That’s me and my sister, from 1983, in costumes my mother made for us. She’s a lamb. No, I’m not some sort of odd lion. I’m Ookla the Mok from Thundarr the Barbarian. 

Yeah, most people didn’t know what it was then, either… curse my love for the semi-obscure.

Both of those costumes got reused in various forms and parts for years following this picture. Kind of the first foray into modular costuming. 🙂

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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