Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Retaliation vs. Retribution

Retaliation vs. Retribution — Blue Ink Alchemy

I have hackles. I have more hackles than I'd like to admit. And when they get raised, it isn't a pretty sight. I'm someone that believes that people in general should be treated with respect and understanding, And when they aren't, be it in meatspace or on the Internet, I get angry about it. I cannot grok why patience and comprehension are so anathema to another human being. I get frustrated when someone cannot or will not imagine the other complexly. It makes me downright mad. But how do I channel that emotion into effective change, and not just rage at the offense in impotence? There is a difference, I feel, between retaliation and retribution. It's the difference between revenge and justice. Societal standards of what constitutes justice can vary wildly in different parts of the world. Even in an internally demarcated entity like the United States, laws differ in wording, intent, or even existence from polity to polity, despite the presence of a unified overarching government. I don't think that changes the fact that people should expect a baseline level of respect, understanding, and compassion from other people. Leaving aside arguments of semantics and specific polity laws, things like harassment and assault of all kinds, from verbal and emotional to physical and psychological, are revolting acts undertaken by petty or callous people. With selfish myopia and a twisted sense of what qualifies as 'humor', the perpetrators of such impersonal and belittling acts are not interested in promoting human well-being or making the world a better place; they are only in it for themselves, their advancement or amusement, no matter what the cost is on their victims. While I have seen examples of this in my personal experience, the most prevalent and extant environment in which these acts occur is the Internet. This is the realm of anonymous inhuman verbal assault. It is the realm of the 'troll'. Getting trolled or bullied online is something that's existed since some person saw some other person do something they didn't agree with, for whatever reason, and decided to use their anonymity to lash out. More recently, death and bomb threats against people based on their gender and opinions and SWAT teams being called down on opponents in a video game have become prominent examples of this endemic problem. But how does one go about addressing or correcting the issue without making it a simple and ultimately pointless act of personal vengeance? Some people would say that the problem is non-existent or not that problematic. Others say that people - the victims, mostly - need to "grow a thicker skin" or "get over it". This attitude, itself, is part of the problem, as it demonstrates a callousness towards the very real anguish people go through when they are personally attacked, belittled, harassed, objectified, or threatened. Just because one have never been a victim, or cannot imagine what it is like to be victimized, does not mean that a standard of justice is inconceivable or unobtainable. The difference between retaliation and retribution is that retaliation is as personal and selfish an act as the assault itself. Retribution is calling upon a greater authority to visit justice upon the offender. In other words, if one party calls another a racial slur in the workplace, and the second party responds in kind or with violence, that is retaliation. If the second party, instead, brings the matter before their supervisor or a higher authority, that is retribution. In a similar vein, a police officer using extreme force on someone (say, someone stopped for a moving violation being arrested, detained, and murdered) getting shot down in the street is retaliation. That officer getting publicly reprimanded and, one hopes, stripped of their authority is retribution. We need more avenues for retribution when someone is harassed, bullied, or singled out due to their race, gender, orientation, or outlook. We do not have the capacity to completely comprehend the circumstances of the others around us. We do, however, have the capacity to desire an amount of respect for ourselves, and to expect and demand the same for those around us in our lives. When the fear that overtakes a victim keeps them from seeking justice, it falls to us around them, in our communities and society, to counteract their fear (and, in some cases, overcome our own) in the pursuit of justice. And when that respect is undermined, ignored, or outright demolished, we have a duty to act as vectors of retribution upon the offenders. It is the only way we will progress as a species. It is the only way we prove we're better than mere animals. It is the only way the better world so many dream of and strive for will survive.

Blue Ink Alchemy

Monday, August 17, 2015

Quick Update Post

Quick Update Post — Blue Ink Alchemy

I absolutely hate letting writing go undone for days on end. The problem is, when you have mental conditions that thrive in an environment of self-recrimination, a vicious cycle begins in which you admonish yourself for not doing the thing, you feel hatred towards yourself as a result of admonishment, you take time to recover from the admonishment instead of doing the thing, you realize the thing has not been done, and you're back to where you started. While I have been getting some work done on the novel, thanks to the use of the Writer's Room, the blog has slipped. Between hunting down a job (which starts today!), and preparing for PAX and a move, and wrestling with all sorts of internal problems with relationships, demons, anxieties, and frustrations, making time to post about writing or gaming or anything has been difficult. I need to make it a point to do so, though, just as much as I need to make it a point to practice my guitar. Oh, yeah. I was given a guitar. I'm stumbling my way through some basic chords and trying to fret properly. It's an interesting and occasionally frustrating experience. But I think I'll get through it. I'm glad you're reading these words. It really does mean a lot to me. I know I'm not a flawless being, and I make mistakes, and I even occasionally present problems or, worst of all, hurt people. I'm sorry. I don't mean to. It's never my intent. I know it doesn't take away the pain or counter the cost, but rather than pretending I've done nothing wrong, I'd much rather do whatever I can to make things right. Even if it's just getting back on a routine blog schedule.

Blue Ink Alchemy

Monday, August 10, 2015

A Shameless Sale Post

A Shameless Sale Post — Blue Ink Alchemy

So before I put all of this stuff up on Craigslist, since I need the help with affording a move and things like food and child support, behold! My old White Wolf book collection, going on sale right now! Prices in USD. ~~VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE~~ SOLD! ~~KINDRED OF THE EAST~~ SOLD! WEREWOLF:THE APOCALYPSE

Werewolf: the Apocalypse Player's Guide Book of the Weaver Mokole Hengeyoki: Shapeshifters of the East Total: 60 WRAITH: THE OBLIVION

Wraith: the Oblivion Player's Guide Total: 75 MAGE: THE ASCENSION

~Core Books~ Mage: the Ascension Storyteller's Screen Total: 50 ~Supplemental Books~

Akashic Brotherhood Celestial Chorus The Book of Shadows New World Order Hidden Lore Void Engineers The Book of Mirrors

Technomancer's Toybox Masters of the Art Technocrocy Assembled vol. 1 Guide to the Technocracy Total: 60 Discounted Total for all Mage books: 100 Books are between Good and Near Mint condition. Seattle area buyers preferred but I am willing to ship after payment is received. Thanks in advance for your attention and help!

Blue Ink Alchemy

Sunday, August 9, 2015

A Shameless Sale Post

A Shameless Sale Post — Blue Ink Alchemy

~Core Books~ Dark Ages Vampire Victorian Age Vampire Vampire: the Masquarade Total: 60

~Sourcebooks~ Clanbook: Assamite Clanbook: Brujah Clanbook: Gangrel Clanbook: Followers of Set Clanbook: Lasombra The Succubus Club: Dead Man's Party The Red Sign Archons & Templars New York By Night Nights of Prophecy Total: 40

Vampire Storyteller's Handbook with Screen and Sleeve: 40 Discount Total for all Vampire books: 120 KINDRED OF THE EAST

~Main Books~ Kindred of the East Kindred of the East Companion Dharma Book: Devil-Tigers Dharma Book: Thrashing Dragon Dharma Book: Bone Flowers Dharma Book: Thousand Whispers Dharma Book: Resplendent Cranes Shadow War Killing Streets Half-Damned: Dhamphyr Total: 50

~Setting Books~ World of Darkness: Tokyo World of Darkness: Hong Kong World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X San Francisco By Night Blood & Silk Total: 30 Discount Total for all Kindred of the East books: 75 WEREWOLF:THE APOCALYPSE

Werewolf: the Apocalypse Player's Guide Book of the Weaver Mokole Hengeyoki: Shapeshifters of the East Total: 60 WRAITH: THE OBLIVION

Wraith: the Oblivion Player's Guide Total: 75 MAGE: THE ASCENSION

~Core Books~ Mage: the Ascension Storyteller's Screen Total: 50 ~Supplemental Books~

Akashic Brotherhood Celestial Chorus The Book of Shadows New World Order Hidden Lore Void Engineers The Book of Mirrors

Blue Ink Alchemy

Thursday, August 6, 2015

"I Know A Guy": The Ant-Man Review

"I Know A Guy": The Ant-Man Review — Blue Ink Alchemy

With my financial situation on shaky ground and everything else in upheaval, it's difficult for me to justify expenses outside of feeding myself and keeping the utilities on. Even costs for transit, be it gasoline or passage on trains and busses, can be questionable. That said, I do want to keep up with the ongoing continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both because their plotlines and characterizations are more coherent and because, well, they have yet to blow the landing. Even the nadir of the films, Iron Man 2, is a decent flick in and of itself, and is buoyed up by the following films in a form of 'better in hindsight'. Granted, it's still nowhere near as good as any other Marvel film to date, but it's still pretty good. I almost have to grade these things on a curve, and I was wondering if Ant-Man might become the new anchor for the low end of said curve. I managed to satisfy that curiosity without destroying my meager budget because... well, I know a guy. Courtesy Marvel Studios

I honestly have seen threads of more than one Iron man movie getting woven into Ant-Man since I saw the first trailer. A successor picking up the threads of a line of business the founder didn't want? Iron Man. Keeping super-tech out of the wrong hands? Iron Man 2. Inventor who's a bit of a prick looking for redemption and overcoming emotional obstacles? Iron Man 3. It's one of the problems Ant-Man has: this is ground that's been tread before. This might be because the creative team had to plunder old ideas when Edgar Wright left the project. It was a big question hanging over Ant-Man: "Can this Marvel movie survive some of the awful behind-the-scenes stuff that plagues other productions?" The short answer? "Yes." The longer answer is that this particular Marvel outing, like many of its successes, is much more personal in focus and small in scale. It also conveys a lot more humor than, for example, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I think this is due to its roots in the works and concepts of Edgar "Shawn of the Dead"/"Hot Fuzz"/"Scott Pilgrim" Wright. As much as there were some genuine laughs to be had, there are also a few moments where I felt they were pushing too hard for the comedy. It never gets embarrassing and the jokes don't necessarily fall flat, but they get more of a rueful smirk than a good laugh. Character development and interaction, too, averages out to a baseline for Marvel films. Michael Douglas is a seasoned actor and his gravitas and ease work well with the material. Paul Rudd definitely has the self-effacing leading-man chops required for this project, and he also demonstrates that he is more than capable of working side-by-side with other talent without overshadowing them. I was very happy to see Evangeline Lilly given plenty to do, as much as Marvel tends to sideline its female characters, and the promise within the credits fills me with hope. I want more diversity in my superheroes, dammit! The criminal sidekicks are amusing at times, the daughter is adequately precious, and the menace of Yellowjacket feels more legitimate and immediate than the vague nature of Obediah Stane or the criminally underused Laufey of Jotunheim. What makes Ant-Man worth watching is the inventiveness of its technology, from the scale-shifting nature of the suits to the interactions the characters have with ants. The action scenes pop with ideas and quick thinking as much as they do with punches and bullets, and getting along with legions of ants makes for fun and occasionally adorable sci-fi antics. While you understand Pym not naming individual ants, you feel for Scott when he chooses to do so anyway. This isn't the breakneck, visceral action of Winter Soldier or the grandiose set-piece action of Age of Ultron - Ant-Man, in just about every sense of the word, is playing on a smaller stage, and yet remains interesting and fun to watch despite (or perhaps because of) this reduction of stakes and scale. So, in the end, is Ant-Man worth seeing? I'd say it is. While it doesn't have the legitimate above-average quality of the Captain America entries thus far, or the unabashed fantastical fun of both Thor flicks that are available, it's still fun, still interesting, and still earnest in its intent and execution. While not the studio's best, it doesn't disappoint and hits all of the right notes for a Marvel movie. I will admit to the sort of mentality that inclines me towards liking both Thor movies, and that isn't everybody's bag, but for the most part, Ant-Man works for me. Until Michael Bay casts Martin Lawrence as T'Challa, Make Mine Marvel!

Blue Ink Alchemy

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

The "Starving Artist" Is Bullshit

The "Starving Artist" Is Bullshit — Blue Ink Alchemy

This is a discussion that's come up over the last few days. I believe it was David Hill who brought it to light (as he tends to do, verbose and uncompromising firebrand that he is), and Chuck Wendig, of course, dropped the definitive word-hammer on the issue with trademark aplomb. All I can really add is my personal experience and perspective, which boils down to this: Being an actual starving artist absolutely sucks. I have been without dayjob work for almost two months. Freelance work has been difficult for me to find. I'm at the point of applying for whatever I can find, just to pay the bills. This is in the middle of needing to find a new place to live, preparing for summer events, and managing my bipolar disorder, anxiety, and interactions with other human beings. Oh, and I should still be writing somewhere in there, right? One of the reasons I applied to use the Writer's Room at Seattle's Central Library is that it is a quiet, secluded place away from just about everything that could distract me. I bang out words there without issue or interruption. But as much solace as I take from my productivity, I know that, for now, it is only a temporary respite. At some point, I have to leave the sanctuary. I have to face the pressures and requirements of the outside world. I need to acquire income, to pull my weight, to feed my body so my mind can keep making words. Ideally, making words is what would feed me, but I have no illusions that such a day is far off. I have a lot of work to do to have anything publishable that can give me a living source of income. Until then, I need to figure out a dayjob. Because starving sucks. Now, I haven't actually starved yet, obviously. I'm hungry, sure. Approaching desperation, maybe. But I'm privileged like crazy. I'm white, male, educated, and have the support of family and friends. Other artists aren't so lucky. I want to echo Chuck's sentiment from his post: take care of yourselves. Make ends meet any way you can. Get a foundation of some form of security under you, a roof over your head, a means to keep yourself fed. It will go a long way to relieving your anxiety and depression (which, as an artist, you DO NOT NEED) and help you be more productive and working harder towards your true, ultimate goal. It's what I'm doing. And despite the steps in the direction of my goal being painful, confusing, and frustrating, I'm still making them. You can, too.

Blue Ink Alchemy

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Break Your Heroes

Break Your Heroes — Blue Ink Alchemy

We like to think of our heroes as strong. When they fight evil or overcome obstacles or succeed in their goals, we aspire to the same heights. Deeds of daring and feats of strength or cunning drive us to be the sort of people we want to be, impeccable and flawless paragons of the virtues we espouse. Those sorts of struggles, though, are not what people like you or me face daily. I think that I am not alone in regularly facing reminders of the failures from the past. People we've let down. Goals we've failed to achieve. Situations we've failed to resolve. Relationships we've failed to repair. A litany of shortcomings and false starts that goes all the way back to our first bad grade or broken heart. Why should our heroes be any different? Part of the problem I've always had with Superman (before Zack Snyder introduced me to a whole slew of new problems to have with the character) is that he is virtually flawless. Being superhuman in strength, speed, endurance, and knowledge makes it difficult for him to fail in any challenges he faces physically or mentally. While he does run into some emotional obstacles, his virtuous nature and righteous motivations rarely see him on the failing end of his endeavors. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like Superman, especially as a foil for Batman, but it's hard for me to relate to the character, for the most part. Not so with the likes of Max Rockatansky. Especially as he is shown in Mad Max: Fury Road, Max is a thoroughly broken individual. He is motivated by a need to survive, fueled by anger and fear, and almost entirely selfish when he's at his worst. But the experiences of the wasteland in which he roams and the plight of those he encounters awakens something in him. He never really escapes the trauma of his past - he is plagued by night terrors and assaulted by visions even after he embraces his righteous cause. And yet, instead of remaining in the thrall of his brokenness, he rises above it, to the point that others are looking to him for support and guidance, rather than treating him with distrust and derision. That, to me, is true heroism. Therefore, writers, I encourage you to break your heroes. "Kill your darlings" is a familiar phrase for many fiction authors, but when it comes to protagonists, there is a sadistic streak in me that says death is too good for them. The true power in our narratives, the thrust of the human experience that keeps readers turning pages and the thumbs of television viewers from changing channels, is in seeing broken people pull themselves together. Moreso than punching bad guys, rescuing prisoners, or saving the world, there's an upswell of emotion that comes in a moment where you see the better nature of a character emerge from within the cracks of their outer shell.

Max: You need to take the War Rig half a click up the track. Max begins to head towards the Bullet Farmer's noise and madness. Furiosa: What if you don't come back? Max: pauses Then you keep going.

Overcoming external obstacles is impressive to be sure. But overcoming ourselves? That's a bit of the supernatural in everyday life, my friends.

Blue Ink Alchemy

Monday, August 3, 2015

A Shameless Sale Post

A Shameless Sale Post — Blue Ink Alchemy

~Core Books~ Dark Ages Vampire Victorian Age Vampire Vampire: the Masquarade Total: 75

Vampire Storyteller's Handbook with Screen and Sleeve: 50 Discount Total for all Vampire books: 150 KINDRED OF THE EAST

~Setting Books~ World of Darkness: Tokyo World of Darkness: Hong Kong World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X San Francisco By Night Blood & Silk Total: 50 Discount Total for all Kindred of the East books: 100 WEREWOLF:THE APOCALYPSE

Werewolf: the Apocalypse Player's Guide Book of the Weaver Mokole Hengeyoki: Shapeshifters of the East Total: 100 WRAITH: THE OBLIVION

Wraith: the Oblivion Player's Guide Total: 100 MAGE: THE ASCENSION

~Core Books~ Mage: the Ascension Storyteller's Screen Total: 50 ~Supplemental Books~

Akashic Brotherhood Celestial Chorus The Book of Shadows New World Order Hidden Lore Void Engineers The Book of Mirrors

Technomancer's Toybox Masters of the Art Technocrocy Assembled vol. 1 Guide to the Technocracy Total: 100 Discounted Total for all Mage books: 125 Books are between Good and Near Mint condition. Seattle area buyers preferred but I am willing to ship after payment is received. Thanks in advance for your attention and help!

Blue Ink Alchemy

A Shameless Sale Post

A Shameless Sale Post — Blue Ink Alchemy

~Core Books: 75~ Dark Ages Vampire Victorian Age Vampire Vampire: the Masquarade

~Sourcebooks: 50~ Clanbook: Assamite Clanbook: Brujah Clanbook: Gangrel Clanbook: Followers of Set Clanbook: Lasombra The Succubus Club: Dead Man's Party The Red Sign Archons & Templars New York By Night Nights of Prophecy

Vampire Storyteller's Handbook with Screen and Sleeve Discount Total: 150 KINDRED OF THE EAST

~Main Books: 75~ Kindred of the East Kindred of the East Companion Dharma Book: Devil-Tigers Dharma Book: Thrashing Dragon Dharma Book: Bone Flowers Dharma Book: Thousand Whispers Dharma Book: Resplendent Cranes Shadow War Killing Streets Half-Damned: Dhamphyr

~Setting Books: 50~ World of Darkness: Tokyo World of Darkness: Hong Kong World of Darkness: Demon Hunter X San Francisco By Night Blood & Silk Discount Total: 100 WEREWOLF:THE APOCALYPSE

Werewolf: the Apocalypse Player's Guide Book of the Weaver Mokole Hengeyoki: Shapeshifters of the East Total: 100 WRAITH: THE OBLIVION

Wraith: the Oblivion Player's Guide Total: 100 MAGE: THE ASCENSION

~Core Books: 50~ Mage: the Ascension Storyteller's Screen ~Supplemental Books: 100~

Akashic Brotherhood Celestial Chorus The Book of Shadows New World Order Hidden Lore Void Engineers The Book of Mirrors

Technomancer's Toybox Masters of the Art Technocrocy Assembled vol. 1 Guide to the Technocracy Discounted Total: 125 Books are between Good and Near Mint condition. Seattle area buyers preferred but I am willing to ship after payment is received. Thanks in advance for your attention and help!

Blue Ink Alchemy

Blue Ink Alchemy

Tuesday, August 18, 2015