Author: grasshopper

Review – Psi Corps Replica Pin

Posted on by in Alfred Bester, Babylon 5, Psi Corps

I am overdue for a review. I got a little Babylon 5 gem in the mail, so here’s the scoop!

This is my in-depth look at the Psi Corps replica badge you see floating around places like Ebay and Amazon. You can view Amazon’s listing here: Babylon 5 PSI CORPS Replica

Don’t be fooled by the crappy product photo. At first glance, it looks like a cheap, plastic replica not worth your time. I’m happy to say that I scoured the Internet for reviews to confirm that the badge is metal (not that cheap Halloween-bend it-break it metal either).

Imagine the way my heart sank when I pulled this out of the packaging. I was fully prepared for a broken badge.

Phew! A perfect badge.

My thoughts:
1. As I said before, it’s made of a decent metal and has a good weight to it which makes it feel like a proper badge. Sign me up for the Psi Corps right now!
2. The clasps in the back are just as the descriptions say: military style.

3. The size is perfect. It appears to be as large as the ones seen on the show. I couldn’t be happier with that aspect of it.
4. The casting/mold has dents in it to give the badge a realistic worn feel, but not to the point of being ugly and unwearable (see the large image above). 
5, There is a slight deviation from the badges on the show (I can see why this would anger people, but the product image–as crappy as it is–shows you this). The psi symbol in this badge is curvy, whereas the ones seen on the show are blocky. 
The difference between psi symbols got me curious (hey, I *am* a huge fan, after all!) Where did the curvy version come from? Take a look at the collage of screencaps I gathered below and click on the image to enlarge it:
I looked in my Babylon 5 Images folder to see if I could spot anything obvious. There was one possible deviation from the blocky version (circled in bright green). It’s hard to tell if the badge in that picture is an instance of the curvy psi, or if just looks that way due to the angle. If it is the latter, where did they pick up the curvy version from?
There it is. 
So why did they mass produce the curvy version instead of the show’s more prominent blocky version? I can only speculate…It could be that phantom badge I circled in green, an early prototype that was nixed in favor of the blocky version, but was somehow sent to the manufacturer instead, or maybe Alfred Bester didn’t like the idea of exact replicas being mass produced for Mundanes…I don’t know!
If there are any Babylon 5 fans who know the answer to this, I am all ears! 
There you have it! More than you ever wanted to know about the Psi Corps replica pin!
Conclusion
4/5 Teeps – The only reason it gets docked a point is because it is not an exact replica of the ones in the show.
Would I recommend this to a friend?
Unless you are a stickler for something that is 100% true to the original, then yes. If you are a fan of Babylon 5, it is a fun replica to have and a nice little addition to any collections you own. Get on Ebay, Amazon, or what have you and purchase one right now! 
*Tosses in more photos just for fun*

One Grumpy Morning

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I take my coffee with almond milk or just straight black. What is your morning go-to drink?

Jadelynn Jackson has a case of the morning grumps
Don’t you dare suggest she have a pumpkin spice latte!

The public affairs department is forcing us to “human-ify” the RIA…I mean “Oh, look! We’re normal just like you guys!” …Because being in the RIA somehow makes us Extreme!Human. It’s not like we wake up just like regular civilians, whine about going to work, and shake off our crankiness by a super powered drink.

Here’s my top secret morning routine! I imagine a lot of this will be diluted into some sort of bland ritual involving “Oh, I must have my pumpkin spice latte before donning my perfectly pressed uniform! Emperor Be Praised!”

Okay, so here it goes. My alarm goes off every morning at five a.m. unless I’m working on a special case or I just pulled an all nighter. You better believe that I slam my fist on that annoying buzz machine. I can’t use my chit because one time I threw it across the room and shattered the screen. Yep. Not doing that again.

Once I grumble and curse the morning–Emperor, it’s not even light out yet–I throw my covers off, begrudgingly stagger across the room, and pull my workout gear out of my wall locker. A quick sonic shower, change, and Grumpy!Me is heading to RIA headquarters for the most irritating part of my day.

An hour later, I’m back at home. Oh, I’m awake all right, but word to the wise: until I’ve had my Space Cola (don’t knock the lame name ’till you’ve tried it!) or coffee, steer clear. Steer very clear. You think I’m exaggerating? Ask my neighbor about the time he accidentally knocked on my door to ask me about the fires in Coda Springs. That poor man. That poor, poor man.

Moving on! Okay, so I’m home. I’ve just had to do an insane workout. I’m cranky. Space Cola. Now. I rip my fridge open and grab the nearest can. Coffee is for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (days we don’t work out).

My mouth waters when it makes that awesome swish sound as I open it. As soon as that first gulp hits my tongue, I’m no longer Scary!Jadelynn, the Friday Night Fright. I take the can, walk over to my balcony, and sit in my favorite chair. I’m not due into the office until eight a.m.

How do you start your morning? Share on Facebook or Twitter! 
* As you can see, I’ve changed the decor a bit. Expect to see a few tweaks with fonts here and there!

In a Parallel Universe…

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I’m knitting socks for my 15 cats. What are you doing?

Who is my alternate universe self? How many parallel universes are out there? Yes, these are questions that keep me up at night. Maybe I read too much sci-fi, or maybe my imagination is far too active, but…well, who is my alternate self?

*Warning!* Humor ahead!
~ All in good fun ~
Alternate Self #1
Senior Airman Me has been stationed at the same, stateside base for 10 years, never deployed. She slips through the cracks and does a mediocre job at best. Her uniform is never ironed, but is never crinkled like a ball of foil. She knows how to touch the line without crossing it. Getting promoted or noticed is not on her priority list. Nope.

Her priorities are Legolas, Misty, Bastet, Elrond, Haldir, Princess, Midnight, Thranduil, Tux, Minx, Binx, Pepper, Salt, Katniss, and Spock–her 15 cats. 

SrA Me is getting anxious…she has to get promoted soon, else it’s a set of civies for her! Uh Oh! Looks like it’s time to clean up all those cat toys and half finished knitting projects!

Alternate Self #2
Where SrA Me is an apathetic cat lover, Master Sergeant Me is awesome. She’s seen the world, knows jujitsu, and looks out for her subordinates. Her uniform is always pressed as though she had just walked out of the dry cleaners.

Right now she’s staring out a window in some far off place contemplating writing a novel (hey, this *is*  me, after all!). Uh oh! The phone’s ringing. It looks like she’s going to have to work late.

Who is your alternate self?

What is your alternate self doing right now?
Tell me and the world all about your alternate self on Facebook or Twitter! 

They Say it’s Your Birthday!

Posted on by in Babylon 5

It also just so happens that I have the day off!

I woke up to see that Google had a cute little graphic for me! 

I’ve been extremely busy as of late, but I made time to sneak some fan art in (between editing several different things, work, and adulting). I’m working on a huge project that I’m excited about, but I won’t say more until it’s in the final stages…Call me paranoid, but I don’t like squeeing, jumping up and down, and chatting about a project until it is practically ready (you never know when a serious case of unavoidable, annoying adulting busy-beeness will strike!).

A vacation is just over the horizon, and by vacation, I mean I am parking my butt here and writing. It will be nice to have some time off! *Must make it…must make it!*

And here’s to wishing you a very Triluminary day!

Delenn from Babylon 5 as a Disney Princess

Off to work we go

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My faithful bag companion has a +5 Holding attribute, but a – 15 Fashion detractor, and you’re about to see everything!

What do you carry? Do you carry a backpack? An awesome satchel of hipster proportions? Or are you a bold soul who carries nothing? If you’re brave enough to share, join me on Facebook and make your bag take a selfie at The Command Deck’s Facebook Page!
Bonus points if you post your bag’s stats! 
Top to bottom, left to right:
Wallet
Lock (to secure my bag at work)
A notebook
A book (I mean…that one is hard :P)
A leather bag of change–I needz coffee!
Yes, that is an Ipod Classic (5th Generation)–mandatory for my commute!
An Umbrella–I told you it had a +5 Holding stat!
Hand sanitizer I’ve never used. Hey, it was free!
Lipstick and chapstick. The lipstick is just in case my chapstick gets sucked away into the void (it has happened on occasion). My lips get extremely dry. 
I need more pens. I do not have enough.
Old Dart passes–I always end up tossing them into my bag when they are used up!
** Not in my bag right now, but is always a part of my work commute **
My lunch
An extra shirt 

Need to cure the incurable cubicle boredom? 
Click on the image to expand it, right click, and then select “Print.”
*Fixed!
Yes, that is my handwriting. 

 Find the answers here: 
Click on the image to view full size