Category: News

Saving the world with High Castle and Field Team 6

Posted on by in Grasshopper Nation, High Castle, News

Tuesday I had the awesome pleasure of joining the Axis of Good (Joel de la Fuente, Rufus Sewell, Chelah Horsdal, Stephen Root, Jason O’Mara, Frances Turner, Michael Gaston, Sebastian Roché, and Isa Hacket) with Field Team 6 for an evening of textbanking. 

Let me tell you about the absolute blast I had! I didn’t know what to expect–was I nervous going in? You bet I was! I am probably the shyest person you’ll ever meet…until you get to know me, that is! 

The week started off with absolute chaos, as 2020 weeks often do. I spent that day doing a bunch of house projects which involved a lot of nit and grit. I scrambled to get my laptop ready in time without bothering to fix my hair and without any attempt at looking presentable. Normally fans are muted and shuffled to the back of these things.

Well….I clicked the link and HELLO WORLD! Hello Joel in particular because I know you saw me fumbling around and flustered! 😉 

After a minute or so, I managed to turn my camera off (like I said, I am SHY, plus I was also grimy from house projects). 

The event officially started when the rest of the High Castle participants logged on. I cannot express what a joy it was seeing them happy, relaxed, and catching up with each other as we all stumbled our way through the textbanking system those first few moments.

As we began the textbank, I felt at ease because we were all just hanging out and enjoying the company as we did our task. We chatted with them via Zoom’s chat feature, and they responded, read our chats, and laughed away.

I had so much fun that I volunteered for two Field Team 6 text banks next week, and an official Biden/Harris textbank!

Saving the world with High Castle and Field Team 6

Some highlights of the evening:

  • Sebastian letting his dog out (or in…I can’t remember!)
  • Isa showed everyone a prop she had held onto–a picture frame with a photo of the Smiths at the lake. <3
  • Rufus laughed about all the STOPs he kept getting (requests to unsubscribed) and was worried about accidentally unsubscribing an actual reply because of all the button mashing (lol)
  • Sebastian had a hilarious conversation with someone involving playing a scientist on TV (don’t ask, ha ha!)
  • Francis reading some of her replies (oh my goodness, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair!)
  • Jason muting himself and Rufus laughing at him
  • Someone commenting on how they would always switch Rufus’s and Rupert’s names on their chairs (I can’t remember who mentioned this, but I thought it was hilarious they did this on set!)
  • Seeing the Resistance Rises posters in the background of Joel’s and Isa’s home offices
  • Chelah telling us about Canadian political parties
  • Hearing all the mouse clicking as everyone button mashed, ha ha!

High Castle, You are Winners in my Book!

Posted on by in High Castle, News

Hello everyone,

This post is long overdue. To say that I am disappointed about the Emmy nominations announcement on July 28th is an understatement. I’m going to sound like a bitter old bat of a fan, but I sincerely feel like everyone involved with Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle deserved a well earned nomination. Sometimes I wonder if High Castle is the red-headed stepchild in the eyes of the powers that be–Take the opinion of a die-hard High Castle fan with a grain of salt, for I am heavily biased in this matter 😉

It’s such an original concept; nothing like it has ever been done before. So much creativity and hard work was put into creating such a unique world. It felt real at times. 

I could go on, but I’ll stop myself; there’s no point in dragging this out. 2020 has enough negativity as it is. 

To the cast, crew, and everyone who was a part of Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle: you are all winners in my book.

SGS: Captains

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday, News

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It’s time for another Seriously Geeky Sunday brought to you by the creative Heather at geeking-by.net

June  14th – Captain, My Captain

It’s Captain Picard’s birthday in two days and so today is dedicated to all the iconic captains in your life.

Who was the captain of your childhood?

I am an 80s child, so it goes without saying that it was Captain Planet! Captain Planet was serious business in the neighborhood for us kids. We’d pick a power, make tokens out of grass, leaves, and twigs, and fight evil! I think I always picked wind or water, but my memory fails me–however, I still remember the song!

Captain Planet, he’s a hero!
Gonna take pollution down to zero!

When you think about captains who is the first one to come to mind? 

Picard, thanks to a certain friend of mine 😉 

Who is your favourite fictional captain? 

Does Bester count? I mean he is the commander of the Black Omegas….Okay, I’ll pick an official captain. Since I can’t decide which Star Trek captain is my favorite (they have so many good qualities in different ways), I’ll go with another show. 

Camina Drummer, Tycho Station’s Belter head of security who later becomes captain of the OPAS Behemoth. She’s fierce, but she is loyal to those who deserve it. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. 

As a side note, I want to say that I love the chaotic dynamic between her and Klaes Ashford!

Who is your favourite crew? 

Hands down, DS9 Seasons 1 – 6 with Sisko, Kira, Jadzia Dax, Odo, O’Brien, Bashir, and Worf! The TNG crew comes to a close second in my book! They cared so much about each other and were like family.  

What is your favourite ship? 

The Rocinante from The Expanse – she is badass, highly maneuverable, and did I mention badass? I realize these are completely shallow reasons 😉

The last fandom you experienced has suddenly been cast at sea/into outer space. Who is the captain and who are their crewmates?

I’ve read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and am now working my way through rereading the original Hunger Games trilogy, so here is my Hunger Games crew!

  • Captain: Haymitch
  • First Officer: Peeta
  • Chief of Security: Katniss
  • Science Officer: Dr. Gaul (as long as she follows Federation law and does no harm). She’s highly intelligent and a capable scientist. 
  • Doctor: Prim
  • Chief Engineer: Plutarch Heavensbee (what I said for Dr. Gaul goes for him too).
  • Helm/Pilot: Gale
  • Counselor: Tigris (from the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)
  • Chief Administrative Officer: Effie

And because I’ve done something like this for The Man in the High Castle in the past, here is some old crossover fanart:

SGS: Warriors

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday, News

Before I dive into today’s Seriously Geeky Sunday prompt, I want to share a good cause!

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Let’s help empower African-American girls to become tomorrow’s programmers!

If you can’t participate, that’s okay! You can help out by sharing this fundraiser on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

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June 7th – Warriors

On June 6th 1944 the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy the start of a pivotal attack that was pivotal in ending World War II. Every story has monumental battles and warriors who fight for what they believe in and that’s what this week is all about.

What is the most pivotal fictional battle you can think of?

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields and the Battle of the Morannon from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. These are pivotal battles not because of their splendor on screen or in the books, but because of all the little things at play which turn the tide, most notably Frodo making it to Mount Doom where the ring is destroyed and Éowyn disguising herself as a man and killing Witch-King of Angmar.

Who is your favourite warrior?

Katniss Everdeen – I am rereading the Hunger Games trilogy, so she is fresh on my mind, but she has always been my favorite warrior type character ever since the books came out! She’s resourceful, smart, is badass with a bow, and has heart. As I said in my last post, I’ve held onto my Mockingjay necklace & pin all these years and still wear them! 

Runners up include Juliana Crain and Bell Mallory!

Is there a fictional warrior caste do you admire?

The Minbari warrior caste from Babylon 5. What’s there not to love about spikes and black leather? 😉 On a serious note, I’ve always admired their stoic appearances and ability to get the upper hand. They don’t mask who they are under false pretenses. 

The same goes for the Jem’Hadar from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 

What is your favourite quote about battles?
 WAR IS PEACE
 FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
 IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
 ― George Orwell
If you could join a fictional fighting organisation what would it be?

Does the Psi Corps count? Because obviously I pick the Psi Corps, ha ha! Okay, okay, I’ll pick a fighting organization. I have to go with The Jedi Order. This dates back to when I was a child. I wanted to be Luke Skywalker so bad that I begged my dad for a “light sword,” and he made me one out of thick pieces of cardboard. I think I was the happiest 5 year old on the planet when he gave it to me!

I’ve always been fascinated by their powers, robes, and, of course, light sabers. 

You’re able to learn one battle ability or spell for a day; what would it be?

Hands down, the ability to cast a Dragon Slave like Lina Inverse!

SGS: What makes you smile

Posted on by in Geeky Sunday, News

Before I dive into today’s post, I want to remind everyone that, in times of tragedy, we must do something to try to make the world a better place instead of remaining silent. 

Use whatever talents and abilities you have
Use what is available to you to make a difference
Always be kind

In memory of George Floyd

In memory of George Floyd, I’m donating the proceeds from everything in the Know Your Rights section of my Etsy store to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp. 

You can also donate directly to Know Your Rights Camp.

Due to COVID-19, my access to the post office is none at the moment; I have to use flat rate priority shipping envelopes/pouches, so there is an $8 fee for shipping (included in the price). 

31st – What makes you smile?

It’s time for another Seriously Geeky Sunday brought to you by the creative Heather at geeking-by.net!

What TV shows do you love? 
  • The Man in the High Castle, and that should come as no surprise to anyone, ha ha!
  • Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and The Next Generation
  • The Orville: Give this show a chance. Ignore the trailer that was initially released for Season 1. The show has the perfect mixture of comedy and 90s era Star Trek! I can’t wait for the next season. Hulu is often bundled with other things for free, if you’re worried about paying a fee 😉 
  • Babylon 5
  • Bosch
  • The Expanse
  • The Grand Tour
What are your favourite movie genres?

Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, and Fantasy

What do you like to read?

I just finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (I enjoyed it; it did its job of allowing me to escape reality for a little while!). I’m about to reread the original Hunger Games trilogy because I want to discover every last way the prequel ties into it. 

I also enjoy alternate history novels like take a wild guess 😉 The Man in the High Castle. 

What about games?

I haven’t had much time to delve into any video games lately, but I’ve enjoyed Star Trek Online and Guild Wars (1 & 2) in the past. 

What geeky thing made you smile this week?

Finishing the Hunger Games prequel, breaking out my mockingjay necklace and wearing it again (I’m going to wear it today as a matter of fact!), and finishing a Loki drawing. 

What quote always makes you smile?

We all have flaws, all of us. It makes us who we are.

Juliana Crain