Just over 24 hours ago I started my evening at the Shaw Conference Center downtown for the renamed (and moved twice) Ookfest. It was "100.3FM The Bear presents Stage 13's Campus Chaos" back to school bash. And it rocked.
The line-up went like this: Italian Editon, illScarlet, State of Shock, Marianas Trench, Danko Jones, Social Code, Tupelo Honey, Hedley and Three Days Grace. Each band had 45 minutes on stage with the exceptions of Hedley and Three Days Grace who each received an hour because they were headlining the night.
The performances were scheduled to start at 6PM, with doors opening at 4PM, but with 9 bands and only a single stage (as opposed to three stages and 18 bands), they started things at 4:30. We missed Italian Edition and some of illScarlet, stood in line for drinks during Social Code and rested for the first half of Hedley in anticipation of Three Days Grace.
It was a lot of fun, a blast, and all that jazz. We were a little more disorganized this year and didn't buy any disposable cameras, my cell died at 5:30, and everyone else left theirs behind. So we actually have no pictures of the events, only the aftermath. I have some nice visible bruises, and parts of my body are sore as hell.
I bodysurfed three times (technically five if you count the fact that I was dropped twice half-way to the front). Being dropped isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, or at least not for me, unless you get hurt. If you're dropped, you get pulled back onto your feet, then you throw up the horns and shout to let them know you're okay. When you make it to the front, really big security pull you from the crowd, set you down on your feet and then you get directed back into the crowd. I honestly didn't even think about the hundreds of hands on my back, head, legs, arms and ass while I was surfing.
This was my first concert where I surfed, but my third where I've gone mosh pitting (that is so not a proper word). If you enter the pit, expect to be hit. Expect to fall. Expect to be helped up. If someone falls down, you pick them up, it's expected of you. I do feel a bit of sympathy to the girls who somehow end up on the edge between the pit and the rest of the crowd, but then, if they don't know what's happening, clearly they deserve it.
And then you get the guys who feel they still need their personal space while standing 10 feet from the stage (arguably one of the most crowded spots in ANY concert). Indeed, while rocking with Three Days Grace, there was a guy who kept pushing people around him so he could have two feet of room everywhere around him. Except to his right, where I was standing. He tried the subtle approach of leaning against me with his weight, but I leaned back. After a few minutes he turned and pushed me away. I turned and shoved him right back. And that's when shit just about started flying. I was ready and more than willing to take him, but two seconds before fighting started, two things happened: Stuart jumped in from out of nowhere (I never knew he could move that fast, it was faster than me), and then a girl who was 5 foot nothing and about 100 pounds in high heels pushed me and the guy apart with one hand each.
Milliseconds later the crowd intervened (before security took notice), separated me and the guy and we went back to our merry ways of rocking out. All of that took place in about 10 seconds. Afterwards I felt hungry.
And Three Days Grace does a good job of integrating "Hey Man Nice Shot" by Filter into one of their songs. Two guys from Colorado sang along with Stuart and I during that part. Sam must've felt a little left out during that part.
Pros:
-Music was awesome, the bands got the crowed pumped
-Despite 4000 people in attendance, there was still plenty of room
-Security was well organized and prepared
Cons:
-Sad choices for beer (Canadian, Coors, MGD)
-Long lineups to get a drink (despite a dozen people serving)
-Bad air circulation, no A/C
I'm thankful I'm 6 feet tall. The air is very stuffy down at the 5'6 level, plus all you see for the concert if you're not right up front are the backs of people. And you can't do much for the bodysurfers.
In closing, I really need to attend more concerts.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
He Stood Tall and spoke.
"Let them come." he said brazenly, unafraid of the mayhem he was to unleash on himself. Indeed a very small, very dark piece of himself - buried in the darkest deepest recesses of his mind, body and soul - cried out in jubilation. "There can be no other way, no solution more clear to me than right now."
"Let them come."
The minions of Darkness - snarling drooling beasts with claws that could block steel and fangs that could tear flesh like it was butter - surged as one, a collective mind of evil. But he stood his ground, not flinching or betraying any sign of fear. A lesser man would have died from the sheer terror of it all he supposed, but a lesser man would also not find himself in this situation.
In a second, the first beast had reached him, claws ready to tear his head off and devour entrails. In the second after, the beast found the odd experience of seeing double that slowly slid apart. In the third second the next beast saw something shining in the moonlight before seeing nothing else. In the fourth second, the minions saw the spray of blood from the first two beasts.
They all paused, as if a silent command had been issued, and then they parted to make way for two more beasts clutching weapons. At last the shining death in his hands formed itself into a sword, straighter than straight and now tinged with a hint of red. He slowly bowed his head, a formal invitation for the champions to attack.
And attack they did. Coordinated, elegantly and brutally, they came at him with the grace and poise he would have expected from a ballerina, not beasts of the Darkness. Metal clanged with metal as he blocked their attacks, drawing them slowly away from the main body of the horde before him. But he had made his mistake at last. The Darkness didn't need to rely on numbers to win, and the beasts knew this.
Now surrounded by outcroppings of rock, the beasts bounced around, opening up new angles of attack to unleash. They came at him, as one, from different angles and swung. Their attacks were good, but the Darkness had assumed wrong, and he suddenly push off of the outcropping of rocks he had backed himself onto. The minions outside saw only sparks as the blades connected harshly for brief seconds.
It all faded away, and seconds evolved into minutes. A figure emerged, but the Darkness was not surprised to see him, it knew he had slain the two champions. The Darkness had fully expected him to do so, the question was the amount of time it would take. The minions leapt to attack, all of them at once, a surge of blackness so absolute it blocked the moonlight.
The beasts halted their attacks, dropping to the ground after stalling in mid-air. <We can sense your divine will ...>
It was an evil and oily voice that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere. <We can sense it, and the potential within you.>
"Then you know why I have come."
<There is more than one way to defeat an enemy.>
A chill settled in his shoulders, and it felt as oily as the voice speaking to him. "But death is usually the most absolute. I will do what I can, what I must."
<So noble, so brave, so heroic, and yet it will grant you nothing more than a death at the hands of my minions. A death so brutal, so gruesome that they will not be able to sing songs about it for generations to come.>
"Songs are not why I am here, not do I hold any fantasies about my death. I am here to end the threat you pose."
<And we can aid you with what you seek.>
And for a second, he saw the truth in their words. Enemies did not always have to be enemies, evil could be harnessed for good, as it had in the past. Should it get out of hand, someone else would rise to the challenge and finish it. "You would sacrifice yourselves to aid me?"
<We have never truly died.>
<Only lived in many different forms.>
As the spoke, the chills in his shoulders erupted, letting two black oily snakes emerge, their teeth oversized and glistening with saliva, their eyes glowing red. "So you are the Darkness."
<We are all the Darkness.>
He felt power and confidence. The minions were his to control, his will was now what mattered. His will was now what they would obey.
<They will learn of what you have become.>
<And they will hunt you down.>
They were the voices of the Devil's Advocate, able to see things he alone could not. He bared his teeth. "They will try, and they will fail. Even without your help I can handle them."
<Let them come.>
<Let them come.>
"Let them come."
"Let them come."
The minions of Darkness - snarling drooling beasts with claws that could block steel and fangs that could tear flesh like it was butter - surged as one, a collective mind of evil. But he stood his ground, not flinching or betraying any sign of fear. A lesser man would have died from the sheer terror of it all he supposed, but a lesser man would also not find himself in this situation.
In a second, the first beast had reached him, claws ready to tear his head off and devour entrails. In the second after, the beast found the odd experience of seeing double that slowly slid apart. In the third second the next beast saw something shining in the moonlight before seeing nothing else. In the fourth second, the minions saw the spray of blood from the first two beasts.
They all paused, as if a silent command had been issued, and then they parted to make way for two more beasts clutching weapons. At last the shining death in his hands formed itself into a sword, straighter than straight and now tinged with a hint of red. He slowly bowed his head, a formal invitation for the champions to attack.
And attack they did. Coordinated, elegantly and brutally, they came at him with the grace and poise he would have expected from a ballerina, not beasts of the Darkness. Metal clanged with metal as he blocked their attacks, drawing them slowly away from the main body of the horde before him. But he had made his mistake at last. The Darkness didn't need to rely on numbers to win, and the beasts knew this.
Now surrounded by outcroppings of rock, the beasts bounced around, opening up new angles of attack to unleash. They came at him, as one, from different angles and swung. Their attacks were good, but the Darkness had assumed wrong, and he suddenly push off of the outcropping of rocks he had backed himself onto. The minions outside saw only sparks as the blades connected harshly for brief seconds.
It all faded away, and seconds evolved into minutes. A figure emerged, but the Darkness was not surprised to see him, it knew he had slain the two champions. The Darkness had fully expected him to do so, the question was the amount of time it would take. The minions leapt to attack, all of them at once, a surge of blackness so absolute it blocked the moonlight.
The beasts halted their attacks, dropping to the ground after stalling in mid-air. <We can sense your divine will ...>
It was an evil and oily voice that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere. <We can sense it, and the potential within you.>
"Then you know why I have come."
<There is more than one way to defeat an enemy.>
A chill settled in his shoulders, and it felt as oily as the voice speaking to him. "But death is usually the most absolute. I will do what I can, what I must."
<So noble, so brave, so heroic, and yet it will grant you nothing more than a death at the hands of my minions. A death so brutal, so gruesome that they will not be able to sing songs about it for generations to come.>
"Songs are not why I am here, not do I hold any fantasies about my death. I am here to end the threat you pose."
<And we can aid you with what you seek.>
And for a second, he saw the truth in their words. Enemies did not always have to be enemies, evil could be harnessed for good, as it had in the past. Should it get out of hand, someone else would rise to the challenge and finish it. "You would sacrifice yourselves to aid me?"
<We have never truly died.>
<Only lived in many different forms.>
As the spoke, the chills in his shoulders erupted, letting two black oily snakes emerge, their teeth oversized and glistening with saliva, their eyes glowing red. "So you are the Darkness."
<We are all the Darkness.>
He felt power and confidence. The minions were his to control, his will was now what mattered. His will was now what they would obey.
They were the voices of the Devil's Advocate, able to see things he alone could not. He bared his teeth. "They will try, and they will fail. Even without your help I can handle them."
"Let them come."
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Hey Look ... Summaries
For new stories!
-NaNo '07 Idea 1:
-NaNo '07 Idea 2:
Idea 1 would be horror/suspense/action based, with emphasis on the suspense and action aspects. Obviously set in the future, it definitely holds with my penchant for sci-fi.
Idea 2 would be the same, but set in a "modern" day setting - that is to say back in the early 1900s - and would concentrate more on the exiles' hunt versus the actual shaping of the world.
So tell me what you think: good, bad, tweaking, or whatever.
-NaNo '07 Idea 1:
War has raged on the planet Farslow for a decade. Both the Syndicator forces and the Scions – self-proclaimed Heir of the Stars – are deadlocked, until a mysterious killer deals a deathblow to the Syndic base. It’s up to the Elite Tracker known only as Tark to solve the mystery before the secret, and the planet, is lost forever.
-NaNo '07 Idea 2:
The 20th Century brought Mankind a wondrous standard of living, impressive technologies, immense discoveries and unparalleled destructive wars. Yet, none of it would have come to pass if not for the actions of a daring few. Exiled from their home countries and summoned before a shadowy and perhaps sinister council, five wandering souls were charged with the task of finding the threat that had cut a bloody swath across the world for untold centuries.
Failure meant a fate worse than death – either at the claws of the beast or the hands of the council – but success would grant them an opportunity to be pardoned, and to go home into welcome arms.
Idea 1 would be horror/suspense/action based, with emphasis on the suspense and action aspects. Obviously set in the future, it definitely holds with my penchant for sci-fi.
Idea 2 would be the same, but set in a "modern" day setting - that is to say back in the early 1900s - and would concentrate more on the exiles' hunt versus the actual shaping of the world.
So tell me what you think: good, bad, tweaking, or whatever.
Monday, July 30, 2007
How Things Change
This was the original blurbs about the Paradise War when the idea was conceived in late October 2005.
-High Standards
A leader who won't balk at insubordination. A father and daughter reunited. A talented pilot with a past and a future. A veteran itching for a good fight. A rookie too confident for his own good. A brother with a dark secret.
These are the men and women of the 501st Kojito Battalion, the next best thing to the Elite squads. Bringing his pilots together, Major Church must train and prepare his new recruits for one of the toughest challenges ever faced by the Lunar Space Fleets: jump deep into enemy territory with no backup and find out just what the Colonial Defense Forces are up to.
But when the CDF plan is finally unveiled, the fighters of the Kojito Battalion find themselves sorely outnumbered and surrounded, barely able to keep themselves alive much less get back to the Moon and warn their comrades of the immiment attack.
-The Hidden Truth
They’ve survived not one but two jumps deep inside Colonial territory, setting high standards by discovering the secret location of the guarded homes of the Colonial forces and then searching for the secret Colonial project meant to doom them all.
Their ranks shattered once again, Major Church has called upon any and all pilots, seeking to bolster his Battalion, but at what cost? The Colonial forces aren’t sitting back taking their last defeat lightly, they’re already on the move, planning extensive operations, which if successful may mean the end of the Moon and the forces protecting it.
Entrusted again with jumping into Colonial space, volunteers of the Kojito Battalion seek to rescue their own from the clutches of the dreaded Sky Marshall Varick and while there, to find out what the Colonial forces have planned for their next operation. But the pilots find themselves wondering just how far “we never leave a man behind” goes when they find out that not everyone is who they seem to be.
-A False Victory
He has faced a task that no one should ever have to face, and he has survived. His victory rendered all but meaningless, Makabe Connor is deemed unfit to pilot. But the stalemate between the Colonial Forces and the Lunar Fleets has ended, and the battlefield has evened out considerably in the Colonial's favor.
Reinforced again, the brave men and women of the 501st Kojito Battalion are relegated to a patrol force with one of their old friends, and a newcomer that defies all logic. They are faced with the reality of war once more as a new generation of Colonial Armors break though the Lunar rear lines and attack the Moon, leaving a shocked and frightened Lunar force in tatters.
But the consequences are more dire as a threat much greater than snubfighters looms over the horizon, preparing for the final battle that will decide the war for Paradise, and the survival of the Moon itself. And admidst all of the fighting, who has been watching Paradise?
-Paradise War 2: The Plague of Corruption
The Rules of engagement have changed, and so have the Front lines. The war for Paradise may have ended, but the war for the survival of humanity has just begun. Betrayed by one of their own, the chaos mounts as a new enemy nears the Colonies, and if they fall, what is to stop them from destroying the Moon and wiping out every trace of Mankind?
Each part of the Paradise War was to be written in Novella form, one after another, like a short story that never ended. But sometime in December or January, I decided to roll it all into one novel-sized work, combining "High Standards", "The Hidden Truth" and "A False Victory" into just "The Paradise War".
I don't actually have a blurb that encompasses it all, maybe I should make one up soon. Sometimes I feel like they should be a few paragraphs, letting the would-be reader get hooked in the tiny sample, but other times I feel like it should be a quick blurb that leaves you begging for more. Of course, it'll probably be easier if I finished the damned book first before worrying about the little details.
For last year's NaNo, I created an idea with some help from StarCraft. Entitled "The Prodigy", I came up with a great tag line "Either she'll end the War, or he'll end Everything", and with help from graphic designer Tiana Calthye - and by help, I mean she did it herself - created a little banner.
And for this year's NaNo, I have one idea that keeps growing, one titled "Project MAi", an idea originally conceived in 2003 during an early morning production shift in the bakery. Like "The Paradise War", it too has changed formats during the years, until now. I also have a few more, but I have time to decide.
-High Standards
A leader who won't balk at insubordination. A father and daughter reunited. A talented pilot with a past and a future. A veteran itching for a good fight. A rookie too confident for his own good. A brother with a dark secret.
These are the men and women of the 501st Kojito Battalion, the next best thing to the Elite squads. Bringing his pilots together, Major Church must train and prepare his new recruits for one of the toughest challenges ever faced by the Lunar Space Fleets: jump deep into enemy territory with no backup and find out just what the Colonial Defense Forces are up to.
But when the CDF plan is finally unveiled, the fighters of the Kojito Battalion find themselves sorely outnumbered and surrounded, barely able to keep themselves alive much less get back to the Moon and warn their comrades of the immiment attack.
-The Hidden Truth
They’ve survived not one but two jumps deep inside Colonial territory, setting high standards by discovering the secret location of the guarded homes of the Colonial forces and then searching for the secret Colonial project meant to doom them all.
Their ranks shattered once again, Major Church has called upon any and all pilots, seeking to bolster his Battalion, but at what cost? The Colonial forces aren’t sitting back taking their last defeat lightly, they’re already on the move, planning extensive operations, which if successful may mean the end of the Moon and the forces protecting it.
Entrusted again with jumping into Colonial space, volunteers of the Kojito Battalion seek to rescue their own from the clutches of the dreaded Sky Marshall Varick and while there, to find out what the Colonial forces have planned for their next operation. But the pilots find themselves wondering just how far “we never leave a man behind” goes when they find out that not everyone is who they seem to be.
-A False Victory
He has faced a task that no one should ever have to face, and he has survived. His victory rendered all but meaningless, Makabe Connor is deemed unfit to pilot. But the stalemate between the Colonial Forces and the Lunar Fleets has ended, and the battlefield has evened out considerably in the Colonial's favor.
Reinforced again, the brave men and women of the 501st Kojito Battalion are relegated to a patrol force with one of their old friends, and a newcomer that defies all logic. They are faced with the reality of war once more as a new generation of Colonial Armors break though the Lunar rear lines and attack the Moon, leaving a shocked and frightened Lunar force in tatters.
But the consequences are more dire as a threat much greater than snubfighters looms over the horizon, preparing for the final battle that will decide the war for Paradise, and the survival of the Moon itself. And admidst all of the fighting, who has been watching Paradise?
-Paradise War 2: The Plague of Corruption
The Rules of engagement have changed, and so have the Front lines. The war for Paradise may have ended, but the war for the survival of humanity has just begun. Betrayed by one of their own, the chaos mounts as a new enemy nears the Colonies, and if they fall, what is to stop them from destroying the Moon and wiping out every trace of Mankind?
Each part of the Paradise War was to be written in Novella form, one after another, like a short story that never ended. But sometime in December or January, I decided to roll it all into one novel-sized work, combining "High Standards", "The Hidden Truth" and "A False Victory" into just "The Paradise War".
I don't actually have a blurb that encompasses it all, maybe I should make one up soon. Sometimes I feel like they should be a few paragraphs, letting the would-be reader get hooked in the tiny sample, but other times I feel like it should be a quick blurb that leaves you begging for more. Of course, it'll probably be easier if I finished the damned book first before worrying about the little details.
For last year's NaNo, I created an idea with some help from StarCraft. Entitled "The Prodigy", I came up with a great tag line "Either she'll end the War, or he'll end Everything", and with help from graphic designer Tiana Calthye - and by help, I mean she did it herself - created a little banner.
And for this year's NaNo, I have one idea that keeps growing, one titled "Project MAi", an idea originally conceived in 2003 during an early morning production shift in the bakery. Like "The Paradise War", it too has changed formats during the years, until now. I also have a few more, but I have time to decide.
Monday, July 23, 2007
There comes a point
There comes a point in everyone's life where the discover where their talent lies, and how their current skills fit in. My point came on Sunday night during the MFC (Medieval Fight Club). It was something I had noticed myself doing a few times, and it mainly stems from the fact that I've been trained for half of my life on how to deal with an enemy mano-e-mano. I'm not quite as useful in larger groups as I could be.
But the recap of the day:
First was Park Tag at 1PM. I brought Stuart along so he could see what it is we do. It was a smaller turnout, but at the same time we also had some exciting near-misses on one section of Malmo. Next time if we go back there I definitely want footage of that.
Second was a Taste of Edmonton. Long story short I got a lot of glances, mainly because I still had my tabi and shin guards on from PT. But there is some good food there. Very tasty.
Finally it was Medieval Fight Club. It was awesome, but I'll admit it wasn't entirely what I wanted. I have a few answers from them now, so the next time I participate I should be able to help the group out more.
But the recap of the day:
First was Park Tag at 1PM. I brought Stuart along so he could see what it is we do. It was a smaller turnout, but at the same time we also had some exciting near-misses on one section of Malmo. Next time if we go back there I definitely want footage of that.
Second was a Taste of Edmonton. Long story short I got a lot of glances, mainly because I still had my tabi and shin guards on from PT. But there is some good food there. Very tasty.
Finally it was Medieval Fight Club. It was awesome, but I'll admit it wasn't entirely what I wanted. I have a few answers from them now, so the next time I participate I should be able to help the group out more.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Everything talks, you just have to know how to listen to it.
Like your body. Right now mine is saying "I'm in pain, so you're in pain". But I expected it, and given all of yesterday's activities, I am not surprised. Obviously we played Park Tag, the game that turns Playgrounds into BATTLEgrounds of Epicness. Now, the very first time I played my thighs felt like they had tripled in density, it was really hard to bend at the knees. The second time it was my abs and lower back muscles, since for all of the lifting I do and all of the jumping I can do, I'm still not used to it.
This time, it's all of them. The course was bigger this time, and there were more people, which crowds even the largest course, forcing people to find alternate routes via jumping. There were four girls out yesterday, and the tallest of them still being shorter than any of the guys (if barely, but still shorter), and they seemed to take priority on the less-leaping-required-routes for Base Tag, even with the one-step rule for sand. From my experience, girls can jump just as far as guys, but I never take into account that some people just can't jump. It's something that's so natural for me, and that makes it hard to understand.
So the battleground was large, but it unfortunately didn't have a good separate entity for Fish in the Water. We instead sectioned off a piece of the equipment and used that. Josh had his camcorder out for most of Fish, and when we create the video, you have to see teh skillz I displayed at one point, hanging by my legs, holding on to one piece of wall avoiding Dan, who was it. I'm not one to brag, but it was spectacular. Thinking back on it, that's probably why my abs and back hurt.
I should mention that it's a good hurt, the kind of hurt you get when you're building muscle, not the kind that you get when you pull or tear one. And so, Park Tag ended that day and we all went home. Except, I went to another school much later to watch Stuart spin some fire poi, and so I checked out the playground there. Much to small, with a very distinct lack of everything for Park Tag, but after he was done spinning, we started competing against each other.
First it was the long jump. I kneed my pecs every time I jumped. The first time I landed I was wearing sandals, and let me tell you that sandals and damp grass don't get along well. So I went barefooted, taught Stuart the proper way to roll, and then decided that acrobatics in the sand would be fun. And they were. And now he wants me to learn how to break dance. We returned to his place and he taught me a trick with swords, now all I have to do is remember it.
EDIT: Aw fuck ... make that 80 CDs now. Another few more and I'll have to reorganize again. *le sigh*
This time, it's all of them. The course was bigger this time, and there were more people, which crowds even the largest course, forcing people to find alternate routes via jumping. There were four girls out yesterday, and the tallest of them still being shorter than any of the guys (if barely, but still shorter), and they seemed to take priority on the less-leaping-required-routes for Base Tag, even with the one-step rule for sand. From my experience, girls can jump just as far as guys, but I never take into account that some people just can't jump. It's something that's so natural for me, and that makes it hard to understand.
So the battleground was large, but it unfortunately didn't have a good separate entity for Fish in the Water. We instead sectioned off a piece of the equipment and used that. Josh had his camcorder out for most of Fish, and when we create the video, you have to see teh skillz I displayed at one point, hanging by my legs, holding on to one piece of wall avoiding Dan, who was it. I'm not one to brag, but it was spectacular. Thinking back on it, that's probably why my abs and back hurt.
I should mention that it's a good hurt, the kind of hurt you get when you're building muscle, not the kind that you get when you pull or tear one. And so, Park Tag ended that day and we all went home. Except, I went to another school much later to watch Stuart spin some fire poi, and so I checked out the playground there. Much to small, with a very distinct lack of everything for Park Tag, but after he was done spinning, we started competing against each other.
First it was the long jump. I kneed my pecs every time I jumped. The first time I landed I was wearing sandals, and let me tell you that sandals and damp grass don't get along well. So I went barefooted, taught Stuart the proper way to roll, and then decided that acrobatics in the sand would be fun. And they were. And now he wants me to learn how to break dance. We returned to his place and he taught me a trick with swords, now all I have to do is remember it.
EDIT: Aw fuck ... make that 80 CDs now. Another few more and I'll have to reorganize again. *le sigh*
Saturday, July 14, 2007
"Didn't we just leave this crowd?"
Life, the never ending cycle. Repetition. You know, that kind of stuff.
For example, in my last post I mentioned organizing my CD and DVD collection. The DVDs are easy, they're on a shelf, and I can do them one by one if I need or want to. Books and Manga are the same way, though I admit I'm running out of room for DVDs, Books and Manga. Each has their own separate shelving unit, and space-wise the DVD shelf and the Book shelf can hold approximately the same numbers, though the Book shelf has to have the height to accommodate hardcover books and reference-sized books. DVD cases are generally the same height, or at least within an inch of each other. Width is another question and easily dealt with for the time being. My Manga is closer to DVDs than they are books, being as most of them are the same height and I have no hard-cover Manga. Yet.
But what about CDs? Unfortunately, with my Alphabetical sorting habits, it makes it annoying and difficult to properly place my CDs in the binder. Especially with the CD sheets I have to hold the CDs. The ring-side of the sheet holds the CD while the outside of the sheet holds the cover from the CD case, which can help to find a particular CD if the art on the cover is different from that on the CD. The page is designed to hold 4 CDs to a side, and 8 in total, but the way I do it makes the capacity cut in half.
When I get new CDs I go back and resort them alphabetically, which means taking out CDs and the booklets and moving them according to the new list. Most of the booklets are thin and therefore have no problems fitting, but some are thick (the Meteora, Queen Platinum Collection, and L'Arc~En~Ciel booklets come to mind immediately) and when placed back to back with other thick booklets (luck of the draw usually), it makes for a very difficult time to get the booklets in without tearing them.
I have come up with a partial solution: leave spaces between some of the CDs, especially if you know you're going to be buying/receiving a particular CD. I bought two new CDs today and got one in the mail and I didn't have go through the arduous process of re-organizing 70 other CDs to get the new ones in their proper places. Unfortunately, I'm out of expansion spaces, so the next few CDs I purchase will require me to go through the process all over again. But hey, 50% less work is better than 100% hard work right?
For example, in my last post I mentioned organizing my CD and DVD collection. The DVDs are easy, they're on a shelf, and I can do them one by one if I need or want to. Books and Manga are the same way, though I admit I'm running out of room for DVDs, Books and Manga. Each has their own separate shelving unit, and space-wise the DVD shelf and the Book shelf can hold approximately the same numbers, though the Book shelf has to have the height to accommodate hardcover books and reference-sized books. DVD cases are generally the same height, or at least within an inch of each other. Width is another question and easily dealt with for the time being. My Manga is closer to DVDs than they are books, being as most of them are the same height and I have no hard-cover Manga. Yet.
But what about CDs? Unfortunately, with my Alphabetical sorting habits, it makes it annoying and difficult to properly place my CDs in the binder. Especially with the CD sheets I have to hold the CDs. The ring-side of the sheet holds the CD while the outside of the sheet holds the cover from the CD case, which can help to find a particular CD if the art on the cover is different from that on the CD. The page is designed to hold 4 CDs to a side, and 8 in total, but the way I do it makes the capacity cut in half.
When I get new CDs I go back and resort them alphabetically, which means taking out CDs and the booklets and moving them according to the new list. Most of the booklets are thin and therefore have no problems fitting, but some are thick (the Meteora, Queen Platinum Collection, and L'Arc~En~Ciel booklets come to mind immediately) and when placed back to back with other thick booklets (luck of the draw usually), it makes for a very difficult time to get the booklets in without tearing them.
I have come up with a partial solution: leave spaces between some of the CDs, especially if you know you're going to be buying/receiving a particular CD. I bought two new CDs today and got one in the mail and I didn't have go through the arduous process of re-organizing 70 other CDs to get the new ones in their proper places. Unfortunately, I'm out of expansion spaces, so the next few CDs I purchase will require me to go through the process all over again. But hey, 50% less work is better than 100% hard work right?
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