Brian Henson at Dragon Con 2016. Photo copyright: Preston Burt
Brian Henson, acclaimed director, producer, puppeteer, and chairman of the Jim Henson Company, stopped in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend for two reasons. First, Henson was on hand to celebrate 30 years of the iconic movie Labyrinth with a Masquerade Ball and an exhibit at the Center for Puppetry Arts. Second, Henson attended Dragon Con, where the convention’s expanding puppetry track gets better each year. Mr. Henson graciously invited members of the press to a junket to discuss a variety of topics such as the optioning of Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men, the future of a Farscape movie, hybrid animatronics, and why The Muppet Christmas Carol is the most faithful adaptation of Dickens’ classic, but Muppet Treasure Island is better on repeated viewings.
Since this was a junket, I only had the opportunity to ask one question, so I made sure to make it a geeky one.
GeekDad: “I’m wondering…now that we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of Labyrinth, looking back on some of those films earlier in your career are there any things that stand out that you wish you could do differently now as far as technology is concerned?”
Brian Henson: “It’s almost more the opposite, I wish there were things I could still do now. That’s actually the more painful… You know when we had a fully-operational creature shop with 80 staff and usually a payroll of 350, when animatronics was really in full swing, and then… boy! You could really just order stuff up. It was like ‘I need a 15-foot octopus tentacle, and it’s gotta move beautifully,’ and I’d have it a week later. A lot of the materials we can’t use anymore, because they [laughs] turn out to be poisonous. There’s a lot of stuff we really learned we shouldn’t be using anymore, so we stopped.
Are there things that I wish I could have done differently? Well, sure. In Labyrinth, Hoggle… we had not really gotten to a point yet where we could work with force feedback through the potentiometers to adjust the quality of movement of a motor, which we then developed after that so that a motor could move in an organic way. Like this [Demonstrates smooth movement compared to stilted, jerky movements with his arm]. You know, with Hoggle any “organic-ness” to the motor had to come from us and the performance, which was really hard and had to be really carefully edited to hope to make it look as good as possible, but later we were able to make motors move in an organic way that helped a lot. If we were doing Labyrinth again today, we would work with hybrid character that would be semi-animatronic.
It’s interesting, Where the Wild Things Are was a very interesting process done in a very labor-intensive way. And if they had gone into it knowing the way they wanted to do it, we could have figured out a much less labor intensive (way). But with that, they were using fully photo-realistic heads, but no movement at all to keep the heads light enough that they could work in 115-degrees, and they were in the jungle, and then more things breaking down…The hybrid sense of that one is they then created 3D faces digitally and animated them, and then, after animating them, they put the skin back on and the way they did it was not by doing a match of skin, but by using the actual photograph from the frame and sticking it back on. And the result is really extraordinary because that really looks good. That really looks like animatronic puppets, even though those faces were not moving when they shot.”
Brian Henson with GeekDad writer Preston Burt
It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Henson and he was just as nice and charming as you would expect. He discussed many interesting topics during the 45-minute press conference (full video below), but I liked his reaction to being asked about his legacy:
Reporter: “I don’t think there’s a generation anywhere that has not known the Muppets since they came to be, and I think that’s got to be a very strange feeling for you having seen this happen. Do you feel a sense of responsibility at all for kindling this imagination..?”
Brian Henson: “Well, I think it’s my dad…That’s a lovely thing to say, and I think it’s wonderful that our work has impact. I think a lot of it is we were lucky and my dad was lucky. Last night, walking around, looking at those costumes, four or five people there deserve it just as much almost. They clearly have it too. They have it. They have that eye and they have that creative ability and I think artists just need to work.
My dad was very ambitious, and my mother would always say he always knew he was going to entertain the world or nothing. He made two pilots of The Muppet Show and all networks passed twice! Who’s ever done that? All networks passed, said Muppets are for kids, it’s never going to work in prime time and my dad, a little bit petulantly, went and signed on to do Saturday Night Live and said ‘Fine, you want me to just do kids? I’m doing Saturday Night Live! It’s already controversially the most adult TV show ever made in history and I’m signing on now before it even goes on air.’ So he did the first season of Saturday Night Live waiting for somebody to give him The Muppet Show. And then The Muppet Show was…there was a lot of ‘Wow, it’s really bringing the world together.'”
For our latest mission, we set up a fake press conference set on the steps of the New York Public Library. When random tourists approached it to pose for photos, a mob of reporters ran up and surprised them with an impromptu press conference.
Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report and photos.
Now that everyone has a smart phone in their pocket, anything out of the ordinary in public space becomes an Instagram opportunity. With this project the goal was to bait people into posing for a photo and then surprise them with much more than they thought they signed up for. You can approach our microphones and pose for a photo, but if you do, you’re going to have to answer some questions.
Like many of our recent projects, this mission involved setting up a bit of bait and waiting for a random person to interact with it. We placed our press conference set on the steps of the New York Public Library, just a few steps off of 5th Avenue. We set up a microphone tree and two American flags and then walked away, waiting patiently for someone to approach. We figured it wouldn’t take long for someone’s desire for a photo to outweigh their fear of approaching our set. This marks the first mission we’ve staged on the library steps in over 14 years, although our Ghostbusters did run by in 2010.
Our “reporters” pretended to be standing in a nearby bus line, perfectly camouflaging themselves, and our camera crew filmed from a distance. It didn’t take long for someone to approach. Immediately the reporters peeled off of the bus line and rushed to the microphones.
Agent Mark Levy asking a hard hitting question.
A random person laughing after answering his last question. While the tone of the reporters was very serious, the questions were all ridiculously mundane.
A guy caught off guard by the stampede of press.
Agent Zach Linder played the role of the spokesperson for the random people, descending down the stairs when the surprise began to help facilitate the conference. He began every interaction by asking the random person, “Is it OK if you answer a few questions?” Everyone was game. Agent Mario Svirsky played a secret service agent who stood silent behind the random person.
While the questions and answers were always fun, the most exciting part of the day was watching that initial reaction from people when the press first surprised them.
Our press corps did a great job improvising back and forth with the random people. Everyone left smiling, if a little bewildered. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it!
Mission Accomplished
OTHER RESOURCES:
Production photos from photographer Andrew Bisdale: Mission Photos
CREDITS
Created and Directed by: Charlie Todd
Executive Producers: Charlie Todd, Andrew Soltys, Alan Aisenberg, Juan Cocuy, Justin Ayers
Produced by: Andrew Soltys, Aleks Arcabascio, Justin Ayers
Co-Producer: Isabel Lopez
Director of Photography: Justin Ayers
Camera Operators: Chloe Smolkin, Christian Mortensen, Jon Simmons, Spencer Thielmann
Hidden Camera Technician: Zach Rockenstyre
Camera Assistant: Kate Montgomery
Camera PA: Mark Satin
Still Photography: Andy Bisdale
Sound Mixer: Harris Karlin
A2: Nick Mastorakis
Wardrobe/Props: Zelda Vyssotsky
Production Assistant: Chris Kelly, Cameron Mitchell, Tyler Orr, Kenzie Woodrow, Nick Silva, Marquis Powell, Alex Tymchak, Jason Kasman
Editor: Matt Braunsdorf
DIT: Ryan Connors
Music: Tyler Walker
Actors: Zach Linder (spokesperson); Mario Svirsky (secret service); Press Corps: Jeffrey Kornberg, Ryan Haney, Keisha Zollar, Jane Stolar, Kevin Hines, Johnathan Fernandez, Will Choy, Mark Levy, Candice Opperman, Tina Cheng, Sean Taylor, Christen Currie, Hal Phillips, David Neal, Alex Nagler, Zachary Kanfer, Ebony Hollingsworth, Briana Holtzman, Dave Eng, Laura Rucker
If this is your first time here:
-our over 15 years of missions can be seen here: Missions
-to be notified of new projects and participation opportunities, join our email list
-subscribe to our YouTube channel, twitter, and Facebook page.
The night before PAX West, I was lucky enough to meet with Harmonix and return to my musical roots in Rock Band VR. I’m really excited about how they’re moving the game into virtual reality, and the new game mechanics felt more natural than anything I’ve played in the genre before!
Rock Band VR (RBVR) is an offshoot of the main franchise. (Purists need not fret: Rock Band Rivals was still showing at PAX as its own product.) The first difference I noticed was visible in the real world: an Oculus Touch controller was attached to the neck of the Rock Band guitar. This wasn’t a kludge of any kind; there was a connector that firmly and precisely mated the Touch to the headstock of the guitar, such that the Touch’s loop sat around the guitar’s neck. Incredibly, Harmonix told me that these connectors will be included with the Oculus Touch! Even better, while there is an updated, lower-latency guitar available for RBVR, if you already have a guitar from RB3 or RB4, it will work with the connector and Rock Band VR.
The accurate positioning of the Touch ensures perfect placement of the guitar in your virtual space. Image: Harmonix
Following a short demo, I donned the Oculus Rift and got ready to rock. I was highly impressed by the positioning of the guitar in the virtual world. The location of the neck and fret buttons appeared exactly where I expected them to be. Sliding my hands along from fret to fret made this even easier; I didn’t grab the wrong frets any more than I do in regular Rock Band. I was even able to slide down to the bottom of the neck and find the frets without much fumbling.
Exploring the stage space brought a depth to the experience I hadn’t expected. It’s awesome. The crowd is there, anticipating your performance. There are a few positions on the stage with lit circles. Looking at them and holding the whammy bar teleports you to that location. So you can be stage left or right, or hang back with the drummer if that’s your style.
Speaking of the drummer, it was time to jam. Having previously selected “Gold on the Ceiling,” I heard him say, “Just gimme a sign.” All I had to do was turn my head, look at the drummer for a moment, and he launched into his beat. That’s a nice touch.
When it comes to gameplay, Rock Band VR differs dramatically from traditional Rock Band. There is no note highway. While the team did a lot of experimentation in this area, it just never felt right to bring that metaphor into virtual reality. After a short time of playing, I had to agree with them. The presence VR gives you wouldn’t mesh well with a note highway in your face. You wouldn’t see the crowd, your band, and guitar; it would end up feeling like you were playing traditional Rock Band in front of a crowd instead of feeling like a star on the stage.
Instead, RBVR provides you with a song map above the crowd, reminiscent of a chord progression a guitarist might have in real life to reference. It’s divided into colored sections, and a burning ember shows your progress through the song. The color of each section is there to remind you what chord you are supposed to play. Different chords indicate different finger positions. So yellow might indicate fingers 1 and 3, red 1 and 2, and purple 1/2/3. If you’re unsure of what finger positioning a chord requires, looking at the headstock shows you flashing lights that lay out the pattern.
The song map is at the top of the screen; a glowing ember (not visible) moves across to the right as the song progresses. The colors for each section remind you of the chord shape you should be playing. In this shot, you can also see the edge of the chord pattern showing on the headstock. Image: Harmonix
Mastering chord shapes isn’t the whole story. Now you have to strum, for which there is no on-screen indication of timing. Instead, you use your ears, identifying the pace of the song and strumming in time to the music! This was a revelation for me, and playing this way felt very natural.
More dramatically, the same principle applies to chords. With any particular finger shape, you are free to move the chord position within the frets. There is no wrong answer about where to play. As long as you are strumming, the music is going to sound pretty good. This results in a very new and liberating experience. First: it’s about rhythm guitar. You’re playing chords, not hitting a sequence of individual notes. And since you’re free to move around the guitar, you’re personalizing the song, and it really felt like I was taking ownership of the music.
Now, I’m certain many people have hit this point and are getting upset: “If you can play the chord anywhere, where’s the challenge?” Don’t worry; points remain the discriminator in RBVR, and there are many ways to stand out from the crowd. Think of the opening to “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” That sequence of five chords is the same finger shape, played in different locations on the guitar. You can do the same thing in Rock Band VR, so as you become more familiar with a song, you can choose to move the chord position around to match the song’s changes. These movements will build up score multipliers, and Harmonix told me that experienced players will figure out myriad ways to maximize their score. As with previous entries in the series, figuring out when to raise your guitar neck to fire off overdrive is also a key skill.
Chord movement was not the only way to go for a big score. You also have a set of three missions to attempt during the song for extra points. One I liked was called the “No-No,” where you simply had to shake your head from side to side in time with the music during a phrase. Other missions were varied, but I didn’t have time to explore them.
That was partly because I was too busy rocking out to focus on much else! I got very expressive during the few songs I played, (I heard another attendee call me a “kid in a candy store” at one point), and by the end, I was starting to get the concept of moving chords around to match the music. It didn’t just feel like a new way to play Rock Band, it felt like it was the way Rock Band should always have been played, with an emphasis on losing yourself in the music. I didn’t want to stop–alone there on the stage, crowd in front of me, I was ready to rock the night away.
That dashed circle is a teleport location. Moving during a performance is likely another way to increase your score. Image: Harmonix
The “alone” part is the only concern I have for Rock Band VR; it’s a single player game. Historically, the franchise has had an emphasis on the social aspects of being in a band, and a typical session for me involves playing with my family or friends. The sense of teamwork and shared experience the game engendered was a large part of what kept me coming back. Will RBVR appeal to solo players? I think it will; it’s delivering a different experience that should engage both casual and hardcore lovers of music games, and a high-profile title on VR is sure to stand out.
All I can say for certain at this point is that I want it to succeed, if only so that Harmonix keeps pumping out new tracks. Once this game hits my headset, you may have to send someone into the metaverse to pull me back out.
Rock Band VR is a launch title for the Oculus Touch, which is slated for Q4 2016. Stay tuned for more info!
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Avoid getting caught fidgeting in the big meeting with this stealthy, handheld gadget. Say hello to Fidget Cube and keep your hands busy while your mind is working!
Fidget Cube from Antsy Labs now on Kickstarter!
Now on Kickstarter from Antsy Labs–creators of the Duet and Trio device docks–the Fidget Cube! If you’re a pen clicker or a finger tapper, this six-sided tactile sensation offers tons of relief for restless or twitchy hands. Clickers, a joystick, buttons, dials, gears, a rocker switch, and even a ball-bearing grace the surface of this plastic cube, providing a myriad of distractions for any preference.
For the last two days, I’ve been lucky enough to have a cube with the classic video game color scheme in my possession. I can honestly say it’s a been an eye-opening experience. I freely admit my fidgeting addiction, and I’ve been known to click a pen or two, but I never realized the therapeutic nature of those behaviors or their enhancement of my concentration.
Using the Fidget Cube for its intended purpose. Photos by Gerry Tolbert
Just like recent research into doodling as a method for enhancing concentration, several behavioral scientists are currently seeking to understand the benefits of fidgeting. It will be interesting to see the results of these ongoing studies, but my N of 1 study with the Fidget Cube has left me enamored with the product.
I spent several hours with the cube in hand, and each of the gadgets provided its own entertainment. The ball bearing was my favorite by far, giving both a gliding trackball-esque motion and a satisfying click. The gears, dial, and buttons each offered different tactile sensations that took just enough focus from the mechanical parts of my brain and allowed for an apparent increase in concentration. Whether a true difference or not, I had a tangible feeling of being more engaged with the mental activities I was doing at work.
While the gadget isn’t necessarily rated for children–there’s no rating on the Kickstarter page–my two-year-old twins loved it, and it seems like the Cube will be great for all ages.
Multiple angles on the fidget cubes gadgets. Photos by Gerry Tolbert
The Kickstarter blew through the initial goal of $15,000 and recently surpassed the $1,500,000 mark, with more than 30 days left in the campaign. Check out the campaign on Kickstarter and pledge to receive up to 80 copies of this “unusually addicting, high-quality desk toy designed to help you focus” in Die, Graphite, Midnight, Aqua, Sunset, Berry, Fresh, and Retro. You can also visit Antsy Labs for more info.
Disclaimer: Antsy Labs provided a Retro cube, pictured above, for review.
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Hey, guys, it’s Rutskarn. Some of you may recall how a while ago I expressed an interest in writing a short Joker fan comic. Emphasis on “writing”–the act you might recognize is the non-making-comics part of making comics. This meant that in industry terms, my idea was approximately as valuable as a time share on a pretend spaceship.
However, shortly after the episode aired, Stephan Kostrzewa and his unparalleled ability to use art supplies and pixels to effect storytelling reached out to me about making my non-comic idea into something extremely comic-like. Now, after four months of backbreaking work (and almost twenty full minutes of writing on my part), a comic-like product has resulted. You might even say it is a comic.
I can't imagine anybody in our house that would like this...
Let’s be honest, by now you and the kids probably own several versions of Minecraft across computers, consoles, and mobile devices. Do you need another one for the Wii U? If you’re a Super Mario fan, absolutely.
1. The retail version is now on store shelves and comes pre-loaded with the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack. Before this month, you could only purchase the Wii U version of Minecraft through the Nintendo eShop. But you can now find Minecraft: Wii U Edition in stores across the country.
2. The controls are a little different. The buttons are switched around, so if you and the kids are used to one console’s layout, be prepared for a few destroyed bricks until you get the hang of it. In tutorial mode, there’s a handy key at the bottom of the screen to help you keep track of what button does what.
3. Minecraft: Wii U Edition makes some use of the GamePad. You can use the GamePad for more than just a separate screen–you can also use the stylus to navigate the inventory, which is a nice feature particular to the Wii U. Other than that, though, there’s not much else you can do with it; you can’t place or destroy bricks with the touchscreen. The Pro controller is also supported.
4. The game also includes a new online Battle Mode feature. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working at the time of this post, but the Wii U Edition also includes a Battle Mode mini-game.
5. The Super Mario Mash-Up Pack is the real reason to pick up another version of Minecraft. Nintendo and Mojang enlisted the help of professional Minecraft builders to create an incredible Mushroom Kingdom unlike any other.
It takes just seconds to load and jump into the world, which is filled with Super Mario themed texture packs, mobs, background music from Super Mario 64, and jaw-dropping creations such as towering Mario statues and castles.
Working warp pipes, airships, and more are all yours to discover throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. My 7-year-old gasped in delight when she discovered just a few of the secrets of the Mario-themed world, from a minecart mini-roller coaster to Bowser’s Castle in the Nether. You’ll even find homages to Super Mario 3 and Super Mario World.
For a close look at the Mario-themed skins and server in action, there’s no better person than Minecraft expert Stampy Cat to walk you through it:
Minecraft: Wii U Edition is now available in stores and online for a suggested retail price of $29.99.
A promotional copy was provided for review purposes.
All images: Nintendo / Mojang
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There’s a box of Dragon’s Blood in the library staff refrigerator. Photo: Amy M. Weir
On July 30—because we’re closed on the 31st—our public library is hosting a “Back-to-Hogwarts Party.” The highlight, for me (not counting the Honeydukes table), is the Potions Class I’ll be teaching twice during the day. Already I may have been having a little too much fun trying out basic chemistry experiments with magical-looking results, and figuring out how to make them sound even more magical. What follows is the text of the handout “textbook” I have written to give to attendees, which gives a rundown of my planned presentation along with Muggle adaptations for trying this at home. I thought you and yours might enjoy it in the meanwhile, and I’ll tell you all about how everything goes at the real program afterward. And if you happen to be in the area of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on July 30, stop by and join us!
Potions 101: A Handbook for Creating Magical Mixtures
Part I: Liquid Transmutation
The Revelatory Properties of Dragon’s Blood:
Dragon’s Blood reacts with other substances. More acidic substances, such as essences of Wolfsbane and Dittany, will turn dragon’s blood pink. Alkaline substances like bezoar will turn it blue or even green.
Dragon’s blood can be used to reveal secret messages written in essence of wolfsbane by simply brushing the blood over the page on which the message may be.
The Restorative Properties of Dittany and Bezoar:
Both Dittany and Bezoar are used to restore. Take a cup of doxie-tainted wash. Ew. Who wants to wash with that? But if you add enough Essence of Dittany you will restore the wash to a nice clear state. A Doxie, on the other hand, will not see improvement. Add ground bezoar, though, and the wash will return to its contaminated state.
Part II: Controlling Temperature
Creating Snow
Need an instant pile of snow? Better yet, one that won’t melt? Mix two tablespoons yeti tears with half a teaspoon of ground iceworm larvae. Watch the snow bloom!
Hot Ice
In volcanic pools, where fire serpents sometimes bathe, the water can develop unusual properties, particularly in arctic climates such as Iceland. If water from these pools is poured from its container into temperate surroundings, it will turn instantly into ice. But can it be? This ice gives off HEAT!
A Portable Furnace
When hinkypunk eggs are soaked in basilisk venom, they will boil into life and overflow their surroundings. But you can control this reaction and use it to create a perfectly safe hand-warmer to carry along on chilly days.
Just pour half a cup of basilisk venom into a zip-top freezer bag. Add one teaspoon of hinkypunk eggs and seal the bag quick! Knead the eggs into the venom and you should see them come to life, but their fiery power will stay comfortably in your bag!
Part III: Captivating the Elements
Dancing Colors
Direct the elemental colors in beautiful pirouettes on a stage of unicorn milk. Drip each color on top of each other in the very center of a plate of unicorn milk. Dip the end of a cotton wand into oil of naiad scale, then lightly touch the colors with the wand to make them dance!
Obedient Spider Slime
Dissolve a scoop of ground spider legs with a bottle of liquefied marsh gas, then stir in 1/8 of a cup of bubotuber pus. When the marsh gas and pus have thoroughly bonded into slime, pull the slime out onto a plate, knead it a little more, and pat dry. Now you can command the spider legs to dance with a special Pole Field Wand.
An Expansion Brew
Wolfsbane and Bezoar have an explosive relationship: mix them together and things will blow up. Carefully pull a rubber sack of ground bezoar over the opening of a bottle of essence of wolfsbane. When the bottle is sealed, lift the sack so that the bezoar falls into the wolfsbane. Watch the expansion in action!
Tips for Home Potion Making (Requires adult supervision)
It is a sad truth that many ingredients used in these potions are unavailable in Muggle homes and stores. Fortunately, these potions can be approximated by Muggles using the following simple substitutions:
Creating Dragon’s Blood: Boil red (purple) cabbage in a large saucepan of water for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove cabbage, but continue to boil the liquid until it reduces. The longer you boil, the darker the liquid will become, but the longer your kitchen will smell like boiling cabbage, also.
Test the color changing properties of your Muggle dragon’s blood with many different substances around the kitchen. Try juices, powders (baking soda is particularly effective), or anything else you can mix.
Substitute vinegar or lemon juice for your invisible ink.
For Doxie-Tainted Wash: Brew one cup of black tea. Allow to steep for a long while, until it is too bitter to drink. You can restore its apparent clarity with lemon juice instead of essence of dittany, and recontaminate it with baking soda.
Creating Snow: Yeti tears can be substituted with very cold water. Ground iceworm larvae are harder to come by. You can find an excellent substitution at http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/store/instant-snow-powder.html . It won’t be nearly as satisfying or snowy, but you could also try a less-fluffy-pure stand-in from your local home and garden store under the name “water-retaining polymer” or even harvest some from the inside of a disposable diaper. Unused, please.
Hot Ice: You can approximate fire serpent pool water by creating a relatively safe substance called “Sodium Acetate” with vinegar and baking soda. This must be done slowly so you do not accidentally recreate the effects of an Expansion Brew.
Pour one liter of clear vinegar into a saucepan and place it on the stove on medium heat. While the vinegar begins to heat up, SLOWLY, GRADUALLY add 4 Tablespoons of baking soda, stirring in after each addition. Let the solution boil slowly until a crystalline film forms on the surface. This will take about an hour. If you use higher heat the process will go faster, but your pool water will turn brown and foggy. It will still work, though.
Dissolve any crystals back in to the solution—add a tiny amount of water or vinegar to help dissolve them—and immediately transfer the solution to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator.
When you remove the solution and pour it over a plate or drop a crystal into it, it will quickly become solid through a process called exothermic crystallization. You can remelt the crystallized solution and do this process over and over if you like! If you have any trouble or questions you can find answers here.
A Portable Furnace: Replace basilisk venom with hydrogen peroxide and hinkypunk eggs with quick-rising dry yeast. These same ingredients can produce “Elephant Toothpaste” if combined with a few drops of food coloring and soap and exposed to the air.
Make Colors Dance: simple food coloring will do in the absence of elemental colors. Whole-fat cow’s milk makes nearly as nice a stage as unicorn milk, and liquid dish detergent has many of the same properties as oil of naiad scale.
Slime: there are many methods for making slime even outside of the wizarding world, as noted here. A curious substance can be created with two parts cornstarch and one part water. An edible slime (but you don’t want to eat too much at once or you WILL get the runs) can be made by cooking one tablespoon of psyllium fiber supplement (such as Metamucil) in one cup of water. But the only way to make slime in the Muggle world that is obedient as Obedient Spider Slime is by using iron filings or iron oxide powder instead of ground spider legs, in a slime base of glue and starch. You can then control the slime with a very powerful magnet (ie one made of neodymium or other rare earth).
Expansion Brew: as noted in the recipe for Sodium Acetate, vinegar and baking soda mixed quickly together will give you nearly the same results as wolfsbane and ground bezoar. Because baking soda does not come in rubber sacks as ground bezoar does, pour two teaspoons of baking soda into a small deflated balloon.
Twitter is a fickle mistress. Things get tweeted and removed, accounts get compromised, stuff happens. This has all served to make me incredibly skeptical. (But who am I kidding? I can’t blame my skepticism solely on Twitter!)
Still, when I noticed a particularly odd tweet from the official Nintendo of America account this AM, I was intrigued but unconvinced. And then the inevitable announcement email rolled into my inbox.
Yes, while we won’t be seeing the long-rumored NX this holiday season, this November 11th will see the release of this spectacular blast from the past.
Priced at $59.99, the NES Classic is a miniature replica of the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System. While it, sadly, doesn’t appear to support classic cartridges, it does come bundled with a single NES Classic controller (a second controller can be purchased for $9.99 or your existing Classic Controller/Classic Controller Pro can also be used), an HDMI cable for output directly to your high-def television, and a selection of 30 fantastic onboard titles:
Balloon Fight™ BUBBLE BOBBLE Castlevania™ Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest™ Donkey Kong™ Donkey Kong Jr. ™ DOUBLE DRAGON II: THE REVENGE Dr. Mario™ Excitebike™ FINAL FANTASY® Galaga™ GHOSTS’N GOBLINS® GRADIUS™ Ice Climber™ Kid Icarus™ Kirby’s Adventure™ Mario Bros. ™ MEGA MAN® 2 Metroid™ NINJA GAIDEN PAC-MAN™ Punch-Out!! ™ Featuring Mr. Dream StarTropics™ SUPER C™ Super Mario Bros.™ Super Mario Bros. ™ 2 Super Mario Bros. ™ 3 TECMO BOWL The Legend of Zelda™ Zelda II: The Adventure of Link™
So, what are your thoughts on this unexpected throwback console? Suffice it to say that Team GeekDad is pretty excited, and we’ll be sharing pre-order information as soon as it becomes available.
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The Designated Grown-Up lets you try cool things and teaches you cool skills. Photo property of Lucasfilm/Disney
In most normal families, there’s usually a relative, the “cool” aunt or uncle, who takes a place of prominence in a child’s life, teaching them useful skills, offering advice and guidance, and most importantly, being the person they can complain to about their parents. When our oldest daughter, Ashley, was in her preteen years, all of her uncles lived far away, and some of them were not really ‘mentor’ material anyway.
But we had stayed friends with Frances, our daughter’s Pre-K teacher, and we recognized that over the years, Frances had been mentoring her as if she were “the cool aunt.” We needed to recognize and acknowledge it. That was when I coined the term “Designated Grown-Up.”
Like the Designated Hitter in baseball, or the Designated Driver in drinking, to a parent the Designated Grown-Up is the person we count on to take care of things when we can’t. To a child, the Designated Grown-Up is an adult friend who doesn’t talk down or patronize. For both, the job is a bit like a godparent, but more involved and less traditional. Where the godparent is usually seen as the “backup plan” in case something happens to the parents, the Designated Grown-Up is somewhere between an older sibling and a third parent (but much cooler), somebody who can help where the parent can’t. Most children end up with one, often a teacher, coach, or a friend’s parent, but sometimes that can go badly, if the adult is irresponsible, predatory or lacking good judgment, especially if the parents aren’t really aware the relationship has developed. Sometimes, like Luke Skywalker, a young person will go out and find their Obi-Wan, but it’s best if the candidate is somebody the parents are friends with and know well, so that the Designated Grown-Up is working in partnership with them.
I approached Ashley and said “Frances is your Designated Grown-Up. She is the person we trust to give you wise counsel; when you have a problem, when you’re in trouble and don’t want to talk to us, when you’re mad and want to complain about us, talk to Frances. She’s on your side.” Then I told Frances the same thing. 15 years later, they’re still close.
Later, we did the same with our son Chris and then our younger daughter Kate. They each had a carefully-chosen Designated Grown-up.
Sometimes, circumstances dictate that a child will end up with more than one Designated Grown-Up. It’s okay to add another to take up the slack. Chris ended up with a troop of them; after Koby moved out of the area, John, Ron, and Soren stepped in, with his best friend’s mom, Judy, serving as Occasional Mom as needed. Have as many Designated Grown-Ups as you need!
Some people have more than one Designated Grown-Up. Illustration by W.W. Denslow, public domain
Today, our children are all grown up, aged 29, 25 and 20. I chatted with them on Facebook about the concept of the Designated Grown-Up and how it had impacted them.
KATE: I think it’s a cool and an important thing. I’m a Designated Grown Up in a way up for a bunch of kids at Parks who come to the center, and we’ve seen kids who make great strides and become really great, just because some adults are giving them positive reinforcement and being interested. We have one kid who was a hellion less than a year ago. Now he works here. We have some really great kids who come from really really s****y home lives; if they weren’t here they’d probably be in gangs. One kid lives with her brother who is in a gang, her mom is in prison and dad is just gone. She’s one of the sweetest kids. I think the Designated Grown up thing varies though. Thomas [a family friend] has like 10 designated grown ups, other kids really only need one that they can count on.
ASHLEY: I think a Designated Grownup is obviously important for kids with family lives like Kate describes, but they also can have a great impact on kids with close, loving families. Just having someone who isn’t related to you but is still genuinely interested in you and loves and supports you is really valuable. I kinda wish I knew a kid I could be a designated grownup for and pay it forward.
I also spoke to their respective Grown-Ups, asking each the same question: “Remember when [kid] was young and we told him/her that you were his/her Designated Grownup? I thought I’d ask you about your thoughts on the subject.”
FRANCES: It’s funny that you bring this up; I’ve been thinking about this very thing for the past few years, really. There’s research somewhere that suggests that student success in school can be attributed to, almost distilled down to literally one outside force beyond the family. In the circumstance where a child is a foster youth, or has complacent or even absent parent(s), the presence of one caring individual, that you name as Designated Adult, can make the difference between academic success and failure in the K-12 years (though I believe the research pinpoints middle and high school).
The Designated Grown-up is usually a two-way relationship. Photo property of Warner Bros.
KOBY (Chris’ Designated Grown-Up): I was completely honored by that designation and was actually reflecting on it the other day as I sat in my first Youth Group parent meeting, as a parent!!! Yes, Bella is that old and I absolutely love the idea there is someone in our church that I can trust to be there for her in ways I cannot. So much of life is about risking ourselves in relationships, the designated adult is a way reinforcing that.
MARY (Kate’s Designated Grown-Up): I think the concept is outstanding and can have a positive and lasting impact on both parties. I highly recommend it. I think it’s a cool, smart thing for a kid, particularly if it happens naturally. Wish I’d had one. I was lost in a sea of adult males.
FRANCES: What are my thoughts on this? I’m one of those teachers who”collects students.” Some of my former students call me their “academic mom,” some call me friend or confidante. These kids come back to me, as adults, and say I made a difference, that they still talk about me to each other, even as twenty-somethings. It’s gratifying to know that they value my teaching, that my presence, though brief, in the grand scheme of their life made an impact. I attribute much of this love of teaching to that first year I taught Ash as a, what three or four year old?
Those kids were my testing ground. When I got through that year, I knew that I couldn’t turn my back on this as a career, because I loved seeing that learning look, but I also knew that kids connect with me. Some teachers have great methodology but don’t exactly connect with the students, Doesn’t mean they can’t teach, it just means that that isn’t the person outside their family that will be their supporter or what I call, their cheerleader , in their academic and developmental years.
I just attended another college graduation of one of my kindergarten students. How cool is it to see it all come full circle? So cool.
It turned out our instincts were correct; as young parents, we knew that our kids would need somebody outside the family to be their friend, advisor, mentor, cheerleader and sounding board; if they were going to seek advice, better they should get it from a trustworthy adult than a child as ignorant as themselves or somebody we didn’t know. They needed an objective outsider who wasn’t required by law and tradition to love or even like them but did anyway, and we needed to make room for that. And as it happened, it was good not only for the children, but for the Grown-Ups as well, and for lifelong friendships all around.
A good illustration of the difference between a Designated Grown-Up and other mentor types is shown above: Harry’s mentors included Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin; he studied under a variety of teachers and stuck close to his friends, but when he needed somebody to have his back or a sympathetic ear, it was always Hagrid. Hagrid didn’t have any obligation to teach or guide Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but he was always there, always ready to help, and he got just as much out of the relationship.
There’s your free advice for the day. Look around your close circle of friends and family. If your child is particularly close to one of their aunts, uncles, cousins, your best friend from high school, or some other person you know well and trust completely, award them the title of Designated Grown-Up, explain what it means, and shake their hand. 15 or 20 years later, when they are appointing Designated Grown-Ups for their own children, don’t be surprised if you get a call.
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The initial climb to the summit of Superman: The Ride. Photo by Corrina Lawson
Six Flags New England is advertising its new virtual reality addition to the roller coaster Superman: The Ride as the “tallest, fastest, and longest” virtual reality coaster ever.
All those adjectives are true. And yet, the biggest question in my mind was not whether it would be cool–it is–it’s whether the virtual reality would improve the experience of riding what’s become my favorite roller coaster of all time or not.
To answer the question, I needed help. Three of us headed out to Six Flags’ special press day to preview the virtual reality last week–myself, my eldest son, 20, and my youngest daughter, just 17. Press day fell on her birthday and it’s a measure of her love for coasters that she was thrilled to be spending the day at Six Flags.
We each had a different answer to whether virtual reality enhanced the experience or not.
First, I should describe Superman: The Ride and the VR addition.
Six Flags partnered with Samsung Gear VR and Oculus for the “world-class” virtual reality. The Samsung Gear VR headsets provide the imagery, complete with an extra-wide point of view to seamlessly merge reality with the virtual world. Yes, seamless. Yes, seamless even when the VR simulation becomes stuck in place. I’ll explain that part in a moment.
The ride itself, built in 2000, features a 208-foot lift hill, a 221-foot drop, and over 1-mile (1.6 km) of track. It reaches speeds up to 77 mph and lasts for 2:35 minutes, a twirling, twisting experience that takes place by the banks of the Connecticut River. It’s a five-time winner of Amusement Today‘s Golden Ticket for steel coasters.
In other words, it was already an awesome ride before the VR.
The virtual reality simulation begins the moment the goggles are pulled down over a rider’s eyes as they are strapped in their seats. The virtual setting takes over and riders are transported from a roller coaster to a Metropolis light rail station. It’s a terrific illusion, especially since it extends past the feet and to the pretend street below. As the train climbs that first hill, Luthor wrecks the “light rail” cars and the ride falls (the first big drop). Superman snags the train to prevent a crash, and the two battle it out as Superman tries to keep hold of the train and save everyone’s lives. (He does, of course.)
A most excellent birthday. photo by Corrina Lawson
My daughter was thrilled at the uniqueness of the experience, especially since she’s ridden this coaster numerous times and now it felt like something completely different. The virtual reality was an unqualified “thumbs up” from her.
My son concluded the experience was “about the same amount of fun” as riding with eyes open. He claimed the animation of the virtual reality was about “’90s video game level.” “The action is great, but Superman’s face never changes expression.” Kids these days. So jaded about computer and computer simulations.
For me? Well, my ride showcased the downside of the logistics of adding virtual reality to a ride. My VR simulation never moved beyond being at the station as it didn’t sync up with the command to start the ride.
The only way I knew I was moving at first was the wind whipping across me as the coaster moved to the top of that first hill, up 208 feet. Of course, I felt the various dips, turns, and spins, but it’s absolutely freaky to be feeling these things with your body and yet your vision informs you that you are stationary.
Lois Lane was in attendance for the opening of Superman: The Ride. Photo by Corrina Lawson
No, that’s not as fun as the VR simulation or riding the ride with the naked eye. But as far as novel experiences go, it ranks fairly high on my list. It showed me just how much my perception of the world is informed through my vision and how a different “reality” seen through the eyes could affect all my senses.
So, in short, there’s no experience like this one and it must be tried at least once, though I hoped they work out the kinks with the googles syncing with the start of the ride for regular park-goers. Several riders had the same problem as I did on our turn.
A few notes for those intending to try out the coaster and visit Six Flags:
The line will be longer than usual. It takes longer to get the googles on everyone and longer to double-check that everyone is strapped in properly and the chinstrap of the googles is pulled tight. (A few riders reported feeling as if the googles would fly off, but that never happened and it seems to be a false worry.) I would imagine at peak times, the line will be no shorter than a half hour. Flash passes will work on the ride.
To keep the riders waiting happy, Six Flags has installed television playing old Warner Bros. cartoons. In our case, it was a Yosemite Sam as a pirate episode. (Bugs, of course, stole the treasure.)
Children under 12 cannotwear the VR headset.
Riders can ride the coaster with or without the headset. It’s not mandatory to have the googles.
Six Flags New England is open all summer daily until September 6th and open on weekends until Halloween.
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I like clothes and I like video games. In fact, the only thing I like more than clothes and video games is video game clothes.
(I know; you are genuinely shocked.)
Thus, it was with great interest that I followed news concerning an epic crossover between Nintendo and California shoe and skatewear manufacturer Vans. This line–dubbed, in the delightfully Japanese style, “Vans X Nintendo”–boasts a fantastic collection of shoes, tees, hats, and other apparel featuring iconic design elements from beloved Nintendo properties like the Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises (and even some more esoteric characters like the Duck Hunt dog and Mario’s trusty dino-steed Yoshi).
Personally, I’ve got my eye on the SK8-HI Mario and Luigi design–not to mention the SK8-HI Slim Gold Console editions. I don’t think I’ve worn Vans since my misspent skate-rat youth, but for Mario I can make an exception.
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Craig Wright, the Australian computer scientist who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto -- the creator of bitcoin -- has backtracked on a pledge to provide more proof of his earlier claims. Wright says that he lacks the courage to face allegations. On May 1, Wright claimed that he was the creator of bitcoin, offering digital signature, signed using a private key that was thought to be held by Nakamoto. We later learned that the "proof" Wright offered was simply copied from an older transaction. At the time, Wright assured that he will be moving early bitcoins as "extraordinary evidence". On Thursday, Wright wrote in a blog post that he is "sorry," and that he cannot do this. He writes: I believed that I could do this. I believed that I could put the years of anonymity and hiding behind me. But, as the events of this week unfolded and I prepared to publish the proof of access to the earliest keys, I broke. I do not have the courage. I cannot. When the rumors began, my qualifications and character were attacked. When those allegations were proven false, new allegations have already begun. I know now that I am not strong enough for this. I know that this weakness will cause great damage to those that have supported me, and particularly to Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen. I can only hope that their honour and credibility is not irreparably tainted by my actions. They were not deceived, but I know that the world will never believe that now. I can only say I'm sorry.
This morning, Avalon Hill, Lone Shark Games, and Wizards of the Coast announced Betrayal at House on the Hill: Widow’s Walk – a long-awaited sequel to the classic horror-themed tabletop experience.
Betrayal at House on the Hill: Widow’s Walk
For those unfamiliar, Betrayal at House on the Hill could be described as an adversarial cooperative game. As they explore, players lay tiles to build the titular House, room by room, floor by floor. Traps, items and – obviously – betrayal await discovery. At a crucial point in the game, a player is revealed as the traitor and the game mechanics for both the traitor and the cooperating players diverge. The game, designed Bruce Glassco and Rob Daviau, developed by a team led by Mike Selinker, and released originally by Avalon Hill in 2004, was reprinted in 2010 and is currently marketed by Wizards of the Coast. Multiple fans have written their own scenarios – called Haunts in the game – to expand the lore, but no official expansions existed.
Until now.
This October 14th, Betrayal at House on the Hill: Widow’s Walk arrives, bringing with it
50 brand new Haunts penned by an all-star cast of contributors including: Max Temkin and Eli Halpern, co-creators of Cards Against Humanity Pendleton Ward, Emmy Award-winning cartoonist Mikey Neumann, chief creative champion for Borderlands Jerry Holkins, co-creator of the Penny Arcade webcomic Angela Webber, one half of the nerd pop duo The Doubleclicks Justin Gary, co-designer of Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer Anita Sarkeesian, blogger, media critic and public speaker Bruce Glassco, college professor, science fiction writer, and Betrayal at House on the Hill‘s original designer
20 new room tiles, including a never before explored new floor, the roof
30 new cards, including 11 items, 11 events, and 8 omens
78 new tokens including a new set of possession tokens that allow you to track your explorer’s progress
The Haunts sound amazing and include “a litany of terrifying horrors like the Fleshchild, the evil clown Knick-Knack, and a vengeful little girl hell-bent on playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek.”
Last night, I had the chance to speak one-on-one with lead developer and gaming legend Mike Selinker about this awesome expansion. Check out the exclusive audio interview below and listen closely for a few hints about some oft-asked-for game content.
Whether you’re a fan of Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mike Selinker, the above authors, or any combination thereof, you need to check out this expansion. Find out more at the Avalon Hill website and follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
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Due to popular demand, the Ninth Doctor now joins his later incarnations in the privilege of having his own ongoing comic series. Art by Shea Standefer courtesy of Titan Comics.
Now, on April 13, the Ninth Doctor, along with his fan-favorite companions, Rose Tyler and Captain Jack Harkness, are back in a new ongoing series by written by Cavan Scott.
Scott’s original five-part miniseries, Weapons of Past Destruction, debuted in April 2015, just in time for the Tenth Anniversary of the new era of Doctor Who. The Ninth Doctor, portrayed by Christopher Eccleston, was behind the controls of the TARDIS for only one series, but took with him a loyal fanbase of both new and veteran Whovians. Now, by popular demand, the Ninth Doctor will join The Tenth, Eleventh, and Tweltfh Doctors as star of his own ongoing series.
The new series’s first story arc offers a clue to Captain Jack’s lost memories, and it features the Ninth Doctor’s own mix of action and humor.
Scott joked he’s been doing his “Snoopy happy dance” over the opportunity to take Nine on even more adventures, and feels this Doctor, as well as Rose and Jack, absolutely have enough character strength to maintain his own ongoing series. He said this series starts at an interesting period for all three characters, including the growth and character development of Rose.
“Rose is so wide-eyed and enthusiastic. She’s still new at time travel, and while she can certainly handle herself she doesn’t always get things right,” Scott said. “She certainly has a thing for pretty boys at this point in her life, whether that’s Adam (from the episodes “Dalek” and “The Long Game”) or Captain Jack. But, in this series, I want to really get across that sense that she’ll jump in with two feet and have a go.”
Scott said Jack is learning how to be a good guy, possibly for the first time in his life.
“Again, he makes mistakes as he tries to prove himself, to Rose, and especially the Doctor,” he said of Jack. “Then there’s the mystery of why he has so many of his memories missing.”
The Doctor himself is back with a crew on the TARDIS, with friends, for the first time since the Time War.
“He’s enjoying himself, and has lost a little of the angst that we saw in his first episodes,” Scott explained. “It’s still there, beneath the surface, but he’s being carried along with the adventure, having the time of his lives.”
The new series’ first three-issue story arc, Doctormania, offers a clue to Captain Jack’s lost memories, but also features the Ninth Doctor’s own mix of action and humor. It’s The Doctor who is the star of this story, however, and not just as the title character. Team TARDIS somehow find themselves on a planet of Doctor Who–yes “Doctor Who”–superfans complete with fan clubs, selfie-snapping smartphone users, and screaming fangirls.
The confusion that follows to the cliffhanger ending of this first issue is both hilarious and rapid-paced, complete with a surprise twist.
Scott hopes, as these issues progress, to build on the relationship between the three members of the TARDIS crew.
“All three will face challenges, both physical and personal, over the course of the next 15 issues, really testing them individually while also molding them into that tight-knit unit we see in (the episode) ‘Boom Town’,” he said. “There will be banter and flirting and aliens–mostly all at the same time. But I’m also looking forward to telling different kinds of stories with the team.”
The original mini-series, which featured artwork by Blair Shedd (Legends of Oz, Ghostbusters), was met with overwhelming response from both readers and critics. Shedd will still be involved with the comic by offering his work to variant covers. Other variants were created by graphic artist Will Brooks, whose popular work has been featured on several Doctor Who items from audio books to postcards.
Nine will, of course, get his rock album variant by Myers with an AOD Collectables Store exclusive John Lennon/Ninth Doctor mash-up. This might be inside joke for Eccleston fans, who recall him portraying the iconic Beatle in BBC’s Lennon Naked. Other covers feature work by Shea Standefer for the primary cover and a variant by the illustrator known as Question No. 6.
Once again, this latest Doctor Who offering from Titan Comics will have plenty of variants. Artists include (clockwise from top left): Question No. 6, Will Brooks, Simon Myers and Adriana Melo. Images courtesy Titan Comics.
Artwork for this ongoing series is provided by Adriana Melo (Star Wars: Empire), with colorist Matheus Lopes. Scott said Melo is a perfect choice the series as she is a “bundle of Whovian enthusiasm.”
“I regularly send her messages that read something like ‘just writing issue three which has (spoilers),’ and she replies with bucketloads of glee,” Scott said. “She just gets the joy of the Ninth Doctor and this team, the excitement and energy, and it comes across in her art.”
Readers might also be familiar with Melo’s work on the celebrated Marvel title Ms. Marvel and Scott said her Ninth Doctor contributions will not disappoint.
“(Her work is) so dynamic,” Scott said. “I loved her work on Ms. Marvel, but think this is some of her best stuff yet!”
Scott said readers don’t need to have read last year’s mini-series to follow these new adventures.
“This is definitely a jumping-on point, although there might be a couple of little mentions for people who were there for ‘Weapons of Past Destruction,'” he noted.
He did promise the first arc to start the series off with and action-filled ride.
“The opening arc is very much a romp, for want of a better word, but following that we’ll see some quieter, more personal stories, and definitely some scares,” Scott said. “Oh, and a few familiar faces along the way–but not necessarily the ones you expect.”
For those who want to catch up on the Ninth Doctor’s recent comic exploits, the collected 2015 mini-series is also now available in collected hardback format.
Scott said even when he first took on the mini-series, he knew there were many more tales of the Ninth Doctor he wanted to share. He is thrilled to get to share them with readers and fellow Whovians, more specifically “Niners,” as he calls them.
“Right from the off, I had a bundle of stories in my head that I wanted to tell, and was over the moon when our wonderful editor, Andrew James, told me that there was going to be an ongoing,” he said. “Writing for Doctor Who is always an honor, but this incarnation and this team is special. They’re the ones who brought Doctor Who back and made it what it is today!”
Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 comes out April 13 in both comic forms and digital platform.
Ninth Doctor writer Cavan Scott said Nine, Rose, and Jack will all face physical and personal challenges over the next 15 issues, but the first story arc will be an action-filled “romp.” Interior art by Adriana Melo courtesy of Titan Comics.
GeekMom received a preview of the comic for review purposes.
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I’m lucky enough to have infinite steps. I don’t even count ’em when I wake up in the morning: I take the dog out for a walk, and my legs keep working for as long as I want ’em to. I go to the museum and I pay no attention to the distance between galleies. However many steps I need to take, they’re just there.
Most of you don’t even think that’s a blessing. Trust me, it is.
Some of my friends have zero steps: their legs stopped working. They’re “traditionally” disabled, because their muscles or their nerves don’t respond, and no amount of effort can get them walking. It sucks, and sucks hard, but at least that step count is predictable.
Unlike my friends who play the Step Lottery every day: How many steps do they get before their body gives out?
That variance is huge. Some days, they’ve got so many steps they can walk everywhere and have steps left over at the end of the day. Other days, they get a paltry thousand and give out in the middle of the grocery store.
And they don’t have some magical step gauge that counts down to zero: they wake up, they feel great, and they only discover today’s Step Lottery gifted ’em a slim 500 steps when they’re halfway to Wal-Mart.
Wherever they give out, they’re done. It’s like an old D&D wizards’ spell; they’re not getting any more steps until they’ve rested for eight hours.
And when you run out of steps three blocks from home, you’re fucking screwed. If you didn’t have the energy to walk, you sure as hell don’t have the energy to crawl. So if you’re lucky, you sit on a bench for hours and hope your body somehow considers it restful.
If you’re not lucky, you’re stuck there until a friend picks you up.
If you’re really not lucky, you don’t have a friend. Hope you can afford a cab!
When able-bodied people see a wheelchair, they think “That person can never walk.” And if they see that person getting up out of the wheelchair, they often think, “That person’s cheating! They’re not really disabled! They were fooling me!”
Nope. That wheelchair is their insurance against the Step Lottery. Because they can walk now, but at some point during the day their body is all but guaranteed to give out on them… and it’s a hell of a lot easier to bring the wheelchair when you don’t need it than it is to be wheelchair-less when you do need it.
They’re not fooling you at all, buddy. Their bodies slip between “walking” and “not walking” with frightening speed, and they can’t predict when that wheelchair is going to be the only thing that gets them home today. So be gentle.
