2013 Salt Lake Comic-Con...Slapping the Complainers!





 

*gets up on soap box*

The last three days to me were amazing!  I got to go to the first ever Salt Lake Comic-Con and couldn't have asked for a better time.  I see so many people complaining about it and I'm going to defend every aspect of it right now.

1.  "It was too crowded.  Too many people there.  They need to limit the ticket sales."
My Answer:  Yes there were tons of people there, thousands of people there, but guess what...they all wanted to be there.  You're not the only ones who wanted this to happen!  For an event that figured there were only going to be 20, 000 people to end up with nearly 80,000 people, I think they handle it fairly well.  Crowds?  Yeah there are going to be crowds no matter what convention you go to!  You can't expect a huge organization to plan an event with many celebrities so only you and your closest 100 friends can go?!?  Don't like people, you better stay home then or learn to get along with others! 

2. "They need to make this for adults only.  There were too many kids."
My Answer:  Welcome to Utah!  We have kids here!  If you want an adult only attraction, go to one of the bars.  Despite what you think, we have bars here and you can go and play with people your own age there.  I loved seeing all the kids (aka future nerds) being there. The joy in their eyes and the smile on their faces, told the fact this was a great event!

3.  Then there was the other side... "This was not family friendly!  I won't bring my kids here again".
My Answer:   I was there with a couple of children (ages 8 &15), I thought it was very family friendly.  The Lego table was a big hit!  I personally didn't see any costumes that were inappropriate, everyone covered up as much as you'd see at the beach.  Many people are already planning on going next year and bringing their children because they want to be a part of it.

4.  "They need to get rid of the LDS (Mormon) sponsors.  Thanks to the Mormons we couldn't have this on Sunday".  "They need to do it outside a Mormon venue".
My Answer:  If something goes wrong in the state of Utah, just blame the Mormons! *eye rolls*  First off, yes there were some LDS company sponsors, but if you don't want them there, write to them, tell them you don't want their money there and you'll be covering the cost of their sponsorships.  I'm sure you can afford that!  As for the Sunday issues, that was not the Mormons who did this, it was the decision of Dan Farr.  There were too many events happening downtown on Sunday and I thought it was wise not to add this to the confusion.  And to the lady that complained about it being in a "Mormon" venue, I'm sorry but you can't blame the Mormons on this!  The Salt Palace is County owned...go blame them, but only after doing research.

5.  "They need a bigger venue. They need to have some activities outside"
My Answer:  Tell me of a larger venue in Salt Lake (or even the state)?  Energy Solutions Arena and the Maverick Center may have more seating, but not enough floor space. Outside, in Utah?  I'm sorry this isn't San Diego where the weather is perfect all the time.  Plus, did you see the downpour we had the last two days?!?  Wouldn't that have been fun to experience!!

6.  "San Diego Comic-Con this...San Diego Comic-Con that".
My Answer:  You're right people, this isn't SDCC!  San Diego has had years to perfect their event and still it's not perfectly run.  Be patient, give it time and it will only get better each year.

7.  "The smell was horrible"
My Answer:  This must be your first convention I see.

8.  "The concessions were expensive"
My Answer:  I see you've never been outside to ANY event that sold concessions.  The prices were high, but it was expected.

9.  "I can't believe they were charging for autographs and pictures with the celebrities".
My Answer:  This is typical of any convention.  I've only been to one convention (Auto Assembly in the UK) where this doesn't happen.

10.  "The lines were too long".
My Answer:  Didn't you read the suggestions on the website.  It said to plan on waiting to get in.  I planned on about a two hour wait to get in the first day and actually it was only 90 minutes.  This is usually the worst part of a convention is to get inside.  You just have to plan ahead.

11.  "The swag bags had nothing in them".My Answer:  What did you expect...REALLY?  I want to know.  This first SLCC was sponsored by media groups.  Most media groups don't have "stuff" to give out (unless you want a lot of advertising, which will be thrown away anyhow).  Once SLCC gets retail sponsors you many have a gift item or two, but until then all I have to say is you pay for the convention and the experience of the convention, not the swag bag!

12.  "They need to get more people from Hollywood and less about the comics".
My Answer:  Hummm...hello?  I believe it's called COMIC CON, not Hollywood's list of annoying people who don't care to be around geeks.  Honestly I thought the guest list was amazing!  Stan Lee, William Shatner and Adam West all in the same room?  I'm surprised that place didn't exploded with the awesomeness!


Was this a perfect convention?  Oh no!  But what event is?
If you didn't have a good time, the only person to blame is yourself.  Planning goes a long way with big events like this!  I had an amazing time and I want to thank the crew, the volunteers and all my new friends for showing me how geek Utah can be!


BRING ON SALT LAKE COMIC-CON 2014!!!

Nicole and  Stan "The Man" Lee

 

A Rant or Two or Three or...

Man I've been one cranky woman these days and since I've been anti-social lately I'm letting it all out here. Beware, a lot of complaining is to come.

I guess I'm getting to that stage in my life where the more people I know and the more I know about others...I just don't care. I guess it's not that I don't care, it's because I'm getting worn out. The older I get the more "issues" I have to deal with. Which is fine if they were just my issues, but I'm a sucker for helping out anyone in need and I think some people a.k.a. "leeches" can smell that. I know a few people, who unlike myself, haven't worked for months...literally months. One person I know hasn't worked since 2007. How they have a nice apartment, new electronics, brand name clothes, etc I don't know. But maybe I do. It's because of people like me...the big hearted suckers wanting to be mankind's heroes. I know that many of these "leeches" are living of the government and churches and people like me. But how are they going to improve their life if everyone keeps coddling them? I say cut them off! And I have begun to do this myself. Why should these people live life to the fullest going on vacations, eating out every day, having a nice car and gas money to fill it...basically having all the time in the world to do what they want when I struggle with working 60-80 hours a week just to make ends meet?!?

Next complaint is about myself. I'm so irritated with myself and the jealousy that I have for others. I read peoples Twitters, Blogs and Vlogs and I can't help but think "Why not me? Why can't I have what they have"? I swear I just have bad luck when it comes to figuring out what to do with my own life. I've been to school three times and each time the degree has failed me due to the industry that it's been in. Yes, I love to learn but certain degrees can only get you so far. I'd love to go back to school again, but I'm afraid of failing once more. I feel like everytime I try to improve myself, something throws me back farther than when I started. I honestly think that my way of life was so much better right after the first round school. I had a career that I used my degree for, I had a good savings, enjoyed my time off, I even had a prospect of starting a family. These days I dread having any spare time to myself because it gives me too much time to think.

Next I hate to complain about this, but I'm going to anyway. I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS, Mormons) and even though I love my church and what it teaches, I'm so sick of having to stand up for it. I know what I believe but I'm sick of wasting my breath trying to defend it others who are not members. Most of the time I know I'm not going to change their minds so why should I sit there and debate with them. They see how I live, what I do and how I treat others, that's my part for my church...no more debates! I just think it's ironic that in these days people who have religion and follow the ways of religious leaders are looked at as the evil ones.

One more rant for the road...

Politicians and Actors - When did these two "industries" merge? I'm sick of how the media is portraying Barack and Michelle Obama as celebrities. Taking pictures of every step they make, show off their latest fashions, even telling the world what they had for breakfast that day. Leave them alone and let them do their jobs! I'd like to think that with the nation in the state that it is today, that the President has more on his mind then what designer tie he'll be wearing that day. As for the actors and actresses...yes it's great that you have an opinion, but so does the rest of the nation. Just because you're in the lime light most of the time, doesn't give you the right to make decisions for the rest of us. And if certain entertainers have played the part of a President or Vice President, that doesn't MAKE you a politician, it still makes you an actor.

Sorry about all the bitching and moaning lately, but sometimes I just have to get these thoughts out of my head and place them somewhere else. You're just the lucky victims that get to read it.

Crane Watch 2008

Yes, it’s the time of year again, where I spend any free time outside watching for the devil birds to come and eat my fish. Many of the birds are migrating and they know my pond is loaded with fish. This year is making me extra stressed because I finally bought some expensive Koi. I know it sounds funny, but I love my fish! I can’t stand to think of them being attacked by these birds. Saturday within just a half hour, there was a woodpecker (who loves waking me up in the middle of the night as well), egrets and 4 foot sandhill crane. The woodpecker and the egrets didn’t return but that damn crane just kept on circling our area. I was out there for two hours making sure it didn’t return, but anytime I turned my back he landed. ARGHHH! I haven't seen the big crane that's landed the last two years. That bird is 5 foot tall with a two foot beak and a 10 foot wing span...yeah, and I admit, it scares me. Well, thank goodness for this time of year, scarecrows are out in the store. I might just have to get a few to encircle the pond.

I’m welcome to any suggestions on how to keep these birds out of the pond. I will not hurt them, because 1st I’m not like that and 2nd two of the species are on the endangered list. But if anyone wants to bird watch for a few hours and make sure they don’t get the fish, you’re more than welcomed to come over.

Emotional Vampires

In Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, there is a character, Dandelo, who unlike the traditional vampires that feed off of blood, feeds off emotions; capturing and torturing others with laughter, sorrow and fear. I’m coming to believe that these are in fact, not fictional characters.

There are a handful of people in my life, probably a couple reading this, that are slowly draining me of any feeling and leaving me exhausted. These individuals require so much attention and need, I cringe when I see them on my caller I.D., get a text or email from them or the worst thing…showing up unannounced at the door. I know I’ll be spending the next hour or two being drained from the complaining, “Woe is me, no one has it worse off than me” stories. There is something that every one of these people have in common and that is laziness and poor social skills. They all want others to do their work, give them money and pretty much have others live through their crap.

I know for a fact that this is mostly my fault. I have a thing for helping unfortunate people in need. I blame my mother for giving me such a tender heart for the downtrodden, because she has the same benevolent mind: because we have so much, we must learn to give to others. Unfortunately, I don’t have it in my mind or soul to say “NO”.

One of these “vampires” has even been recently assigned by the Bishop of my church. He told me that this woman doesn’t have any friends and since I’m a friendly person and I get along with most people, that I should comfort her and introduce her to others. Well, I know why she doesn’t have friends; she’s about the most annoying, non-reliant person who holds a grudge for years over the smallest thing. I’m talking about how unforgiving she can be over something that was said to her in the 2nd grade by a classmate (I wish I was kidding about this). Most people that I introduce to her tell me that they do not want to be around her again, because she is so draining and very unpleasant to be around, but for some reason I stick around because I feel that everyone deserves a friend, even if it means making myself miserable.

Another individual is a man in his 40’s that has a family, a good job but for some reason has the need to borrow money from me because of his "financial hardship". I find myself a huge sucker for him because he tells me stories about how his children are in need, even though he lies to get welfare and money from his church that pays for his rent, his car and his food. I’m a sap when it comes to kids. Even though I know he’s lying through his teeth, I always have that scraping at the back of my mind “What if the kids ARE suffering?”

These are just two of the people that are taking a major toll on me. I honestly don’t know what to do, because of my guilt factor in saying “No”. I know that my health is taking a toll because of these people, as well as my pocketbook, but even worse, I'm slowly turning into one of them by complaining about life.

I’m looking for any kind of advice to deal with people like this. Better yet, I’m looking for a doctor that will prescribe me a 3 month vacation.


Quirky Quote: As none can see the wind but in its effects on the trees, neither can we see the emotions but in their effects on the face and body. ~Nathaniel LeTonnerre

Number Rattlers

I spend a good portion of my life on the phone at work and usually to help the individuals, I’ll have to call someone else if they are in need of repairs and then call them back with the repair information. I understand that people get frustrated when their stuff is not working properly, but if there is one thing (besides not using turn signals), that tans my hide is people who rattle off their phone numbers. Then you have to ask them to repeat it, hence a more upset person. But the worse is when you have to listen to a message that is 5 minutes long and at the end the speed through the phone number, making me have to listen to a bunch of nonsense for two or three more times. ARGGHHH! You just spent 5 minutes giving me a message take 15 more seconds and speak your number clearly. Really, is that a lot to ask?!?

Unfortunate Namesake: Crystal Clearwater

Quirky Quote: Telephone: n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. ~Ambrose Bierce

Rant, Rant...Smurf?!

There’s a couple of things that I just have to rant about; a couple of pet peeves, which I'm sure everyone can relate to.

Rant #1
Customer Service
What the hell happened to it? Honestly, I cannot think of the last time I truly had good customer service. I’ve desensitized myself in thinking this is the norm, but when you have bad customer service…damn, it must be bad! This weekend I went into a store that is a national chain, that specifies in a certain product and there is a new item that I know that will be hitting the selves within the next couple of days. I thought, well who better to go ask then these “so called” experts. I went in there looked about to see what other items I might be interested in and did pick up a couple of things and headed my way to the checkout. Yep there’s 20 checkout stands, but only one is open with a line of six people, two of them needing returns. “I’m going to be here I awhile” I thought to myself. And I was right I was, even though there were 5 other employee standing right behind us have a laxed conversation about someone’s vacation. They looked over to us several times, but none came to help. One guy in line asked the checker if she could have one of them help, but she just ignored him. I finally got to the checkout and just like magic, all of a sudden the 5 nimrods standing in the background came up and asked if they could help…yeah…there was no one left in line. Then I went on to ask them about this upcoming product. They all looked at me like I was speaking Klingon. “Well can one of you find out when it will be in the store” I asked. They then debated for the next half a minute who would do this hard task of looking it up on the computer. Hence to say, I never got my question answered as I walked out frustrated. Some experts eh?!? Now, I worked in retail for 6 years and I know that it isn’t any fun, but hey…that your job! Do it! That’s why you’re getting paid.

Rant #2
Movie Theater Etiquette
I’ve come to realize that the more and more our society advances technological, the more and more our manners go out the door. When I go into a movie, I expect the show to entertain me...not the other members of the audience. Why do people think it’s right for the kids to run up and down the aisle and yell at the top of their lungs, or to text message with the blaring LCD screen, or talk through the whole movie. I don’t mind if people make a few comments here and there, but full conversation about what dumb thing your husband did the night before needs to go out into the foyer. If your kids cannot behave in public, don’t take them into public. I have to give Kudos to one of the movie theaters in town as they have started to major motion pictures for the 21 and over crowd. No kids and no teens are allowed in the movie. Not to say that I don’t like kids, I love them, but it’s nice to see a film that you know that maturity of the audience can control their A.D.D.

Musing
Smurfs
Here’s something a bit amusing for y’all. The other day while working at the Post Office, one of my friends, who is a huge cartoon geek like myself, told me she got the whole series of Smurfs on DVD. So we went on talking about the Smurfs and some of our favorite characters, when one of the gals asked us “What is a Smurf”? Ouch! I now feel the old factor setting in. OK, here's something that's awkward...trying to explain a Smurf to someone that doesn't know what one is. Yeah...I ended up looking like I was high. But then again, maybe that's how the idea of Smurfs came along.

Random Recommendation: Go to Wikipedia and do a random article search and read about it. You’ll be surprised what you can learn.

Quirky Quote: Freaks are the much needed escape from the humdrum. They are poetry. ~Albert Perry