View allAll Photos Tagged cheapskates
the cost to park a day in the Marina Towers parking building in downtown Chicago next to the House of Blues...
a dark day indeed, for a cheapskate like me...
Have a great sliders sunday!
The $5 Lens Test...
I shoot and post very little digital these days (it's kind of, almost, dead to me). But every now and then it happens, for some odd reason or another. So I was in a Goodwill store recently, and spotted a Lowepro lens case on the shelf. I assumed it would be empty, but there was a lens in it - the one I used here (see below). Now this is a perfectly good lens, mind you, but a kit lens with a plastic mount, so most photogs would agree it's not something to brag about or to write home about... UNLESS it costs only $5 BUCKS!! In that case this totally floats this old cheapskate's boat. And I should add, it's in mint condition. Still, I tried not to get to excited about it until I got it home and fully tested it out. So there you have - a good enough reason to dust off the ancient D70 (still an all time favorite of mine even if I seldom use it).
Photo taken with a Nikon D70 and AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G.
Sorry long boring 'How-to' read. Save yourself now...*Yawn*
Just sharing how little cheapskate me made a do it yourself infrared filter for my Hoya filter holder. For a few pounds. Just for fun nerding out really.
I bought a 2mm thin/thick infrared transmitting acrylic sheet starting at 750nm with a removable protective film on (which you remove before using!!!). And cut it to size with a fine tooth saw (in a quick wooden jig i made) to keep the blade straight.
It only cost me a few pounds including postage and I thought it worked quite well (see recent pics for Rollei Infrared 400 film). I don't think much sharpness is lost from it being an acrylic filter instead of a glass one. And if it is, for me personally, in dreamy infrared, I really don't mind a bit of added softness to the image.
A few tips for cutting the sheet.
1. Be sure to keep the protective film on until you're ready to shoot with it once completely made.
2. Protect the acrylic in something that will stop the friction of the cutting action from scuffing the face of the sheet whilst you cut it. I used a cloth and just taped it around.
3. Don't force the acrylic to snap off until the saw blade goes all the way through without effort. Unless you are with the knack of snapping acrylic. I suck at it!
4. Use sandpaper or files to file down the rough cut edge to a smoother finish. Be careful not to get that on the acrylic face or it could scratch. Protect the face (both sides) until it's all done.
Other Tips...
1. Don't worry about seeing very fine hair scratches on the protective film these won't affect the quality of the shot. At least they didn't on mine. Just take care handling it like you would other acrylic filters or any filters.
2. When using it. If you find it collects dust easily, even in the outdoors, and a microcloth doesn't remove the dust specs fully then a bit of spit (ewww yes i know hahaha) should wipe it clear without any damage to the acrylic. Just keep checking that.
3. Don't expect it to last as long as a glass R72 filter but it should last long enough for some fun if taken care of. Again just always check it before shooting for significant scratches.
4. Maybe wear a mask or open a window because the fumes can be quite yukky. Not toxic but some people might be irritated by the fumes i guess.
Over and Out...
Anyway obviously DISCLAIMER: Undertake it at your own risk!!! Or buy one like a sensible person would. Haha
Best of luck if you do try it. Might save you some pennies.
Lisa
I'm not being paid or anything. Other sellers are available i'm sure. haha but I got mine from these guys in the UK
First photos for 2017~ I was supposed to take just one good shot for a New Year's greeting, but Kasumi looked so pretty that I got carried away and ended up with more than one photo that I liked ^^;
I borrowed this gorgeous Infinite Love kimono and Kuloft hairband from Sarg ♥ I only have a few yukatas from Infinite Love because the kimonos a bit more expensive and I've been too big of a cheapskate to buy even one... >.< Then every time I see the ones that Sarg has, I'm like "SO PRETTYH DO WANT!!" but the prettiest kimonos get sold out fast and there are not many for sale second-hand ;___; I especially love this black & pink one that Kasumi is wearing, fortunately she can at least borrow it~
The complete set of photos can be found on my blog :3
---
Kasumi - Volks DD Takane Shijou
So the photography challenge wk 8 requires me to do a stitched pano and I am a cheapskate and won't buy the software to do it! :-) So this was spliced together in Powerpoint (consequently low res) and then edited using a free cloning tool to disguise the joins. Apparently there is a way to do it "in camera" for my model so I will be researching and trying that out next.
The $5 Lens Test...
I shoot and post very little digital these days (it's kind of, almost, dead to me). But every now and then it happens, for some odd reason or another. So I was in a Goodwill store recently, and spotted a Lowepro lens case on the shelf. I assumed it would be empty, but there was a lens in it - the one I used here (see below). Now this is a perfectly good lens, mind you, but a kit lens with a plastic mount, so most photogs would agree it's not something to brag about or to write home about... UNLESS it costs only $5 BUCKS!! In that case this totally floats this old cheapskate's boat. And I should add, it's in mint condition. Still, I tried not to get to excited about it until I got it home and fully tested it out. So there you have - a good enough reason to dust off the ancient D70 (still an all time favorite of mine even if I seldom use it).
Photo taken with a Nikon D70 and AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G.
Law of attraction
If like attracts like, I’m a real weirdo.
I have unpleasant interactions at the grocery store on the regular, but today was something special. I felt like a weirdo magnet, to include an employee following me around the store with a dry mop and making intense eye contact. If I wasn’t such a cheapskate, I think I’d start having my groceries delivered to avoid people.
Overall dress, Dickies. Top, Forever 21 (thrifted). Sandals, Birkenstock (thrifted and gifted). Earrings, Crafty Storz. Necklace, swap.
p-мinus • Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four Three Two ∞ One
For todays rendition of the p-мinus countdown, for the 5th picture from the end, I am greatly honored to introduce a very special guest speaker. Please stand up and welcome president of flickr.com, JpK himself... President John p. Kennedy!!!!!
Whether you are a pro user or non-paying cheapskate, ask of us here on Day 361 the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of pimp. With good pictures the only sure reward will be a spot in explore, with history the fav button judges this deed, let us go forth to lead the pimps picture into greatness, pushing that fav button and leaving that long comment, and knowing that here on flickr, pimps already completed but not yet posted 365-day self-portrait project is really our own.
Remember, my fellow flickrites, ask not what pimp can do for you; ask what you can do for pimp. Thank you, and god bless.
--
Check me out at the Alabama Hills! I took a 4 day trip to Death Valley to wrap up my 365 last December. My last stop before entering DV was Lone Pine, California. The bitch at the front desk recommended that I check this out with the few hours I had to kill. And I’m glad I did, I don’t think I’ve ever been so tripped out by a place in my life.
Now keep in mind I never smoke weed these days. I get drug tested for it and regardless I don’t particualy care for it anyway as a daily thing. Maybe at a party if it was around, whatever.
But on this day, I smoked a big fat bowl. That may have something to do with how frogs, firefighters, Pacman, E.T., goblins, leprechauns, your mom, my mom, and everything else was seen in those damn rock formations. I had to get out of my car on many occasions because I couldn’t believe this shit formed naturally. It really looked like it was manmade it was so distinctive of these creatures.
Oh and I almost got lost in the snow while driving around too. Yeah I went from desert heat and snow in a matter of minutes. Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contintental US, is right there. I started driving up on accident and before I knew it, I was getting deep in snow. I turned around before something bad happened.
The whole look and feel of the place is nothing short of surreal. Both older and newer TV shows and movies have been shot here. Apparently it’s world renown for photographers too.
The shot at hand? That’s me walking on one of the roads around the 7-mile stretch. I photoshopped the blazing fires and smoke of Armageddon in the background mountains. This goes with a theme of me calmly walking away unscathed except of course the few burnt holes in everyone’s favorite t-shirt.
Location: Alabama Hills, California
Taken: December 2nd, 2009
Posted: May 29th, 2010
*=lapse
**=continued from pimpexposure
"The bargain hunter (a.k.a. cheapskate)
that I am, I couldn't turn down Sonic's 1/2
price after 8's shake....no way, not me!
O boy, did I ever regret it too....hardly slept
a wink while that (good at the time) ice
cream churned all night long....ohhh!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, if you are tempted by a sign like this
for a cheap late night Summer Treat.........
take it from me an don't fall for it, you may
be sorry, no matter how much you save!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Y'all enjoy your weekend.....but beware
of what, when, and how much you enjoy
......just sayin'! :)
~Mary Lou
In the evening when the St Mark's Square is lighted up, live music starts to play in the bars by the side of the square. Obviously, in the real estate terms, those shops just bordering the squares will charge exorbitant prices for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
As the cheapskate budget traveller, I sat on the boardwalks instead and enjoy the night view with the free music playing in the background.
Yeah, I know the shot is blur (despite me shooting at iso 1600), but I sort of like the mood here. Just felt like reliving some relaxing moments in life on a hectic day like today.
Whilst it's been very close to a year since I've last uploaded a photo here as opposed to my second account since I'm a glorious cheapskate, I've decided to revisit this with a working I've failed to get twice in a row for other reasons, and now discovered it whilst not on rare on London Vehicle Finder. I can rest from despairing my soul with viewing 196 daily now.
Thus I rushed here and after snapping it, entering some shops I see it pass the other way to Elephant... I have been monitoring the state of 196 with this specific vehicle in mind and erm, I can see why it was turned at short notice (probably). Dunno what was causing it to bunch a lot but still.
West Norwood Station
Passengers travelling between Penrith and Keswick or vice-versa change buses at Shap.
Anyone hoping for a respite from the bus they had endured thus far was out of luck!
What was worse? One of the original L reg Nationals or a cheapskate Series B version? Either way it was torment to travel on....
July 1983.
#1980s #1970s #athletic #athlete #beachbody #beauty #beautiful #bikini #Veniceboardwalk #carnival #California #cheapskates #cute #exercise #exercising #fit #girl #lifestyle #legs #leisure #lifestyle #LosAngeles #models #ocean #pinup #promenade #rollerblades #rollerderby #rollerskates #rollerskating #rollerskater #rollerskaters #recreation #rollerskate #sexy #skateboard #sports #SantaMonica #skates #skater #skating #skaters #Venice #VeniceBeach
Shot with Paul Duncan's cheapskate ring light with a snoot on the flash. Rope lights were laid along along bottom of wall behind figure.
Maybe I shouldn't book the cheapest available ticket next time...
Even if, by doing so, you get some weird angles to take snapshots from?
i bought it, being the cheapskate that i am, even though it was $10.
i love every little bit of it--latte, the steam, and the sugarcube. the sugarcube looks like real sugar XD
The Ty Warner Sea Center of the Santa Bárbara Museum of Natural History was letting everyone in for free that day. Being a cheapskate and naturally unable to resist a freebie, I figured I had to go and take a look. This sea anemone caught my attention.
This was tough. There is not a huge variety of Olive Green pieces out there. Still think it came out pretty well. It's Lego City scale and can hold three turtles (the fourth one can ride the Cheapskate I already made).
This is gonna be a new way that Suckadelic is gonna present and sell it's figs into 2012, in 3 character series based off a motif. First on off in SPACE NECROMANCER.
Quality is gone up on these, wet up with MONSTER COLOR airbrush paints and made up of a shit-load of parts.
Sold as a set of 3. No cherry Picking cheapskate!
Don't try this at home. Unless you're really bored ;)
First time test shooting this camera after having it in my collection for years.
Film: Fuji Nexia 400 APS Expired 2002. Respooled in to a 240 iso APS cartridge because I couldn't override the iso on the camera for expired film.
Format: APS Film 24mm Film
Camera: Canon IXUS-X1 23mm Waterproof Camera (Released 1999).
Setting: Panorama (P Setting)
No Crop. No Filter. No Post Editing. NOT A.I. (That to me is like physically chopping up peoples' paintings and making a new painting from the pieces without their permission).
Developed in Bellini C41 Kit
Did a DIY cheapskate (of course i did! lol) on an old tank to be able to process APS/110 film/35mm/120 all still on rachet mechanism! Will post/share how i did it another day. I didn't want to buy in film reels from the USA to UK with costly shipping and it saved me about £50!!!
Scanned with a DIY film holder (of course I did!) cut from black plastic from the front and rear covers of an old college notepad. I wasn't paying out either for an APS film holder i'll almost never use again. lol
On a 50p camera and one quid film. Taken on a car boot sale bargain - the Olympus XA2, and AgfaPhoto Vista Plus 200 film from Poundland. Discount photography v Canikon fanclub.
My attempt to use more large "useless" parts and integrate them into an R-Type-type fighter resulted in this more dropship / atmospheric jet like deal.
The "Swiper" sticker just fit too well as nose art. Unfortunately, my daughter does not like Swiper (what kid really does?) and so she took it upon her self to remove it... the next option is "Big Bird."
Also, as a cheapskate who's been holding out on going "pro" for 7 years now, constantly curating my gallery of no more than 200 photos, I dig the new Flickr changes. 1 whole TB for free?? Yes Please!
I'm not going anywhere.
This corner modular building (32 x 32 studs) was inspired by the infamous Moe's Tavern from "The Simpsons." No designated drivers allowed - he's got no room for cheapskates.
Find the instructions here and on Rebrickable.com!
You can also follow all the fun on Instagram: @BenBuildsLego
Test shot for Macro Mondays "jewelry" theme. Growing up in Essex back in the eighties you were nobody without at least one of these bad boys. I wouldn't be seen dead in the pub without my sovereign, my thick gold chain and a nice tasteful pair of diamond cut hoop earrings! Oh well, I thought it was a good look at the time. Lol! The coin itself is the original one pound coin and although it has a nominal value of a pound it's worth quite a bit more than that as it's made of 22 carat gold. This one's set in a 9 carat ring though as I'm a cheapskate!
What a haul. 36'ers all of them. AgfaPhoto Vista Plus 200 35mm films from the UK Poundland store. Half a box of 36ers spotted on top of 24's in the Kings Lynn branch, so I of course, bought the lot.
Not Agfa, but a resell rumoured to be a variant of Fujifilm C200. A quid each. That's GBP £1.00. Oh and the camera, that's my favourite 35mm compact, the Olympus XA2. Bought at a car boot sale for 50p (£0.50). Who says that film photography has to be expensive?
perched on my fingertip is a mediterranean house gecko. per wikipedia, it's one of the most successful species of geckos in the world. i tried to borrow some money, but got nada. however, since they do climb the walls of my non-mediterranean home at night eating bugs, i guess they're ok. even if they are bug-eating cheapskates.
I was visiting Wellington last weekend for a friends 50th birthday party and decided to go out and try and take some street shots before leaving for the party. On viewing the files later nothing really grabbed me so I decided to try the techniques of a fellow Flickr New Zealand photographer BazNZ -- Please check his photostream as personally I love his work.
For a first attempt at Barries technique I'm very pleased - the subject matter is nothing to write home about but I like the look and overall feel of the photo.
Thanks for the inspiration Barrie!
© Mike Mulcahy 2017
Reuploading this as it was part of my old (lost) flickr account
Let's take a boat and wait until darkness
If you don't have the time to read the poetry below than please listen to this wondereful music
45 Mercy Street
Anne Sexton
In my dream,
drilling into the marrow
of my entire bone,
my real dream,
I'm walking up and down Beacon Hill
searching for a street sign --
namely MERCY STREET.
Not there.
I try the Back Bay.
Not there.
Not there.
And yet I know the number.
45 Mercy Street.
I know the stained-glass window
of the foyer,
the three flights of the house
with its parquet floors.
I know the furniture and
mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,
the servants.
I know the cupboard of Spode
the boat of ice, solid silver,
where the butter sits in neat squares
like strange giant's teeth
on the big mahogany table.
I know it well.
Not there.
Where did you go?
45 Mercy Street,
with great-grandmother
kneeling in her whale-bone corset
and praying gently but fiercely
to the wash basin,
at five A.M.
at noon
dozing in her wiggy rocker,
grandfather taking a nap in the pantry,
grandmother pushing the bell for the downstairs maid,
and Nana rocking Mother with an oversized flower
on her forehead to cover the curl
of when she was good and when she was...
And where she was begat
and in a generation
the third she will beget,
me,
with the stranger's seed blooming
into the flower called Horrid.
I walk in a yellow dress
and a white pocketbook stuffed with cigarettes,
enough pills, my wallet, my keys,
and being twenty-eight, or is it forty-five?
I walk. I walk.
I hold matches at street signs
for it is dark,
as dark as the leathery dead
and I have lost my green Ford,
my house in the suburbs,
two little kids
sucked up like pollen by the bee in me
and a husband
who has wiped off his eyes
in order not to see my inside out
and I am walking and looking
and this is no dream
just my oily life
where the people are alibis
and the street is unfindable for an
entire lifetime.
Pull the shades down --
I don't care!
Bolt the door, mercy,
erase the number,
rip down the street sign,
what can it matter,
what can it matter to this cheapskate
who wants to own the past
that went out on a dead ship
and left me only with paper?
Not there.
I open my pocketbook,
as women do,
and fish swim back and forth
between the dollars and the lipstick.
I pick them out,
one by one
and throw them at the street signs,
and shoot my pocketbook
into the Charles River.
Next I pull the dream off
and slam into the cement wall
of the clumsy calendar
I live in,
my life,
and its hauled up
notebooks
====Gotham City- The Big Day====
For the past eight days, Gotham has been at the mercy of an unseen killer. Day after day the death toll has risen. Only some of us know who's the perpetrator- Julian Day. The Calendar Man. In spite of this, life continued as always. People got up, got dressed, and went to work. But something was off. All around the city we felt one thing- Dread. Everyone knew it was coming. That the same pyschopath terrorising the city for the past eight days would strike again. But nothing happened. No bald eagles or mastiffs. No acid baths or deafening noises. People started to relax. Maybe he, whoever he was, gave up? Maybe he was dead. Nothing. And then everything.
It started two hours ago. At exactly 18:00, rush hour, gas canisters placed all across Gotham erupted, releasing fear gas everywhere. Victims of the City of Fear broke down immediately. There were riots, trampling as people ran to cover. It may be Make Your Dream Come True Day, but in actuality it's more of a nightmare. Creatures, nightmarish, monsters crawled out of the sewers to attack. My first thought was that they were more hallucinations, but they felt so much more real. When they attacked, buildings fell. When they roared, the ground shook. Gotham has often been called Hell on Earth, but tonight it feels like it. Tonight, we're alone.
- Commissioner James Gordon
==Butchinsky's, three hours prior==
Faraday- Stay here, I might need back-up
*They call this place Butchinsky's, a bar for the low level crooks here to gather. Our last appointment of the night. If anyone knows something about Day, it'll be Fiasko- everyone we've talked to this afternoon mentioned this watering-hole, as though it's the heart of their little community. We knock on the door and enter. Mopping the countertop is the bartender, Fiasko himself- dressed like a deranged pencil with an oversized bow-tie wrapped around his neck*
Faraday- Leonard Fiasko?
*The Eraser nods*
Len- Len.
Faraday- Agent King Faraday, I'd like to talk about one of your customers
Len- Which one? Believe me, I've got quite the list. To start, Artie is a cheapskate who won't pay his tab, Blake is a money maker, if only for all the drinks he buys his dates, Chuck is a good enough guy but he won't touch the strong stuff, Walker is a lightweight, wine for his missus... and Gar's surprisingly pretentious. Fireball. The heck even is that?
Faraday- I was actually talking about Julian Day.
Len- Oh. Well he likes cocktails-
Faraday- No, that's not... How would you describe mr Day?
*Eraser continues mopping the counter, talking as he does so*
Len- Pays his tab, what else can you ask for
====Brown Cottage====
*Charles Brown, Kite-Man answers almost immediately, watering his potted plant and sipping his herbal tea*
Chuck- Well that's easy, quiet. Keeps to himself mostly
====Clayton's Steakhouse====
*The country music behind us blares. Sharp leans in close, barbecue sauce smeared on his face, still chewing on his ribs*
Chancer- Wuwian Way? *swallows* He's a bumbling loser. He's a joiner, not a leader
====Gotham Circus====
*Blake signs a few autographs, then strokes his panther, Sasha he calls it, affectionately, laughing heartily*
Blake- Jules? A barrel of laughs. Though they're usually at his expense.
====Crazy Quilt's====
*Paul Dekker grabs us a drink. I know his reputation, so I politely decline*
Dekker- Julian, let me tell you about Julian! Simply marvelous my dear. Marvelous. Like your friend, Miss-?
====Butchinsky's====
Faraday- Has he ever displayed any violent tendencies?
Len- Nah, no. Sure, there's been plenty of bar fights, but never Julian
Chuck- No. Never. Has something happened?
Chancer- Heh. Guy wouldn't hurt a fly.
Blake- Violent? He's a dainty flower!
Dekker- Nope. Very delicate.
====Butchinsky's====
Faraday- That will be all Mr Fiasko.
*Eraser ignores me as I leave, still stacking shelves as the door closes*
Armstrong- Well did you get anything?
Faraday- Not a thing. That's our sixth visit, and not one of them has had a clue about Day.
Armstrong- They're covering for him.
Faraday- It's a possibility, yes, but I'm not so sure. Listen, It's nearly rush hour, I better get back to the office. Need a lift?
====Inside====
*I hear the pigs leave, and immediately I jump under the table, muttering "shit!" as I look for the shotgun. Jules you fucking idiot. I grab the bullets, then run out the backdoor*
----------------------
For Drury's talk with the Feds, refresh your memory with "A Mothpoint Interlude- One Year On"
www.flickr.com/photos/144751365@N08/40214877123/in/album-...
Thank
I was taking a rest break on a bench when my primal instinct whispered “something is watching you”. I turned my head and saw this small squirrel trying to maintain a low profile while checking me out as friend or foe. When we made eye contact he cautiously approached to within an arm’s length and then scampered away when he realized I had no treat for him but not before he scolded me for being such a cheapskate.
Squirrels are one of my favorite little critters to photograph and I find their antics always amusing. Watching one for just a short period of time will provide any photographer with ample opportunities for an interesting frame or two.
There will be several more from this batch, so please be patient while I get them ready for upload.
In some of these photos it's been difficult getting an accurate colour balance. When selecting 6500K (daylight) they've come out too red. On this shot, for instance, I had to crank the colour temperature up to 8000K.
I suppose being a cheapskate and using antiquated software doesn't help either. Oh, well.
The Leica II (Model D, 1932 - ) was an enhancement of the original Leica I (Model C, 1931 -). It had an incorporated rangefinder that worked with exchangeable lenses - a massive leap in technology. The III (Model F, 1933 -) was Leica II on steroids - it added slow speeds, necessitating another dial at the front of the body, The lesser models could be upgraded to the higher ones.
Then there was a IIc and a IIf, but not a IIg, at least none that you could buy. These later Leica II models were just castrated versions of their respective brethren, the IIIc and the IIIf. The castration consists in the omission of the slow exposure time functionality, so the place in the body where the added dial would have gone was covered with a plate covered with vulcanite. This plate is as if the camera had "cheapskate" printed all over it in big red letters.
Comparing the Model D to the IIf the thing you see immediately is the diecast upper casing of the IIf, and when you look more closely you see that the IIf has flash synchronisation via a PC plug on the back of the body and a ring selector switch and red numbers around the base of the exposure times dial. As I don't do flash photography I never got around to finding out how that works, which is a serious omission.
The Elmar (II) offers coated elements and the modern f-stop numbering; also, it stops down to f/22 rather than f/18.
Leica II (Model D) body ("LYKAN"), 1935
Elmar (I) 5cm 1:3.5, 1930
Leica IIf body ("LOOSE"), 1954
Elmar (II) 5cm 1:3.5, 1953
Hever Castle Golf Course, where I just happened to be wandering around today with a bag full of sticks chasing a little white ball....
First journey into 120 medium format photography. Test roll on a two quid Soviet TLR.
Lubitel 166B camera.
Ilford FP4 Plus 125 120 film.
My camera got problem with the aperture drive unit (for the Nikon G lens) and to replace a new unit cost me S$150.
To hell i'll pay for that (i'm a cheapskate, and more, my camera cost me only S$700 when I bought it, spent S$170 before for the shutter unit replacement - and now, another S$150, no way).
Now I'm officially stick with my manual lenses.
Yay, on Explore #6 Oct 6th 2008. Thank you guys :D
Christmas Eve, long ago:
A young man lies comatose in a hospital bed. A grieving daughter wonders why her father disappeared. A violent vigilante stabs his way through the underworld, seeking justice for his family.
A mercenary sits beside his client on a snow-covered rooftop as he rethinks his life choices and choice of company. A speedster from the future seeks to prolong his life. An ambitious mobster with plans above his station shifts pallets for his skull-faced employer.
A lowly outcast spends his day trapped behind a cash register, wishing for a break from the monotony of his life. A clown sings carols in a padded cell. A bowman receives an earth-shattering diagnosis. Inoperable, they say.
A wounded veteran spends another Christmas in prison, a victim of a senseless war, cast aside by the government once he had served his supposed purpose.
Robbed of his childhood, an inhuman drone stays locked in a stasis chamber by his masters, released only to carry out their bidding, or to be subjected to another experiment. He has no say in the matter.
A nineteen-year-old boy is scolded by his mother, for daring to wear the yellow and purple costume he'd found listed online. It had reminded him of his father, though he'd never met the man.
Across the world, a secret society grows in number every day. An ancient order consolidates its power. A disgraced gangster seeks to repair his tattered reputation. A monstrous demon whispers poison into the ears of the forgotten and the easily swayed.
But for Drury Walker, none of that matters. Not yet.
==ISA Headquarters==
Winter winds howled outside the old Waterworks building, pelting the windows with thick clumps of snow. Safe and warm inside, Doctor Shiro Ito prepared a batch of Hot Chocolate for his daughter and himself. Beside him, an aged gramophone from his youth played Darlene Love’s “Baby, please come home.” The comforting melody was interrupted by the abrupt entrance of one of his old colleagues; a man in his sixties, dressed in a torn burgundy suit jacket and a battered orange moth mask. He was incensed, bloody and limping.
"Clifford, I was not expecting you at this hour,” Ito cooed, a slight irritation in his tone.
‘Clifford,’ still mid-rant, ignored the Doctor’s questions. "I need some new helmets. That fucking-"
"Clifford,” Ito warned.
"That FUCKING Martian!" Cliff kicked the cupboard nearest to him.
"Clifford, you are agitated. It is most disquieting. Please, let me prepare you a hot cocoa. The milk has just finished frothing. You like it with cinnamon, correct?" Ito directed him to the kitchen table.
"Aye, and half a bottle of scotch. GodDAMMIT! He was waiting for me, Shiro! Waiting! With his slimy green skin, and demon eyes! No offense,” he tacked on an insincere apology.
"None taken, I am aware you have reservations about my processes of self-improvement. Your cocoa,” Ito declared, carefully placing the steaming drink down.
"Tah,” Cliff nodded, chugging it down in one, messy gulp.
"There are other solutions to your predicament,” Ito observed.
"Yeah, a fucking flamethrower,” Cliff laughed coldly, wiping his upper lip with his sleeve. “I tried buttering up that Firefly freak, dead end that. Wants nothing to do with me. Drury's burning bridges, with me on ‘em... Ungrateful brat."
"Your boy, yes,” Ito recalled the name. “I understand he was betrothed to the Tiger Shark's daughter."
"Married in the summer. Not like I was invited. You got a kid, right, Shiro?"
"I prefer Doctor Ito, Clifford,” Ito replied plainly. Cliff Walker was the last person he wished to discuss Cynthia with.
"Yeah, and if I had a fancy college education, I would probably wave my doctorate around too,” Cliff scoffed derisively. “Which one did you go to again?"
Ito’s amber eyes gleamed beneath his hood. "Hiroshima. However, that is not what I had in mind. I believe your entanglement with the Martian requires a more... delicate approach. Jordan would be appalled had he known I suggested it, but-"
"No,” Cliff said curtly.
"He is utterly obedient, I assure you,” Ito promised.
"Like a dog," Walker spat. "I said no, Dragon King. You can keep your 'Killer Wasp,' I'll do this my way."
"The ISA means more than the mere egos of the individual, Clifford."
"There you go again. There IS no ISA, Shiro! Not anymore! Wasp's gone, and left his bastard behind. Mahkent and the Crocks jumped ship, enlisted with Luthor's crew. Who's left? Shade? Comes and goes as he pleases. Gambler? With one grandkid in Blackgate and the other in a coma?"
"Jordan will return," Ito said with complete, albeit misplaced, faith.
"Hell'll freeze over first."
==Gotham Airport==
A woman was wheeling her luggage through the bustling halls of Gotham Airport’s departure gate, a phone propped between her head and shoulder. "Sorry, sweetheart, you know that this conference is important-"
"I just thought, with Dad gone-" the disappointed voice of her daughter on the other end sighed.
"I know, darling. But that's exactly why I need to be in Coast City. With your father gone, Pike Munitions needs someone to take charge. The Shareholders want to know what our game plan is. If you need anything, you know your uncle Jacob is across the road."
"I know."
...
“Mrs Pike, you’re Gate A,” the woman at the gate nodded.
"Thank you. Listen, I'm going through the gate now, I'll let you know when I land, ok? I love you, Bridget."
"I love you too, mom."
~-~
Across the city, in Gotham’s suburbs, a dastardly and dysfunctional duo sat on a rooftop. The leader was dressed like a cross between Saint Nick and a rejected Chippendale dancer; the other man was dressed in a spotted, white uniform, with a bright red belt around his waist and a plate of cookies in his lap. He was chewing obnoxiously loudly, in an attempt to drown out his employer’s unprompted monologue:
"-And then, I'll slide down the chimney and give Magpie the bestest, magicalist, tingliest Christmas gift of all! Me, in a Slutty Santa outfit! And a loaded shotgun to take care of that Magnet Prick,” the Zodiac Master finished with a devious smile.
"I literally could not give a single iota of shit about any of this," Krill replied, washing down the cookies with a pint of beer he’d summoned through a turquoise portal.
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't expect you to understand true love unless it's injectable, ingestible or snortable!” Zodiac sneered.
"Ha," Krill said dryly. "Your fly's undone."
Zodiac looked down at his crotch and his cheeks reddened. "Uh, duh. It's a Slutty Santa outfit," he countered, failing to convince his associate.
"I don't think it is. I think you bought a normal Santa outfit, realised it was too small, but by that point, you'd already eaten the receipt. Oh, and now, you're having to defend yourself to a man covered in polka dots, on the roof of your stalkee's house, wondering why you didn't just update your Tinder page."
"It was $50! And- And DeFarge ate the receipt."
"Uhuh."
"Sorry, I'm sensing a lot of unnecessary hostility. Did I do something to you?" Zodiac’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Hit me with an SUV,” Krill muttered, pretending to look at the sky rather than give Zodiac more attention than was necessary.
"Oh, was that you? Funny thing about a hit and run; When you run, you don't really have time to see who you hit,” Zodiac lied even more blatantly than usual. And then, rather than face Krill’s potential wrath, he took the plunge, and dropped himself down the chimney. And immediately howled with all the anguish of a Hanna Barbera cat.
"Oh, and you should've made sure the fire was out before you jumped,” Krill shrugged, refusing to move from his seat to help.
For the next few minutes, all Krill could hear was Zodiac's yelps of pain, the sounds of his fingernails attempting to claw their way back up the chimney and the barking of the Wist-Pye dogs. They were pitbulls.
With a brief twang of pity (either the result of holiday cheer or the alcohol), Krill stuck his head down the chimney and called out to Zodiac. "You know, you could always try the front doo- Oh, forget it,” he tutted, before vanishing through a magenta vortex.
~-~
Singed, chewed and crabby, Zodiac walked down the street. Remarkably, Wist had not given chase. Whether he had decided Zodiac was not worth his time or had slept through the whole thing was anyone’s guess. For Zodiac, it had meant his supposed nemesis wasn’t man enough to face him. He reached into his pocket and, with great reluctance, dialled a number into his mobile. "Yeah, Norbet. Can you come get me?"
He was met with a squeal on the other end not dissimilar to a boiling kettle.
"Norbet, I can hear your hyper ventilation,” Zodiac groaned, already regretting his decision.
"Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy, Team Planetarium is really happening!" Irving Norbet screamed joyfully.
"That is not the name, you pillock. We're called Cream Pye,” Zodiac corrected him.
"I didn't vote for that!" Norbet protested.
"Well, I did and I'm the deciding vote. Call me Simon Cowl, 'cause I'm masked and I'm mean,” Zodiac smiled smugly.
"Do you still want me to com-"
"OF COURSE, I STILL WANT YOU TO COME GET ME!”
~-~
Zodiac was sitting on the curb when Norbet finally arrived in a sleek black Lexus. Zodiac had to assume he stole it. Rather that, than admit “The Planet Master’s” success could outmatch his own.
"How'd you know I was here?” Zodiac queried, as Norbet exited the vehicle. “You some kind of 5Genius now?”
Norbet gave him a blank look. Zodiac started to contest him, but realising he had no rebuttal, silently clambered into the passenger seat.
"You should come to my place for Christmas!" Norbet suggested enthusiastically as he took the wheel. "Looks like you could do with a change of clothes anyway!" he added, noting the large hole on Zodiac’s rear that had been torn out by Wist’s hounds.
"No, thank you!" Zodiac sneered. "I have big plans! Big! I'm going to catch some Pokey-Mon, draft up some fancastings, report all of Magnet’s Facebook posts for Hate Speech and send a dozen letters to Lionsgate demanding they release the Schneider cut of Norm of the North!”
Norbet’s brow furrowed. "But… how's that different from any other day?"
...
"Never mind. So, what happened between you and Polky anyhow? I thought you said you guys were close."
“What, the Polka Snot Man?” Zodiac folded his arms. "Hah! Fired him. Good for nothing loser… Told him what's-what, I did."
"Boy! Wish I got to see that!" Norbet gave an awe-filled chuckle.
"Yeah... Wish I got to do it,” Zodiac muttered longingly.
"What?"
"Nothing. Didn’t say anything. You're schizophrenic. Fuck you."
===Gotham General===
Thomas Blake entered the ward, a wrapped parcel under his arm. He’d been told the boy was still unresponsive. That didn’t matter. He shouldn’t be alone today. Not at Christmas.
"Sorry, I ain't been around much, kid. Problem with the Six, is that they tend to be pretty secretive. Mockingbird has us moving around a lot... But, hey, got you something!” he smiled, as he waved the wrapped present in the boy’s face. Nothing. So, he placed the parcel on the table beside him.
“I see the scar’s cleared up alright,” Blake noticed, running his finger across the pale mark on the boy’s forehead where the bullet had entered his skull.
He sat back down and scratched the back of his head. “So, what's new...
Oh, oh! Killer got married! Blonde girl. Tiger Moth, she's called, huge coincidence, y'know? And she is hot. Y'know how I feel about tiger print, but for real, wowzer! And, yeah, the ceremony was great too, I guess. Metropolis made a nice change. I mean, some nobody got shot in the head by the Joker, but that's nothing outta the ordinary.”
He paused. Perhaps head trauma wasn’t the best topic.
“Uh... Right. Right. Your replacement! Killer, in his infinite wisdom, called up this Lightning Douche, another bug guy, classic case of discrimination... And... Cutting a long and bloody story short, he got blasted in the face by Red Hood.”
Perhaps he should move on entirely.
“Did I tell you Gar got crisped up? Must've mentioned that... He looks gross, man. Like someone tried to make John Malkovitch, from memory, outta bacon and chewing gum.
Morty's in the wind. Guess all that expensive booze and zero tax payments finally caught up to him. Thank god he did those acting classes, because boy, he's gonna need 'em.
Get well soon. I tried getting the nurse to slip some eggnog into your IV, but they said that could literally kill you. Tried telling them about the luck thing, but y'know these medical types and their hypocritical oaths.”
Blake sighed. "Miss you, kid. GB the PP.”
~-~
“Let’s see what your friend got you, Monty!” the nurse spoke to the boy, as she unwrapped the parcel on his behalf. “Ooh, would you look at that, it’s a baseball bat. Isn’t that lovely? I didn’t know you liked baseball, Monty,” the nurse said, presenting him with a hand carved, red and white baseball bat, adorned with card suits.
Trapped in an unresponsive body, Montgomery Sharpe’s heart softened.
===Wayne Manor===
A uncharacteristically unkempt Bruce Wayne entered the dining room, carrying an enormous turkey on a large platter. His sleeves were rolled up, his hair was tangled, and the beginnings of a five O’clock shadow was starting to form on his face. He placed the enormous bird down on the dining table, and took a proud step back, to take in his family’s hungry faces. Tim and Alfred gave him a polite round of applause. Damian’s nose wrinkled.
"I notice that your no-kill rule doesn't extend to animals, father,” the youngest tutted.
“I notice your no-kill rule doesn't extend to people, Damian,” Tim bit back.
“*Tt. *That Spook was a mere imposter,” Damian scoffed.
“But a real person!”
“That's enough, It's Christmas,” Bruce intervened, invoking the ‘Yuletide Card’ to block further bickering.
“I didn't expect you would be the sort to entertain this trivial nonsense, father,” Damian voiced his disapproval.
“And, it's the one day a year I can bring the family together and not talk ‘business,’” Bruce concluded.
“Nor, did I take you to be a sentimental sap. Mother would never have indulged me with this kind of commercial tripe.”
"And that's a real shame. A lump of coal could've done you some good!” Jason smirked.
"Yes, Todd. Then, I would have had something to throw at you."
"Besides, I have it on good authority that Walker and his gang are having a party this evening, so we can count them out of the action."
"He sent you an invite, didn't he?" Dick pried.
"He... sent me an invitation, yes."
“Food, please,” Cass pointed at the turkey, salivating.
“Right, yes,” Bruce nodded, as he took a knife to the bird and began to carve.
“What’s the matter, Alf? You got the flu?” Jason asked, wondering why he was not serving them Christmas dinner as was tradition.
"Not at all, Master Bruce was rather insistent that he would do all the cooking this year,” Alfred smiled.
“Alfred does the cooking every other day of the year,” Bruce explained. “It was time I stepped in for once,” he smiled, as he handed Alfred a plate of turkey, gravy, carrots, stuffing and parsnips.
Alfred smiled back gratefully, and cut a thin slice of turkey, putting it into his mouth. He didn't swallow.
The colour drained from Bruce’s already pale face “What’s wrong?”
Alfred paused. “It’s delicious, Bruce. Truly.”
…
“However, all those years travelling the world, seeking out the best teachers... You couldn’t find a single chef worth their Michelin stars?"
"I had other priorities-"
...
Bruce sighed. "I'll... order some Pizza."
===Van Cleer Manor===
Drury had been coy all morning about Miranda’s Christmas present. After being woken up by Kitten jumping on their bed at 6:30, they relented, and gave her permission to open her presents, while they went back to bed, lying in until 11:00. At 11:15, Miranda gave Drury his presents (among which included a pair of moth-shaped cufflinks and a set of four pairs of underwear) while Drury gave her a pair of moth-shaped stud earrings, assuring her there’d be more to follow. At 14:00, Gaige arrived for lunch. His assistant, Mr Incognito, ate his lunch at the kitchen island beside the dining table (the Walkers had not prepared a seat for him, assuming Gaige would come alone). Axel excused himself early to go visit the Rogues in Keystone. After lunch, Drury finally invited Miranda and Gaige downstairs to a large tarp, covering a vehicle of some kind. He gripped the fabric and with a magician’s flourish, unveiled his masterpiece.
"Tah Dah! It's your very own Tiger Mothmobile!"
Miranda was gobsmacked. The elongated automobile had been desecrated with large solar panels in lieu of wings, missile launchers and splattered with orange and black paint.
"Hn. Looks like a circumcised bumblebee," Gaige observed, as he slurped his eggnog.
"Judging by your stunned silence, I take it you love it?" Drury beamed proudly, wrapping his arm around Miranda’s back.
"Drury… how much did this cost you?" Miranda spoke cautiously, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
"You can't put a price on love!"
"You can, it's 50 bucks an hour and it's called prostitution."
Miranda glared at her father reproachfully.
"My man Gearhead did most of the fine tuning. Difficult getting him in here though, 'cause he's part tank,” Drury chuckled. As he placed a gentle hand on the mudguard, the entire car rattled.
"Gearhead? Where'd you find him? 1997?" Miranda raised an eyebrow.
Gaige stepped forward, thoroughly amused. "Walker, you didn't get me a Sharkmobile did you?"
Oblivious to his teasing, Drury smiled back. "Why would I, when you have a-"
"You didn't,” Gaige interrupted, his smile vanishing immediately.
"-perfectly good private yach- ulp."
"You epileptic bulb-licker! I'll keel haul your ass!" Gaige roared, lifting Drury up by his shirt collar.
“Dad!” Miranda gasped.
"You can't!" Drury croaked between strained breaths.
"And why the fuck not?" Gaige inquired, his grip loosening.
"I scrubbed off all the barnacles!" Drury replied, expecting a word of gratitude in return. Instead:
“THOSE WERE FUNCTIONAL!” Gaige roared even loader than before, shaking Drury violently.
"Daddy, put him down! You put him down right now!” Miranda warned.
Gaige glared at Drury's exposed waistband, his eyes transfixed by the brand. "Really? Wiseau?"
"They're comfy! Miranda got em for me!”
~-~
Hours passed, and the Mothcave was transformed into a Winter Wonderland. Fairy lights were draped along the top of his Mothcomputer, baubles hung from the roof, and polystyrene Snowman were erected around the room. A tiki bar had been painted white and gold and was stocked with My Alibi’s finest booze. Len Fiasco had kindly (although reluctantly) stepped in to run in it on Drury’s behalf. As guests began to arrive, Drury stood at his wife’s side, carefully watching her face as she stared at the Tiger Mothmobile, once again submerged by its’ tarpaulin coverings.
"You don't like it,” he groaned. “Damn it, I knew I shoulda sprung for a Tiger Mothcopter, I'm an idiot!"
"No, not at all! Just... Let's just set a price limit for next year, ok, Killer?" Miranda gripped his arm supportedly.
Drury nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, ok," he agreed, his face brightening. "Hey, wanna see what Chuck got me?"
"Sure," Miranda smiled as Drury scampered off to the other side of the room.
"It's an egg chair!” Drury cackled delightedly, sitting in the middle of his thatched throne. “Y'know, like the one I saw in Macy's? Spin me, Gar!" he commanded his sullen partner-in-crime.
Gar flicked his lighter shut. "I'm not... I'm not doing that."
~-~
Now, the party was in full swing. Joey, was asleep on the sofa. Beside him, Chuck and Julian admired the decorations.
“Drury’s outdone himself,” Chuck smiled, awestruck by the makeover of what was a rather wet and smelly cave.
“Yes, I suppose it is rather homely,” Julian nodded respectfully, sipping his cola. “Quite the turnaround.”
“Mind you, could do with some mistletoe,” Chuck smirked.
“Allow me,” a voice spoke, as a pale woman with greenish skin and vibrant red hair stepped in-between the pair. She raised her hand and the potted plant on the shelf beside them grew out a vine filled with beautiful off-white berries.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Julian murmured quietly as he brushed past Ivy.
“Well, as far as party tricks go, I think you win,” Chuck grinned, brushing his finger against the leaves.
Ivy wasn’t so sure. "Humans and their disregard for self-preservation when faced with pretty flowers...” she tutted. “Mistletoe is poisonous, you know,” she scolded him.
“I know, but we only have one life. If it means a kiss from you, I’m willing to take that chance,” Chuck smiled.
Taking advantage of the now unguarded and flourishing mistletoe, Dekker took Len by surprise and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"The rest comes later, Leonard, come find me!" he cooed, singing a merrier version of Deck the Halls as he swaggered away:
"Dekk the halls with lots of Molly
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Light it up, and you'll be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Snow from Snowflame, weed from Woodrue, fa-la-la la-la-la la-la-la"
Len reached into his breast pocket and unearthed a white handkerchief to erase the offending, slobbery evidence from his cheek. "They will never find your body," he murmured to himself.
Nearby, Drury was carrying drinks for him and the missus when Ned Creegan tapped him on the shoulder. "Drury, where'd that cyanosic coat check guy go?" the man asked.
Drury’s brow furrowed. "Coat check? We didn't have a coat chec- Ohhh, Electro... Sorry, your coat is loooong gone. He must've been shrinking 'em to put them in that dollhouse of his."
Creegan paused. "My wallet was in that coat."
Meanwhile, the Gaiges watched the party from afar, leaning against the walls of the bunker. The elder Gaige was on the phone, awaiting the status of his yacht since Walker generously ‘renovated’ it. "Give it to me straight, Warren. How bad is it?" Gaige inquired.
“Well, you ever see The Sopranos?”
“No.”
"Well, it's like Adriana La Cerva fucked the Stugots."
Hot air escaped the good doctor’s nose. He stirred his drink slowly with a cocktail shrimp, watching as his daughter’s face glowed with appreciation for her husband. "So. Knickers,” he began, bringing the topic back to Walker’s briefs.
Miranda sipped her beer. "They're boxers."
"Uhuh. Didn't take my daughter for a cheapskate, that's all."
"Well, I didn't know that he'd make me a car, did I?" Miranda raised her arms in the air.
"A car," Gaige repeatedly incredulously.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't start-"
"More like Thomas the Wank Engine."
"Don't -!" Miranda snorted. "He really does like you, you know."
"Oh, I know. It's pretty fucking insufferable."
...
"Knickers... Suppose he did need a new pair... I saw he had a hole in his trunks the other day. He bent over to tie his laces and... christ. Like a moth emerging from a cocoon."
"Aha."
"A tiny moth. A deformed moth. A shrivelled, half dead moth that doesn't deserve my daughter-"
"Merry Christmas, Dad,” she beamed at him.
A warm smile crept up Gaige’s face. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
===After the Royal===
Gaige unlocked the gate to the boathouse and pulled back the shutters. Inside, stood an enormous, rusted, and very orange yacht. There was a shuffling behind him, as Otis Flannegan entered the room, his arms laden with paint products. “Got the stuff,” he nodded, as he dropped the contents onto the floor.
Gaige approached him slowly, picking up one of several tins of paint stripper. “I want it exactly as it was,” he said in a low growl.
“I know,” Flannegan nodded.
“No. You don’t. I want it exactly as it was when he painted it.”
A snort of disbelief escaped Flannegan’s crooked nose. "What?"
"It stays, understand?" Gaige answered.
"Why? You competing in the Piston Cup or summin'?"
"It. Stays."
#1980s #1970s #athletic #athlete #beachbody #beauty #beautiful #bikini #Veniceboardwalk #carnival #California #cheapskates #cute #exercise #exercising #fit #girl #lifestyle #legs #leisure #lifestyle #LosAngeles #models #ocean #pinup #promenade #rollerblades #rollerderby #rollerskates #rollerskating #rollerskater #rollerskaters #recreation #rollerskate #sexy #skateboard #sports #SantaMonica #skates #skater #skating #skaters #Venice #VeniceBeach
Here my "trophies", a one from almost every cosplay convention I've attended over the eleven years (actually, it's 2012-2019, because of the pandemic - there were some events in 2021, but I skipped it because I wanted to go after all restrictions will be lifted, which happened only in 2022), with my three original characters.
The sad thing is that basically all the events you see here are dead.
There was the small and cosy mini-con, which has not been held for a long time. Its team recently released another short film for their own original universe, which was a big disappointment for me, because they continue to use the same story over and over again, which is not just boring and predictable, it's worse - the context in which we live changed totally, and what was fine in 2006, already became a bit questionable in 2012, and now in 2023 it looks tone deaf. I've read the comments and I think I'm the only one who thinks it's bad idea to root for "a secret state organisation which catches those who not normal". I get the original idea was basically MiB, but against geeks, instead of aliens, because they had magic or something, but guys, seriously, you let "MiB" win AGAIN? Have you been asleep for 15 years, or what? Why don't you see the obvious parallel?
There were another small and cosy mini-con, and the big cool epic convention, both of which haven't been held for a long time, and I miss them dearly.
There was another big and seemed-to-be-normal convention, which also has not been held for a long time, but I'm afraid, giving the current trends and origins of that particular convention, that it would have been spoiled if it were still held.
There was another big and cool convention, but I've stopped attending this event, and I'm not going to do it again (which doesn't matter, because they stopped to held it anyway). I decided so, because on the last of their convention I attended (not the last one they held) there somehow was a whole stand with cult literature (what?!) in the market corner (not sure was it for sale or giveaway). The second reason is that on the same convention a bad incident happened to me because of one well-known person in the fandom (about whom I just recently read even worse things, and now I sincerely don’t understand why this despicable bastard is still not cancelled in the fandom, it wasn't even a secret, it's literally the first link in Google on his full nickname, and it was published years ago! nope, he never changed), which was a friend (well, if you can call a friend someone you see once in a year for a few years in a row to hang out with for a significant amount of convention time) to me and my close friend. Now I'm rereading our not-long email conversation, and I finally noticed some red-flag phrases towards my close friend... What the hell! I didn't noticed it back then only because he phrased it in a way that confused stupid me and I basically missed the point. Well, so the convention became bad because of strange decision made by the organisation team, and because of poor quality of some people in the fandom (in my case there were two witnesses, they didn't care, because it was more like a joke than serious sh*t, so they're part of the problem too).
And that's it. There's no more main conventions left.
The biggest convention in the country, which I've never attended because I thought the price of the ticket was too high in comparison to other conventions, went bankrupt due to pandemic and war. I really regret I never went on that convention, because I could afford a ticket, it was just me being a cheapskate: why pay too much for a crowded event, when there are cheaper alternatives available?
There is a big convention in another huge city, but first of all, I'm not going to travel anywhere for a convention, it costs a fortune and takes too much time, and secondly, which is more important, that one convention made a whole cosplay community VERY angry in 2021 with a huge harassment scandal, so all decent people among cosplayers boycotted it (it broke my heart to see among the people who tried to get their point across to the organisers the cosplayer I knew personally, we once performed on stage together, and I'm so sorry she had to go through things like this, was it on one of their conventions or somewhere else). The organisation team took no lessons from this, which was clear by their public comments and public announcements to address the problem, and they still held the contest which triggered the whole conversation, just the year later. I hope nobody will attend their convention until the whole team will be replaced and the safety measures will be taken.
The last one big convention apparently thinks it's more cool than the biggest convention mentioned above, so the price is x2 from what was the price for the now-bankrupt convention back then, but the difference between them - there will be no foreign celebrities. Nope, not worth it. I don't get why the price is so high - they can't blame rent for the place, because after the war there are no more international events like conventions, exhibitions, concerts, etc., so there are less organisation teams that might need such a big place, so the price should go down, not up.
And there are no more big conventions, if we don't count anime dedicated (but that's the whole different fandom bubble, the atmosphere is different, people are different). Also I read that some conventions disapproved some cosplayers based on law-imposed discrimination against certain group of people, while some other cosplayers went military style (they support the war, yes - I need to say at least one convention made a rule against such style) and while at least one person I knew due to conventions has left the country last spring.
As for mini-cons, they're really hard to heard about, especially beforehand.
So I don't know where to wear my cosplay anymore... It's sad.
Shot taken with my ‘Cheapskate’ macro outfit, as well as the broken 18-55 lens mounted in reverse on my Canon EOS 40D, I have a home made flash diffuser on my 580 EX11.
A baker's dozen is 13. A cheapskate's dozen is 11. (Just kidding--the 12th rose is there--we just can't see it.)
I was taking a rest break on a bench when my primal instinct whispered “something is watching you”. I turned my head and saw this small squirrel trying to maintain a low profile while checking me out as friend or foe. When we made eye contact he cautiously approached to within an arm’s length and then scampered away when he realized I had no treat for him but not before he scolded me for being such a cheapskate.
Squirrels are one of my favorite little critters to photograph and I find their antics always amusing. Watching one for just a short period of time will provide any photographer with ample opportunities for an interesting frame or two. DIGITAL CAMERA
SKATING LANE...
Yet another attempt by the City to restrict roller skates.
1980s 1970s 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 action activity active adult aggressive ass athletic athlete audio anatomy athleticism baby ball beach body boy beauty beautiful bikini big booty butt buttock board boardwalk carnival clothing coast California cheapskate cheapskates child childhood costume children city clothes color cool couple crutches cute dance dancing day derby disco enjoyment equipment erotic exercise exercising extreme exotic females face family famous fashion feet figure fit fitness friends fun female friend girl girls group happy healthy holiday hand healthy hot ipod joggers lady lifestyle holding holding hands inline injury intense kids lace landmark leather leg legs leisure lifestyle little life lifestyles “Los Angeles” motion model models music male movement moving muscular muscle males man naked nature outdoor outdoors ocean pacific pair pantyhose pinup park parent people performer performing pier play pretty promenade portable pool playing person relax relaxation road roller rollerblades rollerskates rollerskating rollerskater rollerskaters recreation rollerskate radio race recreational retro roll rubber relaxation rink sexy shoe skateboard sports sensual sporting stockings sweat “Santa Monica” satin sex shorts skates smiling style sun sidewalk skater smile sunshine standing skate skating skaters sport street sand sea “Southern California” surf tourism thigh thin trim tourist travel toddler team teen teenage teenagers training urban young youth Venice "Venice Beach" vintage vacation walk woman water weather white weekend women wheel wheels west westside