Comic-Con: D-9.com Protest

This is the tenth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

On Saturday, Sony Pictures organized a mock protest for the project, District 9, which I previously blogged about. The pictures are below. Some of the signs pointed to an apparent third website being used in the viral campaign, http://www.mnuspreadslies.com/

I have yet to visit the website, but will try and post a follow-up blog once I do. I also was unable to find a human and/or non-human access code from www.d-9.com (even went to the Sony booth twice and asked for one and they didn't have anything).

Comic-Con: Mummy 3

This is the ninth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Just a quick blog at the end of a long weekend (I'll be finishing up my last couple of blogs tomorrow) to show off something cool I saw while walking toward the convention center this morning.

Right along the trolley line and the end of 4th Ave were life-size replicas of the clay soldiers from the upcoming, third Mummy movie. Awesome-sauce!


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Comic-Con: Protesting Scientology

This is the eighth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Okay, so this isn't quite an official part of Comic-Con, but I saw these two anonymous gents outside the Hard Rock Hotel, warning bypassers about Scientology being a dangerous cult that only wants your money. I already knew this about them, plus other dangerous teachings, but wanted to applaud their efforts here.

They handed me a business card with the URL http://www.youfoundthecard.com/, which features a headless (or bodyless) suit and tie. Guess I'll have to check that out later.


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Comic-Con: Dr. Steel

This is the seventh in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

I was looking for a mock "alien rights" protest for D-9.com (see previous blog) and saw a group with signs across the street. I quickly ran over, only to find that they were not with the group I thought they were, but supporters of Dr. Steel.

Holding signs that read "Dr. Steel Loves You" and "Dr. Steel for World Emperor" (I think Dr. von Kaiser might have something to say about that), these Misfit t-shirt wearing, mad scientist loving young people immediately caught my attention with their gospel of a mad scientist who is trying to take over the world through music, fun, cookies and robots. (How is that for a run-on sentance?)

I was given a CD, of which I will listen to later, and their manifesto. URL to their website is http://www.doctorsteel.com/

A couple of more pictures (close-up shots of the signs) will go up later.


Blogged on my iPhone 3G.


Update: Okay, so it's a video DVD that they gave me, not an audio CD. I sampled it for just a second and really like it, but I'm too tired to watch it all. Complete review after I survive Comic-Con.

Update 7/29: Below are a couple of additional pictures, as promised. Still haven't watched the DVD through yet.

Comic-Con: Dharma Initiative (Lost)

This is sixth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Okay, I admit that I'm not a Lost fan. Not because I don't like it, but because I've never watched it. That being said, I want to watch it and I want to like it and I know that I will if I do. Did I lose anyone yet?

Well, there is a booth dedicated to the Dharma Initiative from Lost here at the Con. They are conducting "eligibility testing" by appointment only and are booked for today, but I'm going to try and sign up for tomorrow. If I don't get in, I can always check it out at http://www.dharmawantsyou.com/


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Comic-Con: Watchmen

This is the fifth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Sorry, not too much about this one, folks. It's just a cool picture of the ship from Watchmen, coming out next year and located at the WB booth. :-)


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Comic-Con: Seek The Six

This is the fourth in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Here's another interesting viral marketing campaign for you.

Late yesterday, mere minutes before the exhibit hall was to close, I was meandering along and stumbled upon an odd looking booth. No signs for what it was, only a military-style tent with several monitors with "surveillance" feeds. Just outside the entrance, someone handed me a hidden message decoder that, when viewed properly, displayed "The truth is beside you. Seekthesix.com" (I will attempt to scan and show to you in a later blog post). I walked inside, wasn't very impressed, and left. I couldn't make heads, nor tails, of what I was looking at.

Upon exiting the convention center, I saw several other attendees looking up. There was a plane writing letters in the sky (image collage above). So far, it said, "SEEK TH". I knew what the message was going to be. Obviously, "SEEK THE SIX".

Now, if not for the skywriter, I would have forgotten about this by now. But, alas, I was now going to blog about it and last night went to http://www.seekthesix.com/ and check it out.

The website is very engaging, but frustrating. You have six panels of 36 thumbnails (six rows of six) and you have to pick the right ones. So far, I've found two correct, but my progress is eliminated when I pick the wrong one and it literally resets and shows different images in different orders each time. Very frustrating, but I'm determined to solve it later.

I'll follow up in another blog with more information from the website, once the puzzle is cracked, a picture of the booth, and a scan of the hidden message card I received. I've also got some more information about D-9.com that I want to share as well. So, until then, this is Aaron Matthew Kaiser reporting from Comic-Con 2008 at the San Diego Convention Center. Back to me.

Comic-Con: Ghostbusters Video Game

This is the third in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

Sony Pictures decided to show off the new Ghostbusters video game here at Comic-Con. Footage looks amazing and gameplay makes you feel as if you really are a Ghostbuster. Too cool! Now, if I only had a plasma widescreen and the newer game systems of my own...


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Comic-Con: D-9.com Explored

This is the second in a series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

So, I talked briefly in my last blog about the signs that read "Restrooms for Humans Only" that included the URL to http://www.d-9.com/ and I promised to follow up on that. Not being one to lie to my hundreds of thousands of loyal readers, here is the fulfillment of my promise.

Allow me to preface this posting with the comment that this is how a viral marketing campaign should be structured and that this is how I would do it if I had the time, money and resources! Some of this is very similar to what we planned for Dr. von Kaiser, including mock company websites, but I haven't had the ability to implement half of what I intended because of needing to make money to survive.

Heading over to the main website, I am greeting by the option to select if I am human or non-human. This is a full flash website and different "satellite" information is displayed based on what you choose. Not just showing everything in the alien language, but there is information available to humans that are not available to non-humans and vice-versa.

Just for shits and giggles, I suggest that you login as a human and try to access the restricted content a couple of times and watch what happens. ;-)

There are two items that I notice at the top of the page: "Please Enter Your Human Access Code" (or non-human if you login as that) and the mock advertisement banner for MNU (Multi-National United) to "Join the Cause!"

I'm not sure about the Human/Non-Human Access Code. I'm hoping that's something I can find at Comic-Con. The one thing they did here was NOT reveal who was behind this or what the project is really about. That being said, what booth do I walk up to and inquire for a human access code? Or is that just a fake box to look pretty? I did sign up for updates, so maybe I'll get an email with an access code later.

As for the ad in the corner, go ahead and click on it. It takes you to another website, http://www.multinationalunited.com/, which is a mock company website. This is where I mentioned that we have similar plans for DvK. We have plans for http://www.drvonkaiser.com/ to be our "Behind the Scenes" website, with http://www.whoisdvk.com/ being our "in character" website that would be "operated" by some government agency. Another discussion is to create an "in character" website for Nemesis Labs.

Poking around the MNU website, I have to say that I am really impressed. They went all out and created an entire corporate website to present this as an actual, physical company that does business in the real world. In fact, go to the "careers" page and see job postings for both humans and non-humans alike. There are employee bios, past and present accomplishments, a marketing video on the homepage, and more!

The curious thing is the countdown clock, with a date set to just over a year away (some 384 days, to be precise). Could that be the date that this film/project is released? I don't know, but I'm along for the ride!

I'll post more details, if I find any. For now, this is Aaron Matthew Kaiser reporting from Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center. Back to me.

Comic-Con: Restrooms For Humans Only

This is the first in a (hopeful) series of blogs about Comic-Con 2008.

The plan was originally to get to San Diego early on Wednesday and pick up our badges during preview night, but then things changed. I needed to add a guest or two and that had to be done Thursday. So, we decided to leave Wednesday night and avoid traffic, sleeping a couple of hours before getting in line early the next morning.

Well, Allyson got booked for an acting gig on the new 90210 for Wednesday and her call time was 8:00pm. By the time she was wrapped an back to her condo, it was 4:00am Thursday morning. Several hours after we had hoped to leave. Liz still wasn't back from her trip to San Francisco, so she would have to meet us in San Diego as our plan was to now drive straight down to the convention center. We would get there around 8:00am... or so we thought.

There was a major accident on I-5 in the vicinity of Camp Pendleton. It was in an area where we couldn't reroute ourselves to an alternative freeway or take surface street, so we crept along for three hours down a five mile stretch of road. I heard on the radio that a big rig collided with a passenger vehicle and that it "would take a long time to clean up." When we finally passed, we saw the burnt out shells of both vehicles. Not sure if there were any fatalities. (Update: Found a news article and there were no fatalities. Read the article on 10news.com for more information.)

We finally arrived at the convention center and parked around 11:30. That's six hours after we left Burbank!

One of the first things we saw at Comic-Con were these signs (above, with Allyson) outside of every restroom. "For humans only" they declared, with an "X" through a funky drawing of an alien with antenna. I haven't checked it out yet, but the website for this ad is http://www.d-9.com/ (I'll hit it up later and post another giant ad we saw for it in the building).

It's now 9:15am on Thursday. Allyson and I are still at my grandma's condo. We caught up on our lack of sleep and (still) waiting for Liz to arrive (should be here momentarily). We don't see many panels we are interested in today, so we are planning to just roam the exhibit hall until this evening. We are planning a huge dinner tonight at Xavier's Bar and Grill, which should be fun.

Until later, this is Aaron Matthew Kaiser, reporting from Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center. Back to me.


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

What's Up With The High-Five's?

A couple of nights ago, I blogged about going out to lunch and telling a young man that I was a virgin and his response was to give me a high-five.

Today, I was having a conversation with a friend and I looked at the blog I wrote about her. Upon reading it, I was reminded that she responded to this revelation in exactly the same way.

I then posted status updates about people giving me high-fives when they hear I'm a virgin and, within ten minutes, I had a minimum of four people contacting me and commenting about it (half were making jokes).

What is it about me being a virgin that makes you want to give me a high-five?

It's odd that this is seen as some big accomplishment when society says that I'm abnormal. I mean, it is a big accomplishment to go against the flow and stay pure for so long, but I'm the first to admit that it's not by my strength that I'm a virgin today. It's a "God thang" and the prayers of my future wife that I account to this unspoiled condition.


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Hope Deferred Makes The Heart Sick...

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." — Proverbs 13:12

I fall in love easily. Too easily. My heart is openly accessible to anyone who would have it and at risk to those who might use it and abuse it instead of treating it as they should. I know this is a weakness, but I can't help it. It's how God made me. I have a lot of love to give away and a little heartache is part of the package.

It doesn't help when I meet someone new that I seem to click with and I expect physical sparks and fireworks immediately, only for reality to dunk my head into the toilet and flush repeatedly as a reminder that it's not going to happen that way.

No, no matter how many times I allow myself to get hurt because I see a future that another doesn't, I stand up and dust myself off for the next girl to help me repeat the cycle of insanity.

And now, I'm already preparing myself to get hurt by someone that I just met a week and a half ago. I haven't been able to get her out of my mind since we met and I think I see a mutual attraction, but she's got an adventurous spirit and my fear is that I won't be enough for her to want to stay in LA to develop a relationship. I could be wrong, but perhaps this is the side effect of allowing myself to fall in love too easily. Sooner or later, I'm going to fear the hurt before it actually comes. I will grow cynical and stop looking past the difficulties to see the wonderful possibilities.

Part of my problem is that I have wanted to get married and begin raising a family for a long time. When Brie came into my life and I became "Uncle Aaron," that feeling intensified. And I've thought for a while that I wouldn't find my wife until I moved to LA and, now that I'm here, I'm wondering where she is.

Last night, I was reading an article on a Christian website about finding a wife. It described the process as "longing for a wife" and pointed to Proverbs 13:12 to illustrate the point.

"That's it!" I thought. "That is exactly how I feel! I have waited and waited to the point that my heart has gotten sick."

It's true. I'm not sure that I can describe it any better. My heart is heavy as I think about my unmarried status. I talked previously about being content, but frustrated and that verse fits right in. I am in good moods most of the time, but then my heart will grow heavy and sick when I am forced to wait longer still for the promise of a wife to be fulfilled.

I think to the little things that I miss and crave. The holding hands. The gentle kisses. The warm cuddles on a cold night. I see couples kissing in public or walking together at amusement parks and my heart grows sicker still.

At least there is a silver lining. With all of the frustration and heavy hearts, once God brings that special woman into my life, I will be rejuvenated and the relationship will be "a tree of life."


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

Why I Was There...

Saturday afternoon, after all of the stuntmen and stuntwomen had finished playing around at the Yerkes Circus / Gypsy Camp, I went out to lunch with ten of these individuals. Never before had I joined them for lunch, nor had I planned on it. In fact, I needed to get work done and this was a distraction.

The reason I was at lunch was made apparent, in my opinion, by the end of the meal. Some of the group had already left and we dwindled down to seven of us. Two were teenagers: a sixteen and seventeen year old.

I don't remember what brought the conversation there, but we soon began talking about sex. Since the sixteen year old was still a virgin, this became a "sex education your father won't teach you" opportunity for a couple of the guys and they began giving this young man pointers on how to please his girlfriend, once he finally popped his cherry.

I sat silent during most of the coversation. Not because I disapproved of the topic, but because I had nothing I could contribute and I was amused at how candid — and loud — the discussion had become.

Finally, I leaned toward our younger comrade and said, "I'm going to give you a different perspective... because I can."

He leaned back toward me, interested in what I had to say. I'm not sure if that statement itself had roused him, or the fact that I hadn't spoken yet and what I had to say must then be important, but I had his full attention.

"I'm 28 years old," I continued, holding up my left hand with my purity ring resting on my middle finger. "And I'm still a virgin."

A smile immediately appeared on his face and he gave me a high five. I had just become his hero.

"That's awesome!" He remarked. "After a certain amount of time, it becomes cool again because you can say that you waited for something important."

"That's right," I responded. "I'll be honest, it's been a long, hard road and I've gone through periods of not caring and wanting to give up the wait, but right now I am committed to saving myself for marriage. Am I perfect? No. I've done stuff with my ex-girlfriends, but as it stands, I will be able to tell my future children that I had sex with only one woman: their mother."

So, that's it. I was a role model to a young man that was surrounded by five others that had lost their virginity many years before. I was there to encourage him and to not make him feel as if he was alone in not having sex yet. I just hope that both of us will be able to stay strong until our wedding nights.


Blogged from my iPhone 3G.

iCoffee

It is 7:24am and I am sitting in a line outside the Northridge Apple Store, waiting to upgrade to a black 16GB iPhone 3G. I must be nuts.

Anyway, they brought everyone in line coffee and water. I'm surprised that Steve Jobs doesn't just brand the iCoffee and sell it to us in the store.


Blogged from my iPhone.

Tempered Temptation...

A week ago, I told a friend of mine that the Starbucks frappuchino is one of my main weaknesses in terms of food and is one of the only areas where I'm not doing well with eating right. Every coffee meeting I have, I get one of these delicious, sweet concoctions.

"You could get the light version," she remarked.

So, today I did. It was a tall (their version of small) and I even skipped on the whipped cream. Aren't you proud of me?

Of course, this accomplishment didn't stop me from spilling it on half of my shirt right before a big meeting with Plain Truth Magazine...


Blogged from my iPhone.