Pirate Pistol Prop Printed Parts
The prop that killed my resin 3D printer! Not really, I had just been using the printer non-stop since I got it as a late Xmas present and I think I just wore it out. Once the bad part was replaced, I finally finished re-printing the middle section with the trigger and flintlock, and today found the moxie to sand down all the square joints so they would fit snugly into their sockets – I don’t want this falling apart!
Now that the epoxy is drying, the next step is of course filling the seams, which won’t be too bad. The seams on each side of the lock are nice and square, but the one at the front of the barrel is a little uneven. Then a primer coat, and off if goes to Barb for her own custom paint job!!
About Damn Time For Dancing
I have commissioned a custom avatar twice, each time for a considerable (for me) amount of money. Now that I’ve used VRoid Studio, I understand that each time that’s what the artist was using, and it was time for me to buckle down and learn it well enough to get the results I wanted. The artists I commissioned weren’t sure about simulating facial hair, adding the hair bow, or adapting the VRoid for Beat Saber among other things.
But now I have had a little practice. (Though it looks like I may somehow have deleted the save file, so the next incarnation may look a little different once again.) This time, the MeidoRanger looks even more like me and has a fun hairstyle that swings around while I move. And I figured out how to make the outfit glossy in Unity while I was adapting the VRoid for VR gaming use. I swear, I’m learning more about 3D modeling than I ever intended to!
I literally had to downgrade my Unity install: the feature that animates the hair and skirt doesn’t yet work with the newest. (Thankfully, one can have multiple installs.) The only way to get a bow on the back of my head was to lie to VRoid and claim it was oddly-styled hair. Of course, I had to fix the neckline since I have no maid dresses which show it, and I had to put on a second invisible skirt so that the apron tails would move separately. So many little things to do! Next, I plan to curl the fingers so I’m holding the sabers better. But of now, I’m really happy with this avatar, and plan to make videos with far greater frequency. I think we can agree, it’s about damn time.
I’m A Real Cosplayer
This is how you can tell: here’s all the bits I still have to attach to tomorrow’s outfit…
2022: Be More Fabulous
One of my 2022 New Year’s Resolutions:
I intend to spend more time in public dressed the way that makes me happy – even borderline stuff like PVC cosplay outfits as long as they’re street legal and unlikely to traumatize anyone but bigots.
There’s no metric for this, I can’t fail at it… I just need to do it more. I like it, and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Only anxiety is stopping me, and I’m losing my patience with my anxieties.
A Pie’ndemic Is Upon Us!
On Friday the 13th, of course, I got upsetting but understandable news. With only a day’s notice, the “Sudden Cravings” sploshing shoot had to be cancelled. Our pregnant model had quite reasonable concerns about the rapid spread of the virus among the public and the potential effects on her baby. We didn’t know, but lockdown orders would be issued within the week.
Well. We were sitting with over 20 pies and four pitchers of cake batter and were at quite a loss. In desperation I asked my friend circle if there was anyone who was comfortable with coming by for a single afternoon to film. To my relief I found two, “GirlDynamic” and “Valencia”. One of our backup costumes even fit Valencia. I quickly wrote another script and focus-grouped it among my friends – they all agreed it made them laugh. So the next day, we filmed “Pie’ndemic” to mock this frustrating virus which has been the source of so much pain.
(more…)My Latest Blockbuster Production
It’s been a little dull here, because I’m focusing my energies on a new movie project. Now, that’s exciting, but it’s also a bit NSFW. Safe-Ish For Work, perhaps. I’ve already made five, so I think I’m getting better at this. I have two very enthusiastic models, a script, and a location: what I do not have is funding!
So! If you think you’d enjoy looking into my psyche a bit and learning what I think is NSFW and fun, feel free to head over to MikhailBorg’s NSFW Patreon Link Page and click on the big red button there – and then contribute! Help these lovely ladies out a bit!
Thoughts on MarsCon
My favorite cons give me a chance to connect with my tribe, meet some old friends, have a nice dinner out, maybe do a little unwise spending in the dealer’s room.
Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for me this year as well as I’d like, primarily because I was exhausted. I’ve been overstressed to the point of illness lately, and sleeping poorly to boot. So when I got in around 9:30 Friday night, once we unpacked I conked out within minutes of setting up the CPAP.
Saturday morning as a result of all this, I suffered what I called my “hard drive crash”. I couldn’t bear the thought of being around anyone, I just wanted quiet and dark. With the help of my brain meds, I came out of it around noon, donned my Alice costume, and went out into the con. The Alice costume was a hit – it usually has been through all the variations I’ve owned. I posed for pictures and took a few, and bumped into some friends.
At a busy con, though, you can’t sit down and talk to anyone. You generally get about five minutes with them and one or both of you has to move on. So I didn’t really catch up with too many people; and while I did at least get hellos and hugs from many, there were several more people there I never saw.
After 8 hours of wandering the con and checking out a few panels, I had to head back to my room. My current Alice costume is of heavier PVC than my previous ones, and while I wasn’t suffering heat stroke I was extremely warm. Maya and Bert and I managed some dinner and played a card game Jesse Braxton got her for Christmas – Sushi Go, lots of fun – and then I decided to take a rest before the 10:00 and 11:45 shows I wanted to see,
I didn’t fall asleep like one might guess, but I realized I had no energy left. I couldn’t have walked another dozen steps. Rather than heading out to the con again, I had to fill the CPAP and shut down for the night.
Sunday morning was mostly packing and checking out, but I did hit the high point of the con when we attended the musician’s Round Robin. 11 musicians on stage, each in turn performing a song and usually being joined in by the other musicians, finishing with White Plectrum’s rousing rendition of “The Mulder”, a tune everyone on stage knew. It brought down the house.
So, MarsCon 2020: Not a weekend of unending misery, but I sure hope I’m in better shape next year.
Surgery 2: The Wrath of Hip
Two entries within two weeks! This is a record for my recent blog productivity. I would really like to start using this a heck of a lot more, since Facebook is quickly losing its luster. So what’s up with the Borg?
I’ve been to the hospital for a bone scan, and seen my surgeon for a follow-up. My surgery is scheduled for Thursday March 26th. The likely procedure will be to go in and replace the plastic liner between the ball-and-socket of the prosthetic, and the replace the ball because it’s probably abraded. They may also have to replace the metal cup, which might be tricky because of the metal plates that are very close to it in the pelvis. The worst case scenario is that the entire prosthesis may need to be replaced, which could require two surgeries even more serious than expected. That’s supposedly quite unlikely. Let’s hope.
Even with the good news, I am expected to be recovering for at least three months. I will be damned if I will wait that long. You wait and see, I’ll be up and moving around on crutches at worst in two. Maybe less. I’m not putting my life on hold for some damn surgery. I have stuff to do. I set recovery records last time, and I’m just as determined now. Still going to miss Animazement on May 21st unless a miracle happens.
Speaking of cons, MarsCon is this weekend. It will be great to see friends there, including a new friend I’ve recently made, but otherwise I’m not really feeling it. I have no desire to cosplay for the first time in years and years; this will probably surprise people. I’m sure I’ll hit some of the music tracks, but otherwise I’m experiencing a vast MEH. I’m sure it comes from too much stress and money worries, but cons are feeling less and less like a vacation to me and more like a hassle with some fandom in it.
I’m beginning to have ideas for Managlitch again. My goals is to have a new episode written and recorded by the end of the month. That’s another area where it will be interesting to see if I can record episodes from my recovery bed. I have an idea for written erotica that needs worked out – I haven’t done any of that in ages. And I’m meeting models right and left for my bawdy slapstick video shorts! All I need to get started on those is a filming space and a budget!
The recovery is going to heavily limit my VR time – I will have to see what I can do from a seated position. I know I can play Borderlands 2 VR, but Beat Saber will probably be right out. My cosplay Beat Saber channel will probably have to wait for launch until after my recovery. The good news is that I’ll probably have lost a lot of weight. Surgery recovery tends to do that. At least I will have a lot of time to catch up on TV and regular games I’ve missed.
Speaking of VR, I tried playing one of the new 360º Beat Saber levels. Had to use an avatar instead of mixed reality, and the camera position probably could have been better, but this are a lot more fun than I thought! I want to try some more of those.
Until next time…
A Hurricane Tonight
Bucket-list cosplay: Priss from Bubble Gum Crisis. I will have to commission the services of someone skilled in vacuforming or get really good with the craft foam. (Also invest in some good corsetry…)
D.Va Halloween
Full D.Va cosplay for tonight. Only got to show it to a small apartment complex party and a few trick-or-treaters, but they loved it! More adults recognized D.Va than kids 😀 The bodysuit is latex: my first latex suit ever, and Latex Catfish did an amazing job with all the graphics! The gun and headset are from Etsy, and the wig and boots are from a cosplay supplier. The gloves are from a fabric version of the suit and are really too small…
