NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

I was unemployed for 16 months. Found a temporary job in July, got laid off early November. Can't seem to qualify for unemployment, even tho' I should be eligible. Can't even ( yet ) qualify for General Relief. But me & Mrs. BC got no cash left, nothin' in the bank, zero income. Looking for a job, but still haven't found ANYTHING, not easy for an old guy, but I don't qualify for Social Security yet. Not exactly homeless yet, but we will be soon, and meanwhile, while the gas water and lights stay on, our internet access is gonna expire over the weekend. I'll still be able to use the free internet at the local library, but not every day, and free wi-fi where available, if I can get it workin' on our 2 laptops. So I ain't gonna be here too often. Good luck and God take care of you all.

BYTEMITE

You might have come in here hoping for a heartwarming holiday story, or expecting a request for browncoat aid. But no! Instead you discover it is grouchy ranting time. As a big believer in kindness and misery, I am a fan of spreading both around. My experience with charity is that it doesn't make you feel better about yourself. It makes you broke and hungry. The definition of a selfless act is any display of idiocy that leaves the benefactor worse off than the person they're helping. As a misanthrope, I would also appreciate it if after being accosted people didn't ask me about my marital status, and instead allowed me to stew in my own contempt for everything in peace. I am hoping that this behaviour of begrudging resentment, and hunger, mitigates any sympathy or approbation I might receive whenever I give money to anyone, which will do precisely nothing to help them better their life. In conclusion, we all have choices, and sometimes the only choice we can make is to be stupid.

TOADFAX

I was turned onto Firefly after watching the movie Serenity. I remember thinking that the movie was a little hard to follow, but overall...it was great! It had a comedic seriousness that reall captivated me as a viewer. The cast of the film was perfect and would have been ruined by mainstream actors (if you ask me). After watching it...I commented to my brother about how awesome the movie was, and that was when I found out it was based on a TV series. I immediately went to bestbuy to buy the series, and was confused when I only found one season. I asked the clerk if the rest of the seasons were sold out, and he said that there was only one season (and that he was a huge fan). I am not big into watching any television programs because no matter how hard you try to relate to the characters, you never can. That was not the case with Firefly. I found traits of myself in Mal, Wash and Jayne. It was awesome!! I truly wish Joss would bring Firefly back to life. Considering how the show was cancelled (without warning), I can honestly say that I don't blame Joss for his reluctance to revive the series or make another film. I am greatful that many of the cast went on to do some great shows (Castle for instance), and what I think is truly endearing, is that the cast all said that if Joss were to revive the series, they would all return...no questions asked! That is the kind of loyalty that only great directors get..and Joss...is one of the greatest out there. Regardless of Firefly's fate; I am glad that we all got to share in the vision that was Serenity. And I for one, will never stop the signal. Thanks Joss.

PHOENIXROSE

So on Friday (before I heard anything about the shooting) I got a call about a friend of mine. My oldest friend. She had died in the night. She was twenty-five. I've known her since she was ten. We grew up and had lives and didn't remain terribly close, but I hardly expected that I would never see her again. I last heard from her in June. She was talking about being sick and miserable with a sinus infection. I didn't think that was cause for alarm, because she would get sick every year. But I guess she never quite kicked it, and she had asthma, and apparently some other mitigating factor (probably some form of substance abuse, to be honest) caused her to stop breathing and never start again. They're not sure yet exactly what happened. Friday is my birthday, and I was really hoping to spend time with her. We tried to get together for birthdays. But instead I'll be attending her funeral service. It's... kinda fucking with my head.

SHADOWCAPTAIN

As some of you know, I stopped producing Snow TraX to focus on my other podcast – X-Files Truth. I didn't want to stop Snow TraX but X-Files Truth was such an intricate podcast that I couldn't realistically do both. But now that I have a partner helping me with the sound files – Agent M, I can now put out Snow TraX the way it was meant to be. Due to popular demand, I'm bringing Snow TraX back! For all the fans of Mark Snows music, Snow TraX is back. All files have been remastered and will be released in the original shows order. Agent M joins me as we present you with all the unreleased, non-soundtrack music from Mark Snow. To listen to Snow TraX just launch iTunes and search for Snow TraX, visit:

JANE0904

Not that I have a lot of plans this festive season (but then again, you never know), but I wanted to wish all the people who've ever read my stories, who've dipped their toes into my Maya 'verse or who've even just thought about reading them ... Happy Christmas! And just so's you know, I'm writing this as my first blog/written anything on my new laptop, and I'm taking that as a very good sign for new fic before long! In the meantime, have a good holiday season, and hopefully a safe, prosperous and happy new year.