SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, and welcome again to the Blurred Spectrum podcast regarding the opinions, facts, experiences of Black nerds or just the nerd culture, the blurred culture uh in America or in the in the world, honestly. We try to give our best uh interpretations of the things that we experience and our best uh voice to the individuals who are within our community and our um society and culture. So I'm going to introduce our panelists today. Uh we have uh the black McCoy, we have the doctor, we have Ms. Skittles. Did I say that right? I think I said that right. That was good. Okay. Uh we have Horde and the Trap. And we have Kaze. And of course, your host, your Proctor, your liaison, Tsuchino Shogun, myself. So we're going to go ahead and begin. As I said in the last episode, if you were watching or listening, uh, we're talking about something that is near and dear to our hearts, something that you know has touched certain people, certain ways, and uh we would really like to get rid of it. And that is what's called coronavirus. Uh, coronaventi is a topic that we decided to come up with talking about how we have been uh uh kind of taken away from the one thing or one of the few things that we really as a as a group, as a community, as a culture, come together and embrace those things that we love. Um, that be anime, gaming, uh, TV shows, cartoons, comic books, whatever it is. It's the things that we love and it's a way that we can come together and express ourselves, and we're not able to do it. So we're gonna talk a little bit about that today, and you know, feel free if you are you have some points of your own, feel free to send us a message and uh maybe we can add your uh feedback on our social media platforms. So, uh everybody, I have a real general question. What has been your experience during corona, during COVID-19? It's been a very tumultuous uh couple of months. Uh, we're really into it right now. Uh as it as of right now, it seems like a lot of states and areas are opening up. Some say it's too soon, some say it's well overdone, but they're opening up. So, what has been your experience uh during COVID-19? Anyone?

SPEAKER_03 2:22

I'll say my experience during COVID-19 has been a lot of planning since I don't really have any places to go specifically. And photographers are either not busy or have a lot of open, or have a lot of free time. Um, I just have just been trying to figure out well, if I can't go anywhere this year, I guess I'll have to figure out what I'm going to put on for next year, which is giving me honestly more time to brainstorm as well as procrastinate.

SPEAKER_08 2:50

So for me, it's definitely a what I was gonna say, um, are you talking about just as far as cons or just corona in general?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Corona in general.

SPEAKER_08 3:08

Corona in general has been very stressful for me um because I'm a germaphobe. So the idea that there's an invisible virus infecting people, and you know, you you could possibly be asymptomatic, and it's like mind-blowing. Like there's a whole lot of thoughts going on in my head when I go to like the gas station or the grocery store or when I get my food delivered. I'm like, did you handle this? Who cares? So it's been very stressful for me. Um just a lot of anxiety.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

The doctor? So for me, it hasn't been as much fear about the virus. Um, I guess since I'm so used to like, you know, in my line of work, like I'm used to working with and around, you know, things sort of microbiology and all that. So the virus itself wasn't a big adjustment for me. A lot of the social change was a big thing. Um, you know, getting used to social distancing practices and oh, you know, you can't be in a certain group of a certain size, or during certain periods, you can't really visit people in person. Like I think that's what really took the biggest toll on me, you know, that kind of adjustment to my social life. Um, and you know, it it's a work in progress. It definitely has taken some time, but I have found myself adapting to it, you know, a little bit better as time goes on.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah, I can definitely uh I can definitely understand both all three of your points, you know, having been, you know, working your regular schedule on a daily basis, you know, you know where you're supposed to go, you know, where you who you hang out with and what you do. So having to, and I may not be a germaphobe, but I'm a very critical thinker and I like to think in scenarios. And it's like if somebody tells you there's, like you said, like an invisible, you know, virus that's you know floating around that you can get from you know various ways. And I think one of the worst parts for me has been kind of like the rhetoric, the everybody saying, Oh, I know this much about coronavirus, I know this much. So if you if you touch a watermelon inside the grocery store that's been handled improperly, you're gonna get corona times too. It was an actual ad. As you saw that makes no sense, doesn't it's not true, but those are the types of things that you know people are posting and people are saying, and especially when it first started, where you know, if you're not in the medical field like the doctor, or you're not um uh in maybe a pharmaceutical, you know, uh uh uh um industry, and you have some type of insight to you know what are the actual practices, what are the actual dangers, then it's kind of like you have to rely on whatever somebody tells you or whatever you research. And just like you know, self-diagnosis, you can easily tell yourself the wrong thing. And now you're you know, well, I'm not gonna say anything bad about nobody who was walking around the store with uh a cut in their mask because they were eating, you know, Oreos. But um, yeah, you just Oreos are really good though.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

And you can imagine how large the hole was if they were the double stuffed ones.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

They were the double stuffed. So like it was a really big split in their map. Anyway, I'm not talking about them, but I'm just saying, you know, those are the types of things that, you know, if you don't, if you don't have all the knowledge, or if you don't have all the facts, then you're kind of just led astray. So that's one of my uh issues, or that's been my big experience is trying to figure out what is right from wrong. Um, because I'm not in the medical field, so I don't know unless you know somebody who is or has the right facts tells me. Kaze?

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Uh see my uh corona experience has been uh many things. Uh I guess has been uh kind of depressing. Uh, you know, we uh you know I I was I was working in catering, so you know, ain't no orders being put in. So we uh yeah, my my job's been furloughed. Um and then our uh wonderful government has uh not been working with me up until this past Wednesday. Haven't worked till March, uh since March. Um and we just been uh yeah, making it by on my almost non-existent savings. But uh but you know, it's been a reminder of how uh amazing my support system's been. Um also it's just that that other thing, like you know, I'm a hermit anyway, um not not super social in in in any avenue. But when tell when when people tell you you can't go outside, no, I wasn't gonna go anyway.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

You can't go here. It's okay. I was I would I really wasn't planning on showing up regardless. But I appreciate I appreciate the alleviation of the pressure to show up somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Uh yeah, no, I mean Nalesca, it's kind of the opposite. Like I wasn't gonna go, but fuck you for telling me I can't. Um and uh and you know, and kind of similar to uh to what other people were saying, like, you know, uh also not a German phobe, but uh but you know, but I like to think it turns a worst case scenario and we're in a pandemic. So uh like I I think I heard a I think I heard a thing uh talking about uh you know like the how like how how far it can just like it like it might be a win win born in some cases, and I was like, oh no.

SPEAKER_03 9:09

It's just like oh my god, M. Knight Shaw Malone was right.

SPEAKER_07 9:15

We should have listened.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

We'll never go that far. But no, it's definitely been a really um interesting experience.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Horde in the trap.

SPEAKER_04 9:32

Um I work in a job that has me out in the streets on a daily basis. I have not stopped working at all since this whole thing started. Uh I still go to people's homes, I still go into businesses, and over time I just stopped getting them up. I'm just gonna be honest. So it's like outside of like just making sure like I was good before I came home because we got kids. So if she is a germaphobe, I am to an extent a germaphobe. I just have really um I have a really bad OCD. So it's like, so for me, it's a thing of uh if I go through these as long as these steps follow, I I'm cool. And then um I was just told recently I have very uh little care for uh my safety as long as everybody's good. So so it's uh for me it was a thing of nothing really the social aspect of it all changed, and it just gave me a reason to be the introvert than I am and say no, I don't want to shake your hand. I don't even want to touch elbows with you. I ain't got to now. It's a I can catch out. It's like, yeah, you can come and side down then I'll hear on the front porch, you know, until we get everything wrapped up, you know, like a whole reason to be not an asshole, but to just be as antisocial as I ever wanted to be in life. So um so all honesty, I ain't mad about growing. Um I I ain't very I'm not very mad about it. Outside the only now, the hard part was for the kids, uh, because they can't go out. And then that's where it makes it real difficult, they can't enjoy their day like they used to.

SPEAKER_09 11:24

I think between that and then not being able to go to school and communicate with their friends, yeah, that's been I think it's been more so hard on our daughter than our son because he's like two, so he's like whatever. But for her, she's starting to act out more and you can tell, like the whole switch.

SPEAKER_06 11:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 11:42

So I think she she's getting to a point where she needs a break from the entire house. I probably need a break from her. Um just saying social distance learning is full of shit and it does not work. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 11:54

It doesn't.

SPEAKER_09 11:55

It doesn't. It it's absolute shit. Like your parents trying to teach their kids stuff that they probably learned way back when. No, it's not. The child's not grasping it, you're getting frustrated, they're getting frustrated, it just doesn't work.

SPEAKER_06 12:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 12:09

Um but I am curious to know what's gonna happen with schools coming in the fall, considering I think some of the guidelines for elementary school kids are just absurd at that point.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 12:21

So we'll see what happens.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah, it's it's again, it's very terrible to have to be in this situation where, you know, between your personal feelings, the your family members, your children, your parents, you know, one of the things they, you know, told us was our age range is probably the least uh able to uh contract it. This is what one of the things I was told. And then they were like, well, what we what what we want you to do is stay away from children and stay away from your parents and your and grandparents. I'm like, okay, well then who's gonna check on them? Who's who's gonna watch our children? Who's going to make sure grandma and grandpa, dad, and mom are safe? Because if I can't go check on them and I'm supposed to, who who's gonna do it? So it was it's a very uh it's weird waters to tremble across. I mean, and then I agree completely. I mean, I have no children, but as you know, I have a niece and a nephew, and I mean, I have a nephew who is under the age of 10, and I have a niece who thinks she's grown, but she's under the age of 18. And, you know, from the get-go, they were in their minds, it was like, oh great, we have like a week-long vacation. Oh, great, we have a month-long vacation. Wait a minute, we're still at home. So it slowly progressed into this whole, I don't, why are we? It's just a lot.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

So it's like I don't like y'all as much as uh I thought I did. Like I knew I didn't really like y'all that much.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

No, I know I really like y'all that much. Can we go outside? Go no, no, you can't. Uh, we can't just run outside. We're not sure. And and that's and that's the thing, it's like we don't even know what we can have you do. Nothing's open, so we can't even take them. I don't know where you're going. The parks weren't even open. We couldn't even take them to run around just to ex, you know, push out some access energy.

SPEAKER_03 14:11

So I love how you phrase that like they were like pets.

SPEAKER_04 14:23

I'm saying that the kids and pets are not that far different. One progress is way farther than the other, and one progresses to a shorter spot quicker. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 14:32

Also true. Oh, and don't try to have your own food. Oh man.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

So, you know, it it it has been, you know, very difficult. And you know, that's part of the reason why I wanted, you know, we wanted to do this episode was to you know not only talk about the hardships, but you know, what are the things that we've done to kind of uh get out of that funk, if you will? Like what you know, what have we done to try to make it a little bit better uh in the situation that we're in? You know, the next topic is actually, you know, what uh what is special to you about, you know, I say conventions, but realistically, you know, the question is what what a part of your nerdom, your blurredom that you, you know, because we do it for all different types of reasons. We may do it for happiness, expression, you know, some people do it for the monetary reasons, uh, stress relief, all different types of reasons why we do the things we do uh that make us blurred, but you know, because of this pandemic, I'm sure a lot of us would love to do some of the things we normally do that relieves though that that pent-up stress or that pent-up energy. So, you know, because we haven't been able to, what are some of the things you've been kind of forced to do inside your house that has released some of that stress that you would have normally released at a convention or something of that nature? Anyone.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

I mean, I don't know. Weren't you just telling me telling us about a cosplay you're putting together? One thing I can say is like finding more things to create and learning how to make more things, um, even though I have not sat down and um dedicated time to the sewing machine that I have sitting in my in the living room because um low-key scared of that sewing machine. But it's okay because I don't know how to sew, but we'll figure we'll we'll get over that hump eventually and set that cosplay game up. Either way, I know that I've been trying to develop more like different skills. Like I know I want to set my makeup game up when it comes to cosplay and stuff because I want to do a lot more different looks outside of Beast. And even though that's not particularly bad, I want to be able to like do more artistically with it to kind of like be able to highlight certain features more, um, or be able to transition from using certain prosthetics altogether so I can embellish other things a bit more. I know I've also dedicated more time to finding prints online so I can like make more items. Um partly because I know that I have uh I have the the knowledge to know how to make like armor and stuff like that, but I don't have it for props. And kind of coming into contact with the idea that there is always going to be something more for me to learn, like something more for me to gain in order to build my skill set and like my arsenal of like um you know things so I can continue to cosplay in the way that I normally would. And like I said earlier, um procrastinating has been a huge thing. Um, not just with that um devilish sewing machine, but with um with just things that I had planned to do this year, I don't feel like that fire up under my ass anymore because I don't have anywhere to go with it specifically. And it's not like I can just hit up a photographer and be like, hey, what you doing? Because they probably can't go anywhere either. So um I would say that the the largest, the actually outside of everything I just said, the largest part would be being able to strategize. Um I like being, I like the I like conceptualizing things um more than I like making them. I still love making them, don't get me wrong, but but like drawing the plans up is amazing. Um so I have I've already had like two huge projects that I was trying to push to that I was do that I planned on doing for 2020, 2021. But all my 2020 plans are now backlogged to 2021 as well. And because I don't have to do those 2020 projects now, and there's no rush, I can kind of slow down on them, but it also pushes me to slow down on other things because the the another reality reality is that even though everything was pretty much canceled for 2020, the the way conventions are set up, or in the way that, or at least I blurred them and set up when it comes to going to conventions and interacting with other cosplayers and doing shoots and making like miniature videos and stuff like that, is that a lot of it has to do with coming together and community, and we can't we don't have enough information to know that by this time next year we'll still be able we'll we will be able to re-enter the con circuit again because we don't know how long the numbers are gonna fluctuate. We don't know how long we don't know how long the different regulations are gonna affect what it means for us to gather in spaces again. So it could honestly be an another year and a half, I don't want to say two years, I'll say maybe another year to like actually be able to really do anything again in the normal way that we're used to.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

I know you have similar experiences, Miss Skittles.

SPEAKER_08 19:42

Yes, so um I've been using this time to plan as well. Um typically when I get ready for a con, I plan my cosplays out like a couple months ahead of time. Um so now that there's no cons, I have all of these cosplays that I had planned for 2020. And um I was able to kind of like I'm not gonna say knock them out, but they're all started. I have started um something on each of them. Um uh I've also been able to play around with makeup a little more. Um I had somebody actually request I do make up this. Um so I end up you know playing around with that. And that that was actually a fun experience. Um I don't I don't do too much with makeup, so it was it was different. But I I was able to push that out as far as you know content or IG. Um I've been spending a lot of money, unfortunately. Um because you know, like uh Gwen said, you can't just call up a cosplay a cosplay photographer or a photographer in general. So I've I've brought like backdrops, like um uh ring light and set up my own little photography thing for for me um and my closet cosplays that I've been pushing out. Um so I I think I've been pretty productive uh during this whole time. It's just I there the procrastination is definitely there because like I've started all of these cosplays and I'm like, do I need to finish it like right now? Like I don't really need to. Like I like I have like I want to say like five in the works, and I'm like, hmm. I don't have no motivation to complete them just yet because you know after after I do all of this work, I'm just gonna take a few pictures, take it off, and put it in my box. So um the good thing is when when the cons do start back up, um I have plenty of cosplays to rotate through. But I'm definitely missing the the social part of being at a con. Like that's that is my favorite part of being at cons. Yes, I love cosplaying, I love dressing up, I love to show off you know my work and be in character, but my favorite part of going to the cons is socializing with my friends that are from states that far away, um, or even down the street. If I don't see you that often, um going to local cons or even out of state cons, my favorite part is just socializing with my friends that you know I wouldn't see otherwise. Um so yeah, um I'm definitely missing the con life. Uh, but I I think I've been pretty productive during this time. Um and I can't wait to uh like actually go back, but I'm a little skeptical about it because you know there's this thing called a con crud, and that was happening before coronavirus, just you know, being around a whole lot of people, you just get sick. Because, you know. Um, so with corona and no no vaccine or whatever, it's like, mmm, like, am I really gonna be safe at a con? Because I'm like almost guaranteed to get it. Yeah, there's not upsetting.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Like unless everyone cosplays overhaul or somebody with a mask, like it's upset.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

No, that's that's a that's a very valid point. You know, one of the I mean the reasons why they postponed or canceled all of the conventions or told them to can't cancel the conventions is because uh, as Rod was saying, uh sorry, the doctor was saying earlier, is when you are in you know large spaces with large massive groups of people, there's like almost no protection. You know, no matter what, you don't know who has it, who may be asymptomatic, as you were saying before. And it's very easy to spread um a an airborne illness in a place like that, like an airport or a stadium. That's why you know sports have been canceled and you know, all different types of events have been canceled, concerts have been canceled too. So to cancel a convention and then you go on top of the fact that there is a well-known concept of, you know, I'm I don't want to use the exact terminology to use, but you know, a certain um uh hygiene issue with some individual to the end or you know, if you wasn't already doing it before, then you certainly probably aren't doing it now. Hopefully you are, but there's a higher chance that you're not. And you know, I'm not gonna say anybody would actually have corona knowingly and then show up at this event, but you know, some people just aren't in Brandon. I'm just saying you may not be in the know, you may not know, uh, and you may attend these events, and it's very dangerous. Um, uh the doctor, what um what are some of the things that you have been doing, you know, to you know alleviate some of those uh stresses uh that are convention or blurred related uh for uh due to the uh stay at home order.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

So, you know, for me, one of the things that I do really miss about the conventions is that sense of community. Like that was something I always, always loved about the conventions. Um and again, like you know, you're saying, I even you know, when they do start back up, like with all the you know risk involved of that number of people and whatnot, um, we have no idea what conventions will look like when they actually start. So, you know, it's something I'm thinking about, well, how do I, you know, kind of maintain that? And I think being active online has really helped me a lot through a lot of you know forums related to gaming, related to um, you know, comics, stuff like that's helped to fill some of that need. Um, I've gotten a lot more active on game facts lately, you know, which that was where I really kind of got my start with getting involved in like gaming forums and all that. Um, you know, I've been more active in Discord and you know, I think uh those have been really good spaces for community, especially blurred community related to gaming, uh, that uh really does help with that. Um, and it does help me to still feel really connected. Um, you know, I think that's gonna be especially important even like going forward after things start to open up back more, you know. So um, yeah, I think that's how it's worked for me.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Okay. Um the trap. How uh, you know, uh conventions, uh things that you've done to uh I mean, I know that you've been to some yourself, or you guys have been to some yourselves. So what what have you been doing to either quell the, I mean, now granted, you just said that you've been able to express your full-on introvertness. So if that's what you've been doing, then you know, how have you taken the convention and brought it into your house?

SPEAKER_04 28:00

So in terms of convention, I just started going to them like more recently a couple years ago. And um, well, I'm sorry, more frequently a couple years ago. I actually enjoy convention, even though like wanted to be away from everybody. I ended up enjoying convention one because there was a lot more people like me there that I could communicate with and talk with and um just get involved just get involved with. I love the costumes. That's always just amazing to like see particular characters or see how much time a person would put into those outfits. Like I've done it for computers. I've never actually thought to do that type of work for costumes and stuff like that. So to see that art come to life is um I always find that impressive and like I really um enjoy talking with the people, you know, getting to the minds of the people that do that because they that is some of the most amazing stuff I think I've ever seen. Um outside of that though, like you said, fuck that. I like being alone. So I now the one thing I will say is I've getting I've gotten back into gaming like hardcore. Like I had kind of taken a break, and I went back to Boston Hunter and got pulled in that rabbit hole. Um I'm almost at a thousand hours. And uh then now passed on online. Discord I've gotten more into. Um started finding more communities where I can like share, like have more to do with you know certain things that I would probably do, like if if anything once a week or once a month. Like uh DD, like I finally find a DD uh my Discord where they play DD online and stuff like that. Um in terms of uh how to see the costumes and cosplay and stuff, like it's a cos y'all cosplayers, y'all y'all know how to like find a way to do to keep your name out there. So like it's a Instagram is the best place for a convention that's not a convention. Um yeah, Instagram and Twitter, both of them, actually. Like I said, you go on them and anybody that you have that you follow that's uh that's a cosplayer, they're still putting up costumes, like costumes or raven out, or whatever you want to catch is still up there. They still have their names out there. So um it's it's kind of like I've been able to live the convention without being at the convention. It's screwed up, I'll say it again though, but it's COVID for introverts to be great. Like the introverts are awesome. It's like you can still, because of how far technology is counting, they still enjoy a lot of stuff they would have liked to enjoy. They they they would put the introverts aside to enjoy. Now they can be an introverted joy.

SPEAKER_06 30:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:50

It's been it's been uh it's been different, but it's been cool. I'll I'm gonna make it.

SPEAKER_09 30:59

I mean, we're opposite on that. But I mean for me, I haven't been to a convention. I think that's just he has. But I think we've just been watching more anime, like we're watching Baki right now. We're trying not to run through it. I think we're on episode nine, so I'm I'm pretty certain we're gonna finish that today. And then just waiting for you know, attack on Titan and Demon Slayer to come back, things like that. But honestly, for me, I've just kind of been getting in my workout bag. Gotcha, I don't know, just to relieve some stress.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

Ain't that it? I need gyms to open back up. I do, I do it so bad, like I really do. I'm excited to I I wouldn't risk it all for a lot of things, but to just to be able to have just to have the capacity to go back to the gym. I would even go at like 4 a.m. 3 a.m. when no one's there just to get my life together. But I I need I need it, I need it back.

SPEAKER_09 31:55

I do people might be there at 3 and 4 a.m. because they may be like you, like, I need that dose, I need that toast.

SPEAKER_03 32:01

You know what? I thought the same thing, but it wasn't until I really was just up at 3 a.m. one time and I didn't have shit else to do, and I was like, you know what? I might as well go work out before I have to go to work. And I was like, oh, ain't a motherfucker here. Like I didn't start doing this more often, but I also like I can't be up from 3 a.m. to like 10 p.m. every day.

SPEAKER_09 32:20

So that's Mark's life when he doesn't have to.

SPEAKER_04 32:25

That's what I happen to say. I used to do that when I would go to the gym like at like three to four in the morning, because I only sleep four hours in a day. And then it's like then I'm up and I'm about for the rest for the next 20. Sometimes I wouldn't sleep at all, so I'd be up for like 38 hours, and then it's just like, alright, cool, what am I gonna do? So I would go to the gym, do that, go to work, come home, play with the kids. If I couldn't sleep, go to the gym again, come home, go to work, and then I would do that until my body finally just like, alright, cool, you gotta stop, bro.

SPEAKER_07 32:55

I'm like, you gotta crash.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

I was waiting for the cycle to end. Your body personnel's like, yo, we we were our staff is low, we can't keep running these hours.

SPEAKER_00 33:11

You missed that staff meeting, bro. You gotta stop. So uh Kaze, your experience.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

Uh yeah, my uh my convention life has been uh uh dramatically uh the same. Uh I think I think last year I went to uh just BlurCon, and that was you know, that was amazing. That was really fun. Sure you would do Autocon too, but it's okay. Ooh. Wow.

SPEAKER_06 33:51

Hey, hey But um I mean the last time I went to Otokan, I was able to accomplish a lot that day.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

Most people would, but you know, your experience.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

So, you know, the sort of plan was, you know, every year, you know, I'm gonna be like, all right, this is the year, I'm gonna be social, you know, I'm gonna talk to more people, I'm gonna get out there. Uh I'm gonna do things I don't normally care to do. Break it out of my shell. Break free. You know, so COVID definitely gave me my excuse to be that same nigga.

SPEAKER_07 34:37

Uh I have been.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

Um but you know, but I have I have made an effort to uh, you know, really since going to BlurCon is uh because you know, when you're like friending people on uh on the different media platforms, you know, usually you know you don't have a lot of information to go off like okay, it's a name, they look like this, and you know, you scan the page for a second. But you know, a cosplayer, it's like bam, that's night caller friend. Uh oh, is that such and such as mama from the second season? What friend? Um you know, so it's it's just really easy just to find cosplayers and see what they're doing and uh and keep up with them. Um as far as uh yeah, I mean, honestly, I think I've been devoting a lot of my time just knocking out different series and shows on the backlog. Um, you know, I'm a uh I'm a heavy, heavy duty uh Benger.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:41

So I'll uh I'll knock out a you know a whole season or two in the day and just you know check that off. Um what else? I've been trying to do uh you know, trying to fit in the some of the exercise thing with mixed results. Uh, you know, some um yeah, you know, some you know, some days you don't feel like doing this, some days, you know some days I just forget to do it like damn, it's 10, it's 10 o'clock and I ain't yeah, I ain't do that.

SPEAKER_03 36:14

Uh oh damn, it's 12 30 already.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Uh it's our quota. We said five, it's ten. Let's uh let's uh let's shock it up for tomorrow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Yeah, you know, most most of my physical activity before was definitely um a team effort. I'll leave that there. Wow. COVID has definitely uh gotten in the way of that.

SPEAKER_07 36:42

Um over here.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

Why don't you do it? Yes, yes, you will. Oh, geez. Did it this morning? Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

Um but uh yeah, yeah, that's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_00 37:04

So it sounds like, you know, as a collective, uh most of us, uh I think all of us have said that one of the main things that you know we enjoyed about or we went to conventions for was that community. It's you know being in the atmosphere, being in an environment with people with a like, you know, likes, um, interests, you know, whether it be gaming, cosplay, uh comics, uh, anime, whatever it is or manga, you know, we've we go there specifically to be around. We don't even have to talk to people, just be around the people who um do the things that we also enjoy doing. And it seems like what we've done is we've taken those things that we do at conventions and taken taken them home and done them to quite the nth degree, you know, planning out and finishing cosplays. Well, maybe not finishing, we're planning out cosplays for several months in advance.

SPEAKER_03 37:58

Um, we didn't need you to come for us like that.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

Right several animes in a row, uh catching up on things that we haven't seen before, getting into games that we either wanted to play or haven't played yet, or maybe we, you know, somebody recommended for us and kind of like kind of going hook gung-ho uh into them. So, you know, my personal experience with uh conventions has been, you know, not only enjoying the sights, like um uh Mark uh and uh sorry, as Horde, uh Horde Prime and uh Kaze were saying, you know, seeing the different cosplayers, seeing the creativity in their characters, your creativity in how they may take something from an anime cartoon or what have you and turn it into something so artistically beautiful that you could never think could be in real life. And you know, then when you get home, you can see those different types of uh, you know, based off of your uh cosplay photographers, those different images that they've kind of stolen from the screens of your anime or the pages of your comic books, and you know, juxtapose their their image or likeness into it. It's uh beautiful to see. So I agree with uh Horde and the and the trap, being able to take those things that we would normally do in the conventions, and I believe Kazi said it as well, and now kind of do those things at home, looking at the different cosplayers, following them, uh, outside of actually following them at the conventions just to take a picture. Um and just copy or same picture. What? It's the same concept. Um, or you know, playing video games with different people online, kind of getting up in that and you know, watching the different anime and reading manga. It's you know, kind of taking it over. But, you know, as we all, I believe, kind of agreed. If we plan on going to conventions in the future, there has to be some level of I mean, protection is not even the word, just some level of um creativity in how they choose to run these different events, because you know, a convention may not be a uh a sporting event where it has, you know, tens of thousands of people inside of an arena, but it is an event where people from all over the country and all over the world come, thousands of people over the course of several days. So, you know, they were saying coronavirus stays on surfaces, it you know, it can be contracted different types of ways. I mean, if you don't have a specific way of fighting against it, you might as well not even try to open your convention back up. So, you know, a lot of the things I want to see is, you know, what are they going to uh say to us as the convention goer? Um, we have taken these steps to protect you uh and your investment into coming to our convention. Because not only am I a convention goer, I'm also a company, and my company has gone to conventions before. And when we go, you know, we're there to help and provide things, a service for the convention goers. So not only do I want to know what is the convention doing to protect my company, what are they doing to protect my potential customer, my potential client? Because there's several things that we do in terms of cleanliness, in terms of, you know, uh hygiene, in terms of, you know, the different antibacterial uh materials that we may use, but you know, if the space around us isn't clean or if it isn't sanitized, then it, you know, all of the things that we do is for not. So, you know, there there's several things that I would want to see leading up until into the next wave of conventions because I I was told that some of the conventions that normally go on in the fall are still thinking about happening. And I'm saying, I don't know how that's possible because I think you should just let 2020 be 2020, fresh 2021, you know, new, new, new year, new you. I'm just like, don't even don't even try to press it. I think it'd be easier to do that. I miss them as much as the next person, but you know, I'd also rather want to protect myself and my fellow uh uh blurred or nerd or you know convention goer to make sure that they're safe and they're able to enjoy it to the best of their ability. Because though nobody wants to go to a convention and then 14 days later we hear the news. Nobody wants to hear that. So that wraps up the first half of our topic about Corona Vengean. We actually have a second part to this conversation uh next week. Uh we're going to be talking with some representatives from the uh uh some of the conventions that we go to uh that uh we you know would love to promote on this uh podcast. So uh stay tuned for our next episode next week. Um if you have any questions, you can follow any of us on our social media handles. Um myself, Suchino Shogun, you can follow me at Umbral Starcade on pretty much almost every platform. I think the only thing we're not on is TikTok. Um no, wait, are we on Snapchat? We might not be on Snapchat. Or in everything else. So follow Umbral Starcade on all those platforms. Anyone else want to drop their uh socials? So not not your social security number, social media.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

I mean, if the if the but if the audience wants to drop their socials, then by all means. No, absolutely not. I don't uh anybody? I mean, same. The follow me at the black McCoy on Instagram again. Don't follow me on Twitter. Um and you can find me at the Black McCoy Cosplay on Facebook.

SPEAKER_08 43:42

Um Miss Skittles Cosplay on Facebook, Instagram, and I am on TikTok, but content on the slow end because I don't know how to keep it back.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

I mean, uh all I know is on the first episode we were told about your phenomenal storm cosplay. So if that's on TikTok, everybody follow Miss Skittles. MZ go go and check out the storm, it was phenomenal. Uh no, anybody else?

SPEAKER_03 44:15

Oh no, it was Sailor Senshi Storm. Like it was a whole oh yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Anybody else? No? Okay. So we will see you guys next week on the Blurred Spectrum, where we will talk about Corona bench in part two. See you then. See you later. See ya. Adios.