March 21:
Who knows? I may actually pay for it.
Maybe.
Who knows? I may actually pay for it.
Maybe.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
A four-panel, 2x2 "webcomic without art."
© Warm Fuzzy Freudian Slippers, Ltd. MMVI
Needless to say, this is all tongue-in-cheek!
I need a nap.
1
Bird's eye view of DON in bed early Sunday morning, covers askew, drool coming out his mouth as his eyes are just coming open. We see musical notes streaming in from off-panel, swirling about the room.
CAPTION: SUNDAY MORNING
DON (thought): WHAT THE F**K...? IS THAT KENNY G??*
CAPTION: *ACTUALLY, IT'S DAVE KOZ'S "EMILY"
2
DON's back is to us on the bed; it looks like he may very well be huddled in the fetal position. WIFE is standing at the side of the bed, looking very upset.
CAPTION: MONDAY MORNING
WIFE: OH MY GOD!!
WIFE (linked): [Married Friend] GAVE [The Spouse] DIVORCE PAPERS ON FRIDAY!
3
Bird's eye view again of both DON and WIFE in bed. There are raindrops on the bedroom window. WIFE's sitting up, looking angrily at the window. DON's eyes are wide open, and he looks frazzled.
CAPTION: TUESDAY MORNING
WIFE (burst): AWWW, F**K...I LEFT MY UMBRELLA AT WORK!
4
DON, in ear muffs, is getting ready for bed by chugging OTC sleeping pills from a bottle and pulling a blindfold over his eyes.
CAPTION: TUESDAY NIGHT
Bird's eye view of DON in bed early Sunday morning, covers askew, drool coming out his mouth as his eyes are just coming open. We see musical notes streaming in from off-panel, swirling about the room.
CAPTION: SUNDAY MORNING
DON (thought): WHAT THE F**K...? IS THAT KENNY G??*
CAPTION: *ACTUALLY, IT'S DAVE KOZ'S "EMILY"
2
DON's back is to us on the bed; it looks like he may very well be huddled in the fetal position. WIFE is standing at the side of the bed, looking very upset.
CAPTION: MONDAY MORNING
WIFE: OH MY GOD!!
WIFE (linked): [Married Friend] GAVE [The Spouse] DIVORCE PAPERS ON FRIDAY!
3
Bird's eye view again of both DON and WIFE in bed. There are raindrops on the bedroom window. WIFE's sitting up, looking angrily at the window. DON's eyes are wide open, and he looks frazzled.
CAPTION: TUESDAY MORNING
WIFE (burst): AWWW, F**K...I LEFT MY UMBRELLA AT WORK!
4
DON, in ear muffs, is getting ready for bed by chugging OTC sleeping pills from a bottle and pulling a blindfold over his eyes.
CAPTION: TUESDAY NIGHT
© Warm Fuzzy Freudian Slippers, Ltd. MMVI
Needless to say, this is all tongue-in-cheek!
I need a nap.
There's a double shot of me in the Special Gigantic First-Anniversary Best-Of American Nerd.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Frankly, I prefer "Guido siht" to this...
From the LJ scans_daily community.
Had to fish around for another copy here.
Had to fish around for another copy here.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
I swear, it's true enough to make me cry. Hey, I can't help it. It's been awhile since I had a full week's worth of stuff in my day planner, even if stuff gets shuffled around. Tomorrow, I gotta dress nice in the sub-freezing weather, but oh well.
Bed, now.
Bed, now.
| The Hermit You scored 29 change, 41 wellbeing, 71 wisdom, and 42 truth |
 He has mastered all elements of the past key numbers and stands on top of the mountain of attainment. The snowy peaks is symbolic of his isolation because his wisdom sets him apart from the rest. In this position, he holds his lantern to light the way for the rest to follow his path to enlightenment, for knowledge is meaningless unless we turn and show others what we have learned. The lantern light is 2 triangles, one face up and the other face down. As is above, so below. A triangle only holds 180 degrees, but the combination of 2 triangles equals 360 degrees. A circle has 360 degrees and is the symbol of the creator, endless. 360 degrees and 180 degrees both vibrate at a number 9, the vibration of this cards. |
| My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The What tarot card resembles you Test written by KamikazeParrot on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test |
I will never, ever feel bad about walking into a college bar ever again, not while there are people like this.
Off an LJ:
Meet Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch...
...aged 61.
Makes that whole bruhaha about the A&F ads a bit more creepy, don't it?
Off an LJ:
Meet Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch...
...aged 61.
Makes that whole bruhaha about the A&F ads a bit more creepy, don't it?
Saturday, January 21, 2006
You've probably been thinking, but have been too kind to say, "You've all but given up all your martial pursuits, haven't you, you lazy bsatard?" But, while my efforts have been admittedly sporadic and irregular, my love of the arts hasn't gone anywhere!
In anticipation of training with a local FMA/WMA group (I've got the cash to start, just not enough to go very far), I've been looking up a whole bunch of online WMA material online. Lots of interesting stuff, especially those details that relate directly to FMA stuff. Man, I've heard lots of people slam Mark Wiley, but it turns out he's loathed by a WMA people as well because of his "historical accuracy."
I've run into the occassional video. Datu_B knows how I am about video clips. Some folks on a message board dug up:
Well, I've accomplished two minor things. One was managing to transfer a stick move from my right hand (a sort of head-level witik followed by a downward vertical head strike) to my left (more or less). And, working on that made me realize something while shadowboxing--now I realize why my left jab always got more respect than my right cross.
Beside my right foot being too far back (as usual), my hip doesn't have that "snapping" quality when I throw the cross like it does when I throw the jab. Sure, the hip rotates as it should. But, all the strength of the punch is coming from my upper body/arm, instead of my hips. Now, I got something new to work on between stories and job-searching.
In anticipation of training with a local FMA/WMA group (I've got the cash to start, just not enough to go very far), I've been looking up a whole bunch of online WMA material online. Lots of interesting stuff, especially those details that relate directly to FMA stuff. Man, I've heard lots of people slam Mark Wiley, but it turns out he's loathed by a WMA people as well because of his "historical accuracy."
I've run into the occassional video. Datu_B knows how I am about video clips. Some folks on a message board dug up:
- Kyra Gracie vs Erica Montoya in recent Abu Dhabi tournament (Kyra's the dark haired girl on top).
- Yoshihiro Nakao tries to psyche out, Keith Herring, aka the Texas Crazy Horse, before a K-1 Dynamite match. It doesn't really work.
- A low-quality film of a TKD vs. Shaolin kung-fu "no grappling allowed" exhibition with a bad soundtrack.
Well, I've accomplished two minor things. One was managing to transfer a stick move from my right hand (a sort of head-level witik followed by a downward vertical head strike) to my left (more or less). And, working on that made me realize something while shadowboxing--now I realize why my left jab always got more respect than my right cross.
Beside my right foot being too far back (as usual), my hip doesn't have that "snapping" quality when I throw the cross like it does when I throw the jab. Sure, the hip rotates as it should. But, all the strength of the punch is coming from my upper body/arm, instead of my hips. Now, I got something new to work on between stories and job-searching.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
I admit it, I'm still in my shell/cave/womb/tomb/Sith meditation chamber--whatever metaphor you'd like to use.
Maybe it's a function of being "twenty-one plus eleven," but I just can't deal with as much stimuli as I used to, internal and external. Rather, I can't attend to it as much as I used to. A lot of things in life need my attention. However, for any of those things to be dealt with effectively, they can't always have my equal attention all the time.
There's a whole side to the "There is a season" theme in the Book of Ecclesiastes that doesn't register, or even gets ignored outright. As much as there are times when things happen and also times to do things, in either case, you simply cannot do it all at the same time, not if you want to be effective.
An example: A few days ago, after yet another weekend of travel (I know, I know, "Oh, poor me," right?) and still having the general mindset of "I ain't got time for no bullhsit," I decided to pull a Machiavellian move on a couple of folks. Let's put it this way--rather than participate in a group that would eventually, according to my instincts and experience, suffer from Geek Social Fallacy #1, I bowed out and got with another person who felt the same way. And, I did that in order to move forward with my personal goals. My decision was a pure, simple personal cost-benefit analysis that I had to make because I've finally accepted that my energy is finite!
It recharges, sure, but that's always been a solitary process for me. I'm not one of these folks who recharges by inviting twenty of his closest friends over for a day. Don't get me wrong--I love having twenty of my closest friends over for a day. But, it doesn't recharge me. It drains. And, that's okay...
...provided I get a chance to recover, which I'm doing.
Maybe it's a function of being "twenty-one plus eleven," but I just can't deal with as much stimuli as I used to, internal and external. Rather, I can't attend to it as much as I used to. A lot of things in life need my attention. However, for any of those things to be dealt with effectively, they can't always have my equal attention all the time.
There's a whole side to the "There is a season" theme in the Book of Ecclesiastes that doesn't register, or even gets ignored outright. As much as there are times when things happen and also times to do things, in either case, you simply cannot do it all at the same time, not if you want to be effective.
An example: A few days ago, after yet another weekend of travel (I know, I know, "Oh, poor me," right?) and still having the general mindset of "I ain't got time for no bullhsit," I decided to pull a Machiavellian move on a couple of folks. Let's put it this way--rather than participate in a group that would eventually, according to my instincts and experience, suffer from Geek Social Fallacy #1, I bowed out and got with another person who felt the same way. And, I did that in order to move forward with my personal goals. My decision was a pure, simple personal cost-benefit analysis that I had to make because I've finally accepted that my energy is finite!
It recharges, sure, but that's always been a solitary process for me. I'm not one of these folks who recharges by inviting twenty of his closest friends over for a day. Don't get me wrong--I love having twenty of my closest friends over for a day. But, it doesn't recharge me. It drains. And, that's okay...
...provided I get a chance to recover, which I'm doing.
One of the things I love about indie comics is the premium they place on sensitivity to diversity. It's a struggle, and sometimes people in comics have made honest mistakes...
It's the age-old question: how to be "sensitive" and still portray realistic characters. For Brian Bendis, it's simple--you fall back on the Archie Bunker portrayal of an obviously ignorant boor, and make it an indictment of (unfortunately all-too) prevalent racial and ethnic attitudes in the hopes of making a relevant, thought-provoking commentary.
The following is from Bendis's Sam and Twitch #1. They were the only honest cops left in their precinct before they were removed from the force. But, now they've been brought back and have to re-adjust. For instance, they need to get reacquainted with what Sam calls "the local Guido scene" to investigate the murder of some...er...criminals of a certain ethnic descent. Here, Sam (the tactless, boorish, thuggish half of this duo) expresses his dismay at this senseless slaughter.
Oh, who am I kidding?
It's the age-old question: how to be "sensitive" and still portray realistic characters. For Brian Bendis, it's simple--you fall back on the Archie Bunker portrayal of an obviously ignorant boor, and make it an indictment of (unfortunately all-too) prevalent racial and ethnic attitudes in the hopes of making a relevant, thought-provoking commentary.
The following is from Bendis's Sam and Twitch #1. They were the only honest cops left in their precinct before they were removed from the force. But, now they've been brought back and have to re-adjust. For instance, they need to get reacquainted with what Sam calls "the local Guido scene" to investigate the murder of some...er...criminals of a certain ethnic descent. Here, Sam (the tactless, boorish, thuggish half of this duo) expresses his dismay at this senseless slaughter.
Oh, who am I kidding?
And, while we're discussing the international sci-fi legacies in question, we might as well discuss fandoms...
Which annoying fan are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Which annoying fan are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
As long as we're on the subject of 70+ year-old international sci-fi legends...
William Shatner sells kidney stone, raises $25,000 for charitySure, you can laugh at him for putting it up, but if someone was willing to pay for it...
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - An online casino has a piece of Capt. Kirk.
Actor William Shatner has sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity, it was announced Tuesday.
Shatner reached agreement Monday to sell the stone to GoldenPalace.com.
"This takes organ donors to a new height, to a new low, maybe. How much is a piece of me worth?" he said in a telephone interview.
Monday, January 16, 2006
This weekend marked the fourth straight weekend in a row that we've road tripped somewhere. I now understand why hermits become hermits.
Anyone have a sensory deprivation tank? I'd love to soak in it while listening to the latest Ricky Gervais Show podcast.
No? Well, then I'm going to figure out some other way to replicate that experience.
* * *
Speaking of hilarious audio files, I got myself a copy of Tom "Doctor Who" Baker's infamous outtakes for his voiceover spot for something called Symphony (supposedly, a furniture company).
The man is completely nuts, between complaining about the ad copy and making such "flubs" as...
Are you sure this isn't a translation from the f*cking Albanian? Sounds like a very bad translation from early Serbo-Croat.
I don't think I can go on, this is so emotional. I'm getting a stalk on, I think, here.
Symphony--number one for f*cking foreigners, too!
Symphony--even for monkey shaggers!
I adore distilled whippet sh*t!
Symphony is a company with a firm foundation--and if you don't believe that, you can f*ck off and get your cards.
And, to think I freaked out at Peter Davison's performance on At Home With the Braithwaites. I said to myself that no Doctor Who should be cheating on his wife and being verbally abusive to, well, everyone. I almost died when he called some kid a "f*cking sh*thead!" But, you can chalk that up to acting.
This recording was just bizarre and surreal, and I'm going to sit in the dark and meditate upon it for the next few days to raise my energy levels. (And, as much as I'd love to post it, I don't have the space or the bandwidth, nor would I subject anyone to the hoops I had to jump through at YouSendIt.)
Anyone have a sensory deprivation tank? I'd love to soak in it while listening to the latest Ricky Gervais Show podcast.
No? Well, then I'm going to figure out some other way to replicate that experience.
Speaking of hilarious audio files, I got myself a copy of Tom "Doctor Who" Baker's infamous outtakes for his voiceover spot for something called Symphony (supposedly, a furniture company).
The man is completely nuts, between complaining about the ad copy and making such "flubs" as...
Are you sure this isn't a translation from the f*cking Albanian? Sounds like a very bad translation from early Serbo-Croat.I don't think I can go on, this is so emotional. I'm getting a stalk on, I think, here.
Symphony--number one for f*cking foreigners, too!
Symphony--even for monkey shaggers!
I adore distilled whippet sh*t!
Symphony is a company with a firm foundation--and if you don't believe that, you can f*ck off and get your cards.
And, to think I freaked out at Peter Davison's performance on At Home With the Braithwaites. I said to myself that no Doctor Who should be cheating on his wife and being verbally abusive to, well, everyone. I almost died when he called some kid a "f*cking sh*thead!" But, you can chalk that up to acting.
This recording was just bizarre and surreal, and I'm going to sit in the dark and meditate upon it for the next few days to raise my energy levels. (And, as much as I'd love to post it, I don't have the space or the bandwidth, nor would I subject anyone to the hoops I had to jump through at YouSendIt.)
Thursday, January 12, 2006
I owe everyone an apology. I've known about this since the week after Christmas and failed to mention it to all but 2 or 3 people.
The Ricky Gervais Show on Guardian Unlimited
It's a series of 12 podcasts from The Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and featuring the "increasingly perplexed" Karl Pilkington. And, they're on number 6, so stop what you're doing right now and download every last bit of it, and be prepared to bust a gut in 30-minute segments. Then, tune in every Monday for more.
The Ricky Gervais Show on Guardian Unlimited
It's a series of 12 podcasts from The Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and featuring the "increasingly perplexed" Karl Pilkington. And, they're on number 6, so stop what you're doing right now and download every last bit of it, and be prepared to bust a gut in 30-minute segments. Then, tune in every Monday for more.
Books that were previously crossed out are deleted.
BOOKS OBTAINED, NOT STARTED
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov ‡
Fire - Brian Michael Bendis
Goldfish - Brian Michael Bendis
Torso - Brian Michael Bendis
Total Sell-Out - Brian Michael Bendis (Started briefly, then abandoned)
Wild Seed - Octavia Butler
The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler †
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 - Dave Eggers (ed.)
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Tender Is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley †
The Light of the Falling Stars - J. Robert Lennon
Ex Machina - Brian K. Vaughn
BOOKS BEING READ
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales - Michael Chabon (ed.)
A Place So Foreign and Eight More - Cory Doctorow (Temporarily abandoned)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
Desolation Jones - Warren Ellis (Ongoing series)
Ministry of Space - Warren Ellis (Wasn't even on the list; couldn't help it, though.)
Stranger Things Happen - Kelly Link (Temporarily abandoned)
Collected Stories - Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (Temporarily abandoned)
Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud
The Portable Dorothy Parker
Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughn (Ongoing series)
† These are books that I own, but haven't read since college, so they might as well be considered unread.
‡ This is The Wife's compilation.
BOOKS OBTAINED, NOT STARTED
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov ‡
Fire - Brian Michael Bendis
Goldfish - Brian Michael Bendis
Torso - Brian Michael Bendis
Total Sell-Out - Brian Michael Bendis (Started briefly, then abandoned)
Wild Seed - Octavia Butler
The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler †
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 - Dave Eggers (ed.)
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Tender Is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley †
The Light of the Falling Stars - J. Robert Lennon
Ex Machina - Brian K. Vaughn
BOOKS BEING READ
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales - Michael Chabon (ed.)
A Place So Foreign and Eight More - Cory Doctorow (Temporarily abandoned)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
Desolation Jones - Warren Ellis (Ongoing series)
Stranger Things Happen - Kelly Link (Temporarily abandoned)
Collected Stories - Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (Temporarily abandoned)
The Portable Dorothy Parker
Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughn (Ongoing series)
† These are books that I own, but haven't read since college, so they might as well be considered unread.
‡ This is The Wife's compilation.
The BBC says...
Doctor Who checks into SCI FIAnd, as of this second, it's not on SciFi Wire. Damn, even when they've got good news, they're slow about announcing it.
SCI FI Channel screen first series Fridays at 9pm from March.
SCI FI Channel and BBC Worldwide Americas announced today a major licensing deal for the first series of the latest Doctor Who adventures.
The 13-part drama is about a mysterious time-travelling adventurer known simply as "The Doctor" (Christopher Eccleston) and his companion, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper). The Doctor and Rose risk death and danger, battling aliens and monsters.
Your results:
You are Green Lantern
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
You are Green Lantern
| Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.  |
Thursday, January 05, 2006
What do they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions? That's exactly what's happened with my reading list. There's a lot of things I've been cramming into my mind, lately. Mostly literature. So, in the interest of general accountability, I'm going to post my reading list for 2006, including my 2005 backlog, and update my progress along the way. Sort of like Nick Hornby's Polysyllabic Spree, only not as long; plus, I include graphic novels. You'll simply see "Books Obtained" and "Books Being Read," hopefully being crossed out as the year goes on.
BOOKS OBTAINED, NOT STARTED
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov ‡
Fire - Brian Michael Bendis
Goldfish - Brian Michael Bendis
Torso - Brian Michael Bendis
Total Sell-Out - Brian Michael Bendis
Wild Seed - Octavia Butler
The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler †
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 - Dave Eggers (ed.)
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Tender Is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley †
The Light of the Falling Stars - J. Robert Lennon
Ex Machina - Brian K. Vaughn
BOOKS BEING READ
Fortune and Glory - Brian Michael Bendis
Jinx - Brian Michael Bendis
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales - Michael Chabon (ed.)
A Place So Foreign and Eight More - Cory Doctorow (Temporarily abandoned)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
Desolation Jones - Warren Ellis (Ongoing series)
Stranger Things Happen - Kelly Link (Temporarily abandoned)
Collected Stories - Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (Temporarily abandoned)
Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud
The Portable Dorothy Parker
Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughn (Ongoing series)
Demo - Brian Wood/Becky Cloonan
Hm...should I include the craft (writing) books that I consult on a daily basis?
† These are books that I own, but haven't read since college, so they might as well be considered unread.
‡ This is The Wife's compilation.
BOOKS OBTAINED, NOT STARTED
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
The Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov ‡
Fire - Brian Michael Bendis
Goldfish - Brian Michael Bendis
Torso - Brian Michael Bendis
Total Sell-Out - Brian Michael Bendis
Wild Seed - Octavia Butler
The Long Goodbye - Raymond Chandler †
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2005 - Dave Eggers (ed.)
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Tender Is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald †
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley †
The Light of the Falling Stars - J. Robert Lennon
Ex Machina - Brian K. Vaughn
BOOKS BEING READ
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales - Michael Chabon (ed.)
A Place So Foreign and Eight More - Cory Doctorow (Temporarily abandoned)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
Desolation Jones - Warren Ellis (Ongoing series)
Stranger Things Happen - Kelly Link (Temporarily abandoned)
Collected Stories - Gabriel Garcia-Marquez (Temporarily abandoned)
Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud
The Portable Dorothy Parker
Y: The Last Man - Brian K. Vaughn (Ongoing series)
Hm...should I include the craft (writing) books that I consult on a daily basis?
† These are books that I own, but haven't read since college, so they might as well be considered unread.
‡ This is The Wife's compilation.
Here's something simple and stolen for the first analysis of 2006.
FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
1. Movie theater usher
2. Direct care worker in Residential Treatment
3. Community support provider
4. Substitute teacher
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD (AND DO!) WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Withnail & I
2. Glengarry Glen Ross
3. Iron Monkey
4. Night of the Living Dead
FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Cleveland, OH
2. Dayton, OH
3. Columbus, OH
4. Athens, OH
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
1. Law & Order (all of them)
2. Doctor Who
3. The Boondocks
4. Blake's 7
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Manila, Philippines
2. Canada
3. Tampa, FL
4. Virgina Beach, VA
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. mail.yahoo.com
2-4. I use RSS for everything else.
FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Buffalo wings
2. Chinese chicken wings
3. Smoked sausage
4. Pork chops--breaded, fried, then baked--with rice
FOUR PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
I'm quite happy where I am right now, thank you.
FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
1. Movie theater usher
2. Direct care worker in Residential Treatment
3. Community support provider
4. Substitute teacher
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD (AND DO!) WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Withnail & I
2. Glengarry Glen Ross
3. Iron Monkey
4. Night of the Living Dead
FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Cleveland, OH
2. Dayton, OH
3. Columbus, OH
4. Athens, OH
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
1. Law & Order (all of them)
2. Doctor Who
3. The Boondocks
4. Blake's 7
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Manila, Philippines
2. Canada
3. Tampa, FL
4. Virgina Beach, VA
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. mail.yahoo.com
2-4. I use RSS for everything else.
FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Buffalo wings
2. Chinese chicken wings
3. Smoked sausage
4. Pork chops--breaded, fried, then baked--with rice
FOUR PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
I'm quite happy where I am right now, thank you.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
...about nothing important. Just whether or not I like Joss Stone.
I hadn't heard of her (haven't seen the Gap commercial, the VH-1 Diva thing, nothing) before seeing her do a set on Austin City Limits after Michael McDonald. My first impression was that she was a Joplin rip-off, but she and her band were good enough to keep me interested for a half-hour. I didn't know she's a mere 17 years old until I looked her up, but being young's never been good enough to impress me. Although, what often does impress me about young people--yes, even young white people--doing old school R&B stuff is that they'd even attempt that music. They tend to get all of five minutes on somewhere like MTVH-whatever.
Anyway, I got ahold of her albums, and they didn't really make an impression, even for someone addicted to blue-eyed soul and worships at the altar of Bill Champlin like me. And, then it hit me.
Part of the problem is her voice; she's simply not done growing, yet. Period. The bigger problem, though, was the production on both her albums. Her backing band--there or on ACL--just isn't helping her any. You could replace them all with canned tracks and I don't think I'd notice. Now, that could be a decision on the producer's part: dumb down the musicians rather than risk the spotlight shining on anyone other than the vocalist for a micro-second (which is almost always a reason for me to burn an album). Or, those cats really can't play. In any case, I feel like I've only got half of what I paid for. I mean, her songs really only come in three tempos, and three or four different grooves. Now, whether that's limiting her or revealing her limitations remains to be seen.
It's the same reason I was never really into the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Although they have the opposite problem: kick ass band, but I can't stand that dude's voice.
Say what you want about Macy Gray, but at least she delivers the whole package, from writing, to the recording, through to the live performance. She could walk off the stage and let her band play, and I'd still listen intently. There's some real meat to those recordings, too. Same thing with the current Earth, Wind & Fire. Sure, everyone knows it's really only Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson, et al, but that doesn't mean they let anyone be part of et al. They walk off stage and the band still burns; I'll be damned if that little dude they have doing the Maurice White vocals can't keep a show going.
In any case, it's that sense of "the whole package" that I'm missing when I'm deciding whether or not to like Joss Stone. I dunno, I'll give her albums a few more listens.
I hadn't heard of her (haven't seen the Gap commercial, the VH-1 Diva thing, nothing) before seeing her do a set on Austin City Limits after Michael McDonald. My first impression was that she was a Joplin rip-off, but she and her band were good enough to keep me interested for a half-hour. I didn't know she's a mere 17 years old until I looked her up, but being young's never been good enough to impress me. Although, what often does impress me about young people--yes, even young white people--doing old school R&B stuff is that they'd even attempt that music. They tend to get all of five minutes on somewhere like MTVH-whatever.
Anyway, I got ahold of her albums, and they didn't really make an impression, even for someone addicted to blue-eyed soul and worships at the altar of Bill Champlin like me. And, then it hit me.
Part of the problem is her voice; she's simply not done growing, yet. Period. The bigger problem, though, was the production on both her albums. Her backing band--there or on ACL--just isn't helping her any. You could replace them all with canned tracks and I don't think I'd notice. Now, that could be a decision on the producer's part: dumb down the musicians rather than risk the spotlight shining on anyone other than the vocalist for a micro-second (which is almost always a reason for me to burn an album). Or, those cats really can't play. In any case, I feel like I've only got half of what I paid for. I mean, her songs really only come in three tempos, and three or four different grooves. Now, whether that's limiting her or revealing her limitations remains to be seen.
It's the same reason I was never really into the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Although they have the opposite problem: kick ass band, but I can't stand that dude's voice.
Say what you want about Macy Gray, but at least she delivers the whole package, from writing, to the recording, through to the live performance. She could walk off the stage and let her band play, and I'd still listen intently. There's some real meat to those recordings, too. Same thing with the current Earth, Wind & Fire. Sure, everyone knows it's really only Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson, et al, but that doesn't mean they let anyone be part of et al. They walk off stage and the band still burns; I'll be damned if that little dude they have doing the Maurice White vocals can't keep a show going.
In any case, it's that sense of "the whole package" that I'm missing when I'm deciding whether or not to like Joss Stone. I dunno, I'll give her albums a few more listens.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Ah, another holiday over, another road trip, and I'm almost as exhausted as I was in '05--but happy.
* * *
We got more stuff. Some were presents from others and some from ourselves. As if we didn't have enough stuff to read and watch, I now have/have access to:
* * *
Oh, and here's something else to read. Ever wonder what happened to that COBRA recruit?
We got more stuff. Some were presents from others and some from ourselves. As if we didn't have enough stuff to read and watch, I now have/have access to:
- Kung Fu Hustle
- Once Upon a Time in China
- You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius also by Mr. Eggers
Oh, and here's something else to read. Ever wonder what happened to that COBRA recruit?
Journal of a Seasoned COBRA Veteran
by K. Pille
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Even back in the days when I used to train four times a week, I always allowed myself to eat on the holidays. The older you get, and the more relatives you interact with, you begin to realize that you have no choice if you want to maintain the "temporary cease fire" that's in effect between Christmas and New Year's. Plus, let's face it--the food's generally tastier (at least for me) around the holidays.
So, I give you this:
You taste like baked alaska. Your sweetness is
only matched by your smooth and creamy texture.
You are sure to set fire to anyone's taste
buds.
How do you taste?
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Happy New Year, everyone! We'll be in Cleveland, tomorrow. See you in '06!
So, I give you this:
You taste like baked alaska. Your sweetness is
only matched by your smooth and creamy texture.
You are sure to set fire to anyone's taste
buds.
How do you taste?
brought to you by Quizilla
Happy New Year, everyone! We'll be in Cleveland, tomorrow. See you in '06!
Monday, December 26, 2005
We've got a few days between Christmas and New Year's Eve in Cleveland. Drive, drive, drive.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were awesome, though. So far, between presents from each other, Mamazoo, and some of The Wife's other relatives, we made out like bandits, so far. And, we haven't even seen my folks, yet.
My favorite gift came from The Wife, the one person who knows me best...
SCRUBBERS!!!!!
The time with family was the best, though. There's always good food to be had, and fun games. Although, it seems that even in Elmira, we can't escape EWF and Verdine White; they were pimping CDs and DVDs on QVC.
We got to spend time with the Wife's aunt, who's quickly becoming my favorite in-law after Mamazoo. She's the liveliest 83 year old I've ever met. She's the kind of woman to cook up steaks for (her) breakfast and offer you Yuenglung beer and Chivas at 10:45 in the morning. Her household is just so great for being the unabashed, unapologetic Italian side of the Wife's family. At one point, I was asked by my cousin-in-law, her son, if I "wanted to go for a ride." That's out of context, but picture every movie where you've ever heard that line, and that's exactly how it sounded.
Well, it's after three, so we're just now getting ready to see what the Boxing Day shopping scene is like. Hopefully, it won't be too harried.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were awesome, though. So far, between presents from each other, Mamazoo, and some of The Wife's other relatives, we made out like bandits, so far. And, we haven't even seen my folks, yet.
My favorite gift came from The Wife, the one person who knows me best...
SCRUBBERS!!!!!
The time with family was the best, though. There's always good food to be had, and fun games. Although, it seems that even in Elmira, we can't escape EWF and Verdine White; they were pimping CDs and DVDs on QVC.
We got to spend time with the Wife's aunt, who's quickly becoming my favorite in-law after Mamazoo. She's the liveliest 83 year old I've ever met. She's the kind of woman to cook up steaks for (her) breakfast and offer you Yuenglung beer and Chivas at 10:45 in the morning. Her household is just so great for being the unabashed, unapologetic Italian side of the Wife's family. At one point, I was asked by my cousin-in-law, her son, if I "wanted to go for a ride." That's out of context, but picture every movie where you've ever heard that line, and that's exactly how it sounded.
Well, it's after three, so we're just now getting ready to see what the Boxing Day shopping scene is like. Hopefully, it won't be too harried.
Friday, December 23, 2005
He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows the best time to send his boys into your home, kidnap you, and have you on a flight to a country where he's going to make you tell him what he wants to know...by any means necessary.
"Ho, ho, ho--where's your Geneva Convention, now?"
Picture via Dave's Long Box
Yeah, I understand that excess cultural pride does things like dredge up centuries-old conflicts because the cast of Memoirs of a Geisha is mostly Chinese. And, I understand how tempting it is for non-Asians to sit in their non-Asian neighborhood (yeah, except for That One Family down the block) and wish that they'd just "get over it."**
Yet, I feel that pride whenever I see that ethnicity can have its upsides.***
***And, I got some sticks for you, if you don't like it ;)
Yet, I feel that pride whenever I see that ethnicity can have its upsides.***
Gift Boxes Help Migrant Filipinos Keep Ties to Home**Screw it, I'm Asian: Get over it, already! :)
by Mandalit del Barco
Morning Edition, December 23, 2005 · In her one-bedroom apartment in South Pasadena, Calif., Gladys Price listens to holiday songs on the radio. But it can't quite compare to her Christmases back in the Philippines, when she'd wake up before the roosters to attend the misa de gallo, or early-morning mass.
Two years ago, Price left her son Lance and her relatives in Manila for more opportunities in the United States. She now works for a pharmaceutical company and is married to an American. But this year, she sent her love home in a large cardboard box -- what's known among Filipinos as a balikbayan box.
***And, I got some sticks for you, if you don't like it ;)
Yeah, I said it! If there really is a war on X-Mas, then consider this my Lapu Lapu bit to defend my island against the Conquistadores. C'mon, Magellan--I dare you to knock this battery off my shoulder. And, I got this picture, too. How d'you like them apples?Hey, it could be worse. I could be Huey Freeman.
The Christmas preparations are mostly done. Everything is bought that needed to be bought. I myself signed and licked over 40 envelopes. Sure, The Wife wrote and addressed them, but I was the one who ended up with the dry heaves after I hit 35 licks.
Needless to say the "Don & Wife Travelling Family Revue" hits the road again for a few dates in Elmira and Cleveland, starting tomorrow.
Congratulations to Datu_B dba Glengarry. New job, new digs, and a new life. Here's to you! And, remember: "Always Be Closing."
Want to know what makes another good present besides Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre? Read Demo written by Brian Wood with art by Becky Cloonan. Or, if you're "too good" for that sort of thing, check out The Portable Dorothy Parker. That's just two of the dozens of things I'm reading lately that are so good, I can't read just one all the way through.
Authorities probe theft of body partsI figured that fit right in behind Lt. Col. Kurtz.
By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Authorities are investigating allegations that hundreds of bodies were illegally carved up in funeral homes around New York City and sold for parts without the permission of the families of the deceased.
Corpses - including that of famed British broadcaster Alistair Cooke - were used to harvest human bone, skin and tendons which were then sold for a profit, authorities allege.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
| Don's Random Movie Quote: 'We must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig. Cow after cow. Village after village. Army after army.' - Kurtz, Apocalypse Now Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com |
Huh...well...um...Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I didn't make the connection until today's morning coffee that I had bought the Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire - Live at the Greek Theatre DVD at Target, which was in the midst of a holiday ad campaign with EWF. It was funny how The Wife and I watched the DVD and all of a sudden noticed all this EWF music on TV.
Of course, she cheered when she saw Verdine on TV again, and who wouldn't?
You can actually view this and two other commercials (featuring the songs "Let's Groove" and a December version of the song "September") here (You'll need Flash to view). There're interview clips, too.
Hm...now I know there's a commercial out there with the song "Star" in it. It's not on the Target site, so maybe it's for something else.
Of course, she cheered when she saw Verdine on TV again, and who wouldn't?
You can actually view this and two other commercials (featuring the songs "Let's Groove" and a December version of the song "September") here (You'll need Flash to view). There're interview clips, too.
Hm...now I know there's a commercial out there with the song "Star" in it. It's not on the Target site, so maybe it's for something else.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
I'm tired this week. That is all.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as Serenity (from Firefly). You like to live your own way and do not enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you that you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you.
Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com |
A friend of mine emailed me:
To make you feel better, today I purchased a Real Ultimate Power ninja manual as a gag gift for a secret santa exchange at work. I felt like I was looking at porn (the humor/anime aisle). So I ran back to Literary Criticism, picked up a copy of Roland Barthes' Mythologies (I had been meaning to anyway) so I could stand in line and cover the ninja book. When I checked out, the woman had the ninja book on top while she ran my card and the old lady next to me just stared at it...So yeah, I have the same book store feeling :)And, you all thought I was making this stuff up.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Apparently, you can't even look at a gay magazine at Borders without someone watching you and having something to say about it.
I'm not talking about the splurge for gifts for other people. I'm talking about the self-splurging. I picked up the Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire: Live at the Greek Theatre DVD at Target. Oh, come on--the biggest surprise is that I waited this long. The best parts were when they played together on each others' songs. Having a six-piece horn section filling all the parts; the stuff blew my mind, I had to admit.
Jesus, both bands playing the full version of "In the Stone"! I don't care what kind of music you like or don't like. If the words and the music of that song don't move you, then you're a soulless zombie and I'd be doing you a favor if I took you out George Romero-style.
Anyway, this was supposedly the last show on the tour; my man Bill Champlin looked tired. Not too tired to do the lead for "After the Love is Gone." I harp on this all the time, the fact that a Bay Area white dude co-wrote one of the best known R&B songs of all time! He chipped in on the vocals for "Sing a Song" and "September," too (for the show, that is).
As much as I worship Robert Lamm, and as good a job as he did--well, he just shouldn't sing on "Shining Star." Jason Scheff, on the other hand, could keep up with anyone else. He even managed a Maurice White "yow" on "September." The smartest thing he did, though, was stay out of Verdine White's way.
Their separate sets were awesome, of course. I can't quite remember if I've ever heard Chicago do "Alive Again" live; I may have in high school. But, I didn't have a recording of it before now, which was cool. One thing I haven't done is seen EWF live and in person. I've seen lots of live footage, though, and they always put on a good show. It's not just the musicianship with them; it's the showmanship. Too many acts nowadays sacrifice the former for the latter (*cough*got'damnlipsynchers*cough*), but not EWF. I hope I can still move like they do when I get to be their age. I think The Wife was mesmerized by Verdine White, though. Every member of EWF gets into a show, but he's the one who looks like he's got the Holy Ghost in him.
The Wife got a chuckle out of me when I was yelling watching EWF all slide to the right on stage to the line "Moooove yourself and glide like a 747" in the song "Let's Groove." She asked me, "You sure you're just 32?" What can I say? I like old school.
I miss Sheldon Reynolds, though. It took two musicians to replace him, one singer and a guitar player, a Russian cat (I thought he looked Hispanic) named Vadim Zilberstein. I tell you, he covered his parts beautifully. It begs the question, "Where does a Russian learn to play like that?"
I mentioned Jason Scheff staying out of Verdine White's way, and it was true. They had their own separate spaces, and they stayed there; that's why both of them looked good. Now, all the "cutting contests" they had were good-natured. But, that didn't mean some people weren't just outclassed.
EWF's Gary Bias slaughtered Walt Parazaider in Chicago's own "Free." I'm sorry, this'll sound as bad as some of my martial arts posts, but it's the truth--I have yet to hear a white dude outplay a black dude on a sax. I've heard a few come close, but in a cutting contest? Hell, no; all things being equal, I've just never heard it.
That being said, even though Keith Howland had the home field advantage playing "25 or 6 to 4," he totally pwned EWF's Vadim Zilberstein and Gregory Moore. You could see it on Howland's face during the second round of solos.
Shoot, it's late, and I gotta work tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've watched it twice more, ripped the audio, and listened to the concert about twenty more times.
Jesus, both bands playing the full version of "In the Stone"! I don't care what kind of music you like or don't like. If the words and the music of that song don't move you, then you're a soulless zombie and I'd be doing you a favor if I took you out George Romero-style.
Anyway, this was supposedly the last show on the tour; my man Bill Champlin looked tired. Not too tired to do the lead for "After the Love is Gone." I harp on this all the time, the fact that a Bay Area white dude co-wrote one of the best known R&B songs of all time! He chipped in on the vocals for "Sing a Song" and "September," too (for the show, that is).
As much as I worship Robert Lamm, and as good a job as he did--well, he just shouldn't sing on "Shining Star." Jason Scheff, on the other hand, could keep up with anyone else. He even managed a Maurice White "yow" on "September." The smartest thing he did, though, was stay out of Verdine White's way.
Their separate sets were awesome, of course. I can't quite remember if I've ever heard Chicago do "Alive Again" live; I may have in high school. But, I didn't have a recording of it before now, which was cool. One thing I haven't done is seen EWF live and in person. I've seen lots of live footage, though, and they always put on a good show. It's not just the musicianship with them; it's the showmanship. Too many acts nowadays sacrifice the former for the latter (*cough*got'damnlipsynchers*cough*), but not EWF. I hope I can still move like they do when I get to be their age. I think The Wife was mesmerized by Verdine White, though. Every member of EWF gets into a show, but he's the one who looks like he's got the Holy Ghost in him.
The Wife got a chuckle out of me when I was yelling watching EWF all slide to the right on stage to the line "Moooove yourself and glide like a 747" in the song "Let's Groove." She asked me, "You sure you're just 32?" What can I say? I like old school.
I miss Sheldon Reynolds, though. It took two musicians to replace him, one singer and a guitar player, a Russian cat (I thought he looked Hispanic) named Vadim Zilberstein. I tell you, he covered his parts beautifully. It begs the question, "Where does a Russian learn to play like that?"
I mentioned Jason Scheff staying out of Verdine White's way, and it was true. They had their own separate spaces, and they stayed there; that's why both of them looked good. Now, all the "cutting contests" they had were good-natured. But, that didn't mean some people weren't just outclassed.
EWF's Gary Bias slaughtered Walt Parazaider in Chicago's own "Free." I'm sorry, this'll sound as bad as some of my martial arts posts, but it's the truth--I have yet to hear a white dude outplay a black dude on a sax. I've heard a few come close, but in a cutting contest? Hell, no; all things being equal, I've just never heard it.
That being said, even though Keith Howland had the home field advantage playing "25 or 6 to 4," he totally pwned EWF's Vadim Zilberstein and Gregory Moore. You could see it on Howland's face during the second round of solos.
Shoot, it's late, and I gotta work tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've watched it twice more, ripped the audio, and listened to the concert about twenty more times.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Because this looked like fun...
(a) I am married and my wife reads this. I'm not saying you can't post what you want. I'm saying that if it gets me thrown out of the house, I'm tracking you down and taking over your couch.
(b) I tend to delete what I like at whim, anway. Like Casanova Frankenstein in Mystery Men, I even kill my own posts.
If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don't speak often) please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me.Two things to keep in mind:
It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.
When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.
(a) I am married and my wife reads this. I'm not saying you can't post what you want. I'm saying that if it gets me thrown out of the house, I'm tracking you down and taking over your couch.
(b) I tend to delete what I like at whim, anway. Like Casanova Frankenstein in Mystery Men, I even kill my own posts.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Huh...who'd've thunk?
 | You scored as Idealist. Idealism centers around the belief that we are moving towards something greater. An odd mix of evolutionist and spiritualist, you see the divine within ourselves, waiting to emerge over time. Many religious traditions express how the divine spirit lost its identity, thus creating our world of turmoil, but in time it will find itself and all things will again become one.
What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com |
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Friday, November 25, 2005
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Ways to comment on Thanksgiving:
Just say "Happy Turkey Day"
Throw in jokes about the various minories--racial, ethnic, religious, or dietary--who do not find a reason to celebrate this holiday season
Point out how different countries celebrate the same holiday.
Enjoy your turkey or tofurkey or protests against the same!
Point out how different countries celebrate the same holiday.
Gnawing on a dried-out plucked buzzard to celebrate Britain chucking all the creepy inbred sandal-chewing God-botherers into boats and shipping them all off to a continent cursed by earthquakes, hurricanes and tornados?Some values truly are universal.
-W. Ellis
Enjoy your turkey or tofurkey or protests against the same!
Running away? You yellow . . .
What Monty Python Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Guess this applies where NaNoWriMo is concerned, right?
37,460/50,000 Words.
74.9% toward completion.
I'm 881 words behind where I should be at this exact moment.
What I've been doing is writing really long chapters (i.e. short stories) with the novel's characters. It's the George Lucas method, where he does his real "directing" in the editing room, rather than during the takes. So, I'm writing pages and pages of stuff, and plan to cut it out, later.
74.9% toward completion.
I'm 881 words behind where I should be at this exact moment.
What I've been doing is writing really long chapters (i.e. short stories) with the novel's characters. It's the George Lucas method, where he does his real "directing" in the editing room, rather than during the takes. So, I'm writing pages and pages of stuff, and plan to cut it out, later.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
You will sink in a mire. You like to think you're
normal, but deep down you really just want to
strip off your clothes and roll around in
chicken fat.
What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
brought to you by Quizilla
...The Reader's Digest Version
ITEM ONE
ITEM TWO
ITEM THREE
Have it your way!
ITEM FOUR
How old am I?
Old enough to be drinking Traditional Medicinals® EveryDay Detox® tea, for Pete's sake. It's not all that bad, really. It smells like licorice, and I'll be damned if it really doesn't help my digestion.
I'm also old enough to listen to the latest Chris Botti album, with guests such as Sting, Paula Cole, and... Steven Tyler??
ITEM FIVE
I've only ever been a casual follower of The Boondocks strip. While I probably don't seek it out as much as I should, I've never passed up a chance to check it out when I could.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have sought out the new cartoon series of the same name except for the express purpose of seeing what the controversy, generated before the show even started airing, was all about. I'm not posting my opinions (yet), but I just wanted to take this moment to thank all the people who bravely stood up to tell me why I should avoid this show for turning me on to it. I probably would have let it slip under my radar if not for you!
ITEM ONE
Dear Sony:And, it still didn't stop me from getting Chris Botti's To Love Again!
Suck it.
Love,
Bill G.
ITEM TWO
I'm takin' what they're givin'Well, workin' when I'm called, anyway.
'Cos I'm workin' for a livin'
-Huey Lewis & the News, "Workin' for a Livin'"
ITEM THREE
Have it your way!
ITEM FOUR
How old am I?
Old enough to be drinking Traditional Medicinals® EveryDay Detox® tea, for Pete's sake. It's not all that bad, really. It smells like licorice, and I'll be damned if it really doesn't help my digestion.
I'm also old enough to listen to the latest Chris Botti album, with guests such as Sting, Paula Cole, and... Steven Tyler??
ITEM FIVE
As Dorothy Parker once said to her boyfriendITEM SIX
"Fare thee well,"
As Columbus announced when he knew he was bounced,
"It was swell, Isabelle, swell,"
-Cole Porter, "Just One of Those Things"
I've only ever been a casual follower of The Boondocks strip. While I probably don't seek it out as much as I should, I've never passed up a chance to check it out when I could.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have sought out the new cartoon series of the same name except for the express purpose of seeing what the controversy, generated before the show even started airing, was all about. I'm not posting my opinions (yet), but I just wanted to take this moment to thank all the people who bravely stood up to tell me why I should avoid this show for turning me on to it. I probably would have let it slip under my radar if not for you!
This is pages 71 to 120 of my NaNoWriMo piece. I've cranked out another five pages tonight (I had another gig), but I gotta tell you. Week Three started out being the picnic that was promised in the book No Plot? No Problem!. But, it's killing me, now.
To be honest, I know why. That "Inner Editor" of mine, which believe it or not was more than content to sit quietly for two weeks, is now going, "Okay, you've had your fun. But, now you're just adding words for the sake of the word count and meandering nowhere--at least nowhere near the plotline."
In truth, there are only about two or three more scenes I need to wrap up the story and I'm pretty damn sure it's not 24,000 words worth of stuff. Anyway, I've decided on an uneasy compromise. I'm not going to write filler, but I've been trying to elaborate on all the background and exposition that I just haven't had the time to more skillfully work into the story. Then, I've done the same with some of the scenes I haven't written yet. It's frustrating to throw craft completely out the window, but that's what has to happen if I continue with the project within the spirit of the rules.
I guess I just have to accept that decision. If I want a submittable story by the end of the month, there's no reason I can't stop now and pare it down. But, I want to complete the project I signed up for.
Oh, and for the curious: 27,035/50,000 words, or 54%. I'm behind. I know. Stop yelling at me.
Monday, November 14, 2005
I mentioned (Or, did I? My sense of time and place has become skewed for the past few weeks) having a temp gig three days last week. There was nothing today (though perhaps for tomorrow), so I had time to work on The Novel, Draft 0.9. I won't even give it the dignity of calling it a "first draft," because since last week, it's degenerated into a bastardization of narrative prose, blocks of text that resemble a Marvel Comics comic book script, and when I was too blocked to manage even that, plain notes.
I didn't believe it, but perhaps because my biorhythms are on their way back up (full moon is around the corner) the things I've been hearing about regarding a sort of Week Three NaNoWriMo quantum leap must be true, because it hit me. I managed to make up for a lot of lost time, despite some of the chores I got to today.
Right now, I'm at 21,502/50,000 words--43% to completion. Although, as bad as things have gotten, I don't even feel right about using the word "completion." Feels better to say "the goal." Anyway, when I wake up tomorrow, providing I don't have a temp gig, I'll be a hair's breadth over a single day behind where I should be on the 15th day of the month.
I leave you all tonight with an old article from comic book writer Warren Ellis, from a series of articles he did on, among other things, comic book writing. I read this ages ago and was pleased to find it again. It's sort of an encouragement (which is rare for him) to beginning writers. And, even though he's talking about comics, what he says easily applies to other forms of writing and jives a lot with what other people have to say about getting published. I would dare say it applies to anyone trying to succeed with his or her art.
I didn't believe it, but perhaps because my biorhythms are on their way back up (full moon is around the corner) the things I've been hearing about regarding a sort of Week Three NaNoWriMo quantum leap must be true, because it hit me. I managed to make up for a lot of lost time, despite some of the chores I got to today.
Right now, I'm at 21,502/50,000 words--43% to completion. Although, as bad as things have gotten, I don't even feel right about using the word "completion." Feels better to say "the goal." Anyway, when I wake up tomorrow, providing I don't have a temp gig, I'll be a hair's breadth over a single day behind where I should be on the 15th day of the month.
I leave you all tonight with an old article from comic book writer Warren Ellis, from a series of articles he did on, among other things, comic book writing. I read this ages ago and was pleased to find it again. It's sort of an encouragement (which is rare for him) to beginning writers. And, even though he's talking about comics, what he says easily applies to other forms of writing and jives a lot with what other people have to say about getting published. I would dare say it applies to anyone trying to succeed with his or her art.
But here's a secret.There, doesn't that give you hope? All right, then--good night.
95% of all writer's submissions are absolute [siht].
Seriously.
You want to impress an editor? Learn to spell. Lay out your pitch cleanly and elegantly. Be coherent. I knew of a writer who wrote the clearest, most lucid and beautifully structured synopses anyone had ever seen. The actual scripts, when they came in, was utter gibberish, made no sense at all, had plainly been written on acid. But the damn things were commissioned and paid for on the strength of clear pitches.
Be good. That's what'll capture an editor's attention. Because 95% of that pile of submissions next to them is inexcusably awful, and they know it. You will stand out from the crowd because there are no semen stains on your submission, because a cursory examination shows that you have a basic grasp of English, because it reaches for concision and appears professional in its approach, because the covering letter isn't headed "Dear Bastard." Etcetera.
Friday, November 11, 2005
I'm not really doing anything "bad" according to the NaNoWriMo rules. The point is word count, by any means necessary short of typing out "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over like Nicholson did in The Shining. But, I've now resorted to what I feel are dirty tricks to keep myself at a decent pace (which is to say, two days worth of work behind).
In those spaces I feel stuck, I've resorted to putting things in brackets, like [Okay, right here is where I wanted to put the scene where the aliens stop the pickup truck, beam three of the four people on board, leaving the forth one who, for some reason, is able to resist the paralyzation beam and yadda yadda yadda.] (No, that appears nowhere in my "novel," but you get the point.)
But, tonight it was even worse. Rather than hammer out the scene I was working on, I just cobbled a transition into another scene I had planned that wasn't supposed to happen for at least one more chapter. Well, the one upside is that while I know I'm going to end up with something that's certainly not going to be confused with Proust, I know I'm making it good enough to have decent material that I can sift through later. Maybe pare down to something short that I can submit somewhere. Personally, I see nothing wrong with the thought of writing a "novella" as opposed to a novel, but if anything, I'd rather see a good 5,000 word submittable short story come out of this than a novel/novella that stands a snowball's chance of seeing the light of day.
I was sort of hoping to have a marathon session tomorrow, but I've been letting stuff slide around here. I made a half-assed attempt at housework when I got home just so I could scribble down what I got down tonight.
Since there isn't a counter anymore, I have to say that I'm at 15,064/50,000 words, or 30% toward completion.
In those spaces I feel stuck, I've resorted to putting things in brackets, like [Okay, right here is where I wanted to put the scene where the aliens stop the pickup truck, beam three of the four people on board, leaving the forth one who, for some reason, is able to resist the paralyzation beam and yadda yadda yadda.] (No, that appears nowhere in my "novel," but you get the point.)
But, tonight it was even worse. Rather than hammer out the scene I was working on, I just cobbled a transition into another scene I had planned that wasn't supposed to happen for at least one more chapter. Well, the one upside is that while I know I'm going to end up with something that's certainly not going to be confused with Proust, I know I'm making it good enough to have decent material that I can sift through later. Maybe pare down to something short that I can submit somewhere. Personally, I see nothing wrong with the thought of writing a "novella" as opposed to a novel, but if anything, I'd rather see a good 5,000 word submittable short story come out of this than a novel/novella that stands a snowball's chance of seeing the light of day.
I was sort of hoping to have a marathon session tomorrow, but I've been letting stuff slide around here. I made a half-assed attempt at housework when I got home just so I could scribble down what I got down tonight.
Since there isn't a counter anymore, I have to say that I'm at 15,064/50,000 words, or 30% toward completion.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
I was going to let this slide this week, between NaNoWriMo and a little temp gig I picked up. But, since the meter broke down (click the broken link over there--it's kind of sad, really), I wanted to mention that I'm at 14,335/50,000 words. That's 29%, and while it may sound impressive, I'm still running about two days behind schedule. The mathematics says I should be at 16,670 words by today, and while I could theoretically pull a James Joyce and ramble on for two thousand words in the next forty minutes, I ain't gonna.
You will probably win Nanowrimo - it's a brillant
opportunity to lord your mighty brains over
your less well-endowed friends. Whatever.
It's Nanowrimo Time! Will you reach 50K?
What kind of novel will you write?
brought to you by Quizilla
Anyway, I gotta get to bed.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Yeah, I slacked this weekend. I took the time to attend a reading by Pulitzer Prize-winning local author Alison Lurie. While her book really didn't interest me (at least, what I read of it), I guessed that she'd have a lot of interesting insights to share during whatever Q&A session that might take place, and I was right.
[Edited to remove the broken counter.]
[Edited to remove the broken counter.]
I did say that I'd blog less in November, although it just seems like I'm posting at the usual (dismal) rate :).
Seems like most of the people doing NaNoWriMo who keep blogs like to brag about how they're taking part. I was down with that. I even put the meter in the sidebar from an adjunct "this site is in no way officially affiliated with NaNoWriMo" website that a lot of people use. What I hadn't planned on doing is being one of those who complain about how their progress, or lack thereof, is kicking their a$$.
But, it's like I always say: Just when you start thinking you're unique, just remember that so is everyone else.
Yes, I've heard all the criticisms of NaNoWriMo, and even agree with some of them. So, please don't post them, or stock tips, or he/she/it pr0n ads, or anything else that would make me have to start doing all that comment verification/moderation stuff. I'm doing NaNo to get myself into the discipline of writing--seriously writing--first drafts. Period. I'm doing it for the same reason I still do the kata Taikyoku Shodan, because the basic, basic skills from that kata have translated directly into my ability to learn and to perform the skill sets from every martial art I've studied since TKD. Every one. If you can't use your hips, I don't care where your art is from; to you, it's worth two things, jack and siht.
But, I digress. I'm here to complain about my NaNoWriMo progress, or lack thereof.
I didn't do a lick of writing (for NaNo) today, although I spent a bit of time planning the novel out a little further. I seem to have written myself into a corner in that I hit the transition between Act I and Act II much earlier than I planned to. And now, the number of places I can go from here is starting to scare me into paralysis. I realize that it's entirely possible that I don't need what was left out, that it would just interrupt the flow that's already in motion. I can accept that, and maybe I have to.
In any case, I've got 3,334 words to do before I go to bed tomorrow night; difficult, but theoretically doable. I think I just need to keep going at this point. And then, I'll have to cope with what is apparently the notorious Week Two NaNoWriMo blahs.
On a more positive note, I have to say that seeing thirty-five pages of manuscript, devoted to a single piece, is nice.
Seems like most of the people doing NaNoWriMo who keep blogs like to brag about how they're taking part. I was down with that. I even put the meter in the sidebar from an adjunct "this site is in no way officially affiliated with NaNoWriMo" website that a lot of people use. What I hadn't planned on doing is being one of those who complain about how their progress, or lack thereof, is kicking their a$$.
But, it's like I always say: Just when you start thinking you're unique, just remember that so is everyone else.
Yes, I've heard all the criticisms of NaNoWriMo, and even agree with some of them. So, please don't post them, or stock tips, or he/she/it pr0n ads, or anything else that would make me have to start doing all that comment verification/moderation stuff. I'm doing NaNo to get myself into the discipline of writing--seriously writing--first drafts. Period. I'm doing it for the same reason I still do the kata Taikyoku Shodan, because the basic, basic skills from that kata have translated directly into my ability to learn and to perform the skill sets from every martial art I've studied since TKD. Every one. If you can't use your hips, I don't care where your art is from; to you, it's worth two things, jack and siht.
But, I digress. I'm here to complain about my NaNoWriMo progress, or lack thereof.
I didn't do a lick of writing (for NaNo) today, although I spent a bit of time planning the novel out a little further. I seem to have written myself into a corner in that I hit the transition between Act I and Act II much earlier than I planned to. And now, the number of places I can go from here is starting to scare me into paralysis. I realize that it's entirely possible that I don't need what was left out, that it would just interrupt the flow that's already in motion. I can accept that, and maybe I have to.
In any case, I've got 3,334 words to do before I go to bed tomorrow night; difficult, but theoretically doable. I think I just need to keep going at this point. And then, I'll have to cope with what is apparently the notorious Week Two NaNoWriMo blahs.
On a more positive note, I have to say that seeing thirty-five pages of manuscript, devoted to a single piece, is nice.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Yes, I've got some nerve to be here after the last post, but I do this every week.
Would you believe that, aside from the flares and that short-sleeve vest thing, I could pretty much reproduce that male look?
| Fashionista 59% Tastefulness, 51% Originality, 67% Deliberateness, 45% Sexiness |
| [Tasteful Original Deliberate Prissy] One is certain: you have great taste and plenty of ideas. You have clearly defined beliefs about what's good and what's bad in fashion but they are far from banal. Stylish and imaginative, you prefer to inspire admiration than to shock and you mostly succeed. Even if sometimes you'd like to have more courage to put on something absolutely outrageous you do great job in creating a unique look that others look up to. There is a possibility that you work in the fashion industry. If you don't, perhaps you should. The opposite style from yours is Bar Cruiser [Flamboyant Conventional Random Sexy]. All the categories: Fashion Enemy Bar Cruiser Kid Next Door Sex Bomb Hippie Kid Fashion Rebel Fashion Artist Catwalk God(ess) Librarian Sporty Hottie Office Master Uptown Girl/ Boy Brainy Student Movie Star Fashionista Glamorous Soul |
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| My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The Fashion Style Test written by mari-e on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test |
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
There will probably be very little of it this month because of NaNoWriMo. It's Day 2, and I'm just on track. I was about 20% ahead of schedule last night, but hey. I had other things to do earlier today and Law & Order was on. Hey, where else can I catch actor Richard Brooks since good vs. evil was cancelled? (The character of Henry MacNeil is right behind Jim Kelly on the bad-assedness scale.)
Of course, now that I've opened the blogging door, watch this turn into a big procrastination tool.
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