Man, where'd the week go? I don't even have time to be doing this now.
Wednesday was a blur of training at work, then meeting with a corporate honcho. Today was a blur of catching up and getting breaking news out and trying to make time to shoot and edit a video.
Tomorrow will be a long one too, as I have to see my daughter off for her state choral trip before 5:30 a.m., then to work by 6:30. And in the evening, if lucky, an hour or so downtown for Friday Fest and the Light Show opening.
I made time tonight, though, for my "new" writing project. Not the 366 Days one that seems about to die prematurely, as the new blog design at the new host site provides no way to link to the blog or even let people know new posts are up. Zero feedback. I might as well be writing on my laptop and saving myself the trouble of posting.
So that's what I've done the past few nights. And the new project? A resurrected one. A story I first began exploring when I was 15 or 16. One I've written whole and complete twice already in two vastly different forms.
Maybe third time's the charm? Maybe this time I'll get through.
Peace.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
I don't like, I don't like, I don't like
Mondays. Tell me why?
Know what else I don't like?
Not just this, but so-called "reality TV" in general. Big Brother, Wife Swap, Super Nanny or whatever the heck that was, Gs to Gents, America's Funniest Home Videos, COPS, When Animals Attack, Bachelor, The Swan, Rock of Love ... the list goes on and on and on.
Not when shows with wit, adventure, heart and imagination get the shaft so more cheap reality programming can fit into the schedule. Case in point:
Which is said to have gotten the ax while at the height of its creative power and popularity because a programming exec needed to make budget room for more "Beauty and the Geek." (Another rumor says it was to make way for a new version of "Dark Shadows," but I find that even more difficult to comprehend.)
Meanwhile, not a total loss of a day. I had a pleasant conversation over the phone with my writer friend River Jordan, who will kick off her book tour at Borders in Pier Park on May 9. I'll link to an interview story on Thursday, when it runs in the paper. Meanwhile, visit her site and check out her newest book at Amazon:
Today's Word: Inspiration.
Peace.
Know what else I don't like?
Not just this, but so-called "reality TV" in general. Big Brother, Wife Swap, Super Nanny or whatever the heck that was, Gs to Gents, America's Funniest Home Videos, COPS, When Animals Attack, Bachelor, The Swan, Rock of Love ... the list goes on and on and on.
Not when shows with wit, adventure, heart and imagination get the shaft so more cheap reality programming can fit into the schedule. Case in point:
Which is said to have gotten the ax while at the height of its creative power and popularity because a programming exec needed to make budget room for more "Beauty and the Geek." (Another rumor says it was to make way for a new version of "Dark Shadows," but I find that even more difficult to comprehend.)
Meanwhile, not a total loss of a day. I had a pleasant conversation over the phone with my writer friend River Jordan, who will kick off her book tour at Borders in Pier Park on May 9. I'll link to an interview story on Thursday, when it runs in the paper. Meanwhile, visit her site and check out her newest book at Amazon:
Today's Word: Inspiration.
Peace.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Soonday or Someday?
But intead of looking ahead today, I need to look back at yesterday, which was supposed to be a Drive-in Saturday but really was more of a Yardsale Saturday, as my wife and I drove all over the town to hit yardsales in the wee hours. And one of them was the proverbial jackpot. Here are just SOME of the things I bought there:
(Which I gave to Nathan, along with a Ninja Turtles cartoon DVD and a video game I can't now recall. Also: )
And more for me: Six different Aliens and/or Predator graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics, a couple of Batman and Superman graphic novels from DC that I can't find images for, and one item from Marvel:
Oh, and the only LOBO comic I have ever bought: Lobo #1, in mint condition.
The guy was selling his grahic novels for 50 cents each, and his DVDs and box sets for $2 each.
Also, I bought four 1970s-era hardback books in excellent condition: the 1976 first edition version of "Star Wars by George Lucas" that was published before the film was released; the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Battlestar Galactica," and a Han Solo novel by Brian Daley circa 1979.
All in all, quite a good haul.
Peace.
(Which I gave to Nathan, along with a Ninja Turtles cartoon DVD and a video game I can't now recall. Also: )
And more for me: Six different Aliens and/or Predator graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics, a couple of Batman and Superman graphic novels from DC that I can't find images for, and one item from Marvel:
Oh, and the only LOBO comic I have ever bought: Lobo #1, in mint condition.
The guy was selling his grahic novels for 50 cents each, and his DVDs and box sets for $2 each.
Also, I bought four 1970s-era hardback books in excellent condition: the 1976 first edition version of "Star Wars by George Lucas" that was published before the film was released; the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Battlestar Galactica," and a Han Solo novel by Brian Daley circa 1979.
All in all, quite a good haul.
Peace.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Planetary
One of the last comic series I bought regularly was Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassady. Ostensibly about three super-folk exploring the secret history of the twentieth century, it was a deconstruction of superhero archetypes (and genre films like Hong Kong actioners and Tokyo giant-monsters). A truly inspired storyline that got strangled by its own delays, the frustration with which helped me break my comic habit.
Number 27 is coming out someday, so they say. (Here's a look at the first page of script.)
Meanwhile, take a gander at these collections currently available:
They are Today's Picks.
Today's Word: Archetype.
Peace.
Number 27 is coming out someday, so they say. (Here's a look at the first page of script.)
Meanwhile, take a gander at these collections currently available:
They are Today's Picks.
Today's Word: Archetype.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tunesday: Adrian Belew
Working the election shift tonight, so I'm linking you to a column that I wrote for the News Herald recently. It has links to free music at Adrian Belew's site (look for and download his mix of an advertisement voiced by Prophet Omega, a radio commentator: "I know what I know and that is all I know and I know it.")
Adrian Belew is Today's Pick.
Peace.
Adrian Belew is Today's Pick.
Peace.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I don't like Mondays...
... tell me why?
Something else I don't like:
I like Batman parodies as much as the next geek. I adore the new Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon, which plays like a self-aware parody of the 1960s Batman as seen through a modern filter. This book, which, admittedly, I only read the first part of, is perhaps only worthwhile if viewed as an illustration of everything that went wrong with Frank Miller post-Sin City (the movie). (I say this as a fan of Miller's Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns, and most of the Sin City saga.) In Miller's hands, Batman is insane. Literally "bats." Laughing across the rooftops like The Shadow, and looking for his next kid to smack around, curse at and call names. It's Today's Pick.
Something else I don't like:
I like Batman parodies as much as the next geek. I adore the new Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon, which plays like a self-aware parody of the 1960s Batman as seen through a modern filter. This book, which, admittedly, I only read the first part of, is perhaps only worthwhile if viewed as an illustration of everything that went wrong with Frank Miller post-Sin City (the movie). (I say this as a fan of Miller's Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns, and most of the Sin City saga.) In Miller's hands, Batman is insane. Literally "bats." Laughing across the rooftops like The Shadow, and looking for his next kid to smack around, curse at and call names. It's Today's Pick.
Peace.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Catching up again
Somehow, we missed both Thursday and Friday, so you'll have to wait til next week to figure out what those themes might be. Any guesses?
Today's Pick:
One of the first movies I recall seeing, we went to this at the Century Drive-In. It was the second show in a double feature that started with a John Wayne film. I don't remember which one. Must've been 1970 or so. I remember being scared of the ape men, and fell asleep sometime during the early space travel sequences. I was wide awake during the stargate sequence, and the final scenes where the astronaut grows older and turns into the starchild.
I didn't see it again until it was on HBO in the early 1980s. It made a LOT more sense to me by this time.
That's right: For the time being, the theme for this day of the week corresponds to this song title.
Today's Word: Transformation.
Peace.
Today's Pick:
One of the first movies I recall seeing, we went to this at the Century Drive-In. It was the second show in a double feature that started with a John Wayne film. I don't remember which one. Must've been 1970 or so. I remember being scared of the ape men, and fell asleep sometime during the early space travel sequences. I was wide awake during the stargate sequence, and the final scenes where the astronaut grows older and turns into the starchild.
I didn't see it again until it was on HBO in the early 1980s. It made a LOT more sense to me by this time.
That's right: For the time being, the theme for this day of the week corresponds to this song title.
Today's Word: Transformation.
Peace.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hey, kids: Comics!
All across America, geeks and nerds know that Wednesday is "New Comics Day" at the local shops. Don't ask me why; that's just when they ship.
Now, I don't buy comics on a regular basis any more. But I buy them in collections or "graphic novels" and I pick up handsful of the things in discount bins.
Today's Pick: Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn.
Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio. A man of infinite jest.
On July 17, 2002, every mammal with a Y chromosome died, including unborn children and sperm in spermbanks. Yorick Brown is the only known man on earth. He sets out on a quest for answers and in search of his girlfriend, making his way through a post-holocaust world where literally millions of bodies have to be disposed of, where jetliners and passengers trains and rush-hour traffic crashed and piled up. Where various factions claimed power, or began radical cults - like the Daughters of the Amazon, who track Yorick cross-country to kill the last man and anyone who aids him.
It's a multilayered story, filled with pain and humor and thought-provoking discussions about politics, science, religion, loyalty, and all the things that make us human. It's being made into a movie (possibly a trilogy), but you should read the books first.
Today's Word: Apocalypse.
Peace.
Now, I don't buy comics on a regular basis any more. But I buy them in collections or "graphic novels" and I pick up handsful of the things in discount bins.
Today's Pick: Y The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn.
Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio. A man of infinite jest.
On July 17, 2002, every mammal with a Y chromosome died, including unborn children and sperm in spermbanks. Yorick Brown is the only known man on earth. He sets out on a quest for answers and in search of his girlfriend, making his way through a post-holocaust world where literally millions of bodies have to be disposed of, where jetliners and passengers trains and rush-hour traffic crashed and piled up. Where various factions claimed power, or began radical cults - like the Daughters of the Amazon, who track Yorick cross-country to kill the last man and anyone who aids him.
It's a multilayered story, filled with pain and humor and thought-provoking discussions about politics, science, religion, loyalty, and all the things that make us human. It's being made into a movie (possibly a trilogy), but you should read the books first.
Today's Word: Apocalypse.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Variations on a Theme
I stayed home today, quite sick. Which is why I didn't post last night, actually. Pretty much slept the day away. Got some meds in the afternoon. Feeling some better, but may be home again tomorrow. (This is how sick I am: FANBOYS is playing at the mall and I don't feel like seeing it.)
Meanwhile, some catchup:
I promised to tell you over the weekend about my plan for themed days. I'd rather let you figure it out, though, and considering how spotty I've been lately, that might be for the best. However, if you guessed today might be Tunesday, you'd be correct. To that end:
Today's Pick is Music from 'The Elder' by KISS.
Yeah.
I was never a member of the KISS Army. Oh, I liked a few of their songs for all the same reasons everyone else did -- they were rockin'! (Uh, er, ah.) Anyway, I walked into a record store in 1981, as you used to do, and they were playing this thing that was like rock-orchestra and told the story of a young man who doesn't believe he has anything special about him, but has been foretold of old to be the hero who would rise to defeat the evil forces of the universe.
Yeah. Joseph Campbell, eat your heart out.
Supposedly, this was going to be a stage musical or a movie, but never got past the album. The band didn't even tour to support the album because initial sales were so bad. It's considered by most KISS fans as their worst, and was a symptom of the band's decline.
Which explains why I liked it, I suppose.
Peace.
Meanwhile, some catchup:
I promised to tell you over the weekend about my plan for themed days. I'd rather let you figure it out, though, and considering how spotty I've been lately, that might be for the best. However, if you guessed today might be Tunesday, you'd be correct. To that end:
Today's Pick is Music from 'The Elder' by KISS.
Yeah.
I was never a member of the KISS Army. Oh, I liked a few of their songs for all the same reasons everyone else did -- they were rockin'! (Uh, er, ah.) Anyway, I walked into a record store in 1981, as you used to do, and they were playing this thing that was like rock-orchestra and told the story of a young man who doesn't believe he has anything special about him, but has been foretold of old to be the hero who would rise to defeat the evil forces of the universe.
Yeah. Joseph Campbell, eat your heart out.
Supposedly, this was going to be a stage musical or a movie, but never got past the album. The band didn't even tour to support the album because initial sales were so bad. It's considered by most KISS fans as their worst, and was a symptom of the band's decline.
Which explains why I liked it, I suppose.
Peace.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Joy Boots Auction
Photo blog tonight, as we had the Spring Auction of Project Joy Boots at the UnReal ARTists Gallery tonight. Turnout was light. Disappointing, to be honest. But we had a good evening of socializing, snacks, and music by Not Ourselves. Here are a few of the pictures:
The reason.
Boots were displayed throughout the house/gallery.
Ashley and Nathan sang a few songs on the porch. 
Katie and Jazma, founders of Project Joy Boots.
Ashley and Nathan performed "Hallelujah" out here.
Ryan, Donna, Debra, Ashley and Nathan.
My sweetheart clowning around in the outdoor "house."
No, I wasn't annoyed, I promise.
Peace. (And I hope you have a happy Easter.)
Friday, April 10, 2009
Once more thru the Gate
You're probably at least peripherally aware of the Stargate franchise. A movie that became a TV show (Stargate SG1) that launched a spin-off (Stargate Atlantis) and two direct-to-DVD movies, and soon a second spin-off (Stargate Universe). Too much information?
Today's Pick is the better of the two DVD films, Stargate Continuum.
It's an alternate history story. Bad guy Baal changes time so the Stargate program never began, making Earth ripe for his takeover. Luckily, three of the team were in transit through a gate when the shift happened, so they get the chance to set things right. In the process, longtime viewers get to see faces they haven't seen in a looong time, as the writer reached back through the series continuity to dredge up favorite characters and recast them in this altered timeline.
Yeah, I know. GEEK. Whatever.
Today's Word: (Say it with me) Continuum.
Peace.
-----
TODAY (Saturday, April 11): Joy Boots Auction will be at the UnReal ARTists Gallery on Oak Avenue in Panama City. Viewing and silent auction begins at 6 p.m. with Not Ourselves performing music. Live auction begins about 7:30 p.m., with Nathan Simmons as auctioneer. Refreshments and raffle. More info: 215-0705.
Today's Pick is the better of the two DVD films, Stargate Continuum.
It's an alternate history story. Bad guy Baal changes time so the Stargate program never began, making Earth ripe for his takeover. Luckily, three of the team were in transit through a gate when the shift happened, so they get the chance to set things right. In the process, longtime viewers get to see faces they haven't seen in a looong time, as the writer reached back through the series continuity to dredge up favorite characters and recast them in this altered timeline.
Yeah, I know. GEEK. Whatever.
Today's Word: (Say it with me) Continuum.
Peace.
-----
TODAY (Saturday, April 11): Joy Boots Auction will be at the UnReal ARTists Gallery on Oak Avenue in Panama City. Viewing and silent auction begins at 6 p.m. with Not Ourselves performing music. Live auction begins about 7:30 p.m., with Nathan Simmons as auctioneer. Refreshments and raffle. More info: 215-0705.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Sorry for the Delay
... or rather, total absense of posts this week. But good news: we're going to start doing some new things together here in coming weeks, with themed days that I'll tell you about this weekend.
Let me cover a couple of things real quick:
1) Life's season finale may well also be the series finale, and MAN. It was GOOD. If you never watched the show, you don't know what you missed. You should check it out on DVD. From Damien Lewis' zen-seeking Charlie Crews to Donal Logue's crass Captain Tidwell, from Sarah Shahi's skeptical Dani Reese to Gabrielle Union's over-achieving Detective Severs, from the oddball crimes of the week to the deadly serious over-arcing plot.
2) Clips of the new Star Trek film are popping up all over the place. This one (young Jim Kirk meets the slightly older country doctor who hates all this space technology) makes me believe I will love this movie: Watch it here.
3) I've run across a couple of websites I've become distracted by. See my newsherald.com blog here.
Today's Word: Payback.
Peace.
Let me cover a couple of things real quick:
1) Life's season finale may well also be the series finale, and MAN. It was GOOD. If you never watched the show, you don't know what you missed. You should check it out on DVD. From Damien Lewis' zen-seeking Charlie Crews to Donal Logue's crass Captain Tidwell, from Sarah Shahi's skeptical Dani Reese to Gabrielle Union's over-achieving Detective Severs, from the oddball crimes of the week to the deadly serious over-arcing plot.
2) Clips of the new Star Trek film are popping up all over the place. This one (young Jim Kirk meets the slightly older country doctor who hates all this space technology) makes me believe I will love this movie: Watch it here.
3) I've run across a couple of websites I've become distracted by. See my newsherald.com blog here.
Today's Word: Payback.
Say G'night, Reese.
Peace.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Nothing to see here
... move along.
No picks or words or stories today. I've lost the last couple of days to more plumbing repairs. And to a visit today from an old friend, who told us stories of his work and his recent brushes with the famous and legends-in-their-own-minds. Or check out his book of poetry in the meantime.
Peace.
No picks or words or stories today. I've lost the last couple of days to more plumbing repairs. And to a visit today from an old friend, who told us stories of his work and his recent brushes with the famous and legends-in-their-own-minds. Or check out his book of poetry in the meantime.
Peace.
Friday, April 03, 2009
First Friday
Just returned from strolling downtown Harrison Avenue for Friday Fest. Saw a beautiful Studebaker Hawk. Viewed an opening at the Gallery Above.
Yesterday we watched the series finale of ABC's version of Life on Mars. Not at the way the original ended, and very literal-minded. I enjoyed it, and I can see that they hinted at it from the beginning, but Nathan's reaction was "Jazma would be putting a boot through the TV right now," referring to a mutual friend who is a big fan of British TV.
It's Today's Pick: (the original that is)
Todays' Word: Reimagine.
I've been trying to reimagine myself lately. Imagine that.
Peace.
Yesterday we watched the series finale of ABC's version of Life on Mars. Not at the way the original ended, and very literal-minded. I enjoyed it, and I can see that they hinted at it from the beginning, but Nathan's reaction was "Jazma would be putting a boot through the TV right now," referring to a mutual friend who is a big fan of British TV.
It's Today's Pick: (the original that is)
Todays' Word: Reimagine.
I've been trying to reimagine myself lately. Imagine that.
Peace.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Quick one
Working on an idea tonight, so just a quick one.
Today's Pick: The Messenger of Magnolia Street, by Panama City native River Jordan. Found it today at the 23rd Street Goodwill, brand new condition, hardback. Here's where you can get one:
Today's Word: Reckoning.
Peace.
Today's Pick: The Messenger of Magnolia Street, by Panama City native River Jordan. Found it today at the 23rd Street Goodwill, brand new condition, hardback. Here's where you can get one:
Today's Word: Reckoning.
Peace.
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