Just an Ordinary Chaotic Saturday

Mar 172007
 

I’m cleaning house today. Ooh, exciting, I know. My apartment has the worst heating system. There are vents in the walls and when the heat kicks on, dust spews out of the walls and coats everything. Sometimes I picture there being a demonic creature down in the basement, spitting ash through the vents. But then that’s how my mind works. Hah!

I shoveled out my car (barely), but decided to go nowhere. I have a stack of magazines that I’m behind on reading (EW, Wired, Writer’s Digest, probably some others around here too…) and decided to sift through them for interesting tidbits and possible references for drawing. I came across this article by Stephen King called Television Impaired. I found it amusing, especially as I was flipping through the channels and finding similar things as he did.

Although, I did happily stumble upon Enemy of the State. I don’t know what it is about that movie. Any time I find it on, I must stop and watch. I do own the DVD, yet still, there I am watching it. It’s a thing. I tried to convert this movie to a file I could play on my iPod, but I never could get the audio to line up with the video. I think the Universe stepped in and said no to that one. I’d be watching it every day. :P<

My hands are bothering me today. Both of them. You all know I’ve been working on strengthening my writing hand, but then I got this idea. Contact juggling! What a way to strengthen my hand and have a little fun too, eh?

For those of you that don’t know, contact juggling is not like your standard juggling of tossing things into the air. With this style, the ball must maintain contact with you at all times. It rolls over your hands and arms. You may have seen it in the movie, Labyrinth.

I don’t have any of those fancy schmancy acrylic balls yet. I’m using some old lacrosse balls from my college days to train with. After a little research, I discovered they are about the same size and weight of the standard acrylic ones, which is cool since I’ve already got a bunch. Right now I am working on balancing the ball on each hand. I hold it in place for a while, then move my hand up and down and try to keep the ball in place. I’m not all that good at it, but I’ve only been working on it for a whopping two days. Hah! In time and with practice. I hope!

And well that’s that. I plan on staying in and watching Kim Possible and Robin Hood tonight. Plus some sketching, learning the contact juggling thing, and hopefully getting back into some serious revision work since really, it’s time! Time, indeed!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Drink an extra beer tonight for me since I won’t be venturing out.

Enjoy!

Checking out the Dean Koontz Event in Second Life

Mar 162007
 

Been a while since I went into Second Life, but last night I went back in for two reasons. One was because it was a Dean Koontz event and I am a fan. I haven’t read his recent work, but when I was a kid and found myself bored in school, I’d usually pull out a Koontz book to read—until of course the teacher would tell me to put it away (more than once). :P Although, actually…thanks be to a few free audio book downloads I got when I bought my iSkin eVo3, I have Odd Thomas sitting in my iPod now. Anyway, the second reason was for work research.

Now that I am sucking down some caffeine, here’s hoping the rest of this post is less rambly.

Last night The Bantam Dell Book Cafe & Shop had an event with Dean Koontz. He did a reading and there was a Q&A section. I believe there was a chance to win something too.

I want to point out that the island the event was hosted on was noted as “Mature” which means no kiddies. I’m not sure how that would effect younger fans. I started reading Koontz as a kid and you can bet that if this had been around when I was younger I would have either found a way in, or made my dad have an avatar so I’d have used his. I’d be curious to see how these age ratings effect volume of fan participation, if it matters.

Once inside I got a message from Bantam Dell asking me to join their book group. I accepted, and the words “Book Junkie” promptly appeared before my avatar’s name. I’ll not sure what happens if I am part of multiple groups. Through the group I will get notices about other author events and goodies like that.

Inside the book shop. I “touched” the Koontz book to see what info would appear. A blue box showed up in the right hand corner and it turned out to be a link to the book page on Bantam Dell, which is where I can learn more and buy the book if I want.

Next I wandered into the café, where I picked up a free coffee cup for my avatar. Here, they had a bar with stools, small tables and chair, and book tables too. Up front there were couches and the chairs, one of which was where Koontz sat.

I read the conversations going on for a while. Most were sharing what their favorite Koontz books are. One conversation actually shifted to other authors for a blip, as they talked about “RJ being the man.” Turns out they were talking about Robert Jordan and one of them was even speculating him making an appearance. I really don’t know why they thought that, especially at a Koontz event.

The place started to get packed, which can and did become a problem last night. The program can’t handle too many people in one location. Each avatar has animations and clothing items associated with it. You get too many of these in one spot and the lag time for loading things becomes a nightmare. The host for the event came on and asked for people remove “bling” and any extra animations. I dropped my feathered wings my avatar wears.

She also pointed out there were remote locations set up to view the event and a message appeared giving you alternate locations. This created some problems because people didn’t want to leave. Everyone wanted to be in the room where Koontz’s avatar would be. Some had been there for hours supposedly staking their spot. But that’s not how it works in Second Life. They didn’t have a restriction on number of people.

I decided to check out one of the alternate locations to see what they are really about. I went next door to Sundance’s Island. In a café there they had a similar setup, but instead of chairs where Koontz’s avatar would be, there was a video screen with Bantam Dell’s logo on it.

The video started but it was really tiny and I couldn’t figure out how to make it bigger. Then it froze and turned back into the logo. I ended up only getting to hear a blip of the reading, so that was kind of disappointing. The lag time became a problem again with everyone entering their questions for Koontz, which I gathered were being collected and would be filtered to the author in some way. I missed how. Lag time problems. Eventually my screen froze again and I lost patience with it, so I logged off and watched the rest of Grey’s Anatomy.

Well that’s that. I think the lag time issue is a problem with these kinds of events. With all the freezing up happening, I watched others drop out before I did. I see that they tried to help with that by having alternate locations. Realistically though, watching the event on a tiny video screen is like watching TV through somebody else’s window. I think Second Life on a whole is going to need to address these sorts of problems as they move forward with trying to feature more events of any kind there. Now I’m curious how bad the lag time would be at a concert with all the avatars dancing around. Hmm…perhaps I shall check that out in time.

Later!

Writing Prompt: Eye View

Mar 152007
 

Eye View by Mantis2000I saw this image today on Worth 1000′s Picture of the Day section and felt instantly intrigued by it. The layers upon layers that almost fold into themselves speak to me. His hand is in one layer, while his eye, peeps out from another.

Here’s your prompt: You are the eye looking back out, what do you see? Is that your hand or someone (something) else’s? Try focusing on  the multidimensional aspect of the image and allow that feeling to present itself through your choices in descriptions.

Enjoy!

Image info: Eye View by Mantis2000 for Through the Keyhole 3 (advanced photoshop contest)

Feeling Kinda Off Today And Then Some

Mar 082007
 

Today I feel like something crawled up into my head and died. Now that it’s decomposing, bits and pieces are leaking out in clumps.

But last night I downloaded 30 Seconds to Mars, Beautiful Lie and am now happily listening to a hidden track of their own rendition of Bjork’s Hunter. Interesting…so hey, at least there is that.

Whew. That’s about as focused as this post is gonna get. Tired now.

Have a great day!

When the Wind Blows by John Saul

Mar 062007
 

When the Wind Blows by John SaulBeen a while since I read a Saul book. I stopped because in every book I’ve read by him bad things happen to the children. And usually many of them die, including the main child. I can’t remember the last book I read by him, but I do remember that I ended up throwing the book across the room and walking away. It’s too gut wrenching to read about the children dying. Sheesh.

But that’s where he strikes you with that feeling of terror. Seems to be his trademark punch I guess.

I was going through my paperback books, looking for something to read and came across my Saul section. There in the middle was this book and it had no creasing of the spine. I hadn’t yet read it. As I opened it and began to read, I reminded myself to not get attached to any of the characters.

The story is set in one of those creepy little mining communities (Amberton) that is named after the mine owners, the Ambers. And yes, people die. Children die. There is a supernatural quality with an old Indian superstition too. They believe people who disturb the mine are actually disturbing the water babies – stillborn Indian babies are placed in a cave by the mine and when the wind blows it is said that you can hear the babies crying for their mothers to come back to them. When the wind blows, bad things happen. Nice eerie feel there. Yep.

I found the Ambers to be freaky in that fingernails on the chalkboard way. My shoulders shifted up in a wince often. And don’t expect the story to end in a neat little bow. That is not Saul’s way. He leaves you still perplexed about what it is in the blowing of the wind that causes craziness to stir. And you get that hint of more craziness to come.

Overall it’s a pretty standard Saul book. One of his older stories actually. I found a few glitchy parts in the details. In the beginning one child is 10. At the end of the book he’s 9. He must have discovered the fountain of youth, eh? :P

And I’ll suggest again that you get attached to none of the characters. The odds are always in favor of them dying. But the story was interesting, fast paced, and gave a nice shiver up the spine.

Writing Prompt: Tabloid Headlines

Mar 052007
 

I saw a section on Dragon Writing Prompts about using tabloid headlines as writing prompts and found it amusing. We all stand in grocery store lines and ponder over the silliness of the headlines…er…or at least I do. Hah! Why not use it for some creative writing, eh?

So, here’s this week’s writing prompt. Pick a tabloid headline and see where that takes you. Visit the Dragon Writing Prompts, Weekly World News, City Newsstand, check your local grocery store for samples of headlines, or just roam around online until you find one you like.

I’ll list a few I came across here too:

  • Tofu Mutilations Blamed on Aliens from Vega
  • Lightning-Fast Sloth Discovered in Brazilian Rainforest
  • Alien Mummy Goes on Rampage
  • Vegan Vampire Attacks Trees

Happy writing!

Robin Hood on BBC America

Mar 042007
 

Sweet! Need I say more?

The BBC site has more goodies on it than the BBC America site, but I give you both links there to explore.

I watched the first episode and a few behind the scenes clips. I’m loving this show and hope the rest of the episodes are just as fun and jam packed with that wonderful adventurous feel. The behind the scenes clips are currently available on BBC on demand. I watched one on costumes since I always love how costumers translate clothing through a character’s personality. And this did not disappoint there. Interesting too that they are blending modern themes into the clothing. All in all, this is looking like a very cool show. :)

Question: Why Haven’t You Reviewed Music?

Mar 032007
 

I’ve been asked why I haven’t reviewed any music yet. Here’s the gist of it, I don’t feel  I have an adequate enough vocabulary for that. I’m prone to just saying things like, “This rocks!” or “Wow, this one revives my soul.” You see? Just because I was raised by a musician doesn’t mean I can talk the talk. So I’ll leave the music reviewing to people like my dad and my brother, who continually find richer ways to speak about music in general.

So, while I do really enjoy the new Chris Daughtry CD, and yes, I am a Coldplay addict…I don’t really think I can do the music justice to write about it. It’s a thing.

As to what I listen to? Oh, the list is endless. I listen to all styles of music for the most part. Here’s a listing of just a few of what artists I’m listening to these days (in no particular order): Coldplay, Radiohead, Sting, The Police, Talking Heads, Annie Lennox, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Johnny Cash, U2, Loreena McKennitt, Pete Yorn, Filter, Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Ani Difranco, Iron & Wine, Tori Amos, Rush, Ramones, Chris Daughtry, Modest Mouse, Stevie Nicks, Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Madonna, 30 Seconds to Mars, Belinda Carlisle, Cher, Sia, The Cure, The Dandy Warhols, Goldfrapp, Def Leppard, Gnarls Barkley, Joanna Newsom, Mark Snow, Mediæval Bæbes, Nine Inch Nails, Norah Jones, Pat Benatar, Peter Gabriel, Green Day, The Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Petty, Wilco, Plumb, The Wrens, The Gathering, The Killers, Fountains of Wayne, Archers of Loaf, Luna, Hem, Bell & Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Beth Orton, Feist, general 80s, grungy early 90s too, classical, jazz, endless movie scores, anything with gypsy-esque violins, plus all the bands whose names didn’t come to mind as I typed this but my iPod is jam packed with, and many, many more!

I like variety, what can I say? And I’m always on the look out for new stuff to listen to, so feel free to pass along artists for me to check out.

Later!

Writing Prompt: A Frozen Swing

Mar 012007
 

Frozen SwingLet’s ignore the fact that this is a sculpture for a moment and focus instead on it being a swing, frozen mid-air. What could cause that? Is the bright yellow color significant? Did time stop?

Or, go back to the sculpture part. Who made it? Why?

Let your thoughts breeze over the swing and take shape. Then jot them down and see where they go.

Enjoy!

A Racing Mind Kinda Day: Yes, a Rambly Post

Feb 272007
 

Ever have one of those moments where your mind just won’t slow down for the rest of you to catch up? Over the course of a few minutes, here’s how it goes:

Jezzie’s wings smack against the inside of my skull. “Pay attention to me!” I nod and tell her to try to be patient. I can’t work on her story at the moment. Working. The wind blows and I wonder if I can hear the children crying. I pause and listen. Then I remind myself that I probably should not read John Saul books during lunch, especially since the children are always crying.

Sirens echo in the background and spur me out of that blip of a daydream. And I realize, I’m hungry. But I don’t know what I want. Instead I pour some Diet Pepsi, wishing I had ice, and wonder how quickly this week will pass so I can be watching the next Heroes episode. Really, a Heroes marathon would be pretty sweet right now. Actually, so would a Venture Brothers one. Hmm…what was I doing again? Right…I’m actually on the phone and should be paying attention to the person asking me questions. I say, “Uh huh” and hope he doesn’t notice.

I hit reply on an email and respond that yes, your request is fine by me oh stranger visiting our website. I finish my call and hang up the phone just as Jezzie kicks me and tells me that Dal’s sick again. I tell her to stop. “Go away. Bug me later.” An image of the High Priestess Tarot card comes to mind and I remember I’m supposed to be focusing on that card, only again…working…wait, where did I put my Diet Pepsi? I gulp it down and stare at my monitor, imagining green vines growing all around it, dotted with purple flowers and I hit reply on another email.

And I wonder why I’m always so tired by the time I get home. Sheesh. Some days my brain needs to just slow the hell down! That or it needs to find its way out of spaz mode. :P

I’m sure you can all relate. Er…or maybe not. I did mention the spaz mode, did I not?

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