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November 30th, 2009

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08:36 pm - Random...and I DO mean random...thoughts from tonight It’s nearly over now. In just a few hours, the clock will strike 12 in San Francisco, the ants with the longer legs will discover that their ability to count didn’t bring them home, the buzzards that missed the turn just south of Passcagoola will end up in Wooster instead of Hinkley, and the last frantic words of NaNo 2009 will be committed to hard drives. Keyboards will sigh as they contemplate a rest period during December, visited only briefly to post the usual drivel on Facebook, read the latest spam from Glorioski Beholden about the wonders that drugs can do for their sex life, or maybe look for bargains at the web site of the Evil Empire of Bentondorf. Any number of employers, from Pakistan to Pooh Corner will be looking for the mental return of their employees, wondering if somewhere Angus found true love with Rosoline after the kitchen fire destroyed their chicken frickasee. The bakers of Nabisco will take stock and determine if this NaNo November was bigger than last year, when for some reason not yet explained, Wheat Thins out sold Cheezits. Personally, I suspect we’ll never know why that was, and I’m not going to spend much time trying to figure it out. It didn’t do much for my shares in Beverly’s Big Bad Baked Beans, which I purchased for just $3.04 per share following the directions in my 13 Steps to Total Wealth that I bought from Bernie Madoff for three equal payments of $17.95, not including shipping. So, to all of those who partook (is that really a word?) in the great November Write-Off I offer my congratulations. If you won, that’s outstanding. If you didn’t, you’re still a winner in my book. It’s just that you’re not actually IN my book. I think the only one who will make it is that woman who graduated Summa Cum Stupid from Penn and then asked if “Italy had any involvement in World War II.” Hey, for her, I gotta place. I think she’ll be body #3 when the innocent civilians get caught in the crossfire at the shootout at the Kölner Dom. I’ll have her fall right next to the old Roman arch, so she’ll be left with a lasting (and last) impression of the greatness of Italy. Personally I doubt she knows much about that period either. Lastly, if I seem to disappear, it’s because the shop has been ignored for too long, and I have wood to turn before I sleep. (Hmmm, I don’t think that’s the way Robert Frost said it…but, you get the idea.) I shall endeavor (I love to endeavor, it sounds ever so much better than saying “I’ll try”) to provide some picspam along the way. In this case, you can believe that “If you’ve seen one egg, you HAVEN’T seen them all.” Not all eggs are created equal, nor equally for that matter. I don’t know much about how chickens produce them, but I know my own process takes longer, and I seem to tend to turn out brown eggs all the time. Maybe that’s genetic…or something I eat? I know this is long, and I could have cut it somewhere. But then…think of all the starving children in Africa (and Alabama for that matter) that wouldn’t have had the chance to read these singular thoughts. Hmmm, can thoughts be singular? Aren’t two or more of them automatically plural? Dunno, but I’ve never heard of anyone having “plural thoughts.” Well, no, that’s not true. Now that I think on it some more, I guess some of them Mormon folks have plural thoughts. Or so I’m told. C P.S. (That stands for Post Script, but I have no idea what THAT means. Post is easy, but script?) Anyway, in a little bit I'm going to post the first picspam from the shop. Film at 11...or earlier, but only in the Pacific Time Zone. Current Mood: silly

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November 27th, 2009

10:06 pm - Ummm, Continuity! We got a problem here! Okay, one thing I tend to do is watch movies I really like over and over again. Usually it's because the work is soooo good that I just marvel at the way the characters are crafted and how real they seem to be. Now, sometimes, even though I don't really look for it, I find problems with what is loosely called Continuity. Usually it's something simple, and there are some famous exampled. If you watch The Untouchables, you'll find a scene where Sean Connery's collar is buttoned, then it's unbuttoned, then it's buttoned again. Somebody screwed up there. The funny part is that the more you see the movie the more you get to the point where it's all you see. Saving Private Ryan has one of those, where Sgt Horvath is carrying his rifle in his left hand, then in his right hand, then in his left again, even though he never moved. It's not a big thing, but I noticed it. Now, to the point. I picked up Angels and Demons on Tuesday. I've seen it about three times now, not counting the original in the theatre. Towards the end, Tom Hanks has a key, and he says something about Rictor might have been trying to give it to him. However, we never ever saw any mention of the key before this time. I'm thinking somebody cut the earlier scene, without realizing it had meaning later. Strange. I'd guess that everyone remembered shooting the earlier scene and just subliminally inserted it along the way. Oh well. C Current Mood: weird Current Music: The Mickey Mouse Club themesong

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November 26th, 2009

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November 22nd, 2009

07:32 pm As Mickey's big hand reaches the bottom of the clock face, I'm closing in on the magic number of 50.000. Yes indeed, the little number thingy at the bottom of the screen says there's less than 500 little wordy things to go, and I might make it tonight, even without cut and paste. We'll see. For the moment, I'm going to take a quick run to the grocery store, since I've run out of a number of things that make life tolerable. I will, however, return and continue. Look out, world: I'm gunna win four years in a row! Current Mood: silly

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November 21st, 2009

11:45 pm - Just stuff........... The Beavers appropriately demolished what was left of Washington State. After looking completely inept, the Ducks managed to defeat Arizona. That means the winner of the Civil War will face the Ohio State Sweatervests in the Rose Bowl. It will likely be OSU vs. OSU. Go Beavs! There are ugly rumors out there that Germans have no sense of humor. It's not true. Germans have a great sense of humor, and there is a special brand of that known as Berliner Humor. If you don't believe me, allow me to demonstrate the truth of what I say. The headline says it all. Editorial feud erects artistic six-metre penis The story is probably not work safe, unless you work for CrossedGenres. http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091120-23411.html Other than that, it's raining, and dark, and cloudy, and gloomy, and generally rather blah. I have tomorrow off, and I might be able to hit 50K tomorrow. We'll see. C Current Mood: weird

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November 19th, 2009

02:16 am - No too bad...just not quite there. Well, my target for yesterday was 10K. Things didn't work out. I ended up at work for 11 hours, which wasn't in the plans at all. Today I slept too much, recovering from that. However, on the bright side, I did manage 8106 between the two days, and I've got an easy stretch coming up, so that's something. My total at the moment is 41.037, which is ahead of the curve. It's officially the early hours of day 19, so I'm about 10K to the good against the daily average of 1666. And, I've got Sunday off (for sure) and Thanksgiving Thursday off too. According to the schedule, which is subject to change at the slightest whim, I have the following weekend off too, so I should be in good shape I think. Now, if I can only get a Christmas commission done in the shop, life will be okay. I might even share pictures of that, since it's another egg. C Current Mood: tired Current Music: Bach - St Johannes Passion - St John Passion

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November 18th, 2009

11:32 pm Those of you who know me know that I've been writing since nearly forever. You've had a chance to read some of it, posted here and on other internet sites. Although I fully intend to be published and then retire to some South Seas island to live out my remaining useful days lying under a palm tree, drinking beverages that include little paper umbrellas and doing nothing more strenuous than molesting the women who co-populate my hideaway, the fact is I haven't sold that monster novel yet. What I have sold is a short story, to a publication that has high standards yet allows struggling newcomers an honest chance to submit. Now that publication is struggling itself, and I don't want to see it falter. So...I'm asking you to help a bit. Step one: Go visit: http://www.CrossedGenres.com What you'll find is an ezine that publishes stories based upon a blend of science-fiction and/or fantasy AND a selected additional genre. There are good stories to be read, and some pretty darn good artwork too. Past issues have chosen Western or Steampunk or Alternative History or any number of other genres. Step two: Read a story or two, and leave a comment for the author. Good, bad, not too sure? Doesn't matter. Let them know you read it. They get paid a small amount, but otherwise that feedback is the pay off. Step three: If you like what you found, purchase a copy of one issue. You can get a hard copy, made out of old dead trees, or any number of other formats...PDF, Kindle, etc. It's not expensive. Step four: Bookmark the site so you can come back next month (new issues are released on the first day of the month) and read some more. I'm betting you'll find something else to like every month. Now, that's not too much to ask, is it? If a few more people bought a copy now and then, then...well, they'd be able to keep it going, and I think that's a good thing. If you gave up a vice (a latte or a lottery ticket or a Big Mac) for a day, you have it covered. Seriously. I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was important. Us struggling writers need some place that understands the anguish, and I'll even donate some autographed copies of my next blockbuster. Just wait! You'll see. Thanks. Craig Current Mood: optimistic

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November 17th, 2009

08:22 am - Dunno, but we'll see.... Today is sorta a day off. Not really, just sorta, and it's too hard to explain. In any case, I'm going to do a little cleaning...and WRITE. My goal is somewhere around 10,000 words, and not all the same word. No cut and paste...except where I'm pulling in snippets I've already done. We'll see, and I'll post results periodically here. Right...erm...here----> 7483 @ 2042 It's taken two days, but I'm getting closer...and that's not a number to sneeze at...at least, I don't think it is. C Current Mood: optimistic Current Music: Chicago - Wishing you were here

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November 15th, 2009

11:17 pm - The good old days.... Sure there were the Beatles and the Stones, and a bunch of others, but it's hard to find a band any better. Pardon me while I'm a bit nostalgic tonight. Later, gang. C Current Mood: lonely

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November 10th, 2009

04:54 pm - And then there's this I just received an email, through a meet-up site, for a new writer's group that's being formed in the area. The organizer said that he would only allow people with an MFA or PhD in writing to join, since he's only looking for serious writers and doesn't want "Grandma's writing family history." Hmmmmm. I was bad (again). I wrote to him, suggesting that perhaps he should look at the number of mainstream writers who meet his criteria, since very few would. I also suggested that no reasonable agent would take on an author simply because of his/her educational background, nor would they exclude an author for similar reasons. I also suggested that quite possibly life experiences and a desire to write and value the language would be better criteria to find good writers and serious writers. Hey, he's young. What the heck does he know? He's impressed with his degree, and probably also by the student loans he still can't repay, so why shouldn't everyone be similarly impressed. Dunno. Current Mood: annoyed

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03:41 pm - Headlines! We gotcher headlines right here! I don't care what others believe, I still say Germans have the best news writers...and, for that matter, the best news. Gas explosion caused by man's buttocks Yup, it's true. http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091110-23171.html We now return you to your usual mundane, boring, uninteresting news reports. C Current Mood: giggly

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November 9th, 2009

10:05 pm - Today is 20 years after... Although November 9th is over for most of the world, take a minute and remember that 20 years ago, on this date, the world as we knew it changed forever. 20 years ago, on this night, the citizens of the GDR, or East Germany as most of us knew it, were suddenly and without warning, granted the freedom to travel to the non-Communist world. It was as if their jailer suddenly appeared and unlocked the shackles that had bound them for nearly thirty years. The wall, supposedly built to protect them from the evils that lurked outside, was opened, and they discovered, probably not to their surprise, that there was a whole new world on the other side. It was a world filled with choices, opportunities, and freedoms. Their release from oppression was not without costs, and those are still being totaled to this day, but on balance, they were better off. In short order, they became part of a re-unified Germany that has taken its rightful place amongst the nations of the world, and regularly demonstrated responsible and mature behavior as a citizen of the world. Today, let us all celebrate... Mauerfall! Congratulations, Germany. C Current Mood: happy

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09:22 pm - Since Cass asked.... Cass inquired about pictures of the recent projects I completed for the store. ( Read more...and snore ) Well, on to more words and such. My current count is just north of 23,000. Getting there, but it's slow. C Current Mood: indifferent Current Music: I Don't Want to Live Without You - Chicago

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November 6th, 2009

01:18 pm - Epic FAIL! Boy, did I kick over the hornet's nest. I am now officially Public Enemy #1 for pointing out the missteps that led to the All Oregon Write-in debacle. Every ML in the state is on my case, along with a bunch of others. The one thing that has remained consistent is that no one is remotely about to apologize for the FACT that they did some piss poor planing. The host ML says there simply isn't a larger room anywhere in her "small town." Gee, maybe that would be a reason to hold it somewhere else. Ya think? Yes, moving it around the state from year to year is a great idea, but not at the expense of having it fail. Collectively they said it was hard to find rooms for free, and that's true. However, it depends upon how hard you look. In less than two hours today, I managed to find three...at local community colleges. I simply pointed out that their students were participating in NaNo and it would encourage others to learn about what the colleges had to offer. One offered me a "double classroom" that can seat nearly 200, according to her. She also said the room is equipped with plug strips too! wOOt! Now, of course, that means it couldn't be held in the little city on the coast, doesn't it? Well, if you're going to invite the world you probably can't have the meeting in Aunt Martha's kitchen. I think I'll just stay home and write...especially since I'm officially no longer welcome at the social events. C Current Mood: pissed off

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02:05 am - Classic Fail! An ML (Municipal Liaison) in Oregon decided they would schedule an All Oregon write in. They arranged for a room at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and posted the date and an invitation to everyone in Oregon to join in. Bad Idea! The room will only hold 60 people, so now they find themselves deciding who is allowed to attend. Bad Idea! They got the room free, but you have to pay the admission charge to get into the Aquarium, which is $14.95 for an adult. They anticipated they would be able to round up free passes for everyone, but so far they only have 15. That means 45 people have to pay $15 to attend a write-in. Bad Idea! Now they have to decide who gets the free passes. This is a plan to fail, and when I challenged them about it, they went straight into defensive excuse mode. I've since filed a complaint with NaNo headquarters, since pay to play is NOT part of the program in any way, shape, or form. Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part! I doubt that I would have gone in any case, but now I'm not welcome, and that pisses me off! C Current Mood: pissed off

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November 5th, 2009

02:49 pm - Hey. Wait a minute here....... I think I finally got a day off...and everyone else skipped town. Where'd everybody go? Current Mood: worried

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November 4th, 2009

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November 3rd, 2009

07:49 am - An update of sorts... There are two more chapters written, but I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I'm going to go to bed after working 11 hours on my day off. When I wake up I'll consider posting them. C Current Mood: tired

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November 2nd, 2009

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