Oh Yeah... This Just Keeps Getting Better and Better...

And if you'll come over here, please... that's right, follow me in here, I'll show you our next exhibit. Yes, please, come in... everyone in? OK, in this next living exhibit, we have Dave the Blogging Monkey. Please, stay back behind the yellow line... he looks docile but startles easily. We found him last January, innocently beginning a new blog, without realizing it would enslave and transform him into the monkey you see before you today.

Questions? What does he eat? Well, he has a diet mostly comprised of convenience store fare, including beef jerky, energy drinks, cans of chili, cheese popcorn and occasionally a piece of fruit, in a vain attempt to convince himself he's trying to eat healthy. 


Next question? Does he sleep enough? Well, even though his transformation into a monkey is complete, you can still tell he's a bit ragged around the edges. Yet if he were better rested, then we wouldn't get to experience the joy of all of his overused jokes and fart references. God forbid we go a day without a fart reference.


You'll need to save the rest of your questions for afterwards... it looks like Dave is about to post. Let's watch....

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my underground lair! It is I, Dave the Grade-A Gump, back with today's dose of random hot air, straight from the source (crack a window, eh?)

I was pondering the idea of a community blog again, and had a bunch of ideas, many of them pulling in different directions. I'd love to have someone to brainstorm with. Any volunteers? If you think the idea of participating an a fun community forum type of thing would be worth investigating, please email me and let's kick it around. Davidwagner1@cox.net.

One of the reasons I'd like to consider this is preemptive. My commitment to blog every day for a year was, at least in part, an attempt to get the writing juices flowing, hopefully translating into renewed interest in working on and/or finishing my first novel, which has been relegated to the back burner for quite some time now. I thought writing every day would, after a year, allow me to transition into daily writing of fiction. I'd hoped both could happen concurrently, but it turns out my blogging saps my daily dose of creativity. Often these daily posts take 2 to 3 hours to create, believe it or not, and by the time I'm done, I don't usually want to write anymore. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it tremendously, otherwise I'd have stopped by now...

Anyway, my year is heading around the final bend and beginning the approach to the conclusion. I'd love to transition into a new system that would allow me to participate less frequently, not stopping completely and cold turkey. I kind of like our little community of e-buddies here, and I'd hate to hit January 1 and go, "well, ok, seeya." But I'd honestly like to try to funnel the bulk of my creative energy into writing something a little more... what? What word can I use that won't minimize this blog, of which I am quite proud?

In any case, if a couple of you want to enter into a discussion of sorts, to see if not only a group blog could work, but also the possibility to perhaps try and monetize it somehow, I have some thoughts, and I could use some fresh minds to kick things off of. There are too many details you're just not sharing with us... our little mind-reading device doesn't lie...




How cool is that? That's one way to counter laziness, eh? Hey, does this pole still work?

Speaking of novel writing, November fast approaches! What does that have to do with novel writing, you may ask? Well, November is NaNoWriMo! As in National Novel Writing Month. It's an annual event that people sign up for, and the challenge is to write a 50,000+ word novel, from scratch, between November 1st and November 30th. You upload your completed novel onto their site for verification, and your name goes on the Winner's Page and you get a certificate! Woohoo! Actually, it's understood that the real prize is a finished novel, and the sense of community among participants.

I heard of the event a few years ago, and always wanted to enter it. I may just do it! The only problem actually might be a blessing - that is, generating fresh new material, from scratch. They don't want you to use any previously started material. They anticipate there being a lot of crap (for lack of a better word), but the idea is to get on the ball, show you that a novel isn't as daunting as you think, and to actually accomplish something, regardless of the finished product (as far as tightness, flow, logic, structure, rules, rules, rules). Have you received adequate training for your profession?

I'm talking myself into joining. Well, one thing's for certain... I have ideas coming out of my ears. Should be fun! And Fun is my Chinese neighbor's middle name...

Logan mentioned on his blog last week about a program that was going to be on TV about Mammoth Cave in Kentucky... I told myself I would definitely watch it, but of course, I spaced and missed it. Anyway, it reminded me of the Planet Earth episode that talked about the Lechuguilla Cave system, and lo and behold, today on Boing Boing they had a feature on Lechuguilla! They even posted a high-res video taken from that very Planet Earth episode!



Awesome. If I wasn't unnerved by being deep underground, I'd love to check out stuff like that firsthand. Although methane may dissolve the crystals, so they'd likely keep me from entering... let me show you my plan for sending you home...

In honor of legendary skateboarder Bob Burnquist's birthday today (1976), first, here's the picture of him attempting the unthinkable...

You sure do get some high arc in this low gravity...

Trying to loop the Mt. Baldy pipe? Are you kidding me? Guts'll get you so far... then they'll get you killed. That shot made the cover of Transworld Magazine that month, even though he didn't make it. Slammed pretty hard, actually. But that, my friend, was INSANE to even attempt. The thing that amazes me about Burnquist is that he is completely comfortable skating anything, anywhere (street, vert, pipes, parks, pools, flat), and he excels at everything... and he was the first skater I recall seeing that was equally comfortable - and capable - riding regular or goofy footed.

Here's his part in The Firm video from a few years back...



Had some other stuff to cover, but I think I'll call it a night and go read. I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me! I'm out. But not before trying to dig up some quotes and a more difficult theme... if you can guess tonight's theme, you are a true professional...

Until tomorrow, remember, it's exactly two seconds before I honk your nose and pull your underwear over your head!

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OK, people, looks like that's it for Dave for today. If you'll follow me, please, we'll leave Dave the Blogging Monkey to his rest and move on to our next exhibit, called "Fun with Onions" ...