Oh, All Kinds of Good, Great and Best.

Thus endeth the... uh... weekend... and all that...

So, once upon a time, there was a happy man named Dave, who believed he had, against all logic and hope, stumbled into a new phase of his life, whereby things that he thought he understood were shown to be incontrovertibly untrue and, quite unexpectedly, a phase shift had occurred. He felt he was in an extended dream that he hoped he wouldn't wake up from for a good, long while.

A man sits in a dark, empty, windowless, door-less room, with only a single candle, burning lower and lower. He sits watching the flame, hugging his knees to his chest, with the full awareness that at any moment, the candle would flicker out and extinguish, leaving him in complete darkness. Alas, the moment comes. But in that split second between the death of the flame and the birth of the darkness, the roof rips off and disappears, flooding the room with sunlight.

Houston, we have liftoff...

So, life is wonderful. And all that.

I've been spending less and less time on the computer the past couple weeks, which is something I never thought I'd live to see. I thought I'd be married to this thing forever. Then I discovered I was already married, and now I have a new hobby. :) Of course, I still have free-lance work commitments that demand my attention, requiring me to spend time with this computer, so I can't just walk away. Plus, there's that little matter of the camp video to edit, and all that will require. But still, it feels good to sense the cords to this thing cut. Plus, it feels good to be getting into better shape (re: personal trainer). I wonder if they're connected somehow..?

So, our plans have been locked in (at somewhat substantial cost) for my upcoming birthday week of travel and fun. We're going with the combo of time in San Diego and time in Vegas. I have plenty of time to plan all the entertainment and dining activities, and am looking forward to it greatly. It's quite surreal to actually look forward to my birthday for once. My good friends Dread and Angst will have to take a year off.

Things are coming into view!



I've been reading The Hundred-Thousand Kingdoms - almost finished. I'm having problems with it, but none sufficient enough to make me want to stop reading it. I'm about 80% through it as we speak. I'll try to finish it tonight, and fire out a review soon. My main beef is that events and developments happen so quickly through the first half of the book, it's hard to track and absorb. Revelations that I know are supposed to carry significant weight simply don't, because they didn't really have sufficient time to develop and simmer. It's like under-cooked food, I guess, where you get the idea of what is supposed to happen, but nowhere near the true potential. It just evolves too quickly. I'm barely recalling which name belongs to which character, and I'm expected to appreciate the gravity of connections and twists, etc.

I hope that makes sense. It's probably not a good sign that, halfway through the book, I couldn't recall the name of the main character... and it's written from her perspective!

But from about halfway up to my current point (80%), it is going along much better.

If you're a fantasy fan, there has been a wealth of interesting videos to watch of late, including:
- A 40 minute panel discussion from Comicon with members of the cast of the HBO show A Game of Thrones, moderated by GRRM himself.
- An interesting interview with Brandon Sanderson.
- A panel discussion called "Putting the Epic Into Epic Fantasy", with such fantasy heavyweights as GRRM, Sanderson and Pat Rothfuss (among others).
- A couple great interviews with Joe Abercrombie are floating around as well.
- Melissa has an interesting post with her Top Ten Fantasy Reads, as well as the Top Ten list from a fellow blogger friend of hers. Definitely worth a look.

In fact, just keep an eye on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for all the latest. Wertzone is also a good resource. Ah, it's a good time to be a Fantasy Fan...

I am amused by mash-ups like this. You know, for someone who isn't really that into Sci-Fi in general, and Star Wars specifically, I do tend to post more than my fair share of Star Wars-related funny pictures. I wonder why that is? Anyway, here's one more, then I'm out.

OK, I'm done for tonight. Who knows when I'll post again, eh? MUAHAHAHA! We may never know!

Dave the Uncertain

The Latest! The Very Latest!

Wow, what a week....

OK, yes, I know, I haven't updated in a week, I'm sorry. I realize that the trauma caused by separation anxiety has likely left you in an addled, discombobulated state for which the only remedy is fast food, chocolate, coffee and foot rubs. I'm sorry. It's nothing personal... I have just been otherwise occupied, in a very positive way. Let's just say, homelife has been at an all-time high these past couple weeks. Whoever has been praying for us, thank you, and please continue....

You'd think with a whole week going by that I'd have tons to talk about. But really, not much...

Work has been going great. Homelife is great. Church is great. My spiritual walk is great. My finances are... well, if not great, then at least good. My hobbies and interests are interesting (you could say great, I suppose). I'm riding high, and trying to enjoy it while it lasts. I hope it lasts forever, but I'm not pollyannish enough to actually think that it will. But until then!



I feel like that...

So, I bet you're just dyin' to know where the plans stand, as far as what I'm gonna do for my birthday, right? I mean, you need to know, right? That's why you checked in, yes? Well, let me enlighten you...

We initially were going to do Vegas in late August. Then I contemplated just staying in San Diego, like in a downtown hotel, and doing stuff here that I've either never done, or haven't done in a long while. You know, Padre game, harbor cruise, nice restaurants, ferry to Coronado, the Zoo, etc. But hotel prices downtown are really high, especially in August, compared to Vegas. But really, we're not interested in gambling, just staying someplace nice and eating great food. Staying local would save on airfare, and keep us nearby in case of emergency, but that's about it.

So at the moment, I'm leaning toward a combination of the two. Spend the weekend here in San Diego, and fly out to Vegas for two nights, and stay at a nice place out there (I'm thinking Vdara). When we're in San Diego, we'll just sleep at home each night, and run around during the days. Maybe involve the kids, too. We'll see. All that to say, it's looking like this year's birthday will be what I'd hoped last years was going to be (but wasn't).

Funny, the highs and lows. I think I've experience the extreme examples of both this year so far.

So I'm still reading The Hundred-Thousand Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin. It's quirky, almost schizophrenic in its presentation, which is a style I haven't encountered in Fantasy before. I don't mean to say that in a negative way. At the moment, it's still moving along well. Though, again, I can't help but think stories written in the first person perspective are limited in what they can accomplish.

That reminds me, I've had another (what I feel is a) brilliant idea for another novel. What the heck is wrong with me!?!?! The good thing about this idea is that, by it's nature, the story/novel would be small in scope, so the odds of finishing it once I started it would be much higher than my two current lost loves.

I also picked up a couple new books for my Kindle App the other day. Amazon was having a nice sale, with tons of books between $1 and $3. I bought Elfsorrow by James Barclay ($1), Hunter's Run by GRRM, G. Dozois and D. Abraham ($2), and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark ($2). That last one was well-reviewed by Logan, so that was the deciding factor for me in that case. The other two just looked good.

Reminds me of a video series I saw one time, where this guy who worked at a music store recorded examples of the aggravating, tedious nonsense he had to put up with each day while working, just so he could show his friends and family who always said, "You work at a music store? That must be so awesome!"

In fact, lemme see if I can find one of those vids... BRB...



Here's a couple more...

I have nothing else to say. Nothing. Nothing at all.

Wait, I don't think I've ever posted this "building mapping" clip before. It's from Vimeo, so as usual, full-screen, high-def for best results. Oh, and crank up the speakers a bit more, eh?


The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo.


I admit, I'm a sucker for a nice building-mapping video. Here's another cool one...

Adios for now.

Dave the Sucker

What? Why, Yes, I Am Hard of Hearing Today...

What? You like that shot? Yeah, me too... oddly, I feel if the fence wasn't there, the shot would fall apart for some reason. Something about that fence makes the picture work...

What? How was A Dance With Dragons? Well, I thought it was terrific. I felt it could have spent a little more quality time in the editing phase, but beyond that, it was everything I'd hoped it would be. I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would dearly love to discuss one of the ending cliffhangers, and go over possible directions that GRRM could take that particular storyline, but I couldn't be that cruel to you. If any of you read it and want to discuss it in email or on Facebook, let me know...

What? What am I reading now? Well, I've started The Hundred-Thousand Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the first 5 chapters. It's written in first person, which you know I usually have a problem with, but in this case it's done right, it's written clearly and is quirky and fun. It had a great opening hook, great atmosphere, and a fun premise. Once I get farther into it, I'll likely review it, and then, O happy day for you, eh! Since, Lord knows, I realize how highly you value my opinion on things!

What? You want to see a random, cool video? OK, here's one..



I find it fascinating when sewer lines erupt like that. What a ridiculous amount of force it must take to do that. I believe when last I posted a clip like this, Logan tried to explain to us how and why it occurs, but I sadly didn't retain it. Sorry, my brain is full...

By the way, Jack Vale finally got punched in the face for "pooting" on people in Walmart. I'm surprised it has taken this long. I find his antics funny, of course, but only because he's never done it to me. He posted the footage of the face-punching, like a good sport...

What? Have I seen any movies lately? Well, I'm glad you didn't ask if I'd seen any "good" movies, since I then would have said no. I did take the family out on Monday night to see the latest Transformers movie. I knew it would be a turd, but it was the one film we could all see in the time frame we had allotted. I wanted to see it in 3D, but no one else did. 3D would have made it worth watching, perhaps. It featured a completely incoherent script, retarded acting, embarrassing cameos, and the film was endless. 2 hrs 40 minutes long. I'm glad we had the family time, but man, I would never inflict that cinematic offal upon myself again...

What? You want me to post something tasteless? OK... how about this...

What? Not tasteless enough? Hmm... well, OK, how about this newspaper clipping...

There, you can't complain now. That was quite thoroughly tasteless. And hilarious. I bet Dave-O would enjoy that story...

Anything else?

What? One more nice, mellow landscape picture to refresh your pure brains after the previous tastless article? OK...

Ahh, beautiful!

I'm going to call this post done. I'll update again soon, fear not!

What? O, I know you love me, even though you won't leave a comment. It's ok, I love you too...

More Stuff and Nonsense...

The days are flying by. What, may I ask, the heck?

Tonight's lead story: I am 83% through A Dance With Dragons, and loving every page of it. I will not be writing a review, so fear not. For those that aren't planning on reading the series, it is pointless to review Book 5 of a series you won't read! And for those that plan on reading it, it will be enough for me to say, you will not be disappointed.

I made the mistake of hopping in on the Martin Amazon forum I frequent, which has discussed this book as it has developed over the years, and some complete moron posted two threads with spoilers in the thread titles. "Is _____ Really Dead?" Whether he was a troll making things up, or really that lame as to drop a spoiler on everyone before they could read the book, I don't know. But needless to say, I was extremely angry, and have not been back to that forum since. Who would do something like that? For ten years, we have waited for this part of the story! And for someone to spoil it like that! Sheesh!

It makes a guy contemplate inflicting bodily harm!

OK, no it doesn't. Still... lame...

OK, enough of that... I need to mellow out...

I know! Lemme dig a mellow video out of my blog archive... be right back...



Ahh! Much better! As usual, full screen - high-definition for best results.

Well, while I'm in the archive, I might as well post a couple more of my past faves...



Remember, that one loops twice... once you hit the 4:10 mark, it will start over. No need to watch it twice...

And here's my favorite "Wooden Spoon Prank" video...



I wonder if anyone falls for that anymore?

And the "Doberman With Taped Ears Chasing A Laser" video...



Ouch...

So, Wifey and I are planning a trip to Vegas for my birthday. Not much of a Vegas fan, but the alternatives are slim at this point. We can fly in for cheap, stay near the strip, walk around, hopefully eat good food and lounge around poolside... we'll see. Might be fun for a few days... it won't kill me to get away for a few days....

Speaking of killing me, my new personal trainer is whipping me into shape. I thought the "calf muscle cramping session" I had last Tuesday was hard... until I went on Thursday! Everything below my armpits was sore for 48 hours afterwards... but it's a good sort of pain, I think. I'll dive back in on Tuesday and let him wallop me again.

I would call this shot "Before and After", but the literalists among us would claim I'd need to be on the left, and my trainer on the right... or call it "After and Before"... in any case, that's Markshane, my trainer. He's encouraging and highly capable and great to work with. If I look dazed, it's because that was after my workout on Thursday, after the shower. I had Gumby legs at the time...

So I suppose that's that. Another week begins. I'm going to go read more Dance With Dragons until the wee hours.

Adios

Dave the Goof

Music, Blindness and Endless Patience

Why do I think of Johnny Cash when I see this picture...

Hello, y'all. It's been almost a week since my last post. What a week. Too bad I can't talk about it...

Events and developments have conspired to keep me from updating -- but in this case, that's not a bad thing. Things are showing great promise, in just about every facet of my life, which is surprisingly encouraging. Well, while at sea during a storm, the waves go way up, and the waves go way down. I like the view from up here. Now if I could only get rid of this seasickness...

I almost made it through Steam's big summer sale without buying any computer games. I was all set to be so proud of myself for resisting temptation. But, alas, the very last day, when they brought back some of the best-selling items from the previous week for one last chance to snag, I bit. But I didn't bite very deep... I spent $6 on the two DLC packs for Fallout: New Vegas (saved myself $14), so that's not bad...

No, I don't expect any of you but Logan to know what I'm talking about, but you get the general idea, in any case, I'm sure...

Hey, remember that one time that Joshua Bell - arguably the greatest violinist in the world -- decided to set up and play at an entrance to the D.C. Metro, and play for spare change?



That was a cool experiment. People that know music normally pay a small fortune to go hear this guy play... But even though the common person (like me) would likely not know who this guy was, you'd think they'd at least recognize amazing talent when they hear it and stop for a quick listen instead of blithely rushing by...

Ah, well. Some people just can't see what's in front of them!

Hidden in plain view!

There's an artist named Mark Nixon who turned a walking bridge in Denmark into a huge wind chime by hanging a bunch of aluminum pipes of various lengths underneath it...

People walking the bridge don't know it's there unless the wind is blowing... Pretty cool. Go here for more info. There's a short video of it - but it doesn't really do it justice...

So I bought A Dance With Dragons, as I threatened to so many times this year, and I've waded in. It's so nice to catch up on what Tyrion, Dany and Jon Snow have been up to. I'm resisting the urge to tear through it... I want to go slow and enjoy it. I know it will be a good, long time before another installment is ready for consumption...

Gimme battle scenes! I need battle scenes!



Ok, that will suffice...

Wifey wants to plan a trip for my birthday next month. Southwest was having a sale on cheap tickets, so I just checked how much a trip to NYC would run... let's just say, it ain't cheap. I guess NYC ain't on the list of cut-rate tickets. Too bad I can't just scan us and attach us to emails and send us out to someone in NYC. Then they could download us, print us out, and BAM! We'd be in the Big Apple!

OK, I guess not...

So, I've done a couple workouts with my new personal trainer. On Tuesday I was doing great, until the end, when both of my calf muscles cramped up, turning into rock-hard fists of pain and fire. I guess they aren't used to doing squats and lunges, eh! I don't normally do too many squats and lunges while sitting on my rear in front of a computer all day, eh! Wow, what pain. Yeah, I know, I'm a whiny little baby, I get it. Still... ouch. I'd rather that not happen again. But if that's what it takes to get into good shape, I suppose it's a price I'll pay! I'll be a man yet!

I'm going to end this mindless ramble here.

More later.

Dave the Patient

Lakes, Skies, Winters and Work.

I wonder if that lake really is that blue? Or if it's just dirty rotten photoshop tricks! Either way, it's certainly nice to look at... here, I have another, from a different angle...

Actually, that isn't the same lake, is it... Is it? The features are similar, but I'm having a hard time matching exact features. Must be a different lake in the same general area...

Greetings, y'all! How's life treatin' ya? Good, I hope. Things are mellow here. That'll change once I pick the rest of the Wagner Women up at the airport on Saturday. Then it'll be back to normal (read: crazy) around here. It's been nice and quiet here this week, for which I am grateful. But it will be nice to have the fam back again.

Kind of uneventful, really. Wish I had some fascinating tidbit to share with you. Just normal life stuff. I've been able to sleep in my own bed this week, which is terrific. Implementing new systems at work, which looks promising. Getting a (difficult) hold on my freelance graphics responsibilities, which is rather grueling. And just chilling.

I better dip into my go-to bag of goodies and see what I have for you tonight...

Everything I'm reading about this next video is in a language I don't understand, lol. It's pretty self-explanatory. A few thousand people all releasing these little paper lanterns into the air at the same time.



Must be amazing to see in person. Must not be fire season in that part of the world.

Here's another "sky event" video, this time in reverse. Looks like a couple gliders release a few thousand LED lights attached to streamers over what looks like a big music festival of some kind, to very cool effect.



Also one of those things that likely is amazing to see in person, but only so-so in film. Like anything, I suppose. Take the pics of that lake up at the top of this post. Such is the nature of pictures, I suppose, that only a limited glimpse is available. I remember the first time I went snowboarding up at Lake Tahoe, at Heavenly, and when we went down the main lift toward the parking area... as we started the long descent down the face of the mountain, the whole lake just appeared in front of me, literally filling my vision to the edges of my peripheral sight on both sides, and the ground dropped away beneath me. It was stunning - I felt like I was floating in another realm or something. I tried taking pictures the next day, but that sense of overwhelming awe couldn't possibly come through in a photo.

Anyway, those two video clips are like that, I'm sure. Way cooler in person.

There's a similar distinction, I think, between watching film and watching a live play. Two different beasts entirely, I know... but there's something about seeing something performed live that is impossible to convey in video form.

Theater acting and film acting are completely different arts. You can be infinitely more subtle on film. You have to be full intensity on stage, or else you'll appeal to no one beyond the first few rows. If you want to see an incredible study of this, watch a movie called The Dresser, with Albert Finney and Tom Courteney. Two amazing, Oscar-nominated performances.

Let's see... what else have I got? Lemme check my drawer...

Oops, wrong drawer...

Speaking of animals in strange places, check out this X-ray...

I thought they normally bury their heads in the sand...

I'm still not reading anything substantial lately. I've casually read numerous "free samples" that I've downloaded for my Kindle app (fantasy/sci-fi stuff) but nothing that really wowed me enough to buy the full book yet. But that's a problem I won't have for much longer... A Dance With Dragons will be messily devoured by me, very soon. I've purposely tried to avoid reading any reviews on blogs to this point, except to try and get an over-all sense of whether the book is good or not. So far, from what I've carefully gleaned, the consensus is very positive, and apparently there are several bombshells I can look forward to (woot!)... Can't wait!

Figures... I finally take down the sidebar link to the TV Legends YouTube site on the right side of my blog over there, and then I find an interview to link to! If you're a fan of Jonathan Winters, you will definitely find his interview series fascinating. Here's a sample clip, and here is the site with the full interview, if you've got a couple hours to kill... He's traveled quite a road.

Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I better get back to work...

Wish me luck!

Adios,

Dave the Luckless

Shoes, Food, and Star Wars... Everything A Person Needs...

Be sure to click that panorama shot and see it bigger. That's a pretty stunning view, methinks. I don't mind the people further back the trail (to give it a sense of scale) but I find the person up close distracting for some reason... anyway, certain pictures like this I label with the word "novel" as I archive them, since they inspire me, as far as potential places I want to put in my fantasy novel... I see a pic like that, and I just "see" stuff happening there. Now if I could just make sense of it and get it on paper...

So I spent a long weekend in Albuquerque visiting the in-laws. Wifey and two-thirds of the Wagner Kiddos were out there already, and they will remain through the ninth. Eldest stayed here throughout.

Had a good time; I'm glad I went. (Nice semi-colon use there, eh? Eh?) The highlight of the trip I cannot share with you (MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!) and, sadly, the rest was not blog-worthy enough to elaborate upon. Bottom line, it was cool to see Wifey's siblings and mum... and Uncle James' shoe collection...

I know he looks sad and/or bummed, but I snapped the pic before he was ready, so it's my fault. There aren't many people I know that smile more than James. He's a good egg. AND he's a manager at a Foot Locker in ABQ... and a bit of a shoe collector... makes Wifey's collection look small (almost). I guess you could say shoe collecting "runs" in the family! BUAHAHAHA!!!!

And now, Furious Pete eating a 750g jar of Nutella in 2.5 minutes...



4,000 calories, 200g fat, 400g sugar. I've never tasted the stuff; looks kinda gross to me. (There's another semi-colon for ya, woohoo!) Furious Pete has some other great videos, if you like that sort of thing. He's rapidly becoming my favorite competitive eater...

I tell ya, the more I lurk around the competitive eating world, the more amazed I am by the sheer volume of drama - and I mean the eaters as well as the fans. I'm enjoying it immensely, actually. There seem to be some genuinely insane people in the CE world - both fans and competitors. I love it. Of course, I grew up a wrestling fan, so I suppose I'm pre-conditioned to enjoy the sport of CE... something about the equal parts of "disgusting" and "amazing"...

I watched the big Nathan's Hot Dog Eating event on ESPN on the fourth, as it unfolded, which was cool. And of course, the event itself was overshadowed (for me) by all of the accompanying drama. I won't get into it here. If you want to catch a glimpse, check out EatFeats (not just the stories/articles, but the comments as well! That's the best part!)

Hey! A Funny Pic that ties together the last two topics! Yeah, I'm clever like that...

OK, shifting gears a bit...

I met with my new personal trainer today. Yep, it's time to get in shape. You know, I hate to beat a dead horse here, but there really is something to this whole "midlife crisis" thing. Of all the near-overwhelming urges I've felt over the past year (buy a new car, get teeth fixed, get a tattoo, run screaming down the street pulling out my hair, etc.) I think the one that makes the most long-term sense is to try and get in better shape. It may seem odd to pay for a personal trainer when Wifey could easily fill that role with the knowledge and experience she has, but the fact that I basically live with a personal trainer has never really helped motivate me to act on that. Too much between us, I suppose...

So, I like this guy, and the facility is terrific, and best of all, it's right by the rug shop. I can walk there, work out for an hour, clean up, walk back, and leave the shop at the time I normally would. I'll work with him twice a week, at least through the end of the year. Then maybe I'll look better on the outside.

The inside is another matter altogether. But I have a plan of attack for that as well. I'll elaborate on that another time...

And now, turn up your speakers and enter the "music time-machine"...



Ah, I love it.... I think the music and sound effects made Star Wars the movie it was, as much as anything else.

Here's a couple Star Wars-related pictures that have been languishing in my archive. Might as well drop them in here...

Would you wear that? You would earn the admiration of nerds everywhere! Geek Chic...

That kid's dad = Dad of the Year...

It's almost July 11th! You know what that means! I know, I know... it's Middle Daughter's 16th birthday, but I mean, other than that! YES! The 10-year wait will be over! A Dance with Dragons will be released! Woohoo! I will get it the day it comes out, and dive straight in. I hope I remember to stop to sleep and eat... and breathe...

OK, well, I suppose I should get back to work on the newsletters for my clients, which are late again. Dangit. One more goofy picture and I'm out...

Adios for now;

Dave the Semicolon

Don't July To Me!

Well, a series of odd technical difficulties have prevented me from updating the blog before I left town. I won't bore (either of) you with the details. Had some stuff to share, guess I'll save it for when I return on the 4th. I'm writing this from my iPad in Albuquerque! Gee, aren't I tricky? If I can get a chance to fire up the laptop and get a decent connection, maybe I'll update sooner.

Have a great weekend, y'all.