Your Patience is Appreciated

Quick post for now: Blogger crashed last night, and it ate my post. I spent the 2+ hours crafting today's post, hit "Publish" and got a bizarre error message. Post destroyed. It was late, I was bummed, and the error messages continued until I went to bed. In fact, any blogspot blog I tried to pull up gave an error message, so I called it a night.

Thanks for your patience! I'll have a "real" blog post up again soon...

Dave

EDIT: Hey, good news! There was an auto-save that salvaged most of yesterday's post! Unfortunately, it was right before I started looking for the quotes, so I have a movie-quoteless post archived, and no time to find them again... I have to get ready and go into the shop. Check back soon, Krista and Bob! It will happen!

Okay, Ask Me Something You Think I Would Normally Lie About...

Greetings! Wait, what day is it again?

Uh oh, I'm floating again... drifting, drifting... in life, in work, in my spiritual life, in my marriage, in my blog... hang on, I need to do something to ground myself again... I know! Another zombie reference! Let's see what I have in my bag of tricks...

Ah, yes, the zombie wedding cake...

I bet I know what they served at the reception.... braaaaaains!....

OK, good, got my sea legs back again. Now, where was I?

Ah, yes. Rug Shop Day today. Didn't get as much done today as I'd hoped; perhaps Friday will prove more productive. Not that it was completely unproductive, mind you... I mean, I got some printing done, made a butt-load more rug design bookmarks, snapped some pics, and prepped another rug book review for the website... I'm not a complete slacker! I just play one on TV....

Of course, I got yogurt on the way home, but I can't go into that now... some things are just too personal, too pure... too pure for the natural impurities of the law...

Here's an awesome website to browse when you have no qualms about losing several precious hours... this is that good process turkey...

It's called Atlas Obscura and it's a combination travel blog + Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum + trivia site, that seems to be collecting all the odd locations in the world. If you're planning a trip anywhere in the world, you can go here and get a list (with articles/pics/videos) on all the off-the-beaten-path things to see and do. They even have Google Maps set up, with markers that you can click to see sites that are near each other, to help with planning. I don't plan on taking a trip any time soon, but I do love a good browse session. Some cool stuff to see.

Here's the skinniest house in Boston...

 

... Only 10 feet wide and 30 feet deep, 4 stories tall... it has an interesting story behind it, if you're curious. You can't handle the truth!

Here's a swimming hole on the Zambia River, right at the lip of Victoria Falls...

"During the dry season, when the Zambia River is at its lowest, a natural rock ledge at the very lip of Victoria Falls creates the world's highest and most dangerous infinity pool. Adventuresome swimmers can wade through the enclosed patch of water known as the "Devil's Swimming Pool" to the precipice of the 100 meter falls and look down on the gorge below."

Dang. 300 foot drop. Pardon me, but don't you ever sweat? Not sure I could do it. More pics and videos about it HERE.

Also, I found the page on Catherine de Medici's Chamber of Secrets to be particularly interesting... listen, no matter what she says to you, don't answer her back.

OK, Funny Video Time...

As you can tell, I have very little of substance to say today. That usually means fiction, or randomness... I can't get my brain to do fiction at the moment, so randomness it is. That theological venting is still burbling somewhere in my lower intestine, so it's not ready to make an appearance yet. Still no word on the Christmas Script, but I expect that will be hitting the fan here pretty soon. I did make more notes on my NaNoWriMo novel, so I have that going for me... but again, the more I ponder it, the more I want to add to it, which lowers the completion odds, I think... somebody needs to stop me!

Here's a blog I found recently (through Blog of Note) that some of you might also like. She's a great writer - that always clicks with me...

It's called Nat the Fat Rat, and if you like goofy, well-written, amusing, observational writing, give it a look.

Hey, Logan, the blog Fantasy Book Critic stole your idea and reviewed Star Wars: Death Troopers. You should sue! The reviewer wasn't too kind to it, saying the idea was super cool, but it didn't live up to it's potential at all (similar, he says, to Aliens vs Predator). For those unfamiliar with the book, it's a Star Wars Zombie Story! Here is the Fantasy Book Critic review, but I'm going to wait for Logan's review for the final word. I'd wait for Joseph's review, but he doesn't have a blog! That's ok, I suppose... Joe, I'm putting you in my book as well... Joe rocks. He's the only man I know who can strut sitting down...

Rounding out today's Daily Dose of Oddness, here is the Gutbuster of the Day, from This Is Why You're Fat...

Redneck Quiche: Eggs inside individual bologna cups, topped with mayo and velveeta cheese. Mmmmm! Serve me up some o' dat! I, myself, would take it and run like a thief!

Guess that's that. It's over... I don't want us to end enemies. Until tomorrow, I ask you: What is it in us that seeks the truth? Is it our minds or is it our hearts?

Sometimes Life Has a Better Idea...

OK, here's a quick impression. Ready?

Here's my impression of every episode of House MD that I've ever seen...

Patient: I'm exhibiting abnormal symptoms!

Doctor: Hmm... sounds like Affliction A. Start him on Treatment A.

Patient: Ow!

Doctor: Whoa, stop the treatment! Looks like it's actually Affliction B. Start him on Treatment B.

Patient: My eyes are bleeding!

Doctor: Whoa, stop the treatment. Test him for Affliction C. Negative? Well, then it must be Affliction D. Start him on Treatment D.

Patient: (coma)

Doctor: Whoa, stop the treatment. Well, all that's left is Affliction E. Start Treatment E, I'm going home.

Patient: (flatlines)

Doctor: (rushing in) Stop the treatment! I know what it is! I had an epiphany while clipping my nails... it's Affliction M!

Patient: I'm alive!

End Episode

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Seriously. I mean, I dig Hugh Laurie's character as much as the next guy, and I certainly haven't watched every episode of every season, but I've watched enough of them through the 5+ seasons to know that this is the rough outline of every episode! What gives! He's an American phenomenon...

I came to another realization tonight, while attempting to watch Mindfreak. Chris Angel is a complete tool. I should have known something was amiss when I couldn't get through the intro to his Halloween show without wanting to punch him repeatedly in the kidneys. Maybe it's a magician thing... I kind of want to slug David Blaine as well...

Chris: Hi, I'm really cool. And your name is? Mike? OK, cool. And we've never met before, right? OK, so can I, like, borrow your watch for a minute?

At that point, I longed to punch his kidneys.

Chris Angel should be a patient in an episode of House....

Doctor: Mr. Angel, you really need to stop eating needles and wearing your shirt collar up... you're really not that cool. You're actually kind of a d-bag.

Patient: (flatlines)

Nurse: Cardiac arrest!

Doctor: It looks like a fatal strain of lameness. Nothing we can do about it... except give him a haircut...

Nurse: Whoa, where did he go? His bed is empty!

Patient: (bursts in through bathroom door, arms wide, cheesy stage grin, collar up) Thank you! Thank you all!

Doctor: Call security...

End Episode.

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My friend Carey (whom I've known since 6th grade) started a blog today, to act as a diary for the weight-loss regimen  he's embarking on. He's lost 22 pounds in 5 days so far! I'm proud of him. Anyway, he put up a test post today, and Krista commented on it! It was so cool, I loved it. Thanks, K. Anyway, I'll be meeting with him on Thursday and we'll get his blog set up proper... on a related note, I decided to make him a character in my upcoming NaNoWriMo novel... he's going to be one of the kings... I warn you, scoundrel, I was trained at the King's Academy and schooled in weaponry by the palace guard!

I've been outlining, mindmapping and contemplating like a madman, counting down the days to November 1. I'm chomping at the bit to start writing. I really (and I mean *really*) hope I get into a groove and write the thing all the way through by Nov 30. It seems doable - even 2,000 words a day will give me 60K, and the goal is 50K. My hope is to go in with an outline, and just have fun with it.

I went to the Apple Store today at the mall by my house, in hopes of seeing the new 27-inch iMac they announced yesterday... no such luck; they won't ship until later in the week. But I did find out that they are going to be having a sale on their current models! The 20-inch iMac's are going to sell for $999 and the 24's starting at $1200! Too bad I don't need a new mac... I'd snap one up in a heartbeat, just because they are so awesome. Of course, today was the first time I've booted up my current iMac in over a month... working on a interview transcript for Piranha...

Photobomb!

Look at you, rockin' the Foreman at 3 in the morning...

I'm about 3/4 of the way through A Shadow In Summer, by Daniel Abraham - a book lauded as one of the great debut fantasy novels of the past decade, with gushing accolades from the likes of GRMM himself... and it is disturbingly boring... I thought maybe it was just starting slow to set up the grand story... but if it's still slowly setting up a grand epic and the end of the first book is approaching, perhaps there's something amiss... I genuinely do not care about any of the characters yet. And what about the two rather novel concepts I mentioned in a previous post? Well, one (the poses) has been over-used to the point of nausea, and the second (the warrior poets) has been under-developed to the point where I don't give a crap any more. If my guys were doing something, I would know about it, trust me...

It's disappointing, to say the least! I could set it down right now and not pick it up ever again without it bothering me. But I think I'll read it through to the conclusion - I'm close enough to where it wouldn't make sense to abandon it now... ah, well... some people just aren't cut out for life on the road.

I saw this funny Minimalist Nativity Set online today...

Apparently, it's a real product. You can get it from this website - if you speak German, that is... Do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?

Here is a video of some dude using up a lifetime's worth of luck in 30 minutes...having the luckiest day of his life (on his birthday, no less) on an episode of The Price is Right...



I guess I'll end today's post with the Emo T-shirt of the Day...

Classic. Down to earth. Ain't afraid to get a little engine grease under her fingernails...

Well, I guess that's that. Rug Shop Day planned for Wednesday - and that can mean only one thing... yep, yogurt after work! Yay!!!!

Until tomorrow, remember, I can't help thinking that at some point someone is going to produce a piglet and we'll all have to chase it...

When You Wake Up Tomorrow, All This Will Seem Like a Bad Dream...

Well, yes, as it turns out, I did in fact consume a 24oz triple-sized can of Monster Energy Drink today... and yes, my heart exploded. I'm writing to you from the great beyond, and I come with a message of hope. In heaven, there are wonderful skateparks. So eternity is lookin' good... as soon as I get my body back, I'm gonna learn kick-flips down the huge double-set of stairs in front of the New Jerusalem Post Office. That's where I am right now - they have free wi-fi...

OK, fine, I'm not dead yet. My church won't let me die until after we're through the Christmas Drama this year, whatever it will be. Still unknown, at this point. I keep getting ideas that sound good initially, but upon further reflection, evaporate into nothing. One of these times, the idea will stick and I'll run with it. I hope it's soon - we really don't have much time left... The dream don't come no closer by itself; we gotta run after it now...

I spent a goodly amount of time today cropping/cleaning some pictures I scanned for my mom, of her dad and brothers and extended family back in Iowa. Here are a couple pics of my grandfather (Harry), when he was younger...

Here he is, as a wee lad. Interesting that he's dressed up as a sailor - he ended up serving in the Navy in World War 2. He never even saw the ocean until he enlisted in the Navy...

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The date of this photo was on the back of the picture; unfortunately, I didn't scan the back, or write it down, so I can't add it here. The original photos are at another location at the moment. How old does he look here? 8 maybe?

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Here's my grandfather in the Navy, early 40's. Again, uncertain about the exact date, sorry. I'll be sure to include all manner of info when I create his memorial page on Wagnervana. I also plan on having a memorial page for my grandfather on my dad's side - also a war hero.

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Here's a side-by-side study of one of the pics, to show you how the pics look as they are scanned, and the end result once I finish tinkering and cleaning all the flaws, etc. I think it turned out well. Photoshop is so much fun.

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Close-up of the eyes on that same shot. I don't trust the auto-tweaking features in Photoshop, so I do everything manually. I have just the right personality to do this - it does require uninterupted focus for long stretches of time. I expect and demand your very best! Anything less, you should have joined the Air Force...

Check out this next picture, which I did for my Pastor last year. He had a favorite dog when he was younger, and only had one surviving picture of him, but it was of the dog behind a green chain-link fence. I told him I'd see what I could do...

I suppose I'll make a section on Wagnervana for before/after shots I've worked on over the years. It's really quite fun, in a sort of "unplug your brain, put on nice music, and let your mind wander" sort of way.

Was contemplating the Holocaust again today - I watched a documentary called Paper Clips on Netflix about a middle school in Tennessee that decided to try and find a unique way to study the holocaust. They decided, during the course of their study, that they all had a hard time grasping the numbers, so they set about to collect 6 million of something, as a class project. They decided on paper clips, since they were used by the Dutch during WW2 as a symbol of their support of the struggle against the Nazi's. They wore them on their clothing as a sort of silent statement.

Anyway, the school began to write letters and collect paper clips. After a year or so, they had a couple hundred thousand, and interest seemed to crawl to a halt. But a pair of German-American correspondents in Washington DC heard of the project and came to see it first hand, and ended up playing an instrumental part in getting the project national coverage. By the time it was said and done, they had collected over 25 million paper clips from around the world, and the attention of the world press - this little town in Tennessee. Holocaust survivor groups came to the school, these kids getting to hear the stories first-hand. It was pretty moving. But the craziest part was when it was suggested that they create a permanent memorial display for the paperclips.

The German couple scoured Germany, looking for a railroad cattle car from the era. At first, I thought, "Whoa... poor form." But really, it made sense. People thought they were nuts for looking, but they not only actually found one, but were able to reveal the particular car's history - and that it was, in fact, used to ferry people to the camps. They shipped it back to the states, and to the school, and set it up there, with 11 million of the paperclips displayed inside, behind glass walls, along with all the letters and things that they'd received (they kept every piece of mail archived), from people who told their stories and sent in paper clips, each clip in memorial of a particular loved one they had lost.

The school now hosts field trips from other schools, touring the memorial - and here's the kicker. The students from that school become the teachers on those tours, teaching the visiting kids about the holocaust themselves, and answering questions, as the teachers oversee.

Anyway, it ended up being a really moving documentary, I'm glad I watched it. Here's the trailer...



What can I say? I guess part of me will always be stuck in the nineteen forties...

Todayve In History: October 20
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- October 20, 1803: The US Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase, for 15 million dollars, effectively doubling the size of the country. (He can cross the country in thirty days but can't find his horse backstage!)

- October 20, 1944: General Douglas MacArthur makes good on his promise to return to the Philippines, to kick the Japanese out. (I have found your heart, and I'm gonna blow it right out of you.)

- October 20, 1967: The famous footage of Bigfoot is shot in Bluff Creek. (Look, for the last time, you've got me mistaken for someone else!)

- October 20, 1973: The Sydney Opera House opens. (Sometimes, if things are closed, you just, open them up!)

Among those celebrating birthdays today are: Bela Lagosi (1882), Mickey Mantle (1931), Tom Petty (1950), Viggo Mortensen (1958), and Snoop Dogg (1971).

Here's something you might not have known about the Louisiana Purchase... the land "belonged" to the French at that time, and the US President Thomas Jefferson bought the land directly from Napolean Bonapatre himself. Pretty cool, I think. You might have known that already, but I didn't... whoa... somebody was boring me; I think it was me!

Also watched a cool series of "interview"-style video clips on YouTube today, by a (apparently) famous physicist named Richard Feynman, called Fun To Imagine, which I found particularly fascinating. Probably not for everyone, but if you're interested, you can watch the series starting HERE. Then find the rest of the series of clips in the "related videos" listed on the side... Oh yeah. I'm learning a lot about manure. Very interesting.

So that's that for today. Back tomorrow with more! Look, when the horse underneath us drops, we take a fresh one. Until tomorrow, I ask you: Is that available stitched on a pillow somewhere?