Guilty pleasures and randomocity

I'm getting caught up in Project Runway again this season.

For those who know me this could be totally astonishing. I know, I don't seem to be the type to get into fashion, but there are a couple of reasons I dig this show. Three, I can think of, right off the top of my head.

1. Fashion is an art, and as an artist I feel the need to have some sort of understanding of it--what makes something "good", something "not good", that sort of thing. I'm actually starting to get a feel for it, I think.
2. I always love to hear artists--no matter what their medium--discuss their art. It's almost always enlightening. It's cool to me to hear what the designers are thinking when they create a look according to the rules of a particular challenge. The creative process is endlessly fascinating to me.
3. Anya. I'm in love. She's so frakkin' hot. And brilliant. Well, except for last week. Though it was a menswear challenge and my new love has no experience with that. Fortunately the judges cut her some slack and let her stay. So, I can enjoy her hotness for at least one more week.

No, I'm not surrendering my man card because I dig this show. I know, it's not a guy thing, but as usual I don't care. And I'm watching a college football game right now as I type this. (UGA vs Ole Miss) So there.

While you're visiting MyLifetime.com, check out the preview for Five, a Lifetime movie that'll be airing October 10. In case you missed it, my goddaughter is in it. She's in the trailer you'll see at the above link, too, just for a second, about 40 seconrds or so in. Right after a shot of Rosario Dawson running down a hallway, there's a shot of a little girl with someone touching her face--that's my Sweets.

In a little bit I'm going to do some ideation exercises to help me come up with a new project. I've got some ideas for diffferent things but none of them are especially appealing to me right now. I need something new. Hopefully playing with a dictionary will lead to something interesting.

But not just yet. Atari wants to go walkies, like,  right now.

Pre-Falcons game Sunday randomocity

Yes, I love my Atlanta Falcons, even though they looked like a Pop Warner team last Sunday against Chicago. They play like that tonight they will lose. Again. They're playing Philadelphia, which starts Atlanta's former quarterback, Mike Vick. Yes, I loathe Vick, and not just for the dog-fighting thing. It won't be long before Eagles fans start seeing what I saw when he was in Atlanta. And then they will not be shy about showing their displeasure.

I need a project. I've made a second start on this novel but, while I am happy with what I have so far, I'm just not feeling it. I may try to do a little more on it and see where it goes, but I'm thinking it's pretty much DOA. I just don't feel like it's something I need to be working on.

This drives me crazy. I know what sort of story I want to be telling, but I don't have the actual story. It's not something I think I can explain to someone. If you are an artist of some type, though, you'll understand.

I do know that I'm not all that interested in returning to prose fiction, really. The prospect just doesn't do all that much for me, even though I'm much more likely to achieve something that way than by writing a screenplay or something. I actually have sort of a relationship with a small publisher and get asked sometimes if I have something they'd like--I always have to answer 'no' because they specialize in horror and that's not a vein I'm interested in mining right now. Believe it or not.

I'm going to work on coming up with an idea, and I'm sure something will come up, sooner rather than later. I may do another screenplay, though I'm not sure if that's worth the time right now, for a variety of reasons.

And I found out--unofficially--that I'll probably be moving at the end of December. Which means my holidays are going to be really crazy this year. I'll probably go up to Douglasville to look around for an apartment around December 1st--there are a lot of places right around the office up there, apparently, so maybe I can find something I can sort of afford and which will allow me to keep Atari. Lots of apartment complexes have this rule about no dogs larger than 60 pounds--hopefully I can find a place that doesn't discriminate.

So, root for my Falcons tonight! If you know of a decent apartment complex in Douglasville, GA, let me know!

The metaphor of the stick and other randomocity

My mom told me that when I was just learning to walk I had to hold onto this stick.

The stick was a substitute for someone's finger--I started walking by holding onto mom's finger and using that to help me keep my balance. Mom gave me the stick--it was short, just a bit longer than her finger--and it served just as well. As long as I was holding onto that stick I could walk. It was like magic.

Eventually, of course, I figured out I didn't need the stick to walk. But I've always thought this was a very apt metaphor for religion--I thought the stick was helping but it was just a stick. I was actually doing it myself. Anyways, I always found that profound.

On another subject, I just missed a wonderful little photo-op with my dog, Atari. I just went out to get my head shaved--yes, I'm bald again--and while I was there went by Cheesesteak Charlie's to get a grilled steak sandwich and some fries. Of course, when I brought them home Atari smelt the meat and started salivating.

I fully intended to give him a taste of the sandwich but just couldn't stop myself until it was gone. I did have some fries left over, though, and he likes fries, so I dumped those in his food dish. He eagerly ran over and stuck his snout into that dish and then, realizing that there wsa no meat in there whatsoever, gave me the saddest, most disappointed look ever. I wish I'd had a camera ready. It was one for the ages. He ate the fries but you could tell his heart wasn't in it.

My little mini-vacation is over today. Back to work tomorrow morning. Woo-hoo!

The inevitable Where Was I on 9/11? post

I was in the lobby of downtown Savannah's historic Lucas Theater, waiting to buy tickets to an upcoming Penn and Teller show. They were to be Christmas presents for my best friend and her boyfriend--I got one for myself, too. It was the first time I'd been in the theater--it had just been through a multi-million dollar restoration. It was gorgeous, too, an old-style venue, what you think when you recall those days when everyone went to the theater on Saturdays. (The show was in January and it was every bit as fun as I had expected--and those expectations were quite high. If you have a chance to see Penn and Teller, go. You'll have a blast.)

I was on vacation from work, and I lived right around the corner from the theater, so I had walked over. In the lobby the attendant sitting in his little booth looked at me strangely, like he couldn't imagine someone coming in and buying tickets. I hadn't turned on a TV that day, and I had only checked email online, so I didn't know why. Until I turned around and saw where someone had set up a TV in the lobby and it was on. I turned around just in time to see a replay of a video showing the second plane flying into one of the Twin Towers.

I completed my business and walked home in a daze, turned on the TV and watched the news in horror. I got online and went to a chatroom where a bunch of my online friends hung out--most of them were at work so I'd give updates when CNN had any.

Ten years later, I have definite opinions about the official reaction, how it was handled, all that. Maybe you would agree, maybe not. I feel like, probably not. I feel like, with the erosion of personal freeedom for the sake of security, the terrorists accompished at least part of what they wanted to do. I also continue to be horrified at what people are willing to do to other people in the name of their religion. Look, if you decide to dedicate your life to following the alleged teachings of some invisible creature--Allah, Jehovah, whatever--at least read the damned book upon which your religion is supposed to be based.

You'd be amazed how rarely people can be bothered to do that. Or, maybe not.

Sunshine and other randomocity

I almost accidently caught the film Sunshine on Syfy the other day.

I've been struggling with it, to be honest. It's science fiction but the science is so wonky--and that gives me trouble. However, it was so visually beautiful, and well-written and acted, that I finally decided I didn't care. So, I just bought it. I don't know when I'll actually get around to seeing it again--after watching the edited-for-television version the other day I was exhausted--but I have it now and can watch it anytime I please, thank you.

I couldn't find a link to the soundtrack album but that is also highly recommended. Beautiful, powerful music, and a perfect companion for concentration. Excellent stuff to write by. Or just to listen to. Lovely, lovely stuff.

For something completely unlovely my blogging buddy, Sauce, has been asked by Hooters--her employer--to take her blog down. She's very upset about it and I am, too--she's a gifted writer. I recommend you check her out while you still can: http://www.accordingtosauce.com/. I hope she'll continue blogging after removing all the Hooters paraphenalia and whatnot. It's Hooters' loss, really.

Have I mentioned that my amazing and talented goddaughter, Talyan, is going to be in a film? It's called Five and it'll air on Lifetime on October 10. I suggest you check it out. There are other people in it, too--you may have heard of some of them.

Seriously, it's going to be a really good movie--I'd want to see it even if she wasn't in it. She appears briefly in the trailer, too--you can see her face there around 40 seconds end. You can see it here: http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/five.

And while you're clicking links, check out my brand new tune, "Okay." http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_10087292

Okay, I've given you enough homework for now. Check out Sunshine, check out Sauce's blog, check out  Five. You'll thank me for all of that.

Okay--available for your plea-zuh

The new tune, "Okay," is now available. Take 3 minutes and 29 seconds to give it a listen:

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_10087292

It's a bit of a departure for me. It's not as heavy on the guitars, mostly. I did rewrite the lyrics from what I posted here a while back--I think it's better this way.

Anyways, give it a listen, let me know what you think!

Another side effect of high unemployment

I got a look at a short biography of the people I'll be working with in a few months--these are all new employees, and I'll be joining them at the new location for our office.

These people are all ridiculously qualified. Sheesh. It looks like this:

• Former space shuttle astronaut, combat fighter pilot, Master's Degree in Physiology and Philosophy. Hobbies include world travel, learning new languages, playing in the NFL, and consulting with US Presidents.
• Former Justice, Ninth District Court of Appeals. Jurist Doctorate from Harvard, BA from Yale, body by US Steel. Hobbies include translating ancient manuscripts and knitting prosthetic limbs for wounded veterans.
• Former neurosurgeon, MD from Princeton, minor in Ecclecticism. Hobbies include writing best selling novels, directing multi-million dollar feature films, and high wire.

Yadda yadda yadda . . .

Then there's little old me. No degree. Just one published story, a collection of tunes online that only I listen to, and I have to get up to pee at least four times a night.

I'll get over it, I'm sure. I bet they'll be a dream to work with, and that's not sarcasm.

In other news, I'm really struggling with this new tune. I think--maybe--I've finally cracked it, but the next attempt will be the fourth. This is the hardest it's ever been to create the sounds I hear in my head. It's dificult, but if I can pull it off it'll be really good. So, it's worth it.

So, that's what's on my mind this Friday night. What are you thinking about? How are things with you?

Post doctor visit randomocity

First, a little bragging--the trailer for the film that Talyan, my goddaughter appears in is now available. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZkPzlxnG6w&feature=youtu.be. You can see her face, briefly, at 0:42. She has dark hair and she's seven.  The film is called "Five" and will air on the Lifetime Network on October 10.  The song you'll hear is Linkin Parks' "Iridescent."

Just got back from my doc for a routine checkup--he was giving me grief for gaining weight. I don't really know what to say, other than, "So?" I've been fat all my life. I simply don't give a shit anymore. I've lost all the weight before and it really didn't make my life all that much better. So, to hell with it.

I've been working on a new tune--I got maybe a third of it done and decided I'm not happy with it. So, I'm redoing it. It'll be a lot better now than it would have been.

So, watch the trailer, let me know how adorable Talyan is, and keep your eyes and ears open for a new tune, coming up . . . sometime.