Monday, October 17, 2005
at
10:18 p.m.
|
It's all slowly coming to a head, isn't it? This technological revolution that began with the radio is continually blossoming into something out of control. My problem? I don't know if I can afford it all.
On the horizon we have the Nintendo Revolution (which looks odd but has my curiosity piqued), Xbox 360, PS3 and other gadgets. Catherine picked up an iPod (which I claim to have bought for her using freelance fees that I haven't even received yet) which holds more than 1500 songs. She's been uploading to it for two days with no end in sight.
That thing is unreal. It has games, a calendar, an alarm, and a music trivia game based on the songs you've already uploaded to it!
The madness does not end there, however. Apple has revealed that you can now download episodes of Lost or Desperate Housewives to watch for $1.99 a pop. With the new iPod coming out capable of playing video, you can watch said episodes while on the go.
Craziness.
I'd complain, but I'm the guy making his daily commute while watching my DVD player. Not a bad way to travel, though you do attract a lot of attention.
For all the marvels of technology, there are still drawbacks. For instance, the day-long argument I had with Catherine about our iPod and its ability to work on a USB 1.1 port as opposed to the supposedly required 2.0. We got it to work, plagues were averted, children were saved.
It was nearly a bloodbath.
So that's that.
Oh, and friends Jamie and Victoria bought a house and had their housewarming. There, I was accosted by Victoria's brother, Tim, who is the most rabid U2 fan I have ever met. It felt like an interrogation and I'm sad to say that my knowledge, once something I prided myself on, is nothing compared to this guy who must not do anything else in his free time but obsess about U2.
Nice guy, though.
I'm going to bed because I'm tired and I deserve sheep. I mean sleep.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
at
1:26 p.m.
|
This is a good story, though it's a couple of weeks late. Mainly it's late because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to blog, though I do check my own blog daily to see if I've posted, remembered that I haven't, then vow to get right on it.
That doesn't always work.
So, I made plans to see Serenity in Burlington with my Dad. It's a good half-way point between Guelph and Toronto, and Paul and Victoria live there. They'd seen the movie with Catherine and I three months ago, but I figured they'd be up for seeing it again.
The unexpected part came when I invited Jer along. He was at the apartment with me on Friday night and we spent nearly 8 hours playing X-Men Legends 2 (which rocks) until 3:40 am. Tired, we went to bed as we had to catch the GO Train at 10:43am.
We got up. We were lazy. We played X-Men again for a little. Then we left to go, seeing as how it was 10:19am.
The odds that we were going to make this train were slim to none. Especially since I dove back into the apartment for my book, then Jer dove back in for his jacket.
All was going well until St. George station, when Jer rather sheepishyly states he has to go to the bathroom.
"We're like 10 minutes from the train. Can you make it?" I asked.
The look on his face suggested that no, he could not make it. I know of this pain and it is evil. Sadly, Jer decided to head up to the street to find someplace to go. I was going to keep on towards Union to try and make the train, but it sucked that Jer had to bow out. He promised to try to catch the next train or maybe see the movie with me later that weekend. I had no choice but to go as my Dad was expecting me and Paul was picking us up at the GO station in Burlington.
When I got to Union, I had less than five minutes. I ran through the terminal, got my ticket, and bolted for the platform despite the clerk telling me the odds weren't good.
I got up there with two minutes to spare only to find that the train hadn't even pulled in yet. It was two minutes late. So, I got on, read my book (good going, me), and got off in Oakville to grab the connecting bus.
As I walked towards the bus, there was Jer, standing there waiting for me with his arms folded.
No. Fucking. Way.
Before I hugged him, a million thoughts went through my head. Did he meet someone on the street and get a ride here? How could he be here?
The answer: it was a crap and go. He went at a million miles per hour, got the subway train after me. Bought his ticket, even though the guy said the train left. It wasn't on the schedule anymore, but he decided to see if it was still up on the platform.
Jer even went to the wrong platform, happened to glance across and see the train he needed, ran like no tomorrow to get it, and jumped through the doors just as they were closing.
He made the same GO Train as me. The odds on this are astronomically slim. *I* barely made it. How the hell did he do it?
I'm guessing it's because he's tall and has really long legs. He can move fast when he wants to.
Oh, and the movie was awesome.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
at
6:00 p.m.
|
Plaintiff: Hormel Foods Corp.
Defendant: Jim Henson Productions
Lawsuit: Hormel, maker of SPAM, sued Henson’s company over one of the characters in the movie Muppet Treasure Island. The character in question is the high priest of a tribe of wild boars that worship Miss Piggy. His name: Spa’am. Hormel’s lawsuit contended that their trademark was damaged because the film “intentionally portrayed the Spa’am character to be evil in porcine form.”
Verdict: Not guilty. The court found that although Spa’am was “untidy,” he was not evil and that, actually, the character probably enhanced the value of the SPAM trademark.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
at
10:30 p.m.
|
It's a guilty new television pleasure and just happens to follow Lost. It's one of three shows featuring alien invaders, somehow connected to water. It's got Tyler Labine in it (the fat guy from Breaker High) and is kind of entertaining.
But I'll never admit it.
As for Lost, I'm definitely intrigued by what's going on and have way too many theories to be normal. I'm missing that 'wow' factor that the first season had early on and I'm anxious to get to the island surviving part of the show, if in fact it's ever really going to come into play.
Yes, I have a life. It's just partially dominated by television at the moment. I was thinking earlier how great summer is as the weather is nice enough, the TV is more or less useless, and there are great things to do. Fall/winter kind of kills ambition.
But at least I have a great job! (Insert sarcasm)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
at
11:28 p.m.
|
That I haven't updated this thing in like two weeks? Not very cool of me. I blame... well, something.
Quick updates on what I've been doing:
Wrote the official review for Serenity for publication in eye Weekly. It hits stands on Thursday, and I'll provide a link to the review through this site. I hope it's the first of many movie reviews, but I'll take what I can get.
Millarworld. Again, something I should have mentioned, but I write monthly articles for Mark Millar's online magazine called The.Magazine. So far I've published a Julie Benz interview I did, and am about to publish a Jhonen Vasquez article (Invader Zim creator) as well as concert reviews for U2 and The Rolling Stones, which Catherine and I saw last night.
I'm still waiting on X-Men Legends 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man to come in the mail. Both games are now at retail and I have no patience whatsoever. If I don't get 'em by Friday, I'll buy X-Men this weekend. Who's in for playing?
Serenity opens this week and I'm trying to sort out when/where I'll be seeing it. I'm aiming for Burlington if my dad can make it down, but I haven't gotten ahold of him yet, so it might be Toronto after all.
Marvel Comics. Eric Moreels, my friend and co-publisher from Comixfan has stepped out of the ether and offered to let me write several bios for characters that will appear in an upcoming publication. I think it may be web-based, but I'm not entirely sure. I'd rather print as my name looks much nicer that way.
Either way, it's PAID work from Marvel Comics. I'll be writing bios for Warpath, Evangeline Whedon, Whirlwind, X-23, Wolfsbane, and Wolverine. Not a bad gig at all (though not writing a comic book itself, which remains on my list of goals to accomplish before I shuffle off this mortal coil).
I'm going to bed now. Catherine and I have to continue our war efforts (*this is one of Catherine's odd ramblings from when I go to bed after she does... she doesn't always like to make sense).
Oh, and my assistant (Tribbles) was let go today. Not when I would have chosen to do it as I'm swamped with work, but I'm getting a new helper on Thursday. I feel bad that she's been let go, but I was very close to losing my mind.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
at
11:45 a.m.
|
U2 Vertigo 2005: This is how close we were. There's bassist Adam Clayton posing for us. He smiled at Catherine which pleased her quite a bit. 
U2 Vertigo 2005: Catherine and I were front row slightly to the left side in this pic. Edge-centric for those in the know.
Well, the concert was Friday night and it couldn't have been more spectacular. Catherine and I wound up, for the second time in this life, in the front row of a U2 concert. That just blows my mind.
We both left work early (me at 2, her at 3) and stood patiently in line outside of the ACC with our general admission tickets. During the last tour it was more of a first-come, first-served kind of deal, but this time was quite different. As you descend the steps with your ticket in hand (ours were bought from a guy online and we panicked the whole time about their authenticity) one set of security scans them.
After that you proceed to get a GA wristband. Then your ticket is scanned a second time and a randomized computer decides whether or not you get entered into the elipse. You see, the stage (see above photo) has two sections. One inside with a ring around the arena for the band to walk on, then on the outside of that ring the rest of the people stand. For the rest of our amazing photos, head over to Catherine's Blog as she has all 33 of the photos we took posted there on the right hand side.
The two people ahead of me in line had their ticket scanned. "Proceed to floor."
I handed my ticket over and nothing happened. I was freaking out, thinking that the ticket was bogus after all. Catherine thought the same thing. All of the sudden the screen flashed and "Vertigo" was written on it, meaning we got to go inside.
I couldn't believe the luck, and when we made our way to the stage, there was practically no one in there. As our VERY close up photos suggest, we were once again in the front row.
The concert was amazing, the t-shirts expensive (I still bought one) and we had a fantastic time. By this time, however, we had been standing for more than 9 hours straight and couldn't walk very well. A couple of my leg muscles are still twitchy.
But damn, was it worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Have you ever been in a dark stadium with thousands of cellphones turned on and their blue light screens illuminating it like stars? What a sight. I was truly blown away.
In other news, I got yet another free video game in the mail. Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a Grand Theft Auto-type game in which the Hulk can participate in an endless rampage of death and destruction. Anything and everything in the environment can be picked up and used as a weapon, sometimes ingeniously so. It has been a brutally guilty pleasure so far, and even enticed Jer in for an hour or so.
Next week I'm expecting X-Men Legends 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man games in the mail. It's good to be a comic book journalist sometimes.
Taking off now. My Dad, brother, and uncle are coming over. That's just a lot of Graydon's and Brian's, but hopefully it'll be a good time anyway.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
at
10:04 p.m.
|
Britney Spears has reproduced. This is more than enough to cause us all to jump ship.
In related news, Spears' new fragrance, Fantasy Britney Spears, is due to launch Thursday. She has described it as a "completely magical" blend of "enchanting scents and flavors" with "a hint of cupcakes."
What the fuck is wrong with people?
Monday, September 12, 2005
at
11:33 a.m.
|
True Story: In the late 1990s, French authorities began cracking down on youth gangs that employed vicious dogs—rottweilers and pit bulls—to intimidate rival gangs. The crackdown was working...until gangs switched to vicious monkeys. “The apes are becoming the new weapon of choice. They’re ultrafashionable,” said a Paris police officer. “Removed from their natural habitat,” natural historian Marie-Claude Bomsel told the London Guardian, “they can become highly aggressive. They bite, and their favored method of attack is to hurl themselves at people’s heads.”
Sunday, September 11, 2005
at
2:02 a.m.
|
It's hard to make out, but that's my quote (correctly attributed and all) on the back of Mark Millar's WANTED.
Despite anything I may ever say to the contrary, as a writer I have a huge ego. I think it's an inherent part of being creative and most people I know who are a part of my field are all very much the same.
It hit me today though when I picked up a copy of Mark Millar's hardcover comic book, Wanted, and saw that a quote from one of my reviews that made the back of issue #1 was there, bright and bold, for everyone to see. Immortalized once again.
Except this time, someone else got the credit.
Yes, an error from editorial straight on down to print. A different person, a different publication, but my quote through and through. I wrote Mark and I'm waiting to get his take on it. I don't expect anything to change, but it's my work and I like being acknowledged for it at any rate.
I'll let you know what he says. Mark is a good man and a good friend with no power over this sort of thing whatsoever, so I don't really expect him to do anything, but since he's the only one I know at that company it just felt right to let someone know about the error.
The comic itself, however, is quite good and worth the read.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
at
10:15 p.m.
|
I don't usually go in for posts like this, but a friend and colleague of mine from Comixfan lives (unbeknownst to me until a few moments ago) in the state hit by Katrina. He wrote a long email to everyone on his list and it affected me a great deal.
Keep in mind it is quite long so I understand if you don't have the patience to see it to the end, but the point is that real people, real communities, have been affected in ways most of us will hopefully never experience.
Here's the thing: we've all seen disasters happen before. We saw horrific images of the Asian tsunami, we viewed shocking video of the events in New York and Washington on September 11. We prayed for the victims, we wished them well, maybe we even sent a little money... and then we got on with our lives. It was terrible, but it was kind of unreal: after all, most of us weren't actually there in Asia when disaster struck. The number of people directly impacted by 9/11 wasn't so huge that most of us were actually at Ground Zero. We feel a disconnect from it all, because we haven't seen it with our own eyes: it's just pictures and sounds on a screen, just like what we see all the time in our prime time dramas and big-budget motion pictures... except in those motion pictures, we know the backstories of the main characters, so perhaps we have more reason to care than we do for people we'll never meet and don't know anything about.
And in the grand scheme of things... so what? So thousands of people died in Katrina, or the tsunami, or hundreds died in New York. Not to belittle that loss, but many more people than that lose their lives quite regularly in places like the war-torn Middle East, or places like Sudan in Africa. Most of us in what we laughably refer to as "the civilized world" never hear about this stuff, or if we do, we don't care that much. Not that we're terrible people (although, no doubt, some of us are): it's just that it's all a world away, we're not there, we don't see it, it's easy to convince ourselves that it doesn't exist.
Not so today for me. I live in southeast Louisiana. One week after what's being called the worst national disaster in the history of the country, tidings are still grim. I thank God that I'm luckier than most: all I've lost have been a couple of job opportunities, a really nice fence, and several days of my life to cleaning the dead branches and fallen trees from my property. I may not have a permanent job, and my lawn may still be an unholy mess, but I have a wife, savings, my possessions, a life. My family so far seems to be safe, although I still haven't managed to locate a few of them. Relatively speaking, I'm extremely lucky.
I guess I'm writing this to help people understand how very real and how very life-destroying this is. I live 30 miles from what was once the booming metropolis of New Orleans. I've driven throughout Louisiana since the storm and seen firsthand the damage here. I've visited shelters and relief distribution centers and spoken to people there. And worst of all, I've heard the spin being put out by the people in power about how much better things are, and I know enough to know how lying or clueless they truly are.
If there are any silver linings here (and I've looked desperately to find one), it's that the truly poor of New Orleans might eventually see more money than they ever have, and that more and more Louisianians are coming over to my long-held political viewpoint that both the Republicans and the Democrats of America are more interested in political infights than they are in helping their constituents.
As a technology consultant for the state government (a temporary job I was very lucky to find), I drove out to inspect storm damage today, and I saw scenes of destruction that will haunt me for a long time. I traveled to the small town of Bogalusa, in the northeast corner of souteast Louisiana (if that doesn't make any sense to you, go find it on a map and you'll see what I mean), a place many, many miles inland from where the storm struck, a beautiful little town where I used to go swimming as a boy.
On the way, I saw a huge, majestic forest of pine, each tree easily over 100 feet tall... and every single one of the hundreds of trees was standing precariously at about a 30 degree angle. It was like some twisted vision from a Tim Burton film.
I passed other forests with all kinds of trees, forests I'd loved as a kid, forests where literally every other tree, or more, lay on its side. Oaks, magnolias, you name it. It's difficult to imagine unless you see it first hand.
I saw oak trees, mighty oak trees, knocked down, crushing trees, homes, churches, and businesses. In many cases, the uprooted trees brought up with them huge sections of earth, clods of dirt and roots bigger than you, me, and every single book in my library combined. And I've got a lot of books.
I passed well-kept shacks, undoubtedly inhabited by some of the poorest elements of society (and there are a LOT of poor people in rural Louisiana, white, black, hispanic, you name it), with trees through their roofs, tearing gaping holes so big that I could clearly see into the interior of the house as I drove by. I passed middle-class homes, the kind of nice, modest place where you or I might live, torn to bits: homes with every single shingle on the roof missing, with trees through the walls, with shattered windows, with the entire roof blown off. I've never seen such devastation. I've never seen with my own eyes so many homes destroyed.
I even passed several mansions on huge, sprawling estates. With almost no exceptions, they fared extremely well and escaped almost all damage. Figures.
I was so amazed by the sheer number of leaning, broken, shattered, or just plain missing utility poles on my journey, that I tried counting the number of power lines lying on the road that my car ran over. Somewhere around 15 or 16, I lost count. I must have passed over sixty lines on the road, and many times that number of poles broken in some fashion. Small wonder that when I got to Bogalusa, they had no power, nor did they expect to for quite a long time to come.
And remember, this is all over a week AFTER the storm hit us, here in the United States of America, the richest and most technologically advanced country in the history of the world. And this is all in Bogalusa, far from the hardest-hit areas in Biloxi and New Orleans. This is the stuff they don't talk about on the national news, and there are many, many communities just like this one.
When I arrived in the city itself, I found a lot of excited people. Why? Because the Popeyes, now one of the only sources of fresh food in a 20-mile radius, had finally opened. And the lines were long. Everywhere there were signs of destruction: here, a business without a roof; there, a gas station where almost all of the fixtures, including light poles, pumps, and covered areas, lay on their side. Near the middle of town, I saw a huge shopping center with most of the roof gone. There was very little gas, and very little food. Debris littered... well, everything... everywhere you looked. A few isolated homes and businesses have power and food, but nobody has any communication with the outside world. All the cell phone towers are down, and even if you are one of the lucky ones that has phone service, you can't complete a call outside the Bogalusa area. And just like Baton Rouge and most of the rest of southeast Louisiana, it's a bit rare to find a business sign, like a grocery store sign or a Blockbuster video sign, that isn't lying on the ground instead of proclaiming its wares prominently in the sky.
The devastation in Bogalusa is terrible, but it's nowhere near as bad as New Orleans. The national news networks never cease to anger me these days with their rose-tainted glasses - the situation there is generally nowhere near as happy as some people describe. New Orleans, such a great cultural mecca for the world, is for all intents and purposes mostly destroyed. The vast majority of the city is still underwater... no... you can't really call it "water." It's a toxic sludge of all kinds of deadly chemicals - wading in the polluted water can be fatal. And thousands of homes are underneath this poisonous goo. This is so bad that not only will it all have to be bulldozed, but even the earth and soil itself is contaminated and will have to be completely removed.
And all that talk about the pumps removing thousands and thousands of cubic feet per second? Thanks to the sheer amount of water and sludge in the city, combined with the leaking levees, the water has barely receded. In areas where water was, for example, 16 feet deep, now it might be 15 feet deep. There's a long way to go.
Even in Baton Rouge, where damage was limited but still severe, life can be difficult. Helicopters constantly fly by overhead, and police, fire, and ambulance sirens now occur regularly, every few minutes. The intense traffic makes it impossible to go anywhere, roads are closed, basic supplies are sometimes in short supply, and everybody needs help. Even in my own yard, many miles from the storm's wrath, I discovered in my cleanup efforts many, many tree limbs that had been blown so hard by the storm winds that they were impaled firmly in the ground, standing straight up like twisted new growths.
As bad as the geographic devastation is, it can't compare to the human suffering. Don't believe the news bulletins about improving conditions for the New Orleans refugees - a lot of it is complete and total bull... spin, no doubt, launched by some government agency, as it focuses on a very lucky few and ignores thousands of others. As a resident, as someone who visited shelters and aid distribution centers today, as someone who listened to people calling into local radio stations begging for help all day, I can tell you that the picture is not very rosy. So many people in so very great need are not receiving help... at all. Our government has abandoned and failed us in Louisiana, Republican and Democrat alike.
Perhaps you heard about the $2,000 debit cards our dear friends at FEMA were supposed to be giving to the displaced residents today? Sure sounded like a nice start, and we were all very happy to hear about it. But then the details started to trickle out - there are only 2,000 of these cards (because, of course, the other 998,000 affected don't really need much). They're only being given away in Houston (because, of course, the federal goverment believes that the greatest need for relief after a Louisiana-Mississippi-Alabama disaster is in Texas). And even after they had these 2,000 evacuees line up to receive the cards, they changed their minds and decided not to hand them out at all, because they had neglected to figure out how they were going to track it. Now, today, they're saying that they'll hand out those cards "in a few days", and that all of the other evacuees will receive checks in the mail.
Checks. In the mail. For homeless evacuees. Think about that for a second.
Most of the government's efforts complete ignore the outlying communities and the thousands of people who were outside New Orleans who were hit just as hard, like the people in Bogalusa without power or food or gas. I visited relief stations near my constantly-mentioned and obsessively-beloved hometown of Loranger, and found piles and piles of people waiting... and waiting... and waiting... for anything. Local officials seem to be bravely trying to do their best with the (scant) resources they have. On the way to the relief station (after I'd parked my car quite a distance away and started walking, because it became obvious I wasn't going to get to park much closer), I had to duck under a very low hanging electric wire. A bit closer to the relief station, I walked by the shattered remains of another electric pole, on the ground, surrounded by some kind of waste that I was unable to identify. The smell was, to say the least, interesting.
For so many of those in need, FEMA is doing absolutely nothing, and the Red Cross struggles as well. Both organizations constantly brag about the toll-free numbers Louisiana residents can call to get quick and free help... but what they fail to mention is that calls to toll-free numbers rarely work in Louisiana anymore (in fact, most calls in Southeast Louisiana to ANYWHERE rarely go through these days), and even on the very rare occasion that the call actually does go through, the hold time is measured in hours, not minutes (or so I hear, I have to admit I haven't tried calling myself). They say you can visit their websites... fat chance for homeless residents, residents without electricity, without phone connections. Then, even if you do talk to FEMA, they promise lots of help... in about ten to fourteen days. That's not too helpful to people who are living with the clothes on their back, without a home and with one last twenty stuffed in their pocket to live on. Meanwhile, shelters and relief lines are packed and overcrowded, and human beings, American citizens, are going without the barest necessities of dignity.
I usually consider myself a proud American, so I hate to say that not only has our leadership failed us, but our leadership has killed us. Literally, without drama or exaggeration, I say to you that people have died... innocent people have DIED (think about that, think about how you would feel if it was your grandmother or your brother or your best friend)... because of political posturing, power maneuvering, and excessive red tape. From FEMA's utter incompetence and the president's hopeless and meaningless optimism to the state's refusal to let in federal forces to help in the opening days of the tragedy (for which the blame falls squarely on our governor) to the city's inexplicable refusal to prepare for the hurricane when they knew it was on the way, despite the ready availability of buses normally used to bus in voters on Election Day (among other resources), our feckless leadership has failed us. If I thought I had a monkey's shot in hell, I'd run for office somewhere, just to try to bring some common sense in somewhere. Too bad I have no political connections.
Our Democratic mayors and governor have been all over the news broadcasts crying, moaning, and exposing their lack of leadership, vision, or motivation. They have no idea what to do next, and their bawling on the airwaves doesn't exactly inspire confidence or provide strong leadership. Meanwhile, our Republican president smiles that oblivious smile, assures us that everything will be okay, and turns, with Congress, to issues far weightier than thousands of human lives and livelihoods, like whether dear Johnny should be Chief Justice or just an Associate Justice.
I'm writing this... why am I writing this? I guess I'm writing this as therapy. I'm going to e-mail it out to people as... well... I guess as a public service on behalf of the Gulf Coast residents who are in need. This tragedy is real. It's not getting much better. Thousands of innocent people, poor and middle-class (and maybe even a few rich folks), black and white (despite what the Reverend Jesse Jackson and other demagogues would like you to think), old and young, sick and healthy, are being destroyed by this event even as I type this right now. I don't think most people who haven't seen it firsthand understand how bad it is. Tell your friends and family about this stuff, I beg you. Forward this e-mail if it helps.
If there's any way you can help, please do. I can't recommend donating to FEMA, and the Red Cross isn't perfect either... but at least it's a whole heck of a lot better than FEMA. If you're the praying type, pray for all of the people affected down here. If you're not the praying type... well, heck, pray for us anyway; it can't hurt anything, can it? The people of the Gulf Coast are in desperate need, and the people we hoped we could count on have been failing us most every step of the way.
Meanwhile, I'm counting my blessings (and there are so very many), helping if I can, and hoping the tarp I attached to a friend's roof holds if it rains again. Take care.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
at
1:16 p.m.
|
I keep intending to update this blog on a daily basis, and even encounter everyday situations that I think would make for interesting reading.
In order to keep the dozen or so of you who read this interested (I'm likely flattering myself), here is a bullet-point list of items that I intend to eventually cover:
1. My new assistant. I've decided to call her Tribbles after the furry little creatures on Star Trek who squeak loudly, cause havoc, and gum up any and all machinery. She is trouble on an epic scale and I want to choke her.
But she's a NICE person.
2. My trip to the CNE (part 2). Part 1 (something not covered here) is largely uninteresting, though why I went back and the events of that trip are mildly entertaining. Parades, car accidents, and foreigners. FUN!
3. Smallville. I've been watching this show a lot, and though I frequently call out for the deaths of some characters, I am compelled to watch. I'm currently stuck in season 3.
4. Free video games. All Marvel related, all within a month, three great games to take me away from Catherine.
5. Whatever I've forgotten that was interesting a few minutes ago. I'm sick right now and as such can't remember beyond the past few minutes. The good news is that it makes the day go by quickly, the bad news is that I'm still at this job.
So, tuck yourselves in and get ready for a rant-o-rama. It seems to be all that I do lately. Several people have mentioned this, and I'd like to curb my complaints, but otherwise I think the world is out to get me.
So I'm watching you. Yes, YOU.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
at
11:25 a.m.
|
I bought season 1 yesterday for $39.99 from a used store. It's brand new and in my hands a week before retail. The sound, video, and everything else is amazing.
Catherine and I watched the first episode and reminded ourselves why we love this show in the first place.
Simply gorgeous stuff.
I've been spoiled lately.
I deserve it.
Many dollars later, I have ML 10 and one fig from ML 11. Why is this cool? Well, the foot and a half tall heavy-ass Sentinel should answer that question.
Catherine is appropriately mortified at the space it takes up, while I have taken to cuddling with it as though it were a teddy bear.
The other figs are super-cool as well, but man... that Sentinel.
The stuff dreams are made of.
Are full of the scariest bastards you will ever meet in your life, aside from FMG. Geeks, nerds, and the sexually depraved lined the floors for three days of geek-bliss. The attraction really isn't there for me anymore, though I use my press cred to interview those I normally wouldn't get the chance.
I interviewed Tim Russ from Star Trek: Voyager and Adam Baldwin from the upcoming Serenity. I also sat in Q&A's for James Marsters, Margot Kidder, Erica Durance, and Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim's creator).
All were interesting.
The MOST interesting aspect is that James' three-day bonanza, which included a private meal where he would walk & talk for 45 minutes, play 12 songs, and give you access to all three Q&A's, a signed photo, and you could have your picture professionally taken with Marsters would run you a cool $695.
That's insane. Lower prices for autographs/talks were $200 and $80 respectively.
I don't pay that much for U2 or even the Rolling Stones.
As press, I just went to what I want for free. I'm cheap like that.
Just when you think you can count on your work to screw you, they not only come through in the way you expect, but also in other ways you don't.
I made a paltry 28k and two months ago was promised Colleen's level of pay and a promotion to 33k. My contract was up yesterday, and they offered me 30k. My plan was anything less than Colleen, and I walk. So they did as expected and tried to screw me, but REALLY screwed me when they accepted my counter-offer of 33k.
It's Wednesday and I'm still here. It's like being promised armaggedon and a chance at heaven, only to find out that the whole thing was a joke.
I have a raise.
Bastards.
The last post referred to a brave little boy named Alex who died last Tuesday from a skin disease. He was confined to a wheelchair and bundled in padding, yet he was the most optimistic and intelligent kid I've ever met. He knew what was coming, defied the odds and lived years beyond expectations, and inspired everyone he met.
It's the best kind of legacy to leave.
He'll be missed.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
at
3:20 p.m.
|
Normally I don't go in for this sort of email zen, but today it seemed appropriate. I'll explain more tomorrow as some of the details can't yet be revealed.
A group of working adults got together to visit their former professor.
The professor was happy to see them. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. The professor just smiled and went to the kitchen to get an assortment of cups - some porcelain, some in plastic, some in glass, some plain looking and some looked rather expensive and exquisite.
He offered his former students the cups to get ice water for themselves.
When all the students had a cup in hand with water, the Professor spoke:
"If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is usual that you only want the best for yourselves, that also is the source of your problems and stress. What all you really wanted was water, not the cup, but you unconsciously went for the better looking cups."
"Just like in life, if life is water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and maintain life, but they hardly change the intrinsic quality of life."
"If we get focused only on the cup, then we won't have time to taste and enjoy the water in it!"
"And also remember: A rich person is the one who has a lot, a happy person is the one who doesn't want a lot. The choice of who you want to be is yours."
And the students thus got their most important lesson from their wise teacher.
The moral of the story, from my point of view, is that it's never a good thing to settle in life but to always go for what makes you happy. Make a difference while you can, because you never know what tomorrow brings and who may be gone from this earth from one moment to the next.
Monday, August 22, 2005
at
9:31 p.m.
|
The Cottage, 2005
Anyone else completely exhausted? I know I am.
It was a wonderful, if somewhat rainy trip. Good times were had by all, and if you weren't there, you were missed. By someone.
But a hearty thumbs up and good wishes to all who were there... Doug, Tess, Robyn, Jeromy, Josh, Paul, Victoria, Nicole, Jamie, and of course my girl, Catherine...
And damn you all for laughing at me when I tipped over into the woodpile. Especially whoever yelled 'quick, take a picture' and to Doug, who commented 'he's presenting.'
I assure you, I was not.
Same time, same place, next year. These get-togethers happen too rarely, but are too good to pass up. Jamie, bring more games.
PS. I have a job interview lined up for later this week to work as a Financial editor and Desktop Publisher. I have no business doing either, so this will be interesting.
Pictures & emails for the cottage to follow soon. I'll send 'em tomorrow from work because unlike yahoo, I can send more than three at a time.
Be good!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
at
8:08 a.m.
|
Almost time to head out to the cottage... not a moment too soon.
Friday, August 12, 2005
at
12:27 p.m.
|
Tonight and tomorrow night are the height of the annual Perseid meteor showers—one of the best and brightest meteor storms of the year.
The Perseids are a product of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 130 years. How do we get a yearly show from that? The comet leaves a trail of debris in its path; tiny particles, most no larger than a grain of sand, moving 132,000 mph.
Every year in July and August, Earth’s orbit takes it through this debris. Result: The particles burn up as they enter our atmosphere, giving us our regular light show.
Catherine and I will be camping this weekend, so there will be no interesting tidbits on this blog. Instead, we'll be roasting marshmallows, hot dogs, and sleeping on what appears to be the cold, wet ground.
I find it the height of irony that after the most intense summer I can remember heat-wise, that months ago we would have the misfortune of booking a weekend where it's raining.
Coincidence? Nope. I actually think the universe may be out to get me.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to sleeping at my desk.
If those who read my blog will do me a favour, post a vote for 'quit' or 'tough it out' in the chatterbox. This place has been less than kind and is a factory for evil people, but it's a regular paycheck and as yet I don't have a replacement job. I'll be interested to see the results.
MARS ATTACKS: IN 1911 A METEOR FROM MARS FELL TO EARTH IN NAKHLA, EGYPT, KILLING A DOG.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
at
2:40 p.m.
|
It's been on my mind for the past week, and though Catherine prefers not to talk about it, I wanted to say something more for myself than for anyone else. This blog, as many of you will have noted, is more venting than blogging, but sometimes it manages to say something meaningful.
One year ago, yesterday, at 9:09 pm little Rooter passed away while Catherine, myself, and Truffle did everything we could to make things easy for her. It was a terrible few days filled with a lot of fear and anxiety. Though I've since laid the pain to rest and have only focused on the good that came with her short time with us, I still think of her often.
Just as I think of my dog, Jack. He was the best friend I ever had and likely will ever have. It's strange to give that title to a dog, but for those of you with pets who take on strong roles in your lives, you'll know what I mean.
Monty, the dog that Bob adopted for my mother, was killed last week by a passing car. It happened quickly and with little pain. Still, he was a young dog full of life and energy (and would often jump in the pool), so while I'm glad he had a good life while he was here, it was still too soon.
It's this kind of thinking that can get you down, and those of you who have read this far (and my previous entries) may think I'm depressed, but I'm not.
The pets mentioned above (who are more family than possessions) had a tremendous impact, and it is because of them and the people that come and go from our lives that we are who we are, and that we work to become better than we are now.
For all of my venting, I do my best to honor them by living my life well. For my grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles as well. For all of you, my friends. My family. The love of my life. Those who I wish to make proud.
After round 42 or 43 of the stupidity that is my job, things picked up this week to new heights of the absurd.
I got called into a meeting over "complaints" about me... including that on the one day I was alone in my department, I apparently was sleeping at my desk.
I laughed out loud at that one.
See, the funny part is that in addition to my own full time job, I've been given more than 50% of the duties of my ex-co-worker Colleen's job to do on top of it, and I still manage to get done by 5pm. I have to work through lunch, but I get done.
So when do I have time to sleep??
D'oh well.
That was the proverbial last straw, so I'm fairly certain that I'll be leaving here at the end of August, with or without a new job lined up. Ideally I'll have one, and I've started applying regularly again, but either way Catherine, my mother, and even my co-workers are saying that it's clearly gone completely stupid here and to cut my losses.
It's too bad, as I have always taken a great deal of pride in the work that I do and in maintaining a high standard of quality. My job didn't involve saving the world or anything, but it was important that I do it right. I've been recognized for this in the past, but something tells me that with all the drama going on here that I shouldn't hold out hope that they're going to offer me a full time position, and that indeed I should just quit before they can decide one way or another.
That's where a bit of fear sets in. Though I have much more confidence that it wouldn't take as long, it took more than six months of searching and part time work for me to find this place. And though I hated it from the first moment, I met some really cool people here (along with the worst human being I've ever met).
I suppose I'm still hedging my bets a little. Waiting to see what, and if, they offer. I don't like giving up something for nothing, even when that something is having a negative effect on me.
On the other hand, I could be the problem. Discord and discontent seem to be a common theme with me and many of my jobs. I hope it's just because I haven't found the right one for me yet, and not that I'm a complete tool.
Shut up, Paul.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
at
2:00 p.m.
|
In April 2001, city officials in Nottingham, England, spent more than £1 million (about U.S. $1.6 million) installing solar-powered parking meters on city streets after reading reports that the meters saved a fortune in maintenance costs in Mediterranean countries.
The only problem: Mediterranean countries get a lot of sun...and England doesn’t, not even in summer. By August, more than 25 percent of the parking meters were out of commission, allowing thousands of motorists to park for free.
Friday, August 05, 2005
at
3:33 p.m.
|
Before my head explodes?
Ah, this must be what it's like to live life in a bubble. From one moment to the next, the past repeats itself in an endless stream of confusion and disappointment.
Except when it gets time to having a snack. That's always good.
My workload is now such that I can't ever take a break, not even lunch, or else I'll fall desperately behind. Even writing this entry could mean disaster.
Or another 15 minutes. It's hard to tell which comes first.
My co-worker, Nathan, has gotten a tentative job offer/option from our old boss, Susan, in Montreal. Unencumbered by family or other obligations, he's quite free to move and likely will should the opportunity present itself.
Good for him.
Fucked for me. Well, not in the sense of how badly it messed us up when Susan and Colleen left, but it would leave the whole web team, myself and Li, without a web designer.
AH HA HA HA HA
Shoot me.
Like I care. At this point, I really don't. Part of me wants to get tossed at the end of the month just to end it all. Something better HAS to come along.
I blame Paul.
On the bright side, I'm tearing through all the Harry Potter books again. I read part of 5, then 6, then finished 5, 4, and now I'm on 1. I realize this is not a sensible order, but it's pleasing me so far. I'm even picking up connections hinted at all the way back in book 1. It sheds some interesting light on things.
Catherine is away for the weekend with Patti for a wedding. They'll be sharing a hotel room together, but I'm told nothing kinky will happen. Knowing them, it means junk food and passing out around 10 or so.
I need Jer's cottage to be sooner than two weeks from now. My poor heart can't take it.
I've arranged for Friday and Monday off as I need it. I need a damn break.
Games will be played. Jamie has bought at least two or three new ones and already tested them out for quality assurance. He may also try to sell you a car, and so far, I gather his reputation as a salesman is infallible.
So, as I'll be bored this weekend, feel free to stop by, send an owl, or arrange many games of StarCraft.
Games are fun.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
at
1:17 p.m.
|
Aaron has requested a new blog entry, and seeing as how it seems an impossible task to connect with him by phone, I decided to speak with him through my blog.
"Hi, how are you?"
....
"What's wrong? Not talking to me?"
.....
"Fine, be that way. Things are okay with me (aside from the normal level of bullshit... oh hell, it's all going down the tubes."
....
"What, life is all roses for you?"
......
"Stop being a dick and talk to me."
.....
"Fine. Bite me."
And that's that. Wow, I enjoyed that, but Aaron didn't put up as much of a talk as I would have liked.
In unrelated news, my work continues to be a steaming pile of shit comparable to a night where you get rabies and die slowly and painfully. It's like that.
No new jobs have been applied for as no new jobs have been posted. It's a vicious cycle. At this point, the only good thing on the horizon is Jer's cottage and a camping trip, both of which should take my mind off of things. Of course, if this doesn't happen soon, then I expect Catherine will kill me for being in a sour mood all the time.
Marvel Legends 10 is out soon, though. It's the one where you can build a Sentinel out of pieces packaged with the figures. I'm looking forward to this. Catherine is not. She calls it 'clutter.'
But as I wear the pants, I'll buy what I like.
If you're reading this, Catherine, I didn't mean that. Don't take away my toys.
Friday, July 22, 2005
at
2:26 p.m.
|
They claim there is a silver lining in almost any situation, but in my case my perk of the day makes me quite unhappy.
I was hoping, praying, and even going to bribe the people at Kaboose (with an object other than the one I DID offer them) for the chance to leave the hell that is First Media and come into the light of a new job that was everything I could have wanted. It was close to home, well paying, and the work was in a subject I adored.
Like most things in my life the past year, it was not to be.
I'm not really surprised. It had been more than two weeks since the interview and I hadn't heard a thing. I wrote to my HR contact, who I really hit it off with, and got a response back from a stranger cooly informing me that the job I wanted had been taken by someone else.
Partly, I blame my dreams. You see, last night I dreamt I got one of the positions they were offering, despite the lack of communication beforehand. I felt so sure today that it was mine. I had a lot of energy, finished my work early, and was prepared to have a good night.
I suppose I still could, but it depends on what Catherine is in the mood for.
My silver lining, as mentioned previously, is that I'm supposed to get promoted here today. It should be more money along with the extra responsibilities I've already been enjoying (not) for the past three weeks, but it's still First Media and it's still a lot of hassle given the attitudes of some of my co-workers.
I'll keep applying. I'll keep trying to get out of here. I still plan to apply to teacher's college this year and find, somehow, the thing it is that is going to make me happy.
Because right now, I'm surely not.
EDIT!
Great news! Instead of getting promoted, I'm likely getting fired at the end of my contract period (August 30) so they can move my whole job to India!
Wow!
(please adjust the above to include a sarcastic tone)
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
at
10:48 p.m.
|
Nathan Fillion's Captain Malcolm Reynolds... by Astonishing X-Men artist John Cassaday.
Just because the majority of you have to wait until September doesn't mean you can't get some Serentiy lovin' sooner.
Dark Horse has released the first issue of a planned three-issue prequel to the film. Each issue has a number of variant covers, but the true gold is that it's a Whedon-penned issue filled with a garden of 'verse delights.
It's worth picking up, or if you're poor, borrowing mine.
My apologies to Jer for inadvertently minorly spoiling him earlier. I was too enthusiastic. My bad.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
at
9:19 a.m.
|
Done Haiku style. Apparently, these are actual error messages that can come up on Japanese computers. Not living there, I can't verify the truth of that statement, but either way it seems kind of funny.
The Web site you seek cannot be located, but countless more exist.
--------------------------------------------
Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent, and reboot. Order shall return.
-----------------------------------------------
Program aborting: Close all that you have worked on. You ask far too much.
------------------------------------------------
Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen of Death. No one hears your screams.
-------------------------------------------------
Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that.
-------------------------------------------------
Your file was so big. It might be very useful. But now it is gone.
-------------------------------------------
Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire. The network is down.
-------------------------------------------------
A crash reduces your expensive computer to a simple stone.
-------------------------------------------------
Three things are certain: Death, taxes and lost data. Guess which has
occurred.
-------------------------------------------------
You step in the stream, but the water has moved on. This page is not here.
-------------------------------------------------
Out of memory. We wish to hold the whole sky, but we never will.
------------------------------------------------
Having been erased, The document you're seeking must now be retyped.
-------------------------------------------------
Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared. Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
Chaos and disorder are currently reigning at work, and the outcome is uncertain. Either I'm going to become Mr. Universe and in control of things, or I'll be at home watching Oprah by the end of the week.
I just want to get that Kaboose job. I still haven't heard anything and I'm starting to panic that my life may be controlled byt the evil entities here at this place.
CYA never had a truer meaning.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
at
8:08 p.m.
|
Lots of 7's in the date today, so let's take a look at a few...
• 7 Deadly Sins: Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, lust
• 7 Seas: Red, Adriatic, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean
• 7 Virtues: faith, hope, charity, fortitude, prudence, justice, temperance
• 7 Metals of Alchemy: gold, silver, lead, quicksilver, copper, iron, tin
• 7 Dwarfs: Dopey, Sneezy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Doc
• 7 Ritz Cracker holes: Six in a hexagon shape and one in the center.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
at
11:44 a.m.
|
You know you're in trouble when the computer tech here is highly illiterate. This is an email he sent to Nathan, the computer programmer from our web team:
"It did worked before I look at me send emails and saw a long time send this info to you."
Classy.
As for Kaboose, the interview went for a little more than an hour and I have a warm, fuzzy feeling. I hesitate to give it a thumbs-up for fear of a jinx, but at least it's a step in the right direction towards freedom from this place.
I hate personal ads. Laying them out sucks. Everyone I tell laughs at me.
I don't blame them.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
at
11:29 a.m.
|
Jeff Gaulin's journalism website is both a blessing and a curse. It's great because it's an awesome resource for journalists to find new jobs, start careers, and see what kinds of companies are out there.
It's also evil because it's a bit of tease.
I must admit that the majority of my journalism related jobs have come from postings on Jeff Gaulin, but it is by no means at all a guarantee. Experience, skill, and ability are not valuable currency in my field so much as networking.
Still, every now and then you manage to slip through the cracks. Last Thursday before Catherine and I headed out on a wonderfully romantic weekend to Niagara Falls (she slaughtered me at mini-golf), I sent out 7 resumes in the hopes of finding something better than this awful job I have now.
One of them was Kaboose.com, an internet portal designed for kids ages 4-15. It has a massive amount of content, and my role there would be to write new articles every day to post on the site. It's a lot to do, but according to the woman I had a forty-minute phone interview with last night, I can throw a stone and write about what it hits.
That's some nice flexibility.
Kaboose is growing and already gets about 6.5 million hits a month with no advertising. It's one of the top ten internet destinations for kids. All of this ads up to me wanting to be a part of that, if only because it pays 17k more a year than this place.
And why am I so eager to leave? Well, they've given me my ex-coworkers workload and often talk openly about moving my entire job to their India office and having me "oversee" what's left. Very much not my job description, and very much not what I want to do with my life.
The interview proper is today at 3:30, so I arrived here early to meet my deadlines for the day. I've almost got all of my work for the day done (it's 11:34am) and I plan to leave at 2.
In short, I'm tired, I'm excited, I'm nervous, and I'm getting the hell out of here no matter what. If it isn't Kaboose, it's something else VERY soon.
I prefer to leave on my own terms.
Monday, June 27, 2005
at
11:48 a.m.
|
1. Your boss is always yelling, “I wanna see your butt in here by 8:00!”
2. “I’d love to chip in, but I left my wallet in my pants.”
3. You want to see if it’s like the dream.
4. People stop stealing your pens after they’ve seen where you keep them.
5. Diverts attention from the fact that you also came to work drunk.
6. Gives “bad hair day” a whole new meaning.
7. No one steals your chair.
Friday, June 24, 2005
at
1:23 a.m.
|
Me and Sean Maher (Simon Tam) from Serenity. He was kind enough to join the screening tonight, and sat in front of me. His hair looked very soft, but I resisted the urge to touch it. Oh, and for all of you who didn't see it... September can't come soon enough. 
You have to wait another three months to see Serenity? I don't envy you guys at ALL.
No worries, this blog shall stay completely spoiler-free, though it's killing me to not be able to talk about it.
A good thing about seeing it early (and as far as I could tell the film was finished or damn near), is that there was free stuff. Buttons, tatoos, posters, keychains, programs, and oh, Sean Maher (Simon Tam) was there.
That didn't suck. Not at all.
Shiny!
Thursday, June 23, 2005
at
12:24 p.m.
|
• Warfare in the Enemy’s Rear, by O. Heilbrunn (1963)
• Selected Themes and Icons from Spanish Literature: Of Beards, Shoes, Cucumbers, and Leprosy, by John R. Burt (1982)
• What Do Bunnies Do All Day?, by Judy Mastrangelo (1988)
• The Romance of Proctology, by Charles Elton Blanchard (1938)
• Cancer: Is the Dog the Cause?, by Walter Cort (1933)
On an unrelated note, tonight is the Serenity screening that Paul, Victoria, Catherine and I will be attending along with several rabid fans.
I'm a little perturbed as my eye Weekly story didn't make it in this week, but the fall-out from tonight should appear in the next issue.
We're apparently going to be honoured with a celebrity guest, a mini-poster (that will be signed), and a keychain. A small Q&A may follow the film. All in all, it should be fun.
Best of all, I'm leaving work early today because of it. The screening starts at 10pm, the line begins at 8pm, and the dinner with the... fans... starts at 5:30pm. I must be presentable. Or hungry.
One of the two.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
at
11:12 a.m.
|
This isn't a rant about stupid people in general, but will be a short list of people I've encountered lately that are, in some way or another, completely fucking bonkers.
1. List mom Heather: This is a woman who runs a fan website of rabid Firefly enthusiasts and she has nothing better to do than feel superior. I've repeatedly been trying to get information out of her about certain aspects of the Serenity screening this week for my eye Weekly story. She said there was going to be a "celebrity guest" but would not say who. This is just stupid.
She said I should call and ask Universal directly, and I asked her for the name/phone number of the person she got the information from so I could call and independently confirm. This would have a direct bearing on the nature of my story, and as such, I felt I should know. She wouldn't even give me that. She said "call and ask for someone."
This is a woman who wants to "get the word out" about her beloved franchise, yet refuses to aid someone who can speak to more than 5 family members and instead talk with the 300,000 weekly readers that eye claims to net.
She wouldn't budge. I'd like to smack her.
2. The woman at Universal: Another dirtbag. After going through my editor to find out who I was, she didn't even call me back. I finally called her up, and she said no interviews would be granted prior to the screening for a guest that she would neither confirm nor deny. I can only assume a lighting tech is showing up. Again, slightly baffled, but not shocked. She is a flack after all.
The only thing I don't get is why would you tell the geek in charge of a fan site, but not inform someone in the press? Nervous about getting some bad remarks, or just being difficult because you can be?
My editor at eye claims we should be grateful they even responded. He said most studios wouldn't even bother. Isn't that encouraging?
3. Aspects of First Media: Shib, the girl who got hired a week after I did for the same position, was unceremoniously shit-canned yesterday. Granted, I'm sure she brought it on herself (I tried to talk to her about it), but that doesn't excuse our co-workers on the other side from giggling and laughing a full hour after it happened. It wasn't necessarily about her, but you could feel that it was part of it.
4. Mimes. Those guys are just asking for it.
So maybe this post WAS a rant after all, but it wasn't really intended to be. I'm getting paid for my eye Weekly writing, though I didn't expect to be at all. It's not a huge sum of money, but it makes up for the bits of frustration I've been having. The first part of my writing, a whopping 150 words, should be in this week with a larger chunk the week after.
I have a lot of pudding with me at work right now, and a copy of season 1 of the BBC version of The Office. I'm sure it will help to soothe my pain.
Now I have gas.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
at
10:42 p.m.
|
Hound, from Transformers Alternators...
That was the clever name Hasbro came up with for their recently released Transformer from their Alternators line. The entire thing is based on the G1 characters we all grew up with, and today I used a gift certificate I had (which you could only use for four days this month and then it was worthless) towards getting my favorite Jeep (now based on a Wrangler) to get Hound.
Hound was a great character with a gun that could create holograms. He also had a shoulder mounted missle, but at this exact moment I can't seem to recall him using it. During the first season or two, Hound was a regular on the show, though he barely even made it into the comics.
That's what happens when merchandising hits the fan. Too many ideas, too many characters, and not enough space to feature them all, and feature them you must in order to make money.
This figure is actually quite impressive, and in the same scale as my Dodge Viper Sideswipe and my 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime. If any of you are wondering where this post is going, it's in the direction of "too much disposable income."
Which is funny, because I should save like mad.
Instead, Catherine and I used our "summer fun" money to buy a used copy of Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Gamecube. We've been playing it a bit, and could use a couple of more people to join in the mayhem.
Other than that, next week at work will reveal if I get fired or if we get three times as much work dumped on us. Nothing stays the same, just gets crappier. I think that should be my slogan in life.
On the "that doesn't stink" side, I DID get a couple of articles approved for eye Weekly regarding the Serenity screening, so at least I'll get published again soon. I was beginning to think that I dreamt the whole thing up. I've also asked to do movie reviews again (even volunteering for the stinkers) so that I can feel good about myself when I have nothing better to do at work.
That's all. Go on about your business.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
at
5:58 p.m.
|
The first gambling machine to catch on was a vending machine for chewing gum introduced by the Mills Novelty Company in 1910. It dispensed three flavors of gum—cherry, orange, and plum—depending on which fruits appeared on three randomly spinning wheels. If three bars reading “1910 Fruit Gum” appeared in a row, the machine gave extra gum; if a lemon appeared, it gave no gum at all (which is why “lemon” came to mean something unsatisfactory or defective). You can’t get gum in a slot machine anymore—the 1910 Fruit Gum machines were so popular that the company converted them to cash payouts.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
at
11:20 a.m.
|
For those of you who know him, you can understand the kind of bizarre happenings that occur when Dave Gerow is around. For the next year, he'll be making life interesting for the Chinese as he helps teach them English.
Here is a sample of his bi-weekly emails:
"Hey, here's a sort of funny story. I teach an adult beginner class with this Chinese girl and the other day she was teaching them "dislike", so she said to me, "What's something I can use for an example?" And I said (because the students don't use any English, so I can say anything), "Nobody here seems to like the Japanese." And she just went up to the board and wrote the following:
I dislike Japanese.
He dislikes Japanese.
We dislike Japanese.
And next to "We dislike Japanese", she drew a Japanese flag (a box with a circle in it) and put an "X" through it. I swear this on the safety of my return flight to Canada. Anyway, nobody minded. Afer all, We dislike Japanese."
God bless you, David.
Monday, June 13, 2005
at
4:34 p.m.
|
This blog is quickly becoming a post for all of my geek interests and loves from a television landscape that offers little in terms of the kind of quality programming we've been exposed to in the past.
Hence, the return of Quantum Leap. Long has this been one of my favorite shows and it is my own personal white whale. When the final episode originally aired, my father forgot to tape it despite he and I sitting down to watch it together every week for years. I was quite devastated.
When it subsequently aired on SPACE a couple of years ago, I was once again diligent in trying to track down that episode. The night it aired, the VCR screwed up and once again I missed out. After that, SPACE aired the show randomly which killed any chance I had at seeing that episode.
I've still never seen it.
I'm getting closer, though. I picked up season 2 used a couple of months ago, and Catherine bought me the first season just last week. Yesterday I lucked out and found season 3 used. They have yet to release the final two seasons, but barring an act of God, I think I may eventually get to see that episode.
It may not seem like a big deal to any of you, but this was a huge thing for me.
Other than that, I had a good weekend away at Guelph with my stunning girlfriend. We went to J.P.'s (Bern's son) wedding, enjoyed some pool time with my brother, Graydon, and a short visit to Brantford. I love getting away for the weekend as it just lets you recharge a little. We borrowed my mom's car, and she got the use of our apartment.
A nice trade, all in all.
Tonight, I'll go to karate and watch more Quantum Leap. I've decided to go to teacher's college as well, so I should do some research. Catherine freaked me out earlier today in regards to teachables, and while I still qualify, I'm now paranoid.
But I wouldn't be me without a little daily fear about the future.
Friday, June 10, 2005
at
3:07 p.m.
|
By the time Friday arrives, everyone in my office (including myself) are so sapped of any desire to do work that it descends into a farcical tribute to the great office comedies of our generation like Office Space and the BBC's brilliant work, The Office.
I'm aware that I used the word "office" entirely too many times in that sentence.
So far today, I've managed to do most of my work. I have no idea how this happened. It's kind of like when you're driving and all of a sudden you arrive at your destination, but have no idea how you got there. In my opinion, that's when you're driving your best. You're not overly aware of your actions, and yet your responses are smooth and even. And hey, maybe you figured out some new way to make french fries while you weren't paying attention to the road.
That's what this job is like, but all the time. If you pay attention to what you're doing (in my case, personal ads, which elicits grins and laughter from anyone who finds out what I do), you'll go insane. Who cares about the 200 lb. woman who's favorite activity is going to a carnival? Or the ad by a woman named Victoria Secretion? (That one got edited out, by the way).
Long story short, this job will kill you if you don't have fun.
So, today I have done the following:
1. Checked message boards from other Serenity movie-goers to try and get extra tickets.
2. Played balloon volleyball with Bill who works on the other side of my desk wall.
3. Made fun of Colleen for wanting to bring cupcakes for another co-worker, Li, who's birthday is on Monday.
4. Made fun of Li for buying pants to go with her new bicycle.
5. Misinterpreted a t-shirt. Nathan did the same thing. That made it okay.
6. Planned a work birthday party.
7. Listened to the Coldplay album.
8. Watched some C.S.I.
9. Visited my websites, which include Action-figure.com, Whedonesque, Coming Soon, Penny Arcade, and more.
10. Had lunch.
11. Went to Harvey's to get out for a little.
12. Read the newspaper.
13. Talked quite a bit.
14. Have done some work. Almost all of it, in fact.
Interesting, don't you think?
I think jobs are best served by those who either truly love what they're doing, are addicted to money, or have the ability to turn their brains off. I only wish mine could get cable in this near vegetative state.
My chair is uncomfortable and it gives me daily back pains. Last night, my neck bothered me. I mentioned this several times, and not once did Catherine offer to massage it. I've dumped her for it.
I took her back when she bought me dinner. Life has a way of working things out.
Back to work (*snicker*).
Thursday, June 09, 2005
at
12:35 p.m.
|
That's right, I managed to snag four tickets to the upcoming screening of Serenity on June 23rd at the Paramount here in downtown Toronto. For many of you, I expect many angry letters and threats about spoilers. I shall do my best to remain silent while many of you wait another THREE MONTHS.
I took a little pleasure in that.
(I originally had a section in here about having two extra tickets, but Paul and Victoria snatched them up fairly quickly. I'm working on getting TWO more (been added to a list of Browncoats online), and will likely be successful for those interested in seeing the film. Put your names in the hat NOW).
Being the smart cookie I am, I also sent in a pitch to eye about the whole thing. If they don't resond by say... Friday... heh. I'll probably go with my contacts at the Sun and try to fish a story to them that way. I just want to make some money and get my name in th' paper.
I'm selfish that way.
Ah, Serenity.. I'm coming to see you soon...
Two weeks and counting.
www.cantstopthesignal.com
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
at
2:46 p.m.
|
The new Coldplay album landed. Some sources claim it's the best thing since sliced bread, others are slightly more immune to the hype machine and merely label it 'good.' Rolling Stone seems to be balanced in the middle, and after my first pass through the album I'm inclined to agree.
There are no breakaway hits for me other than "Fix Me." With other Coldplay albums, songs like "Don't Panic," "Yellow," "Clocks," and an assortment of other tunes seemed to break through whatever exterior I had going on at the time and have a ripple effect in my emotional center.
It's hard to place "X&Y" yet as the best they've done, and right now it's still behind "Parachutes."
My biggest frustration with the group is they want the label of the best rock & roll band in the world. Sorry, but that belongs to U2 and you need more than three albums to top it. Also, some guitars and, you know, ROCK songs, probably would help.
Still, it's a good album and worth listening to. You can borrow or burn it from me.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
at
10:22 p.m.
|
Anyone else played the PopCap game? It's highly addictive, as are most of their offerings. The full version is much more fun, but you only get an hour trial. If only I knew how to beat it into submission without forking over an unrealistic $30 US.
That, and I'm cheap.
Then again, I did just spend more than $120 on clothes last weekend. Those of you who know me (and I'm assuming that the three of you who read this do, in fact, know me), should have passed out with shock. None of the labels had the letters "D," "V," or "D" in them.
I'm trying to pull together a Wonderland trip for the June 25-26 weekend. Much like a comic convention organizer, I consider my prime "catch" to be Jamie and Nicole. I've yet to hear a yay or nay from them, but they're the backbone of this whole operation. After all, Paul and Victoria are nice, Josh is nicely dysfunctional, and Jer... lives nearby.
Sorry, Jer. You're a friend by proximity only. And you're sexy.
So, if you're in, that makes for a great weekend of gaming, geekery, and rollercoasters. Seeing as how Jer's cottage weekend may bust, this could be the next best thing.
I swear it won't suck.
AND... I'll plug in my air conditioner. That's as good as money.
Back to Heavy Weapon...
Thursday, June 02, 2005
at
1:07 p.m.
|
Actual answers from Family Feud.
And yes, I'm bored at work. I could be fired by the end of the month if they downsize my department. I friggin' hate life some days.
OOHH!! Candy!!
Q: Name a fruit that is yellow.
A: Orange.
Q: Name something that floats in the bath.
A: Water.
Q: Name a part of the body beginning with “N.”
A: Knee.
Q: A job around the house that has to be done every fall.
A: Spring cleaning.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
at
1:39 p.m.
|
Revenge of the Sith... brutally violent cartoon...
“When a cat is dropped, it always lands on its feet, and when toast is dropped, it always lands with the buttered side facing down. I propose to strap buttered toast to the back of a cat; the two will hover, spinning inches above the ground. With a giant buttered cat array, a high-speed monorail could easily link major metropolitan areas.”
Once again, I'd like to thank my brilliant page-a-day calendar. Mysteries of the universe are nothing compared to geeks with too much time on their hands.
Speaking of geeks, Jamie wishes to discuss Star Wars and so I shall. Like all the films I've seen, I liked it much better the first time I saw it. The second time I saw it, the things that annoyed me the first time really grated. Such as the terrible "I love you," "no, I love YOU" talk between Anakin and Padme, and Darth Vader's ridiculous "NOOOO!!!" at the end of the film.
That said, I went out and bought the original trilogy shortly after viewing this film. A few minutes into A New Hope and I remembered why I love Star Wars and it's not because George Lucas has figured out that animation is cheaper and less effort, it's because real Stormtroopers are just that much cooler. ENHANCING a film through it's backgrounds, or the number of troops, or things along that side are fine. I'm all about that. But that scene in Episode III when all the wookies stand up and cheer is just painful when a making-of documentary I saw shows that there were only four guys there.
Lucas, stop being a lazy prick. Then again, I suppose it's all moot now. Still, my complaint is that 90 minutes of Episode III is a cartoon, and therefore not the movie I wanted. Take notes from Peter Jackson, who although has a great deal of computer effects in his film as well, at least did his best to make as much of it as real as possible. To the point where it becomes very hard to tell what is and what isn't real. Gollum vs. Yoda.
Enough said.
Still, the final battle and epilogue to the movie were more than satisfying and a treat after the first two films. I left the theatre satisfied, which was all I could have hoped for. General Grievous is a personal favorite. I bought the action figure.
Monday, May 23, 2005
at
4:21 p.m.
|
After being gone a little over a week, my sweet Catherine will arrive home tonight. I'll be leaving shortly to go to the airport to pick her up.
It's amazing what a little time apart can do. I've missed her so much, and it's reminded me why I love her so much. Though the times apart kind of suck, they make the reunion that much sweeter.
Hopefully she brought me home a present!!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
at
2:57 p.m.
|
My co-workers insist I've gone mad, but I think it's because they're blind to the horrible truth that there are, in fact, gnomes at work in the building.
Each night I go home leaving my desk area unmolested. It's in prime condition with a row of assembled Kinder Surpise toys lining one end of my shelf, a small Kubrick Spider-Man figure hanging from my inbox tray, and a few pictures scattered around my area.
And then I come back the next morning and things are... different.
It started with Spider-Man. He was fine and dandy most of the time, but then one day I came in and he was facing the wrong way. Nathan, one of my co-workers was my first suspect. He's had it in for me since I started chucking paper clips at him. He denies it, but I'm still not sure.
It happened again the next day and the day after. Then things seemed fine.
Until I looked at my Kinder toys. Someone clearly moved my metal X-Men figurines around. They were all together, then suddenly apart.
Today it got worse. Two toys that were previously "chasing" each other now faced each other. The X-Men were moved out of order. My martian Kinder had flown away to the other end of the table.
This is the work of an evil genius. One who must be stopped.
I still suspect Nathan, as he's here long after the rest of us go home. I wish there was some way to set up a trap to catch the culprit. They all tell me I'm paranoid, or that the cleaner's are having a go at me.
I'll get them. I'll make them ALL pay.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
at
11:41 p.m.
|
Arthur and Marvin... or Jer, Victoria, Paul, Catherine and myself tomorrow on the way to Big Turk's for the weekend. It shall be glorious. Hopefully we'll get out to see this flick along the way.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
at
5:20 p.m.
|
September can't come quickly enough in my opinion. Not only will it mean the end of my exile here at this job, but it also brings Joss Whedon's feature film version of the incredible show, Firefly, to the big screen.
All of the original cast are back in a trailer that is fun, fast, furious, and stylish. For those of you who, like me, couldn't get enough, at least this juicy offering will help overcome the pangs of its cancellation.
Oh yeah, I mentioned the trailer. It's online NOW at www.apple.com/trailers.
Go see it. Then post your comments in the chatterbox. It's really good looking. The only person I didn't spot was Ron Glass as Shepherd Book, though I know he's in the film. Nathan Fillion, aka Malcolm Reynolds, gets the juiciest parts.
"Define bad situation." - Mal
"Oh god, oh god, we're all going to die?" - Wash
Brilliant.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
at
12:02 p.m.
|
Shortly after he was elected to the Holy office, Catherine sent me a brief message about her first impression of the Pope.
"Have you seen the new Pope, yet? He looks shifty."
Every time I see a picture of him I DO think he looks shifty, and feel the need to make me eyes dart left and right quickly like a certain dog on The Simpsons.
Any thoughts?
Friday, April 15, 2005
at
1:39 p.m.
|
You will come back from within yourself
you can be art when we melt
and I will know what you were for
I say we're leaving
There ain't nothing here at all
Another day, a week, the mall
and baby, if I was in demand
You would be mine
Some day, this place is gonna burn
Is your whole life in there waiting?
Some day, your head is gonna turn
And you'll realize I'm missing
Do you realize?
You will come back, convince yourself
You can stay alive and wait for me
And I will know what this was for
And I'll say we're leaving
There ain't nothing here at all
Another month, a year, that's all
So we can tell them I'm coming out
Who's coming with me?
Some day, this place is gonna burn
Is your whole life in there waiting?
Some day, their heads are gonna turn
And they'll realize you're missing.
You're missing
We are there
- MGB
Thursday, April 14, 2005
at
9:18 a.m.
|
The Juggernaut is in the house.
According to a scoop on Coming Soon (you'll have to cut and paste this link as my Mac at work doesn't have all the options) http://www.superherohype.com/news/x-mennews.php?id=2845, Vinnie Jones is currently in talks to play Professor X's half-brother, Cain Marko... aka The Juggernaut, in the upcoming X-Men 3.
This would be very cool if done right. A waste of time if it isn't. Still, one of the biggest things missing from X-Men 2 was a REALLY good brawl between super-powered characters. They were mutants, but didn't use their powers in battle as much as I would have liked.
I'll be there for this one.
So far Hugh Jackman, Famke Jansen, and Alan Cumming are set to return. Everyone else is in talks.
It comes out in 2006.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
at
11:25 a.m.
|
Just because it was a lyric in a song I was just listening to doesn't make it any less relevant a question.
"Can money pay for all the days I've lived awake but half asleep?"
What am I doing here?
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
at
10:50 p.m.
|
For my dear, sweet, Catherine who today turns 26. I love you more with each passing day and can't imagine what my life would be like without coming home to hold you in my arms.
I love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
You look so cute asleep in bed right now.
I'm glad you had a nice day.
Monday, April 11, 2005
at
12:49 p.m.
|
This was an article in today's Metro and I wanted to post it for a couple of reasons.
1. I think it's kind of ridiculous. Society is becoming way too picky for its own good.
2. I figured Catherine would find it funny. My job is to amuse her.
"Cookie Monster, the blue furry muppet known for his penchant for cookies, will be eating less of his favourite food in the coming season, CBC.ca reports.
The change in Cookie Monster's diet is part of a new focus on television's Sesame Street, one that will stress healty eating habits for children."
It's official, the world has gone nuts.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
at
7:56 p.m.
|
“A Subway sandwich shop employee in Edmonton, Alberta, somehow managed to activate the burglar alarm and disarm two men who were attempting to rob him at knifepoint. Scared by the sandwich maker’s heroics, the felons fled the scene. The Subway employee pursued the would-be thieves, shouting that there was no harm done and that he’d gladly make them free sandwiches if they came back. Amazingly, they did! Police arrived minutes later and arrested the hungry thieves, who were patiently waiting in line for a Cold Cut Trio.”
—Stuff magazine
Monday, April 04, 2005
at
1:55 p.m.
|
Jer, Aaron and I ventured forth to see this comic book-turned-film on the big screen. While it has a lot of value in terms of cinematography, I found the execution to be a bit overwhelming. As a comic book fan, I appreciate the literalness of the translation, but I can imagine the uniniated arriving to the show and finding it a bit wanting.
Some found the endless narration jarring, and others will be blown away by the brutality of the film.
The biggest impression that the movie will leave with me, however, had nothing to do with what was on screen.
It was the audience. The crazy fucking audience.
There were people smoking hash somewhere in the theatre. I can't confirm it, but my suspicions fall on the guy in the back who laughed REALLY loudly at anything and everything. Apparently others noticed it as well as during the third act theatre employees stood on both sides of the theatre and were scanning the crowd. It was a bit disconcerting.
Add to the fact that the guys behind us were drunk. You could smell it clearly, especially on the breath of the guy who leaned forward in his seat. He kept knocking over glass bottles the whole time.
The woman beside Aaron kept falling asleep. This wouldn't have been bad if she hadn't cried out when Aaron got up to go to the bathroom. I thought it was quite funny.
The guys in front of us wouldn't take off their hats.
All of this was crazy and could be explained any number of ways. They were prepping for the bar or a party, maybe they had already been out for a good time. Then again, seeing as how it was a matinee and showed at 4 in the afternoon, maybe they were just idiots.
Oh, and they showed the movie and the Star Wars trailer. That was good.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
at
4:26 p.m.
|
This is from the Globe and Mail's Social Studies: "Of all the terrifying
circumstances to which one's home is vulnerable, nothing equals
that of a guest who stares straight at one's bookshelves," wrote Roger
Rosenblatt in Time magazine more than a decade ago. "It is when
those eyes stop moving that your heart, too, stops. The guest's body
twitches; his hand floats up to where his eyes have led it. There is
nothing to be done. You freeze. You hear the question even as it
forms: 'Would you mind if I borrowed this book? . . .'One has books;
one has friends; they are bound to meet."
I realize it's been more than a little while since I last posted but I have a REALLY good excuse: I'm lazy.
That's about it. Sometimes there's nothing one can do to become motivated to write endless pieces of drivel about their day, life, job or other circumstance.
For those of you who care, the new Fantastic Four trailer is out and I'm still uncertain what I think about it. Paul is falling on the cautious side while I'm sure that Jer already hates it even though I don't think he's seen it.
Aaron would just shrug. It's his way. Don't judge.
Monday, March 21, 2005
at
11:11 p.m.
|
Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
at
11:23 p.m.
|
Anything that happens, happens.
Friday, March 18, 2005
at
6:38 p.m.
|
... or encouraged. Honestly, at this point I'm not sure which side of the fence I fall on.
For those of you in the dark, Lucas made an announcement today that for the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, the films would be released, one a year starting in 2007, in 3-D. This is a true story.
What's more interesting is that Peter Jackson has made comments about doing something similar with Lord of the Rings. What's more, apparently he's already done it with some of the footage.
Don't get me wrong, I'll be there front and center for all of this because I'm a consumer whore. It's just that Lucas and his madness of forty different versions must be stopped sooner or later. I'm told that in 2017, for the 40th Anniversary, there will be smell-o-vision and actual garbage will get dumped on us during the trash compactor scene.
Again, I'll likely be there.
It's too bad that these films need the size of the theatre to really work, though, as watching them on a TV at home will likely lose the effect. Unless you're Paul who owns a projector, and I'm assuming by the time the movies actually come out will have bought his own theatre.
Star Wars. In 3-D. Wild.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
at
8:14 p.m.
|
I am not rich. I must stop acting as though I am.
I admit I've hit a bit of a spending streak lately that really must stop. I've managed to stop shy of getting carried away, though.
Part of it is due to finally getting a job. I bought a nice present for Catherine and picked up something for myself as well. Seemed only right. Then of course I had to pay for my karate grading, and I didn't realize I had to pay off that much on my credit card...
Then came a couple of games (board and video) that didn't cost that much individually, but they add up.
Not to stop there, I went and picked up the latest series of Marvel Legends figures today which included War Machine, Dr. Strange, Professor X, and Nightcrawler. I had no choice. Each figure comes with a piece of a giant figure, in this case Galactus, and I only need to secure one more to have the whole figure. The thing is a giant at 16".
Still, the cash ride is over for the moment. Everything is taken care of that needed it. Well, I suppose I didn't HAVE to buy season 4 of Buffy, but it was used (or sold as used... it was still in the original packaging)... and I guess I don't NEED to buy U2 tickets this Saturday... but I will. It's too bad I couldn't buy them closer to the actual concert date which is in September. Can I count them as a September purchase?
No worries as I do have the money for all this. I haven't gone nuts.
Yet.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
at
8:26 p.m.
|
• Chou Remains Cremated
• New housing for elderly not yet dead
• SILENT TEAMSTER GETS CRUEL PUNISHMENT: LAWYER
• GREEKS FINE HOOKERS
• Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons
• SHOUTING MATCH ENDS TEACHER’S HEARING
• YELLOW SNOW STUDIED TO TEST NUTRITION
• County Wants Money for Taking Dump
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
at
8:21 p.m.
|
Ah, that graceful Campbell style of eating... Rory Marie... 8 months old.
As per his chatterbox instructions, I gave Brody a call. He's up north at the moment (and has been for a year... or at least that's how long since he was last in Guelph), and doing just fine. He and Lisa are having a great time raising little 8-month old Rory Marie.
We've vowed to email each other much more often than the never it's been so far. I find it funny that we don't talk much as I still consider Brody to be one of my best friends. That's all fixed now, however, as he's sent the opening email to me and I've already applied.
As per my request, Brody has already fired off a group of pictures of his lovely daughter. The first thought I had was "she looks just like him" followed quickly by "that poor, hairy, baby."
I hope to see my friend again soon as it's been too long. Whenever I see Brody, things just seem to make sense again. It's probably just his open and honest nature and great sense of humor. He's just one of those guys that makes day-to-day life a bit more enjoyable.
It might be the beer.
Ah, if Brody was around, the video games we'd play would be endless. Poor Rory would be fatherless as her Dad would stumble home late at night with bloodshot eyes from staring at screens.
Not a bad life, if you ask me. And perhaps better than the day-to-day operations up at Pickle Lake. Brody, I salute you.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
at
11:44 a.m.
|
This, one and all, has to be my personal record for the longest time in between blog entries. In fact, it would be longer, but I'm avoiding doing work on a Saturday at the moment.
It's been a while, so I'll bring you all up to speed: I have a job now at a company called First Media Group. This is not the glorious job I feel I was promised in the early days of my youth and in fact the job itself can be boring and repetitive. On the bright side, however, this is my first real annual salary kind of job and I'm not about to mess it up.
I'm a production artist there and I lay out ads for many major and minor papers around Canada. We'll be expanding our efforts to the States eventually, and I'm sure my head will explode. It's only been one week, but already I've stayed late on three of the four days I've worked.
Hopefully this extra effort will cease.
In other news, Marvel is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Age of Apocalypse. One of the best X-Men stories to have ever been produced, all the original books are going to be collected in four massive trade paperbacks. Like a good little boy, I'll likely buy all of them when they come out.
In addition, Marvel is producing a six-issue limited series and a one-shot. I have the first issues of both, and I must say I'm rather impressed. 10 years is a lot of time to lose the magic, but so far so good.
Also, this week saw the release of Ultimate Iron Man. Normally I wouldn't announce such a project, but this one happens to be written by my favorite author, Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game). It's being drawn by Andy Kubert (Origin), another favorite, and worth taking a look at. By taking a look I'm sure most of you will take this to mean it's okay to read my issue.
Catherine and I are shuffling along and doing well. She's just completed her Felicity collection on DVD and is busy trying to get me to cheer up about getting a job. You'd think I'd be celebrating, but somehow it feels like the end of all there is...
Hrm.
|
MARVEL and SPIDER-MAN: TM & 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. Motion Picture © 2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2007 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved. blogger template by blog forum |
