Living, Loving and Writing in Providence, RI

Spotting Trains, Dropping Steel

jdteehan@sff.net — Wed, 11 Jun 08 20:05:00 UT

Reading: Quentin Tarantino: Interviews
Music: Liz Carroll
TV/Movie: Trainspotting
Link o' the Day: AlanHorvath.com - DADGAD Tuning

A quiet day today, and not nearly as hot and humid. The general stickiness is gone, and I was able to get some chores done today that I was in no mood to do yesterday. I still have a decent amount to do, but I'm making progress.

Did some writing today. Mostly planning out a larger piece and writing some dialogue that was in my head before it disappeared. That's important. So many times I think of something brilliant (if'n I do say so myself) and if I don't get it down immediately, it's often lost for good. If I do manage to remember it, it's remembered imperfectly, and not nearly as good as it should be. This is why I carry a pocket-sized notebook with me. Not everything is gold. They ain't all gems. If 90 percent of what I write in the little black notebook is crap, that means I have 10 percent that isn't, and it's ten percent more than I had before.

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I don't see a lot of bad movies. In general, I'm probably more generous with my praise than I should be. I'm a pretty forgiving viewer. If a script is great, but the acting or directing sucks, I might still recommend it. If the acting is atrocious, but the plot a winner, I'll say so. My most damning review lately has been, "see it, if you must, but don't pay for it."

Okay, I saw Steel today starring Shaquille O'Neal (sp?). Why? Well, back when they killed off Superman in the Doomsday comic book story arc, Steel was one of the four replacements for Supes that appeared with a miniseries. Big black guy named John Henry takes up metal armor and a big-ass hammer and becomes a steel-drivin'-man for justice. Great concept. After Superman came back, Steel continued his superhero career, but by that time I pretty much stopped buying mainstream superhero comics. I couldn't tell you if he's still on the active roster of DC heroes or not.

But that's beside the point. A few years ago they made a movie based on the character--changed the backstory to an ex-army guy who got disillusioned or somesuch with advanced weapons technology and the sleazebags behind it. I won't go further into the plot as its pretty unoriginal and if you think of the most simplistic home-town superhero plot you can think of, you're probably there.

Lousy effects, lousy acting. An embarassing script. No wonder this flopped. Friends, don't waste your time. Even if someone pays you. I've not been as disappointed in something since Michael Chrichton's Prey.

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What could I recommend? Easy. Trainspotting. If you like transgressive stories, this is one of the best. Drug addiction. Street crime. Dumbasses. Dead babies crawling on ceilings. There are some scenes which look like they were included on a dare. This may sound like a negative review, but it's not. The acting is pretty intense. Everything is pretty intense. You feel for some of the characters and you root for them. You ride the rollercoaster of their so-called lives.

Check it out. Hell, pay money.

-=-=-=-=-

I went out to the Patricks Pub session last night. Pretty good time. Some new faces were sitting in. Because of the Celtics-Lakers game, we were sent to the back room--this actually worked out pretty well, I think. The acoustics were real nice and everything sounded great. I didn't play as much as I usually do, but I picked up some new tunes to learn.

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Hokay, back to work. Today's link takes you AlanHorvath.com - DADGAD Tuning, a very basic introduction to a special guitar tuning often used in Irish music, but also made popular by some pieces by Led Zeppelin and the like. I've been trying it out for simple folk arrangements on the guitar.

Cheers!

Sweltering at the movies

jdteehan@sff.net — Tue, 10 Jun 08 19:30:00 UT

Reading: Crackpot by John Waters
Music: Celtic Warriors
TV/Movie: Judge Dredd
Link o' the Day: DR and Quinch

Sweltering. That's what it is today.

Sweltering.

Okay, so every day can't be a paragon of productivity. I got some good work done this morning, but by 10 it was just too hot. I spent the next several hours in the air conditioned bedroom watching movies. Not a good thing to do when one is unemployed, but I figure I've earned it--or will. I've forcibly evicted myself from said room our of some misguided sense of work ethic, but jeez. I can't wait for the cold front to come sweeping in tonight.

I stand by my usual statement... it's easier to get warm in winter than cool in summer. If it weren't for snow and ice, I wouldn't have anything against winter at all.

Saw some interesting movies today. Dirty Work was a comedy featuring Norm MacDonald and Artie Lange that had a lot of potential, that could have been great, but missed a bit just the same. A fairly predictable plot. Some awkward script moments. It's biggest flaw wasn't Norm MacDonald, but his acting ability--or lack thereof. I happen to like Norm MacDonald's brand of deadpan, smirky comedy, and there are many moments where thyat works on film, but there are just as many that fall pretty flat. And as Norm is kind of an acquired taste to begin with, I'm not surprised it got such tepid reviews. Do I recommend it? Sure, but don't pay a lot for it. Catch it on TV or rent it after "borrowing" the rental fee from your parent's change jar.

I also caught 54, (as in Studio 54) today. Not a movie I would generally seek out myself, and I probably wouldn't bother recommending if not for one simple reason. It is probably the only instance in which Mike Myers is not only acting, but acting well! His protrayal of Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell was so good that I couldn't convince myself it was really Myers until I watched the end credits. Austin Powers sucks. His Cat in the Hat sucks. Wayne World mostly sucked (the sequel sucked harder than a Hoover). Probably the only decent thing he's done was Shrek... and his protrayal of Steve Rubell. Again, don't pay to see it. I wouldn't even bother renting it. But catch it on cable if it comes around. Selma Hayek does a pretty good job. The story isn't bad.

On a final film note--one of the best comic book adaptation movies is also probably one of the most under-rated. I speak of Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stalone as a futuristic cop in a fascist megacity in the years fo0llowing world-wide nuclear catastrophes. It was originally a comic in Britain's 2000 A.D. and picked up a cult following here in the States during the 80s. Stallone does a very convincing job playing Dredd and the set designs and storyline is pretty spot on. My only complaint is that Stallone plays the part of Dredd too much with the helment off. I can't think of a single instance in the original comic book series where we ever saw anything but Dredd's sneer and chin under that helmet, but I may have missed a few issues. Still, Dredd needs his police helmet or he's only half the character. While Stallone did a good job, and certainly appears to have researched the character, Hollywood ego won out in the end.

My only other complaint was that it was played too straight. The original has a satirical bite to it that doesn't exist in the movie.

Still, I recommend it. I'd even recommend paying for it if you're a comic book fan. Yes, it was a commercial failure and a lot of people hated it, but I liked it--and have I ever steered you wrong?

Okay, enough on movies. I need to go make dinner, then get ready for some Irish music tonight. I hope the heat breaks.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link goes to a classic 200 AD comic, DR and Quinch. Written by the enigmatic Alan Moore. I won't say anything more. Give it a read. It's only a small sample of the brilliance.

Cheers!

A season of change

jdteehan@sff.net — Mon, 9 Jun 08 19:37:00 UT

Reading: Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters by John Waters
Music: Great Big Sea
TV/Movie: I Shot Andy Warhol
Link o' the Day: Comedity

A season of change.

That's what it's been. This past month has seen changes from small to great.

The biggest, of course, is my father's passing. He and I had gotten very close over the years--even moreso this past year as he attempted to deal with strokes, confusion, and cancer treatments. He had a really bad year. I'm very glad he was able to see me safely married. At the very least. We have a lot of paperwork to deal with, and work still to do. There's a lot I could write about this whole thing, but it's still a bit too close right now.

Other changes? Well regular readers may remember that a week prior to my dad's passing, I got laid off. I'm still laid off, but doing okay. Unemployment helps. I have some freelance work. Pretty Maggie is working. It'll be tight from time to time, but we'll be okay, and I'm trying to make good use of my time. I'm doing housework. Catching up on freelance. Writing. Very happy about writing. It's been a little rough lately with everything else, but I've gotten some good work done the past couple of days so we'll see how this pans out.

What else? What else? We have subscribed to FiOS service from Verizon and are pretty happy about that. The internet speed doesn't seem much improved except for when I have to do huge uploads or downloads of graphics-heavy files--then it's very fast. We didn't have e-mail through our Verizon accounts for a couple of weeks and I finally got pissed off enough to yell at some people. Now it's working and I was then very sweet to them. (It helped that I didn't get out-sourced customer service which has never gotten me the results I needed.) Mind you, I like Verizon, but they need to work on their inter-office communication skills. Most problems I've ever had with them have been due to poor communications between their various branches.

The best thing about FiOS, though, is the TV service. My god. The movies. The Movies! I've caught indie flicks and obscure flicks that I've been trying to find for years. The On Demand is a wonderful thing. This service is going to pay for itself in just the money I save from buying DVDs. Documentaries. Boomerang! BBC America! Biography! Turner Classics!

I'm hyperventilating here.

Suffice to say. I'm pretty happy with it. I'm not necessarily watching more than I was before, but the variety has greatly improved.

After pumping hundreds of dollars a month into trying to keep Pretty Maggie's car going, we finally decided it was time for a new vehicle. The straw that broke the back was the day of my father's wake, the car died and I spent most of the day at the garage watching them do $700 worth of work tgo get us back on the road. (I didn't miss anything, but we were a little rushed the night of the wake.) Shortly after that we had more problems, and then another. Enough. Pretty Maggie has been wanting a Ford Escape for years and now she's in a position to get one. After visiting several lots and dealing with a bunch of sleazy dealers, we found a great guy at Tasca and got a great deal on an 06 model. She loves. I love it. We're determined to keep it neat and clean. We even took it to a car wash yesterday. It's a nice smooth ride. Lots of room. Mileage isn't bad as SUVs go, and not much worse than the 99 Cirrus was toward the end.

Lessee... anything else? We have geckos again. We had geckos once before, but they got sick and died on me and it shook my confidence for a while. Pretty Maggie encouraged me to try again and we have some nice fellows who look very healthy and who I intend to keep healthy.

I missed out on Banjo Camp after all that preparing. My dad's final and fatal stroke was the night before I was to leave. The nice folks who run the camp are going to give me a half-tuition credit on next year. I still want to get the t-shirt, tho.

Okay, there's more I could write about, but let's pace myself. I'm going to try to get back to writing here daily again. Life is getting back to a semblance of normalcy and I'm getting my disciplines back.

I hope all are well.

Cheers!

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Today's link goes to Comedity, a pretty good webcomic. Excellent artwork. Pretty good writing. Definitely worth checking out.

Enjoy!

Aargh.

jdteehan@sff.net — Sat, 17 May 08 23:15:00 UT

Argh.

It's been a truly sucky few days. My dad passed away Thursday evening. He suffered a massive stroke that morning and my brother found him unconscious when he got home from work. We managed to get the whole family there for his last moments. Still, the whole situation sucked.

Wake and funeral in a couple of days. I'll probably start reposting regularly a few days after that. Right now, though, things a little off.

300 Channels and is something on?

jdteehan@sff.net — Wed, 14 May 08 20:29:00 UT

Reading: Bill Maher's New Rules
Music: Todd Menton
TV/Movie: Planet Terror
Link o' the Day: SpaceWesterns.com

Busy and productive day. Finished the changes to the medical journal. I just need to get some ink to print it out. I can pick that up tomorrow morning on my way home from the doctor. (Gonna go consult about using Chantix to help quit smoking.) Most of the work today was on our very cluttered bedroom. It's the old pack rat curse. We collect too much stuff, but don't have enough places to put them. It's one thing for me to toss things out, but I can't go tossing Pretty Maggie's stuff. One thing we're likely to do is get some storage boxes that will fit under the bed. That should do a lot.

Right now, housecleaning is being done with the FiOS tech in mind. He or she is going to need to get to where all our wires and such are, and there's so much stuff in the way, I need to establish order and access. Because I'll be gone from Friday to Sunday, I won't have much time to do it before they come on Monday. The payoff, though, is super-fast internet, and something like 300 channels of viewing for only a few bucks more than what we're paying now for internet and cable.

I'm looking forward to IFC and the Sundance Channel. Boomerang will also be fun. We don't watch a lot of TV per se--that is to se, er, say, that we don't live our lives around television programming, although we do have some nights where we watch more than others. I like Sunday nights for animated shows like Family Guy, American Dad, and the Adult Swim lineup. Pretty Maggie likes Thursday nights. We usually have the TV on in the background, and I often have something on while I'm working or practicing the banjo. Will 300 channels prove too much?

Eh. I don't think so. The majority of TV will probably suck--just there will be more general suckage. At the same time, though, as for what gems there are now, we will then have more. I'm looking forward to seeing Ira Glass's foray into television, This American Life, on Showtime. And a History Channel show that's not about WWII or UFOs will be nice. Some of the classic movie channels will be fun. And I think there's a fishing channel.

Pass the popcorn!

I remember when we first got cable. I had lived most of my life without cable, but when we got it, I was fascinated by some of the offerings--especially on the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and additional PBS stations. I found myself videotaping a lot of shows. Then I learned about re-runs. hehe.

So I doubt I'll go on a videotaping spree with this new system. I'll enjoy it. The novelty will wear off as I find where the gems are. I don't think it will change my TV viewing habits, such as they are, overmuch.

Besides, I still have more DVDs than I have room for.

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Today's link goes to SpaceWesterns.com. The name says it all, don't it? Pard'ner.

Cheers!

Getting closer to Banjo Camp

jdteehan@sff.net — Tue, 13 May 08 19:33:00 UT

Reading: Zombies of the Gene Pool
Music: Holdstock and MacLeod - Deepwater Shanties
TV/Movie: Spinal Tap
Link o' the Day: Odd Todd

Welcome to Tuesday!

A good, productive sort of day. A good amount of housecleaning got done today. I blew through around 5 or 6 chapters of the Zorro book. A very tedious affair of placing pictures with descriptions, prices, etc. But I got a good amount done today. Also working on the June 08 issue of the medical journal. Just got the first round of changes today and am going to tackle some of it now so I don't have to worry about it later. This weekend is Banjo Camp North and I'm totally psyched.

Gonna be a good weekend. I wonder if it's too late to get Pretty Maggie a banjo so she could join me. Hmmm.

And speaking of music, it's Tuesday, which is session night. So me and the tenor banjo (as opposed to the five-string bluegrass one featured this weekend) and the bodhran are going to head down to Patrick's Pub for the weekly round of Irish music.

So all in all. Good times.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Weather is nice. Windy, but nice. Now you know.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

So how would you define Space Opera? I ask because it's a topic that's come up recently on one of my mailing lists. Some have said that Space Opera stories should take place exclusively on spaceships. Planet-bound stories are considered Planetary Romances.

My favorite definition of Space Opera is "things blow up." I wish I could remember who said that. A couple of authors I met at Torcon--but I can't remember which ones.

I think Space Opera should include all these things. Spaceships. Exotic worlds. Things blowing up. As someone on the list pointed out, Horse Operas don't take place exclusively on a saddle, do they? But there should be a horse or three there someplace.

I think of this because one of the anthologies I'll be doing will, hopefully, be devoted to Space Operas, and I need to think about parameters.

I've written short stories that included exploding spaceships. I've written stories set on exotic worlds.

But I've not written enough.

Hmm.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Frequent visitor maggie, aka "electricgrandmother" pointed me to a link called Odd Todd which seems to be devoted to the life of lay-offs--that is, stuff for folks who have been laid off work, like me, to do. It's basically devoted to time-wasting activities. There's a bit of a community there, so it's a support system for some. I'm not sure if it's for me. I have enough to keep me occupied, but I could certainly see visiting it from time to time.

Enjoy!

post weekend post

jdteehan@sff.net — Mon, 12 May 08 21:22:00 UT

Reading: Zombies of the Gene Pool
Music: John Hartford
TV/Movie: Pathfinder
Link o' the Day: Ansible Home Page

Day One of unemployment. I didn't spend the day in naught but a bathrobe. I got up early--around the same time I've always gotten up, and tried to catch up on the e-mail that stacked up over the weekend. I did a few morning chores, and came home to do some more work until Pretty Maggie left for work. Sadly, she wasn't feeling well today. She called in and got a doc appointment for this morning, so we went and got all that taken care of. When we got home I took advantage of having the car available to me and went and did the chores I usually do on the weekend (banking, laundry, groceries, etc.). Took a short nap. Did some housecleaning. Did some reading. Did a little more housecleaning.

Pretty quiet day, actually. We're sort of treating today like the third day of a three-day weekend. We were in Long Island (on Long Island?) over the weekend visiting her mother. A very nice visit. Had some very good seafood at the Steamroom at Port Jeff (in Port Jeff), walked around and browsed all the local shops. Slept late on Sunday then went to visit the outlet mall in Riverhead. I discovered that the Bass outlet store does not carry fishing gear. It's a line of clothing, apparently. Boo.

So lots of driving, but the weather actually held out much better than we expected for this weekend. Today, however, is chilly and blustery, so a good day to stay indoors.

It's now evening. Dinner is cooking. I'm gearing up to work on the Zorro book some more.

And the day continues. If I do some good work tonight, I chill out with some fanzine reading.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Speaking of fanzines, I'm reading Zombies of the Gene Pool now and it's so much better than Bimbos. Less mean. Much more thoroughly researched. I've a feeling that In Search of Wonder by Damon Knight will likely be my next re-read.

More on this anon.

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Today's link goes to the Ansible Home Page. For those who don't know, Ansible is probably the best currently-running fanzine out there. A many-times-over winner of the Hugo, and author Dave Langford is its many-times-over winner of the Hugo for Best Fan Writer. It's probably the best newssheet out there for the SF world. Yes, better than a href="http://www.locusmag.com">Locus News.

Cheers!

Cruel Dame Fortune...buddy can you spare a dime?

jdteehan@sff.net — Fri, 9 May 08 21:54:00 UT

And that Cruel Dame Fortune just landed on a double-0. My boss announced to me, half an hour before the end of my day, that they were closing up shop for good. Sorry Charlie.

So Sunday I start the process for unemployment, which I hears pays real well these days. Here's hoping. Freelance alone just ain't gonna cut it, and typesetting jobs have become scarcer over the past few years. A lot of printshops have closed down.

I'm not too worried, though. I'm very good at what I do and have a lot of experience. And it's not like there are no jobs out there. Plus, I know a few people. In a couple of weeks I'll start making calls. Some are former clients of my company that I've had good relations with. I'm giving my ex-boss a grace period of two weeks for before I start calling. I know a few other folk in the industry and will let them know I'm available.

Plus, I'm looking forward to a little time off. It's time I can put to good use. Catch up on the housekeeping. Catch up on some writing.

So all in all, I think I can make the best of it for a while. Make this a positive thing.

Yeesh.

Cruel Dame Fortune... and peanut butter cookies

jdteehan@sff.net — Fri, 9 May 08 12:46:00 UT

Reading: The Branch by Mike Resnick
Music: Salty Dick
TV/Movie: Family Guy Season 5
Link o' the Day: The Fanac Fan History Project

Another week up, another week down. Not a bad week as weeks go. I got a good amount of work done in prepping my new web pages. Some good work done on the Zorro collectibles book. Some re-entry into fanac--a little at least. Some writing done and sent out. Some markets researched. Other research done.

All in all, a pretty productive week.

Last night Pretty Maggie made chocolate pops to sell at the Annual Plant and Bake Sale for the Mt. Hope Learning Center. I got up at 3:30 this morning to make peanut butter cookies before leaving the house. When I get home I'm going to make more cookies until she gets home to collect them and take them up to the Center. Me? I'm going to sleep.

I probably won't get a whole lot done this weekend. I'll have time only for morning chores tomorrow before we hit the road, and will probably not have a whole lot of evening left on Sunday when we get back. This isn't a bad thing, tho. I've had some very productive weeks put under my belt lately, and it will be good to see Pretty Maggie's mother who we haven't seen since Christmas. Mothers Day doth approacheth.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

So it looks like Dame Fortune is conspiring and spinning her fixed wheel and I'm pretty much required now to go grab my copy of Zombies of the Gene Pool when I get home. I've been noting people talking about McCrumb's books in a bunch of places lately, most recently in the latest issue of the Virtual Tucker Hotel. It seems that fellow fan Curt Phillips has been "tuckerized" in it, and I've a scary feeling I remember which character it is.

This, of course, will mean picking up either Damon Knight's The Futurians or Fred Pohl's The Way the future Was and get sucked into that whole Fan History thing again which is what drew me into fanzine fandom to begin with.

Oh it's a vicious circle, innit?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Speaking of bimbos... Denny Lien at the fictionmags mailing list recently shared this bit of doggerel he found which can be sung to the tune of "She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain":

There's a bimbo on the cover of my book.
There's a bimbo on the cover of my book.
She is blonde and she is sexy;
She is nowhere in the text. She
is a bimbo on the cover of my book.

There's black leather on the bimbo in my book.
There's black leather on the bimbo in my book.
While I'm sure she's lots of fun,
My heroine's a nun
Who wears black leather on the cover of my book.

You're welcome.

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Today's link goes to The Fanac Fan History Project which is an amazing collection of SF fan-related materials. I could spend days or weeks or more sifting through the old fanzines, con publications, photos, and more stored here.

Enjoy!

You shoulda listened to me

jdteehan@sff.net — Thu, 8 May 08 12:56:00 UT

Reading: Doc Savage: Land of Terror
Music: Solas
TV/Movie: Venture Bros. Season 2
Link o' the Day: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

I'm not even going to suggest talking politics. All I'm going to say is that if anyone listened to my steel cage match suggestion months ago, we'd have saved ourselves a lot of aggravation.

That said, welcome to Thursday. A bit grey and drizzly, and the coming days will be more of the same, but I'm still enjoying springtime. Getting work done. I revised some short stories and sent those off. I may do a few poems today. I researched a mess of markets yesterday. The first draft of the current medical journal is out for proof, the next SFWA Bulletin is a month or two away. Still working on the Zorro Collectables book, tho. That's still going to take some work. Tedious placement of hundreds of photos. I really hope my next book project is a nice simple biography.

-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Finished Bimbos and still trying to decide how I feel about it. Carol made an interesting point yesterday. Something to cogitate 'pon. I don't know if the author places herself inside fandom in this book as much as she did the sequel. The question now is... do I pick up the Zombies book (which I think is a bit more sympathetic) and re-read that now as well? Or let that stew another time? Now that I have access to my bookshelves again, I have a lot to choose from.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I'm continuing to update web pages. It's a little daunting. 6 years ago I started out small, then over the year following I kept adding more and more. With these updates, I have yet even more to add. One thing I'm going to do is try to consolidate it a bit. Keep all the Fanzine and Convention pages in one section, Writing in another, Freelance, etc. One hassle is that I still key in the html code by hand. I should really look into one of those web page creation programs, but old habits die hard. Besides, I like keeping my code simple so it is more likely to work on all browsers.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Otherwise, not a whole hell of a lot else going on. Keeping busy. Keeping my head up and my nose to the grindstone (which requires a kind of sling I have to wear around my neck. Don't ask.)

Today's link goes to a very strange webcomic entitled Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. Browse the comics using the Random button.

Cheers!

revisiting Bimbos of the Death Sun

jdteehan@sff.net — Wed, 7 May 08 12:09:00 UT

Reading: Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb(bum)
Music: John Hartford
TV/Movie: Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
Link o' the Day: Ding!

A couple of days ago in the "Reading" header at the top of this post (as today) I mention that I'm reading Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb(bum). Obviously there is no "bum" at the end of her name, but re-reading this--I'm thinking maybe it's not so out of place.

She wrote two mysteries using SF fandom as it's setting--this one, and Zombies of the Gene Pool. Both books work well as mysteries, and I can't fault her writing style overmuch. But I'm still very bothered by how she treats fandom. She seems to hold it, and fans in general, in high contempt, which makes reading these books a bizarre experience. The nearest I can explain it is... imagine you're watching a movie and the person sitting next to you keeps cracking mean jokes and snide comments, which are very distracting, and the person sitting next to you turns out to be the movie's director.

I mean... I love the setting, but despise how McCrumb portrays it. Supposedly she bases her fan knowledge on visiting a small local convention, and her husband's wargaming buddies. It's like she researched the Mona Lisa by looking at it briefly through a cardboard tube--and didn't think much of the painting to begin with. It's no wonder that she never wrote more books using this setting, and that she now distances herself from them.

My question is... why is this my third or fourth reading?

Maybe it's because I don't see enough stories that use fandom as a setting. The only others I can think of is Barry Malzberg's Gather In the Hall of Giants and the anthology Alternate Skiffy edited by Mike Resnick and Patrick Neilsen Hayden.

Fandom seems like such a ripe setting for good stories. Unfortunately, I can't think of any right now. Maybe I will, eventually, but geez.

Makes me wonder. Granted, her portrayals aren't necessarily inaccurate (all the time) but they are incomplete and taken out of context. Held up for ridicule by non-fen.

I'll finish reading the books. they're already paid for, and they aren't total trash. But I'll continue shaking my head as I do so, and wonder to myself what some unthinking fan must have done to her to make her so hostile.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I've begun the laborious task of updating my web pages. I make no promises or predictions as to when the new pages will be unveiled, but I've just rewritten a couple of the pages. One of them hadn't been updates in six years!

So it's time to do something about that.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Speaking of fandom, I've been trying to catch up with what's been going on in the fanzine world. It's good to see people are still cranking these things out regularly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link goes to another webcomic... and in this case, another webcomic about World of Warcraft. I give you... Ding!, a webcomic by the creator of PVP, Scott Kurtz. There are only 22 or so comics up so far. But Kurtz promises to update twice a week. Start at the beginning if you can/ You won't regret it.

Cheers!

It's a jungle out here

jdteehan@sff.net — Tue, 6 May 08 11:44:00 UT

Reading: Doc Savage: The Land of Terror by Kenneth Robeson
Music: Angelina Carberry
TV/Movie: A Mighty Wind
Link o' the Day: No Award

There is a startling amount of nature in my neighborhood. I mean c'mon. I'm living in a city. Granted, it's not a large city, as cities go, but it's not the smallest I've seen either. It's pretty typical for a New England sort of burg. As for where we are in relation to "downcity," the Providence skyline (half of which didn't exist when I moved here in 1985), takes up a good portion of our view. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to where the tall buildings are. We have a shopping plaza right next door complete with McDonalds, Petco, Whole Foods, FYE, Radio Shack and others.

In other words...

I shouldn't be hearing owls and woodpeckers. Those are forest critters. Maybe farm land critters. They don't belong in the 02906 zip code. Neither do the possums, nor the occasional racoon.

The skunks... maybe. The squirrels are expected, and maybe some of the chipmunks. Pigeons. Can't get rid of them. Bats and rats--par for the course, tho I'm not sure what the bats are eating as you don't get a lot of mosquitos in the city.

I've seen northeast cottontails downtown, frolicking in 10x10 squares of patchy grass. Wild turkey will wander into the strip malls. Moose will appear near highways. We get bluejays and cardinals. Hawks will roost downcity.

This makes me either worried or relieved. Worried because they might be trying to move in and take over, little by little, like the Norwegians. Or relieved, because maybe we aren't killing the environment as much as we believe.

More likely it's a bit of column A and column B. As the world crumbles to ash and sewage, that's when the possums and Norwegians come to finish us off.

You've been warned.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Speaking of warnings, I was just taking a look at the website for the upcoming Abominations anthology and noted that "Whatever Happened To Baby Charles?" looks to be the lead story. Not bad.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link goes to Marty Cantor's fanzine, No Award of which I received issue #17 in the mail yesterday. A PDF version is available for download here, and step back to Efanzines.com for a host of other fanzines.

It was a bit of serendipity to see No Award as I had been thinking, recently, about getting some fanac done. No I know where best to start.

Cheers!

On a Statute of Limitations for Movie Spoilers

jdteehan@sff.net — Mon, 5 May 08 14:19:00 UT

Reading: Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze by Kenneth Robbeson
Music: The Exiles
TV/Movie: Citizen Kane
Link o' the Day: website with the script to Citizen Kane

A very nice weekend!

Again, that perfect balance of relaxing and productive. I got a good amount of work done, and I got to relax at times as well. Operation Clean Office had a decent weekend as well. In addition to recovering my art desk, I got my work desk not only cleaned, but organized. Not just the desk surface, but all the shelves and drawers as well. The bookshelves are starting to shape up. And more of the floor has been cleared.

I have a rug, apparently. Who knew?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I finally watched Citizen Kane yesterday. I should have seen this movie a very long time ago, but for one reason or another had kept getting missed. I can't feel too bad. There are folks over at the IFC channel who haven't seen it yet. Hopefully they, too, have rectified the situation.

So... best movie ever, or... best movie ever?

Well.... it's certainly great. Stupendous even. Best? Dunno. For epic films of the era, Lawrence of Arabia still has my vote. But I can see how Citizen Kane had such a huge impact on film as an art form and on culture overall. Certain scenes leap out because they've been paid homage to in hundreds of other films. Camera angles. Montages. Overlays. Storytelling conventions.

Orson Welles was ahead of his time. He suffered for it, but we benefited.

As for the whole "Rosebud" thing, it's making me re-think my stance on the "statute of limitations in regards to film endings." For instance, if you didn't know how King Kong or Jaws ends, or who Luke Skywalker's father was, or even who shows up at the very end of Robin Hood: Prince of thieves then "tough titties." You should have seen this movie by now. You can't yell "Spoiler!" if you hear an unwelcome detail at this late date.

But I think I'm changing my position.

Thirty years ago, I read a Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy reveals to Linus the significance of the name "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane, thus ruining Linus's enjoyment of the film.

Ha ha ha. Big deal.

Well, fast forward to 2008 and I'm watching Citizen Kane for the first time, and the identity of Rosebud is a major part of the biographical mystery of Charles Foster Kane. But thanks to Lucy van Pelt, I already knew who Rosebud was. Dammit.

A pretty damn fine movie just the same, but I can't help but wonder what I'd have thought of the ending had Lucy not ruined it for me and Linus.

Damn you, Lucy. Damn you straight to hell. I hope your feet get gnawed off by rude wolverines (which are related to weasels--according the TV show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader").

Now I'm a pretty hip cat when it comes to cinema. I had no excuse for not seeing Citizen Kane sooner. But should it have been ruined for me in 1977? Unfair, I say. There are a lot of hip cats out there who haven't seen Empire Strikes Back. Why ruin the mystery of Luke's father for them. Or the twist in The Sixth Sense or The Crying Game. Who is Tyler Durden? What's in Marcellus Wallace's breifcase? Who is John Shooter?

If you know the answers to these and more, then shaddup already. At least until you're reasonably sure that no one is going to have a movie spoiled for them.

Well, it's how I'm feeling right now. Maybe tomorrow I'll go back to being a more pure sort of film snob.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link takes you to a website with the script to Citizen Kane.

Enjoy!

My Chinese Food Day

jdteehan@sff.net — Sun, 4 May 08 10:20:00 UT

Reading: Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharon McCrumb(bum)
Music: Bad Religion
TV/Movie: The Maltese Falcon
Link o' the Day: Firefly Wiki's page of Chinese phrases

An odd sort of day yesterday--but the good sort of odd. I got up too early, did some work, ran the morning chores, came back home and engaged in Operation Clean Office and made some good progress. For one thing, I have my art desk back. I'm still trying to organize everything else: bookshelves, office supplies, art supplies, work desk, etc., but there is dim light at the end of the tunnel. (If one digs oneself into a hole, can it still be called a tunnel?)

So very good in that regards. Got some freelance work done, which is good, tho I have lots more to do.

Then at some point in the day, we decided to have lunch. I asked Pretty Maggie what she would like. We had a few things in the house, but I was willing to do a fast food run. Then she said, "We could have Chinese."

Angels sang. Everything freakin' glowed.

A number of years ago we had some questionable Chinese food from a restaurant we hadn't tried before and Pretty Maggie had a pretty bad bout with food poisoning. It was almost two years before she could even bear to suggest Chinese food. When she did, we discovered our favorite Chinese restaurant, and the only one she'd be willing to eat from, had closed after 25 years of business.

I was crushed.

Since then, I've had occasional flirtations with Chinese food when having a meal on my own, but we had never, after that, sat down to a nice big banquet of take out Chinese.

Until yesterday.

And it was glorious.

Our favorite restaurant had opened under new management, and while some of the food and menu items were different, the quality was pretty much still there, and they had a reputation for fresh ingredients. They no longer had my favorite entree--Spicy Chicken with Peanuts--but I made do with some decent Kung Po. And we got a good combo lo mein, pot stickers, boneless ribs, and egg rolls.

I ate myself into a nice MSG-induced coma. Didn't get a whole hell of a lot else done yesterday, except watched an old favorite--The Maltese Falcon--on DVD and thumb through my repeatedly-read copy of Bimbos of the Death Sun.

So it was a good day. Almost the perfect balance of productive with lazy. Uncomplicated and very needed.

And now it's almost 9:30 in the morning. I've been up for hours. Went out and did some more chores and am about to engage in Operation Clean Office--Sunday Edition.

And I'll follow it up with some more work later. And a nap.

It'll be a good. day.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link goes to the Firefly Wiki's page of Chinese phrases. As some of you may remember from that incredible, great, fantatstic, tragically cut-short TV series, Firefly, they incoporated a lot of Chinese in that future-verse. People being people, it ended up on a Wiki.

Enjoy!

Friday. Books. Remaking Near Dark

jdteehan@sff.net — Fri, 2 May 08 12:11:00 UT

Reading: Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze by Kenneth Robbeson
Music: Tito & Tarantula
TV/Movie: From Dusk 'til Dawn
Link o' the Day: Near Dark Road

Welcome to rainy Friday. Well, drizzly more than rainy. But it's Friday and I'm glad the weekend is here. It's going to be a broke weekend, so no book-buying splurges this week. Just as well as I'm still reading the swag from last week.

I'm going to try and do chores this weekend, trusting that it's not going to be oppressively gray the entire time. The trick, too, I think is getting an early start and not lose momentum in the morning. Because I have a tendency to wake up early, even on weekends, I get up early, run the outdoor chores (shopping, banking, laundry, etc.) then come home and go back to bed for a while. While I can still do work later in the day, I tend not to do as much physical work until evening, whereas if I get home, and immediately start on some physical work, I'll get a decent amount done before I break sometime around noon or early afternoon. And I'm still likely to do more later in the day.

But man, when sleep doth make its tempting call.... ah well. Courage.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I have a lot of books. Many books. Too many?

Never!

But still, it's a lot. And they need places to go. I'm going to have to do some more re-organizing of my bookshelves, and maybe figure out how to set up some additional shelves.

On an unrelated note, I was just thinking how much fun I had once demolishing a basement with a wrecking bar and a sledgehammer, and how much cleaning it all up sucked.

Back to the books though. One thing I'm going to do is set up one (small) section of shelf to be my "vanity shelf"--that being all the books in which a story of mine appears. I suppose I could share it with the shelf of books which I designed and did the layout work for. That one would take up considerably more space.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Imagine if Robert Rodrigues and Quentin Tarantino filmed a remake of Near Dark? Wouldn't that be the best damn vampire movie ever? Not that the original isn't one of my favorite horror films ever, but if someone can have the cojones to remake The Hitcher, then they should be able to scrounge up the money for a Near Dark remake. More explosions. More gunfights. More car chases.

Hmmm, but that's what they already did in From Dusk 'til Dawn and then raised the ante for zombies in Planet Terror. Ah well. it's just a thought. I'm not a big fan of vampire movies, but I love From Dusk 'til Dawn and Near Dark.

But, if they did remake Near Dark, they would have to get Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton to play the same roles. Well, Lance Henriksen at the very least.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Today's link goes to Near Dark Road, a very odd fanpage dedicated to the movie Near Dark. It's a little amateurish, but you can feel the love coming off the pages.

Cheers!