... and I will blog when I want to.
Blogging: So I missed another Sunday. Well, it is my blog so I can do whatever I want to do. So I have decided that for the remainder of my BlogBlitz(tm) I will be skipping Sundays.
Reading: For my quarterly book I am reading the sequel to Mick Foley's Have a Nice Day. Yup, another wrasslin' book. Hey, I know what I like.
Writing: I have had this comic book idea pop in and out of my mind these last couple of days. I am combining that idea with another novel idea The Samaritans with it and seeing where it is going. And surprising myself, I have also scripted a few pages. I think I am going to use this idea for the upcoming ScriptFrenzy. Before I script more I am going to plot out some stuff. This idea was something my friend Joel and I developed way back in the day but we decided to go in another direction. Hopefully he doesn't mind me dusting this off and adding a coat of paint.
Planning: What to eat here in two weeks for the Superbowl. Yesterday we ate these yummy sweet pork sandwiches/salads while catching the games. Now that the stupid Pats and Giants made the Superbowl, the only important thing about the Superbowl will be the food.
Disappointing: While both games yesterday were exciting, two of my least favorite teams won. I was hoping for the Ravens and 49ers but I guess I cannot win them all. But on the other hand, I felt this way four years ago when the same teams faced each other and it turned out to be one of the greatest games ever. Oh well, there is always next year.
Reading Part II: I have decided to read all my X-Men books from the beginning which leads me to this:
Blogging Part II: The comic book geek inside of me is going to do a comic book blog sometime later this year. I just have to find a clever name for my blog and set it up. I am planning on blogging about each X-Men book I am reading and I am choosing 3 panels from each book to blog about. I'll be blogging about other stuff as well.
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Jan 23, 2012
Aug 26, 2011
Random Ramblings: All Belinda Edition!
Looking Forward: What a horrible rough week. One that I am so glad to see come to an end. Almost every thing has become a major disappointment. Last week I had such high hopes and this week saw all of them come crashing down. I guess I shouldn't complain but this is my blog and I'll complain if I want too! I am looking forward to next week already. It can't possibly get worse right?
*knocks on wood*
Committing: I have not blogged as much as I thought I would when I completed my 365 Challenge. It has been a lot more difficult than I have anticipated, I am easily distracted and have had issues coming up with ideas. Combine that with the bigger problem of being plain lazy and it is crystal clear why I am not blogging as much. So I am trying a new approach, I am going to try to blog every other day. If that happens to land on a Sunday, I can call an audible and blog if only I have something I can blog about. We'll see how this goes.
Listening: Belinda Carlisle's A Place on Earth. I bought this CD on eBay a few years ago. It is a set of her greatest hits along with a bonus disc of remixes. This CD is not available here in the States which is why I resorted to eBay and it was worth every penny.
Reading: A few days ago, I was stressing that I have not read a book yet this quarter. I finally broke open my copy of Belinda Carlisle's autobiography that I picked up months ago and dug in. And I can now check that goal off my checklist! Lips Unsealed was not was I was expecting. It was a very detailed look at her life and her battle with cocaine addiction. Now I knew that she partied while with the Go-Go's but I had no clue that she was coked up for many years after and that it was just recently that she finally conquered those demons. It was hard to read about someone you admire go through such hell. Aside from the drugs, it was a neat peek behind the scenes behind her music. Some things that I learned that I didn't know was that she didn't think she could sing. Beatle George Harrison also played on one of her songs because he loved her voice. When she was younger she snuck into a hotel to try to meet Freddie Mercury and those events led to her forming the Go-Go's. Quite interesting stuff and it makes me appreciate her music even more since she definitely came off very humble and human. Great stuff!
Plucking: My fingers are sore from playing the bass. I have been trying to learn some new songs by yup, you guessed it. Belinda Carlisle. Some songs have been easy to pick out but my favorite song, Summer Rain has been elusive.
Laughing: Sometimes the internet comes up with something that for some reason just gets me. I found this cat video at work the other day and I can't stop watching it. Both my dad and I must have watched this for ten minutes straight laughing our heads off. Oh man, my side hurts again.
*knocks on wood*
Committing: I have not blogged as much as I thought I would when I completed my 365 Challenge. It has been a lot more difficult than I have anticipated, I am easily distracted and have had issues coming up with ideas. Combine that with the bigger problem of being plain lazy and it is crystal clear why I am not blogging as much. So I am trying a new approach, I am going to try to blog every other day. If that happens to land on a Sunday, I can call an audible and blog if only I have something I can blog about. We'll see how this goes.
Listening: Belinda Carlisle's A Place on Earth. I bought this CD on eBay a few years ago. It is a set of her greatest hits along with a bonus disc of remixes. This CD is not available here in the States which is why I resorted to eBay and it was worth every penny.
Reading: A few days ago, I was stressing that I have not read a book yet this quarter. I finally broke open my copy of Belinda Carlisle's autobiography that I picked up months ago and dug in. And I can now check that goal off my checklist! Lips Unsealed was not was I was expecting. It was a very detailed look at her life and her battle with cocaine addiction. Now I knew that she partied while with the Go-Go's but I had no clue that she was coked up for many years after and that it was just recently that she finally conquered those demons. It was hard to read about someone you admire go through such hell. Aside from the drugs, it was a neat peek behind the scenes behind her music. Some things that I learned that I didn't know was that she didn't think she could sing. Beatle George Harrison also played on one of her songs because he loved her voice. When she was younger she snuck into a hotel to try to meet Freddie Mercury and those events led to her forming the Go-Go's. Quite interesting stuff and it makes me appreciate her music even more since she definitely came off very humble and human. Great stuff!
Plucking: My fingers are sore from playing the bass. I have been trying to learn some new songs by yup, you guessed it. Belinda Carlisle. Some songs have been easy to pick out but my favorite song, Summer Rain has been elusive.
Laughing: Sometimes the internet comes up with something that for some reason just gets me. I found this cat video at work the other day and I can't stop watching it. Both my dad and I must have watched this for ten minutes straight laughing our heads off. Oh man, my side hurts again.
May 23, 2011
Random Ramblings: Bottoms Up!
Eating: Our family was invited to a birthday BBQ for our neighbor yesterday. The food was wonderful, and the company was even better. My family and I are blessed to have such awesome neighbors. I thought it was cute that Kara told Logan that he needs to kick Kristy and I out so she can babysit him again.
Drinking: Mountain Dew Livewire. Not only had it finally returned to Cache Valley, the 12-pack has also returned!
Drinking II: So I was at the store picking up some Livewire when I found another soda that I used to love. Tahitian Treat! This was one of the best fruit punch sodas ever! I thought it was only available in Canada but I did find some limited quantities in New York. But I have not had one since then. And then I found a 12-pack so I had to have it. And it tastes just like I remembered.
Listening: To a fun mix of the 80's. Bangles, Rick Springfield, the Spoons... ...I definitely grew up in the BEST decade!
Eating II: I ate way too much last Saturday. Saturday was Richmond's annual Black and White Days. So we headed up to Richmond to watch the parade. We first picked up Kristy's sister Lynn and her daughter Jessica since their jeep was on the fritz. We headed up and dropped off some chairs at my mom's house and then went to Big J's (a local burger joint) and got an early dinner. Then we headed up to watch the parade. The parade was nice but not as good as it has been in years past. Funny thing is that we see a couple of our neighbors in the parade. Logan did get a bunch of candy and it was nice to see Jennifer and her family as well. After the parade we waited for Justin to come back (he was leading the parade in his cop car) and headed back to Big J's and got some ice cream. I got a large (and I really shouldn't have) Rice Krispie Treat shake and it was awesome!
Winning: Kara's little brother Justin has been wanting to kick my trash in Madden. Finally last Saturday we had a showdown. It was close for a little while and then I pulled away and won the game. I guess I should feel bad for beating a 10-11 year old but he was a huge Steelers fan so it was deserved. The winner had to make cookies and so he made his sister Kara make me a plate of delicious cookies. Don't worry, I will pay them both back with a batch of cookies sometime this week.
Itching: Last week Logan was at a basketball camp for three days and he came home with a case of Athlete's Foot!
Reading: I am still a kid. I just finished a comic trade paperback G.I. Joe: Cobra and it was absolutely enthralling. This is not your daddy's G.I. Joe!
This was thier backyard. The river is pretty full, last year when we were here, the water was nowhere near this level.
Drinking: Mountain Dew Livewire. Not only had it finally returned to Cache Valley, the 12-pack has also returned!
Drinking II: So I was at the store picking up some Livewire when I found another soda that I used to love. Tahitian Treat! This was one of the best fruit punch sodas ever! I thought it was only available in Canada but I did find some limited quantities in New York. But I have not had one since then. And then I found a 12-pack so I had to have it. And it tastes just like I remembered.
Listening: To a fun mix of the 80's. Bangles, Rick Springfield, the Spoons... ...I definitely grew up in the BEST decade!
Eating II: I ate way too much last Saturday. Saturday was Richmond's annual Black and White Days. So we headed up to Richmond to watch the parade. We first picked up Kristy's sister Lynn and her daughter Jessica since their jeep was on the fritz. We headed up and dropped off some chairs at my mom's house and then went to Big J's (a local burger joint) and got an early dinner. Then we headed up to watch the parade. The parade was nice but not as good as it has been in years past. Funny thing is that we see a couple of our neighbors in the parade. Logan did get a bunch of candy and it was nice to see Jennifer and her family as well. After the parade we waited for Justin to come back (he was leading the parade in his cop car) and headed back to Big J's and got some ice cream. I got a large (and I really shouldn't have) Rice Krispie Treat shake and it was awesome!
Waiting for candy...
I told Logan that he needs to wave cutely to the cute girls. Here he is awarded a candy from one of the girls. Logan should trust me on this.
Our neighbor Sister Weeks playing the bass drum.
Winning: Kara's little brother Justin has been wanting to kick my trash in Madden. Finally last Saturday we had a showdown. It was close for a little while and then I pulled away and won the game. I guess I should feel bad for beating a 10-11 year old but he was a huge Steelers fan so it was deserved. The winner had to make cookies and so he made his sister Kara make me a plate of delicious cookies. Don't worry, I will pay them both back with a batch of cookies sometime this week.
Itching: Last week Logan was at a basketball camp for three days and he came home with a case of Athlete's Foot!
Reading: I am still a kid. I just finished a comic trade paperback G.I. Joe: Cobra and it was absolutely enthralling. This is not your daddy's G.I. Joe!
His name is Chuckles. He's the Joes' top undercover agent. And he's just infiltrated a top secret, highly organized terrorist organization... one the Joes aren't familiar with... one with a snake motif. As Chuckles is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark underbelly of Cobra, where one misstep means death, can he pull off the ultimate deception and bring them down from within?I am very surprised (and pleased) that Hasbro (the toy company that owns G.I. Joe) would allow a book like this to be published. This is a very dark book with a couple of surprising twists. This is nothing like the old cartoon, it is a much more serious look at America's top fighting force taking on a dangerous terrorist group. There are two more volumes in print that I definitely want to track down.
Jan 25, 2011
Should These Count?
One of my New Year's Resolutions was to read more. Instead of reading a novel once a month, I decided to read one once a quarter since I was adding some other reading goals too.
Now the month has not even ended and I have completed three books so far. And I started my fourth one this morning. Once I am done with that book, and I am thinking that it will be finished in just a few days (since I started and finished my third book yesterday).
Logan at school has been coming home talking about this thing called the "Cheese Touch". He would talk about it all the time. So finally we convinced him to bring home this book that contains this so-called Cheese Touch. He brought home this book called Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Kristy started to read it and she laughed through it so I gave it a try. Now three of these diaries later, I am now starting my fourth one.
I have to admit that I really get a kick out of them. But then I also survived middle school. It seems like I have had some sort of the same experiences as this kid did. I would post some of my favorite parts but I don't want to ruin them. You really should check them out yourself. They are a fast and entertaining read. It totally made me remember what it was like to be that age.
If I count reading them then I will be finished with that goal by the time January ends. Hmmmm.... not sure what to do about it. I think I will count them as something but I am not sure what to count them as.
Now the month has not even ended and I have completed three books so far. And I started my fourth one this morning. Once I am done with that book, and I am thinking that it will be finished in just a few days (since I started and finished my third book yesterday).
But should I count them? I know they should count for at least something.
Logan at school has been coming home talking about this thing called the "Cheese Touch". He would talk about it all the time. So finally we convinced him to bring home this book that contains this so-called Cheese Touch. He brought home this book called Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Kristy started to read it and she laughed through it so I gave it a try. Now three of these diaries later, I am now starting my fourth one.
I have to admit that I really get a kick out of them. But then I also survived middle school. It seems like I have had some sort of the same experiences as this kid did. I would post some of my favorite parts but I don't want to ruin them. You really should check them out yourself. They are a fast and entertaining read. It totally made me remember what it was like to be that age.
If I count reading them then I will be finished with that goal by the time January ends. Hmmmm.... not sure what to do about it. I think I will count them as something but I am not sure what to count them as.
Jan 11, 2011
2010 Book Reviews
It has been awhile since I read these books so I hope that this review can still be worthwhile. Last year for one of my New Year's Resolutions I resolved to read at least one book a month (12 for all year) and review them for the blog.
My mom bought me Larry H. Miller's autobiography Driven for my birthday. Now I am not a huge supporter of the man. I do believe that he has done quite a bit for Utah but I did not see eye-to-eye on everything the man did. But I will say that his autobiography was fascinating. Driven is the perfect title for his book. His love of cars and his love of hard work are very apparent. His love of numbers was my favorite part of the book. Even though I do not agree with him all the time, I would love to work for him and I definitely respect the man. The chapters devoted to how the Utah Jazz came to Salt Lake were fantastic. He was also very honest in the book. He often regretted all the time he spent working and he regretted that he didn't spend enough time with his imperfect family. Miller is a man of integrity and I recommend this to any Utahn, any Mormon and any sports fan.
I finished my last book of 2010 reading the autobiography of Carrie Fisher, Wishful Drinking. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Boy is she whacked out! But I still love her. In fact, I love her even more after reading this funny and quirky book. If you are a Star Wars fan, you definitely need to check this out. The whole bras-cannot-exist-in-space thing is absolutely hilarious. One thing that I appreciated while reading this is how upfront she is with all the craziness of being from a celebrity family. And I had no idea that she dated Paul Simon. I definitely learned something reading this book. I recommend this one to Star Wars fans and for those that love train wrecks.
My mom bought me Larry H. Miller's autobiography Driven for my birthday. Now I am not a huge supporter of the man. I do believe that he has done quite a bit for Utah but I did not see eye-to-eye on everything the man did. But I will say that his autobiography was fascinating. Driven is the perfect title for his book. His love of cars and his love of hard work are very apparent. His love of numbers was my favorite part of the book. Even though I do not agree with him all the time, I would love to work for him and I definitely respect the man. The chapters devoted to how the Utah Jazz came to Salt Lake were fantastic. He was also very honest in the book. He often regretted all the time he spent working and he regretted that he didn't spend enough time with his imperfect family. Miller is a man of integrity and I recommend this to any Utahn, any Mormon and any sports fan.
I finished my last book of 2010 reading the autobiography of Carrie Fisher, Wishful Drinking. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Boy is she whacked out! But I still love her. In fact, I love her even more after reading this funny and quirky book. If you are a Star Wars fan, you definitely need to check this out. The whole bras-cannot-exist-in-space thing is absolutely hilarious. One thing that I appreciated while reading this is how upfront she is with all the craziness of being from a celebrity family. And I had no idea that she dated Paul Simon. I definitely learned something reading this book. I recommend this one to Star Wars fans and for those that love train wrecks.
My next books will be the Thomas S. Monson autobiography and then the Belinda Carlisle one.
Jan 3, 2011
2011 Resolutions
YAY! 2011!
I am so glad to see some of my fellow bloggers come back to their blog and I am also glad to see that some of them has used the opportunity to blog to come up with some goals and resolutions. Reading them has motivated me.
I really like the way my cousin Jeremy posted his so I am going to steal it.
I RESOLVE...
- to take the time to write more. I have three unfinished novels that are just sitting around. I also have a children's story that is just sitting in my filing cabinet. My goal is to finish at least two of them and continue the third. I will also so another round of NaNoWriMo this November and I will need to figure out what I should write. And I will participate in another round of Script Frenzy this April. I am not sure what I will do for that competition. I might continue my comic book or try something completely different like a TV episode or a musical. And this blog will continue 5 days a week.
I RESOLVE...
- to take the time to read more. I really liked reading a novel/book once a month last year and I think I would like to continue that resolution for this year too. One thing I have learned by blogging daily is that I can do anything daily if I just put my mind to it. If I can blog daily, I can read something daily. So I resolve to read my scriptures daily. I also resolve to read the Ensign (a church magazine) from cover to cover every month. I also resolve to read a good book once a quarter. I have a bunch waiting.
I RESOLVE...
- to take care of myself. I am no spring chicken and I need to watch what I do (and what I don't do) to my body. So yeah, the ugly E-word. Exercise. I have been a slacker the last month and I need to get going again. I resolve to exercise 5 days a week if possible. I have some fun walking programs that I can do (and will do!) during the cold winter months and then get back into running when the weather gets a bit warmer. And speaking of running, I also will run my first 5K race this year. I will run the Top of Utah 5K on September 17th. I will have all spring and summer to train so I have no excuse not to make it. I will also watch what I eat and try to slim down my portions.
I RESOLVE...
- to pick up a pen and draw. I want to draw and I want to be creative. Last year I wanted to reactivate my Queen blog (Sheer Art Attack) and post some art based on Queen songs. I was going to do it once a month and I think that may have been too lofty a goal. So I will see if I can do something quarterly.
I RESOLVE...
- to continue to the play the bass guitar. But instead of just playing it by ear, I may borrow some books from the library and really teach myself how to play. And to also continue to sing with the choir and look for some other opportunities to use these talents.
I RESOLVE...
- I have some other things that I want to do this year but they are private or they are too mundane and boring to list them here.
Oct 9, 2010
Last Days of September
Day 343
This is it. I did my final Matt at Work column just a few days ago and now this will be my last Last Days column!
But that isn't entirely true. I still have two months before my New Year's Resolutions are up and I cannot quit now. So the blog and this column will continue for at least a little bit longer. We are entering the home stretch, I gotta gird up the ol' loins and take it to the end.
No set writing yet but I have been jotting down notes in preparation of next month's National Novel Writing Month. I have an idea for a story involving vampires (I know, I know... so overdone) that I thought about six years ago. It is a horror story (sorry ladies, no lovey-dovey vampires here) set back during the Old West titled Blood Mine. I know how the story ends and I know how the main character gets there but I have no idea where to begin. I am hoping NaNoWriMo gets the creative juices flowing.
I am currently reading two books this month. I finally received The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore and I am about halfway through that book and I am a few chapters in Driven: An Autobiography by Utah businessman Larry H. Miller.
Both books have already proved to be well worth reading. I'll have some reviews of them when I complete them sometime this month.
Same old song and dance. I don't think I eat what I should and I think I eat way too much. But I am eating better than I was a year ago. I am still exercising, I am trying to run every other day (except Sundays) and I work out on my Total Gym the other days. I feel better and I think I look better. This is definitely the longest I have been exercising, I don't think I have done something like this since high school. I am going to run the Top of Utah 5K next year so I am some motivation of working out during the winter.
I am still playing the bass guitar almost daily and I am really starting to pick it up. I don't know how to read music and I don't know what notes I am hitting on the bass but my ear is picking up the notes and telling my fingers what I should hit on the bass. Recently I have learned Queen's Under Pressure and I can almost do it without looking. I am probably up to about twenty to twenty-five songs.
So it was not a bad month at all. I only have two months before I hit the one-year mark and I am looking forward to seeing how far I have gone.
This is it. I did my final Matt at Work column just a few days ago and now this will be my last Last Days column!
But that isn't entirely true. I still have two months before my New Year's Resolutions are up and I cannot quit now. So the blog and this column will continue for at least a little bit longer. We are entering the home stretch, I gotta gird up the ol' loins and take it to the end.
WRITING:
No set writing yet but I have been jotting down notes in preparation of next month's National Novel Writing Month. I have an idea for a story involving vampires (I know, I know... so overdone) that I thought about six years ago. It is a horror story (sorry ladies, no lovey-dovey vampires here) set back during the Old West titled Blood Mine. I know how the story ends and I know how the main character gets there but I have no idea where to begin. I am hoping NaNoWriMo gets the creative juices flowing.
READING:
I am currently reading two books this month. I finally received The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore and I am about halfway through that book and I am a few chapters in Driven: An Autobiography by Utah businessman Larry H. Miller.
Both books have already proved to be well worth reading. I'll have some reviews of them when I complete them sometime this month.
EXERCISE AND EATING RIGHT:
Same old song and dance. I don't think I eat what I should and I think I eat way too much. But I am eating better than I was a year ago. I am still exercising, I am trying to run every other day (except Sundays) and I work out on my Total Gym the other days. I feel better and I think I look better. This is definitely the longest I have been exercising, I don't think I have done something like this since high school. I am going to run the Top of Utah 5K next year so I am some motivation of working out during the winter.
OTHER STUFF:
I am still playing the bass guitar almost daily and I am really starting to pick it up. I don't know how to read music and I don't know what notes I am hitting on the bass but my ear is picking up the notes and telling my fingers what I should hit on the bass. Recently I have learned Queen's Under Pressure and I can almost do it without looking. I am probably up to about twenty to twenty-five songs.
So it was not a bad month at all. I only have two months before I hit the one-year mark and I am looking forward to seeing how far I have gone.
Aug 1, 2010
The Last Days of July
Day 274
It is hard to believe that it is August 1st already, that is eight months into the new year! That means I only have about 4 months left on the blog which is even harder to believe.
It also means that it is time to be accountable for the resolutions that I made in the New Year. I was doing these columns every two weeks but I like the monthly format better. Now I just have to remember what I did last month. :)
I also read Conversations with Tom Petty, which I found very fascinating. It gave an in depth look at Petty's career and also spent a great deal of time on his songs.
I also read The Final Season by former New York Jets head coach Bill Parcell. That was fun to read as well since it took me back to one of the more interesting seasons of the New York Jets.
I am now close to finishing another book, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions Of A B-Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell. I saw this at the library and I had to read it. I have always wanted to read it and it is just as fun as you would think it would be. I'll do a Book Review column for that when I am done with the book here in a week or so.
I have a few books waiting in the wings that I am excited to read. I still have Driven: An Autobiography by Larry H Miller (former owner of the Utah Jazz and major Utah business owner). And I also want to track down Wishful Drinking (Carrie Fisher's memoirs) and Lips Unsealed (Belinda Carlisle's memoirs).
So I think I am on my way to completing this goal with ease by the end of the year.
OTHER STUFF:I have not done any major art but I am doodling more. Heh, that sounds kinda strange. I am playing my bass guitar pretty regularly now. I keep it by my computer, I know that if I put it away, I will never play it. So I am keeping it out and I am trying to play for at least fifteen minutes (a few songs) a day.
So not too bad. I have to tighten the screws on a few goals and work on them and then I think I am set!
It is hard to believe that it is August 1st already, that is eight months into the new year! That means I only have about 4 months left on the blog which is even harder to believe.
It also means that it is time to be accountable for the resolutions that I made in the New Year. I was doing these columns every two weeks but I like the monthly format better. Now I just have to remember what I did last month. :)
WRITING:
I'll be honest, I have not done any writing this last month aside from my blog. I have revisited my earliest attempt at a novel that I did a few years ago but I have not done any revisions or even plotting. That really needs to change since November's NaNoWrMo is coming up and will be here quicker than I think. I have to decide if I want to go into my horror novel or continue with my early Powergate novel. Either way, I need to start outlining it out. READING:
Last month I was struggling, now I am far ahead of schedule with no signs of stopping. I finished "Sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs : a low culture manifesto" by Chuck Klosterman and thought that was a fun read. He and I think alike on some topics, we both watched The Real World (and his chapter devoted to that was fascinating) and we both thought Billy Joel's album, the Nylon Curtain was his best work. His chapters on Saved by the Bell and breakfast cereals were pretty funny. I might check out a few more of his books. I also read Conversations with Tom Petty, which I found very fascinating. It gave an in depth look at Petty's career and also spent a great deal of time on his songs.
I also read The Final Season by former New York Jets head coach Bill Parcell. That was fun to read as well since it took me back to one of the more interesting seasons of the New York Jets.
I have a few books waiting in the wings that I am excited to read. I still have Driven: An Autobiography by Larry H Miller (former owner of the Utah Jazz and major Utah business owner). And I also want to track down Wishful Drinking (Carrie Fisher's memoirs) and Lips Unsealed (Belinda Carlisle's memoirs).
So I think I am on my way to completing this goal with ease by the end of the year.
EXERCISE AND EATING RIGHT:
This is probably the most steady exercising I have ever had. When I look back the last eight months I can say that I have exercised at least 3 times each week. I am still running (and it is getting easier, I can see the improvements) and I do try to lift some weights as well. I try to run when I can but that depends on how hot it is. If it is too hot, I work out on my Total Gym. I still have not lost any more weight but I do look a lot more tone. I am trying to eat better but I have not been very anal. Kristy and I started to get our Bountiful Baskets and so I feel like I am eating a heck of a lot more fruit and veggies. I feel healthier and I guess that is the most important thing. OTHER STUFF:
So not too bad. I have to tighten the screws on a few goals and work on them and then I think I am set!
Jun 29, 2010
Book Review: The Final Season
Day 241
I finally read Bill Parcells biography on his final season with the New York Jets. Being a fan of Bill Parcells and the Jets I have always wanted to read this book. I have read a few chapters here and there while at a library or at a bookstore but I have never read it from cover to cover.
To say that I enjoyed the book is an understatement. But unfortunately it also brought back bad memories. The year before had been one of the best seasons. The Jets were in the AFC Championship only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Denver Broncos. But this season the Jets loaded up and were heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl.
But then tragedy hit. Quarterback Vinny Testeverde was lost for the season. And that was just the beginning of one of the most challenging and difficult seasons the New York Jets had to go through. They lost a respected owner and the team was selling. Injuries mounted and Coach Parcells questioned himself.
Through all the adversity, the Jets did manage to get to 8-8 which is exceptional since they started the season 2-6.
All through the book Coach Parcells is incredibly honest. There are many example of him calling out players for work ethic, admitting he made mistakes and critiquing those around him. But he also takes what he gives out. He was willing to do anything to help the Jets organization and often swallowed his pride to do so.
One of the strangest things to come out of the Jets was when Parcells retired. He was ready to retire but before he did he made sure that the New York Jets organization was taken care of. His then Defensive Coordinator, Bill Belichick was supposed to take over as Head Coach of the New York Jets as soon as Parcells stepped down. Belichick even accepted a million dollar bonus to stay with the Jets for another year while he waited for Parcells to step down but instead he took the owner's money and then stabbed him in the back. When Parcells stepped down, Belichick had a press conference where he announced his resignation. Parcell and the Jets had a contract with him and if he decided to quit, he would not be allowed to coach for the remainder of the contract, which was another 3 years. Parcells was unhappy with Bill for sure but he swallowed his pride and reached out to his old owner and football team (the New England Patriots wanted Belichick as their coach) and they came to an agreement. Parcells could have told the Jets brass to hold off and Belichick would have been stuck but Parcells did it for the betterment of the NFL.
Like him or hate him, you have to admire and respect Parcells. And after reading this book, I have gained even more respect for the man. He knows what he wants and doesn't keep it a secret. Not only does this go over the whole season in terms of wins and losses, you also get his opinion on the state of the NFL. You also get to see how coaching affects him personally.
I you love football, you will love this book. If you are a fan of the New York Jets, this is a must-read.
Now I am off to finish my Tom Petty book.
I finally read Bill Parcells biography on his final season with the New York Jets. Being a fan of Bill Parcells and the Jets I have always wanted to read this book. I have read a few chapters here and there while at a library or at a bookstore but I have never read it from cover to cover.
But then tragedy hit. Quarterback Vinny Testeverde was lost for the season. And that was just the beginning of one of the most challenging and difficult seasons the New York Jets had to go through. They lost a respected owner and the team was selling. Injuries mounted and Coach Parcells questioned himself.
Through all the adversity, the Jets did manage to get to 8-8 which is exceptional since they started the season 2-6.
All through the book Coach Parcells is incredibly honest. There are many example of him calling out players for work ethic, admitting he made mistakes and critiquing those around him. But he also takes what he gives out. He was willing to do anything to help the Jets organization and often swallowed his pride to do so.
One of the strangest things to come out of the Jets was when Parcells retired. He was ready to retire but before he did he made sure that the New York Jets organization was taken care of. His then Defensive Coordinator, Bill Belichick was supposed to take over as Head Coach of the New York Jets as soon as Parcells stepped down. Belichick even accepted a million dollar bonus to stay with the Jets for another year while he waited for Parcells to step down but instead he took the owner's money and then stabbed him in the back. When Parcells stepped down, Belichick had a press conference where he announced his resignation. Parcell and the Jets had a contract with him and if he decided to quit, he would not be allowed to coach for the remainder of the contract, which was another 3 years. Parcells was unhappy with Bill for sure but he swallowed his pride and reached out to his old owner and football team (the New England Patriots wanted Belichick as their coach) and they came to an agreement. Parcells could have told the Jets brass to hold off and Belichick would have been stuck but Parcells did it for the betterment of the NFL.
I guess if Parcells can forgive Belichick and move on, I can too.
Okay, that was my last poke at Belichick
Like him or hate him, you have to admire and respect Parcells. And after reading this book, I have gained even more respect for the man. He knows what he wants and doesn't keep it a secret. Not only does this go over the whole season in terms of wins and losses, you also get his opinion on the state of the NFL. You also get to see how coaching affects him personally.
I you love football, you will love this book. If you are a fan of the New York Jets, this is a must-read.
Now I am off to finish my Tom Petty book.
May 28, 2010
List-Mania: More Graphic Novel Recommendations
Day 209
Last month I blogged about my favorite graphic novels and recommended them to you guys. These were the books that I would want to have if I was stranded on a desert island and in looking back I definitely got the list right. But if I was really on a deserted island I would miss these books quite a bit.
So here are more graphic novel recommendations. I have included a link directly to Amazon so you find more information and reviews as well and if you want to buy it. I have also included the synopsis/review of each title and why of course I love them.
I tried to choose a variety of different books this time instead of just my favorites. Hopefully there is something here for every one.
SCOTT PILGRIM: Precious Little Life
Vol. 1
By: Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, lives in a cold, unnamed Canadian town, plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-Omb and has a very cute 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian girlfriend, Knives Chau. His "precious little life" is amiably unstructured, and he drifts, happily unemployed, between band practice and time spent with Knives. But then he starts having dreams about Ramona Flowers, a mysterious, equally cute and perfectly legal hipster chick on Rollerblades who delivers books for Amazon.com. Ramona is anything but simple, and O'Malley's tale of adorable slackers in love is transformed into a wildly magically manga–kung fu fantasy adventure. We meet the first of Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends, Matthew Patel, who challenges Scott and his band to a supernatural martial arts duel right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It's an alt-lit, rock 'n' roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot that manages to capture both the genuine intimacies and serial dishonesties of young love.
If you want something completely different and very unique, I recommend picking up this first volume of Scott Pilgrim. It is funny, cute and exciting. Real life mixed with Nintendo. Michael Cera (of Arrested Development fame) is set to star as Scott Pilgrim in coming soon to theatres and I cannot wait. And the final Scott Pilgrim book (in a series of 6) is coming out in just a few short months.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Book 1
By: Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
High school, puberty, first dances - there are many pitfalls to being young. Compound these with intense personal tragedy and superhuman powers, and you can start to visualize the world of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Following the murder of his uncle and the Green Goblin's assault on his high school, Peter finds himself on the brink of manhood: getting a job at the Daily Bugle to help support his widowed aunt and taking on extracurricular activities - such as bringing down the Kingpin, the head of organized crime in New York City!
If you enjoyed the Spider-Man movies, I cannot possibly recommend these books any higher. While there are big differences between the movie and this version, it is still Spider-Man at heart. You don't need to worry about being lost reading this, it starts right at the beginning. Bendis really delivers a powerful and believable story and Bagley's art is perfect for new readers. Once you start, I promise you will be addicted and luckily there are about 20 volumes so far. Seriously, it is probably the best Spider-Man stories I have ever read.
HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION
VOL. 1
By: Mike Mignola
Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.
Hellboy and Hellboy 2 are some of my favorite movies and Hellboy is definitely one of my favorite comic books. If you like mystery, action and horror, this series of books (10 volumes) are definitely up your alley. If you like strange monsters, Lovecraft, fables and urban legends, this book is definitely for you. Mignola takes real fables and sends Hellboy out to figure them out. And the Hellboy character is just perfect, even though he is a demon, he is certainly human. Just writing about him makes me want to go read them.
STAR WARS LEGACY: BROKEN
VOL 1
By: John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but that's just the beginning of the story! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place! Readers will meet a host of new characters, see fleets of new spaceships, and visit scores of exotic locations - some new and some familiar. This is a perfect jumping-on point for any reader - an epic beginning to an untold chapter of the greatest adventure in the universe!
What kind of geek would I be if I didn't recommend a Star Wars title to read? I read these in comic book form and I absolutely love this series sanctioned by Lucas himself. The story idea is wonderful, it is set over 125 years after the events in Return of the Jedi. It features a descendant of Luke Skywalker who was trained as a Jedi but has abandoned the order. The series begins with an attack on the Jedi Temple and the overthrow of the Galactic Empire by a newly created Sith order. If you like Star Wars you will love this series. And there are more volumes published.
Y: THE LAST MAN: UNMANNED
VOL 1
By: Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
A mysterious plague has killed every man on earth except Yorick Brown, who was somehow spared. The sole Y-chromosomed survivor is an amiable, headstrong young man, the son of a U.S. congresswoman and, as it happens, an amateur escape artist. He tries to escape to Australia to find his girlfriend but finds that being the last man on Earth to be a much greater problem.
This series is not for the weak-hearted. Terrible things have happened and terribly things will continue to happen as Yorick tries to travel to Australia to find his girlfriend Beth. During his travels he will encounter various groups of women that have different beliefs and have different views on what they should do with Yorick. But during his travels he learns a lot more about himself. This is a fantastic science fiction story that really addresses a lot of what the world would be like if all the men died. But like I said before, this book is for Mature Readers Only. There is cursing and adult situations.
Most of these books are available at any book store and I am sure you could find copies of it at your local library. Do yourself a favor and try one of them out and you'll see why I love this medium so much.
Last month I blogged about my favorite graphic novels and recommended them to you guys. These were the books that I would want to have if I was stranded on a desert island and in looking back I definitely got the list right. But if I was really on a deserted island I would miss these books quite a bit.
So here are more graphic novel recommendations. I have included a link directly to Amazon so you find more information and reviews as well and if you want to buy it. I have also included the synopsis/review of each title and why of course I love them.
I tried to choose a variety of different books this time instead of just my favorites. Hopefully there is something here for every one.
SCOTT PILGRIM: Precious Little Life
Vol. 1
By: Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, lives in a cold, unnamed Canadian town, plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-Omb and has a very cute 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian girlfriend, Knives Chau. His "precious little life" is amiably unstructured, and he drifts, happily unemployed, between band practice and time spent with Knives. But then he starts having dreams about Ramona Flowers, a mysterious, equally cute and perfectly legal hipster chick on Rollerblades who delivers books for Amazon.com. Ramona is anything but simple, and O'Malley's tale of adorable slackers in love is transformed into a wildly magically manga–kung fu fantasy adventure. We meet the first of Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends, Matthew Patel, who challenges Scott and his band to a supernatural martial arts duel right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It's an alt-lit, rock 'n' roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot that manages to capture both the genuine intimacies and serial dishonesties of young love.
If you want something completely different and very unique, I recommend picking up this first volume of Scott Pilgrim. It is funny, cute and exciting. Real life mixed with Nintendo. Michael Cera (of Arrested Development fame) is set to star as Scott Pilgrim in coming soon to theatres and I cannot wait. And the final Scott Pilgrim book (in a series of 6) is coming out in just a few short months.
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Book 1
By: Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley
High school, puberty, first dances - there are many pitfalls to being young. Compound these with intense personal tragedy and superhuman powers, and you can start to visualize the world of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Following the murder of his uncle and the Green Goblin's assault on his high school, Peter finds himself on the brink of manhood: getting a job at the Daily Bugle to help support his widowed aunt and taking on extracurricular activities - such as bringing down the Kingpin, the head of organized crime in New York City!
If you enjoyed the Spider-Man movies, I cannot possibly recommend these books any higher. While there are big differences between the movie and this version, it is still Spider-Man at heart. You don't need to worry about being lost reading this, it starts right at the beginning. Bendis really delivers a powerful and believable story and Bagley's art is perfect for new readers. Once you start, I promise you will be addicted and luckily there are about 20 volumes so far. Seriously, it is probably the best Spider-Man stories I have ever read.
HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION
VOL. 1
By: Mike Mignola
Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.
Hellboy and Hellboy 2 are some of my favorite movies and Hellboy is definitely one of my favorite comic books. If you like mystery, action and horror, this series of books (10 volumes) are definitely up your alley. If you like strange monsters, Lovecraft, fables and urban legends, this book is definitely for you. Mignola takes real fables and sends Hellboy out to figure them out. And the Hellboy character is just perfect, even though he is a demon, he is certainly human. Just writing about him makes me want to go read them.
STAR WARS LEGACY: BROKEN
VOL 1
By: John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but that's just the beginning of the story! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place! Readers will meet a host of new characters, see fleets of new spaceships, and visit scores of exotic locations - some new and some familiar. This is a perfect jumping-on point for any reader - an epic beginning to an untold chapter of the greatest adventure in the universe!
What kind of geek would I be if I didn't recommend a Star Wars title to read? I read these in comic book form and I absolutely love this series sanctioned by Lucas himself. The story idea is wonderful, it is set over 125 years after the events in Return of the Jedi. It features a descendant of Luke Skywalker who was trained as a Jedi but has abandoned the order. The series begins with an attack on the Jedi Temple and the overthrow of the Galactic Empire by a newly created Sith order. If you like Star Wars you will love this series. And there are more volumes published.
Y: THE LAST MAN: UNMANNED
VOL 1
By: Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
A mysterious plague has killed every man on earth except Yorick Brown, who was somehow spared. The sole Y-chromosomed survivor is an amiable, headstrong young man, the son of a U.S. congresswoman and, as it happens, an amateur escape artist. He tries to escape to Australia to find his girlfriend but finds that being the last man on Earth to be a much greater problem.
This series is not for the weak-hearted. Terrible things have happened and terribly things will continue to happen as Yorick tries to travel to Australia to find his girlfriend Beth. During his travels he will encounter various groups of women that have different beliefs and have different views on what they should do with Yorick. But during his travels he learns a lot more about himself. This is a fantastic science fiction story that really addresses a lot of what the world would be like if all the men died. But like I said before, this book is for Mature Readers Only. There is cursing and adult situations.
Most of these books are available at any book store and I am sure you could find copies of it at your local library. Do yourself a favor and try one of them out and you'll see why I love this medium so much.
May 19, 2010
Day 200!
Day 200
I am a little bummed. I should be celebrating my 200th Blog post but instead I am bummed out.
On the 14th and 28th day of each month I account for my goals and if you haven't noticed it is the 19th today and I still have not posted my Day(s) of Reckoning for May yet. And that is why I am bummed.
So now that it is close to the halfway point of this year I thought it would be good to see where I am at in relation to my goals.
I am a little bummed. I should be celebrating my 200th Blog post but instead I am bummed out.
On the 14th and 28th day of each month I account for my goals and if you haven't noticed it is the 19th today and I still have not posted my Day(s) of Reckoning for May yet. And that is why I am bummed.
So now that it is close to the halfway point of this year I thought it would be good to see where I am at in relation to my goals.
WRITING
1) Finish and publish my novel "The Vessel"
Not good. I have completed the novel but I am nowhere near being able to get it published. And to make matters even worse, that special code that NaNoWrMo provided to get my novel published has expired. So even if I was done I still failed at completing this goal and that is why I am feeling a little bummed.
But there is still a silver lining. I wrote a book. A complete book from start to finish and it was over 65,000 words. How many people have done that? It was still a great experience and I appreciate all those that helped me with this. I will still finish it up and get it ready to publish.
2) Plot my novel for next November's NaNoWrMo
I have not even started with this yet but I do have some story ideas. I think the one I would like to work on is tentatively called "Blood Mine" and it deals with vampires during the old west. And it is not nice or romantic. It plays more on themes of religion and horror. Nice mix right? Right now this takes priority for my writing goal.
3) Try ScriptFrenzy
CONQUERED! I participated in this and wrote a comic book script titled "Alpha Flight: Dark Reign" and I am pretty happy with it.
4) Update my Banshee Blog
I have updated it but not monthly. But I still have updated it. I do plan on doing some updates.
READING
1) Read a novel once a month
WINNER! So far at least. I should be finishing up my 5th novel this month and I am actually starting my 6th one instead. I have read "Beat the Reaper", "Crooked Little Vein", "Veeps", "Bret Hart: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling" and "Comic Creators on Spider-Man" and I am starting "Shogun".
ART
1) Work on Queen art for blog
Nothing. I have done some art but nothing for my other blog. We'll see how the rest of the year goes.
EATING RIGHT/EXERCISE
1) Exercise daily except for weekends
2) Watch what I eat
I have been exercising a lot more than I did before I made this goal. And I think I look slimmer and a lot more tone. I have only missed a handful of days so success! Eating right I am still struggling with but I am a lot more careful with what I eat and how much I eat. So I still have some work but I think I am heading in the right direction.
OTHER GOALS
1) Practice my bass guitar
2) Learn Greek
I have not played my bass in awhile but last weekend I got the bug to do something musically creative. My cousin is in a band and I was on his Facebook page and listening to the music and it really motivated me to try my hand and do something musically. So I will practice my bass and maybe try to write some songs and I will probably join my church choir since I like to sing.
I still would like to learn Greek and I am proud to say that I know what "CTR" is in Greek. I wear a Greek CTR (Choose the Right) ring on my pinkie to remind me how I should live my life but I never knew what the Greek alphabet was. Now I know, it is Delta, Tau, Sigma. So I am learning Greek!
I guess I shouldn't be too bummed. I completed more than I thought I did and I still have 6 months to get the rest done.
May 17, 2010
School Daze: Grade 4
Day 198
Ah 4th grade... ...one of my favorite grades and that is because I had a guy teacher. Guy teachers were not the norm at Sifton and I was lucky that I got a guy teacher this time in Mr. Swan.
I (2nd guy from right to left on the 2nd row) made some real good friends in this class. I was happy that I was in the same class as my best friend Alvin Tam (fourth guy going left to right on the 2nd row). I remember he was a super good artist and was very creative and we hit it off. I used to go to his grandma's house after school and play. I originally was not supposed to be in this class but something happened to my other class and I was sent a few days into the school year into Mr. Swan's class.
They added a desk to the row near the door and I sat in front of Carrie Huber. I had a pretty big crush on her throughout the year and I made every effort to make her laugh. Sometimes it worked and sometimes I went a little too far.
Mr. Swan was awesome. His class was a lot of fun. Reading and writing was his biggest drive and would constantly hone us in reading and writing. I remember he used to make us take Dictation and would really try to trick us. He would also read to us after lunch almost every day. And I totally remember some of the books he read to us during the year. He read "Island of the Blue Dolphins" and "The Secret of Shark Reef" to us and they instantly made an impact on me. It was in his class that I learned to love to read and to write stories.
Mr. Swan was always proud of my creative writing abilities even though my hand writing was not that great. He told me that he looked forward to my stories since they were always so exciting and creative. That meant a lot to me. I wrote an Indiana Jones story called "Indiana Jones and the Lost Caverns" and even though it pretty much ripped off Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mr. Swan was impressed by my writing. I got my paper back and this was all that was on it was the word "Wow!!"
I loved learning about new things but I did struggle in one subject more than others. Surprisingly it was Art. I love Art and would take A.P. Art later on in high school but I was not a fan of construction paper-type of art. I wanted to draw, I wanted to paint, I didn't want to make cut-out snowflakes. I didn't mind doing the clay projects but everything else didn't interest me at all. I didn't know that my teacher picked up on this.
This year I also was awarded a Gold Fitness Award. The year before I got the Silver and I was so happy that I improved.
I later found out when I joined the Ukulele club that Mr. Swan could play the bass. He would bring in his huge bass and plunk along with us. He would twirl it and get fancy too. He was such a cool teacher and I remember wanting to be like him and teach also. I used to have a school desk and I would play school and I would pretend to be him.
Mr. Swan will always be one of my favorite teachers and I am thankful that he motivated me to try my hardest and get me to read.
Ah 4th grade... ...one of my favorite grades and that is because I had a guy teacher. Guy teachers were not the norm at Sifton and I was lucky that I got a guy teacher this time in Mr. Swan.
I (2nd guy from right to left on the 2nd row) made some real good friends in this class. I was happy that I was in the same class as my best friend Alvin Tam (fourth guy going left to right on the 2nd row). I remember he was a super good artist and was very creative and we hit it off. I used to go to his grandma's house after school and play. I originally was not supposed to be in this class but something happened to my other class and I was sent a few days into the school year into Mr. Swan's class.
They added a desk to the row near the door and I sat in front of Carrie Huber. I had a pretty big crush on her throughout the year and I made every effort to make her laugh. Sometimes it worked and sometimes I went a little too far.
Even Mr. Swan agreed. Sometimes I tried to hard to be funny.
As you can see he really drove us to read. A lot of my love for reading came from this man.
Mr. Swan was always proud of my creative writing abilities even though my hand writing was not that great. He told me that he looked forward to my stories since they were always so exciting and creative. That meant a lot to me. I wrote an Indiana Jones story called "Indiana Jones and the Lost Caverns" and even though it pretty much ripped off Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mr. Swan was impressed by my writing. I got my paper back and this was all that was on it was the word "Wow!!"
As you can see not only did Mr. Swan love my story but I had some kissing in it.
I loved learning about new things but I did struggle in one subject more than others. Surprisingly it was Art. I love Art and would take A.P. Art later on in high school but I was not a fan of construction paper-type of art. I wanted to draw, I wanted to paint, I didn't want to make cut-out snowflakes. I didn't mind doing the clay projects but everything else didn't interest me at all. I didn't know that my teacher picked up on this.
I wonder if I just sat at my desk looking blankly at the wall.
This year I also was awarded a Gold Fitness Award. The year before I got the Silver and I was so happy that I improved.
I later found out when I joined the Ukulele club that Mr. Swan could play the bass. He would bring in his huge bass and plunk along with us. He would twirl it and get fancy too. He was such a cool teacher and I remember wanting to be like him and teach also. I used to have a school desk and I would play school and I would pretend to be him.
Mr. Swan will always be one of my favorite teachers and I am thankful that he motivated me to try my hardest and get me to read.
Apr 28, 2010
April Day(s) of Reckoning II
Day 179
Part of me likes doing these columns because I really don't have to think much about what to blog that day. On the other hand, I hate doing these columns because I have been BUSTED!
Remember last time I said that I wouldn't guarantee anything because the time before I got caught with my pants down (not literally) and guaranteed I would do something?
Well, I did it again. Joe Namath would be so disappointed in me. I won't let you down Joe!
WRITING:
Yes, I am stillworking on the novel. Yeah, I still have that stupid small chapter beckoning for me to finish it. UGH! As soon as I am done with this blog and a few pages for my ScriptFrenzy project I will work on this next. Seriously. I know you don't believe me.
My ScriptFrenzy project is so close to be completed and I am having a hoot with it. I can crank out ten pages at a time and then I take a few days off to recharge and then I crank out another batch of pages. Script writing was so intimidating before but now it is a lot of fun. One thing I do appreciate is comic book writers that do team books. Keeping track of a large cast of characters is pretty difficult.
I just 7 more pages and I am finished with a 100 pages! A few today and few tomorrow and I am done. And I have a fun geeky epilogue to end with that I am excited to do. I will definitely do this again next April.
READING:
Nothing. Since I am ahead on books, I have not read anything. This obviously will change soon. I think I will give my fellow blogger Chelsea's books a try.
EXERCISE AND EATING RIGHT:
Much better than the last time. All of my Easter crap is gone so now I can refocus on my treat consumption. I have been exercising more too. When it is nice out I walk to the Logan Temple and walk around that block a couple of times and I run on the steep up hills. When I come home I try to run the last block or so. I just hope the weather stays good so I can go out.
And that is about all for my goals. So not bad but not totally good. So now I need to close my Mindsweeper game and get some writing done!
Part of me likes doing these columns because I really don't have to think much about what to blog that day. On the other hand, I hate doing these columns because I have been BUSTED!
Well, I did it again. Joe Namath would be so disappointed in me. I won't let you down Joe!
WRITING:
Yes, I am still
My ScriptFrenzy project is so close to be completed and I am having a hoot with it. I can crank out ten pages at a time and then I take a few days off to recharge and then I crank out another batch of pages. Script writing was so intimidating before but now it is a lot of fun. One thing I do appreciate is comic book writers that do team books. Keeping track of a large cast of characters is pretty difficult.
I just 7 more pages and I am finished with a 100 pages! A few today and few tomorrow and I am done. And I have a fun geeky epilogue to end with that I am excited to do. I will definitely do this again next April.
READING:
Nothing. Since I am ahead on books, I have not read anything. This obviously will change soon. I think I will give my fellow blogger Chelsea's books a try.
EXERCISE AND EATING RIGHT:
Much better than the last time. All of my Easter crap is gone so now I can refocus on my treat consumption. I have been exercising more too. When it is nice out I walk to the Logan Temple and walk around that block a couple of times and I run on the steep up hills. When I come home I try to run the last block or so. I just hope the weather stays good so I can go out.
And that is about all for my goals. So not bad but not totally good. So now I need to close my Mindsweeper game and get some writing done!
Apr 16, 2010
List-Mania: Graphic Novel Recommendations
Day 166
It shouldn't come to a surprise but I love comics. Now most people think that comics are merely superhero stuff and that is partly true. Most comic books do deal with superhero themes but that only scratches the surface of what comics really offer. There is something for everyone and this column is devoted to my Top 5 Favorite Graphic Novels.
Now you might be asking yourself what is the difference between a comic and a graphic novel? There really isn't much of a difference except one big one. A Graphic Novel is a comic book but it is a larger comic book that most times collects a bunch of individual comics and puts them into a nice complete volume. So these can be read in one sitting. You don't have to buy multiple comic books, just one big volume. And these are my favorites.
Only one of them is a superhero book. You will find that much of these books dabble in history, science fiction, fantasy and plain real-life drama.
I have included a link directly to Amazon so you find more information and reviews as well and if you want to buy it. I have also included the synopsis/review of each title and why of course I love them.
5) MAUS
By Art Spiegelman
Combined for the first time here are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance. Don't let the cartoonish nature of the art fool you. The author draws the Jews are mice and the Germans as cats but trust me, about six pages in you won't even notice. If you are interested in history like I am you will be enthralled by this book. Uplifting, sad and harsh, this book really hammers home what the Jews faced during World War II.
4) BONE
By Jeff Smith
The complete 1300-page epic adventure from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback. Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, spending a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns. This black and white fantasy adventure has it all. But what I enjoy most out of this sprawling story is the characters and the humor. Combine that with Smith's animation-like art which adds an amazing atmosphere and you have a book that anyone would enjoy. The Great Cow Race will guarantee you for some laughs. Ask Kristy, this is one of the two comics she has read.
3) BLANKETS
By Craig Thompson
The realism in Blankets reigns supreme in both the story arc and in the humanity of its characters. Thompson himself is the protagonist, and this is his tale of growing up, falling in love (and realizing the physical and moral complications that can imply), discovering the texture and limits of his faith, and arriving at a point from which he can look back at those experiences. The snowy Midwest, peopled by overweight parents, hairy youths, and lovingly depicted younger siblings-including a respectfully and realistically treated minor character with Down syndrome-is energetically realized in Thompson's expressive lines and inking. Much of the story occurs when Craig and his brother Phil are young boys and includes images of such boyish pranks as peeing on one another. Older high school students who have reached an age when nostalgia is possible will warm to Thompson's own wistfulness. This is a big graphic novel, in concept and successful execution. I bought this book and read it all the way through it in one sitting. There were experiences in this book that I have felt in my life. Confusion about religion and God, being somewhat of an outcast in school, lost loves and lots more. The author offers his soul here and does not hide anything. Because of that, reading this book opens the floodgates of my own memories of youth.
2) WATCHMEN
By Alan Moore (Author) and Dave Gibbons (Illustrator)
WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN? Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's monumental WATCHMEN is one of the most influential comic series of all time.
If you liked the movie, you HAVE to read the book! If you hated the movie you might as well skip this book even though you should check it out. This book really delves into what this world would have been like if superheroes existed. It can be beautiful at times but then it can be extremely brutal as well. The ending (I won't ruin it for you here) is one of the best endings to any comic book. And one that is different than the movie and much more meaningful and impactful.
1) V FOR VENDETTA
By Alan Moore (Author) and David Lloyd (Illustrator)
The date is November 5th, 1997. War has ravaged England, entire races have been eradicated, the entire British populace is under constant surveillance, and the absolute power is absolutely corrupt. On this historic day, a man with a strong resemblance to Guy Fawkes (in action and dress) blows up Parliament. The bomber, a masked character named V, saves a girl named Eve from a violent crime and takes her under his wing. Moore's dystopian, fascist version of England, ruled by one central leader and his sects (named after parts of the body, such as Finger, Nose, and Voice), is systematically dismantled by the enigmatic V. Readers must ultimately decide if V is a mad anarchist/terrorist or a freedom-fighting avenger for good.
If you liked the movie you will LOVE this book. If you didn't like the movie you should read this book anyway. It is much different than the movie and is much more of an emotional read. This will make you think about how you view your freedom and it should make you cherish what you have. An engrossing read, one that will captivate you. There is action, humor, revenge and romance. If I had to take a book to a deserted island, this would make the list!
Most of these books are available at any book store and I am sure you could find copies of it at your local library. Do yourself a favor and try one of them out and you'll see why I love this medium so much.
It shouldn't come to a surprise but I love comics. Now most people think that comics are merely superhero stuff and that is partly true. Most comic books do deal with superhero themes but that only scratches the surface of what comics really offer. There is something for everyone and this column is devoted to my Top 5 Favorite Graphic Novels.
Now you might be asking yourself what is the difference between a comic and a graphic novel? There really isn't much of a difference except one big one. A Graphic Novel is a comic book but it is a larger comic book that most times collects a bunch of individual comics and puts them into a nice complete volume. So these can be read in one sitting. You don't have to buy multiple comic books, just one big volume. And these are my favorites.
Only one of them is a superhero book. You will find that much of these books dabble in history, science fiction, fantasy and plain real-life drama.
I have included a link directly to Amazon so you find more information and reviews as well and if you want to buy it. I have also included the synopsis/review of each title and why of course I love them.
5) MAUS
By Art Spiegelman
Combined for the first time here are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance. Don't let the cartoonish nature of the art fool you. The author draws the Jews are mice and the Germans as cats but trust me, about six pages in you won't even notice. If you are interested in history like I am you will be enthralled by this book. Uplifting, sad and harsh, this book really hammers home what the Jews faced during World War II.
4) BONE
By Jeff Smith
The complete 1300-page epic adventure from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback. Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, spending a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns. This black and white fantasy adventure has it all. But what I enjoy most out of this sprawling story is the characters and the humor. Combine that with Smith's animation-like art which adds an amazing atmosphere and you have a book that anyone would enjoy. The Great Cow Race will guarantee you for some laughs. Ask Kristy, this is one of the two comics she has read.
3) BLANKETS
By Craig Thompson
The realism in Blankets reigns supreme in both the story arc and in the humanity of its characters. Thompson himself is the protagonist, and this is his tale of growing up, falling in love (and realizing the physical and moral complications that can imply), discovering the texture and limits of his faith, and arriving at a point from which he can look back at those experiences. The snowy Midwest, peopled by overweight parents, hairy youths, and lovingly depicted younger siblings-including a respectfully and realistically treated minor character with Down syndrome-is energetically realized in Thompson's expressive lines and inking. Much of the story occurs when Craig and his brother Phil are young boys and includes images of such boyish pranks as peeing on one another. Older high school students who have reached an age when nostalgia is possible will warm to Thompson's own wistfulness. This is a big graphic novel, in concept and successful execution. I bought this book and read it all the way through it in one sitting. There were experiences in this book that I have felt in my life. Confusion about religion and God, being somewhat of an outcast in school, lost loves and lots more. The author offers his soul here and does not hide anything. Because of that, reading this book opens the floodgates of my own memories of youth.
2) WATCHMEN
By Alan Moore (Author) and Dave Gibbons (Illustrator)
WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN? Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's monumental WATCHMEN is one of the most influential comic series of all time.
If you liked the movie, you HAVE to read the book! If you hated the movie you might as well skip this book even though you should check it out. This book really delves into what this world would have been like if superheroes existed. It can be beautiful at times but then it can be extremely brutal as well. The ending (I won't ruin it for you here) is one of the best endings to any comic book. And one that is different than the movie and much more meaningful and impactful.
1) V FOR VENDETTA
By Alan Moore (Author) and David Lloyd (Illustrator)
The date is November 5th, 1997. War has ravaged England, entire races have been eradicated, the entire British populace is under constant surveillance, and the absolute power is absolutely corrupt. On this historic day, a man with a strong resemblance to Guy Fawkes (in action and dress) blows up Parliament. The bomber, a masked character named V, saves a girl named Eve from a violent crime and takes her under his wing. Moore's dystopian, fascist version of England, ruled by one central leader and his sects (named after parts of the body, such as Finger, Nose, and Voice), is systematically dismantled by the enigmatic V. Readers must ultimately decide if V is a mad anarchist/terrorist or a freedom-fighting avenger for good.
If you liked the movie you will LOVE this book. If you didn't like the movie you should read this book anyway. It is much different than the movie and is much more of an emotional read. This will make you think about how you view your freedom and it should make you cherish what you have. An engrossing read, one that will captivate you. There is action, humor, revenge and romance. If I had to take a book to a deserted island, this would make the list!
Most of these books are available at any book store and I am sure you could find copies of it at your local library. Do yourself a favor and try one of them out and you'll see why I love this medium so much.
Apr 14, 2010
April Day(s) of Reckoning
Day 164
It feels like forever since I did one of these columns. And that may or may not be a good thing. Doing these columns certainly makes me take stock and see if I had improved any. Having to post them in such a public arena really makes me want to complete these goals.
And when it comes to New Year's Resolutions and goals, do not guarantee anything or you will look pretty silly later on. I guaranteed last time that I would have officially completed the novel. I have one month (I hope) before my coupon expires to get my book published and I really need to push it now. But I guarantee nothing. Except for the fact that I will finish off my little chapter.
I need to guarantee more like the way Broadway Joe Namath guarantees.
WRITING:
I am still working on the novel. Wait, let me rephrase that. I am going to work on finishing my novel. Which means I need to get ahead on my ScriptFrenzy project and on this blog. If I can double up some blog entries and get a few pages cranked out on my script, I can finish the novel.
My ScriptFrenzy project is progressing and is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The Scripped.com software is pretty awesome and makes scripting a lot more easier than I thought it would be. So far I am up to 41 pages out of the goal of 100 by the end of the month. Some days I can only do a few pages but some days are better than others and I can put out 10 pages or so. I will definitely do this again next April.
The blog is still going strong even though the last few weeks have been hard. I just don't know what to blog about anymore and I have to admit that I am getting lazier about writing too. Some stuff I want to blog about just takes forever to type! But I really shouldn't complain, this has been a lot of fun.
READING:
I finished this book a few days ago and it had to be one of the best autobiographies about professional wrestling I have ever read. It was engaging, funny, sad and motivational. Bret was one of the most famous and successful wrestler but then even his career was marred with heartache and unbelievable trials, in and out of the ring. Two of his brothers passed away tragically when they were young, close family members bickered and now they are no longer close, the injuries sustained by his friends and of course the famous Montreal Screwjob where in front of a national audience and in his homeland of Canada was lied to and he lost his World title by his own boss. But even in all the tribulation he still kept his head high and worked through a stroke. The amount of pain and loss this man faced makes me look at my own life. I could go on and on about this.
I am not sure what to read next. I still have Veeps to finish off but I am ahead in my book reading schedule. I have read 4 books this year already so I could take the rest of the month off.
Exercise and Eating Right
Ugh, I don't want to talk about this. With Easter I have pigged out on junk food like nothing else. So I have not been eating all that great. And this last week I barely exercised because I have not been feeling well. But I did exercise today and yesterday so I am getting back in the groove.
Lately for exercising I have been running up to the Logan Temple and walking around the block. It is great because it has quite an uphill (which I run every time) and it is beautiful to look at. I went walking around and running up the uphill portion when I noticed my neighbor running around it also. And boy did she run it, she must have lapped me a couple of times! So now the goal by the end of summer is to be able to run around it without tasting blood and feeling the spectre of death come upon me!
I have not done any drawing lately but I might pull out the drawing pad and do some doodling. Chances are I will be plotting my script instead since that goal needs to be done by the end of the month.
It feels like forever since I did one of these columns. And that may or may not be a good thing. Doing these columns certainly makes me take stock and see if I had improved any. Having to post them in such a public arena really makes me want to complete these goals.
And when it comes to New Year's Resolutions and goals, do not guarantee anything or you will look pretty silly later on. I guaranteed last time that I would have officially completed the novel. I have one month (I hope) before my coupon expires to get my book published and I really need to push it now. But I guarantee nothing. Except for the fact that I will finish off my little chapter.
I need to guarantee more like the way Broadway Joe Namath guarantees.WRITING:
I am still working on the novel. Wait, let me rephrase that. I am going to work on finishing my novel. Which means I need to get ahead on my ScriptFrenzy project and on this blog. If I can double up some blog entries and get a few pages cranked out on my script, I can finish the novel.
My ScriptFrenzy project is progressing and is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The Scripped.com software is pretty awesome and makes scripting a lot more easier than I thought it would be. So far I am up to 41 pages out of the goal of 100 by the end of the month. Some days I can only do a few pages but some days are better than others and I can put out 10 pages or so. I will definitely do this again next April.
The blog is still going strong even though the last few weeks have been hard. I just don't know what to blog about anymore and I have to admit that I am getting lazier about writing too. Some stuff I want to blog about just takes forever to type! But I really shouldn't complain, this has been a lot of fun.
READING:
I finished this book a few days ago and it had to be one of the best autobiographies about professional wrestling I have ever read. It was engaging, funny, sad and motivational. Bret was one of the most famous and successful wrestler but then even his career was marred with heartache and unbelievable trials, in and out of the ring. Two of his brothers passed away tragically when they were young, close family members bickered and now they are no longer close, the injuries sustained by his friends and of course the famous Montreal Screwjob where in front of a national audience and in his homeland of Canada was lied to and he lost his World title by his own boss. But even in all the tribulation he still kept his head high and worked through a stroke. The amount of pain and loss this man faced makes me look at my own life. I could go on and on about this.I am not sure what to read next. I still have Veeps to finish off but I am ahead in my book reading schedule. I have read 4 books this year already so I could take the rest of the month off.
Exercise and Eating Right
Ugh, I don't want to talk about this. With Easter I have pigged out on junk food like nothing else. So I have not been eating all that great. And this last week I barely exercised because I have not been feeling well. But I did exercise today and yesterday so I am getting back in the groove.
Lately for exercising I have been running up to the Logan Temple and walking around the block. It is great because it has quite an uphill (which I run every time) and it is beautiful to look at. I went walking around and running up the uphill portion when I noticed my neighbor running around it also. And boy did she run it, she must have lapped me a couple of times! So now the goal by the end of summer is to be able to run around it without tasting blood and feeling the spectre of death come upon me!
I have not done any drawing lately but I might pull out the drawing pad and do some doodling. Chances are I will be plotting my script instead since that goal needs to be done by the end of the month.
Mar 28, 2010
March Day(s) of Reckoning Part II
Day 148
I am going into my fourth month of my New Year's Resolutions and it feels like I have been doing them for YEARS. Time does fly but when it comes to these goals, time is dragging.
These last two weeks have been a ton better. I think having to blog about what I have done has helped me be more accountable and more aware. Part of me feels bad for those that follow my blog since I am sure this bores the snot out of you.
So let's get to it!
WRITING:
As many of you know already, I am starting a new writing challenge called Script Frenzy. I am looking forward to this new challenge and hope it helps hone my writing skills. It starts April 1st but I have been spending some time plotting and figuring out where I want to take this story.
I still have not yet completed my last insert into the Vessel. But that WILL be done this week. I guarantee it!
READING:
Last week, I felt horrible by not doing one single iota of reading. I certainly have changed that these last two weeks. I have read two books and I am on my way to completing my fourth ahead of schedule.
This book was an easy sell. Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite characters and I was feeling nostalgic so this book was right up my alley. DeFalco (the author) interviews about ten writers and artists about working on Spider-Man. This book is not a Marvel book so these creators really could let their feelings be known. Reading these types of books really inspire me to write. The part I enjoyed the most was reading about the Clone Saga. For those that don't know, this will go down in history as the WORST Spider-Man story ever (it lasted for years) but hearing the behind-the-scenes stuff was cool. The creators really thought that had something in that story but it quickly derailed when Sales and Marketing got involved.
I also started and completed this book by Warren Ellis. Ellis is one of my favorite comic book writers and this was his first novel. What I like about him is his cast of characters and how they are very unique. The plot was about a guy searching for the real US Constitution and who's hands it passed through. It was pretty violent and filled with stuff that I hope I never come across in real life. Definitely not for the weak of heart. I definitely like his comic books better and probably only because it is filtered down. Still, a fun and imaginative book.
The next book I am currently reading is the autobiography of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. He was a famous professional wrestler and this chronicles his life. He was a smart man, he kept audio diaries when he was wrestling just so he could write a book later in life. So far the book is excellent. Again, I like behind-the-scenes stuff and this is filled with it. A lot of funny stories; especially about the time his dad Stu would take perspective wrestlers down to the Dungeon and beat the tar out of them. In one case Stu was 65 years old and he made this one kid (who thought he was awesome) bawl like a baby because of the pain.
Exercise and Eating Right
I exercised most of the days, only missing one sessions. Unfortunately my weight was off a bit. We splurged last weekend and now I am suffering for it. No treats until Easter except for a few rare exceptions. But even then, I can only have treats in moderation. And since the weather has been nice, I have been running up to the Logan Temple and walking a few times around it. That gets the heart going since it is on a pretty big hill.
Every Tuesday during Lost I have been doing some drawing. More than likely next time I will be doing some storyboards for my script.
So not a bad two weeks.
By the way, I keep forgetting to thank Milton for the tip on cheap Creme Eggs. I got a bunch of those "gross" little things. Too bad I cannot eat them until Easter!
I am going into my fourth month of my New Year's Resolutions and it feels like I have been doing them for YEARS. Time does fly but when it comes to these goals, time is dragging.
These last two weeks have been a ton better. I think having to blog about what I have done has helped me be more accountable and more aware. Part of me feels bad for those that follow my blog since I am sure this bores the snot out of you.
So let's get to it!
WRITING:
As many of you know already, I am starting a new writing challenge called Script Frenzy. I am looking forward to this new challenge and hope it helps hone my writing skills. It starts April 1st but I have been spending some time plotting and figuring out where I want to take this story.
I still have not yet completed my last insert into the Vessel. But that WILL be done this week. I guarantee it!
READING:
Last week, I felt horrible by not doing one single iota of reading. I certainly have changed that these last two weeks. I have read two books and I am on my way to completing my fourth ahead of schedule.
This book was an easy sell. Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite characters and I was feeling nostalgic so this book was right up my alley. DeFalco (the author) interviews about ten writers and artists about working on Spider-Man. This book is not a Marvel book so these creators really could let their feelings be known. Reading these types of books really inspire me to write. The part I enjoyed the most was reading about the Clone Saga. For those that don't know, this will go down in history as the WORST Spider-Man story ever (it lasted for years) but hearing the behind-the-scenes stuff was cool. The creators really thought that had something in that story but it quickly derailed when Sales and Marketing got involved. 
I also started and completed this book by Warren Ellis. Ellis is one of my favorite comic book writers and this was his first novel. What I like about him is his cast of characters and how they are very unique. The plot was about a guy searching for the real US Constitution and who's hands it passed through. It was pretty violent and filled with stuff that I hope I never come across in real life. Definitely not for the weak of heart. I definitely like his comic books better and probably only because it is filtered down. Still, a fun and imaginative book.The next book I am currently reading is the autobiography of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. He was a famous professional wrestler and this chronicles his life. He was a smart man, he kept audio diaries when he was wrestling just so he could write a book later in life. So far the book is excellent. Again, I like behind-the-scenes stuff and this is filled with it. A lot of funny stories; especially about the time his dad Stu would take perspective wrestlers down to the Dungeon and beat the tar out of them. In one case Stu was 65 years old and he made this one kid (who thought he was awesome) bawl like a baby because of the pain. Exercise and Eating Right
I exercised most of the days, only missing one sessions. Unfortunately my weight was off a bit. We splurged last weekend and now I am suffering for it. No treats until Easter except for a few rare exceptions. But even then, I can only have treats in moderation. And since the weather has been nice, I have been running up to the Logan Temple and walking a few times around it. That gets the heart going since it is on a pretty big hill.
Every Tuesday during Lost I have been doing some drawing. More than likely next time I will be doing some storyboards for my script.
So not a bad two weeks.
By the way, I keep forgetting to thank Milton for the tip on cheap Creme Eggs. I got a bunch of those "gross" little things. Too bad I cannot eat them until Easter!
Feb 28, 2010
February Day(s) of Reckoning Part II
Day 120
I am starting to loathe these columns already. They may be no fun to read but believe me, they are not fun to write either.
It has been two months since I have made my New Year's Resolutions (or has my friend Betsy calls them New Year's Goals) and looking back, in the long run, I am pretty happy for how things have turned out.
But when I look at the last 2 weeks I am only slightly happy. It has been a hard two weeks but at the same time, I feel like I have grown a bit (and luckily not in the weight category) especially these last 2 weeks. At least there has been some improvement going on.
So how am I doing?
WRITING:
HUZZAH! I finished my 2nd draft! I felt a bit guilty for hardly doing anything the last time that I really focused and completed it. I have to admit that editing the ending was a lot of fun, there is a ton of stuff that I totally have forgotten about. It reads a lot stronger than my first draft. I still have a small portion to add, about maybe a thousand words or so.
2ND DRAFT: 93,993 words
1ST DRAFT: 65,285 words
Yeah, I would say that I have added quite a bit of content. Now for another set of edits and I should be completed!
And I have done a few more doodles of some cover art. That will be the goal for next time. I will post some rough drawings.
READING:
I feel like I have failed here. But with some fancy justification I can amend that. Unfortunately I never got 'Then We Came to the End' back from the library. And I am only about halfway through my replacement book 'Veeps'. So I have not completed a book this month. So the justification is that my goal for the year is 12 books which is at least once a month. I will finish 'Veeps' for sure but it may take some time to revisit the other book.
The book for March will be Warren Ellis's 'Crooked Little Vein' which I have not read yet. I read the first chapter awhile ago but never completed it.
Exercise and Eating Right
Ugh. I have not done as well as I would have liked. I skipped exercising a few times and I have not eaten great. But I still have exercised so at least I am getting something. And I have been a little more choosy when it comes to food. Still, this is better than normal.
With Spring right around the corner, I am feeling pretty ambitious. Which is good since I will need to exercise more to burn off all those Creme Eggs.
I am starting to loathe these columns already. They may be no fun to read but believe me, they are not fun to write either.
It has been two months since I have made my New Year's Resolutions (or has my friend Betsy calls them New Year's Goals) and looking back, in the long run, I am pretty happy for how things have turned out.
But when I look at the last 2 weeks I am only slightly happy. It has been a hard two weeks but at the same time, I feel like I have grown a bit (and luckily not in the weight category) especially these last 2 weeks. At least there has been some improvement going on.
So how am I doing?
WRITING:
HUZZAH! I finished my 2nd draft! I felt a bit guilty for hardly doing anything the last time that I really focused and completed it. I have to admit that editing the ending was a lot of fun, there is a ton of stuff that I totally have forgotten about. It reads a lot stronger than my first draft. I still have a small portion to add, about maybe a thousand words or so.
2ND DRAFT: 93,993 words
1ST DRAFT: 65,285 words
Yeah, I would say that I have added quite a bit of content. Now for another set of edits and I should be completed!
And I have done a few more doodles of some cover art. That will be the goal for next time. I will post some rough drawings.
READING:
I feel like I have failed here. But with some fancy justification I can amend that. Unfortunately I never got 'Then We Came to the End' back from the library. And I am only about halfway through my replacement book 'Veeps'. So I have not completed a book this month. So the justification is that my goal for the year is 12 books which is at least once a month. I will finish 'Veeps' for sure but it may take some time to revisit the other book.
The book for March will be Warren Ellis's 'Crooked Little Vein' which I have not read yet. I read the first chapter awhile ago but never completed it.Exercise and Eating Right
Ugh. I have not done as well as I would have liked. I skipped exercising a few times and I have not eaten great. But I still have exercised so at least I am getting something. And I have been a little more choosy when it comes to food. Still, this is better than normal.
With Spring right around the corner, I am feeling pretty ambitious. Which is good since I will need to exercise more to burn off all those Creme Eggs.
Feb 19, 2010
List-Mania: Warren Ellis
Day 111
I have been really trying to keep my geekiness in check but some days these columns just scream out geekiness. And who I am I to stop it completely? Especially when I am having a hard time wanting to blog.
So bear with me or just skip this column altogether because I am going to be talking about comic books and graphic novels. Today I am going to spotlight my favorite writer Warren Ellis.
I first discovered Ellis with his run on Stormwatch and immediately I was impressed. He took a team of just typical superheroes and turned them completely into real people with real situations. It is hard to describe why I like his writing but I will follow him where ever he goes and no matter what he writes. What impresses me is his imagination and how well he grasps human emotion. He can write some impressive hardcore science fiction but yet gives us characters with many layers and personality quirks. Like I said before, I will pick up anything he writes. He can write horror, science fiction, superhero stuff and crime books. And he can mix these genres together and get something extremely fascinating and exciting. I prefer his superhero work but I love pretty much everything he has done. I better stop before I really start gushing. Here are my Top 5 favorite works by Warren Ellis. I have listed the product description along with my comments.
5) NextWave
RRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! Action! Excitement! Explosions! The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E. (a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation) put NEXTWAVE together to fight Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. When NEXTWAVE discovers that H.A.T.E. and Beyond are terrorist cells themselves, and that the BWMDs were intended to kill them, they are less than pleased. In fact, they are rather angry. So they make things explode. Lots of things. And that's only the beginning! Starring Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Aaron Stack (Machine Man), Tabitha Smith (X-Force's Meltdown), monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and The Captain! If you like anything, you will LOVE NEXTWAVE! BOOM!
I love this book because he takes the Marvel Universe (and superhero stuff in general) and makes fun of it. Ellis's dark humor at its best.
4) Fell
Detective Richard Fell is transferred over the bridge from the big city to Snowtown, a feral district whose police investigations department numbers three and a half people (one detective has no legs). Dumped in this collapsing urban trashzone, Richard Fell is starting all over again. In a place where nothing seems to make any sense, Fell clings to the one thing he knows to be true: every body's hiding something.
I love this book because it is not for the squeamish. Ellis takes his stories from real events in life and that makes it all the more creepy. Like the pack of dogs in Detroit to the man that keeps his daughter sick on purpose to the horrifying tradition of hanging baby corpses in your house to ward off evil spirits. Fascinating stuff!
3) Scars
How much of a monster do you have to become to hunt monsters? John Cain has been working Homicide long enough to get hard to pretty much anything; even wrenching personal loss. But everyone has a limit, and today it's gotten too much to bear. Today, he gets assigned something that finally breaks through his defenses - a child killing that hits horribly close to home. Until today, he's been a good cop, a cop who goes by procedure because it's the best way to ensure that scum go to prison. Now, he makes the parents of the victim a chilling promise: he will find the killer using any means necessary. And the killer will not get away with it - no matter what it takes!
This is perhaps the only Ellis work that I have only read twice. This book felt too real and is based on a horror that we unfortunately see every day in the news. Horrifying and heart wrenching at the same time. This book stayed with me for a long time.
2) The Authority
From the ashes of StormWatch (a United Nations super team) comes a new team of individuals who will use their incredible powers and abilities to force the planet Earth to pay attention. Together they are the Authority and they will change the world.
The Authority grew naturally from being a United Nations super response team to a group of heroes that are proactive instead of reactive. They are not afraid to use their power to make the world a better place and they will not let anyone stand in the way. I love Ellis's run on this book because his ideas get bigger and bigger. It starts off with a super villain terrorist that tries to take over the world and they wipe him out. Then the Authority wards off an invasion from another dimension and lastly they fight off the original owners of the Earth.
1) Planetary
This first collection stars a team of super- powered mystery archaeologists who have uncovered evidence of super-human activity that spans the centuries. The team includes the ancient and enigmatic Elijah Snow, hot-tempered Jakita Wagner, and the insane techno-expert Drummer, as they deal with a World War II supercomputer that can access other universes, a spectral spirit of vengeance, and more!
I love this series because it blends everything that I love about Ellis's writing in one place. You get superheroes, crime, horror, action, it homages every genre of comics.
Honorable Mention: Orbiter
In this science fiction mystery tale, Venture, a space shuttle that disappeared ten years ago with its crew of seven, miraculously returns from outer space without warning or explanation. Occupied by only an insane pilot, the spacecraft shows evidence of a remarkable journey through the solar systems. Now, in order to solve the mystery of the shuttle's inexplicable journey and the fate of its six lost astronauts, three NASA specialists are called upon to investigate the alien instrumentation and materials that adorn Venture. But as secrets are revealed, it soon becomes apparent that the shuttle's journey not only took it outside our solar system but to a realm of existence that is unimaginable.
If you love science fiction, I cannot recommend this book enough. Beautiful, haunting and full of imagination. You just gotta read it!
I have been really trying to keep my geekiness in check but some days these columns just scream out geekiness. And who I am I to stop it completely? Especially when I am having a hard time wanting to blog.
So bear with me or just skip this column altogether because I am going to be talking about comic books and graphic novels. Today I am going to spotlight my favorite writer Warren Ellis.
I first discovered Ellis with his run on Stormwatch and immediately I was impressed. He took a team of just typical superheroes and turned them completely into real people with real situations. It is hard to describe why I like his writing but I will follow him where ever he goes and no matter what he writes. What impresses me is his imagination and how well he grasps human emotion. He can write some impressive hardcore science fiction but yet gives us characters with many layers and personality quirks. Like I said before, I will pick up anything he writes. He can write horror, science fiction, superhero stuff and crime books. And he can mix these genres together and get something extremely fascinating and exciting. I prefer his superhero work but I love pretty much everything he has done. I better stop before I really start gushing. Here are my Top 5 favorite works by Warren Ellis. I have listed the product description along with my comments.
5) NextWaveRRRAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH! Action! Excitement! Explosions! The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E. (a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation) put NEXTWAVE together to fight Bizarre Weapons of Mass Destruction. When NEXTWAVE discovers that H.A.T.E. and Beyond are terrorist cells themselves, and that the BWMDs were intended to kill them, they are less than pleased. In fact, they are rather angry. So they make things explode. Lots of things. And that's only the beginning! Starring Monica Rambeau (formerly Captain Marvel and Photon), Aaron Stack (Machine Man), Tabitha Smith (X-Force's Meltdown), monster-hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and The Captain! If you like anything, you will LOVE NEXTWAVE! BOOM!
I love this book because he takes the Marvel Universe (and superhero stuff in general) and makes fun of it. Ellis's dark humor at its best.
4) FellDetective Richard Fell is transferred over the bridge from the big city to Snowtown, a feral district whose police investigations department numbers three and a half people (one detective has no legs). Dumped in this collapsing urban trashzone, Richard Fell is starting all over again. In a place where nothing seems to make any sense, Fell clings to the one thing he knows to be true: every body's hiding something.
I love this book because it is not for the squeamish. Ellis takes his stories from real events in life and that makes it all the more creepy. Like the pack of dogs in Detroit to the man that keeps his daughter sick on purpose to the horrifying tradition of hanging baby corpses in your house to ward off evil spirits. Fascinating stuff!
3) ScarsHow much of a monster do you have to become to hunt monsters? John Cain has been working Homicide long enough to get hard to pretty much anything; even wrenching personal loss. But everyone has a limit, and today it's gotten too much to bear. Today, he gets assigned something that finally breaks through his defenses - a child killing that hits horribly close to home. Until today, he's been a good cop, a cop who goes by procedure because it's the best way to ensure that scum go to prison. Now, he makes the parents of the victim a chilling promise: he will find the killer using any means necessary. And the killer will not get away with it - no matter what it takes!
This is perhaps the only Ellis work that I have only read twice. This book felt too real and is based on a horror that we unfortunately see every day in the news. Horrifying and heart wrenching at the same time. This book stayed with me for a long time.
2) The AuthorityFrom the ashes of StormWatch (a United Nations super team) comes a new team of individuals who will use their incredible powers and abilities to force the planet Earth to pay attention. Together they are the Authority and they will change the world.
The Authority grew naturally from being a United Nations super response team to a group of heroes that are proactive instead of reactive. They are not afraid to use their power to make the world a better place and they will not let anyone stand in the way. I love Ellis's run on this book because his ideas get bigger and bigger. It starts off with a super villain terrorist that tries to take over the world and they wipe him out. Then the Authority wards off an invasion from another dimension and lastly they fight off the original owners of the Earth.
1) PlanetaryThis first collection stars a team of super- powered mystery archaeologists who have uncovered evidence of super-human activity that spans the centuries. The team includes the ancient and enigmatic Elijah Snow, hot-tempered Jakita Wagner, and the insane techno-expert Drummer, as they deal with a World War II supercomputer that can access other universes, a spectral spirit of vengeance, and more!
I love this series because it blends everything that I love about Ellis's writing in one place. You get superheroes, crime, horror, action, it homages every genre of comics.
Honorable Mention: OrbiterIn this science fiction mystery tale, Venture, a space shuttle that disappeared ten years ago with its crew of seven, miraculously returns from outer space without warning or explanation. Occupied by only an insane pilot, the spacecraft shows evidence of a remarkable journey through the solar systems. Now, in order to solve the mystery of the shuttle's inexplicable journey and the fate of its six lost astronauts, three NASA specialists are called upon to investigate the alien instrumentation and materials that adorn Venture. But as secrets are revealed, it soon becomes apparent that the shuttle's journey not only took it outside our solar system but to a realm of existence that is unimaginable.
If you love science fiction, I cannot recommend this book enough. Beautiful, haunting and full of imagination. You just gotta read it!
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