Gems from the Deep

Summertime

2010-06-30T10:33:00.001-05:00

Absolutely my favorite time of year. It's lovely and hot and time for beaches and fireworks and ice-cold watermelon and grilled burgers and dogs. Ears of corn with butter and salt and oh yeah…bikinis.

What more could you ask for?

Wow.

2010-06-24T17:25:00.001-05:00

I said two posts ago that for me, glacially would be a kind way to put my progress on writing and creating, and man, I wasn't kidding. It's already June - nearly July - 2010 and I haven't written a single word of any story, or really done that much artwork. I haven't really been playing the guitar either, just mostly been working and working and working and working and for naught because we never have any money and I hate it forever. I feel like if I don't change this NOW then I never will, so I'm trying desperately to get things going.

I know, it sounds fairly depressing, but honestly I still believe in myself and will keep working at it. I think the secret to success is to keep working at something you love long enough to get really, really good at it and then people will flock to it. At least, that's what I keep telling myself!

So to all the people out there who aren't reading this, one day you will. And be happy that you did.

Ready for a revamp.

2010-04-16T00:52:00.002-05:00

I have tried and tried and tried to make a blog. It's not that I'm not good at writing; I'm good at *continuing* to write. So I've alternatively done this, tumblr, and iWeb. Nothing seems to work, but I'm going to keep at it somehow. Plus I've really not been very funny on any of them, which was the original intent.

So I am continuing to fiddle with all this stuff until I find the right balance and design. The process continues.

I’m Not Dead Yet

2009-10-12T12:03:00.002-05:00

Hi there. This is still here, because the bloggery nonsense in iWeb is, well, nonsense. You can’t seemingly update it from anywhere except actually in the iWeb that you originally created it in, and frankly that’s just not good enough. I mean…how often am I at home on my laptop to blog?!

So I am leaving this little portal open for now until Google and some friends can give me some answers on getting it all going properly. No idea on how long that will take, but at my pace, “glacially” is a kind term.

The Website Goes Live

2009-09-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

Last week I put my website live. It will be the home of all my future creative endeavors, and I hope it gets hugely popular and all kinds of stuff appears. So this pretty much means the end of this blog, as it will most likely be folded into that space.

Dark House is here.

Ars Prolifica!

2009-08-21T15:30:00.003-05:00

And with the last post about my Macbook, I have now officially posted more in the month of August than any other month in the past four years!

Good. It's about time I started writing more. I wonder what I should do to get more people reading my stuff though.

My Macbook is fixed!

2009-08-21T13:39:00.003-05:00

I got a Macbook back in 2006. It's a lovely black 13" one and I've used it for tons of stuff and over the years it's served me well. However last year the display started flickering and I took it in for service as I have AppleCare on it. They told me it was a bad inverter cable and they “fixed” it but it soon started doing the same thing. Well, fast forward a year - yes, I have been lazy and lived with it - I decided since my AppleCare expires on Aug. 31 that if I don't get it fixed now it won't ever be. So I took it into Onyx yesterday. The guy told me it would not be looked at until probably Monday or Tuesday of next week, meaning I would be without it for nearly 5 days. No big deal, so I left it.

Then this morning - half a day later! - they called and said it was ready. They replaced the inverter board and, most excellently, replaced the top case which had developed a nasty crack. So now I have a non-flickering computer with a brand-spanking new top case, keyboard and touchpad, which is brilliant!! It looks practically brand-new now so I will be ordering an iSkin to keep it pristine from now on.

So yay for my sort-of new 'puter!

Of course, don't tell it I've been looking at Macbook Pros…

Twitter

2009-08-20T14:55:00.001-05:00

No, I do not want to follow you on Twitter, thank you very much.

The Company Name

2009-08-19T17:49:00.004-05:00

After years and years and countless thousands of logos and hours spent musing on the subject, I have finally decided on a name for my Creative Production company - covering films, artwork, music, whatever…which I will only teasingly talk about now. I have only told one other person and once I get the logo done and the website up and running then and only then will I let everyone know. I'm thrilled to bits though. And yes, for me, this spells the end of Shipwreck Studios. Probably.

Oh and the fact that I've gone a bit dark here might have something to do with the name…

Ze Party

2009-08-18T17:24:00.001-05:00

Well I finally met up with my old friends Herb (and his wife Kim), Dan and long-lost Dave this past Saturday night. It was a long night of homemade pizza, reminiscing, new ideas (SPACE COURT!) and a huge amount of fun. It only takes one of these to remind me just how much I've missed these most excellent people. I am going to redouble my efforts to stay in better contact with them, I promise!

The Amp Has Arrived

2009-08-10T15:57:00.003-05:00

I forgot to tell this place…which I may rename The Void (!) but I purchased a lovely barely-used guitar amp last weekend. It's an Epiphone Valve Junior and it doesn't appear to have ever been used. Bought it cheap cheap off of Craigslist! Couple that with the Digitech Hot Head distortion pedal I also bought off Craigslist (brand new for $15!!) and well…

…all I need is that Telecaster and we're good to go! Well, that and a good bit more practice.

I was startled to find that it didn't have a headphone jack though. That kinda sucks.

Astounding Pictures & friends

2009-08-07T11:16:00.006-05:00

By the way, if you haven’t checked out my links, please do. They are all very amusing and fun and even useful places, run by great people and longtime friends. Herb runs Astounding Pictures and that stuff is a peculiar type of wacky I hope you all enjoy. Chris H. is behind Making Movies in Flyover Country and it is his blog about filmmaking in Texas. A great read with lots of insight on what happens behind the scenes. And Shouting Into a Well is British humor at its best, courtesy of my friend Chris A. Check them out. Anna runs Squeezebox and is a brilliant photographer, so check her out if you need a photo shoot.

Yes, this is a shameless plug.

Well, maybe not

2009-08-07T11:14:00.002-05:00

I got everything back to reasonably normal now and even gone a bit dark. So it’s a change, yes, but just not the one I was wanting. Oh well…back to the drawing board!

Well that didn't work…

2009-08-07T10:31:00.003-05:00

Well I got a lovely new template and it destroyed everything. I have lost all my links to other blogs and everything has vanished. No idea what happened there, but I am honestly tempted to bag this whole thing now because it's just completely not worth the time, trouble and effort to get it back to where I want it.

This sucks, and will probably be my final post.

Okay well maybe it will be…

The Refocus Comes!

2009-08-03T11:36:00.002-05:00

First…the facelift!

Prepare for it shortly. This one will be much more me.

Off to Houston!

2009-07-30T14:00:00.004-05:00

Well, this is weird. Last week I was on vacation and now this week I find myself at home alone. Literally. Yesterday I took Lisa and Jackson to the airport. They are visiting her friend Priscilla until Saturday, so I am at home until then.

The sucky part? I don't get paid until tomorrow and I have *ZERO* dollars.

Oh well!

Oh and you can see the guitar I'm getting (or one just like it) here:

Telecaster!

Back from vacation

2009-07-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

I returned earlier this morning from a weeklong vacation. It wasn't really a “vacation” so much as it was “stay at home and avoid going to work” but it was definitely refreshing. I tried to do as little as possible in the way of blogging/facebook etc. All that stuff gets a bit much when coupled with everything else. I realize it's supposed to be a creative outlet but a lot of times it feels like time-wasting. But anyway it was fun - my little man had his 7th birthday this past Monday and I tried to fill the week with fun things to do. We had a good time and going back to work after that is always depressing. I maintain that working is a terrible way to make a living.

I still haven't written anything down for the novel and I am still planning to - but every time I try to do it I get bored with it, sadly. I often think that I enjoy coming up with new ideas more than I do actually carrying them out. That part always gets tedious and overlong and over-thought-out and I rarely have patience for it because there doesn't seem to be any real reward. The times I've finished projects I've more often than not thought "thank goodness I don't have to work on that any more" rather than any sense of fulfillment. Never really been able to put my finger on why. Perhaps I am not doing the right things!

Anyway, my wife and son are going to Houston on Wednesday and returning on Saturday, so perhaps I'll have a few seconds to get things in order creatively…at least I can plan to, haha. There is so much to do around the house that I fear the scant hours I have not at work will be taken up with making my supper and sleeping, but I will try.

Guitars and Writing

2009-07-15T14:44:00.003-05:00

Hi all (heh),

Still writing and plotting. Well, not really writing, but I have the ideas all mapped out in my head, more or less; now to just put them on paper. I think that Charles Edward Cobb will finally meet the public in short bursts, but for the first time I am actually trying to plot out what happens in the story beforehand. I even know what the final line of the book is!

As for the Fender Telecaster, yes, I did put it on layaway and yes I am continuing to pay on it. I cannot WAIT until I have it at home. It's a great guitar and now all I need is a case and an amp and a strap and a cord and…

hehe.

Next? I want a real Gibson Les Paul. But those are THOUSANDS of dollars. So I'd best save up.

This whole “writing” lark…

2009-06-15T16:27:00.003-05:00

I am going to try and make a go of it. I’ve gotten some recent strong encouragement and it has recharged the old creative batteries a bit. So I am really trying to write more and get the REAL career going.

Wish me luck. I will try and post some tidbits for people to read if anyone’s interested. The ultimate goal is to be a published author. Now I just have to focus on one thing at a time!

Oh, and that new guitar?

2009-06-03T15:33:00.003-05:00

I'm still going to do it, although now I've changed utterly which one it will be. On June 1st Fender lowered the prices on a lot of their stuff so I'm immediately putting a Fender Highway One Telecaster on layaway this Friday. It's awesome and I can't wait!!

The best part is they ARE American-made, have a cool retro nitrocellulose finish and are only six hundred beans at the moment. Can't really pass it up.

I'm not very good at this, am I?

2009-06-03T15:26:00.004-05:00

I keep meaning to refocus and rejigger this blog to be funnier, or be more creative, but I end up just talking. One thing I am constantly guilty of is trying to do too many things, and having too many interests. It ends up costing me in the end because I never seem to get anything done. I mean, I'm trying to write various novels, screenplays, draw, learn to play the guitar, catch up on my reading, plus fitting in work and the time at home. All this while going through the single worst financial crisis of my entire life.

What I really need to do is focus. Focus, focus, focus. It's long been my problem but at least I am aware of it. I just honestly seem to have no way to really force myself into one thing or another, and I end up just goofing off most of the time.

It's depressing, and irritating, and I'm working on it. Bear with me, or offer words of encouragement or whatnot. It's equally depressing because I also see my brother doing the things I want to do and always expected I *would* do but never got around to it.

I will do, then, what I always say I will do and so far have failed utterly, completely and miserably at; reversing the process and getting something done.

I will try and talk about it as I am going on. That at least seems to be therapeutic, and helpful (while simultaneously taking me off task!)

No, I won't!

2009-05-22T15:07:00.001-05:00

Still haven't put the guitar on layaway yet. Utterly, utterly no money. Oh well.

At least the family tree website(s) I'm working on are coming along great!

Soon!

2009-05-08T14:49:00.004-05:00

I am going to go pick out the guitar soon. Hopefully I will be able to take it home in a month or two!!

New guitar? Possibly…possibly

2009-05-01T14:06:00.003-05:00

Well if you know much about me or have been reading this blog at all you’ll know that I won an Epiphone acoustic guitar last year and I’ve been fiddling around trying to learn it. Now that I am firmly entrenched in the awkward stage between beginning and Rock God, I have decided it is time to get another electric guitar. Since I am not going to sleep on a bed of cash every night, I can’t afford to get a nice Fender American Telecaster or Gibson Les Paul. So I’m going to go the cheaper route and get an Epiphone Les Paul Standard through my brother’s music store. I have had no problems with my acoustic, and they’re inspected in the USA by parent company Gibson, so I feel confident that I can at least buy something decent. Plus Patrick can help me pick out one that might be better than the rest, and with the money I save I can upgrade parts of it to the nicer Gibson equivalents and still pay less than one of their USA-made guitars. Don’t get me wrong - I would love to buy American, but in this case it is the difference of about $2000 and I simply don’t have that kind of cash right now.

Check it out and see what you think. It’s still expensive - just not four figures.

Oh and yes, the one I want is hopefully the one you see when you click the link (well, if you click the link which is the title of this post). Why do I want this, you ask, if I’m not really a very good player yet?

The answer, as always, is because. Just because.
:D

Besides, I already have a Japanese Stratocaster, and I want to have something that sounds different.

One Day, I Will Honestly Do This

2009-04-22T11:35:00.002-05:00

In other words, I will actually refocus this blog. The problem is that my wife has now taken a full-time job, with hours of 6pm-2:30 a.m. - which means Daddy is working full-time, getting off work, going to pick up little man from his grandparents’ house, going home, cooking supper, helping with homework, making him take a shower or bath, reading book, getting him ready for bed and then finally collapsing into his own bed.

And…repeat.

So I have no time other than work, which I sadly use to actually work. However her job is only a temporary one so until I can get more than 30-45 seconds breathing time (meaning probably not until next month) I will have to put this blog change on hold.

That will probably give me more time to refocus on it; plus I’m still having problems focusing on just one thing at a time. I always have so many ideas or projects that I end up not finishing any of them, and that has plagued me my whole life. I need to finish one thing, and as a result of that I think everything will fall into line. Hopefully.

I normally get a small amount of time after he goes to sleep to do stuff, so I will try and fit this into there. Last night, for example, I was going to work on it. I sat down on the couch and started working on a few things on the laptop and suddenly found myself waking up on the couch…three hours later!

Aha! I have found it.

2009-04-15T16:20:00.003-05:00

And what I mean by that is “I've found the means to change what this horrible template looks like and will be doing so later tonight."

With that comes the refocus I’ve been burbling about, or at least provides the (currently missing) foundation for it.

Oh, and thanks for the comments really - it means a lot. I know there’s not much point in my ramblings yet, but as I go along I’ll be talking about writing and other creative projects I have as well as giving excerpts, and hopefully doing funny things that people will laugh at and enjoy, and I’d love to have your input as to what’s working and what isn’t, and what you think of the redesign.

Oh, and this isn’t the redesign; it is just the result of me fooling around with the settings.

And yes, I took the picture. :)

Bits and Bobs

2009-04-14T10:29:00.002-05:00

Some random bits of flotsam and jetsam floating about:

1. Is there an easy way - in fact, any way to make your own blog template on this thing, or put a photo up or anything? I like the ease of use, but the design is rather…lacking, to be kind. I will dig deeper; perhaps I have just not paid attention or read what I was supposed to.

2. I forget #2. I just had it a minute ago, but…oh yes! I am getting better at the guitar. One day I hope to be at least partly as good as my brother. I feel I've turned a corner though and that's saying something with as little time as I get to practice. I really need to make time for guitar and writing too. I think if I would work harder at both than something would come out of it that could change my life. Sounds corny, but why not try it? I mean…if I can take time to write in a blog then I should be able to write more on my novel(s) and short stories I’ve had for ages, right?

3. I feel like I also should go back to school but I don’t really want to write papers on things that I don’t care about and will probably never remember anyway. I do want a degree but I no longer know if I have the patience to get one. I feel ashamed of not having one, but until we get some more income at my house, it’s pretty much a dead issue.

4. If anyone, anyone at all is out there reading this, please feel free to leave a comment. If you like.

Still still refocusing.

2009-04-14T10:17:00.002-05:00

Ah well. I am trying.

At least baseball has started again and that brings with it, for me and thousands of others the promise of springtime and renewal. Many claim that baseball is boring or takes too long but for me it's the leisurely pace that brings a sense of peace and calm. To me, everything in my life, including and especially work, is always rush rush rush. It is therefore a wonderful thing to sit in a place that smells of hotdogs and peanuts and cotton candy and fresh-cut grass in the warm sun and just soak it all in. To watch the strategy of a well-placed defense or the pure elation of a crushed home run is so much fun that just for a little bit I can forget about what bills are due or whether or not I got the files I was working on right or if I need to change the car's oil.

That I can also enjoy it with my son is an added bonus; I want him to always remember spending time with his Dad and all the fun times we had when he was a kid. To me that is why I love baseball.

Which is not, to say, quite what I was intending on posting; I am trying to develop a sense of place and a rhythm for this blog, but so far it eludes me. I suppose for the time being I will continue to ruminate on whatever strikes my fancy, and see what comes of that.

Or perhaps, as I just told a friend of mine, I just need a really good burger.

Still refocusing.

2009-04-10T17:22:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know. It’s still the same and everything. I’m working on it. It’s Spring Break this week for us and Little Man is more important than this thing…

More soon though I promise.

Refocus for this blog.

2009-03-20T12:04:00.002-05:00

I used to think it was going to be for whatever I felt like posting, but now it's probably going to be primarily humor based. I'm going to try out different funny things and see what people think.

It's been dormant for long enough that I think that'd probably be best.

Man, I am Super Excited!!!

2008-09-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Only 11 more weeks until COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS OVER.

What's the Big Deal with Holidays?

2008-09-09T09:19:00.003-05:00

You know what I hate the most of all? People who are trying to cater to everyone out there and bend over backwards to make sure no one gets "offended" by NORMAL AMERICAN HOLIDAYS like Halloween and Christmas.

If you don't celebrate them, fine. Don't. I won't make fun of you, and I won't impede on your life or beliefs in any way. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU RETURN THE FAVOR.

I *do* celebrate Halloween and Christmas and as long as he's able, my son will go trick-or-treating and dress up and get candy from people, and put up a stocking and write letters to Santa and come down to the wonder and magic of Christmas Day. I utterly utterly despise the fact that our society is so bogged down with kissing each other's butt and making sure that party a is not offended by practice b that everything is watered down and taken out of schools. I cannot stand political correctness and if you're offended by things like Christmas and Halloween then WHY DID YOU MOVE HERE WHERE WE CELEBRATE THEM?!

Man, I hate people sometimes.

I won! I won! I won!

2008-06-27T15:51:00.003-05:00

Yay!

Last night I went to the Grand Re-Opening of the Sam Ash music store where my brother works, and as part of the celebration they were giving away several guitars, basses, and various other musical instruments.

Well…I WON one of them! I won a $900 Epiphone Acoustic Masterbilt DR-500R. It's made of solid Rosewood on the back and sides, and a solid Sitka Spruce top with a natural satin finish. It's easily the nicest thing I've ever won in my life and I'm thrilled to bits.

You can see the model I won here:

http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=219&CollectionID=15

So today I am just a little less pessimistic. I am dreadfully behind on reviews of things, though so please bear with me. (sound of crickets chirping)

UPDATE: The link to the photo of me! http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=1287
oh yeah. I forgot. No one’s reading this!

Yelp!

2008-06-10T12:01:00.003-05:00

Well I have thoughts on the Lost finale and more of series 4 of Doctor Who I'll post shortly. First, the reason why I haven't done so yet is because I am actually still recovering from a horrible stomach virus last weekend (and now my little man has it too). I had to go to the ER and have six bags of IV fluid last Monday, and am still not up to 100%. I haven't been that sick in a long time, and let me tell you it was unexpected and very unpleasant. Still - better now and almost back to normal.

In other news, I joined Yelp! which is a site for reviews of things in your city - shops, restaurants, what have you - just for fun. I will try and contribute both places and see what happens. I think the URL is simply yelp.com, but I'll have to get back to you on the specific link for my site.

Lost Season 4 finale tonight!

2008-05-29T10:28:00.003-05:00

I don't know about anyone else but I cannot wait to see this. I am really excited to see how the Oceanic Six get off that island - but what happens to Michael? Sawyer? Locke?? Ben? Keamy?? I want to know NOW!!!

Hopefully it will be brilliant. If nothing else it certainly will be a hell of a lot of fun to watch and provide lots of speculation until next year!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-05-23T09:23:00.010-05:00

I went to see this last night with little man, my brother and his girlfriend. We bought the tickets early anticipating crowds - which weren't really there. Eventually the theatre filled up but it wasn't filled by any stretch of the imagination.

The lights eventually darkened and up goes the vintage-looking Paramount logo and dissolves and suddenly we're in Nevada, 1957, and immediately the feel of that era is felt as Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" blasts through the speakers.

The next two hours are set in motion and you're off on a rollicking, if somewhat familiar adventure. Harrison Ford is back as Indiana Jones, and although his hair is now iron-gray and the jawline perhaps not as firm, it's still the same Indy we all knew and loved from the original trilogy back in the 80's. He doesn't look like he's ever really left the role, and just seems to carry himself differently as Indiana Jones. He's great in an otherwise not-quite-as good-as-you-want-it-to-be film. Even someone who I find annoying - Shia LeBeouf - isn't bad as greaser kid Mutt Williams. All the characters here are well fleshed out and actually get great introductions save perhaps Karen Allen, who returns as Marion Ravenwood; she seems to have little to do, but what little she's given is pretty good.

Indy this time is embroiled in the midst of an adventure with his friend Mac (Ray Winstone) and a group of Russian soldiers and KGB agents led by nasty Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). The Russians want Indy to find them something in a warehouse but not what they want it for, and the whole of the movie involves what happens next. It's hardly a secret to say what the object is as it's right there in the movie title, but what is it really? What's it for? What does it do? And why do the Russians want it so bad?

That's what the next two hours play out as and it's a lot of fun at first to watch it unfold. This is by no means Raiders of the Lost Ark; that I think was lightning in a bottle. However this fits in with the other two films which most people think aren't quite as good as Raiders. (I am not among them; I consistently list Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as one of my all-time favorites.)

The movie itself is an odd one. Obviously there is some part of me that felt nostalgic going in and hearing the Raiders March playing on the big screen for the first time in 19 years, but can the movie itself live up to the hype in my head?

The answer is more complex than the question; yes and no. I think honestly for the first two-thirds of the film it's great. Lots of fun, plenty of action and humor to keep everything moving along. Spielberg is an old pro at this by now and it shows. There are lots of nods to the previous films and even one to the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles which is great if you watched that. All of that stuff is great too - and very nice to see. There are lots of action setpieces too - from the motorcycle chase with Indy and Mutt through the college campus to the sequences in temple ruins to the final battles - all great, great sequences. However it's the story that lets it down; the climax ends up sort of limp and what the crystal skulls are doesn't really feel like it belongs in an Indiana Jones movie. Of course it goes without saying that the soundtrack is a huge part of the film here too - John Williams does what he does and it's great here and doesn't feel too formulaic. I love his stuff and there's some great new themes, especially the haunting one for the Crystal Skull itself. Can't wait to have the soundtrack.

There are also a couple of corny moments that are really corny, so be prepared. You'll know them when you see them, and I did actually groan audibly at one point. In fact these points were enough to kill the film for my brother; he didn't really like it much at all because of them. I disagree; I think there is on the whole more good than bad, but as usual, your mileage may vary.

Jackson jumped up and down during the movie he was so excited; he said it was AWESOME and even wore my old Indiana Jones hat to the theatre if you can believe that! I had hesitated to take him since he's only 5, but then again my parents took us to see films like that when we were little and Patrick and I turned out okay. Plus he would have KILLED me had I left him at home - he's been DYING to see the movie ever since he saw bits of Raiders on TV and the action figures came out in stores. That unbridled enthusiasm was great to see in my son since it made me far more excited to see it than the trailers did!

It's pretty bloodless if you do have kids, but the smaller ones might be frightened by the a few scary scenes in a temple and some others with insects. There's lots of fighting and gunplay (well it IS Indiana Jones!) but it's not anything ultra-gory or violent, as you'd expect from Lucas and Spielberg.

Overall I enjoyed it despite its rather uneven ending and the 50's era Sci-Fi cold war stuff surprisingly works well in the early going. I give it a solid B+; not great but there's enough good here to warrant repeat viewings. In fact I may go and see it again this weekend!

Wow. That was fast!

2008-05-22T11:41:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it. Jackson's already graduated from Kindergarten. Has a whole school year passed already? It seems like just yesterday he was nervous, taking Stingy the stuffed Stingray with him in the car as we all went to the school for his first day. He looked smart in his little uniform but I never got very good photos. Now he's done and all the little kids have scattered their separate ways like leaves in the wind, and it's left us with a bit of a sense of loss - or at least me anyway. The end of a school year always did that for me and I find it peculiar to be experiencing it again after not having been in school now for two decades. It's strange; I cannot describe it other than a sense of wistfulness for what has now finished and will not ever happen again, as if I was too caught up in it to experience what it really was, or meant, or felt like.

In any case little man is not quite used to not going to school yet even though last Friday was his last day; I think he keeps waiting to see if he is actually going back. He misses his little friends but hopefully we can get together with them over the summer.

You know how they say "Kids grow up fast, so enjoy them while they're little?" Here's a hint: They're not kidding.

Go Speed Racer Go!

2008-05-13T15:22:00.006-05:00

Wow.

I took Jackson to see Speed Racer this past Saturday, and as of today I still don't really know what to make of it.

In one sentence, I can sum it up as "Racing parts good, non-racing parts…not so much."

First of all let me clarify by saying I have never really cared for the Wachowski Brothers at all. I hated The Matrix and its increasingly poor sequels, and I don't care for Bound either. V for Vendetta is brilliant but of course so was the source material and thankfully they didn't direct it.

Speed Racer is a feature film based on the original Japanese cartoon from the late 1960s. It was the first anime to be successful in the USA, and it features a young boy, Speed Racer, and his family, Pops Racer, Mom, younger brother Spritle and pet monkey Chim-Chim, girlfriend Trixie and the crazy racing adventures they have. Pretty much every story is centered around the Mach 5 race car and a race that Speed is going to enter. Speed also has an older brother, Rex, who supposedly died in a horrible crash - but he believes that the mysterious race car driver Racer X is his in fact his long-lost brother. That's really all you need to know going in to see this, as all of the elements of the cartoon are present and nearly unaltered from the cartoon - Speed even still wears an ascot!

For all the flash and spectacle and innovation this movie is supposed to have it does end up being really extraordinarily mediocre. It is clearly made for fans of the original cartoon, but I am not sure that the people in marketing really understood what they had once they saw a reasonably finished product. None of the trailers I saw beforehand really made it seem like a kid's movie, and it certainly didn't really seem like one for adults either. It seems more like a live-action video game that you're not playing; the CGI and camera movements, colors, track design and racing are so far over the top that it can't help being cartoony.

The dialogue and plot are remarkably similar to the sixties cartoon, which makes people (like me) have a sense of nostalgia - everything I loved as a tiny kid is present in the new movie, from the crazy car stunts to the letter buttons on the steering wheel to the noise the car makes when it jumps - but it all feels really hollow and lifeless. The best comparison I can think of is how Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy feels; it's like they spent all this time and effort on making it just like the original that they forgot to actually make a good story. It's all flash and no substance, and it's such a barrage of sight, sound and color you nearly come out of the theatre gasping. Oddly I don't really have a negative feeling about it though; the casting was all pretty good, especially Christina Ricci as Speed's girlfriend Trixie and Matthew Fox as Jack - I mean Racer X. The fight scenes were corny and kiddie and there's even one scene where the Mach 5 comes to a stop and Speed jumps out of the car and mimics - perfectly - the opening credits of the original cartoon, and I actually said "oh no way!" when they did it that. So ultimately while I enjoyed the trip down memory lane I can't really say it was a good movie, and I certainly don't think it will do well. Is that a shame? Probably, because I believe in the hands of more capable filmmakers it might have been a hit - or at least a fun family summer film. Sadly, it ends up short on both accounts.

Of course all this really means is that my 5-year old LOVED it. He immediately wanted to see it again, but I expected that since he loves the old Speed Racer cartoons and he plays with the cars constantly. That really made the difference for me as a moviegoer; watching him watch it was far more entertaining than anything the Wachowskis could ever have come up with.

Doctor Who, Series 4

2008-05-08T16:33:00.005-05:00

Well we're 5 episodes into this new series and so far it's been more hit than miss for me. Catherine Tate as Donna has been a breath of fresh air. It's nice to finally see a companion who isn't enamored of The Doctor; their relationship is one of friends and it's been good. Far more so for me than series 3, in fact.

The series started off light and fluffy with Partners in Crime, which has the Doctor and Donna separately investigating a new weight-loss clinic, Adipose Industries. After several comical scenes where they just miss each other, they finally stumble on the sinister secret at the heart of the clinic at the same time - in a very funny scene. There's a bit of running around but not too much and the characters are happily allowed a bit of development, the lack of which has plagued previous series. One thing that's also nice to see is that the monsters aren't really actually bad; in fact if left alone they'd probably have been quite helpful! Of course no one will remember much about this episode because it's the end they'll all be talking about! The main problem with this one is the CGI really - the Adipose never really look convincing, they don't move convincingly and they don't really interact with the real-world backgrounds very well. I know the Mill and co. spent lots of time and money on them, but…they just don't work.

The holy crap moment is of course the sudden and unheralded return of Rose Tyler at the end of the episode - what a complete shocker that was. I'm sure we'll see more and more of her in upcoming stories until the climax at the end of the series…next up I'll write about The Fires of Pompeii and Planet of the Ood.

I am Iron Man!

2008-05-04T11:26:00.006-05:00

Patrick and I went to see this yesterday, and I have to say I was REALLY pleasantly surprised. It was a great movie!

Robert Downey Jr. was superb as Tony Stark, and it was really cool to see a guy using just his own ingenuity and know-how to BUILD his super-powers. Downey is spot-on and is clearly a pompous, wisecracking ass in the beginning of the movie; what happens to him then allows him to really grow and shine as a character and actor. In fact, I think the casting was uniformly excellent and Marvel has really done it right. If they can handle all their franchises like this then us longtime comic fans are in for a heck of a ride.

Jeff Bridges is great as friend and mentor Obadiah Stane; it's interesting how over the course of the film he is slowly revealed to be something else. He looks completely different than he has in the past with a shaved head and full beard, and it works great for his character. Gwyneth Paltrow is great and vulnerable and lovely as Pepper Potts, Tony's secretary. She brings a much-needed warmth to pompous jerk Tony, and lets him know that he may not be entirely as shallow as he lets on. She's excellent in the part and they even hint at a future for them. Look out for a bit part by director Jon Favreau as Tony's driver; he gets one funny line. Terrence Howard is also on board as his friend James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and there is a great nod to Rhodey's possible future as someone who might also wear the suit.

Overall just a great comic book movie, a perfect start to the summer blockbuster season and one I highly recommend for everyone. One word of warning - it has a PG-13 rating for a good reason. Little kids might be scared by the violence (and there is a lot of killing) plus there are some sexual innuendos that might not be appropriate.

MAKE SURE YOU STAY UNTIL THE END CREDITS ARE OVER.

Whither Tex Radar?

2008-05-01T14:12:00.004-05:00

Going through my old posts, I'd mentioned something earlier about Tex Radar. That project still lives, but it's taken all sorts of weird permutations. The basic idea is still there; it's a pulpy, adventure-serial spoof using pseudo-science like those old Commando Cody and Flash Gordon series from the 30s and 40s. I originally conceived it as a radio play, and even met with the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company back in 1995 or '96 about doing it. They were mildly interested, but were more keen on me doing free volunteer work with them with little or no creative input; I vetoed that and I'm not even sure they're still around.

Then I put it to rest for nearly a decade as I was too busy doing nothing else to get to it.

Later, when podcasts were invented, I thought that would be fun but was stymied at that stage because I didn't really get excited about having to learn about all the boring technical gewgaws involved in creating a podcast (read: I was being lazy).

Soo…where does that leave this project? It's certainly long been stewing; well over a decade now and still nothing really committed to paper. I think it's worthy of pursuing but I keep having so many irons in the fire that I end up not doing anything but living real life, and to me, that's just not good enough.

I do find it curious that the last time I posted a Tex Radar blog was precisely one year ago today. Weird.

What's Going On Now?

2008-05-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm still writing the story, albeit more slowly; up to about 6000 words or so now. Other than that I'm simply enjoying the new series of Doctor Who - up to 404. The Sontaran Stratagem at the moment - and also the return of Lost to TV.

Almost out-of-school-time for little man, and he's excited for summer and our upcoming Disneyland trip. Bring on the heat…I'm already tired of spring!

Houkhnar continues

2008-03-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

so far I have written an outline and gone through an early draft of the beginning; with some pointers and some thinking I have revised it. So far it's at 2308 words…I'm thrilled. I can't believe I'm writing this much after soooooo long.

Very exciting!

Houkhnar Begins!

2008-02-29T17:03:00.002-05:00

Well, since I am the only one reading and writing this, at long last I can say that the Tales of Houkhnar have begun. I changed the name (mentioned in the previous post) to one name, and after bits of the story kept escaping in emails to Lex I started writing.

WRITING! Can you believe it? After over a decade, I've WRITTEN again. No more writer's block; it's coming free and easy and flowing like it never dried up. Fantastic and I'm proud of it.

Now to continue.

:D

Well now even Christmas is over!

2008-01-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

Goodness, I'd forgotten about this page…again. Oh well. We had a great Christmas; I was off for ELEVEN whole days and it was bliss. Lisa even fixed up the Christmas Village and it was all great stuff.

The sad part is always taking it down, and our poor, (very) dead tree still sits in our living room, forlornly…once again we were unable to get it out of there by the time we were supposed to, and have ended up with a giant, dead tree that we have no idea what to do with!

In other news, my friend Lex has inspired me to start writing again as she likes my Wodestone stories, and I can't express how much fun that is knowing that. I can't wait to get to write them again, and I'm going to start doing so.

It's been well over a decade since I did any writing so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out. That plus I've finally worked in long-rumored mythic city Houkh Nar - although I may change the spelling to Houh Knar. Or something like that. Even though it's not really remotely Arabic in nature. I always envisioned it being so, but we'll see. I am wondering now if I'm more interested in Houkh Nar than in Wodestone; I have always liked the brilliant ideas Fritz Leiber hinted at in Lankhmar and I wanted to do my own version of it.

I think I may be getting ahead of myself though; let's just stick to the one short story and see what comes out of the rest of it.

Christmastime already?

2007-12-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

You can tell how much time I have to blog. Which is none. I can't believe it's Christmas time again. But hey at least the house looks great and the tree and shopping are nearly done. The Christmas Village looks a bit forlorn but Lisa's done a heck of a job with the rest of it.

You know, I don't really know why I write these. I don't even think anyone else knows this page exists.

Still working…

2007-05-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

I think I am going to start taking some classes at the local Apple store. They offer classes in Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro and I think I would benefit greatly by doing so…I just need the extra hands-on and for the price it's cheap and well worth it for me.

Hopefully sooner rather than later, as I need to get going on this…

Tex Radar

2007-05-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

I am working on a new project. It's a pure pulp adventure, hopefully very tongue-in-cheek. It stars one up-and-coming Space Ranger, Tex Radar, as he goes on an adventure-filled quest filled with danger, romance, intergalactic pirates and a loony alien. Robots, Time Travel, and lost luggage…it's all in there, crammed to the gills with fun and excitement.

Tune in soon for the first exciting installment of TEX RADAR: BEYOND THE TENTH DIMENSION!!!

Gary Southworth, part 2

2007-05-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

Who is he?

Nobody. Just a fake Wikipedia entry that we tried to get to last a long time. But they caught on and took it down in no time, the rotten scum.

:D

Atlanta Braves PA Announcer position

2007-03-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I tried out for this but alas I didn’t get it. However I’m proud for trying; it seems like I never follow through with things I really want to do; at the last minute I always feel inconvenienced or something. I don't know whether it’s sheer laziness or just a strange unwillingness to try, but this time I was really motivated and recorded my entry, and sent it off in time. For the none of you reading this blog, here’s what I received in reply at the end.

“Dear Cliff,

The Atlanta Braves would like to thank you, again, for applying for the
PA position. We had many applicants and heard many great voice samples.
The decisions made to narrow down the process to a small group of second
auditions were not easy. At this time we have made our final decisions
for call backs and all applicants have been contacted. Once again, we
sincerely thank you for taking the time and applying for the Atlanta
Braves PA position. We recognize that great effort was taken in doing
so. We certainly do look forward to seeing you at Turner Field for what
we feel will be a great 2007 season!

Thank you and Go Braves!”

So again, although I didn’t get it, I’m certainly proud I tried. Maybe I’m finally getting out of my creative coma and coming to life again…here’s hoping!!

Gary Southworth

2006-02-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

Who is Gary Southworth?

Why should you care?

well, frankly, it's a mystery, and I only just heard about him myself.

I'll try and get a link so you can find out more about this elusive character and his mysterious death soon.

This is a COOL EVENT!!

2005-10-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

Program: CURIOUS DAVE (WORLD PREMIERE) / DIAL 911 / TWISTED REALITIES
Friday, December 16, 2005
Time: Midnight
Admission: $6.25
Description: An exciting evening of fun, adventure, thrills & chills awaits you in this cool evening of FIVE SHORT FILMS by HERB HENDERSON and BARRY KING! The evening's entertainment features time traveling hijinks in THE SINISTER AGENDA OF DOCTOR ZIM (1995), mind-boggling foolishness in THE LOST EPISODE (1996), classic thrills and chills in DIAL 911 (1999), love triangles and betrayal in BENT PERSPECTIVE (1992) and murders for hire gone haywire in BE CAREFUL WHO YOU KILL (1992).
The shows feature work by local artists, including Special FX by JOE GARMON and Music by JIM TOWNSEND.
Special Guests: CURIOUS DAVE will be introduced by writer/director HERB HENDERSON and creator CLIFF SHELTON, while director BARRY KING and MICHAEL A. CLARK will be on hand to introduce DIAL 911, BENT PERSPECTIVE and BE CAREFUL WHO YOU KILL.
The attending cast and crew will mingle after the show.

El Cine Mireles
3378 Canton Rd
Marietta GA 30066
678-290-4126
www.elcinemireles.com

Trailers may be downloaded at DEPT.13.

We'll see YOU at the movies!