Kilgore Trout Was Here, So It Goes

"The only proof of God we need is music."

Kurt Vonnegut has passed.

"The truth can be a powerful thing, especially when it isn't expected."

Play the fife lowly, bang the drum slowly, boys.

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."

For such a small man he cast such a large shadow.

"Life happens too fast for you ever to think about it. If you could just persuade people of this, but they insist on amassing information."

Whenever I read Mark Twain I heard Kurt, whenever I read Kurt I heard Mark Twain.

"I think that novels that leave out technology misrepresent life as badly as Victorians misrepresented life by leaving out sex."

The world is more for his being here.

So it goes.

Cover Art

Well, I'm sure the kiddies' screams have been heard around the world. That Certain Boy Wizard and the Deathly Hallows has actual cover art (go to Amazon, you won't be able to miss the link). Yes, I've read all the books. Yes, I'll probably get this one, too. I won't be there at midnight, but it'll probably be a Sweetest Day Gift, or Xmas.

iPod Deprivation

ARGH! After the Council Meeting was finished and I had talked one of the other Coucilmen off the ledge (rhetorical ledge, not a literal ledge), got home and ate dinner at 10pm. BTW, don't do that. Even my doctor has said that's bad. Anyway I completely forgot to recharge my iPod as I was emailing until midnight. ARGH! Say, did I ever mention how I get up at a little after 5am? ARGH! So it's streaming radio for the whole dang day for me (until noon I'm normally listening to WAMU). In the afternoons I normally listen to audiobooks.

Warning

Well, the nuclear/tornado alarm just went off (I work in the primary blast area for the Perry Power Plant). Fortuantely, it's just a drill.

The real warning, though, is my snark dial goes to 11 and it just got broken there. Snarks in the water, fins are everywhere. It's going to be one of those days that I put the Buddha smile on and keep my mouth shut. It's either that or be fired. Was up past midnight (edited, was "mindnight," slightly Fruedian there) doing the Village's business, so I'm also tired. Not a good combination for me.

Singing Easter Carols

Well, spent the first hours of Easter shoveling the two-feet of snow off the driveway. There are pictures. I'll try and post them soon. Then to Mom's for most of the day, and then a late drive home. And this week is going to be crazy again, I just feel it. Hope all of our weeks go better this week. Let's all think good thoughts.

Feel the Love, and get to name it, too!

Commentor, and interesting guy, Todd Wheeler is running a "Name the Character" Contest on his website. It's time for your ideas to shine. Go and shine with Todd.

Characters names, let's see: Alphonse, Aloisius, Ahmandinejad. Ahmandinejad? Nah, that's not a name. :)

Signs of the Season

Spring Has Sprung!
(on a local community sign)
OOPS!
(added last night)

(Bodily Part) Says, "What?"

Just in case you missed this in the news. Seems like we, as in the US, are right back to the wonderful duplicity of the 70s and 80s, like when we called the Contras the "moral equivelants of our Founding Fathers." Remember that quote. Oh, good times. Now we seem to be back into the Grand Game (say, how did that work our for the UK?, hmm, hope we play it better) and to the ideology of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," even when that friend may or may not be linked to Al-Qada. Here's a thread that's talking about this fun in Iran.

Everday, and in everyway, I'm getting better and better

Well, life just keeps getting better and better.

One of those threatened lawsuits was filed. So my committee is being sued. Yippie. I'm still trying to be big about it, by my inner voice is yelling at me to jump all over these people and womp them with the meanie stick. Sigh, I will be good.

Work tomorrow will be interesting. There's a cargo container load of work that didn't get done today (and won't get done tomorrow either). So I'll probably spend as much time helping the people trying to help me out, and redoing things, and handling new work that I won't be able to get to the work everybody is trying to help me get to.

On Monday I had the doctor's appointment, from which I need to make other doctor's appointments. One of the things we went over was it would be really good to eat supper before 8pm. Hasn't happened yet. I'm doomed. Plus my blood pressure was high. My blood pressure is never high. Even when I broke my leg before they gave me pain killers, 120 over 80. Sigh. Close eyes, take a deep breath, imagine soft fuzzy bunnies in the field, soft music, you're calm relaxed, your breathing is rythmic, and as you breathe out, slowly squeeze the trigger (bam bam bam bam). Yeah, that's good for meditation! I'm doomed.

Story Bone

Like I said, some authors just kick my butt into gear. John Scalzi, I like him, but nada in the way of flow. I'm currently reading Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners (yes, I know, I'm probably the last person in the world, but I read most of them in the Year's Best and Fairy Reel, does that redeem me?). And the faucet is on, baby! Last night I finished The Hortlak and then this comes spilling out. Use if you can. I don't think I could keep this up for a whole story. If I took the time I could get the whole rhythm flowing, get the magic incantation meter kickin'. But then I'd use it, wouldn't I?

"These are not my hands. My hands are warm and strong and meaty. These aren't my hands. These thin and shaky, couldn't harm a fly, not able to grip hands, diseased hands, non-feeling hands. See how they rub together with no warmth, see how the cadaver fingers weave around each other, no magic, no spark. I don't care if they're on the end of my arms, these just can't be my hands. These hands didn't play guitar or put together a thousand erector sets, touch my wife and make love or bathe in the ocean. These aren't my hands with pain filled fingers."

A Day Off (and I'm sick)

Ain't it just the way. Took a day off to go see the doctor, and whatever my wife had last weekend, which I started feeling last weekend, hits with full force. Achy, weak, running at the bottom end. Just not fun. I hope it clears out by tomorrow (which is work again, with missing a day, woohoo!).

Somewhat Sunny Sunday

After much procrastination, thought, and self flagellation (not to mention procrastination) I've rewritten the opener to Seven-Year Itch or Winter Occupant and am hammering out some of the scenes. About a eight hundred words into the (crappy first draft of the) story.

Things accomplished this weekend: Sleep (much needed, these 58+ hour work weeks have got to end), t-shirt design (front, sleeve, and back), sleep, research for a new logo (thought an idea had been used, but I can't find it - BTW, if you want to see just how glorious ID design can be, check this out., just damn friggin' amazing work), spent time with my wife, sleep, cleaned up a little, sleep, adjust attitude, get ready for the doctor's appointment tomorrow, and did I mention sleep?

Things not accomplished: Write edits to stories I was supposed to critique last week (I have my handwritten notes, I need to type them in and email), get back to novel, finish logo design researched above, clean bathrooms, organize garage stuff, get to the store, etc.

It's sunny outside, and I should have charged around like a mad man, tromping the trout-lillies and looking up into the trees are the newly budded leaves. The robins are singing, the bluejays as well. At the end of this week it's supposed to snow, just swell. (Oh no, I'm in Dr. Suess rhyming land!)