An update from the front

It's been an interesting couple weeks. I found out that I'm officially poor. I spent a few days at the hospital for tests and such. I got another test bumped up 2 weeks because of what they found. (That's never a good sign). When I spoke to the nurse she was almost frantic telling me they were trying to move things forward as quick as possible. I'm not sure if that's just her or if it's actually something wrong because they didn't tell me anything other than what I already knew. So hopefully she's just a frantic person.

School is finally over. Putting the finishing touches on my last paper of the semester tonight after work.

Then the extra joy of finding out I had no need of working yesterday and that next week the other tutors decided we weren't going to be working. I'm wondering why I wasn't told about that? But it was a fun time in the office when I found out about that little detail. Sadly there were only 2 people there.

It works out well that there is no work for me next week though since that's when my next fun with prepping and testing starts. Woohoo!

I can't wait to get this over with so maybe they'll find out what is wrong and give me lots of pretty drugs to make things better. Keeping my fingers crossed that there won't be any surgery involved. I really don't want to deal with the after effects of that. Yeck! Gotta remember to take a digital recorder with me next week since I'm sure I'll have lots of silly nonsense to spout.

On a good note though, the semester is over! Woot! I don't think I have ever looked forward to a break so much in my life. I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that I actually did the school thing this time around instead of just pretending. Hmm, something to ponder there.

Terrified

I just awoke from a dream that absolutely terrified me. After clawing my way free of the world I had created I laid in bed unwilling to open my eyes. Something had followed me out of the shadows.

After several minutes I felt it shift beside me and thankfully (finally) realized it was my dog curled up beside me. It took every bit willpower I could muster to open my eyes and I found I was embraced by darkness pressing in tightly around me.

Again I could not move. I was a little boy again awakened from (to) the nightmare. The shadows around me writhed in agony from the presence that followed me into the waking world.

The seconds drug out for days as I tried to convince myself there was nothing waiting to grab my ankle from under the bed, and drag me into the abyss. Finally I was able to jump out of bed and fast enough to be fight the shadows back with blessed light when I flipped the light switch before the creature could claim me.

There wasn't enough light.

There will never be enough light.

The presence still pressed against my chest and the image haunted my mind.

More light. I needed more light.

I turned on every light I could reach by stretching my arm around the corner of my door (careful not to step into the dark) to the kitchen and living room, but the darkness still pressed in on me.

I had been somewhere no mortal was intended to find. The presence had laid dormant for centuries in its prison, and I had freed it in my mind.

In the dream every fiber of my being had desired to configure the laser cutting tool to cut a pattern that would cause the thousands of feet of earth resting on the sarcophagi to crush it thus trapping the creatures, and if we were lucky crush them.

But I was compelled to act differently.

I set the machine to cut around the sarcophagi and retrieve them.

The grey faces of the creatures were the last things I saw as they descended upon my party of would be archaeologists. Their faces were featureless except for the raised, cross pattern in the center. There was nothing beneath this pattern, only a black abyss.

I understood these to be mouths as I fought out of the dream. It peeled back across the entire face exposing the emptiness beneath.

The screams of friends were all I could hear as their souls were devoured.

Then the creatures turned their attention to me.

Their savior.

Their prophet.

Their prey.

Insanity Ensues

After two days of immersing myself in J.C. Hutchins' world of 7th Son: Descent I have got to say that I feel like I'm listening to the story for the first time.

That's crazy right?

I mean, I just got done listening to the 7th Son: Descent (beta version) podcast a little over a month ago for the third time. I just finished the book a few weeks ago as well. Yet here I am listening to the beta version of the podcast once more and I am nearly dumbfounded at the brilliance of it all.

At this time I am finishing Episode 11 before sleepy time. Now if there were just an easier way to get people to check this stuff out. I'm taking the story in for the fifth time now and I have yet to grow tired of it. Seems to me that's the mark of great fiction and story-telling. Somehow this is going to make it out to the rest of the world and not just the happy little portion of the podosphere, but I haven't figured it out just yet.

One other quick item of note. J.C. Hutchins was interviewed by the folks from the Dead Robot Society podcast and it went live today. If you're interested in being motivated by someone who never stops shaking his ass as he tries to get things done give it a listen. Just be warned, it is a little long, but you can skip ahead to about the 12 minute mark to get close to the interview.

Hutch inspires me a little more each time I hear or read what he has to say. It's not just a fan thing there. The man never stops working. There's something about that fact that feeds the fire of desire.

Hyena hungry. That's what we need to be, hyena hungry.

Time to Implement Operations Hutchinsssss Overload

I have listened to J.C. Hutchins' thriller 7th Son: Descent (beta version) just shy of three times, read the book, and am in the process of listening to 7th Son: Descent (print version) now. I had a brilliant idea. Let's create my very own psychotic MOP mission and from that was born "Operation: Hutchinsssssss Overload"

The mission: Listen to the beta version, read the print version, and finally listen to the print version of 7th Son: Descent in that order.

Doesn't sound so bad? Well, of course not silly! It's Hutch!

The point is that the story has undergone changes. The production has undergone changes (dramatic improvements, not that the original was poor quality, but the print version recordings are just that much better). Reading provides a different perspective. So by listening to the beta version I get to submit myself to the nostalgia of the original story that I love. Then I get the pleasure of reading the novel and going through the images in my head without distraction. (I say this because most of my podcast listening is done while in a vehicle). Then I get the aural ecstasy of the finely tuned production of the print version. I'm totally looking forward to it.

I suppose I could have chosen a better time in which to do this with the end of the semester upon me and NaNoWriMo in full swing, but oh well, that's how my hyperactive, unfocusable mind works.

Oh yeah, the kicker, I'm going then give a full on review and possible comparison of the different versions. I know the differences, but I want them fresh in my mind. The reason I expect this to be fun is that, in case you have yet to notice, I really love this novel. I know there are huge differences between the beta and print version, and even the actually print novel and the audio print version will have differences in presentation since I expect Hutch's inflection and canter will be different from how I read. Oh yeah, and the print version audio has to be last because it's still being cranked out. So that works out nicely. I have time to listen to the beta version again (started today), read the novel, and then hit the print version audio from the start once more.

This should be fun.

And if you happen to check on me over the next month and the whites of my eyes are so blood shot there is no white DON'T try to help. Lock me in a cellar if you can. I've been NEPTH-charged and Devlin is at the reins. Get Hutch. There's a backup of my consciousness in the MemR/I data banks at the 7th Son facility in Virginia.

Time for an Apology

It would seem I owe the Zune HD from Microsoft an apology. It's not nearly as terrible a device as I thought at first. I know, it's bad to expect something to compare to the Apple equivalent, but in all honesty I was expecting something close to the iPod Touch.

It wasn't, nor should it be.

After spending the last 10 hours or so playing with the Zune I have grown a little attached. It's ridiculously small and lightweight. The touch screen reacts well, though the screen size is small enough it makes life a little difficult for my clumsy fingers to find the correct keys on the soft QWERTY keypad. Overall I like it. The web browser is blistering fast, especially for a mobile device. It's actually faster on the wifi here than my sister's desktop computer. Kinda cool.

I'm still miffed at the fact that there are no productivity apps whatsoever from Microsoft. Seriously, how can you not have anything that has to do with productivity. (I don't consider MSN Weather or a calculator productivity apps). Granted I don't really want much out of it. All I really want to see is an email client and something for social media, Tweetdeck would be awesome. A note creation app that can sync with the computer and even traditional contacts would be nice too, but that may be asking a bit much. I know it's hard for MS to put something together that consumers ask for. It's taken them this long to get close to the OS that's been promised since Windows 2000.

I can live with this new toy though. I wouldn't spend money on a Zune HD though, not yet anyway. In the future it may be a nice device, but right now it's nothing more than very capable mp3 and video player with an FM radio tuner. I can't take advantage of the HD FM tuner out here in the middle of nowhere. I will definitely give the Zune HD credit though, the ear buds that come with it are rather nice. I refuse to spend money on ear pieces for mp3 players right now because, well, I don't really have a reason other than I don't want to and I tend to destroy things. But the earbuds that came in the package are nice. They are the first earbuds to not fall out of my ears and they don't give me ear aches like the Apple ones. I like that. I still don't like the Zune Marketplace and the fact that I have to buy points to get anything. Not happening. Give it a rest MS and just put a price on things instead. I ain't doin' eet.

So, after my upset rants earlier I've decided I like this toy. The Zune HD has it's issues, like everything, but hopefully before MS decides to discontinue this sucker they'll get around to providing the 2 apps I want so I'm not forced to pay for a smartphone or an iPod Touch. C'mon Billy-boy hook me up.

Just for fun

So just for kicks I'm typing this from my new toy. I suppse I can tell you that for the first time in my life that I can remember I won a contest and received a prize.

But you've played sports all your life, do you mean to say that you've never won?

That's not what I'm saying. Of corset, I win it's a competition, something I have some control over. This was a random win. It's never happened before.

And I've got to say that it's pretty cool. There is one huge dramatic setback though.

It's a new Zune HD.

Before turning it on I knew the iPod Touch was better. The reason being apps. Microsoft has nothing.

And I MEAN NOTHING!

There are something like 12 games, which sound cool, but other than that there is MSN Weather, a calculator, and a piano of all things. There is nothing productivity. No notes, no mail client, and the web browser makes Netscape look advanced so far. But beggars can't be choosers, eh?

There are another 8 or so apps by 3rd party revs available, and so far it is the biggest pain the ass I have experienced for a device installation. Even backing game systems isn't tedious compared to this.

The final gripe. It took more than 2 hours to sync 19GB of info. Seriously? C'mon Microsoft! There is a very evident reason why Apple bends over it's knee in every category.

IT'S BETTER!

In every aspect it's better. Maybe over time my opinion will change, but with the MS track record I don't see that happening.

No more complaining though. It is cool little toy with built in WIFI so I can at least take advantage of that school since I can't afford an iPod Touch and definitely not an iPhone 3GS and plan with it. At least now I don't have to carry my laptop everywhere I go. Especially if the zNotes app works well. I can stop writing notes on my phone.

Here's to hoping for changes at Microsoft.

One of Those Ideas

So one of those ideas struck me while writing yesterday. You know the kind of idea that gives you chills at the base of your skull. The kind that feels like it is going to crack your cranium in order to be freed, much like the birth of Athena. Well, this was one of those ideas. It completely sidetracked my writing and comes so easily I can't even come close to getting back to what I was working on now. Every time I try to put the virtual pen to paper (which is typing these days) it is what springs forth and not my original idea for NaNoWriMo. So now I am abandoning attempts at the original idea am going to run with this one since it won't leave me be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not leaving the other, but for this time I will let it go the way of the world turtle and when it draws me back I'll continue. Until then, though, I am running with . . .

Zombie High

Here follows the idea as it hit me while I had my phone out trying to write the previous novel.

High school in Jarvis was anything but normal. They actually let humans attend. It was one of the few schools experimenting with integration. Most of the students had never been allowed near humans before. They were kept apart for their own protection. They were cattle. Most believed them to be cattle, nothing more than food for their ancestors. Something lower on the food chain. The prejudice was unbelievable. When his parents found out humans were going to allowed to attend school with them they nearly pulled Clancy out to send him to a private school or maybe even home school him. It was unheard of to allow the servants and cattle to be learned. There were those who rebelled against the system and treated their humans almost as equals. It was ridiculous. Mankind had its chance. It was replaced by something better, something stronger, something more prepared and capable of dealing with the new aggressive world.

Zombies now ruled the world.

In the late 21st century humankind fell into sickness, a global pandemic. People died by the millions. The world population was nearly 13 billion by this time and overpopulation was no longer a concern, it was a reality. The virus was, for lack of a better term, perfect. At first it seemed like a super-strain of the dead flu mutations of the 2010s, but the mortality rate was staggeringly high; nearly 100% for the 1st 8 months. Nothing in science or modern medicine could be done.

Then anomalies began to appear. People who seemed to be altogether immune or who had miraculously recovered. But they were changed. Some displayed characteristics of horror movie zombies. They were extremely aggressive and more times than seemed to favor the flesh of those who were uninfected. There was widespread panic and violence. Riots, vandalism, theft, murder, the world was turned on its head. All the depravities of human nature ran rampant. Governments were overthrown and in many cases completely lost control. War lords and police states became the norm. Eventually the zombies gained control. It was slow. The powers that became more sympathetic and it finally became evident that those who were in control were infected or had the foresight to realize these were not the mindless, shambling creatures from horror tales of the past.