Today I have all my petty thoughts and complaints put in their rightful place. I must admit, I do enjoy complaining on a certain level. It brings a bit of satisfaction when I can properly sum my frustrations and annoyances with an intelligent, and sometimes clever, use of words. But today those thoughts got destroyed and put in their rightful place.
I have been left near utterly speechless with the crisis facing a dear a friend. A friend, one of the very few to be true, who I consider a brother. At this time all I can do is try to think of anything I can do to help, but I know all I can do is show my support and offer what little help I am capable of providing. And that help is very little indeed.
The thing I do know is that somehow this will be survived. My friend, he's rather stubborn. Somehow through all the troubles he's faced in his life, troubles most of us would have difficulty imagining much less relating to, has developed a stubborn will to find a way. So now in what seems to be the darkest hour, another addition onto many such times, I will have the privilege (and the pain) of watching someone I've called "brother" persevere through another tribulation in which I feel helpless. My repeated statements of I'm here if you need me will undoubtedly fall well short of what is truly needed. But I've still got two rather sturdy shoulders to lean on and at times a brilliant use of words that rarely exceeds 140 characters.
This shall pass. The dust shall settle. And in the aftermath of this time of reckoning there will be one left standing. There will be no rise from ashes. In order to rise from the ashes one must be defeated. This friend does not lie down, does not surrender, and most certainly will not be defeated.
The BSC will endure.
The BSC will rise above it.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Take 1 down pass it around
There are few things in this world to which I truly look forward. There's the days when I feel brave and eat at a Chinese buffet, redeeming a promised foot massage, or release of another podcast episode by the authors who have entertained me for thousands of hours thus far.
Today, sadly, there is one less thing for me to look forward to with the excitement of a dog knowing it's time for the kids to get home from school.
J.C. Hutchins is hanging up the mic for the time being and the news that sucks the color out of the world is the fact that the sequels, Deceit and Destruction, to his novel 7th Son: Descent have not been picked up for publication. His promotion for 7th Son: Descent was brilliant, intuitive, and captivating, but sadly it would seem the only people who were seeing it were those of us who had already committed to purchasing the book if it were to ever be released.
I know this isn't the last to be heard of Hutch. I have faith in the man that he will find a way to overcome yet another setback; and when he finally breaks through the stubborn mainstream wall that has been draining creators of originality for years the out-dated, old world business giants will be left frantically scrambling to get a piece of the pie.
It is a sad day. Yet Hutch will persevere and find a way to spread his word slinging talents to the masses. Just not yet. Soon, my children, soon you will feel the warmth and glory of J.C.'s silver words caressing you as you carried into another world, if only for a brief respite from this one.
Keep in mind that when the "mad hacker" (the prophet) speaks the flock listens.
Kilroy2.0 is here. Kilroy2.0 is everywhere.
Today, sadly, there is one less thing for me to look forward to with the excitement of a dog knowing it's time for the kids to get home from school.
J.C. Hutchins is hanging up the mic for the time being and the news that sucks the color out of the world is the fact that the sequels, Deceit and Destruction, to his novel 7th Son: Descent have not been picked up for publication. His promotion for 7th Son: Descent was brilliant, intuitive, and captivating, but sadly it would seem the only people who were seeing it were those of us who had already committed to purchasing the book if it were to ever be released.
I know this isn't the last to be heard of Hutch. I have faith in the man that he will find a way to overcome yet another setback; and when he finally breaks through the stubborn mainstream wall that has been draining creators of originality for years the out-dated, old world business giants will be left frantically scrambling to get a piece of the pie.
It is a sad day. Yet Hutch will persevere and find a way to spread his word slinging talents to the masses. Just not yet. Soon, my children, soon you will feel the warmth and glory of J.C.'s silver words caressing you as you carried into another world, if only for a brief respite from this one.
Keep in mind that when the "mad hacker" (the prophet) speaks the flock listens.
Kilroy2.0 is here. Kilroy2.0 is everywhere.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Back to the Grindstone
School is back, not quite in full swing just yet, and with school comes work. It was a nice month long break away from life, but it has led into some undesirable habits. The worst of which is sitting around on the computer, with my lover World of Warcraft (WoW), until the wee hours of the morning (3am-4am). The latest patch is going to be the death of me, especially since it would seem it was implemented specifically for people like myself. Those of us who are altoholics and would rather play 10 different characters rather than focus on just one.
AND MASS EFFECT 2 RELEASES NEXT WEEK!
If the most recent changes to WoW don't end me, surely the sequel to one of my favorite console games will be my undoing. I can live with that though. I have 4 more days in which to sleep and get fully rested before destroying myself to play through a science fiction rpg several times once again. (I played through the original Mass Effect 4 times with different characters). I suppose I could make an attempt to start "acting my age", but really, who does that?
On a more productive not I have discovered the joys of writing once more after overloading myself during NaNoWriMo back in November. Instead of focusing on one novel like a sane person I ended up writing 10,000-20,000 on four different ideas. That is definitely the nice thing about school starting back up though, I tend to focus considerably better when there is a limited amount of time in which to do the things I enjoy instead of having all day every day to do things and never completing anything.
The remainder of the month will most likely be spent putting my nose back to grindstone and figuring what things it is that are important now. Sure I love my games, my addictions, but between school and the painful urge to write, investing the amount of time in games that I have in the past just no longer seems feasible.
AND MASS EFFECT 2 RELEASES NEXT WEEK!
If the most recent changes to WoW don't end me, surely the sequel to one of my favorite console games will be my undoing. I can live with that though. I have 4 more days in which to sleep and get fully rested before destroying myself to play through a science fiction rpg several times once again. (I played through the original Mass Effect 4 times with different characters). I suppose I could make an attempt to start "acting my age", but really, who does that?
On a more productive not I have discovered the joys of writing once more after overloading myself during NaNoWriMo back in November. Instead of focusing on one novel like a sane person I ended up writing 10,000-20,000 on four different ideas. That is definitely the nice thing about school starting back up though, I tend to focus considerably better when there is a limited amount of time in which to do the things I enjoy instead of having all day every day to do things and never completing anything.
The remainder of the month will most likely be spent putting my nose back to grindstone and figuring what things it is that are important now. Sure I love my games, my addictions, but between school and the painful urge to write, investing the amount of time in games that I have in the past just no longer seems feasible.
The Verdict Is In
It's been hectic these last few weeks. Turns out I am lucky enough to have Severe Ulcerated Colitis, which is what I was afraid of. So now comes the time of truth. I can continue with the current habits and such, not change much of anything, and take ridiculously over-priced medication to keep things in check. Or there is the alternative of making a lifestyle change and hope that it is enough to beat things into submission and not have to worry so much about it.
Not that it's a huge change, I've just gotten complacent and lazy. The most difficult part, I believe, would be give up my tasty sodas. I have noticed than when I don't drink a lot of soda things go better, and then there's exercise, my old painful friend. Assuming I can manage to take care of those two things it should start going smoother.
The problem is that I have gotten comfortable in my pathetic routine. So it would seem it is time to make the decision and stop dragging my feet. The obvious decision is make the necessary changes, but lazy habits die hard I suppose.
Not that it's a huge change, I've just gotten complacent and lazy. The most difficult part, I believe, would be give up my tasty sodas. I have noticed than when I don't drink a lot of soda things go better, and then there's exercise, my old painful friend. Assuming I can manage to take care of those two things it should start going smoother.
The problem is that I have gotten comfortable in my pathetic routine. So it would seem it is time to make the decision and stop dragging my feet. The obvious decision is make the necessary changes, but lazy habits die hard I suppose.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)