In the meantime
Current mood: Pie-eyed
Category: Pie-eyed Life
Since I last posted, I have started to re-transition back to public transit. Driving is a hassle mostly. More money than the luxury is worth. Strangely enough I'm getting more done, like reading. Just finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy yesterday, and it was a huge relief. The third book was a bit messy, but in the end I found it quite moving. I completely disagree with Peter David's assessment of it, though he may have been talking about the movie, which I still haven't seen.
This is the edition I just finished reading, except for the appendices.
Also, I have taken second place in two dance contests and a pie-baking contest and started working with Ben and Sheri's new all-Asian dance team. Someone please tell them that The A-Team is not a good name unless you look like this guy:
The routine is fun, but I'm a bit behind the rest of the team, who started working on the jam a few weeks before.
It looks something like this, but with a lower layer of chocolate, and a bit darker on the insides.
Emily asked for my recipe for Buttermilk Pie, which is a variation on a recipe I inherited from FoodNetwork.com inspired by a Pecan Pie recipe in last month's Rachael Ray magazine, and then spiced up with a sprinkling of Cacao nibs. I'm not sure if I want to post it here, but if anyone asks, I'll think about passing it on...
And then this weekend is the US Open Swing Dance Championships. Wa-hoo!
A short thought during laundry
Current mood: not dead any time soon
Category: not dead any time soon Religion and Philosophy
Something I thought while I was doing laundry this morning: Just because it shouldn't doesn't mean it doesn't.
Thinking about it now, it could probably go - Just because it shouldn't doesn't mean it won't.
***
For those of you wondering where I've been, let's sum it up - recovering from economic collapse. At times I feel like a third world country - poor, dirty and occasionally corrupt.
I've been craving vegan soul food for weeks so I'm going to the farmer's market on Sunday and then on Monday I'll probably head to the Heroes screening at Cinespace after work.
Strategicon Gateway 2007
Current mood: I’m game!
Category: I’m game! Games
Just got back from working at Gateway 2007. It was a great time where we played Werewolf until 6 in the morning.
Half my time was spent running events, though I did have time to compete and win in the Tigris and Euphrates tournament! Considering that I had been losing at that game for the last few weeks, this win was a pretty special surprise for me. Also was on the winning team for Charades, and the third place for team for Quelf!
And then, two weeks from now, we're holding a second Settlers of Catan tournament at Game Empire!
My blackmail video + Frozen Out & Snap!
Current mood: Slabbed
Category: Slabbed Writing and Poetry
A blast from the past - This is me and Trager's then girlfriend Katie dancing on the slab at Catalina in 2001 in the first (and only) "Hal" Balboa contest.
I can't believe this was only six years ago.
Watching the video, I am sad that I still can't see the moment when Katie's top came off. Everyone else got a free show but me. On the plus side, this is probably the only Balboa contest I will ever have won. I still have the bobble-headed zoot suit devil gathering dust on my piano.
I have a bunch of bobbles that were given to me as trophies. Whatever happened to Bobble-trophies?
Up next, two workshop projects. The assignment was to write a horror story set somewhere cold.
Frozen Out My love long gone, she used to give me ease, A sense of fullness, making my heart warm until the day she went into deep freeze A soul's abyss - the lack of her great charm
To live forever in science outside the world The cryogenic chamber's final sleep Without her breath my coil has come unfurled My tears would freeze if I could only weep,
Her skin like porcelain, once soft'ning my soul seems brittle to the touch, the frozen maid has left inside my chest a gaping hole the same as when her breast parts to my blade
My icy darling left me empty, raw Her heart, a keepsake now begins to thaw.
Bonus - The next piece is called Snap! and it's a work in progress. I started it when I thought the project had to be a minimum of five pages, and honestly it got bigger than I could finish in the time given. I think I got a good half of it done, and might possibly come back to it.
I'm looking for feedback, folks!
Snap!
C.C. Benitez didn't know what to make of the twins - frail, thin things who looked as if they hadn't eaten a full meal in years, perhaps intentionally. They looked like they'd fuck with a cold, bored stare and Benitez found that amusing. They were pretty, Russian and wore dresses that looked as if they'd been cut and sewn from t-shirts. They whispered to each other in something that sounded like Russian. The only thing that set them apart from each other, beside their pink and blue t-shirt dresses was their hair; both long and ironed straight, the pink twin wore hers jet black, while the blue was platinum blond. Benitez entertained a private fantasy while the rest of the crowd around fanned themselves with their paperwork. Gotta love Hollywood in the Summer, he thought.
"Please do not sit on the cars!" yelled a large black woman in a Beatles Revolver t-shirt. Hundreds of the Southern California unwashed herded together in the basement level of the studio parking lot, disturbed occasionally by the odd golf cart or truck that passed through to park. The huge (wo)man with giant hands and shoes that must have been custom made sat eating a banana, the funny little guy whose keys hung from a beaner on his belt loop, the already frustrated looking British man in the thrift store suit – this was the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder, the seat fillers, the background. If Benitez didn't need the cash, he probably wouldn't be here, but like most of the people here, all of the showers in the world wouldn't wash away Benitez' stink of desperation.
"Snap! – Do You Think You're Cool Enough?" It was the ad that everyone had read. No one had heard anything about the show, but it was pilot season so no one blinked twice. The crowd were mildly curious, but the order of the day in Hollywood is hurry up and wait. It wasn't hard for the crowd to sit in distracted boredom. The shade of the parking garage giving just a hint of shelter from the broiling sun outside. As the line was urged forward, Benitez accidentally nudged a young BAP and got a little more 'tude than he was willing to put up with. It was a pointless exchange, but a way to blow off steam. The Revolver woman made sure that everyone signed the wavers, or they would be ejected from the screening process. Benitez signed his name without reading the fine print. He borrowed a pen from the guy with no front teeth, who had hastily scribbled his information on the waiver himself.
"We might be looking for alternate contestants," said the Revolver lady. "Some of our alternates are backing out." Then the Revolver lady handed him number 176 and told Benitez to stick it on.
It took an hour or two to load the house. From hiding in the shade, Benitez the rush of air conditioning as they entered Stage 23. "Did they used to shoot Let's Make a Deal here?" Benitez wondered. The studio was cavernous, with hundreds of seats facing a stage. Overhead Benitez noted lights and a catwalk and numerous cameras around. A large curtain surrounded the stage, while something that looked like mist drifted under. Seemed like a lot of trouble for an audition.
After Benitez found his seat, the BAP and one of her cronies passed.
"Isn't that the rude man from the line?" whispered the sidekick in a voice everyone could hear.
"Get over it!" Benitez yelled, and he was surprised when he thought he could see his own breath. It couldn't be cold enough for that!
It was at that moment that the stage took on a blue cast, like artificial moonlight. There was a slight hum of speakers as an oddly dressed man took the stage. He wore, of all things, a parka. Even in a Los Angeles winter, wearing a parka draws stares. Under the hood the man spoke into a small wireless microphone.
"Welcome to Snap! I'm executive producer Gary King. Who's excited to be here?" A smattering of applause. Giant Hands fixed her makeup. Thrift Store looked on in disdain. The BAP rolled her eyes and feigned applause. Benitez clapped enough to prove he was there. One row ahead, he spied a pretty young lady in a maroon Bridesmaid's dress. She whistled and laughed like she was genuinely amused.
"Newbies," Benitez murmured, a little charmed.
"We can do better than that!" coaxed the man in the parka, "Everyone with a number is going to have a chance at the prize! Surviving contestants will have a chance at One Hundred Million Dollars!"
Surviving? He must have been exaggerating, Benitez thought. He looked around at the crowd, whose jaws dropped in unison. Shortly, even those who'd had their hands nestled in their armpits took them out for a roar of applause. He peeked over at Bridesmaid and wondered if the air conditioning was too strong. In spite of the hundreds of people in the room, it was starting to get chilly.
** This section still needs to be written **
As the curtain opened, Benitez saw, what was it? A tank? A cage? It was a big glass box, nearly twenty feet high. Small doors, at least small enough for an average man to fit through, stood closed along two of the four frost covered walls. The walls of the cage were sealed at the edges by reinforced steel beams. Inside, a huge block of ice with what looked like three seats carved in one side and was there some kind of polar bear frozen at its core? No, it couldn't be. It looked almost human.
Suspended in the block, the beast must have been ten feet tall or near it. Dirty gray hair covered most of its body, pale blue-white skin exposed only at the palms and its ghastly, bearded face. It looked as if it could be sleeping. Benitez thought he could see it open its eyes. He quickly came to his senses. It was a fairly remarkable work of some creature shop, he rationalized. B-Movie schlock that wasn't used much since the days of digital effects. Then the screaming began.
It was a startled cry over the hushed awe in the studio. He looked to the far side of the room and saw the Pink Twin wailing and crying, her sister lying faint at her side. After the initial jolt of panic, Benitez thought this must have been some kind of hoax, like the stunt they pulled with the screaming lady when the Frankenstein movie premiered.
Project Bullseye
Current mood: I.C.U.P.
Category: I.C.U.P. Writing and Poetry
This is my latest workshop script. It's still pretty rough. Things had to change in the formatting, especially when the geography became clearer to me. Also, I wanted to do something different from my last script. It's pretty silly, but I like it.
Project Bullseye! by Neil Figuracion
Page 1 Panel A Extreme Close-up on a name badge. It's a large iconic red and black Bullseye with an arrow that reads: "Joey R. Aiming High since 2007"
And in smaller letters: "Bullseye"
Caption I.C.U.P.
Panel B Interior – reflection in mirror Over the shoulder we see Joey Roach (22), wearing a great big Bullseye corporate smile at his reflection in the mirror. He's clad in an unspectacular blue shirt and khakis. He holds an empty specimen cup in one hand.
Joey Welcome to Bullseye! How can I be of service?
Panel C A familiar slump comes to Joey's shoulders as his expression changes to slight disappointment.
Joey (Thought Balloon) Filling a cup for the man...
Panel D Interior - Bullseye bathroom To the right of Joey are three sparkling white urinals in the bathroom at Bullseye, a large chain of big box stores.
Joey (Thought Balloon) Remember the pay scale...
Panel E Close-up on Joey who is startled by
Lou (Off, shouting) Hey Roach! You done in there?
Panel F Joey opens one of the stall doors
Joey Just a minute, Lou.
Title Caption Project Bullseye Chapter One – Target Acquired
Page 2 Panel A - Interior – Bullseye side Hallway Lou Gonzalez (47), the head manager at Bullseye stands impatiently. He's a heavyset man, balding. Joey exits from the restroom door to his right.
Joey (mock surprise) Geez Lou, you scared the piss outta me.
Joey hands the cup to Lou, who puts it in a special bag.
Panel B Joey and Lou exit to the right.
Lou Har dee har har. Let's get this to the lab.
Panel C Interior, Bullseye main floor – large panel, wide view The Bullseye main floor is a giant room full of various merchandise and liberally peppered with signs and slogans like:
"Bullseye – we aim to slash prices"
Crowds of customers, families with kids in tow, etc. Lou and Joey walk down the aisle towards the back bay.
Joey Isn't this a lot of fuss for a promotion?
Lou It's just a formality.
Panel D - Interior, Bullseye back bay Lou and Joey push open the back door.
Lou (yelling) Hey Fleetwood! You back here?
Fleetwood (off) Ch'want?
Lou How quick can ya get this to the lab?
Panel E Approaching from the right is Fleetwood (age indeterminate), the bike messenger. He's a cartoonish sort who wears goggles and a helmet. He extends his hand without any disgust, and gives a look as if to say "have I ever let you down?"
Fleetwood In a jiff.
Panel F A whoosh as Fleetwood leaves Joey and Lou in a rush.
Joey How soon before we know?
Lou A week, maybe. Let's go get a dog.
Page 3 Panel A - Interior – housewares Lou and Joey walk briskly toward the front of the store. A girl walks past in the other direction, wearing the same unspectacular outfit, but without the name tag. Her name is Emma McCourt (20), a cheerful and pretty young lady who in years might be doing something much more exciting. Lou doesn't notice the girl, but Joey does.
Lou We're real lucky you came along. You've got real management potential. Could go a long way in this company.
Joey Hey Lou?
Panel B - Three quarters on Emma. The air seems to shimmer around her.
Joey (off) Who's the new girl?
Panel C - interior – near the electronics department As Lou and Joey pass, we see a couple of tourists wearing very dark glasses, milling about the merchandise. They wear earpieces, though that might not stand out with all the electronics nearby.
Lou She must be one of Peggy's new hires.
Intercom (off) Paging Lou Gonzalez to register 16.
Panel E - In the distance – the cash registers An irate customer is getting out of hand. In the foreground, Lou rolls up his sleeves.
Lou I'd better put a lid on this. Go ahead and take your lunch.
Joey Need some help?
Panel F Joey looks back for Emma, but finds no trace.
Lou (off) It's no problem. I'll see you after lunch.
Page 4 Panel A - Interior – snack bar ("Hits the Spot!") Joey sits at one of the many booths, eating a sandwich and chips.
Caption Roach goes to lunch
Panel B Joey is surprised to see Emma starting behind the counter, putting on an apron.
Voice(off) Mind if I take this seat?
Panel C Agent Marcus Bacon (42), a large blond man wearing mustache, in tourist garb, dark sunglasses and an ear-piece. He sits opposite from Joey, blocking his view of the counter.
Joey (perturbed) Hey!
Agent Bacon Don't worry Mr. Roach. You'll get to know her later.
Panel D Joey's attention is grabbed by the pistol that Agent Bacon lays on the table.
Joey Okay bud, I don't know your story.
Agent Bacon One tale at a time, Mr. Roach. I understand you're up for a promotion here at Bullseye.
Panel E Joey sits, tight-lipped, brow furrowed.
Agent Bacon It's a safe job, selling products to the masses.
Panel F
Agent Bacon But haven't you ever wanted something more adventurous?
Joey What are you talking about?
Page 5 Panel A In the background of this very large panel, we see a collage of excitement: Joey, wearing the ubiquitous Bullseye badge, jumping out of a plane, in scuba gear, wearing a tux and holding a beautiful woman, racing a snowboard off a cliff while chased by gunmen, explosions, as much ridiculous adventure as can fit in the frame. In the foreground, Joey and Agent Bacon sit at the booth. Joey glares at Bacon, while Bacon wears a slight grin.
Agent Bacon Have you ever heard the secret history of the Bullseye Corporation?
Panel B - Close-up on Joey.
Joey (flip) I know when my labs come in, I'll be moving up to management.
Panel C - Close-up on Agent Bacon Agent Bacon raises an eyebrow.
Agent Bacon We've got your test results. They show that you're eligible for a completely different kind of promotion.
Panel D – Inset Extreme close-up on Joey as his jaw drops in shock!
In memoriam, Daniel Robert Epstein
Current mood: shaken
Category: shaken Life
The body of Daniel Robert Epstein, age 31, was found yesterday morning by his wife. The news has made me sadder than any news I've heard in a while.
If you don't know his work, Epstein was one of my favorite interviewers. He did most of the interviews at Suicide Girls. His interviews were insightful, sharp, conversational. In short, they often made me jealous.
If you've never read his interviews, I'd highly recommend you click on the link above. There's bound to be someone you're interested in. If you're into movies, he's interviewed a host of stars. If comics are your thing, he's talked to the movers and shakers. If you're turned on by music, guess what, he's found some bit that you never even thought you'd want to know. He found ways to get past people's defenses, and yet he never felt like he was attacking. He was just talking.
I'm sad that I never talked to the guy myself. I'm sure that conversation would have been a great learning experience. Do yourself a favor and read something.
When your mind's made up
Current mood: Cuff me baby, eight to the bar!
Category: Cuff me baby, eight to the bar! Life
This is the movie I want to see more than anything else at the moment: Once When my week straightens itself out, I'll be at the Arclight! Maybe even tonight...
While I'm plugging stuff, I should also make a theatre recommendation. If you're in Southern California, you have just two weeks left to see The Interact Theatre Company's production of The Boarding House. It's a great production and my friend Alyss has some powerful moments.
Get thee to the box office!
I've been crawling up out of the low level depression that comes when I have to reduce my dance time. I'm told that rotator cuff injuries (mine goes professionally undiagnosed, but many people have recognized something familiar when they see me going "owwie!") can take a long time to heal. I figure at some point I should put some money into it. In the meantime, I should probably do the ice thing.
Meanwhile, the comics class that I'm teaching is two weeks away from coming to a close. I'll be writing something about it when I'm emotionally ready. In the meantime I have learned that kids can be cruel to each other and they want attention. It gives me a whole perspective on adult human behavior.
There, I've gone and spoiled the point of the thing I'll be writing.
New up on Broken Frontier:
Virgin TerritoryPart 1 This is my interview with Steve Seagle, about his fascinating comic about religion and sex: American Virgin.
Big Game
Current mood: Go Boxers!
Category: Go Boxers! Writing and Poetry
There are a bunch of things (even some of my rarely seen fiction) in this post, so feel free to look around. Firstly, please watch Drive. It's a fun new show that premiered on Fox this weekend, and I'm enjoying it enough to plug it. It's about a big secret race with a huge prize. It reminds me of The Prisoner or Battle Royale, but with the dopey goodness of The Dukes of Hazzard.
I'm in for as long as it's fun!
What follows is ahomework assignment for a comics writing class that I started last month. The assignment was to write a story about a hunt or pursuit told with no dialogue, thought balloons or captions. This is essentially the first draft, so some basic changes are ahead. It's not due 'til the end of the month, so I've got time to re-work it.
Also, there were some weird formatting problems, which should explain any punctuation that is lost. Part of my whole reason for posting this assignment is because I've had some trouble printing it, so the whole thing will be reformatted and re-written once I can paste it to Word.
Big Game
Page 1 – Three panels (Upper:Lower = 1:2) Interior, Cesar Chavez High School, Hallway
Panel A – 2/3 upper page From left to right: A bulletin board on the hallway wall, various PSA posters, fliers; two of these stand out prominently "Cesar Chavez High School Homecoming Dance" and a sign up sheet reading "The Crucible – audition." Just to the right of that stands Xochitl Villareal (14). Xochitl (pronounced Soh-cheel) is a bookish though demurely attractive young lady, a freshman at Chavez. She stands in ¾ figure facing camera with her attention to the right of page, around the corner. Gingerly, she holds a cupcake, like it was something precious. Around the corner, strides Paul Moran (16), with a gaggle of cheerleaders. He's the new quarterback of the football team.
Panel B – lower third, left Xochitl holds her breath as Paul and the gaggle approach. She might think "Is he going to say hi?"
Panel C – lower third, right From left to right: the last of the gaggle continue their westward movement. Xochitl is dejected as it appears that Paul didn't even notice her.
Page 2, 6 panels (Upper:Middle:Lower = 2:1:3) Panel A – upper third, left Xochitl looks off to the left, disappointed in her lack of courage.
Panel B – upper third, right Xochitl, still a bit hesitant, bites her lower lip.
Panel C – middle third, cloudy, soft panel border From left to right, though not necessarily sharing the same horizon line, a short "montage" as Xochitl remembers her plan:
1)Xochitl, in her kitchen, happily makes her cupcakes from "Abuelita's secret recipe," laid out on the kitchen counter. 2)Xochitl presents the cupcake to Paul. 3)Paul and Xochitl hold each other close at the shool dance.
Panel D – lower third, left Xochitl, newly determined, walks toward the left of panel, where Paul and the gaggle had wandered. To her right, Nick Vega (15), approaches. Nick has a rockabilly flair, pompadour, glasses. He raises an eyebrow as Xochitl leaves.
Panel E – lower third, middle Paul looks both ways.
Panel F – lower third, right Close-up on the sign-in sheet. Pauls hand signs his name on the sheet.
Page 3, 5 panels (Upper:Middle:Lower = 2:1:2) Panel A – upper third, left Further down the hallways, banks of lockers. Hanging along the wall is a banner for the homecoming game ("Go Boxers!") Xochitl walks down the hall towards a half-open door.
Panel B – upper third, right Exterior, Hallway door Xochitl, facing camera, steps partly through the door to peek outside.
Panel C – middle third Exterior, Cesar Chavez High School quad Xochitl, visible at the door to the left, spies upon Paul and the gaggle, now joined by a bunch of jocks. Paul mimes throwing a pass and the clique laugh and cheer raucously.
Panel D – lower third, left Xochitl approaches the crowd timidly.
Panel E – lower third, right As Xochitl reaches the edge of the crowd, she offers the cupcake to Paul. One of the jocks nudges him to alert him to the new audience member.
Page 4, 5 panels (Upper:Middle:Lower = 2:1:2) Panel A – reduced upper third, left Flipping the camera around to Xochitl's point of view Xochitl's hand extends from the bottom of the frame towards a dumbstruck Paul. The clique stare on from behind, caught by surprise as well.
Panel B – reduced upper third, right Xochitl's hand is still extended. Behind a stunned Paul, the crew howl with laughter, make faces, and point.
Panel C – enlarged middle third (actually about a half, but in-between the top and bottom rows) Flipping the camera back towards Xochitl Her bottom lip trembles a bit. She is cowed. The crew continues their mocking. Paul is still speechless.
Panel D – lower third, left Xochitl turns away from the crowd, back towards the door.
Panel E – lower third, right Flipping the camera towards Paul He looks like he feels a little bad.
Page 5, 6 panels (Upper:Middle:Lower = 2:3:1) The first five panels overlay over the fifth panel, which bleeds to all four edges of the page.
Panel A – upper third, left Interior, school hallway door Nick, moving urgently, reaches for the doorknob.
Panel B – upper third, right Xochitl bursts through the door, slamming into Nick who is out of view behind.
Panel C – middle third, left Xochitl covers her mouth, realizing that there was someone behind the other side of the door.
Panel D – middle third, center Having shut the door behind her, Xochitl sees Nick, who nurses his banged hand. He shrugs as if to say, "no problem."
Panel E – middle third, right Xochitl gives an awkward grin. Nick brushes the dust off of his sleeve as they walk off right.
Panel F – lower third Long shot deep into hallway towards door. The homecoming banner at the top of frame, has lost some of its tape. That edge falls to the floor, only leaving the word "home" visible on the left. At the door, a very surprised Paul passes through the door to look into the foreground at right: Xochitl bites her lip, offers the cupcake to Nick by way of apology. Nick's hand reaches out for the offer. He smiles.
Speaking of Big Games, I'm holding a Khet tournament on Saturday, April 28th, 1pm. The winner will receive win a Khet set and a t-shirt. It's happening at Game Empire
There are a lot of thoughts I've been having lately, especially since Kurt Vonnegut passed away. At some point I'll take the time to do those thoughts justice. If I were to summarize, I'd mention aging and dreams. I've had a lot of reasons to be wistful in the last few weeks.
If you want to practice your laser skills, here's a one player game that has kept me in practice!
And then I may be teaching an after-school class for Elementary school kids about the craft and appreciation of comics. More about that when everything is secure.
Recently on Broken Frontier:
The Last Word in Magical Worlds If you haven't read JM DeMatteis and Mike Ploog's Abadazad, then you've missed one of the coolest kids stories in recent ages. I met up with JM to talk about Abadazad and the whole point of writing.
Part 1 Somewhere Over the Expressway Part 2 Why We Have Stories
Buckets, in many varieties
Current mood: You bucket, you bought it.
Category: You bucket, you bought it. Life
Rustbucket Someone gave me a car. I'm not planning to use it very much. However, someone invited me to a wedding at the last second for this weekend, and it will help me get there. I'm hoping I can park it around the corner, so as not to embarrass the hosts.
This is not the actual car, but I dig it anyway.
The wedding should be pretty cool too, because it is being overseen by one of my comics heroes (a real person, not a superhero). I have been following his work for a couple of decades now and wouldn't mind the chance to chat with him
I'm actually not able to attend the ceremony. I'll be showing up later. On the other hand there will be board games played. I'll be going from one board game event to the next this weekend. More about that below.
And yes, I still bought my bus pass, because like I said, I don't plan to drive much at all.
Kicking the bucket I'm injured, slightly. My shoulder has been out of whack since the aerials workshop I did a month or so back was followed by an extremely heavy follow the week afterwards. I'm just out of whack, but I hope to be better soon.
Maybe this is how I feel.
Hole in the Bucket Broke too. 'Bout as broke as I've been in a while. Easy come, easy go, I guess.
A drop in the bucket I finished the first draft of the first homework assignment for Bill Willingham's writing class. I'll work on it more tonight and this weekend.
Laserbucket? This coming Monday, I'll be hanging out and playing Khet (in case you don't know: it's like laser chess) at Game Empire, from 5pm-9pm. I contacted the designer and he said that he would be interested in sending prizes for the tournament that I'll be organizing next month. More on that soon!
Currently
listening
:
Monsters & Robots
By
Buckethead
Release date: 21 September, 1999
The elegance of Germanic constructions
Current mood: Middlesexy
Category: Middlesexy Writing and Poetry
I'm doing a dance contest this Thursday at Lindy groove. Come scream your head off for me, because you've got nothing better to do. Also, the Pasadena Board Game Meet-up group is meeting this Sunday at 3pm, Game Empire.
Here's an excerpt from Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides:
Emotions, in my experience, aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." I'd like to show how "intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members" connects with "the hatred of mirrors that begins in middle age." I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them now more than ever.
Julius gave me a copy of this novel for my birthday, and I must say that it is exquisitely written. Beautiful, painful, funny and poignant. It's worth checking out!
If you know how much I dig This American Life, you will check out this new preview for the new Showtime series. Features animation by Chris Ware.
Also, I joined a new writing class, overseen by Bill Willingham, the guy behind Fables. Let's hope I learn something!
New on Broken Frontier: Three Days Among Wizards, part 1 I went to Wizard World Los Angeles last weekend, and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. (Honestly, it was a really good time!)
Coming soon: Three Days Among Wizards, part 2 - It Ain't Hogwarts I wrap up my coverage of WWLA, and give my thoughts on this year's Wizard School. The Last Word in Magical Worlds My interview with JM DeMatteis should be up any day now. If you haven't checked out his and Mike Ploog's Abadazad, you're missing a great book. Virgin Territory I met with writer Steve Seagle to talk about his new sex odyssey, American Virgin.
Don't miss the bus!
Current mood: Food is good!
Category: Food is good! Movies, TV, Celebrities
A few things today. Making up for a few weeks off.
Shortbus will be released on DVD this Tuesday. Please make sure to find a copy. I've been waiting for a good conversation about this film for months. Help a guy out!
Here's my favorite song from the film, Soda Shop, by Jay Brannan. He does a bit of exposition, but it's a beautiful song by a beautiful young man. This isn't a clip from the film, but one of Brannan's series of YouTube videos.
Go, go go see this film!
A bit tangentially, here's a short film I found. It's quite filthy, though there's no actual nudity. I wouldn't say that it's safe for work, but um...
Between, this film and Shortbus, the former makes me feel much dirtier, though the latter contains explicit sex.
Something I've been thinking about for a while is the way the George Lucas movie Howard the Duck took one of my favorite things and made it an enormous joke.
I'm only reminded of this because of The Number 23. I haven't seen it, but I'm really glad that no one seems to have noticed it. Then again, the whole thing about the Law of Fives (and thus the 23 enigma) is that it's so ridiculous that people have questioned it for decades.
I see those mysteries as musings on the power of faith.
Currently
reading
:
Middlesex: A Novel
By
Jeffrey Eugenides
Release date: 16 September, 2003
Communities around the table
Current mood: What its like to be a player
Category: What its like to be a player Games
I've gotten back into an old hobby of mine: boardgames.
I never had much patience for the classics, say Monopoly or Scrabble, much less Chess. The thing about Chess is that when you're learning, the people you play against are going to have a larger understanding of the game than you are, that goes back to centuries of study of the game, and that how much fun you have depends on how your opponents play. I do have an interest in Go, which goes back historically much farther than Chess, but which appears to me to be much more intuitive and which has a culture of education that encourages teachers to guide newer players to play the game with more elegance.
Anyway, back in college I used to sit up with my geek friends and play games like Talisman, Illuminati, Diplomacy, or Nuclear War until the sun came up. In more recent years, I'd play some of the modern Eurogames like Settlers of Catan and NY Chase and we'd spend a good many hours goofing around and having a good time.
So anyway, I've been hanging out at this place in Pasadena called Game Empire (formerly The Game Zone, but now new and much improved). They have scheduled board game nights a couple nights a week on Wednesdays and Sundays and it has a been a great time. That's where I picked up Khet, in case you're curious.
And now I found out that one of my favorite games, Abalone, which I've been playing since I was college has a large online community. And where I usually have to teach someone how to play and inevitably (as much as I try no to do) tear them apart, that's what it has been like playing with these very talented players. Even though I've been playing this game for near twenty years, I feel like a beginner, even compared to people who learned to play just a few months ago.
It's nice to feel part of another community!
Coming up soon on Broken Frontier: The Next Magical World - my conversation with J.M. Dematteis, former writer of Spider-man and Justice League of America, about his lovely new series of kids books from Hyperion, Abadazad.
Color Me Mine - Being offline has really delayed my work on this project, though I hope that has given me time to focus.
If I had to grade Traffic Jam
Current mood: Jammin'
Category: Jammin' Religion and Philosophy
I'd give it a C+.
I taught a class at Lindy Groove last night called Traffic Jam, dedicated to teaching my students the ideas and philosophy behind floorcraft - that is: the art of not smashing into people on the dance floor. While it could be said that many people (some might even say most of the class) were introduced to ideas they had not considered before, I was entirely too talky, and didn't really make it as real as I would have liked. Not to mention, there was a Moody Blues concert next door and it delayed the start of the class by a good twenty minutes. I got cut off before I got to all the practical stuff, before I got to put the knowledge into the hands of the students. Anyway, I'll chalk it up to doing it wrong in order to learn to do it right. I got some ideas after class that would make for a really incredible presentation of the subject.
Later I chatted with Stephen Mitchell and he impressed upon me the notion that the dancers at Lindy Groove seemed to him to lack a connection to History, and that the room seemed fragmented and disconnected to him, by way of community and social interaction. I'd mentioned to him that at least one returning dancer came in and described the style as mush, and that to some extent I agreed. I didn't necessarily come away with any game plan, but it seemed like an important criticism that could be addressed. He suggested having a weekly Lindy Groove line dance that might serve to focus the club into something more cohesive. I'll mention it to Lance, though I'm sure the idea would be controversial at least.
What do you think about that?
And then, completely unrelated, a detail from the work of Mark Newgarden:
When I first read this in Raw, about 15 years back, it captured that sort of adolescent obsession that I felt about whichever crush I had, their facial features completely distorted as their visage misremembered what they looked like. The strip is about a young man who sees a young lady on the subway (played by Nancy and Sluggo) and who tries to remember what the young lady looked like, and it utterly shocked me at how it captured the experience of self-perpetuated fascination. For me, it was a thrill on what seemed like a genetic level that anyone in the world would be able to replicate an experience which I thought was mine alone.
And no, my computer is still down. Hopefully it will be up by next week.
Come play boardgames, Wednesday evenings at Game Empire.
A new project begins
Current mood: bedazzled!
Category: bedazzled! Art and Photography
In case you were wondering, my home computer wants to be reformatted. Until I can do that, I'm not using it. That means I'll be posting everywhere much less frequently.
I spent last night awake thinking of colors and lights. I'm doing a lot of research on the subject, and it looks like it will be a bigger project for Broken Frontier than I've ever attempted. Hopefully it will come off. Hopefully people will participate!
What can I tell you about the project? It's a discussion of the way color and light is used in art (with a special eye towards comics), especially with consideration of the emerging technology. I'm hoping to encourage some discussion and develop a variety of aesthetics.
In the meantime, I have been doing a lot of research. In turn, that research is bringing me back to things that I experienced when I was growing up. So as part of the discussion, I'll be exploring a lot of my personal experience and how it relates to the arts.
I am more excited than anything else I have done for the site. As I mentioned before, I only hope that the world joins in.
More about this as it evolves. Wish me luck with the computer thing.
