The Dresden Files Rocks!
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

The Dresden Files TV show Rocks! But I am getting ahead of myself.

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Last night I went to a Dresden Files Premier Party. The weather was cold, it was raining and looking like it might turn to ice, but I am a huge fan of the Dresden Files books written by Jim Butcher and the idea of braving the elements to watch the show with like minded people was to good to pass up.

The party was hosted by Buzzy Multi Media, the folks to make the Dresden Files audio books. Each person who attended the party got a t-shirt to commemorate the event, as well as a nice Buzzy tote bag and an MP3 of the first novel, Stormfront, as read by James Marsters (the guy who played Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel).

Back in August I had seen a rough cut of the premier episode. There were some changes that were made for the TV show that made it a bit different than the books, but, honestly, nothing that was truly important or ruined any of the characters. There was much to-do about one character, Bob the Skull, not being a skull, and I now I suspect I know why. Lionsgate who owns the TV show is also the company that owns Ghost Rider the movie that is coming out in February, and maybe two skull characters a year is over their limit. In any event, I had OK feelings about the ruff cut of the pilot episode, but was not worried, many TV shows that I went on to enjoy as well as having had a long run on the tellie had real stinker primer episodes.

But the powers that be apparently felt the same way I did and they showed a different episode as the pilot. It was, in my opinion, pretty damn good. The guy who they got to play the main character, Harry Dresden, did an exceptional job. He had Harry's smirky half grin down to a science, delivered his lines well and was completely believable as Chicago's only practicing Wizard listed in the Yellow Pages.

I liked the show, it was all new and original material, that is, nothing that was ever in print in one of the novels. It was like getting to see all the stuff that Harry did in the time between books coming out.

True there were changes in the show that some die hard fans will not be able to come to grips with, but don't let them dissuade you from checking the show out. If you've never read the book you would never realize that changes were made and would not notice them because they are very subtle and the show still works. In fact, I'm not even going to mention them here because (my geek card is about to show) I have decided that the books are the core world and the TV show is a nearby parallel universe. I can easily enjoy both.

Moral of the story, The Dresden Files should be added to your Sunday night lineup.

qtr – T

author of Actual Factual: Dracula, A Compendium of Vampires

6:24 AM - 8 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

world of horror tour info
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

2:44 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Important News
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

HEY ALL – ..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Two important bulletins to let you in on…

IMPORTANT BULLETIN 1 – The International Order of Horror Professionals will be interviewing me for their radio show this January 14^th, 7pm EST!    http://www.myspace.com/horrorprofessionals and also    http://www.horrorprofessionals.org/

IMPORTANT BULLETIN 2 – The Dresden Files Premier Party is January 21^st at 8pm. No pets or children allowed. For driving directions hit up JUNE W. who can easily be contacted at    http://www.myspace.com/karenbristow  

IMPPORTANT BULLETIN 3 – I will be one of the guest at "The Out of Darkness Tour" conference which will be held in Greensboro, NC on June 9^th, at the America's Best Value Inn. $50 gets you in for the full days conference, but $75 dollars gets you that AND dinner with the Guests at the on-site restaurant!

Go to the official website, which is working but still under construction     www.outofdarknesstour.com

As always, these events and my other appearances are always posted on my web site     www.theresabane.com   

QtR – T

ps - the pre-order for Actual Factual: Drqacula, A Compendium of Vampires can be purchased through my website for a merger 25$. After the Pub date, price will be $40.

9:35 PM - 8 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Back from beyond the beyond!
Category: Life

First things first - but not necessarily in that order - This message needs to get out to my friends, fans, and folks I know - so pass it along if you need to please.....

I wanted to send to you a personal invitation to attend THE DRESDEN FILES PREMIRE PARTY hosted by BUZZY MULTI MEDIA.

Buzzy is the owner of the audio book rights for the NY Times Best Selling series, the Dresden Files, written by Jim Butcher.

To celebrate, they are having a Premier Party on January 21 to view the TV which will be debuting on the Sci Fi Channel. The party will be at their personal home, which is in Greensboro. There will be door prizes. They would really like a packed house for this event and asked me to invite all my friends who I thought might come. If you decide to come, extend an invite to a friend of yours as well!

If you are interested and need driving directions to the house, contact June Williams via her myspace account at www.myspace.com/karenbristow (I know I said contact 'June' at 'Karen', but trust me on this.)

See you at the party!

Next order of business –

I wanted to send out a very special thank you to all of my Myspace friends who sent me Christmas Wishes.

In fact, extend that thanks to anyone who has ever sent me a message or post of any type. There are so many great folks out there at I wish I could send birthday messages to, holiday blessings, or hump day notices to, but I just do not have the time, energy or resources to respond to all of them.

I wish that Friend-bot, the evil fake product that I wasted money on worked, because I purchased it in the hopes that I could use it to send messages and birthday greetings to my friends because it (had it worked) was supposed to be able to bypass opening pages and just send the message. It takes a lot of time to open some pages, and others just crash my computer every time I try.

I know I have been really lax on my blog, but the laws of time and space are very difficult to break no matter how hard I try. I have been indexing my book now for a month and I am only a third of the way through the alphabet. Deadline is creeping up and It has got to go when the publisher says its go time.

So please forgive me, I will make an effort to do better in the future. Although I do not personally set myself up for failure by making New Year resolutions, I am willing to go out on a limb and commit myself to trying to try harder to maintain my blog.

Starting late January, I will be hosting an on line class about the novel DRACULA. I will be doing a chapter by chapter read and discussion for anyone who is interested. There is no fee (that means its free) and in the spirit of my new willingness to try to try harder, there will be a certificate mailed to anyone who completes the course with me. Most likely this will be done through my web page - www.theresabane.com and not here on myspace.

Till next year, most likely

Quoth the Raven – Terry Bane

6:08 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

The long awaited return
Category: Life

hey all -

its been a while since i have blogged, my escuse being life and things and such.

In lue of one of my usual rants about this or that, I would like to direct your attention to a responce i left at http://www.myspace.com/karenbristow   under the "Tis the season - what does it mean to you" blog she wrote. I subscribe to her blog and suggest you do to. Leave a comment for her as well, she's a good friend.

qtr - ssT

10:32 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

It’s Official, I Told My Mother I Am A Terrorist, And She Is Very Proud
Current mood: pissed off
Category: News and Politics

It's Official, I Told My Mother I Am A Terrorist, And She Is Very Proud

I have said of late that our country is "by the corporation, for the corporation," and that the people have been long suffering. I have always loved my country and I am sad for what our country has dissolved into, a place where anyone with enough money can do anything they want to anyone, completely consequence free.

There was a bill passed on the fast-track via voice vote called the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act also known as AETA. The short story of the bill says that anyone who causes a business or industry to loose money because of interference due to animal rights protesters are to be arrested as terrorist. Even if it is peaceful and nonobtrusive. WTF!

Does that mean that if you stand outside a pet shop in the mall, handing out flyers that educate folks about the horrors of puppy milling that you could be bunkmates with someone who planed on filling a van up with fertilizer and crashing it into a government building in the name of Allah? Yes, yes it does, that is exactly what it means.

I also do not buy tuna because I feel that it endangers dolphins, no matter what the label on the can says. Does that mean that the thought police are gonna get me?! Cause this bill gives them that right. I also do not wear mink, but is it because I choose not to save up and buy one or is it because I think the idea of wearing a rat skin coat, no matter how nice it may look, is still a rat skin coat at the end of the day!

I eat chicken and beef, and am fond of leather jackets, will that hold any weight with the prosecuting DA when my court appointed lawyer and he sit down to discuss terms?

What if I sign a petition, like lots of people tend to do when it is e-mailed to me or I see one laying down on a counter. Will I be put on a watch list or will the government sweep in on me in my home like I'm a small Cuban child?

And God's truth, while I was sitting here writing this, I got a phone call from some guy trying to collect money for the Republican party. Hahahaha!

Question: If I buy a copy of Black Beauty for a child this Christmas, providing the government doesn't put it on a list of books baned due its subversive content, am I truly going to go to prison?

Answer: It depends on two litigating factors. First, how big of "an example" does the court want to make of me; and second, how good a lawyer can I buy?

Just someone out there promise me that after my state execution, someone, I don't care who, but someone puts a statue of St. Francis on my grave.

To find out how your local elected idiot voted, or if he even showed up, go to http://dogblog.dogster.com/2006/11/14/us-house-of-representatives-passes-aeta-start-the-bail-fundraisers-now/#more-2227

Quoth the Raven - Terry Bane

author of Actual Factual: Dracula, A Compendium of Vampires a historical non-fiction historical reference guide. www.TheresaBane.com to see more

and also

The Bloodthirsty Weasels: On the Loose and Buck Wild, a dark humor book filled with all the elected officials you can handle.

Buy them up now, prices may go up after my incarsiation!

1:08 PM - 6 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Picking and choosing what laws to enforce - Not on my watch!
Category: News and Politics

Working at home has its advantages, but it can also have its pitfalls. Today I have had a long and plain out tiring day. Thank the powers that be that I did not have so much as a sling shot in the house today.

This is a copy of a letter that I sent to the North Carolina Highway Patrol Office. Let's count the number of days it takes for someone, anyone, from the State to respond.

Today, October 30, 2007, between the hours of 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., (when they should have been in school) four young teens tore up and down the road I live on with their four wheelers and dirt bikes. I know that this is an awfully tempting thing to do seeing as how Cheyenne Trail is a mile long, dead end, gravel road. They wore no helmets and reached speeds of about 40 mph sending up a rooster tail of smoke and gravel in the air before they would cut donuts right in front of my home, as I am the last house on that mile long, gravel road. It was not until 4 p.m. that I was even able to track down and make contact with a State Highway Patrol Office because no one in Randolph County knew who to call to enforce the law. Several people I spoke to could even hear the kids while I spoke to them on the phone. The Law Enforcement Officer I was finally able to speak with told me, in so many words, it was not a big enough crime to pursue without evidence. I told him I would be more than happy to supply the State with digital photos and video of the crime. He suggested it was not worth taking to court, as it was "after all, hardly anything." I reminded him that it was my home that the ruts in the road were being put in front of and that my old car that I cannot afford to replace would be the one being tore up, rendering me unemployed and thereby allowing me all the time I would ever need to turn witness to the State and force them to prosecute this case. He replied by taking my contact info in a gruff voice. That showed me, what with my crazy ideas of looking out for the welfare of kids whose own parents didn't hoot about him, wanting to have a bit quiet for myself, the law enforced, and the State property that I am forced to use every day, be in proper working conditions.

I just bet that if one of those little darlings flipped their 4 wheeler, broke their neck and lay suffering in the ditch until their decomposing body drew my attention to it, that their parents would most certainly want to find some sort of crime to charge against me and the State. Sure would be funny if it were perfectly legal not to call 911 for an ambulance. Besides, if there is a law that says I must, I bet its just a "small crime" not to report an accident and not worth perusing in criminal court anyway. It would be in bad taste and downright un-neighborly of me to let a kid suffer in a ditch, but hey, if the State can pick and choose between right and wrong and parents can let kids pick and choose between obeying the law or not, don't see why I should act like I'm better than them or deserve different than the rest!

So, just to be certain, would you mind clearing up the letter of the law for me. If destroying a State maintained road is a "little crime" and therefore not worthy of either reporting to the police or the police following up on, than is safe to assume that I can also not report the accident that is inevitable when the helmet-less four wheel driver flies through the air and lands breaking his neck in the State maintained ditch that surrounds my home? I ask because I feel that somebody's Mommy and/or Daddy are going to want to know how such a horrible thing could be allowed happen, why didn't anyone ever say or do anything about it, and who they can sue because of it. I would like to have a response so that when this tragic event occurs, I can wave a printout of the e-mail under their nose and be done with it all.

I find it impossible to believe that there is not a single rookie trooper in all of policedom who needs to be given some task to give him some field time or someone that the State can't ask to swing by and ask the kids to stop and plicate the crazy woman who is trying to get her rights and the law enforced. Not a year goes by that some local bucktooth doesn't kill himself on a four wheeler. I mean honestly, if your going to give the gift of farm equipment to a child, why not go all out and make it a Bobcat with a shovel scoop on the front. That could really tear the heck out of State road in no time flat! We'd have to sell a who lot more acreage than the Whuarrie park to cover that property damage!

It doesn't surprise me that the parents don't want the kids riding their four wheelers through their own field on their own property because it tears up the ground leaving horrible ruts that are expensive and time consuming to repair. It is also not a big shocker that these kids are boarded out of their mind because the town has forced the local, privately owned skate ramp that was in someone's backyard to close because richer and more important folks said it was dragging down property values. Is that how the law is being enforced now, by those who can afford it or have political sway?

I will also be sending a copy of this letter the Chief of Operation at the NC Depart of Transportation to see if they can help me with this situation.

And just so that you know, its after 6 p.m. now, well past twilight, its dark outside, and the kids are still at it. So much time has passed now, by way of example, a State Trooper leaving the city of Savannah Georgia could have arrived here by now.

Please e-mail me with the answers to my questions as soon as possible, there my be someone in my ditch.

Actually, at about 6.30 p.m. a state trooper did call and have a nice and civil and polite conversation with me. He was well manered and that went a long way to calming me down.

But I still posted this blog.

And I am not checking the ditch till Friday.

qtr - Terry Bane

author of "The Bloodthirsty Weasels: On the Loose and Buck Wild" a sinisterly funny book.

and also

"Actual Factual:Dracula, a compendium of Vampires" a non-fiction Historical reference guide about vampires, their kit and kin. Neighbors included.

3:45 PM - 16 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

First Pluto, now Purgatory. What’s next, the color Green?
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Apparently the current head of the Church, having to compete with the legacy of John Paul the Second, decided to make his own mark on history by blinking Purgatory of existence because he doesn't like it.

HELLO! What a person "likes" and "would rather" has no place in this particular religion. Catholic dogma is not know for its flexibility or wiggle-room when matters of the soul are at hand. And beside, what's not to like about Purgatory? It's a place or condition (that part is still a little bit murky but not important to understand) that a soul goes to or suffers in while waiting for their venial faults (not venial sins) to be forgiven so they may gain entry into heaven. Who doesn't want to go to Heaven and why doesn't the Pope want you to go there?

Basically the problem with Purgatory as a place or condition of purification is this: the Catholic founding fathers didn't believe in it, but allowed it because it gave a glimmer of hope to layfolks. But primarily the big reason it was allowed to be preached about was because there are a few entries in the bible that kinda hint that such a place and/or condition exists. The main verse used to promote Purgatory is a direct quote from the lips of Jesus himself. This makes it really hard to squash. The line is "Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come."  (Matthew chapter12:32)

This verse caused many Saints of the Church throughout history to be able to preach that some sin on a person's soul at the time of death is not an automatic sentence to Hell. They suggest that Venial Faults are able to be absolved after death, and they imply that this process is, or the "place" where this forgiveness happens in is called Purgatory.

If the Pope would like to secure his place in history as being remember as more than "the Pope that came after John Paul the second," I recommend he forget the Purgatory dilemma and grab hold of a concept that St. Thomas Aquinas invented. St. Thomas declared that only things of the natural world can and may be allowed to multiple, such as grass and dogs and people. Things made of man however should not be allowed to reproduce its own kind as that is an unnatural thing and that way must not be allowed, such as chairs and rugs and coinage. If a chair reproduces a chair of its own accord, that is an evil chair, an abomination in the eyes of God and must not sat upon. Likewise money that produces money is an abomination and must not be allowed, and therefore the Pope should fight against interest rates!

The Pope vs Allen Greenspan there's a battle I'd like to see!

Its OK, I wasn’t using my Civil Liberties anyway
Category: News and Politics

I live out in the country. I am the last house down a mile long dirt road. I have woods on three sides of my home a half mile thick and a tobacco field on the other. There is NOTHING of interest anywhere near me, and I like it that way because I don't want to have to deal with people everyday. I watch the news often enough to be afraid of going to war with North Korea, but apparently not enough to know that the dang blurn President of these United States was going to be on my street today.

OK, not exactly on my street, but he was on the cross street, and the police had it blocked off, and every other way to my house, for miles. I could not have even crossed a corn field for fear that low flying chopters overhead would gun my down like a baby seal "mistaking" me for a terrorist and not a lady tired from a hard days work, on her way home with dinner getting cold in the car, in need of her ladies room!

Its nice to know that the President was zipping up and down highway 220 today between Greensboro and Bumble (the town where I live). First a quick breakfast with the movers and shakers of the city of Greensboro (hahahahahahaha!) and a little visit to Victory Junction, Richard Petty's camp for children with terminal illness. Then he was hiking it back up to Greensboro to have dinner at some shin-dig that cost a grand a plate.

It woudda been nice to know that every road, deer trail and cow path to my home was going to be blocked off by ever cop car in two counties. A flyer coudda been printed up at Office Max and given to the mailmen to slip into everyone's mailbox to warn them that between the hours of this and that all traffic will be diverted to the side of the road and made to park and then stand 75 feet from the road. It woudda been nice to know that I would be literally trapped here and unable to leave. What if I fell and needed an ambulance? Or, a more likely scenario, got snake bit and needed rattle anti venom!

Every driveway, and this is not an exaggeration, every driveway between the highway and my home had a cop car parked in it. Every corner had four cop cars. Police cars from no less than six different towns were represented. Had I know they were all going to be trapped within a presidential motorcade route, I may have considered robbing a bank today rather than go to work. But that may well be the reason they don't advertise this sort of thing.

Anywhoo – after all that, I saw the motorcade pass by. 3 chopters, 6 motorcycles half mile gap, half of all police motorcycles in the county, several SUV trucks with passengers visibly holding rifles, two identical presidential limousines, several more SUVs with passengers holding guns, the rest of the motorcycle police, a mysterious black Hummer (of the real military variety, not available at dealerships) a K9 unit, and an ambulance holding up the rear. It truly was quite a sight to see.

Quoth the Raven – Theresa Bane

author of

Actual Factual: Dracula, a Compendium of Vampires. This is a 'much have' purchase for any one and everyone who is a horror writer, historian, anthropologist, ect. Its non fiction and will be available in April of 2007.

and also

The Bloodthirsty Weasels: On the Loose and Buck Wild

A humor book that will make you laugh, cry, and possibly angry enough to write another, even longer letter to my publisher telling them they absolutely should not encourage such alleged "humor" as mine. I'm framing this one too to hang over my desk! Keep those letters coming kids, I have a whole room to wall paper! HAHAHA!

3:30 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Some People Should Not Be Allowed To Speak
Current mood: crappy
Category: News and Politics

Politics don't bug me as much as they used to. I'll listen to what anyone has to say for a little while, so long as they pronounce it properly. Otherwise, it's like listening to a three year old speak, or a boxer, they have only a loose idea of what their point is going to be, have no idea how to reach it, so they use words they don't really know the meaning of or they make up words along the way. Just for fun one day, try and actually hear what Al Sharpton is saying. Forget his politics and try to hear the words he uses. Funny.

And by the way, while I have your attention, the word that describes a recess or nook in a wall for a statue is 'niche,' and it is pronounced in a way to rhyme with the word 'witch.' When you go about town blabbering on and say it to rhyme with the word 'quiche' you sound like a frog eating cretin, not smart and educated if that was the look you were going for. When said that way, it is a transitive verb, and, French. Yuck.

Not living in a glass house myself, I can admit that I used to pronounce the word 'radiator' like this: 'rad-de-ater.' It took the gentle prodding of my buddy, Eric, to point out my mistake "Terry, you sound like damn Yankee, it's 'ray-de-ater!' Like 'radiation. Ray-de-a-sun'". I never thanked you for that little linguistic lesson, Eric. And now is not the time.

It also annoys the snot out of me when folks who would otherwise speak normally suddenly feel the need to over emphasize and exaggerate the pronunciation of a foreign word. The actor (haha, that's funny every time I say that ) William "the whisperer" Hurt* does this. For example: "Please, you must try a Qua-saun. It's great." You don't recognize that word do you? It's croissant. We live in America, and here we say 'crow-sant,' that's right with a 't' on the end. Let the French say it any way they like, they'll just deny it later. And again, you don't sound like you went to Harvard, but like your trying way too hard to make others around you feel simple. But guess what, it's not working.

Another speaking faux pas in my opinion, is when the speaker suddenly 'goes native.' News casters do this all the time. This is the unnatural phenomena of when a person is yammering about whatever and when the time comes to say a name – wham o – some super ethnic made up sound flies forth. "Reporting for Ho Hum News, I'm Horramoan Harrrammano." It's Raymond Romano. It's that simple.

And what's with the urban speak thang?! "You gots yo momzes ride?" No, you have your mother's car. There is no reason for you to speak like you have no education! Your an American! There is free public education, and you know what, it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Why would anyone want to sound like they were raised in the environment that it would take to speak like that? Or, are you trying to sound like your mother smoked and drank while you were in utero? If you're argument is that the P.S. you went to didn't have a linguistic coach or speech therapist, my response is that you watch some TV. I know you have at least three in your house. I'm not suggesting you watch more TV, but for gosh sake, if you won't crack a dictionary to look up the pronunciation of a word, at least listen to the sound of the announcer's voice in commercials as to how he pronounces words. Never mind his enthusiasm.

This is not difficult! It's just speaking! We do it all the time! I'm not making fun of regional dialects or colloquial sayings or being proud of one's ethnicity. Those are beautiful things, and part of what makes us special and unique. I'm saying verbalize like a normal person! How you sound is as important, if not more so, than how you look or dress, or even act. We are citizens in the greatest country on the planet, no matter what your political affliction is, we need to start uniting, despite who's in the office, and apply ourselves to a higher standard so that when we do business, be it over sea or on the street corner, we sound like a proud race of people.

"Nuke-you-ler" or "New-clear-ear" what difference does it make, both pronunciations are listed in the dictionary as correct and proper, because God forbid that someone make a hard line decision least someone else's feelings get hurt.

* see the Blog "Movie Critique of The Village" for more William Hurt humor.

Quoth the Raven - Terry Bane

author of

Actual Factual: Dracula, a Compendium of Vampires. This is a 'much have' purchase for any one and everyone who is a horror writer, historian, anthropologist, ect. Its non fiction and will be available in April of 2007.

and also

The Bloodthirsty Weasels: On the Loose and Buck Wild

A humor book that will make you laugh, cry, and possibly angry enough to write another, even longer letter to my publisher telling them they absolutely should not encourage such alleged "humor" as mine. I'm framing this one too to hang over my desk! Keep those letters coming kids, I have a whole room to wall paper! HAHAHA!

8:23 AM - 6 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment