Back from that place called "away from the computer." It was frightening, but there was food...
Happy "Leftovers and Credit Card Regret" day! Or "Cyber Monday" as some would have it. Having just returned from three family Thansgivings, I'm glad to say I don't have to worry about lunging about after bargains; everyone says their houses are too full as it is, and gift cards, charitable donations, and food are top picks on most lists. A few desire items that allow them to prepare more food, which is understandable since if our society still had the tradition of "house gods," we'd probably have a statue of Alton Brown somewhere.
So that whole "writing career" I'm trying to fashion is such a feast-or-famine thing. The biggest one I could be given the go-ahead on is for a popular video game franchise. I've not been told I can name which one, but it's pretty big (no, not "World of Warcraft," though that would be nice). The funniest part, though, is what they told me over the phone when I talked with them, and that led to the following conversation (with big embellishments on my part):
Me: "Hey, Honey?"
Wife: "Just a second. Your son just violated a few EPA regulations in his shorts."
Me: "Ah. Need help with that?"
Wife: "It's contained. Though I don't think the paint on the walls with change back."
Me: "He's a handful, that's for sure. I really appreciate everything you do with him."
Wife: "Oh-kay, what do you want to get away with?"
Me: "Who, me? Nothing. I wanted to ask you about... work."
Wife: "Go on."
Me: "Well, see, there's this possible writing gig I could get, and they like the outline and stuff I've done so far, but they like their writers to be immersed in the project, to really get a feel for what the whole thing is about."
Wife: "Sounds reasonable."
Me: "And since this project is a story that comes from a kind of digital entertainment that hasn't been released yet, it takes some doing to get immersed."
Wife: "Like?"
Me: "Going to their headquarters."
Wife: "Which is where?"
Me: "Over a thousand miles West of here."
Wife: "So what you're asking is if you can abandon me and your son so you can fly off to another state and play a video game?"
Me: "If you put it that way, sure it sounds bad."
Wife: "I could have noted that you'd be where the weather is warmer with no threat of snow unless Sean Connery decides to use his props from that 'Avengers' movie he was in."
Me: "I thought you didn't like that movie."
Wife: "I like Sean Connery."
Me: "You wouldn't want to date him."
Wife: "I like our relationship the way it is."
Me: "So about that trip..."
Wife: "It's a decision we'll both have to make."
Me: "I hate it when you say stuff like that."
Wife: "Oh? Why's that?"
Me: "Because I basically have to come at this from the point of view that, if I don't get the final approval to get paid for writing on this project, I'll have done my best to convince you that you, the part of this household with an actual steady paycheck, be magnanimous enough to allow me, the dead weight, to go off and have fun while you take care of our 1-year-old."
Wife: "Speaking of whom, do you smell something?"
Me: "I told you the Gerber Tex-Mex foods were a really bad idea."
The preceding was overly dramatized and my wife has by no means forbidden me from doing this. It is a big decision as we're in the midst of holiday-time, I need every spare hour I can get to get things done, and Josh just learned how to walk (yay!) which means he's now more capable of object manipulation than ever (yay?), and I think this is where the game programmers of yore got the idea for adventurers who enter rooms, break open every urn and chest, then walk off with what they want. So... decisions, decisions. :)
Actor Leslie Neilson passed away on Sunday due to complications from pneumonia at the age of 84. I think my two favorite roles from his long career are on two sides of the "serious" spectrum, the first as Commmander J.J. Abrams Adams in "Forbidden Planet" (the earliest sci-fi movie I can remember parts of clearly from when our TV was still black-and-white) and Dr. "Don't Call Me Shirley" Rumack in "Airplane." His IMDB bio is almost like a history of TV and movie genre peaks and valleys; some I enjoyed long ago, though many of the titles are ones I'd only heard of after watching MST3K episodes where they got a mention. He'll be missed, whether serious or silly, as the master of the deadpan delivery, dripping with gravitas... which is either poignant or meant to be funny, but effective either way.
The Spider-Man broadway show has a promo! It's mostly behind-the-scenes stuff, and it looks like a ton of work is going into this thing... which seems a pity if it's as awful as most suspect. I'm not really what to make of what appears to be a head/mask for the villain "Hammerhead," and there'll also be an appearance by Kraven the Hunter. Oh, yeah, and Swiss Miss, because... I still don't get that one, actually. There's also news about 'Batman Live', a stage show which will feature the origin of Robin, the Boy Wonder. I was under the impression that any future Batman production would look like this. :)
But I won't leave everyone in despair over productions featuring fondly-held stories and characters. i09 has a trailer, featurette and photos from HBO's "A Game of Thrones." It looks very appealing, quite LOTR-ish, and without any visible (at least, to me) hints of cheap props or people forgetting to take off their wristwatches, contrails in the sky, etc. So breathe a sigh of relief over that and dive into:
- This YouTube clip claims to be the oldest known melody around (see the clip's info box for details). The RIAA is currently looking for the estate of the composer to sue anyone who listens to it. :)
- If there's not enough trippyness in your day, check out this flash toy: Imagination. Wait for the text to vanish, then move the mouse around, and excuse yourself while you kiss the sky.
- "Ain't it Cool News" held a "Tronitize" contest, where entrants made movie clips look like they came from the Computer World. You can see the finalists here.
- Morphing is a game where you click on objects to alter the shape/properties of your "self" in order to propel it to the target without overshooting.
- I had forgotten that this was real. I had thought it only a fever dream...
- Just in case it seems a little dimmer where you live, a Spanish woman claims she owns the Sun, so you might just be behind on your bill.
- The latest round-up of rumors, events, and utterings from cast members hints that we may get a 'Ghostbusters 3' at some point.
- The UK gets all the coolest shops, especially if they're writing center(e)s for kids.
- This is a really fun minimalist poster representing the first six Doctors.
- This is billed as an animal kaleidoscope, and it's fascinating to watch.
- We must fill our zombie quota for the month, and that means Flaming Zombooka 2. Use your weapons to wipe out the zombies in as many creative ways as you can. Headshots are always a plus.