Q2 2006
Oh, god, June's over, isn't it?
Well, let's see what's happened since the last review...
I've decided that I'm going to go back to school and acquire an Associate of Arts in Business degree from Baker University. I'm scared of it, not knowing how good a student I'm going to be again, but after my recent experience in not getting an interview for a job that I was qualified to do, it's in my best interests to actually get some kind of degree to go with the experience. Maybe I'll look around for a different job in a different field if it all works out. I intend to start school again in January 07 with completion in January of 09. There, I've said it out loud and I've gotta live up to it now, don't I?
The car's paid off. Yay!
After the Blackberry died a rather unfortunate death by scarring, I've gotten a Treo 650 and I love it. I should post more pictures, but I haven't really had time to get that done, either.
Work is looking up. I traveled this last month to Russellville, Arkansas, home of Tyson Chicken, and learned a lot about the impact my behavior has on my staff and coworkers. I was enlightened in how to change that negative impact (manifest in rampant sarcasm to my staff) into a positive learning experience for all of us. In return, by staff has responded with increased productivity and improved morale. I'm really looking forward to the fall semester, and I'd say right now that we'll be breaking sales records.
I have NOT finished Graham Greene's THE HEART OF THE MATTER. I'm farther along than I was, but I just haven't settled in to finish the fine book. Every time I read several pages, I find myself in awe of Greene's construction and imagery. He's fucking brilliant, and a lot of writers owe a great debt to him. I have acquired a borrowed copy of Harlan Ellison's SHATTERDAY and will be reading through that soon, too. In the meantime, I've gotten caught up on Shonen Jump Advanced's title DEATHNOTE and it's another GREAT manga that you really should check out and get hooked on. It's a thriller of the first order, and something that American comix hasn't achieved yet. Although, today I just read about Brubaker and Phillips' CRIMINAL, and I'll be checking that out after I pay for my copy of LOST GIRLS on installments.
I failed to generate any new pages of RISERS since the last review. I've been kind of stuck on how to get to the next chapter and I think I've got a way around it, but I want the story to really sing. To that end, RISERS will likely end somewhere between page 64 and page 72 rather than the previously stated 100 pages. I believe I've gotten everything I wanted to say into the story, and I'd like to begin on other things, like adapting my microfictions into short comix, with an eye to OGNing them eventually. I'd like to adapt and pencil (or perhaps just layout) every page and find inkers and finishers to make the work very good. Like when every song on an album is mixed or produced by someone different, appropriate to the song. A real collaboration that begins with my vision of how things should be. It's, again, another ambitious take for me, and with going back to school, and the job requiring more and more time, I don't know how I'll do it, but I've learned that patience can supplement good work and make it better. Like aging a fine wine. I've got some character sketches and I may share those.
I'm walking two and a half miles every day, and I've lost half of the weight I wanted to lose so far this year. I am encouraged to believe that I might hit my target weight in September, which would be a 10% loss of bodyweight. If I can do that, I'll go for more until late November and then switch over to a 'maintain' mode to get through the holidays. I've never been happier with how things are going with my body. I hope it continues, and with some willpower, I'll be able to do it. The only real setback was the weight I gained in Arkansas at the Leadership Institute. I've got another trip coming up to New York in a couple of weeks and I've got to be stronger about the eating while I'm there...
I have written several more microfictions, and I'll be continuing this work in my 'spare' time. I'm very pleased with how that format works and I can continue characters with them and work in very short chunks. I'm also developing another idea that might just be a novel (this is still the one I was talking about some time ago) but it's taking interesting turns as I continue to hash it out.
I've managed to acquire the music I've been looking for, all except the Wall of Voodoo album I need. IRS Records hasn't released it, and neither has the band since its initial run. I'm really looking forward to the new MUSE on July 11, and can't say that there's much else that I really need to hear right now.
I've begun to push at work for our company to move towards more recyclable materials, because Al Gore's book and film made a real impression on me. We all need to do little things to get the world in shape, and where we can, we should sacrifice little things to help out. So at work, after hearing some anecdotal evidence from colleagues in Arkansas, I'm trying to save us a little money and make our impact slightly less. Hell, we've even talked about solar panels for my food court. Don't know what'll happen, but at least the conversations are starting...
I'm not sure what's up with the radio plays. I was told that maybe over the summer they'd be broadcast, but I suspect that if I took my play and sold it, the station that made that promise wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I'd like to continue exploring that genre. Actually, THAT might be venue for the story that's rattling around as a potential novel. That might be WAAAAAAAAAYYYY more interesting. Hm.
Doesn't seem like much, but it's really what's been happening to me. I'd like to say congrats to Rob and Travis and Mike for their successes in print at the KC Star, and thanks to Parrish for keeping my name out in front of the folks who might be interested in my work. Drop on in and say hello and let me know you're out there.
(Links will follow a little later, maybe over the 4th so you can check what I'm talking about.)
Well, let's see what's happened since the last review...
I've decided that I'm going to go back to school and acquire an Associate of Arts in Business degree from Baker University. I'm scared of it, not knowing how good a student I'm going to be again, but after my recent experience in not getting an interview for a job that I was qualified to do, it's in my best interests to actually get some kind of degree to go with the experience. Maybe I'll look around for a different job in a different field if it all works out. I intend to start school again in January 07 with completion in January of 09. There, I've said it out loud and I've gotta live up to it now, don't I?
The car's paid off. Yay!
After the Blackberry died a rather unfortunate death by scarring, I've gotten a Treo 650 and I love it. I should post more pictures, but I haven't really had time to get that done, either.
Work is looking up. I traveled this last month to Russellville, Arkansas, home of Tyson Chicken, and learned a lot about the impact my behavior has on my staff and coworkers. I was enlightened in how to change that negative impact (manifest in rampant sarcasm to my staff) into a positive learning experience for all of us. In return, by staff has responded with increased productivity and improved morale. I'm really looking forward to the fall semester, and I'd say right now that we'll be breaking sales records.
I have NOT finished Graham Greene's THE HEART OF THE MATTER. I'm farther along than I was, but I just haven't settled in to finish the fine book. Every time I read several pages, I find myself in awe of Greene's construction and imagery. He's fucking brilliant, and a lot of writers owe a great debt to him. I have acquired a borrowed copy of Harlan Ellison's SHATTERDAY and will be reading through that soon, too. In the meantime, I've gotten caught up on Shonen Jump Advanced's title DEATHNOTE and it's another GREAT manga that you really should check out and get hooked on. It's a thriller of the first order, and something that American comix hasn't achieved yet. Although, today I just read about Brubaker and Phillips' CRIMINAL, and I'll be checking that out after I pay for my copy of LOST GIRLS on installments.
I failed to generate any new pages of RISERS since the last review. I've been kind of stuck on how to get to the next chapter and I think I've got a way around it, but I want the story to really sing. To that end, RISERS will likely end somewhere between page 64 and page 72 rather than the previously stated 100 pages. I believe I've gotten everything I wanted to say into the story, and I'd like to begin on other things, like adapting my microfictions into short comix, with an eye to OGNing them eventually. I'd like to adapt and pencil (or perhaps just layout) every page and find inkers and finishers to make the work very good. Like when every song on an album is mixed or produced by someone different, appropriate to the song. A real collaboration that begins with my vision of how things should be. It's, again, another ambitious take for me, and with going back to school, and the job requiring more and more time, I don't know how I'll do it, but I've learned that patience can supplement good work and make it better. Like aging a fine wine. I've got some character sketches and I may share those.
I'm walking two and a half miles every day, and I've lost half of the weight I wanted to lose so far this year. I am encouraged to believe that I might hit my target weight in September, which would be a 10% loss of bodyweight. If I can do that, I'll go for more until late November and then switch over to a 'maintain' mode to get through the holidays. I've never been happier with how things are going with my body. I hope it continues, and with some willpower, I'll be able to do it. The only real setback was the weight I gained in Arkansas at the Leadership Institute. I've got another trip coming up to New York in a couple of weeks and I've got to be stronger about the eating while I'm there...
I have written several more microfictions, and I'll be continuing this work in my 'spare' time. I'm very pleased with how that format works and I can continue characters with them and work in very short chunks. I'm also developing another idea that might just be a novel (this is still the one I was talking about some time ago) but it's taking interesting turns as I continue to hash it out.
I've managed to acquire the music I've been looking for, all except the Wall of Voodoo album I need. IRS Records hasn't released it, and neither has the band since its initial run. I'm really looking forward to the new MUSE on July 11, and can't say that there's much else that I really need to hear right now.
I've begun to push at work for our company to move towards more recyclable materials, because Al Gore's book and film made a real impression on me. We all need to do little things to get the world in shape, and where we can, we should sacrifice little things to help out. So at work, after hearing some anecdotal evidence from colleagues in Arkansas, I'm trying to save us a little money and make our impact slightly less. Hell, we've even talked about solar panels for my food court. Don't know what'll happen, but at least the conversations are starting...
I'm not sure what's up with the radio plays. I was told that maybe over the summer they'd be broadcast, but I suspect that if I took my play and sold it, the station that made that promise wouldn't lose any sleep over it. I'd like to continue exploring that genre. Actually, THAT might be venue for the story that's rattling around as a potential novel. That might be WAAAAAAAAAYYYY more interesting. Hm.
Doesn't seem like much, but it's really what's been happening to me. I'd like to say congrats to Rob and Travis and Mike for their successes in print at the KC Star, and thanks to Parrish for keeping my name out in front of the folks who might be interested in my work. Drop on in and say hello and let me know you're out there.
(Links will follow a little later, maybe over the 4th so you can check what I'm talking about.)