Ladies and gentlemen, Gentle Reader’s included… I would like to mention a band from New Jersey, thank you very much, known as The Smithereens.
“Who?” you may ask.
THE SMITHEREENS.
What a great band!
They were shanghaied by grunge in the nineties but the classic beauty of their sound is still in existence. Please see: http://www.officialsmithereens.com/ for more info.
I have always seen this band as stuck in time. They are relevant (to yours truly) and beatnik at the same time. Electric Kerouac, baby – no doubt. The true joy of the Smithereens is having the eyes to see that. Wonderful guitar riffs, the timelessness, the wonderful lyrics – and they’re from Jersey!
Please… Check out “Top of the Pops” or “Blue Period.” Amazing music – at least for this out of time Beatnik.
Oh well, out of time and out of place… Check their site for tour dates. From what I’ve seen they are worth investigating.
… Walk on…
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
The "Open Artistic Studio Tour"
What’s that?
Good question – I didn’t know about it until lunchtime today. Basically on Saturday, October 13, from 11 – 6 PM over 30 local (to the Cumberland County area of New Jersey) artists are going to be opening their studios to the general public (you and me). I met one of the artists today, a lady named Meed Barnett who gave me the info and I though that I’d post it for anyone who may be interested. It would be a nice way to spend a Saturday and it would have that whole “Third Friday” vibe. Third Friday is a celebration in – of all places, downtown Millville, of artists and musicians. The local businesses stay open and it’s a worthwhile time to visit. There's a lot happening down there.
One of those businesses is Bogart’s Books. I couldn’t recommend Bogart’s Books & Coffee Shop (formally Wind Chimes Bookstore) higher. Great coffee, characters and all the used books you could ever want. For the record: Evil Chicken’s favorite bookstore in the known universe.
But I digress…
For more information on the Open Artistic Studio Tour check out this… http://openstudiotours.org/. Navigation is a little wonky but you’ll get the information if you’re persistent.
It should be fun. I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with the Bogart’s coffee in my hand.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
NaNoWriMo – The Return
Have you always wanted to write that book or novel but just never had the time to sit down and do it? Yeah? Well, November is coming and that means that National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is gearing up once more. You, Gentle Reader, are charged with the task of writing 50,000 words in 30 days – from 12:01 AM, November 1 to Midnight on November 30. That’s it; nothing else – nothing more. People walk into the month as would be storytellers and walk out of the month as NOVELISTS.
Not too shabby.
Bella Candy, a friend of yours truly, introduced me to NaNoWriMo about 4 years ago – I haven’t looked at the month of November the same way since. You won’t either. I got the following e-mail yesterday from Chris Baty (the guru of all things of NaNo and all around nice guy):
Dear NaNoWriMo author,
You know what time it is? Time for a novel-length email about things afoot at NaNoWriMo!
SIGN-UPS START OCTOBER 1; SITE LOCKED DOWN MONDAY 9/24
We'll be opening sign-ups for another noveling season late at night on October 1. Between now and then, all of the content on the current site will be archived, and the forums will be wiped clean for the 2007 event. All active NaNo accounts from last November will stay active, and Script Frenzy log-ins will work as well.
We'll be turning off sign-ins this Monday so we can have a week of thing-resetting and something-migration that Russ swears is very important we do without anyone hanging around the site watching us. We will miss you that week, but we'll be reunited in October, and we can share stories of our time apart then.
YEAR OF BIG, FUN, SCARY ADVENTURES COMING TO A CLOSE
At the end of the last NaNo, I invited everyone to join me in publicl y posting a couple big, fun, scary goals for the new year. Then we went after those goals like otters on lutefisk, and kept a progress log of it all in the NaNo forums.You can see what kinds of amazingly scary goals people set for themselves (and pulled off!) here:www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=359
Officially the YoBFSA comes to a close when NaNoWriMo 2007 begins. If you are a YoBFSA participant who has achieved one of your goals by then, please let us know by sending an email to info@nanowrimo.org with the subject line: BFS Winner. We'll email you a certificate in October to commemorate your achievement. My big, fun, scary adventure? I set out to learn basic Spanish and work on my radio production skills. Did I earn the certificate? You better believe it---I'm even a proud graduate of Piedmont Adult School's Spanish 1A class. My radio pr oduction skills: still ailing. But it's a start!
OCTOBER: IT'S CALLED BETA FOR MANY REASONS
We're going to be implementing a bunch of new things this year to help get the site ready for a freakishly superpowered future. These include an entirely new back-end system, a new server, and new Author Profile pages (more on this below). Some or all of these things will break spectacularly and immediately upon launch. We will hurry to fix them. They will break in different ways. We will fix them again. This will last most of October.
NEW AUTHOR PROFILE PAGES!
So you know those beautiful gray book-like author profile pages with the turning pages we've had on the site for the past three years? We're saying goodbye to them this week.
I know, I know. The design was so beautiful and sleek it made us weep. But as nice as it looked, it caused us a lot of problems, financial and otherwise. The system was built by a genius designer/pr ogrammer who created it in such a complicated way that most professional Flash programmers wouldn't touch it. Which meant every time something broke or needed an update, we had to hire a Flash Yoda who charged us Jedi-level hourly rates. Last year, adding a "Winner 2006" image to the winners' photos, changing a few text labels, and adding a European character set cost us $2000.
That made us weep too, but for different reasons. The other problem was that the tidy, magical books are very hard to slip new features into without a major overhaul. Which is bad because we receive dozens of great Author Profile page feature suggestions from participants every year, and we also have tons of our own ideas for new things we want to integrate into the pages.
We'd like comment-able novel excerpts, customizable participant blogs with room for audio and video, in-dash Twittering, an "encouragement capsule" where friends and family can uploa d morale-boosting messages to be released to writers when they hit certain word-count goals, and a billion more things.
As a first step towards a future where we can easily add new modules to the AP pages, we'll be launching a much more expandable system on October 1. It's clean and pretty, and over the course of the next year---knock on fundraising wood---we'll be able to add the exciting new features and powers you've been requesting. Once in place, those cool new functions will make the current Author Profile pages look gray and lifeless by comparison.
MORE CELEBRITY PEP TALKERS REVEALEDIn case you missed the announcement in the last newsletter, we're going to have some extraordinary help writing the pep talks we email out to participants in November. In the last email, I revealed that NaNo 2007 authors would be receiving a pep talk from none other than novelist Sue Grafton.
Now I'm here to unveil the identities of thr ee more of this year's NaNoWriMo pep talkers. They are...drum roll please...the ferocious Garth Nix! The fantastic Naomi Novik! And the awesome Neil Gaiman!
Yep. These writers have all answered the no-pressure-at-all call to inspire 100,000 authors in various states of noveling exaltation and despair with their kind words. We actually have eight pep talkers signed on for this year, but Tavia has asked me to wait until the site relaunches to share the identities of the other four. Which I've agreed to do. But one of them is Tom Robbins.
Oops. See?
This is why I shouldn't be in charge of these things.
YOUNG WRITERS ON THE GROW; ROOM TO READ PARTNERSHIP RETIRING
Did you know we run two events in November? There's NaNoWriMo, which you're already familiar with. And then there's the completely separate Young Writers Program, over at http://ywp.nanowrimo.org. Where kids 12-and-under and K-12 classrooms taking part as a group enjoy their own private creative mayhem. Authors in the YWP get to pick their own word counts, and they receive extensive curriculum, activities, games, YWP participant and winner certificates, private forums, and a VIP lounge for teachers. We also mail a free poster, progress chart, button pack, and sticker bundle to the classrooms to help incite noveling in the students. The whole thing has gone a little bonkers in the last couple years, growth-wise. Last year, we had 15,000 kids and teens take part. That number will likely double this year.
That’s the very good news. The bad news is that we don't have enough money to host NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program and continue our Libraries in Southeast Asia project.
Donating 50% of our net proceeds from donations and merchandise sales so Room to Read can build libraries on our behalf has given thousands of kids in Cambodia, Laos, and Vie tnam the chance to fall in love with reading. But now we want to take the next step, and help kids around the world fall in love with writing. And to do that, we need to start putting 100% of our resources into our own programs.
Happily, Room to Read is doing great. They were a tiny start-up when we first met them, but they've since mushroomed into a global philanthropic powerhouse, raising over $1,000,000 per month in donations. Go Room to Read!
Since becoming a nonprofit ourselves last year, we've struggled to find the funds we need to keep the doors open and servers humming year-round for NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy, Young Writers Programs. With every dollar as precious as it is, we want to focus the donations we receive on what we do best: Hosting life-changing writing adventures for kids and adults.
We hope you'll join us in that goal by making a donation to NaNoWriMo when the site opens in October. We also hope that those who loved our L ibraries in Southeast Asia project will continue to support Room to Read directly through their website, www.roomtoread.org.
EMAIL HAS GONE ON TOO LONG, AS ALWAYS
So true. So true.See you on the site in October!
Chris
NaNoWriMo
So, there’s the long and the short of it. For your convenience, Gentle Writer, I have the link listed under Evil Chicken’s Favorite Places. I hope you consider it and all of its organized chaos – it’s a challenge but I know it can be done.
So get to it! November’s not that far away (believe it or not).
Not too shabby.
Bella Candy, a friend of yours truly, introduced me to NaNoWriMo about 4 years ago – I haven’t looked at the month of November the same way since. You won’t either. I got the following e-mail yesterday from Chris Baty (the guru of all things of NaNo and all around nice guy):
Dear NaNoWriMo author,
You know what time it is? Time for a novel-length email about things afoot at NaNoWriMo!
SIGN-UPS START OCTOBER 1; SITE LOCKED DOWN MONDAY 9/24
We'll be opening sign-ups for another noveling season late at night on October 1. Between now and then, all of the content on the current site will be archived, and the forums will be wiped clean for the 2007 event. All active NaNo accounts from last November will stay active, and Script Frenzy log-ins will work as well.
We'll be turning off sign-ins this Monday so we can have a week of thing-resetting and something-migration that Russ swears is very important we do without anyone hanging around the site watching us. We will miss you that week, but we'll be reunited in October, and we can share stories of our time apart then.
YEAR OF BIG, FUN, SCARY ADVENTURES COMING TO A CLOSE
At the end of the last NaNo, I invited everyone to join me in publicl y posting a couple big, fun, scary goals for the new year. Then we went after those goals like otters on lutefisk, and kept a progress log of it all in the NaNo forums.You can see what kinds of amazingly scary goals people set for themselves (and pulled off!) here:www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=359
Officially the YoBFSA comes to a close when NaNoWriMo 2007 begins. If you are a YoBFSA participant who has achieved one of your goals by then, please let us know by sending an email to info@nanowrimo.org with the subject line: BFS Winner. We'll email you a certificate in October to commemorate your achievement. My big, fun, scary adventure? I set out to learn basic Spanish and work on my radio production skills. Did I earn the certificate? You better believe it---I'm even a proud graduate of Piedmont Adult School's Spanish 1A class. My radio pr oduction skills: still ailing. But it's a start!
OCTOBER: IT'S CALLED BETA FOR MANY REASONS
We're going to be implementing a bunch of new things this year to help get the site ready for a freakishly superpowered future. These include an entirely new back-end system, a new server, and new Author Profile pages (more on this below). Some or all of these things will break spectacularly and immediately upon launch. We will hurry to fix them. They will break in different ways. We will fix them again. This will last most of October.
NEW AUTHOR PROFILE PAGES!
So you know those beautiful gray book-like author profile pages with the turning pages we've had on the site for the past three years? We're saying goodbye to them this week.
I know, I know. The design was so beautiful and sleek it made us weep. But as nice as it looked, it caused us a lot of problems, financial and otherwise. The system was built by a genius designer/pr ogrammer who created it in such a complicated way that most professional Flash programmers wouldn't touch it. Which meant every time something broke or needed an update, we had to hire a Flash Yoda who charged us Jedi-level hourly rates. Last year, adding a "Winner 2006" image to the winners' photos, changing a few text labels, and adding a European character set cost us $2000.
That made us weep too, but for different reasons. The other problem was that the tidy, magical books are very hard to slip new features into without a major overhaul. Which is bad because we receive dozens of great Author Profile page feature suggestions from participants every year, and we also have tons of our own ideas for new things we want to integrate into the pages.
We'd like comment-able novel excerpts, customizable participant blogs with room for audio and video, in-dash Twittering, an "encouragement capsule" where friends and family can uploa d morale-boosting messages to be released to writers when they hit certain word-count goals, and a billion more things.
As a first step towards a future where we can easily add new modules to the AP pages, we'll be launching a much more expandable system on October 1. It's clean and pretty, and over the course of the next year---knock on fundraising wood---we'll be able to add the exciting new features and powers you've been requesting. Once in place, those cool new functions will make the current Author Profile pages look gray and lifeless by comparison.
MORE CELEBRITY PEP TALKERS REVEALEDIn case you missed the announcement in the last newsletter, we're going to have some extraordinary help writing the pep talks we email out to participants in November. In the last email, I revealed that NaNo 2007 authors would be receiving a pep talk from none other than novelist Sue Grafton.
Now I'm here to unveil the identities of thr ee more of this year's NaNoWriMo pep talkers. They are...drum roll please...the ferocious Garth Nix! The fantastic Naomi Novik! And the awesome Neil Gaiman!
Yep. These writers have all answered the no-pressure-at-all call to inspire 100,000 authors in various states of noveling exaltation and despair with their kind words. We actually have eight pep talkers signed on for this year, but Tavia has asked me to wait until the site relaunches to share the identities of the other four. Which I've agreed to do. But one of them is Tom Robbins.
Oops. See?
This is why I shouldn't be in charge of these things.
YOUNG WRITERS ON THE GROW; ROOM TO READ PARTNERSHIP RETIRING
Did you know we run two events in November? There's NaNoWriMo, which you're already familiar with. And then there's the completely separate Young Writers Program, over at http://ywp.nanowrimo.org. Where kids 12-and-under and K-12 classrooms taking part as a group enjoy their own private creative mayhem. Authors in the YWP get to pick their own word counts, and they receive extensive curriculum, activities, games, YWP participant and winner certificates, private forums, and a VIP lounge for teachers. We also mail a free poster, progress chart, button pack, and sticker bundle to the classrooms to help incite noveling in the students. The whole thing has gone a little bonkers in the last couple years, growth-wise. Last year, we had 15,000 kids and teens take part. That number will likely double this year.
That’s the very good news. The bad news is that we don't have enough money to host NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program and continue our Libraries in Southeast Asia project.
Donating 50% of our net proceeds from donations and merchandise sales so Room to Read can build libraries on our behalf has given thousands of kids in Cambodia, Laos, and Vie tnam the chance to fall in love with reading. But now we want to take the next step, and help kids around the world fall in love with writing. And to do that, we need to start putting 100% of our resources into our own programs.
Happily, Room to Read is doing great. They were a tiny start-up when we first met them, but they've since mushroomed into a global philanthropic powerhouse, raising over $1,000,000 per month in donations. Go Room to Read!
Since becoming a nonprofit ourselves last year, we've struggled to find the funds we need to keep the doors open and servers humming year-round for NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy, Young Writers Programs. With every dollar as precious as it is, we want to focus the donations we receive on what we do best: Hosting life-changing writing adventures for kids and adults.
We hope you'll join us in that goal by making a donation to NaNoWriMo when the site opens in October. We also hope that those who loved our L ibraries in Southeast Asia project will continue to support Room to Read directly through their website, www.roomtoread.org.
EMAIL HAS GONE ON TOO LONG, AS ALWAYS
So true. So true.See you on the site in October!
Chris
NaNoWriMo
So, there’s the long and the short of it. For your convenience, Gentle Writer, I have the link listed under Evil Chicken’s Favorite Places. I hope you consider it and all of its organized chaos – it’s a challenge but I know it can be done.
So get to it! November’s not that far away (believe it or not).
Monday, September 17, 2007
All That You Can’t Leave Behind
…No – not just the title of U2’s tenth album… This thought occurred to me tonight while I was flipping burgers in the dark on a picnic table.
BTW –, and I don’t say this lightly or boastfully, my burgers ROCK.
Any way and back on topic… the thought occurred to me just what are the things that I can’t leave behind? What are the things that I cannot do without at this juncture in time? Make no mistake, time has a way of making what is so important now into piles of flotsam and jet some in the near to near future – future. Dare I say the dual processor laptop that you treasure will be obsolete next week? Pssh, but you know that already… It’s just the way of things.
Things. That’s almost all they are, right – souvenirs of moments past – reminders of another time in which you happened to share between the moment and yourself. Hey, I’m not pointing fingers; Lord knows I’ve got ‘em too. Believe me it doesn’t take too long to look around the room that I’m typing this in and realize the Evil Chicken’s has a weird collection of things around him while he writes. It’s true. I do. The oddities that surround me have only significance to me. If you were to ask me why I had a certain item here in the Chicken’ s Roost I’d probably tell you but you would quickly lose interest. Therefore, I will not bore you with the rest of the gory details. Many of the oddities around me are completely selfish in nature, like the rock from Centralia PA or the one I found on the Appalachian Trial here in North Jersey (did you know that there is about 75 miles of the AT here in New Jersey, Gentle Reader? Well, I’ve climbed that mountain and the only souvenir that I took was a rock. Amazing experience – you should try it, BTW.)
So, like I said, as I was flipping burgers this very evening, the thought occurred to me that they were all just things; material goods that only I know the significance or value of. That’s it, nothing more. When I’m gone my children will all say Dad was crazy for the things that he collected - and they will be right. Let’s cut to the point here; as I look around this room and consider the things that I would want to save in case Rancho Del Evil Chicken is hit by a meteor I come up with this quick list…
1. The compass from the Half Shell, my father’s boat. Why? – It was dad’s boat - all I have now is the compass.
2. My NCC-1701 Enterprise ornament from Hallmark. Why? – Well it was the only present I received the year that Mother Hen and I first got an apartment together. I got her a coffee grinder.
3. My “Raiders of the Lost Ark” one sheet. Why? – It’s one of my favorite movies of all time and Mother Hen gave it to me.
4. The Size Chart hanging on my door. Why? – I can see how much my children have grown over the years. I would hate to lose this.
5. My framed and autographed Weird NJ issue 25. Why? – I’m in it and it was the second time that I met the Marks (Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman that is).
6. My framed and autographed Peter Laird issue of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Volume II, Number 1. Why? – As I told the man himself back in 2003, the guy's an amazing success story and illustrates to me what can be accomplished with a little imagination and hard work.
7. My burlap Griffin. Huh? – I won it by putting a cross bolt arrow through the heart of another griffin all the while being told by people who knew me that I couldn’t do it. It’s a keeper.
8. The external hard drive downstairs. This one has ALL the pictures.
9. My postcard collection. Why? – Well I’ve been to some nice spots (by my reckoning) and have amassed an interesting collection of postcards along the way. I’d hate to see ‘em go.
10. My laptop would be nice but I’ve got everything backed up off property anyway. If the meteor hits Evil Chicken’s nest I’ll be up in no time; novels, screenplays, short stories, blogs and writings will be intact. At the end of the day, Gentle Reader, things are all they are – most of which only having significance to yours truly. I’d be quite happy knowing that the Three Chicks, Mother Hen and yours truly were safe. I just thought it would be fun to share the short list.
So, what are the things that you would take with you?
BTW –, and I don’t say this lightly or boastfully, my burgers ROCK.
Any way and back on topic… the thought occurred to me just what are the things that I can’t leave behind? What are the things that I cannot do without at this juncture in time? Make no mistake, time has a way of making what is so important now into piles of flotsam and jet some in the near to near future – future. Dare I say the dual processor laptop that you treasure will be obsolete next week? Pssh, but you know that already… It’s just the way of things.
Things. That’s almost all they are, right – souvenirs of moments past – reminders of another time in which you happened to share between the moment and yourself. Hey, I’m not pointing fingers; Lord knows I’ve got ‘em too. Believe me it doesn’t take too long to look around the room that I’m typing this in and realize the Evil Chicken’s has a weird collection of things around him while he writes. It’s true. I do. The oddities that surround me have only significance to me. If you were to ask me why I had a certain item here in the Chicken’ s Roost I’d probably tell you but you would quickly lose interest. Therefore, I will not bore you with the rest of the gory details. Many of the oddities around me are completely selfish in nature, like the rock from Centralia PA or the one I found on the Appalachian Trial here in North Jersey (did you know that there is about 75 miles of the AT here in New Jersey, Gentle Reader? Well, I’ve climbed that mountain and the only souvenir that I took was a rock. Amazing experience – you should try it, BTW.)
So, like I said, as I was flipping burgers this very evening, the thought occurred to me that they were all just things; material goods that only I know the significance or value of. That’s it, nothing more. When I’m gone my children will all say Dad was crazy for the things that he collected - and they will be right. Let’s cut to the point here; as I look around this room and consider the things that I would want to save in case Rancho Del Evil Chicken is hit by a meteor I come up with this quick list…
1. The compass from the Half Shell, my father’s boat. Why? – It was dad’s boat - all I have now is the compass.
2. My NCC-1701 Enterprise ornament from Hallmark. Why? – Well it was the only present I received the year that Mother Hen and I first got an apartment together. I got her a coffee grinder.
3. My “Raiders of the Lost Ark” one sheet. Why? – It’s one of my favorite movies of all time and Mother Hen gave it to me.
4. The Size Chart hanging on my door. Why? – I can see how much my children have grown over the years. I would hate to lose this.
5. My framed and autographed Weird NJ issue 25. Why? – I’m in it and it was the second time that I met the Marks (Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman that is).
6. My framed and autographed Peter Laird issue of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Volume II, Number 1. Why? – As I told the man himself back in 2003, the guy's an amazing success story and illustrates to me what can be accomplished with a little imagination and hard work.
7. My burlap Griffin. Huh? – I won it by putting a cross bolt arrow through the heart of another griffin all the while being told by people who knew me that I couldn’t do it. It’s a keeper.
8. The external hard drive downstairs. This one has ALL the pictures.
9. My postcard collection. Why? – Well I’ve been to some nice spots (by my reckoning) and have amassed an interesting collection of postcards along the way. I’d hate to see ‘em go.
10. My laptop would be nice but I’ve got everything backed up off property anyway. If the meteor hits Evil Chicken’s nest I’ll be up in no time; novels, screenplays, short stories, blogs and writings will be intact. At the end of the day, Gentle Reader, things are all they are – most of which only having significance to yours truly. I’d be quite happy knowing that the Three Chicks, Mother Hen and yours truly were safe. I just thought it would be fun to share the short list.
So, what are the things that you would take with you?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
9/11 – Six Years Hence
It was a beautiful day. I was at work at a cube farm that I had just transferred to, sitting in a sterile conference room when a lady passes through and told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. “How big a plane?” I asked. I had a passing thought about that small plane that hit the Empire State Building about 50 years ago.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She answered, “Pretty weird, huh?” She shuffled out the door on her way to make a batch of copies for some unknown file somewhere.
There were no TVs inside the cube farm. Radio reception was spotty at best so I left the conference room and sought out a friend of mine who I knew was a news junkie and man of all media (let’s call him Pax Romano). Pax was attempting to get a decent signal from his radio by adjusting the antenna and dial. He must have sensed my presence. He glanced over his shoulder and asked, “Do you believe this?”
“What do you got?” I asked as the two of us huddled around his radio. He began explaining what had happened, that it wasn’t a small plane – that it didn’t sound like an accident. I remember that another co-worker and friend (let’s call her Zelda Parker) joined us at his cube she was one of the people training me in my new position. The three of us heard the announcement that a second plane had hit the other tower. The creeping fear that this was an attack instead of an accident was confirmed in our minds. We just stared at each other with looks of disbelief on our faces as we listened on.
I had to retrieve my work from the conference room and rendezvoused over at Zelda Parker’s cubical. She too had a small radio and had managed to find a decent signal. I called my wife, Mother Hen waking her up in the process. I told her to turn on the television and brought her up to speed on the unfolding events. I needed to talk to her just to touch base with some constant in my life. I told her that I loved her and went back to listening to the radio with Zelda. We listened to anything we could – desperately gathering information as it came over the radio. Mother Hen called and told me that the Pentagon had been hit. I passed this along to Zelda. Once more I told my wife that I loved her and returned to listening to the radio with Zelda. We heard that United 93 went down somewhere in PA and we were there listening when the first tower fell. “This is not good.” Zelda said.
I looked at her, agreeing without saying anything. “Zelda, I’ve got to find a television. I’m going to Wal-Mart.” I said. The Wal-Mart was across the street. And that’s what I did. When I exited the cube farm I looked skyward and was struck by the fact that there was nothing to be seen. No air traffic whatsoever. It was all shut down – from coast to coast.
The world would never again be the same.
Wal-Mart failed me. They did not have any live feed in the store. The first video that I saw was later in the afternoon while Zelda and I were at a field visit down in Wildwood Crest. We stared in slack jawed and terrible wonder.
Certain moments in time always have resonance; the Kennedy assassination the space shuttle blowing up and 9/11. They are part of our shared collective unconscious. 9/11 should never be forgotten. 3,000 lives ended that day in the only attack on American soil in my lifetime. Blind agendas, no matter what they claim to be, are dangerous. Osama Bin Laden has friends – that’s why he hasn’t been captured or killed. There are people out there actively planning what the where’s, why’s and how’s of the next attack will be. Life in the twenty-first century now means being ready (or at least as ready as possible). Always being vigilant and walking around with one’s eyes open has become one of our most important defenses. It pays to be observant these days.
So on this anniversary I humbly whisper a prayer for the future and remember three thousand people who were just going about their everyday business on 9/11, six years prior only to be murdered by the madness of a blind agenda of hatred spawned half a world away. …Everyday people like you and I Gentle Reader – just like you and I. Who knew that we were so hated, so feared? I didn’t. I do now but prior to 9/11, I was blissfully unaware of the many thousands of people who were plotting to kill me – me; a humble infidel – no not a person or human being with thoughts or feelings or aspirations mind you – an infidel. Infidels are easier to kill than human beings are. It’s less messy that way – after being indoctrinated and everything.
Que Sara Sara. We live in interesting times, Gentle Reader; interesting times indeed. Enough about psyche; this blog is about memorializing a moment in time.
…So where were you when the towers fell?
“Oh, I don’t know.” She answered, “Pretty weird, huh?” She shuffled out the door on her way to make a batch of copies for some unknown file somewhere.
There were no TVs inside the cube farm. Radio reception was spotty at best so I left the conference room and sought out a friend of mine who I knew was a news junkie and man of all media (let’s call him Pax Romano). Pax was attempting to get a decent signal from his radio by adjusting the antenna and dial. He must have sensed my presence. He glanced over his shoulder and asked, “Do you believe this?”
“What do you got?” I asked as the two of us huddled around his radio. He began explaining what had happened, that it wasn’t a small plane – that it didn’t sound like an accident. I remember that another co-worker and friend (let’s call her Zelda Parker) joined us at his cube she was one of the people training me in my new position. The three of us heard the announcement that a second plane had hit the other tower. The creeping fear that this was an attack instead of an accident was confirmed in our minds. We just stared at each other with looks of disbelief on our faces as we listened on.
I had to retrieve my work from the conference room and rendezvoused over at Zelda Parker’s cubical. She too had a small radio and had managed to find a decent signal. I called my wife, Mother Hen waking her up in the process. I told her to turn on the television and brought her up to speed on the unfolding events. I needed to talk to her just to touch base with some constant in my life. I told her that I loved her and went back to listening to the radio with Zelda. We listened to anything we could – desperately gathering information as it came over the radio. Mother Hen called and told me that the Pentagon had been hit. I passed this along to Zelda. Once more I told my wife that I loved her and returned to listening to the radio with Zelda. We heard that United 93 went down somewhere in PA and we were there listening when the first tower fell. “This is not good.” Zelda said.
I looked at her, agreeing without saying anything. “Zelda, I’ve got to find a television. I’m going to Wal-Mart.” I said. The Wal-Mart was across the street. And that’s what I did. When I exited the cube farm I looked skyward and was struck by the fact that there was nothing to be seen. No air traffic whatsoever. It was all shut down – from coast to coast.
The world would never again be the same.
Wal-Mart failed me. They did not have any live feed in the store. The first video that I saw was later in the afternoon while Zelda and I were at a field visit down in Wildwood Crest. We stared in slack jawed and terrible wonder.
Certain moments in time always have resonance; the Kennedy assassination the space shuttle blowing up and 9/11. They are part of our shared collective unconscious. 9/11 should never be forgotten. 3,000 lives ended that day in the only attack on American soil in my lifetime. Blind agendas, no matter what they claim to be, are dangerous. Osama Bin Laden has friends – that’s why he hasn’t been captured or killed. There are people out there actively planning what the where’s, why’s and how’s of the next attack will be. Life in the twenty-first century now means being ready (or at least as ready as possible). Always being vigilant and walking around with one’s eyes open has become one of our most important defenses. It pays to be observant these days.
So on this anniversary I humbly whisper a prayer for the future and remember three thousand people who were just going about their everyday business on 9/11, six years prior only to be murdered by the madness of a blind agenda of hatred spawned half a world away. …Everyday people like you and I Gentle Reader – just like you and I. Who knew that we were so hated, so feared? I didn’t. I do now but prior to 9/11, I was blissfully unaware of the many thousands of people who were plotting to kill me – me; a humble infidel – no not a person or human being with thoughts or feelings or aspirations mind you – an infidel. Infidels are easier to kill than human beings are. It’s less messy that way – after being indoctrinated and everything.
Que Sara Sara. We live in interesting times, Gentle Reader; interesting times indeed. Enough about psyche; this blog is about memorializing a moment in time.
…So where were you when the towers fell?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Video Killed the Radio Star
Say Evil Chicken – what do you like on the radio?
Ah Gentle Reader, I can say with no stutter or doubt in my mind; NOT MUCH. I made mention of my dislike (disdain is more like it) for broadcast top 40 radio in general (see “DON’T TOUCH ME!” 6/30/07). I said that these days I am into talk radio; specifically New Jersey 101.5 (97.3 if you’re in the Swamps of South Jersey) here in the Garden State. While this holds true I’ve had the good fortune of discovering a few things on the radio that I have as presets. With I hint of OCD I like to keep the stations from lowest to highest – ascending order. So let’s press button # 1
Preset 1, I owe to two wonderful ladies; Bella Candy and Zelda Parker, they both highly recommended (and I highly agree) WXPN 88.5 FM as Wikipedia says is a “public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.” The call letters stand for “Experimental Pennsylvania Network” and they play adult album alternative music or, in other words, this is where the musicians have found a harbor and the melody still means something. Good stuff.
Preset 2, the mighty New Jersey 101.5 FM (which is 97.3 in my neck of the woods and therefore preset # 2). Dennis and Judy and now the new version of “The Jersey Guys” in the afternoons with Ray Rossi and Casey Bartholomew make the day move along. For those of you who are wondering whatever happened to Craig Carton, he has taken over for Don Imus in New York leaving New Jersey for greener pastures and Ray Rossi and the rest of the crew behind. “Casey” is his replacement and, so it goes, the same man that Carton replaced back in 2002; is filling in until the next Jersey Guy is found.
Preset 3, WPOV Calvary Chapel of Vineland, The Vine 99.9 FM, is contemporary Christian radio; great music and teaching. I dig it and find it refreshing. When it comes to walking the straight and narrow I need all the help I can get. Give it a shot; it’s worth checking out.
Preset 4, WMGK 102.9 is a classic rock format that is quite familiar to anyone who has grown up here in the Delaware Valley over the last 30 or so years. Many of the DJs did their rounds on the great stations of the seventies and eighties such as John DeBella, Debbi Calton and Andre Gardner. For me this has been and always will be the sound of Philadelphia.
Preset 5, WRFF Radio 104.5 FM is alternative rock – the stuff that you will not hear on top 40. Beastie Boys to the White Stripes and most things that you wouldn’t expect on the radio in between. It’s not as peaceful as WXPN but sometimes that’s just what you (or at least yours truly does) want; eclectic alternative music that you beat your steering wheel like a drum kit to. This station has made me feel younger than I am these days.
That’s it. No more presets on Evil Chicken’s radio.
Happy Listening!
Ah Gentle Reader, I can say with no stutter or doubt in my mind; NOT MUCH. I made mention of my dislike (disdain is more like it) for broadcast top 40 radio in general (see “DON’T TOUCH ME!” 6/30/07). I said that these days I am into talk radio; specifically New Jersey 101.5 (97.3 if you’re in the Swamps of South Jersey) here in the Garden State. While this holds true I’ve had the good fortune of discovering a few things on the radio that I have as presets. With I hint of OCD I like to keep the stations from lowest to highest – ascending order. So let’s press button # 1
Preset 1, I owe to two wonderful ladies; Bella Candy and Zelda Parker, they both highly recommended (and I highly agree) WXPN 88.5 FM as Wikipedia says is a “public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.” The call letters stand for “Experimental Pennsylvania Network” and they play adult album alternative music or, in other words, this is where the musicians have found a harbor and the melody still means something. Good stuff.
Preset 2, the mighty New Jersey 101.5 FM (which is 97.3 in my neck of the woods and therefore preset # 2). Dennis and Judy and now the new version of “The Jersey Guys” in the afternoons with Ray Rossi and Casey Bartholomew make the day move along. For those of you who are wondering whatever happened to Craig Carton, he has taken over for Don Imus in New York leaving New Jersey for greener pastures and Ray Rossi and the rest of the crew behind. “Casey” is his replacement and, so it goes, the same man that Carton replaced back in 2002; is filling in until the next Jersey Guy is found.
Preset 3, WPOV Calvary Chapel of Vineland, The Vine 99.9 FM, is contemporary Christian radio; great music and teaching. I dig it and find it refreshing. When it comes to walking the straight and narrow I need all the help I can get. Give it a shot; it’s worth checking out.
Preset 4, WMGK 102.9 is a classic rock format that is quite familiar to anyone who has grown up here in the Delaware Valley over the last 30 or so years. Many of the DJs did their rounds on the great stations of the seventies and eighties such as John DeBella, Debbi Calton and Andre Gardner. For me this has been and always will be the sound of Philadelphia.
Preset 5, WRFF Radio 104.5 FM is alternative rock – the stuff that you will not hear on top 40. Beastie Boys to the White Stripes and most things that you wouldn’t expect on the radio in between. It’s not as peaceful as WXPN but sometimes that’s just what you (or at least yours truly does) want; eclectic alternative music that you beat your steering wheel like a drum kit to. This station has made me feel younger than I am these days.
That’s it. No more presets on Evil Chicken’s radio.
Happy Listening!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Second Chances (and Why I'm Not a Sports Guy)
I’m not a sports guy. I think this is due to the fact that I was part of a generation of people with a hip disorder (Legg-Calve-Perthes) that, at the time, was treated with casting and immobilization; in other words, Gentle Reader, yours truly was in leg casts for three months and a leg brace for nine. I missed some school and when I did go back I could only get onto “the short bus”. Yes – THAT short bus. The other children would line up to watch their new quadruped (two splayed legs and a pair of crutches) classmate descend via a hydraulic lift and inquire, “Are you retarded?” No big deal, although to this day I wonder why they continued ask every single day I arrived as if expecting my answer to change. Every now and then I’d switch up.
“Are you retarded?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling a little retarded today. Tomorrow’s looking a little better though.”
Good times… good times.
Break out the violins? Nope, I view that time as something that truly shaped my life. You see even when I was able to get out of the braces I still required the crutches. After the crutches were gone I was not allowed to participate in gym class and I was never allowed to participate in organized sports. Not only did this give me the Rubenesque physique I have today but it taught me early insight into human nature of both those around me and my own. The experience taught me how to escape and to get lost in books and in movies. Hey, I couldn’t participate in organized sports but I could go toe to toe with anyone when it came to the concept of the construct of a story or a film.
Behold the birth of a Geek! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
But enough about me. I tell you this tale because I think that Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL. Yep, that’s right; he should return to playing football. Why? Well, I liked what he said in the apology (I’m gonna paraphrase since it’s a sports report and for reasons already mentioned – ergo it’s not my bag) about being sorry for the inhumanity and for letting down so many children who look up to a guy like him. He also said something about paying his debt and reiterated that he was sorry. R.L.White said, "As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football We (NAACP’s Atlanta chapter) further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."
I like the concept of second chances.
A friend of mine has desperately wanted to run with the bulls in Pampalona Spain for the last twenty years or so. One of these days he’ll get there. He wants to participate in an event that traces it’s roots back to the 13th century. It has become a major part of the culture of the region. Once the bulls are run from the pen to the stadium the majority of them are killed. Bullfighting is big in Spain. It certainly got a shot in the arm when Hemingway wrote, “The Sun Also Rises”.
In South/East Asia, Pakistan, the Philippians, India, Mexico, Venezuela & other parts of South America and the Caribbean cock fighting is accepted as commonplace entertainment; again going back thousands of years. The founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson enjoyed the sport right here in the United States. Irish and the English brought over their favorite fighting breeds. It was illegal in 49 states until June 27, 2007, when the Louisiana legislature voted to ban cockfighting. The last domino fell. Now it is completely underground. Deemed a crime by our culture.
Speaking of the good ole’ U.S. of A, how about dog racing, horse racing, hunting, fishing and (let us cross another line and throw human’s into the mix) Boxing. These are all sports where a living thing is used, victimized or brutalized – no? Now of all of them I’d have to say that the one that involves HUMAN BEINGS is the scariest. Chickens (present company excluded), dogs, horses, deer and fish just don’t hold as much weight for yours truly. When a boxer dies in the ring it gets my attention in a way that a chicken does not. A human is dead. It resonates on my conscience more.
This is not to say that I endorse dog or cock fighting, I find them both too brutal a spectacle where everyday survival and living are brutal enough fights. I don’t hunt but have no problem with those who do. I enjoy venison. Would I run with the bulls? No. I’m a coward; besides someone has to hold the camera. I’ve never bet on a dog race but this is probably due to the fact that I have no idea where the nearest stadium is. I think the Three Chicks would love it (although I’m still perplexed at how tiny the jockeys must be). Fishing? Please – I’m from down the shore, I grew up fishing and crabbing. Horse racing? Before the Atlantic City Racetrack practically closed I LOVED having a cheep cigar in one hand and a racing form in the other.
Good times… good times.
Evil Chicken – just what are you getting at? Well what can we take from this gentle reader? You now know why I’m not a sports fan, that I believe after Michael Vick has done his sentence he should be allowed to play again in the NFL, that I enjoy Wikipedia way too much for my own good and you could say my favorite sports revolve around things that I can either bet on or eat.
Yeah, that’s about right.
BTW, I don’t count Geocaching as a sport – it’s more of a pastime; although we do eat well.
“Are you retarded?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling a little retarded today. Tomorrow’s looking a little better though.”
Good times… good times.
Break out the violins? Nope, I view that time as something that truly shaped my life. You see even when I was able to get out of the braces I still required the crutches. After the crutches were gone I was not allowed to participate in gym class and I was never allowed to participate in organized sports. Not only did this give me the Rubenesque physique I have today but it taught me early insight into human nature of both those around me and my own. The experience taught me how to escape and to get lost in books and in movies. Hey, I couldn’t participate in organized sports but I could go toe to toe with anyone when it came to the concept of the construct of a story or a film.
Behold the birth of a Geek! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
But enough about me. I tell you this tale because I think that Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL. Yep, that’s right; he should return to playing football. Why? Well, I liked what he said in the apology (I’m gonna paraphrase since it’s a sports report and for reasons already mentioned – ergo it’s not my bag) about being sorry for the inhumanity and for letting down so many children who look up to a guy like him. He also said something about paying his debt and reiterated that he was sorry. R.L.White said, "As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football We (NAACP’s Atlanta chapter) further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."
I like the concept of second chances.
A friend of mine has desperately wanted to run with the bulls in Pampalona Spain for the last twenty years or so. One of these days he’ll get there. He wants to participate in an event that traces it’s roots back to the 13th century. It has become a major part of the culture of the region. Once the bulls are run from the pen to the stadium the majority of them are killed. Bullfighting is big in Spain. It certainly got a shot in the arm when Hemingway wrote, “The Sun Also Rises”.
In South/East Asia, Pakistan, the Philippians, India, Mexico, Venezuela & other parts of South America and the Caribbean cock fighting is accepted as commonplace entertainment; again going back thousands of years. The founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson enjoyed the sport right here in the United States. Irish and the English brought over their favorite fighting breeds. It was illegal in 49 states until June 27, 2007, when the Louisiana legislature voted to ban cockfighting. The last domino fell. Now it is completely underground. Deemed a crime by our culture.
Speaking of the good ole’ U.S. of A, how about dog racing, horse racing, hunting, fishing and (let us cross another line and throw human’s into the mix) Boxing. These are all sports where a living thing is used, victimized or brutalized – no? Now of all of them I’d have to say that the one that involves HUMAN BEINGS is the scariest. Chickens (present company excluded), dogs, horses, deer and fish just don’t hold as much weight for yours truly. When a boxer dies in the ring it gets my attention in a way that a chicken does not. A human is dead. It resonates on my conscience more.
This is not to say that I endorse dog or cock fighting, I find them both too brutal a spectacle where everyday survival and living are brutal enough fights. I don’t hunt but have no problem with those who do. I enjoy venison. Would I run with the bulls? No. I’m a coward; besides someone has to hold the camera. I’ve never bet on a dog race but this is probably due to the fact that I have no idea where the nearest stadium is. I think the Three Chicks would love it (although I’m still perplexed at how tiny the jockeys must be). Fishing? Please – I’m from down the shore, I grew up fishing and crabbing. Horse racing? Before the Atlantic City Racetrack practically closed I LOVED having a cheep cigar in one hand and a racing form in the other.
Good times… good times.
Evil Chicken – just what are you getting at? Well what can we take from this gentle reader? You now know why I’m not a sports fan, that I believe after Michael Vick has done his sentence he should be allowed to play again in the NFL, that I enjoy Wikipedia way too much for my own good and you could say my favorite sports revolve around things that I can either bet on or eat.
Yeah, that’s about right.
BTW, I don’t count Geocaching as a sport – it’s more of a pastime; although we do eat well.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Populous
56,271 Vineland NJ
31,473 Bangor ME
22 million, NY City
162,683, South Philly PA
5.8 million, Philadelphia PA
79,589, Monroe County FL., the Florida Keys
3,849,378, Los Angeles CA
709,893, Austin TX
1.2 million (post Katrina) New Orleans LA
4,034 year rounders, 100,000 seasonals, Cape May NJ
271,015, Atlantic City NJ (including Ventnor, Margate and Long Port)
185,951, Orlando FL
7,173, Ocean City Maryland
582,454, Seattle Washington (3.3 million metorpolitan)
My my my… Where to relocate after hitting the lottery? Goodness… the possiblities are endless.
Ready for some confessions? I hate people but I’m passionate about individuals. Yep, yours truly is at his heart of hearts someone who wants no neighbors and is, therefore, able to flip burgers in his underwear on the ole’ Webber grill. NOTE; the underwear is still a caveat since the three chicks are still in the nest. When they are in college naked BBQ is in my future.
Life is good. But I digress.
I compiled the above list because I felt like it. You see, I’m from the swamps of New Jersey and I live in a little hamlet of only about 7,436 souls and I find it interesting that the nearby metropolis of Vineland NJ has more of a populace then Steven King’s hometown of Bangor Maine and that Philly PA, where one of the three chicks had major spinal surgery is only the fifth largest city in the good ole’ U.S. of A. South Philly (EC’s favorite section) is outnumbered by Austin TX., almost 6 to 1! Yowsa.
Interesting demographics, no?
I post this only for your consideration, Gentle Reader. I hope you enjoy the data!
31,473 Bangor ME
22 million, NY City
162,683, South Philly PA
5.8 million, Philadelphia PA
79,589, Monroe County FL., the Florida Keys
3,849,378, Los Angeles CA
709,893, Austin TX
1.2 million (post Katrina) New Orleans LA
4,034 year rounders, 100,000 seasonals, Cape May NJ
271,015, Atlantic City NJ (including Ventnor, Margate and Long Port)
185,951, Orlando FL
7,173, Ocean City Maryland
582,454, Seattle Washington (3.3 million metorpolitan)
My my my… Where to relocate after hitting the lottery? Goodness… the possiblities are endless.
Ready for some confessions? I hate people but I’m passionate about individuals. Yep, yours truly is at his heart of hearts someone who wants no neighbors and is, therefore, able to flip burgers in his underwear on the ole’ Webber grill. NOTE; the underwear is still a caveat since the three chicks are still in the nest. When they are in college naked BBQ is in my future.
Life is good. But I digress.
I compiled the above list because I felt like it. You see, I’m from the swamps of New Jersey and I live in a little hamlet of only about 7,436 souls and I find it interesting that the nearby metropolis of Vineland NJ has more of a populace then Steven King’s hometown of Bangor Maine and that Philly PA, where one of the three chicks had major spinal surgery is only the fifth largest city in the good ole’ U.S. of A. South Philly (EC’s favorite section) is outnumbered by Austin TX., almost 6 to 1! Yowsa.
Interesting demographics, no?
I post this only for your consideration, Gentle Reader. I hope you enjoy the data!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Time is the Fire
So Evil Chicken – whatever happened to that Bradbury Challenge of yours – you remember that don’t you? You were going to write 52 short stories in a year. What’s the deal?Now there’s an interesting question. It has been said that “time is the fire in which we burn”. Brother, ain’t it the truth. There never is enough time. I’ve got 99 projects in my mind at any given moment – maybe that’s an exaggeration; 92 is more like it. I’m always moving from one thing to the next, rapid succession – you set ‘em up and I’ll knock ‘em down. I’ve got ideas but I’ve also got ADD and am prone to be captivated by bright and shinny objects.
The simple truth is that The Bradbury Challenge is not finished. I continue to love writing short stories but my first compilation is not done yet.
I’ll let you know when it is.
Most recently my time has been devoted to another project that I really can’t go into too much detail in right now. But that too has succumbed to the ravages of time. Gentle reader, I’ll fill you in when the time is right and now ain’t that time.
So… what’s next?
Good question Gentle Reader. I do believe that you’ll be seeing me a great deal more than you have grown accustom to. Also I have unfinished business to attend to. The Bradbury Challenge awaits (as well as a novel and the unnamed project).
What can I say – I’m a hack. But I’m a hack with a good memory. It’s put up or shut up time for ole’ Evil Chicken. I’ve got the ideas but I need to work on my follow through. It’s time to dance.
That being said I’m adapting one of my short stories “No Returns” into a screenplay. I think it would make a good short film. Once that’s done I’ll start peddling it.
Hey, no problem – it’s just another idea…
Monday, August 20, 2007
The Rumors of my Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated.
Words quietly uttered; whispers on the wind.Has Evil Chicken deserted the Nest? Is it possible that he’s found greener pastures or perhaps been taken into captivity? Is there no balm in Gilead?
Gentle Reader, I beg your forgiveness. I have been away tending to pressing matters that (one day) I will share with you. Until then know that Evil Chicken is alive, well and happy. There has been much Pandemonium recently but it is all good.
By way of travel, most recently the EC-5 attended a photo shoot in front of the Aletsch Glacier. It was like the one in Mexico City a few months back. Once again I’m the one in the third row about eight people deep from the lower right hand corner of the picture.
I don’t know if it will help global warming but I can say that it was a cold day in Aletsch!
Talk to you soon.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Pilgrimage to Mecca
One day, Gentle Reader – one day I too will make the journey to the holy of holies of all geekdom the Mecca of pop culture the San Diego Comic Con International.
http://www.comic-con.org/
It’s happening right now out in California and one day I’m gonna be there. This is the 900 lb. Gorilla of ALL. If you have any interest in comics, writing, drawing, filmmaking or appreciating any of the aforementioned then this is where the buck stops. Someday I too will make the pilgrimage. That day however, was not today and the weekend is looking iffy. I’ll just have to comfort myself with reports that are coming in from all over the internet. As it turns out Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Karen Allen had a teleconference with a roomful of rabid fanboys and media types, part of the cast (including two Spocks – yes one is Leonard Nimoy) were on hand to field questions, the cast of LOST & 4400, voice actors, writing & filmmaking workshops and the revelation of the cast of the WATCHMEN.
Let’s let that sink in a moment… the WATCHMEN. For those of you who understand the magnitude of that statement know that the work is in good hands – Zack Snyder is at the helm. For those of you who do not, please forgive a little fanboy raving… the WATCHMEN is going to be on the big screen and handled by the same man responsible for 300. For those of you who may think that a comic book undeserves of such veneration please note that Time magazine named WATCHMEN one of the top 100 modern novels since 1923. Amazing stuff that changed an industry and the way people viewed comic books.
Yeah so all this stuff happened on Friday – the weekend is just getting started. It’s a good time to be a geek.
Two out of the three chicks are very interested in sequential storytelling and video game design. Such a venue would be invaluable to them as well. My goal is to be able to legitimately write off the trip to the next San Diego Comic Con International on my taxes due to normal business expenditures.
http://www.comic-con.org/
It’s happening right now out in California and one day I’m gonna be there. This is the 900 lb. Gorilla of ALL. If you have any interest in comics, writing, drawing, filmmaking or appreciating any of the aforementioned then this is where the buck stops. Someday I too will make the pilgrimage. That day however, was not today and the weekend is looking iffy. I’ll just have to comfort myself with reports that are coming in from all over the internet. As it turns out Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Karen Allen had a teleconference with a roomful of rabid fanboys and media types, part of the cast (including two Spocks – yes one is Leonard Nimoy) were on hand to field questions, the cast of LOST & 4400, voice actors, writing & filmmaking workshops and the revelation of the cast of the WATCHMEN.
Let’s let that sink in a moment… the WATCHMEN. For those of you who understand the magnitude of that statement know that the work is in good hands – Zack Snyder is at the helm. For those of you who do not, please forgive a little fanboy raving… the WATCHMEN is going to be on the big screen and handled by the same man responsible for 300. For those of you who may think that a comic book undeserves of such veneration please note that Time magazine named WATCHMEN one of the top 100 modern novels since 1923. Amazing stuff that changed an industry and the way people viewed comic books.
Yeah so all this stuff happened on Friday – the weekend is just getting started. It’s a good time to be a geek.
Two out of the three chicks are very interested in sequential storytelling and video game design. Such a venue would be invaluable to them as well. My goal is to be able to legitimately write off the trip to the next San Diego Comic Con International on my taxes due to normal business expenditures.
One just never knows.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Harry Potter – SPOILER FREE
When was the last time you saw people children and adults alike salivate for a book to be released? Yes, that’s right – a BOOK; in this day and age. And what an age it is… DVD’s, the mindless onslaught of television & media, video games, cell phones, MP3 players and the vast expanse of the internet while indispensable to our world in this day and age have pandered to our short attention span lifestyles. I find it awesome that a book - just words on a page can still command and captivate the world’s attention.
The story is alive no matter what format it takes; in the case of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter – the story is served in the form of a seven volume series of novels. Book seven “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was released on July 21, 2007, and we (the Evil Chicken 5 [-1] and another member of our family who lives in New York – Bat Monkey) were there at 12:01 AM, to watch the event unfold. The local Boarders had a Harry Potter Party. They had sold 1,200 advanced copies of the book all of them with color coated wrist straps (ours was silver) showed up at once. This is why we were there to be caught up in the magic of the evening to share the release of the LAST EVER excursion to Hogwarts to witness the great debate of just where Professor Snape’s allegiances lie, the costume contest and to see who would win the autographed poster of the newest and last ever Harry Potter cover. Sure I could buy it at Wal-Mart tomorrow but why? We were surrounded on all sides by people who have been seduced and captivated by the literature of the day and literature is the right word. Gentle Reader we may pass through time but Harry Potter is now timeless taking his rightful place next to Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf the White and Merlin – still speaking in a literary frame mind you. There will never be another and we were there to participate in the festivities and to watch it unfold. Possession of a silver wrist band ensured that you were part of the second major wave of individuals to purchase their copy of the book.
We were out of the store at about 12:40 in the morning, books in hand and eager to read. Mother Hen and Bat Monkey stayed up to about 5:00 AM reading their copies; both of them finished the text within about 12 hours. Such was not the case with yours truly. I’m a slower reader than they are and I finished it yesterday.
Wow.
I’m not going to say if Harry lives or dies or comment on the body count but I can say that print is not dead and because of that the world is a much more magical place. If you are so inclined to do so read the entire series – you will not be disappointed. J.K. Rowling has proven herself to be so much more than meets the eye. Now she too has gained literary immortality and it is justly deserved.
Mischief Managed.
The story is alive no matter what format it takes; in the case of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter – the story is served in the form of a seven volume series of novels. Book seven “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was released on July 21, 2007, and we (the Evil Chicken 5 [-1] and another member of our family who lives in New York – Bat Monkey) were there at 12:01 AM, to watch the event unfold. The local Boarders had a Harry Potter Party. They had sold 1,200 advanced copies of the book all of them with color coated wrist straps (ours was silver) showed up at once. This is why we were there to be caught up in the magic of the evening to share the release of the LAST EVER excursion to Hogwarts to witness the great debate of just where Professor Snape’s allegiances lie, the costume contest and to see who would win the autographed poster of the newest and last ever Harry Potter cover. Sure I could buy it at Wal-Mart tomorrow but why? We were surrounded on all sides by people who have been seduced and captivated by the literature of the day and literature is the right word. Gentle Reader we may pass through time but Harry Potter is now timeless taking his rightful place next to Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf the White and Merlin – still speaking in a literary frame mind you. There will never be another and we were there to participate in the festivities and to watch it unfold. Possession of a silver wrist band ensured that you were part of the second major wave of individuals to purchase their copy of the book.
We were out of the store at about 12:40 in the morning, books in hand and eager to read. Mother Hen and Bat Monkey stayed up to about 5:00 AM reading their copies; both of them finished the text within about 12 hours. Such was not the case with yours truly. I’m a slower reader than they are and I finished it yesterday.
Wow.
I’m not going to say if Harry lives or dies or comment on the body count but I can say that print is not dead and because of that the world is a much more magical place. If you are so inclined to do so read the entire series – you will not be disappointed. J.K. Rowling has proven herself to be so much more than meets the eye. Now she too has gained literary immortality and it is justly deserved.
Mischief Managed.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
The Live Earth Concert
I remember watching the first “Live Aid” famine relief concert for Ethiopia on MTV way back in nineteen hundred and eighty five. The main broadcast was split between two main venues; Wembley Stadium in London and the late, JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. As Wikipedia tells me, “it was the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated 1.5 billion viewers, across 100 countries, watched the live broadcast. As previously stated, I was one of them.
I couldn’t get tickets to be there personally – what can I say, lack of funds.
Fast forward to 2007, NOW (just as I’m typing this) the “Live Earth – Concerts for a Climate in Crisis” is in progress. The Dave Mathews Band just went on stage at Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey (although the world only knows it as “New York”). This is big. It promises to beat out “Live Aid” as the new 900-pound gorilla of mega concerts. Live Earth is being broadcast via live video streaming on MSN (http://www.liveearth.org/) from Australia, Japan, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Washington DC, South Africa, “New York” and Brazil. The amazing thing about the MSN coverage is that you can switch to whatever live feed you desire with the click of a button. I saw Linkin Park in Japan, UB40 in South Africa and now, The Dave Mathews Band in “New York”. Check it out if you can – pretty neat. The Police are going on sometime tonight in “New York” – it should be great.
I couldn’t get tickets to be there personally – what can I say, lack of funds.
But Evil Chicken… what about the cause – how do you feel about that? Ah, gentle reader, once again you know just the right question to ask. Since that is the case I recommend that you check this out: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2006/04/price-of-complacency.html.
Enjoy the show and switch off the light on your way out of the room.
I remember watching the first “Live Aid” famine relief concert for Ethiopia on MTV way back in nineteen hundred and eighty five. The main broadcast was split between two main venues; Wembley Stadium in London and the late, JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. As Wikipedia tells me, “it was the largest-scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated 1.5 billion viewers, across 100 countries, watched the live broadcast. As previously stated, I was one of them.
I couldn’t get tickets to be there personally – what can I say, lack of funds.
Fast forward to 2007, NOW (just as I’m typing this) the “Live Earth – Concerts for a Climate in Crisis” is in progress. The Dave Mathews Band just went on stage at Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey (although the world only knows it as “New York”). This is big. It promises to beat out “Live Aid” as the new 900-pound gorilla of mega concerts. Live Earth is being broadcast via live video streaming on MSN (http://www.liveearth.org/) from Australia, Japan, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Washington DC, South Africa, “New York” and Brazil. The amazing thing about the MSN coverage is that you can switch to whatever live feed you desire with the click of a button. I saw Linkin Park in Japan, UB40 in South Africa and now, The Dave Mathews Band in “New York”. Check it out if you can – pretty neat. The Police are going on sometime tonight in “New York” – it should be great.
I couldn’t get tickets to be there personally – what can I say, lack of funds.
But Evil Chicken… what about the cause – how do you feel about that? Ah, gentle reader, once again you know just the right question to ask. Since that is the case I recommend that you check this out: http://evilchickenscratch.blogspot.com/2006/04/price-of-complacency.html.
Enjoy the show and switch off the light on your way out of the room.
And Now for Something Completely Different
http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi
Mother Hen found this & I thought I'd pass it along... It’s a slogan generator. The lovely young lady displays your slogan once it’s generated.
Have fun!
http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi
Mother Hen found this & I thought I'd pass it along... It’s a slogan generator. The lovely young lady displays your slogan once it’s generated.
Have fun!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
DON’T TOUCH ME!
I’m a fan of New Jersey 101.5. It’s a talk radio station here in the Garden State. I’m at a point in my life where I prefer talk radio to the mass-produced corporate product that passes as music these days that top 40 radio stations continue to spit out. Just whatever happened to musicians who actually played an instrument and could make a harmony? It will come back, I’m sure but until then I’m hooked on talk radio.
I’m not so much a fan of the morning drive but come 10:00 AM, my radio is usually set for the Dennis and Judy Show. The same can be said for 2:00 PM, when the Jersey Guys, Craig Carton and Ray Rossi hit the airwaves.
Anyway, I don’t always agree with them (either show) but I am always entertained and informed on the goings on in the state that I call home.
I added a new link that has become a Panic Button for me lately. I find if I just click on the “DON’T TOUCH ME!” I feel better. It is from the Dennis and Judy Show. You can click on the link right here to your right under Evil Chicken’s Favorite Places. Not fer nothin’, you’ll feel better too.
I’m not so much a fan of the morning drive but come 10:00 AM, my radio is usually set for the Dennis and Judy Show. The same can be said for 2:00 PM, when the Jersey Guys, Craig Carton and Ray Rossi hit the airwaves.
Anyway, I don’t always agree with them (either show) but I am always entertained and informed on the goings on in the state that I call home.
I added a new link that has become a Panic Button for me lately. I find if I just click on the “DON’T TOUCH ME!” I feel better. It is from the Dennis and Judy Show. You can click on the link right here to your right under Evil Chicken’s Favorite Places. Not fer nothin’, you’ll feel better too.
Joel Siegel has Passed
Here is the Yahoo story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070630/ap_en_mo/obit_joel_siegel_18;_ylt=AsS0nsvB3Ac0EdYZxyttNsME1vAI and here is the ABC write-up: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3331709.
This struck me this morning when I read of his passing. What a loss. He was accessible, genuine and had such joy about him as he shared his passion for film with the rest of us. The way he faced life and death is not only a lesson for Dylan it’s a lesson for us all.
My sincere prayers and condolences to both his family & friends at this time of grieving. He was one of the good ones and he’ll be missed.
This struck me this morning when I read of his passing. What a loss. He was accessible, genuine and had such joy about him as he shared his passion for film with the rest of us. The way he faced life and death is not only a lesson for Dylan it’s a lesson for us all.
My sincere prayers and condolences to both his family & friends at this time of grieving. He was one of the good ones and he’ll be missed.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
I’ve been crazy busy…
17,000 words plus on the screenplay, thus far; (see Script Frenzy link to the right). My writing partner has been great and we have slipped into a very natural working relationship. It's a good thing and it’s rocking. But that’s not what I wanted to pass along to you Gentle Reader… No. As it turns out I wanted to drop a tidbit about the “Iron Man” movie that will be coming out next year…
It’s a good one.
Samuel L. Jackson is going to be Nick Fury.
Yeah… more perfect casting there has never been (looking at Ultimate Avengers that is). I am torked for this flick. Then again I’m also stoked for Indiana Jones IV and “Batman – The Dark Knight.” …Have you seen the publicity shots? Entirely too cool.
2008 is looking very good.
All right, I’ve got to get back to typing.
Take care!
It’s a good one.
Samuel L. Jackson is going to be Nick Fury.
Yeah… more perfect casting there has never been (looking at Ultimate Avengers that is). I am torked for this flick. Then again I’m also stoked for Indiana Jones IV and “Batman – The Dark Knight.” …Have you seen the publicity shots? Entirely too cool.
2008 is looking very good.
All right, I’ve got to get back to typing.
Take care!
Monday, June 18, 2007
389.6
…Miles that is. It is the distance from The Chicken’s Nest, here in the Swamps of Jersey to Assateague Island, Maryland and back give or take a few miles for pit stops and Starbucks runs. This has become a family tradition for us. Every Father’s Day we camp on the beach with the wild ponies and go to the Maryland Geocachers Association’s Bonfire on the Beach. The fires and ponies are all well and good but the real crazy stuff happens when the girls and me hit the beach. You see Gentle Reader, the waves there are not like the waves that we are accustom too down here at the southern end of the Jersey Shore – oh no; these are WAVES and they will take you out. Somewhere down deep there is a gene that pulls me (and the three chicks too) to water. It is magnetic. Being in and ultimately a part of the shear force and energy of the ocean is an amazing experience. Being caught up in an 8 to 12-foot wave, riding the swell like a cork as it passes you by on its way to break against the beach is something that just must be experienced to truly appreciate. What an undertow! We read about the riptides but didn’t experience any – which I am pleased about since being caught in one could sweep you out hundreds of yards into the Atlantic Ocean. No – none of us are that good a swimmer so we just play in the waves. We absolutely love it.
The campsite was great and we shared it with friends from New Jersey – geocachers and friends all. As a family the five of us camp in a tent usually without electricity or water, but this year we had the luxury of having an electric site, which was great since I could plug in my C-Pap and breath through the night.
Oh yeah, good times.
My early Father’s Day present, Maggie (a dash mounted Magellan GPS unit), performed amazingly once again. Mother Hen can now sleep without me asking when our next turn will be; that’s a good thing since she got a pretty good sun poisoning on her leg and did a lot of sleeping on the ride home. Come to think of it, she’s sleeping now as I write this.
The kids and I, after packing, took one last look at the ocean. I stood there with my babies and thanked them for such a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. Priceless.
Thanks also go to the wonderful woman I married. I would have told her on the beach too but she was busy applying aloe to her blistered and weeping leg.
Good times, good times.
I love you lady.
Signed; the luckiest man alive, Evil Chicken
The campsite was great and we shared it with friends from New Jersey – geocachers and friends all. As a family the five of us camp in a tent usually without electricity or water, but this year we had the luxury of having an electric site, which was great since I could plug in my C-Pap and breath through the night.
Oh yeah, good times.
My early Father’s Day present, Maggie (a dash mounted Magellan GPS unit), performed amazingly once again. Mother Hen can now sleep without me asking when our next turn will be; that’s a good thing since she got a pretty good sun poisoning on her leg and did a lot of sleeping on the ride home. Come to think of it, she’s sleeping now as I write this.
The kids and I, after packing, took one last look at the ocean. I stood there with my babies and thanked them for such a wonderful Father’s Day weekend. Priceless.
Thanks also go to the wonderful woman I married. I would have told her on the beach too but she was busy applying aloe to her blistered and weeping leg.
Good times, good times.
I love you lady.
Signed; the luckiest man alive, Evil Chicken
Friday, June 15, 2007
Happy Father’s Day
My writing partner and I are well underway on the Script Frenzy project. June we write it, July we edit, August we film, September we edit (the film this time) and October we will be premiering the movie. I see the film as “Deliverance” meets “Blair Witch”. It focuses on the misadventures of a group of poker buddies who get caught up in a series of events in the Pine Barrens in between the forces of good and of evil.
It’s happening. No kidding.
If there’s anyone out there who wants to be in a movie, have a good time and probably some coffee and donuts STAY TUNED. Understand that it’s not a paying gig. My partner and I can’t pay you dime one BUT we can say that you will walk away from the experience being able to say that YOU were an actor in a film that can be purchased on DVD and is registered with the Library of Congress; that's right YOU will be able to say that YOU are an actor - and really mean it. Yes Gentle Reader, it will be coming soon.
Just let me know. You can do so right here. If August is good for you – wonderful; we’d love to have you aboard. It will be quick and reasonably painless. : ) ...Resonably.
In other news... The EC-5 are heading down to Assategue Island to camp on the beach with the wild horses. We’ve done this now for the last 4 or 5 years or so and it’s a blast. We’ve seen the horses raid campsites and let me tell you it’s not easy trying to shoo a 600-pound animal away from a box of gram crackers when it’s got a mind for snacking. The ocean is wonderful. The waves are bigger and the water clarity is better than here in New Jersey – although, to be fair the clarity has improved greatly in our water over the last decade or so. It’s also the Maryland Geocacher’s Bonfire on the Beach. Nice people – big fire, good times.
It should be a blast. I won’t be bringing the laptop since getting sand in it and having it not working would bring me to tears. The next phase of the script will be hand written so that I can transfer it over to proper script format when my laptop and I are reunited.
…And it will feel so good.
The kids have already given me my cards and I was given a roof sack (?) for gear, which is on the truck and ready to rock. I am blessed with, dare I say, the three best girls in the world and the woman who gave them to me. For them I thank the Man upstairs.
Happy Father’s Day, Gentle Reader… (if you’re a dad that is.)
It’s happening. No kidding.
If there’s anyone out there who wants to be in a movie, have a good time and probably some coffee and donuts STAY TUNED. Understand that it’s not a paying gig. My partner and I can’t pay you dime one BUT we can say that you will walk away from the experience being able to say that YOU were an actor in a film that can be purchased on DVD and is registered with the Library of Congress; that's right YOU will be able to say that YOU are an actor - and really mean it. Yes Gentle Reader, it will be coming soon.
Just let me know. You can do so right here. If August is good for you – wonderful; we’d love to have you aboard. It will be quick and reasonably painless. : ) ...Resonably.
In other news... The EC-5 are heading down to Assategue Island to camp on the beach with the wild horses. We’ve done this now for the last 4 or 5 years or so and it’s a blast. We’ve seen the horses raid campsites and let me tell you it’s not easy trying to shoo a 600-pound animal away from a box of gram crackers when it’s got a mind for snacking. The ocean is wonderful. The waves are bigger and the water clarity is better than here in New Jersey – although, to be fair the clarity has improved greatly in our water over the last decade or so. It’s also the Maryland Geocacher’s Bonfire on the Beach. Nice people – big fire, good times.
It should be a blast. I won’t be bringing the laptop since getting sand in it and having it not working would bring me to tears. The next phase of the script will be hand written so that I can transfer it over to proper script format when my laptop and I are reunited.
…And it will feel so good.
The kids have already given me my cards and I was given a roof sack (?) for gear, which is on the truck and ready to rock. I am blessed with, dare I say, the three best girls in the world and the woman who gave them to me. For them I thank the Man upstairs.
Happy Father’s Day, Gentle Reader… (if you’re a dad that is.)
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