For those of you who have too much time on your hands, you may now download the novel I wrote in November, "The Council of Armageddon." Argotnaut has pronounced it "gripping." I pronounce it "cookie dough" -- it has the ingredients of a novel, and might still be enjoyable to read, but it's only about half done. I've uploaded it in "rich text format," and thus it should be readable by all regardless of the type of word processing program or operating system you use.
AT 51,000 words, it'll probably take most people two or three hours to read. Or if you're a poky reader like me, four hours. I would advise against printing it out -- it's about 260 pages long (double spaced).
Now I must vacuum. Dammit.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Argotnaut's favorite meatless loaf
as opposed to her favorite meaty oaf, which I hope is me!
Those who also read Dr. Lizardo's blog (link to the right) know there's been some recipe-ing a'going on. She asked about the vegetarian "meat"loaf and brown sauce I make for special occasions that Argotnaut loves so much. And since I'm doing everything humanly possible to avoid vacuuming right now, here it is.
Two precautions: #1, make a double batch because the first one will be gone quickly and you'll be left with a disaster of a kitchen and no leftovers! Which leads me to precaution #2: these dishes together (and they MUST be served together, preferably with mashed potatoes and nice steamed veggies) use every pan you have and probably some you don't! The recipes come from "3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery," by Seppo Ed Farrey. The book is a wealth of delicious, well-explained veggie recipes that range from all-in-one-pot stews to mammoth ordeals, such as this one:
Quinoa-Mushroom Nut Loaf
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large celery ribs, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1.5 teaspoons sea salt
10-12 oz. white mushrooms, diced
1.5 cups wheat germ, toasted*
1 cup walnuts, toasted*
0.5 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Freshly milled black pepper
* toasting means exactly that: toast the stuff in a medium skillet until mouth-wateringly fragrant
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F and generously coat a 5x9-inch loaf pan with spray, oil, or butter.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion and salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until all the juices have evaporated and the vegetables just begin to stick to the pan. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Add the quinoa and remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands. Pack the mixture tightly into the loaf pan.
5. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is toasty brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula, and carefully flip the nut loaf onto a serving platter. Slice carefully. Serve.
Garden Brown Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped
.75 medium onion, chopped
2 large celery ribs, chopped
2 oz. white mushrooms, cut into quarter-inch slices (about 1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, halved
quarter-cup tomato paste
quarter-cup unbleached white flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
half-teaspoon sea salt
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the celery, mushrooms, and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes more.
3. Add the tomato paste and saute until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Add 6 cups water and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Strain through a very fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard the solids. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Make a double batch and freeze any leftovers. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Those who also read Dr. Lizardo's blog (link to the right) know there's been some recipe-ing a'going on. She asked about the vegetarian "meat"loaf and brown sauce I make for special occasions that Argotnaut loves so much. And since I'm doing everything humanly possible to avoid vacuuming right now, here it is.
Two precautions: #1, make a double batch because the first one will be gone quickly and you'll be left with a disaster of a kitchen and no leftovers! Which leads me to precaution #2: these dishes together (and they MUST be served together, preferably with mashed potatoes and nice steamed veggies) use every pan you have and probably some you don't! The recipes come from "3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery," by Seppo Ed Farrey. The book is a wealth of delicious, well-explained veggie recipes that range from all-in-one-pot stews to mammoth ordeals, such as this one:
Quinoa-Mushroom Nut Loaf
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large celery ribs, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1.5 teaspoons sea salt
10-12 oz. white mushrooms, diced
1.5 cups wheat germ, toasted*
1 cup walnuts, toasted*
0.5 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly whisked
1 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Freshly milled black pepper
* toasting means exactly that: toast the stuff in a medium skillet until mouth-wateringly fragrant
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F and generously coat a 5x9-inch loaf pan with spray, oil, or butter.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion and salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until all the juices have evaporated and the vegetables just begin to stick to the pan. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Add the quinoa and remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands. Pack the mixture tightly into the loaf pan.
5. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is toasty brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula, and carefully flip the nut loaf onto a serving platter. Slice carefully. Serve.
Garden Brown Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped
.75 medium onion, chopped
2 large celery ribs, chopped
2 oz. white mushrooms, cut into quarter-inch slices (about 1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, halved
quarter-cup tomato paste
quarter-cup unbleached white flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
half-teaspoon sea salt
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the celery, mushrooms, and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes more.
3. Add the tomato paste and saute until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Add 6 cups water and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Strain through a very fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard the solids. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Make a double batch and freeze any leftovers. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Hey, I'm a Novelist (sorta)
Well, I had to pound out about 5,000 words yesterday to make the 50,000 word threshold, but I am now an official novelist in the eyes of the folks at "National Novel Writer's Month."
The mighty opus, "The Council of Armageddon," is almost finished. I figure another 3,000 words will bring it to its conclusion, but I wasn't going to be able to complete it before the deadline. So when the counter on my word processing program hit 50,119, I uploaded the almost finished work at about 11:50 pm last night. For my troubles, I received this lovely gift icon:
When the first draft is finished, I will upload it to my site so that any interested parties can take a look at it. I haven't decided whether I will do a second draft -- I'm just not convinced that my writing prowess is sharp enough that I can do justice to the story right now, especially one this long and involved. Argotnaut has said she'll read it when I finish the first draft, and I will rely on her expert criticism to guide my future actions.
One thing I did discover, or rather one thing I was reminded of, was that I can't do serious writing at home. There are simply too many distractions that prevent me from focusing for extended periods. In my case, that focus is vital to achieving the flashes of insight and creativity necessary to do good work. I guess it's like meditation, and there's a good reason why Buddhist monks do not mediate in an environment where dogs and cats can jump up on them and the phone is ringing and they're tempted to watch "Daily Show" clips on the internet or to make another cup of tea rather than continue concentrating.
I did enjoy the process, however. And who knows? Maybe I can make the thing good enough that maybe somebody would want to buy it But for the near future, I have several more promising stories to shop.
The mighty opus, "The Council of Armageddon," is almost finished. I figure another 3,000 words will bring it to its conclusion, but I wasn't going to be able to complete it before the deadline. So when the counter on my word processing program hit 50,119, I uploaded the almost finished work at about 11:50 pm last night. For my troubles, I received this lovely gift icon:
When the first draft is finished, I will upload it to my site so that any interested parties can take a look at it. I haven't decided whether I will do a second draft -- I'm just not convinced that my writing prowess is sharp enough that I can do justice to the story right now, especially one this long and involved. Argotnaut has said she'll read it when I finish the first draft, and I will rely on her expert criticism to guide my future actions.
One thing I did discover, or rather one thing I was reminded of, was that I can't do serious writing at home. There are simply too many distractions that prevent me from focusing for extended periods. In my case, that focus is vital to achieving the flashes of insight and creativity necessary to do good work. I guess it's like meditation, and there's a good reason why Buddhist monks do not mediate in an environment where dogs and cats can jump up on them and the phone is ringing and they're tempted to watch "Daily Show" clips on the internet or to make another cup of tea rather than continue concentrating.
I did enjoy the process, however. And who knows? Maybe I can make the thing good enough that maybe somebody would want to buy it But for the near future, I have several more promising stories to shop.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Quick Thanksgiving Post
Argotnaut has expressed her desire to not have look at the zombiefied picture of her on my blog when she checks it out. So here's a quick post to bump that horrific photo down the page a bit.
Thanksgiving was lovely. I made a Tofurky feast with steamed green beans. I love the Tofurky boxed feast, which features Tofurky roast with wild rice stuffing, cranberry/potato dumplings and gravy because it's tasty, quick, and reasonably easy to prepare. Just chuck some taters and carrots in with the roast, baste it with a glaze made with soy sauce and orange juice, and shove it in the oven. However, that means for Christmas I must make Argotnaut's favorite Buddhist meat-like vegan loaf and garden sauce, which takes about two hours to prepare and dirties every pan in the house. But it shore is good!
Also good was that the football teams I was rooting for won (or, to be more accurate, the teams I was rooting against lost.)
Most of all, I'm thankful for my lovely, wonderful wife, the health of my family (including me!) and pets, and the fact that we live in a part of the world where I don't have to worry (much) about militias busting down our doors.
Now I must return to novel writing! I'm only at 36,000 words, or about 3,000 behind where I should have been yesterday. So must pound away!
In closing, here's photo of Buster. For some reason, he's been taking to jumping up on my shoulder and settling down. It might be love, but I think it's more likely the nice warm sweater!
Thanksgiving was lovely. I made a Tofurky feast with steamed green beans. I love the Tofurky boxed feast, which features Tofurky roast with wild rice stuffing, cranberry/potato dumplings and gravy because it's tasty, quick, and reasonably easy to prepare. Just chuck some taters and carrots in with the roast, baste it with a glaze made with soy sauce and orange juice, and shove it in the oven. However, that means for Christmas I must make Argotnaut's favorite Buddhist meat-like vegan loaf and garden sauce, which takes about two hours to prepare and dirties every pan in the house. But it shore is good!
Also good was that the football teams I was rooting for won (or, to be more accurate, the teams I was rooting against lost.)
Most of all, I'm thankful for my lovely, wonderful wife, the health of my family (including me!) and pets, and the fact that we live in a part of the world where I don't have to worry (much) about militias busting down our doors.
Now I must return to novel writing! I'm only at 36,000 words, or about 3,000 behind where I should have been yesterday. So must pound away!
In closing, here's photo of Buster. For some reason, he's been taking to jumping up on my shoulder and settling down. It might be love, but I think it's more likely the nice warm sweater!
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Halloween -- now with more zombies!
I've been so busy with the novel writing that I forgot to post some of our Halloween pictures. So here are four:
Zombie Argotnaut!
Zombie Quarterback!
Actually, I used my Brian Urlacher jersey and a blue t-shirt I had to create a Jonathan Quinn jersey. Jonathan Quinn is no longer with the Chicago Bears because, well, he played quarterback like a zombie! Lack of mobility that made oak trees look spry in comparison, the quick decision-making ability of a sloth, and general "Lurch-ishness." Believe me, Chicago Bears fans were terrified by the reappearance of the not-so-might Quinn!
And to round out the set:
Zombie Dog!
And zombie baboon!
This was in fact a photo that was featured in a New York Times article about why we need to sleep (turns out, nobody's really sure). But the photo was so funny I had to include it. Looks like Argotnaut before her morning cup of coffee!
Zombie Argotnaut!
Zombie Quarterback!
Actually, I used my Brian Urlacher jersey and a blue t-shirt I had to create a Jonathan Quinn jersey. Jonathan Quinn is no longer with the Chicago Bears because, well, he played quarterback like a zombie! Lack of mobility that made oak trees look spry in comparison, the quick decision-making ability of a sloth, and general "Lurch-ishness." Believe me, Chicago Bears fans were terrified by the reappearance of the not-so-might Quinn!
And to round out the set:
Zombie Dog!
And zombie baboon!
This was in fact a photo that was featured in a New York Times article about why we need to sleep (turns out, nobody's really sure). But the photo was so funny I had to include it. Looks like Argotnaut before her morning cup of coffee!
Friday, November 04, 2005
NaNoWriMo Excerpt
I've been good so far about hitting my 1700 word per day quota. I'm now up to 6800! The National Write a Novel In Month web site allows participants to create a profile. Those who are interested in reading a short excerpt from my forthcoming novel can go to that web page and click on the "Team 2005" tab. Once there, search for an author with the name "Noyes" (for my alter ego the Right Dishonorable Reverend Noyes). That search will bring up my profile and an excerpt! Lucky you!
I'm finding that bearing down creatively on my writing is energizing other creative areas of my brain. I woke up the other morning with a pretty good song stuck in my head, with lyrics for a chorus and everything! That never happens. Well, rarely.
As the experiment goes on, I'm curious to see what other effects might manifest themselves. Perhaps pulling my hair out and screaming "what the hell did I do this for? Um, I mean, For what reason did I do this!?!?!"
I'm finding that bearing down creatively on my writing is energizing other creative areas of my brain. I woke up the other morning with a pretty good song stuck in my head, with lyrics for a chorus and everything! That never happens. Well, rarely.
As the experiment goes on, I'm curious to see what other effects might manifest themselves. Perhaps pulling my hair out and screaming "what the hell did I do this for? Um, I mean, For what reason did I do this!?!?!"
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Anniversary gift: Insanity!
Thanks everyone for offering your happy anniversary wishes. I'm very lucky and very happy to be married to Argotnaut. We will have a nice anniversary dinner this weekend after her midterms. Tonight, she's bringing home burritos so I don't have to cook. Is she a great wife or what!? Besides, I think the third anniversary is the "refried bean" anniversary, isn't it?
While she is busy with her studies, I'm busy with my "write a novel in a month" project. I hit the 1700 word quota yesterday, and, if the coffee kicks in effectively, 1700 today shouldn't be a problem. But as the thing goes on -- well, it'll be a real challenge. I remember reading about this project last year, and one of the organizers said, "If you get in trouble and have nothing to write about, introduce a pirate. That always helps."
It may come to that!
While she is busy with her studies, I'm busy with my "write a novel in a month" project. I hit the 1700 word quota yesterday, and, if the coffee kicks in effectively, 1700 today shouldn't be a problem. But as the thing goes on -- well, it'll be a real challenge. I remember reading about this project last year, and one of the organizers said, "If you get in trouble and have nothing to write about, introduce a pirate. That always helps."
It may come to that!
Monday, October 31, 2005
(Not so) Happy Halloween Skulls!
I have been considering getting some cosmetic surgery to correct the facial anomalies that still remain from the calamity. In anticipation of going to talk to some surgeons, I ordered the CT scans taken at Rockford Memorial Hospital following my brain surgeries. The CT scans came today, just in time for Halloween! I was under the impression that a metal plate had been inserted to protect the depressed fracture the front of my skull. But it looks from these that there is no plate, but rather a series of metal sutures that join the network of skull fragments. Interesting. Enjoy!
Very "Terminator"-esque, don't you think?
Very "Terminator"-esque, don't you think?
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Sunnis vs. Shiites, Cubs vs. Sox
Unlike most of the nation, I have been watching the World Series (which, for those of you who couldn't care less, features the Chicago White Sox vs. the Houston Astros). Having grown up in Northern Illinois and lived in Chicago for more than 15 years, I tend to root for Chicago sports teams, despite living in Portland. Well, I don't really care about hockey, college football, or basketball, so I root primarily for the Chicago Bears, and, to a lesser extent, the Chicago Cubs. I generally pay a little attention to what the Chicago White Sox are up to, but not much.
Chicago is one of the rare cities that boasts TWO major league baseball teams. The clubs are eerily similar: both have been in existence for more than a century. Both also have a miserable record of ineptitude in regards to making it to the World Series. The Cubs last were there in 1945, and last won a Series in 1908. The White Sox last were in the Series in 1959 and last won a Series in 1917.
Think about that for a moment. Neither team has won a World Series since the end of the First World War.
Now, given this excruciating legacy of crapitude, one might think that, while there would be a friendly rivalry between the two clubs, if the Sox or the Cubs were to make it to the Series, the entire city of Chicago would root for that team.
One would be sadly mistaken.
White Sox fans have a long history of HATING the Cubs. Cubs fans tend to be happy to return the favor. This despite the fact that one is a National League team is one is an American League team, and thus each clubs' performance has no effect on the other.
The reasons for this animosity are complex. The Cubs play on the north side of Chicago and the Sox on the south side. So there is a regional aspect. Also, the south side tends to be more "blue collar" and the north more "white collar." So there's a social aspect to it as well...a plumber from the south side is likely to be a Sox fan. A marketing executive from the north side is invariably a Cub fan. Personally, I think a lot of the conflict has to do with Cub games being broadcast on WGN, one of the first cable superstations. Everyone across America had a chance to watch the struggles of the Cubs and relate to them, and thus the Cubs became a sort of "lovable loser" club -- the "Ziggy" of Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, the Sox sucked in relative obscurity, and Sox fans are understandably envious of the Cubs' notoriety. After all, it's not as if the Cubs have achieved a lot more success than the Sox. In fact, the opposite is true.
While I would prefer the Cubs to be in the Series, the fact that ANY Chicago team is there is a reason to rejoice. After all, historically a Chicago team winning the series has been more rare than Halley's Comet! Therefore, I will watch the games and root for the Sox. Don't get me wrong...I'm not going to run out and buy a Sox hat and a Paul Konerko jersey and yell "Woooo! I'm a Sox fan!" That would be, at best, disingenuous. But there are a few Cub fans I have talked to who can't STAND the idea of the Sox being World Champions. They would rather the Yankees win it again, which is akin to saying "I'd rather Bill Gates won the Powerball rather than my stupid next door neighbor! I don't CARE that my neighbor is a quadriplegic living in poverty!"
Now I understand what the new Iraqi government is up against. Tribal allegiances are artificial constructs, but nevertheless more powerful than common sense and rationality. But we can hope that the Sunnis and the Shiites have more sense than Cub fans and Sox fans.
Chicago is one of the rare cities that boasts TWO major league baseball teams. The clubs are eerily similar: both have been in existence for more than a century. Both also have a miserable record of ineptitude in regards to making it to the World Series. The Cubs last were there in 1945, and last won a Series in 1908. The White Sox last were in the Series in 1959 and last won a Series in 1917.
Think about that for a moment. Neither team has won a World Series since the end of the First World War.
Now, given this excruciating legacy of crapitude, one might think that, while there would be a friendly rivalry between the two clubs, if the Sox or the Cubs were to make it to the Series, the entire city of Chicago would root for that team.
One would be sadly mistaken.
White Sox fans have a long history of HATING the Cubs. Cubs fans tend to be happy to return the favor. This despite the fact that one is a National League team is one is an American League team, and thus each clubs' performance has no effect on the other.
The reasons for this animosity are complex. The Cubs play on the north side of Chicago and the Sox on the south side. So there is a regional aspect. Also, the south side tends to be more "blue collar" and the north more "white collar." So there's a social aspect to it as well...a plumber from the south side is likely to be a Sox fan. A marketing executive from the north side is invariably a Cub fan. Personally, I think a lot of the conflict has to do with Cub games being broadcast on WGN, one of the first cable superstations. Everyone across America had a chance to watch the struggles of the Cubs and relate to them, and thus the Cubs became a sort of "lovable loser" club -- the "Ziggy" of Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, the Sox sucked in relative obscurity, and Sox fans are understandably envious of the Cubs' notoriety. After all, it's not as if the Cubs have achieved a lot more success than the Sox. In fact, the opposite is true.
While I would prefer the Cubs to be in the Series, the fact that ANY Chicago team is there is a reason to rejoice. After all, historically a Chicago team winning the series has been more rare than Halley's Comet! Therefore, I will watch the games and root for the Sox. Don't get me wrong...I'm not going to run out and buy a Sox hat and a Paul Konerko jersey and yell "Woooo! I'm a Sox fan!" That would be, at best, disingenuous. But there are a few Cub fans I have talked to who can't STAND the idea of the Sox being World Champions. They would rather the Yankees win it again, which is akin to saying "I'd rather Bill Gates won the Powerball rather than my stupid next door neighbor! I don't CARE that my neighbor is a quadriplegic living in poverty!"
Now I understand what the new Iraqi government is up against. Tribal allegiances are artificial constructs, but nevertheless more powerful than common sense and rationality. But we can hope that the Sunnis and the Shiites have more sense than Cub fans and Sox fans.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
"Accept the challenge...
...so that you may experience the exhilaration of victory!"
I don't if that little aphorism is from a notable source. I saw it on a plaque that a former boss of mine had in his office. Well, at least he didn't have one of those posters with a cat dangling from a branch featuring the infamous "Hang In There" slogan.
The challenge I am referring to in this post is that issued by National Novel Writing Month. Participants are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. The object is quantity over quality.
I thought this would be good for me because, while I am making SOME headway in my fiction writing, I know that I need to get over my tendency to niggle over every little thing, and focus on opening the conduit between my brain and the page. NaNoWriMo sounds like just the ticket to blow that conduit wide open. Or burn it up entirely.
Luckily, I'll have a LITTLE time to figure out what I want to write about -- will it be science fiction, fantasy, reality-based fiction or perhaps even autobiographical? The only real necessity is that the theme must be able to support an output of approximately 1700 words a day. For 30 days straight. So it may end up being a combination of all of those things.
If I succeed, I will post the results on my site somewhere. But I would not expect ANYONE to read it!
I don't if that little aphorism is from a notable source. I saw it on a plaque that a former boss of mine had in his office. Well, at least he didn't have one of those posters with a cat dangling from a branch featuring the infamous "Hang In There" slogan.
The challenge I am referring to in this post is that issued by National Novel Writing Month. Participants are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. The object is quantity over quality.
I thought this would be good for me because, while I am making SOME headway in my fiction writing, I know that I need to get over my tendency to niggle over every little thing, and focus on opening the conduit between my brain and the page. NaNoWriMo sounds like just the ticket to blow that conduit wide open. Or burn it up entirely.
Luckily, I'll have a LITTLE time to figure out what I want to write about -- will it be science fiction, fantasy, reality-based fiction or perhaps even autobiographical? The only real necessity is that the theme must be able to support an output of approximately 1700 words a day. For 30 days straight. So it may end up being a combination of all of those things.
If I succeed, I will post the results on my site somewhere. But I would not expect ANYONE to read it!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Homo-rock B-day!
Although my birthday was on October 3, I had to wait until last night for my birthday present...seeing Bob Mould at Doug Fir Lounge. Bob was the guitar player and driving influence behind Husker Du in the 80s (and Sugar in the 90s). Husker Du was one of my favorite bands during the Reagan years, and Bob was a major influence on my guitar sound and approach during a subsequent period in my punk band in Chicago. It was good to see the old guy in action again. I'd seen him twice before, once with Husker Du on their last tour together in...er...1987. Then I saw him again on my -- ew, 37th? -- birthday in Chicago during one of his acoustic tours ten years later.
"Double-plus bonus" was that Bob's drummer this time out was from another one of my favorite punky bands of the 90s, Fugazi.
Bob is kind of a rarity in rock...an openly gay man with full-on punk cred. And he plays a Gibson Flying V! (Although he didn't last night, durn it!). His songs tend to be introspective and very loud at the same time.
So how was the show? Really good. Bob and the band were in fine form, and, as I expected, it was inspiring to hear his mighty guitar roar and unique chord voicings again. Doug Fir also was a great place to see him, as it's a pretty intimate venue. The room was perhaps 40 ft. x 40 ft with low ceilings, and we were not more than 20 feet from the stage, with a great view from some steps that lead down into a sort of "sunken living room/mosh pit". I'd seen on-line the set list that the band had played from previous shows, and he didn't vary much from that. Which was a shame...I shouldn't have looked at it because I might have enjoyed the show more had I been surprised by the selections. ("Ooooh! He's playing "Chartered Trips" from "Zen Arcade!") But that's my own fault.
The experience of seeing a live show for the first time in probably five years was almost as interesting as the show itself. First, it was a bit of an older crowd given the artist's long history. Argotnaut has already commented on the non-smoking crowd, which was a real blessing. The weirdest thing was that Portland folks seem to actually cue up in an orderly line at the bar. "In my day," (insert wheezy old geezer voice here) "ya had to elbow your way up to the bar and yell your order like a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange!"
Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera, because that's frowned upon in some venues and I was afraid it'd be confiscated. But I needn't have worried -- there were a few folks actually videotaping the show with camcorders! Perhaps that's another thing that's changed in the last few years, what with picture-taking cell phones and whatnot. So instead of Bob Mould, here's a photo of Buddy doing yoga on Argotnaut's new yoga mat. I'm sure Bob would be okay with this, since at least it's a photo of a cute boy!
"Double-plus bonus" was that Bob's drummer this time out was from another one of my favorite punky bands of the 90s, Fugazi.
Bob is kind of a rarity in rock...an openly gay man with full-on punk cred. And he plays a Gibson Flying V! (Although he didn't last night, durn it!). His songs tend to be introspective and very loud at the same time.
So how was the show? Really good. Bob and the band were in fine form, and, as I expected, it was inspiring to hear his mighty guitar roar and unique chord voicings again. Doug Fir also was a great place to see him, as it's a pretty intimate venue. The room was perhaps 40 ft. x 40 ft with low ceilings, and we were not more than 20 feet from the stage, with a great view from some steps that lead down into a sort of "sunken living room/mosh pit". I'd seen on-line the set list that the band had played from previous shows, and he didn't vary much from that. Which was a shame...I shouldn't have looked at it because I might have enjoyed the show more had I been surprised by the selections. ("Ooooh! He's playing "Chartered Trips" from "Zen Arcade!") But that's my own fault.
The experience of seeing a live show for the first time in probably five years was almost as interesting as the show itself. First, it was a bit of an older crowd given the artist's long history. Argotnaut has already commented on the non-smoking crowd, which was a real blessing. The weirdest thing was that Portland folks seem to actually cue up in an orderly line at the bar. "In my day," (insert wheezy old geezer voice here) "ya had to elbow your way up to the bar and yell your order like a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange!"
Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera, because that's frowned upon in some venues and I was afraid it'd be confiscated. But I needn't have worried -- there were a few folks actually videotaping the show with camcorders! Perhaps that's another thing that's changed in the last few years, what with picture-taking cell phones and whatnot. So instead of Bob Mould, here's a photo of Buddy doing yoga on Argotnaut's new yoga mat. I'm sure Bob would be okay with this, since at least it's a photo of a cute boy!
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Welcome to the Calamity Page!
For quite some time, I've debated with myself about creating a record of what I call "The Calamity." Mostly I've wanted to just forget about it as much as possible and get on with my life. But recently, several cyclists here in Portland have been hit by cars. Some have been killed and others have been injured as badly as I was. Whenever I hear about such events, I have a strong desire to contact those who are about to endure what I did and give them the benefit of my experience, and also let them know they are not alone. Well, now I can send them a link to "The Calamity Page."
If you'd like to check it out, click on the "Full Frinky Site" link to the right. Once there, click on "The Calamity Page" link. There are a few things to fix yet, but it's pretty close.
Now, as they say on The Simpsons, "Let us never speak of it again."
If you'd like to check it out, click on the "Full Frinky Site" link to the right. Once there, click on "The Calamity Page" link. There are a few things to fix yet, but it's pretty close.
Now, as they say on The Simpsons, "Let us never speak of it again."
Monday, September 26, 2005
Zombie dog weekend
Argotnaut provided a record of our troubles with our dog, Buddy, over the weekend. (Details on her Argotnaut site.) So I'll just provide a photo with the epilogue...he's resting comfortably now.
I'll be talking with our vet today about follow-up treatment, but I already know what he'll say: "Continue the meds. Then, rest, rest and more rest." That'll be somewhat difficult when Buddy starts feeling better. Like all of us following a prolonged period of pain or sickness, Buddy will be so excited to not be hurting any more that he'll want run and jump around. This, of course, would be EXTREMELY bad. I hope we won't have to cage confine him because he'd think he was being punished for some reason. But if that's what it takes, so be it.
I'll be talking with our vet today about follow-up treatment, but I already know what he'll say: "Continue the meds. Then, rest, rest and more rest." That'll be somewhat difficult when Buddy starts feeling better. Like all of us following a prolonged period of pain or sickness, Buddy will be so excited to not be hurting any more that he'll want run and jump around. This, of course, would be EXTREMELY bad. I hope we won't have to cage confine him because he'd think he was being punished for some reason. But if that's what it takes, so be it.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Preparing for "The Big One"
I wonder if all the bad news from the Gulf Coast prompted this guy in Portland to prepare for a possible tsunami.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Student no more! (For now)
For the first time in almost two years, I'm not going to be taking any classes in the coming semester. There are a couple of reasons. First is that I've always been what one might call a "directional student." Meaning that I need a clear direction to figure out what classes I want to take. A couple of years ago, the direction was a desire to increase my marketability while I was looking for a job. So I started the "Web Design Certificate" program at Portland Community College, which led to taking classes in Flash, Dreamweaver, HTML, etc. Then the direction was an upcoming trip to Germany, so I took a couple of German classes. Currently, however, I don't really need to concentrate on a particular area, so I couldn't find anything to get excited about.
Second is that we can stand to save the dough right now.
I had considered taking a filmmaking class at the Northwest Film Center School of Film . Filmmaking is something that has interested me for years, but I'd never done anything about it, beyond some ideas for a few screenplays. But then Lisa sent me a 10-minute film school article by Robert Rodriguez. This made a bit of sense to me, because it preaches "forget about the fancy stuff. Just make a movie." Of course, one advantage of a class is that it imposes discipline...one is much more likely to get one's film done when you have to get it to your instructor by Friday. The disadvantage is, of course, classes cost money.
I've been pretty good about setting aside two hours in the afternoon for writing and writing-related tasks, so I'll just keep that up and see what happens. I suppose I could just pick an arbitrary date on a calendar and say to myself, "Your short film must be done by now." Curse the convenience of video recorders! I can't make any more excuses not to make a movie!
Second is that we can stand to save the dough right now.
I had considered taking a filmmaking class at the Northwest Film Center School of Film . Filmmaking is something that has interested me for years, but I'd never done anything about it, beyond some ideas for a few screenplays. But then Lisa sent me a 10-minute film school article by Robert Rodriguez. This made a bit of sense to me, because it preaches "forget about the fancy stuff. Just make a movie." Of course, one advantage of a class is that it imposes discipline...one is much more likely to get one's film done when you have to get it to your instructor by Friday. The disadvantage is, of course, classes cost money.
I've been pretty good about setting aside two hours in the afternoon for writing and writing-related tasks, so I'll just keep that up and see what happens. I suppose I could just pick an arbitrary date on a calendar and say to myself, "Your short film must be done by now." Curse the convenience of video recorders! I can't make any more excuses not to make a movie!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Holy Crap! Still nothing to report
Wow. Has it been three weeks since my last update? I guess I'll have to do what one of my heroes, Bob Mould, does and do a blog post each morning after I get up but before I do anything else. But that would still leave me with the most boring blog in the world, because it seems that exciting things only happen in my life about once every three months or so. Posts more often would just be "treading water" posts, unless I went on rants about things that are bugging me. I guess that would be okay...at least rants tend to be mildly entertaining.
So what would I rant about? Oh, probably stuff like intelligent design "theory." All I can say is, if the universe is intelligently designed, then the designer has a LOT to answer for, like:
Nipples for men
Multiple variations of just about every species of animal or plant. I mean, look at how many types of birds there are! If an intelligent designer were at work, wouldn't he/she/it/they make one REALLY GOOD BIRD and leave it at that? Or at most a few shapes and sizes. But 40-some-odd different types of finches? Come on!
Human spinal column. Look at how many chiropractors there are. 'nuff said.
Hate/greed/selfishness. I guess the prevailing opinion is that the ID (intelligent designer) originally wrote the perfect program for human peace, love and tolerance, and we (humankind) came up with all the "bugs" in the system. Well, shouldn't mister/missus fancypants IDer have created software for the monkey that the monkey couldn't screw up?
Oh, also I finally finished a story I've been working on for a while, but it's approximately 26,000 words long, even after extensive editing. Most print publishers max out at 15,000 words or less. So I'll probably have to send it to e-publishers of science fiction stories, or to magazines that publish serials. Lisa thinks the story pretty good. But she's biased, so we'll see if people who would actually have to pay money for it also think so.
So what would I rant about? Oh, probably stuff like intelligent design "theory." All I can say is, if the universe is intelligently designed, then the designer has a LOT to answer for, like:
Nipples for men
Multiple variations of just about every species of animal or plant. I mean, look at how many types of birds there are! If an intelligent designer were at work, wouldn't he/she/it/they make one REALLY GOOD BIRD and leave it at that? Or at most a few shapes and sizes. But 40-some-odd different types of finches? Come on!
Human spinal column. Look at how many chiropractors there are. 'nuff said.
Hate/greed/selfishness. I guess the prevailing opinion is that the ID (intelligent designer) originally wrote the perfect program for human peace, love and tolerance, and we (humankind) came up with all the "bugs" in the system. Well, shouldn't mister/missus fancypants IDer have created software for the monkey that the monkey couldn't screw up?
Oh, also I finally finished a story I've been working on for a while, but it's approximately 26,000 words long, even after extensive editing. Most print publishers max out at 15,000 words or less. So I'll probably have to send it to e-publishers of science fiction stories, or to magazines that publish serials. Lisa thinks the story pretty good. But she's biased, so we'll see if people who would actually have to pay money for it also think so.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Last Hurrah
Lisa and I had planned to go to her sister's wedding on August 21. But when we called our usual doggie lodging place, it turned out they were full up! That had never happened before. We even called the two other similar establishments in Portland, and they were booked during the dates we'd be gone, too! Of course, somebody had to stay home to take care of Buddy, so I was unable to accompany Lisa to the festivities. Darn it! I'd even learned a "The The" song on guitar (Love is Stronger Than Death") that Liz had asked to be played.
But because I'd already bought the ticket to Chicago, I decided to make the trip last weekend, which offered one advantage: if I had gone with Lisa, I would not have had time to visit my family. But this way I could make it the focus of my trip. The highlight of the weekend was that my sister had tickets to last Sunday's Cub game, which happened to be the day that the Cubs retired Ryne Sandberg's jersey number. As some of you may know, the Cubs have been around for more than 100 years, but Sandberg's was only the fourth jersey number they've retired. So that gives you an idea of how special an occasion it was. Plus, it was a beautiful day, the Cubs one easily, and I had a chance to visit with 5/7ths of my family, which, because I have siblings living in all U.S. time zones, was also a pretty special occasion.
And that was good, boy, because it was the last hurrah. No longer can I be a free-spending, globe-trotting, carefree son-of-a-gun. Now I must be a budget-minding, stick-close-to-home, nose-to-the-grindstone-with-my-fiction-writing son-of-a-gun. But that's okay. It was a great summer filled with many memorable experiences. Lisa has finally had a chance to post pictures of our European sojourn.
Actually, I'm looking forward to getting into the routine of class-taking, writing, shopping/cooking and snuggling with my wonderful wife. Like Dorothy said, there's no place like home. And as no less a vital personage, Henry Rollins once said, "You're just talking a bunch of sh*t, man, until you DO IT!"
But because I'd already bought the ticket to Chicago, I decided to make the trip last weekend, which offered one advantage: if I had gone with Lisa, I would not have had time to visit my family. But this way I could make it the focus of my trip. The highlight of the weekend was that my sister had tickets to last Sunday's Cub game, which happened to be the day that the Cubs retired Ryne Sandberg's jersey number. As some of you may know, the Cubs have been around for more than 100 years, but Sandberg's was only the fourth jersey number they've retired. So that gives you an idea of how special an occasion it was. Plus, it was a beautiful day, the Cubs one easily, and I had a chance to visit with 5/7ths of my family, which, because I have siblings living in all U.S. time zones, was also a pretty special occasion.
And that was good, boy, because it was the last hurrah. No longer can I be a free-spending, globe-trotting, carefree son-of-a-gun. Now I must be a budget-minding, stick-close-to-home, nose-to-the-grindstone-with-my-fiction-writing son-of-a-gun. But that's okay. It was a great summer filled with many memorable experiences. Lisa has finally had a chance to post pictures of our European sojourn.
Actually, I'm looking forward to getting into the routine of class-taking, writing, shopping/cooking and snuggling with my wonderful wife. Like Dorothy said, there's no place like home. And as no less a vital personage, Henry Rollins once said, "You're just talking a bunch of sh*t, man, until you DO IT!"
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Holy Krabbensplaat! I'm back!
Okay. I have finally got off my duff and done a whole bunch of updates in a row to summarize my European experiences. I thought for a while about organizing it all. But that way lies procrastination. So I'm just gonna do a stream of consciousness series of updates, unorganized as they may end up being.
So first. Amsterdam! Coolest city I ever saw. But first, as an adjunct to my previous post about Amsterdam, here's proof of the made-up language-ness of Dutch:
Hee hee! That just cracks me up! It sounds like Ren of "Ren and Stimpy." "Steek kaart een you stooopid eediot!"
Of all the cities that Lisa and I visited during our stay in Europe, I think Amsterdam was our favorite. You get a bit of everything. Elegant architecture:
The beauty of the canals:
Breathtaking museums, including the Rijksmuseum, which houses a ton of paintings by folks (or is that "volks"?) like Rembrandt and Vermeer:
And of course, kick ASS public transport. Everyone rides bikes because the city is densely populated, compact, and also extremely flat, having formerly been at the bottom of the North Sea. But there's the added convenience of being able to take your doggy with you!
Getting to the city from other major cities in Europe is a breeze, because you can take the Intercity Express, or ICE. Here's what it looks like from the outside:
Here's a shot of the futuristic cockpit. I never really saw anyone "driving" the thing, although one crew member shut himself in to have some lunch.
Which is a bit scary considering the speeds at which the train travels:
That translates to about 180 mph.
Lisa may end up studying her post-graduate linguistics at Amsterdam or at Utrecht, a Dutch city about half-way between Amsterdam and Germany. If that happens, I think it will be okay by me!
So first. Amsterdam! Coolest city I ever saw. But first, as an adjunct to my previous post about Amsterdam, here's proof of the made-up language-ness of Dutch:
Hee hee! That just cracks me up! It sounds like Ren of "Ren and Stimpy." "Steek kaart een you stooopid eediot!"
Of all the cities that Lisa and I visited during our stay in Europe, I think Amsterdam was our favorite. You get a bit of everything. Elegant architecture:
The beauty of the canals:
Breathtaking museums, including the Rijksmuseum, which houses a ton of paintings by folks (or is that "volks"?) like Rembrandt and Vermeer:
And of course, kick ASS public transport. Everyone rides bikes because the city is densely populated, compact, and also extremely flat, having formerly been at the bottom of the North Sea. But there's the added convenience of being able to take your doggy with you!
Getting to the city from other major cities in Europe is a breeze, because you can take the Intercity Express, or ICE. Here's what it looks like from the outside:
Here's a shot of the futuristic cockpit. I never really saw anyone "driving" the thing, although one crew member shut himself in to have some lunch.
Which is a bit scary considering the speeds at which the train travels:
That translates to about 180 mph.
Lisa may end up studying her post-graduate linguistics at Amsterdam or at Utrecht, a Dutch city about half-way between Amsterdam and Germany. If that happens, I think it will be okay by me!
Things you won't see in the USA
Because Lisa was attending classes and theater-group rehearsals for most of the time I was in Heidelberg, I had a chance to bum around the old part of the city and also do some hiking in the surrounding wooded hills. So here's a brief record of some of the things I saw. First, something you won't see in the USA:
In the USA, people seem welcome to drink at a bar and then drive home. But WOE be unto him who walks around with an open container of booze. Stoopit!
And in keeping with my recurring silly words theme, here's this, pasted on the top of a computer at a local Internet cafe:
Lisa translated this as something like "priority for floppy disk drive users." If you say so, honey.
Another thing you don't see in the USA is 14th century ruins! As Heidelberg is a city with a history dating to the Middle Ages, the surrounding countryside is dotted with relics. I tended to want to hike to places with a view, which, not surprisingly, is also where lords and monks tended to build their watchtowers. Here's my favorite, the Heiligturm (Holy Tower), which, I believe, was part of a Franciscan abbey. The tower had a spooky but very cool internal stairway, and an unbelievable view of Heidelberg from the top.
One last thing you won't find in the USA is medieval structures COVERED IN GRAFFITI!
If I had my way, anyone caught "tagging" would be tossed off the top of said structures. And with luck, they'd land on people who don't pick up after their dogs. Then we could eliminate two scourges at once!
In the USA, people seem welcome to drink at a bar and then drive home. But WOE be unto him who walks around with an open container of booze. Stoopit!
And in keeping with my recurring silly words theme, here's this, pasted on the top of a computer at a local Internet cafe:
Lisa translated this as something like "priority for floppy disk drive users." If you say so, honey.
Another thing you don't see in the USA is 14th century ruins! As Heidelberg is a city with a history dating to the Middle Ages, the surrounding countryside is dotted with relics. I tended to want to hike to places with a view, which, not surprisingly, is also where lords and monks tended to build their watchtowers. Here's my favorite, the Heiligturm (Holy Tower), which, I believe, was part of a Franciscan abbey. The tower had a spooky but very cool internal stairway, and an unbelievable view of Heidelberg from the top.
One last thing you won't find in the USA is medieval structures COVERED IN GRAFFITI!
If I had my way, anyone caught "tagging" would be tossed off the top of said structures. And with luck, they'd land on people who don't pick up after their dogs. Then we could eliminate two scourges at once!
Things I'll miss about Germany
It's not a surprise that, after spending two months in Germany, there are many things I miss about it. Like enormous portions of unbelievably delicious beer! Here's a liter of Dunkel Hefeweizen (Dark Wheat) beer from "Vetter in Schoeneck," a microbrewery frequented by H-berg "townies" who know their suds:
It's well nigh impossible to find a really good light beer in the USA (and by "light" I mean a lager or weizen, not one of those abominable "lite" beers). This is especially true if you want said beer on tap. As Germany is the land of great light beers, I enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in that department.
I'll also miss the view from Lisa's student apartment, which looked over the courtyard of her building and from which you could see the hills beyond the Nekar river. When her fellow students weren't making a ruckus (which they would sometimes do but not TOO often) it was quite a restful scene.
Of course, I'll miss Heidelberg itself, a truly historic city with the added attraction of having been visited and written about by a hero of mine, Mark Twain. Here's a photo of the "Bergbahn" (Mountain Train) tracks, which MT rode, and the city beyond, with the Holy Ghost Church in the middle and the Old Bridge across the Nekar in the distance. As you may guess, my little PocketPC camera doesn't do the view justice, but you get the idea.
I'll also miss the immediate cultural diversity. Lisa's fellow students in the theater group were from Hungary, France, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, China and other points. It was a lot of fun talking with them about their home countries and what they missed and what they didn't miss. Plus you have a chance to rub elbows with some crazy folks, like these Tibetan monks in Salzburg who sang two tones at the same time!
And finally, I'll miss really old, historic structures, like the Gaiserturm, which I visited on one of my hikes in the region.
Lisa and I are still struggling a bit with a bit of "post-parting" Europe depression. It's tough to return to the monotony of daily domesticity. But we made many great friends from all over the world, friends that we hope to visit in the future. And of course, there are things that help soften the blow, like the stuff we missed at home:
It's well nigh impossible to find a really good light beer in the USA (and by "light" I mean a lager or weizen, not one of those abominable "lite" beers). This is especially true if you want said beer on tap. As Germany is the land of great light beers, I enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in that department.
I'll also miss the view from Lisa's student apartment, which looked over the courtyard of her building and from which you could see the hills beyond the Nekar river. When her fellow students weren't making a ruckus (which they would sometimes do but not TOO often) it was quite a restful scene.
Of course, I'll miss Heidelberg itself, a truly historic city with the added attraction of having been visited and written about by a hero of mine, Mark Twain. Here's a photo of the "Bergbahn" (Mountain Train) tracks, which MT rode, and the city beyond, with the Holy Ghost Church in the middle and the Old Bridge across the Nekar in the distance. As you may guess, my little PocketPC camera doesn't do the view justice, but you get the idea.
I'll also miss the immediate cultural diversity. Lisa's fellow students in the theater group were from Hungary, France, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, China and other points. It was a lot of fun talking with them about their home countries and what they missed and what they didn't miss. Plus you have a chance to rub elbows with some crazy folks, like these Tibetan monks in Salzburg who sang two tones at the same time!
And finally, I'll miss really old, historic structures, like the Gaiserturm, which I visited on one of my hikes in the region.
Lisa and I are still struggling a bit with a bit of "post-parting" Europe depression. It's tough to return to the monotony of daily domesticity. But we made many great friends from all over the world, friends that we hope to visit in the future. And of course, there are things that help soften the blow, like the stuff we missed at home:
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