Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
This is the big week of big meals, big travel, and--quite possibly--big headaches. I'm hoping everything goes well as my family is headed this way on Wednesday, and my wife and I need to finish our preparations.
Yesterday was loads of fun, grocery shopping and trying not to let my heart stop when I saw the final bill. Luckily, I buffered that frightening occurrence by watching a film from my childhood, Erik The Viking. Quite the film, if you've never seen it and are either a fan of Terry Jones or Tim Robbins.
And as I did when I needed my tablet, I'm selling off more of my video game collection via eBay. You can see them here, and I suggest you check back often, as I will be adding many more games, DVDs, and books on a daily basis.
I suppose that's about it. Gibberish will fill out the rest of the week, and depending on how things go, there might be a new development on the comic front come Monday. Anyway, Happy Turkey Day all, I hope you have a fantastic holiday and take a few moments to think about what, truly, matters most in your life.
Yesterday was loads of fun, grocery shopping and trying not to let my heart stop when I saw the final bill. Luckily, I buffered that frightening occurrence by watching a film from my childhood, Erik The Viking. Quite the film, if you've never seen it and are either a fan of Terry Jones or Tim Robbins.
And as I did when I needed my tablet, I'm selling off more of my video game collection via eBay. You can see them here, and I suggest you check back often, as I will be adding many more games, DVDs, and books on a daily basis.
I suppose that's about it. Gibberish will fill out the rest of the week, and depending on how things go, there might be a new development on the comic front come Monday. Anyway, Happy Turkey Day all, I hope you have a fantastic holiday and take a few moments to think about what, truly, matters most in your life.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
Today is my packet turn in day, or I'm making it be as such. It's not technically due until tomorrow, but there is too much going on tomorrow for me to do anything worthwhile. Between church and cleaning and preparation for my family's visit and turkey day and making sure Gibberish updates while I'm MIA, I won't have any time for writing. (As a quick aside, you can expect a nice four comic week for Thanksgiving, as I will only be blogging on Monday.)
Really there is not much to report, and this weekend will be rather boring in terms of adventures. Instead of rambling on and on, I'll keep this short and just bid you a fair weekend.
See you Monday.
Really there is not much to report, and this weekend will be rather boring in terms of adventures. Instead of rambling on and on, I'll keep this short and just bid you a fair weekend.
See you Monday.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tramptastic
The other night my wife and I watched Lady and the Tramp for the first time in however many years. I've never really enjoyed the film--with the exception of the Siamese cats--and, thus, never had much reason to watch the thing. But when my wife suggested it, I agreed.
And while my feelings haven't necessarily changed for the film--I still don't much care for it--it amazed me how well this film is put together. In terms of a story and foreshadowing the events to come, it is, by and large, one of--if not THE--tightest film that Disney has ever put together. Within the first ten minutes of the film, it sets up the entire story through dialogue or visual aids (none of this cheap voice-over work used by so many of today's films), which is a rare feat in any day and age. I won't go into every detail and explain each of their significance, I would just suggest that anyone interested in the way stories are told should watch, then re-watch that film. (I have a feeling that I'm going to use it in whatever class I may teach on writing for understanding foreshadow.)
Other than that, life has continued to be busy. But it's going, and that is all that matters. Plus, there will be Gibberish tomorrow, so what more can you ask for?
And while my feelings haven't necessarily changed for the film--I still don't much care for it--it amazed me how well this film is put together. In terms of a story and foreshadowing the events to come, it is, by and large, one of--if not THE--tightest film that Disney has ever put together. Within the first ten minutes of the film, it sets up the entire story through dialogue or visual aids (none of this cheap voice-over work used by so many of today's films), which is a rare feat in any day and age. I won't go into every detail and explain each of their significance, I would just suggest that anyone interested in the way stories are told should watch, then re-watch that film. (I have a feeling that I'm going to use it in whatever class I may teach on writing for understanding foreshadow.)
Other than that, life has continued to be busy. But it's going, and that is all that matters. Plus, there will be Gibberish tomorrow, so what more can you ask for?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Ready...Set...
As of today, my life is officially ridiculously busy. Officially. I have yet to start on my final packet for school--a packet that is due on this upcoming Saturday. Also, there are meetings here at work that will last through the rest of the week and basically make my life all hullabaloo. This will not be a fun five days.
In other news though, my friend and I had a good visit. We played through Gears of War 2, which was fun enough but much much easier than the first. We also watched quite the selection of movies and shows, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which was much much funnier than I expected), Quantum of Solace (which was better than other Bond films but not as good as Casino Royale), Pushing Daisies (which is one of the first shows in a long time that I'm quite into), and Kung Fu Panda (which I consider to be the best of the animated films this year--yes, even against WALL-E). We also ate at a number of tasty restaurants around the Lincoln area... and that's about it. Nothing too eventful but fun nevertheless.
And that about sums everything up for the last few days. More Gibberish tomorrow.
In other news though, my friend and I had a good visit. We played through Gears of War 2, which was fun enough but much much easier than the first. We also watched quite the selection of movies and shows, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which was much much funnier than I expected), Quantum of Solace (which was better than other Bond films but not as good as Casino Royale), Pushing Daisies (which is one of the first shows in a long time that I'm quite into), and Kung Fu Panda (which I consider to be the best of the animated films this year--yes, even against WALL-E). We also ate at a number of tasty restaurants around the Lincoln area... and that's about it. Nothing too eventful but fun nevertheless.
And that about sums everything up for the last few days. More Gibberish tomorrow.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Back to Normal...
Hooray bad puns for titles!
As the title says, my back is pretty much okay now. It still hurts a bit, depending on what I'm doing, but for the most part, I can function normally again. I'm quite happy about this, seeing as one of my good friends is coming to visit from Colorado. He's riding the train in tonight, and our days will be filled with shenanigans--or video games and movies, those are like shenanigans.
What this means for you is a bonus comic on Friday, since I won't take the time to blog (which is probably more pleasurable for you anyway). As I mentioned on Monday, I have a full color comic to show off. I tried to experiment with color and technique--as I tend to not use either of such things. And though I'm relatively pleased with the final product, it will probably be some time before you see another such thing--this one took for freaking ever.
The only other thing I'll add before bidding you ado for the week is for you to please notice my "Share" button along the right side. If you happen to find any of my comics amusing, please help a guy out and pass them along. Post them to your Facebook, to Reddit, Digg 'em, whatever. The only way Gibberish will ever spread is if you share it with someone that might enjoy the thing. I'd be much obliged. Just consider yourself a Gibberish streetcrew. Who knows? Maybe I'll come up with some rewards for such things. Thanks much, everyone, and I'll see you on Monday.
As the title says, my back is pretty much okay now. It still hurts a bit, depending on what I'm doing, but for the most part, I can function normally again. I'm quite happy about this, seeing as one of my good friends is coming to visit from Colorado. He's riding the train in tonight, and our days will be filled with shenanigans--or video games and movies, those are like shenanigans.
What this means for you is a bonus comic on Friday, since I won't take the time to blog (which is probably more pleasurable for you anyway). As I mentioned on Monday, I have a full color comic to show off. I tried to experiment with color and technique--as I tend to not use either of such things. And though I'm relatively pleased with the final product, it will probably be some time before you see another such thing--this one took for freaking ever.
The only other thing I'll add before bidding you ado for the week is for you to please notice my "Share" button along the right side. If you happen to find any of my comics amusing, please help a guy out and pass them along. Post them to your Facebook, to Reddit, Digg 'em, whatever. The only way Gibberish will ever spread is if you share it with someone that might enjoy the thing. I'd be much obliged. Just consider yourself a Gibberish streetcrew. Who knows? Maybe I'll come up with some rewards for such things. Thanks much, everyone, and I'll see you on Monday.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Now I Know What It's Like to Be Old
Out of everything someone can do to hurt their back--saving a puppy from a fire, rescuing infants from cult members, parachuting off the Empire State building--I put mine out by cleaning the cat box. Yes, cleaning the cat box. Go ahead. Laugh.
The good news is, I'm spending the day walking around or laying down--as sitting or standing in one place is the worst thing I can do. Because of this, I watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I can't recommend this film enough. So pretty, and mighty fine performances to boot. Just know that it isn't all action-tastic, it's merely a portrait of an American superstar.
As for last week, my book hunting was amazing. I didn't find either of the books I've been looking for, but I came home with a crapton of books anyway. I completed my Series of Unfortunate Events collection, got an awesome copy of Winnie the Pooh, and a ton of other great deals. (I love you Half-Price Books, Omaha.)
There is Gibberish tomorrow, and there will also be a FULL COLOR BONUS COMIC on Friday. Amazing huh? Anyway... See you tomorrow.
The good news is, I'm spending the day walking around or laying down--as sitting or standing in one place is the worst thing I can do. Because of this, I watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I can't recommend this film enough. So pretty, and mighty fine performances to boot. Just know that it isn't all action-tastic, it's merely a portrait of an American superstar.
As for last week, my book hunting was amazing. I didn't find either of the books I've been looking for, but I came home with a crapton of books anyway. I completed my Series of Unfortunate Events collection, got an awesome copy of Winnie the Pooh, and a ton of other great deals. (I love you Half-Price Books, Omaha.)
There is Gibberish tomorrow, and there will also be a FULL COLOR BONUS COMIC on Friday. Amazing huh? Anyway... See you tomorrow.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Ready for the Used Book Perusing
Once again, I'm going used book shopping, which means lots of time reading book titles and spending more money I shouldn't be spending. Maybe I can find those two books that I'm still looking for, though they'll just end up as more unread books on my shelf. (I was doing rather good for awhile.) And them books are only going to stack up even more as my next novel is quite the tome, Brave Story. Looks good, but man, it's long. I'll keep you posted as to how it is.
As for other things, I finally finished a draft of my workshop materials--which are due today. It might not be super-fantastic, but it is finished and I have something "new" to turn in. I'm hoping that once it gets polished up, it might find a home at GUD, as that magazine looks to be a good fit with my style.
Still hoping to check out Rocknrolla this weekend, as the new flicks for today look rather mediocre or outright garbage.
Anyway, have a restful weekend all, and I'll see you back on Monday.
As for other things, I finally finished a draft of my workshop materials--which are due today. It might not be super-fantastic, but it is finished and I have something "new" to turn in. I'm hoping that once it gets polished up, it might find a home at GUD, as that magazine looks to be a good fit with my style.
Still hoping to check out Rocknrolla this weekend, as the new flicks for today look rather mediocre or outright garbage.
Anyway, have a restful weekend all, and I'll see you back on Monday.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Getting Pissed
I have a story due for workshopping purposes on Friday--and it's been going nowhere. Seriously, I don't know why this tale has been giving me such grief. It's not enough that I've been having trouble writing anything new, but now I can't even revise my older material. Though, maybe, it's just this story, and I need to let it burn. I think, with this one, I might be trying to hang on to everything I love about the story and just need to kill my darlings. But this is where I'm having the conflict, because if I kill all of my darlings, the story will lose all of its interesting bits, its flair, its pizazz. Or whatever.
As good of advice as it seems to be, I can't help but question this idea for making fiction better. Am I not simply taking my gushing gibberish of great moments, then distilling them into functional form of boringness? Hopefully not. But the more I learn about fiction and structure and what a good story needs, etc., the more I worry about whether or not my stories fill every desire. It makes me want to break out of traditional story methods and do my own thing, screw the rest of the literary world (which is probably a good thing), but I know there must be a balance between new and traditional. Balancing has never been my thing.
All I can do is press on, find a new way for my stories to exist and function. But, man, that sounds like so much work...
As good of advice as it seems to be, I can't help but question this idea for making fiction better. Am I not simply taking my gushing gibberish of great moments, then distilling them into functional form of boringness? Hopefully not. But the more I learn about fiction and structure and what a good story needs, etc., the more I worry about whether or not my stories fill every desire. It makes me want to break out of traditional story methods and do my own thing, screw the rest of the literary world (which is probably a good thing), but I know there must be a balance between new and traditional. Balancing has never been my thing.
All I can do is press on, find a new way for my stories to exist and function. But, man, that sounds like so much work...
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Someone Watching Over Me
On Friday, while a friend of mine and I perused Yellowed Pages, a local used book store, my wife calls me with some disturbing news. We were having some electrical work done on the place we're renting--a few of the outlets weren't working right--and the electrician shows her the problem. Apparently a wire had come loose, so we had a hot wire not grounded to anything that had been sparking, if not flaming, as noted by the scorching on the back of the panel. From what the electrician said, a nice old guy with three missing fingers, we were one step away from the house burning down. Granted, we have renter's insurance but still...
Other than my few purchased books--some B.C. comics, a 50s paperback printing of Lafacdio's Adventures, and an old paperback of The Illustrated Man by the amazing Ray Bradbury--the only other notable happening was my friend's discovery of Rifftrax. On Saturday night we downloaded and watched the Jurassic Park one. That stuff is wicked hilarious, and I can't wait to watch some of the others.
Didn't get a chance to see any of the new films from last week, but our theatres around here are running a special of $4.00 a movie for today through Thursday, so I will probably be frequenting that place for the next few days.
Happy Monday, and we've got Gibberish tomorrow.
Other than my few purchased books--some B.C. comics, a 50s paperback printing of Lafacdio's Adventures, and an old paperback of The Illustrated Man by the amazing Ray Bradbury--the only other notable happening was my friend's discovery of Rifftrax. On Saturday night we downloaded and watched the Jurassic Park one. That stuff is wicked hilarious, and I can't wait to watch some of the others.
Didn't get a chance to see any of the new films from last week, but our theatres around here are running a special of $4.00 a movie for today through Thursday, so I will probably be frequenting that place for the next few days.
Happy Monday, and we've got Gibberish tomorrow.
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