tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7433650116324338372024-03-15T18:09:40.601-07:00The ScrewCreative writing, information, reviews and thoughts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-9159141775430715452014-08-11T19:30:00.002-07:002014-08-11T19:30:43.435-07:00Thinking about Robin WilliamsRobin Williams was one of those performers who, no matter how old you were, was always doing something you could enjoy.<br />
<br />
As a child, it was like he was handing me performances - like the genie in <i>Aladdin</i>, or the unforgettable <i>Mrs Doubtfire</i>, or his Peter Pan in <i>Hook</i> - and those performances were just for me. They were so special and bright and full of manic love and joy. His face was childlike with wonder and he invited you inside to show you the new world. And who could forget his amazing voicework in <i>FernGully</i>! Or the look on Alan Parrish's bearded face when he demanded to know, "What <i>year</i> is it?!" in <i>Jumanji.</i><br />
<br />
No one can tell me they didn't want him to invent them some <i>Flubber</i>.<i> </i><br />
<br />
In my teenage years was when I discovered - with rapturous glee - that while being this elfish, charming star of family-friendly films, this manic comedian was also a dirty old man, filled with sex jokes and dirty words and screaming; a bottle of insanity uncorked. That was the day I discovered <i>Live on Broadway 2000</i>. My eyes popped, opening for what seemed the first time, as I wept with tears of hilarity, tipping over and falling out of my chair as I watched the whole DVD in my room at home.<br />
<br />
Comedy could be like this? It could open up the brain and just let it rapid fire ideas and concepts for a solid hour? Make you laugh so hard you wept and laughed and <i>needed</i> more?<br />
<br />
It was around this time that I first saw <i>The Birdcage</i>. And would come home day after day and manage to catch <i>Mork & Mindy </i>reruns on Foxtel. No matter where I went, no matter how old I was, this man was always making me laugh anew. And for wholly different reasons, I was dying of laughter in <i>Death to Smoochy</i>.<br />
<br />
As I got older, I discovered his serious drama and thriller performances. <i>One Hour Photo </i>and <i>Insomnia, Dead Poets Society </i>and <i>Good Will Hunting, The Night Listener</i> and <i>Bicentennial Man, </i>which left me weeping by the end. This man with the rubber, comic face also had this deep darkness that he opened up for you. It was like a door had opened into his soul and you could see everything inside, his soulful eyes guiding you to where you needed to go and that he would be sure to keep you safe on the road.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to do him the disservice of saying that every film the man did was wonderful or perfect of joyful. For every great film there were also titles like <i>RV</i> or <i>License to Wed</i>. But these just made you remember the amazing films all the more and appreciate them.<br />
<br />
I grew up with Robin Williams guiding me. And I'm not sure where the road goes, now. The world is darker now, O Captain! My Captain!, that your bright spark has gone out. Can't we just go to Neverland? Please?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-38262357401447095542013-11-05T21:05:00.006-08:002013-11-05T21:05:38.379-08:00"I Write Like"For a bit of a laugh, I used the website <i><a href="http://iwl.me/">I Write Like</a></i> to see - using their algorithm - which famous author I wrote like. Not wanting to risk that they do, in fact, keep the writing you submit for "analysis", I submitted my previous blog post about Halloween in Australia. This is what it gave me:<br />
<br />
<!-- Begin I Write Like Badge --><br /><div style="background: #F7F7F7; border: 2px solid #ddd; color: #555555; font: 20px/1.2 Arial,sans-serif; overflow: auto; padding: 5px; width: 380px;">
<img src="http://s.iwl.me/w.png" style="float: right;" width="120" /><div style="border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; padding: 20px; text-shadow: #fff 0 1px;">
I write like<br /><a href="http://iwl.me/w/d7939cdb" style="color: #698b22; font-size: 30px; text-decoration: none;">David Foster Wallace</a></div>
<div style="color: #888888; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;">
<em>I Write Like</em>. <a href="http://iwl.me/" style="background: #FFFFE0; color: #333333;"><b>Analyze your writing!</b></a></div>
</div>
<br /><!-- End I Write Like Badge --><br />
<br />
That's actually a pretty huge compliment, especially given that it was just a blog post. Give it a whirl, it's a hoot.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-83536268029711127082013-10-29T23:50:00.002-07:002013-10-29T23:50:14.795-07:00Costumes, Candy and JerksI've noticed, in the past couple of years, that Australia has taken a bit more notice of Halloween as an event. Being Canadian, this made me happy because, ever since I was a kid, Halloween has been my favourite holiday. It doesn't have any religious significance for me, it's fun and it involves a lot of candy. Also, as an actor, any opportunity to wear a costume is a win in my book.<br />
<br />
When I first moved here, there was hardly any kind of discussion of the holiday - people barely knew what it was other than vague references from American film and TV - but I had a bunch of friends who were disappointed at the lack of it in Australia. It's a holiday that's whole purpose is fun, so why wouldn't they want it?<br />
<br />
Now, sixteen years later, I see Halloween decorations being sold at every dollar store and almost every pub doing some kind of Halloween special - big Halloween balls, Halloween parties that are more than just five people I know - like the real Halloween that I used to know.<br />
<br />
Recently, though, along with Halloween's rise in popularity in Australia, have been the people who have been saying things like, "This is 'Straya, we don't <i>do</i> Halloween, that's fuckin' <i>American</i>". And to them, I say, "Shut the fuck up".<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbQ59ICnhskKr7JZepWy81dP6DfAF9AwsZQHkEqCkYPhbycihNoNkacP99lg2d6rBhLlpqQO_xvdDc_8mEm6ShP0V7P3uQIqE3LeF0rNlgxeOgGOlPOhNfuQaN8TifJeZ_YIRu5Km8yrp/s1600/i+hate+this.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbQ59ICnhskKr7JZepWy81dP6DfAF9AwsZQHkEqCkYPhbycihNoNkacP99lg2d6rBhLlpqQO_xvdDc_8mEm6ShP0V7P3uQIqE3LeF0rNlgxeOgGOlPOhNfuQaN8TifJeZ_YIRu5Km8yrp/s320/i+hate+this.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This. I hate this. This is a friend's Facebook profile picture right now.</span></div>
<br />
What's it to you if you don't do Halloween? If other people want to, why do you want to shit on their parade? We do Valentine's Day and that means arguably less and is less fun than Halloween. If we have the literally made up by greeting card company holiday, why can't we have the fun, dress up and eat candy holiday? It's not a day off work, it doesn't interrupt your life in any way and people <i>enjoy it</i>. So, you might get some people coming up to you and saying "Happy Halloween" - so what? Are you one of those people who, at Christmas, says "I don't <i>do</i> Christmas. <i>Happy Holidays!"</i> with spite on your face? No? Then shut up! Just wish it back, like a regular human and go on with your day.<br />
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I'm Jewish and I don't celebrate Christmas but if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas I'm not going to ignore them, I'll wish it back to them. It's a holiday to them, so why take that away from them? Just to be a dick? Please.<br />
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If you don't want to "do" Halloween, then don't, but don't take it away from the rest of us, you Halloween Grinch. Enjoy the candy, enjoy the costumes and shut up - it doesn't mean a thing.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-76834955143412165392013-09-07T04:01:00.001-07:002013-09-07T06:22:47.561-07:00Stand Back UpI feel weary tonight. Weary and angry. If you're keeping track of how the Australian Federal Election is going, then you'll know why. If you aren't, then that's because the Australian version of Rick Santorum is currently being elected Prime Minister with what appears to be a frightening lead. The man who couldn't discuss the "technical details" of his own (very poor) internet plan. The man who opposes gay marriage. The man whose constant refrain of "Stop the Boats!" spewed from every media mouth. And the people listened.<br />
<br />
This day is a sad day and we should mourn. Shame on us. Shame be on our heads for what we have wrought.<br />
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But tomorrow, we will stand back up. We will go on as normal. And we will fight. We will sing angry songs. We will write angry words. We will make angry art. Put on angry theatre. Make angry films. Shout with angry voices. And we will be heard.<br />
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This man has bamboozled people into letting him run our country. And we will be the laughing stock. But if this greasy prick wants any power, he is going to have to fight us tooth and nail for it. We will not just give it over to him. He has to take it. And I vow not to just let him.<br />
<br />
I have my enemy and his name is Tony Abbott.<br />
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Sleep well. The fight is ahead of us.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-5405892569491356262013-06-11T18:53:00.000-07:002013-06-11T22:22:03.477-07:00These People Don't Represent UsWhile I don't believe <a href="http://femfreq.tumblr.com/">An<span id="goog_1583095286"></span><span id="goog_1583095287"></span>ita</a> Sarkeesian - the pop culture blogger for Feminist Frequency - is a flawless crusader, I certainly don't believe she deserved <a href="http://femfreq.tumblr.com/post/52673540142/twitter-vs-female-protagonists-in-video-games">the nastiness thrown at her</a>. She fights a battle the deserves as much traction as it can, and that's female equality in video games. While I don't believe, necessarily, in the retiring of certain storytelling tropes - see <i>Damsel in Distress,</i> <i>Damsel in the Fridge</i> - as I believe they are important for some gamers to live out hero fantasies, I understand what she is saying and I support it.<br />
<br />
Recently, at E3, there were more presentations for the Xbox One. The internet is still underwhelmed with this new beast for many reasons that aren't for this article. If you want to see some critique, it's literally all over the web. Have at. Sarkeesian had a problem with the fact that, once again, there were no games with female lead protagonists for this next generation of gaming. What followed was an onslaught so nasty it would make anyone cringe. Tweeters told her to "shut up", that she was a "cunt" and that "what did [she] expect, a cooking and cleaning game?" - are you fucking kidding me?<br />
<br />
No, really, is this some elaborate ruse that I'm not in on? Because fuck.<br />
<br />
She's right, you know. Sarkeesian's right. While we may have games with playable leads such as Lilith, Maya and Gaige (<i>Borderlands, Borderlands 2</i>), the unceremoniously named FemShep - short for Female Shepard - from the <i>Mass Effect</i> trilogy, Samus Aran from the <i>Metroid</i> series, Lara Croft from <i>Tomb Raider</i> and Sarah Kerrigan from <i>Starcraft</i>, who are unabashedly awesome characters in their own rights, there are by no means enough. Most of them are over-breasted, frighteningly-skinny-waisted ridiculous creations in games with titles like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_%28video_game%29"><i>Wet</i></a>, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_or_Alive_Xtreme_Beach_Volleyball">DoA Beach Volleyball</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollipop_Chainsaw">Lollipop Chainsaw</a>.</i> <i>DoABV</i> is an obvious fan service game<i> </i>that helps to perpetrate that gaming is a Boy's Only club and that ladies aren't welcome, while<i> Wet</i> assures us it's titled as such for the reference to an assassin doing 'wetwork' but let's face it, there's no way it would have a male protagonist, would it?<br />
<br />
Now, there are some <a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/female-protagonists/3015-2287/games/">new ones coming out</a>, like <i>Mirror's Edge 2, Dreamfall Chapters, Beyond: Two Souls, Remember Me </i>and <i>Sanctum 2</i>, but let's not delude ourselves into thinking that the default video game hero isn't still a roguishly handsome, hulky, straight, white male with a bit of stubble and longish hair and a gruff voice. It's terrifying how many games' protagonists that represents. <b>That does not take away that those games are good</b>. I am not saying that. But we need to mix it up a little. Maybe the fact that we have a "default" hero at all is the <a href="http://jezebel.com/gaming-conference-welcomes-women-with-hilaaaarious-rape-512512089">problem</a>. <br />
<br />
Where are the gay heroes? The black heroes? Native Americans? Jews? I would sure love to play a gay, Jewish, black lady.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.<br />
<br />
<i>Special thanks to <a href="http://junkee.com/author/caitlin-welsh">Caitlin Welsh</a> for reading this and sub-editing it so I didn't sound like (too much of) a jackass.</i> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-58941809928105243032013-06-03T17:46:00.000-07:002013-06-03T17:46:29.327-07:00Back From The Neverhood: ArmikrogI've been playing video games for a long time. Since our family first got a household computer, my brother and I have been playing games on it. We never had a console until Christmas 2001 saw my parents give in and buy us (me) an Xbox. However, I will always look fondly back at those days spent playing those games on the computer, installed in blocks of anywhere from one to six floppy diskettes.<i> Commander Keen, Treasure Mountain, Gizmos and Gadgets, Operation Neptune</i> and many, many more.<br />
<br />
Then there came the CD games. Wow. CD-ROM's. They were something else. The games got bigger, better, more intricate. One game that I will always treasure for its oddness and its beauty is the 1996 release <i>The Neverhood, </i>from the creator of <i>Earthworm Jim</i>, Doug TenNapel. This game was a claymation, point and click adventure game that was funny, bizarre, beautiful and difficult. It was a puzzle solver with as much humour and challenge as the first <i>Portal</i> installment. We spent hours on that game, playing it over and over again because the characters like Klaymen, Hoborg and Klogg were so much fun.<br />
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That is why I practically screamed with excitement when I saw that the creators of <i>The Neverhood</i> had started a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1949537745/armikrog">Kickstarter campaign</a> to make a "spiritual successor" to <i>The Neverhood</i>. As if <i>Skullmonkeys </i>hadn't happened.<br />
<br />
If you watch the Kickstarter video - and I highly recommend you do - this game looks just as fun and even more bizarre, using the same wonderful claymation techniques that made <i>The Neverhood </i>so awesome. And the voice talent! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Belmont">Veronica Belmont</a>! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Heder">Jon Heder</a>! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Paulsen">ROB PAULSEN</a>! COME ON!<br />
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There are some really great rewards on this one, including copies of the game, t-shirts, art books, comic books, soundtracks and - if you've got the dough - a credit in the game as either a thank you or "additional animation". Because they teach you how to animate and then let you animate on the game!<br />
<br />
I've pledged and I hope you will, too. Let's get these guys up and rolling!<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-37465323083355408922013-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:002013-05-09T20:20:28.334-07:00Streetlight Manifesto Will Have the Last VictoryStreetlight Manifesto probably isn't a band a lot of people have heard of unless they're into ska-punk. They are, in my opinion, one of the greatest bands of all time. Their lyrics are wonderful stories, poems, dreams set to melancholy music that is at the same time both sad and uplifting. I can soundly say that I love everything about them. That is why it breaks my heart when I see all the terrible things they go through.<br />
<br />
In 2005, they were robbed twice, the first time in October where <a href="http://www.punknews.org/article/13985/streetlight-manifesto-robbled-of-80000-worth-of-gear">$80,000 worth of gear</a> was stolen, and then again in November in <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070927143750/http://www.theriscgroup.com/manifesto/tempfrontpage/robbedagain.html">Paris, France</a> where they lost, "the one expensive piece of equipment that wasn't stolen in last month's
debacle, a 24 track hard drive recorder we've been using to document
our live shows".<br />
<br />
Since they first signed with Victory records, there had been problems. <a href="http://www.punknews.org/article/37492/streetlight-manifesto-speaks-out-against-victory-records">These</a> <a href="http://streetlightmanifesto.com/streetlight-manifesto-proudly-boycotts-itself/">problems</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TohKay/posts/470651466336625">are</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Records">well-documented</a> and if you're interested in the history, go to those links and enjoy being saddened by a broken music industry machine. If that's too much reading for you, to sum it up: Victory is being so hostile to their artists, namely Streetlight in this case, that Streetlight is asking people to boycott their music unless bought directly from them. This includes - allegedly (gotta keep things legal) - withholding royalties from the group as well as putting a stop to music releases they have no right to put a stop to. Again, this stuff is well-documented by the band and also RISC Store organizer, Dave.<br />
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If you go to the <a href="http://riscstore.com/">RISC Store </a>right now - the band's personal merch store - you will be met with a friendly pop up window informing you of all the latest troubles. This is only following <a href="http://punktastic.com/news/streetlight-manifesto-having-problems-with-victory-records/">this one</a> which informed us that lead singer Tomas Kalnoky's 3-piece acoustic trio, Toh Kay's, accompaniment album to Streelight's new record, <i>The Hands that Thieve </i>- entitled, appropriately, <i>The Hand that Thieves</i> - had been cancelled.<br />
<br />
I once had faith in the necessity of the music industry; had faith that there was a ladder and prestige in place for a reason. Now all I see are bullies and <i>I can't stand it.</i> If you like the music that these guys are putting out, or even just some of the awesome t-shirts and art prints available at the RISC Store, or if you're a dedicated creative content creator yourself, please, I implore you to support them. They could really use it. I am.<i> </i><br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-8906946566221848752013-05-06T17:54:00.000-07:002013-05-06T17:54:12.081-07:00A World Where Nothing Can Go Right, And No One Can Be HappyThat is a really depressing title. It's something we've all often thought about of our own world. Maybe just of the worlds we create if we are creators of fiction. We throw massive obstacles in the way of our characters to advance the story, sure, but sometimes just to make them suffer. I am a malevolent writer-god and I know it. Am proud of it. <br />
<br />
It may surprise many when I say that I only recently (this year) have started watching - and am some ways through - cult classics <i>Veronica Mars</i> and <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> (2004 version). I was late to these two parties, but I am drunk and having a blast, screaming at the top of my lungs.<br />
<br />
I didn't think much of the idea of <i>Veronica Mars</i> when I was in high school - it seemed like a show a boy shouldn't watch and I was embarrassed by what others thought of me. High school was pretty easy for me most of the time, but I was just as susceptible to my peers' opinions of me as the next emotionally unbalanced teen.<br />
<br />Having left the profound dumbness of all that behind, I dove headlong into <i>Veronica Mars</i> and am loving the ride. I've just started season 3 and love it still but it's confirmed something I felt from the start with this show. Nothing can ever go right and no one can be happy. This is never more true than the continuing story of Eli "Weevil" Navarro. Just goddamn. Lift up, crash down.<br />
<br />
Season 2 was incredibly dour if but also exceedingly well-written, with a final episode that really punches you right in the gut. It just plays for keeps this show.<br />
<br />
I get the same feeling when I watch <i>Battlestar</i>. This show doesn't fuck around. The reason I wanted to start watching it was actually because of the strategic board game - which is amazing and I highly recommend. At the end of every person's turn you must take a "Crisis card" wherein something impossibly awful happens to the crew or the ships - keeping in mind that up to at least 3 of the players can be Cylons.You keep through these 'missions', jumping in Faster Than Light (FTL) until you finally reach New Caprica (8 jumps).<br />
<br />
When I started watching the show, I realized how accurate this was a representation of the life of those unfortunate enough to exist in the show's universe. Nothing good can ever happen. No one can be happy. You get a brief reprieve when something minutely good happens - someone didn't die! something got fixed! people are drinking and laughing! - before the show just gut-punches you again.<br />
<br />
Again, this show is exceptionally well-written and cast and I can't recommend it highly enough. It will certainly keep you guessing. I'm in the middle of season 3 and I left myself at a massive cliff-hanger and I just want to skip work, go home and find out what happens!<br />
<br />
It was just interesting for me to notice that a lot of the shows I absolutely adore contain - more often than not - awful things happening to good people and the seeming endlessness of their suffering. This applies to <i>Game of Thrones</i> too, though it has significantly more victories in it - and if you watch the show, you know that that's saying something.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-43344866975636826702013-04-20T05:39:00.002-07:002013-04-20T05:39:44.090-07:00Defiance: Welcome to the FoldI just finished watching the series premiere of the new SciFi program <i>Defiance</i> that takes elements of <i>Firefly </i>and <i>Farscape</i> and pushes them together to make something just as awesome. The <i>Farscape</i> influence is not only clear but definitely not accidental as one of the developers was none other than Rockne S. O'Bannon.<br />
<br />
The show is a nice mix of post-apocalyptic war, sci-fi and Western with <i>Dexter</i> veteran Julie Benz as the Mayor of the town of Defiance and Australian-grown Grant Bowler as Nolan, the Han Solo-style ex-marine turned lawman. The first episode introduces you to the new Earth in 2046 where alien races have arrived and, after a long war, a shaky peace has been established. In the new frontier-style world everyone must fight to survive where of course the races don't necessarily all get along. The world is very much a character in this show, too, which is wonderful.<br />
<br />
The characters are full and, although not complete yet, I expect them to be people to be reckoned with. There is already a family feud, a sassy brothel-owner, a wise-cracking doctor, a traveling ex-marine and his alien daughter - it promises to be quite a ride. This pilot episode is even remnant of the first episode of <i>Firefly</i> with its fighting and <i>Farscape</i> in its creative alien make-up.<br />
<br />
Most interestingly is the idea that there is a video game of <i>Defiance</i> which ties directly into the show and things in the show affect the game and vise versa, so it will be intriguing to see how the experiences mirror and change each other. <br />
<br />
My only fear is that this will become another wonderful one season show if not enough people watch it - so please get out there and check it out!<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-59128352178046751872013-03-27T15:31:00.000-07:002013-03-27T15:31:04.030-07:00The Old Devil's at it Again"I'll fix it so you get cheap drinks," the woman at the bar said. "What band are you with?"<br />
Before I could stop myself, I was saying, "William Elliott Whitmore."<br />
"Oh, of course," the woman said. She sold us our drinks at five bucks apiece was gone, disappeared into the back room.<br />
"What just happened?" I turned to Omar.<br />
"Ticketed people get cheaper drinks, I think," he said, sipping his Jack and coke.<br />
"I don't think that's right," I said. I turned and looked at the poster of punk rock, bluegrass artist William Elliott Whitmore. "I think she thinks I'm in the band with him. Because I sound like an American."<br />
"Oh," Omar said. "You might be right."<br />
The woman emerged from the back room and handed me the owner of the Annandale's card, "Show this at the bar and all your drinks will be at the special price," and she was gone again.<br />
"No, this isn't right," I said.<br />
"You're probably right."<br />
We waited for the woman to return and when she did I said, "Excuse me, I think there's been some mistake. We're not <i>with</i> William Elliott Whitmore, we're just here to see him."<br />
"Oh, oh my goodness," she said, taking the card back as I handed it to her.<br />
"It's just, I'm Canadian, so," I started.<br />
"See, this is me being racist," she laughed. "Thanks for being honest."<br />
"It's all right," I said. "It would've eaten at me all night. And you would suspected something when I didn't go up on stage tonight."<br />
"I'd have found you and hurt you," she smiled.<br />
<br />
The night promised many excellent things. The drinks, the excited buzz of the crowd, this was going to be good. So it was such a disappointment when, at 8:30, Nick van Breer went up first and was terrible. He awkwardly introduced himself and his song and began playing. The way he sang sounded like two things. One, as if he'd never been near a microphone before and two, as if it were still breaking at the age of 25. The writing of said songs was as if he wrote them at the age of fourteen and had never bothered to rework them. Over the din of the crowd that was ignoring him sailed the words, "she walked away" and "we can take on the world/like we always wanted to".<br />
Sufficed to say, Omar and I were done with him, too.<br />
Even when he brought up banjoist Dave and they dueled on banjos for a while, it was unimpressive and dry. The banjos were too quiet and the vocals too boring. <br />
<br />
When his set finished at 9:15, we were not confident about the second opener.<br />
"Let him be up and done," I said. "Bring on William!"<br />
"Who knows," Omar said, finishing his Jack. "He could be really good."<br />
"I doubt--"<br />
And through my doubt blared a sound. The sound of passion striking a guitar with force and a blazing harmonica solo. A tall man, thin and bearded, was Lincoln le Fevre. He wore a sailor-style cap and beat on that guitar, brow-beating the audience into silent admiration. Then, after a blissful moment of passionate playing, he sang the song a Capella, right into our hearts.<br />
"We're so bored, we're so bored of this," was his passionate cry.<br />
And the audience sang it back.<br />
The man knew what he was doing. This was what confidence looked like.<br />
With power in his belly and fire in his heart, he sang to us stories of lost loves and drinking and home. Everything he said resonated. His meter and words were outstanding.<br />
"All right," Lincoln said. "Here's the point in the show where I try to break your hearts."<br />
"What have you been doing up until now, buddy?" Omar said next to me, his face a mask of awe, like mine.<br />
"I haven't played this one live before," Lincoln said. "So it could be shit. Or not. Cool story, Lincoln, shut up."<br />
Laughter.<br />
People were listening to what this man said and for a reason.<br />
When he finally finished up, Omar rushed like a speeding car out to the merch table and bought us each a copy of his CD <i>Resonation</i>. I recommend it.<br />
<br />
"I met him at the bar," Omar said when he got back. "He's really nice."<br />
"Hey," a voice from the stage said, "How's everybody doin'?"<br />
After only a few minutes of wait and setting up his gear himself, there he was - Mr. William Elliott Whitmore.<br />
"Can I start early?" he seemed to be asking us. "Or should I just go ahead backstage and get stoned?"<br />
The bar staff seemed to say that he could start whenever he wanted.<br />
"Well, all right then," he drank from his beer. "Let's do this then."<br />
Then began a wonderful hour and ten minutes of musical joy. His songs were either played on guitar, banjo or just a Capella. He had a bass drum with which to add beat and force when needed. <br />
He played with mirth and hunger and violence and passion. It was magical.<br />
"I don't really like to do a set list," he said after the first three songs. "So just shout out what you wanna hear. I'm happy to oblige." <br />
Although my cries of "I'm Diggin' my Grave" went unanswered, the set list was amazing, including "Hell or High Water" and "Old Devils".<br />
"Getting arrested is one of the worst things ever," he said at one point. "As soon as those cuffs go on, it's the worst feeling. You feel like an animal. And they make an inventory of all the stuff you had on you at the time. One beer bottle, one dirty handkerchief, one empty chip packet in pocket. Why did they write that one down? Why did I even have it?" he drinks from his beer. "I told them it was for sentimental reasons. Anyway, this song's called Johnny Law."<br />
He kept playing and we kept begging for more.<br />
At one point, the man was handed a shot from the bar. Someone had bought him a drink.<br />
"Why thank you," he said. "What's your name?"<br />
"Josh!"<br />
"Well Josh, I'll pay you back," he said. And he meant it. "I'll sip this like a gentleman."<br />
He shot the shot back.<br />
"I'm so happy to be here," he said. "This is feeling so good. So close. I'm just happy to be anywhere. To be alive. Thank you all so much for coming out. Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you." <br />
The experience was beautiful as his songs washed over us. At the end, Omar and I went up and shook his hand. He was so genuinely pleasant and affable that it only added to how wonderful it all was.<br />
I stopped by the merch table and said thank you to Lincoln.<br />
<br />
Our buses had run out so Omar and I walked to Central station and then took the train home. It was one a.m. when we got to bed and we'd be tired for work tomorrow. But we didn't care at all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-90623398354641237942013-03-26T15:35:00.001-07:002013-03-26T15:35:25.404-07:00Just a RecommendationI wrote a <a href="http://the-screw.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/stop-it-stop-it-stop.html">rant</a> not long ago about how video games don't cause gun violence. If you're still interested in the topic of gun violence and video games, I would highly recommend <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_20396_5-mind-blowing-facts-nobody-told-you-about-guns.html">this article</a>, also from Cracked, that illuminates some of the points I made and extends on them - especially the "video games as living out fantasies".<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-37845262860041330882013-03-18T22:10:00.002-07:002013-03-18T22:10:23.150-07:00Stop it! Stop. It. Stop.This can't wait anymore. I've been trying to avoid writing this for a long time, having just sort of skirted around it in polite conversation, but now I can't. I just freaking can't and it's because of a <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/03/mike-lupica-adam-lanza-spreadsheet/63237/">tabloid article I found through Buzzfeed</a>.<br />
<br />
I'm going to say this and I'm going to say it once; <b><i>video games</i></b> <b><i>do not cause people to become more violent.</i></b> Gamers are not some horrible, sadistic group of murderers just waiting for their chance to spring into rage-murder action all over the nightly news. We just simply aren't.<br />
<br />
This topic has been breached time and time again and I think it was best summed up by <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-truth-about-guns-video-games/">Cracked columnist Robert Brockway</a>.<br />
<br />
"Americans are, and always have been, an incredibly violent society," Brockway writes. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac%27s_Rebellion_school_massacre" target="_blank">first school shooting in this country</a> happened <i>before there was a country</i>."<br />
<br />
After Sandy Hook, Joe Biden sat down with a council to try and work out gun legislation and the "role guns have in today's society" with a bunch of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/14/vice-president-joe-biden-to-games-industry-you-have-not-been-s/">video game designers</a>. And now, the <i>New York Daily News</i> is on that trolley. This argument was put forward after <a href="http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/05/tieing-columbine-to-video-games/">Columbine</a> and <a href="http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2007/3417va_tech_videos.html">Virginia Tech</a>. Worse is that Anders Breivik said he used <i>Call of Duty 2</i> and <i>World of Warcraft</i> to help<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2011/07/28/expert-calls-blaming-video-games-on-tragic-massacres-like-oslo-and-columbine-racist/"> train himself</a>. Luckily, the rest of that article is condemning the use of video games as the reason for mass shooting is unfair and in fact is being called racist. I recommend checking it out.<br />
<br />
Here's the inside scoop, people who don't understand video games: we like them because they are fun, not because they are training us to murder people. What they can do is provide an outlet for rage fantasies.<br />
<br />
And don't jump all over me for that because we all do it in our heads. Everyone had had that fantasy of pushing the slow-walking person down the stairs or punching the annoying person so hard in the face that their skull explodes or any number of other ridiculously-over-violent-for-the-situation fantasies. And anyone who says they don't have them is a liar. Video games allow some of us to act out those rage-fantasies in the safe confines of non-reality. Many times after a long day have I said to my roommate, "Excuse me, but I have to go shoot some stuff for a while." And proceeded to kill many, many faceless bandits in <i>Borderlands 2</i> or zombies in <i>Left 4 Dead </i>and after about an hour of that I feel so much better.<br />
<br />
In this vein, you can't have it both ways, America. You can't use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Army">video games</a> to <a href="http://www.livescience.com/10022-military-video-games.html">help train/recruit for the armed forces</a> and then turn around and say that video games are evil and are making people more violent. People said it of violent films and yet look at films today! They aren't making people more violent, we just appreciate the pretty explosions or stylized violence or excess of blood splatter. Do you know why? <b><i>Because we know these are fantasy and not reality.</i></b><br />
<br />
You can bet your ass that if we were to see something that violent in reality it would make us sick. It's one thing to fire a fake gun in a game, it's quite another to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80hSXb5QRis">fire one in real life.</a><b><i> </i></b>It's one thing to beat up on dragons with your fists (thanks, <i>Skyrim</i>, for that opportunity!) but it's quite another to watch someone being actually bullied and beaten. The internet and the gaming world can sometimes be filled with jerks - like any other world such as sports or business or acting - but we're not full-fledged demon spawn.<br />
<br />
Video games don't make us violent. Stop making us villains. Learn what correlation and causation is. Just because they played video games doesn't mean that that's why they did the things they did. It only alienates us and makes parents more worried for their "gamer kids". My folks' only worry for me was that I didn't play outside enough - but that's because my skin is so pasty that I burned so easily!<br />
<br />
We're not aliens. We're not monsters. We play them in games but then we come back to reality. We will not become killers because we play video games. We are not violent. More often than not we're the kids who are bullied. And don't argue that this causes us to snap and take out our violence on innocents. While that <i>has</i> happened, doesn't make it a characteristic of <i>all gamers</i>.<br />
<br />
Don't let one bad apple spoil our very interesting bunch. We have a lot to offer and we are no different from you except that we have a hobby you don't understand.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-8237070516926550732013-03-18T20:00:00.000-07:002013-03-18T20:00:10.685-07:00Starcraft 2: Heart of the SwarmIn the week since it's release, I have seen surprisingly little from my friends about the new Zerg expansion to Starcraft 2, the Kerrigan-focused <i>Heart of the Swarm</i>. Probably because they're all so busy playing it. If you know any Starcraft franchise fans, you know that they're probably knee-deep in empty Coke cans whenever the newest game comes out - especially when this one has been so long in the making. <br />
<br />
This new installment in the well-beloved series revolves around Sarah Kerrigan, freshly rescued from being the Queen of Blades by our well-known and lovable hero Jim Raynor. She wakes up alone in a cell under the scrutiny of Valerian Mengsk. They want to make sure she won't return to the Swarm. That she really has become human again.<br />
<br />
First, let me just say that this game is beautiful. We've come to expect this from Blizzard - and games in general now - but still, it is definitely worth noting that this game is gorgeous to look at. I wish they made animated films that looked as wonderful as this. Dramas, action-thrillers, westerns - anything could look good with the animation they use in this game's cut-scenes.<br />
<br />
What I also very much like is it creates more characters within the Zerg swarm, such as those on board Kerrigan's ship. Abathur, for example, who is the resident Swarm editor. He is terrifying and robotic and familiar and wonderful from his dialogue to the voice acting to the model. <br />
And not to mention the veritable bevvy of named Hive Queens that Kerrigan meets.<br />
<br />
What's even more interesting, is that by having these characters, it humanizes the Zerg somewhat, which I suppose was the point - especially in Kerrigan's "re-education" of a certain Hive Queen.<br />
<br />
One thing that I fear is that the game will be all too short and perhaps even a little bit too easy, but then again I haven't reached the final missions yet, being too distracted with that time-consuming and money-providing endeavour called "work". <br />
<br />
The price was also right for this game, set at a nice $44 (AUD) which marks it as an expansion in the same vein as the old <i>Brood War</i>. If you liked <i>Wings of Liberty, </i>you'll like this. The only bad part so far, is they haven't fixed the whole "we don't do LAN anymore" thing. And also, the annoying thing that buying the game in hard copy doesn't mean you get to install the game from the disc, it just has the downloader on there so you don't have to download it. It still installs the game by downloading it from online. You've been warned.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-6989811428301673452013-03-14T19:39:00.004-07:002013-03-14T19:39:43.134-07:00Traildust Season 2 Part 1He left the man bleeding in the mud. It had been a long chase but in the end, the fight had gone out of him. Thornton couldn't blame him; his horse had died and he'd run outta bullets. Not many would that would fight on after running two days through the desert and then still have it in them to grapple their pursuer. Thornton stood up and wiped the mud from his boots on the man's pants. The knife came smoothly out of its sheath and Thornton bent down to cut off the man's head.<br />
No head, no proof, Thornton said. Ain't nothin' personal.<br />
He always found it funny how easily a knife could cut through a man's flesh. Fragile creatures. Like to think we're invincible but a fella with a well-placed punch and kill you. The head made a sickening crack and squish as Thornton pulled it away from the sinew and bone. Thornton put the head into a hessian sack. He looked down and admired the corpse. The man had been fitter than hell. Big arms, broad shoulders, legs as strong as a horse's. At the end of them shone some nice, shiny boots, almost looking new.<br />
Bad luck to take a dead man's boots, Thornton said. Shame to waste them. The buzzards'll have a hell of a time with ye, though.<br />
Thornton climbed up on his horse and rode off. A heavy, hot wind was setting in and he knew that soon a sandstorm would make this ride impossible. Up a ways he remembered there were some caves set into a small outcropping of rocks. If he could just make it there, it would be fine. Then he could wait the storm out, hand over this man's stinking head and get his gold.<br />
Just as the wind was picking up, driving the sand hard into his face and making his horse rear up in discomfort, he found the cave. He rushed inside, dragging the horse in through reluctant whinnies. He set the horse to eating its grain and made himself a small fire, cooking a small pot of road stew. <br />
I wonder what ye did, Thornton said to the hessian sack. It sat opposite him across the fire.<br />
Not many men, he said, could piss of a county as much as ye gone and done. A hefty fee fer bringing you in, y'know. Hefty even for a murderer.<br />
Sorry fer killin' ye, he said as an aside, quietly as if not to rouse the man's ghost. They said they really wanted ye alive, but that was so they could hang ye in the streets. And to be honest bringing ye back alive was just too damn hard. If yer head's anything to go by, you'd have been a heavy bastard to carry back. That and all the flailin' yer sure to have put me and my horse through. And what would I have done with ye tonight? Putting ye over in the corner, hopin' ye don't escape, not gettin' any shut-eye. No, it was easier to kill ye. Better than hangin' in front a' all them people, all the anticipation and such.<br />
Thornton took a spoonful of the stew and slurped it up.<br />
Good, he said. Good stew.<br />
The storm would die down by morning but for now it rung heavy and musical across the mouth of the cave and soon it lulled Thornton to sleep.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-41805679066411771752013-03-13T18:28:00.004-07:002013-03-13T18:29:10.073-07:00Stories from Nothing: The Spies<b>Catalyst:</b><br />
This one actually got its inspiration from a <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-free-games-you-can-play-to-make-life-more-interesting/">Cracked article</a><b> </b>about games you should give a shot playing in your own head to make life more interesting. One of these was to have a look at people on the street or train platform or bus and figure out which one of them was a spy or assassin and who their target was.<br />
<br />
<b>Story:</b><br />
She stepped down onto the platform and took up her place next to the air conditioning vent, to the right of the small conductors' office. Her mark was already standing there, as was her second sent by the Agency.<br />
She threw a casual glance at the two of them. After a day or so of not being up close to him, the mark was much fatter than she remembered. And the agent was a short, handsome man with small glasses. Like they had organized, he was reading that free gossip newspaper they hand out at train stations.<br />
The rumble from underneath the platform told her that the train was almost here. She put her bag down onto the air conditioning vent and dug around and found her black day planner. She opened it and began writing. Hopefully the Agent would notice. This was the signal that everything was a go. A chattering group of school children passed her and she watched them go. Made eyes with the Agent. She turned away. On the bench, the Agent put the newspaper into his satchel bag and took out a small black book of his own and had a look at something, nodded, and replaced it in his bag.<br />
The train pulled up to the station. The Mark checked his watch. It was late. The doors opened and the Mark went on. She followed and right behind her, the Agent stepped onto the crowded train.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-3751268808893930752013-03-11T18:42:00.000-07:002013-03-11T18:42:17.146-07:00Are You Freaking Kidding Me?Microsoft and really the whole gaming anti-piracy thing has finally crossed a very creepy, very 1984-y line. For a while, the story on everyone's lips was that the next Playstation and Xbox consoles would block used games but it seems that this <a href="http://www.destructoid.com/sony-ps4-won-t-block-used-games-246220.phtml">may have been thrown out</a>; which I'm thankful for because it just made already greedy-appearing companies appear even greedier.<br />
<br />
I'm a dedicated gamer. I buy the games I want, used or new. I buy DVDs, too, rarely going in for downloads due to an obsession with physical copies of things lest the Internet collapse in on itself and my computer simultaneously explodes - at least I know I'll always have the hard copy.<br />
And like anyone who owns a console, I use mine to watch films. Sometimes - shock! horror! - with more people than just myself and my girlfriend.<br />
<br />
Well, looks like Microsoft is putting out a <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/139706-microsofts-new-kinect-patent-goes-big-brother-will-spy-on-you-for-the-mpaa">new patent </a>which is going to make viewing films with 'too many' people more or less impossible, without buying an extra license. Yeah, that's right. In case you didn't click on that there link (you should), the article basically informs us that, well, here's a quote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="intelliTXT" name="intellitxt">The abstract describes a
camera-based system that would monitor the number of viewers in a room
and check to see if the number of occupants exceeded a certain threshold
set by the content provider. If there are too many warm bodies present,
the device owner would be prompted to purchase a license for a greater
number of viewers.</span><span id="intelliTXT" name="intellitxt">From the abstract: “The users consuming the content
on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views
licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken.” </span></blockquote>
This. Is. Ridiculous. While I may understand that copyright states I can't show a DVD on a jumbo screen in the middle of the city center, it is a whole different matter for it to tell me that I can't have a big group of over to watch it for a movie night. Now, admittedly, it doesn't say how many people is "too many" but still, I can't help but feel that this is just further shoving down our throats that we do not <i>own</i> the content we buy, we are merely <i>renting it</i> from the copyright owner, despite spending the money and being given a physical copy of the product.<br />
<br />
On top of the legal mumbo-jumbo that's involved in this - which would make someone buy numerous licenses for one film/game/whatever as if it were a highly guarded piece of software like AVID or Adobe Creative Suite - I just simply don't like the idea of Microsoft having a direct camera into my living room without me knowing if anyone is watching at any given time.<br />
<br />
Also, what's to prevent me from unplugging the damn thing when I watch a film? Will it not work? Will it be compulsory? Even worse. If it is, they sure won't be getting my business.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-34144899788627714272013-03-03T21:24:00.001-08:002013-03-03T21:24:43.421-08:00The Year of Doing ThingsA lot of people make New Year's resolutions. They make decisions that, in the new year, they will better themselves by quitting smoking, working out more, getting a girlfriend, losing a boyfriend, anything that they truly believe will shift the course of their lives. And to those people who stick to them, I salute you.<br />
<br />
I don't like to make resolutions because I find that I don't really have anything to say other than "be better than last year". This year, however, is different. I've given my year a progress bar and a name. The Year of Doing Things. I am going to <i>do things</i> this year. All of them. All the things.<br />
<br />
In the past, I've been either too lazy or too discouraged to go out and make the things I want happen. This year, I want to do things. I want to make at least two short films. I will post more music of my own creation to my YouTube page; maybe even poetry and spoken word readings. I will finish screenplays and work towards getting them made. I will get a literary agent. I will start acting again. I will go out to open mics and story nights and tell stories. I will become better at art. I will get my comic started up again.<br />
<br />
I need to do these things or I will become lazy and fail. This will not happen.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-46785241739283240192013-02-26T19:31:00.000-08:002013-02-26T19:31:00.813-08:00Another Soundtrack RantIf I may, I'd like to return to the blog-verse with another rant about how awesome some soundtracks are. As <a href="http://the-screw.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/unsung-heroes.html">I've</a> <a href="http://the-screw.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/another-note-on-video-game-music.html">discussed</a> <a href="http://the-screw.blogspot.com.au/2012_01_01_archive.html">before </a>I think that the soundtrack people are unsung heroes of video games. Well, I'm going to say it again.<br />
<br />
While I'm back at a job that I hate - even <i>more</i> than I remember! - it's been made more bearable by some pretty great music. Admittedly, I've also been listening to the outstanding William Elliott Whitmore as well as video game soundtracks, but there's one in particular I'd like to mention here.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7-ejnsVCgM">Skyrim</a> soundtrack is a goddamn masterpiece. Composed by the amazing <a href="http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Jeremy_Soule" title="Jeremy Soule">Jeremy Soule</a>, it's the right mix of relaxing, exciting and passionate. Ranging from the thundering highs of action chanting in true Norse form to very delicate ballad-like pieces designed for wandering about nature, the soundtrack makes working a menial job a <i>lot</i> more bearable.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-45244270322299143572012-11-11T22:49:00.000-08:002012-11-11T22:49:23.827-08:00Good Job, Dr. WatsonIn my recent quest to have my girlfriend watch more or less everything on my DVD shelf in our spare time, I recently finished re-watching the Steven Moffat series <i>Sherlock</i>. Besides enjoying the clever - and sometimes a bit cheesy - re-imagining of Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories and characters, I got to appreciate the performances of some pretty tremendous actors.<br />
<br />
For those of you who don't know, besides writing, my dream is to act. I love to act. I love pretending to be someone else and say things and do things that I wouldn't normally do. To make people <i>feel</i> something. To make them laugh or cry or even just smile. I love it. Entertainment is the best thing ever. A lot of the time, when I watch films or commercials or TV shows, I pick out which character that not only I'd like to play but - more realistically - which one would I be cast as. When I watch <i>Criminal Minds</i>, I can see myself in the role of Dr. Reid portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler. I always imagine that I could do any role given to Michael Cera or Jesse Eisenberg or Jay Baruchel.While watching <i>Sherlock</i>, I liked to pretend that I could play Holmes or Watson or Moriarty. If I just looked older.<br />
<br />
But that's not really true.<br />
<br />
Maybe I could do a decent job with Holmes or Moriarty (again, given I looked older than I do) but upon re-watching the final episode of the second season, I was struck once more by the simplicity and the haunting of Martin Freeman's delivery of Watson's final monologue in the graveyard. Martin Freeman was not only subtle but delicate, emotional but restrained. In short, it was perfect. Freeman evoked waterfalls of tears by the simplest intake of breath, always stopping himself short of out and out weeping. Because that's not what Watson would do.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to say that Martin Freeman is an incredibly underrated and wonderful actor, and I look forward to <i>The Hobbit</i>.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-22176849305564657722012-11-10T15:38:00.000-08:002012-11-10T15:38:17.881-08:00Week 18 - Catching Up!Though in previous weeks I've been behind on my short story writing, this week marks a wonderful turn; I'm ahead. Yesterday, I spent most of the day scribbling out stories, which caught me up to this week's quota of 18 in total. I punched out the finish to a story I'd started weeks ago which desperately needed an ending; I wrote a short film which - as it is a short piece of fiction, totally counts - I'd been fermenting in my head for days; and the best one of all, I revisited an old favourite and wrote a new pulp piece featuring the heroic Captain Horatio Silverthorn. Anyone who'd like to read that joy, <i>please</i> just comment and I'll pass it along to you. This one's a doozy - airships!<br />
<br />
I even started a new one today. A new story, when I don't have to! I've decided to get a head start on Week 19 so that way I don't fall so behind again.<br />
<br />
All of this, of course, means I've fallen desperately and perhaps irretrievably behind on NaNoWriMo - but you know what? I don't care. I didn't really feel the impetus when I started this year's one and so I'm not perturbed by being so behind. It's been good to revisit the old story that I'd started so many years ago, work on that world again, but I think I'm going to do it at my own pace. When I have days where my mind just isn't conducive to writing and yet I am forced to, I just write out schlock that I know I'll have to remove or edit later, and I'd rather not do that labour. So, for now, I'll work on that beast when I feel I have the right reigns.<br />
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Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-77385652943361059312012-11-04T22:50:00.000-08:002012-11-04T22:58:48.237-08:00Weeks 15, 16 & 17 - And NaNoWriMoJesus it's been another intense month. I've been terrible at updating and I apologize. I was doing so well there at the start, too.<br />
<br />
In Week 15 I caught up to where I was supposed to be and started a Zombie short story but for some reason I couldn't finish it. It was just going to be too damn long and I didn't have the energy to sit and write a long piece. Then Week 16 rolled around. Just like I knew it would.<br />
<br />
I started another story but it, too, I soon lost the taste for. I was losing my impetus. Starting to want to give up on this whole nasty, diabolical business. Sometimes, I still do. I know I did when Week 17 came upon me.<br />
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I managed to pump out a pulpy story about an explorer and quicksand and etc, etc. It was fun to write. Really fun. I miss writing pulp, so I think that'll be the case for the next few weeks.<br />
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And November started and so came NaNoWriMo again. For the third time. I wasn't going to do it initially - why do that when I have so much Bradbury-ing to do, right? Wrong. When so many people assaulted me with "are you?" and "why aren't you?" and "you should", I said what a madman says when asked if he hears voices, "yes".<br />
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I'm seven and a bit thousand words in now and I'm honestly not regretting it. I'm working on a story that I'd given up on a few years ago and it's good to settle into something like this. I'd clearly been reading a lot of Bukowski at the time. That feels good. Fun to write, too.<br />
<br />
And then there's the comic. But that's a story for another blog post.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b><br />
I don't know how I forgot to mention this, but it seems I did and apologies to all those involved!<br />
It was around week 16 that a friend, Mr. David Sander of <i>Surfaces Rendered</i>,
came to me with a proposition. He gave me some work on editing his
screenplay. I accepted and began to devour and twist and edit! That was
something nice and different from my usual fare. With Final Draft open on my desktop each night, it was certainly a fruitful labour that continues!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-2156998925037697692012-10-14T19:55:00.002-07:002012-10-14T19:55:43.657-07:00Weeks 11, 12, 13 & 14Argh! Well this has been the worst month for writing.<br />
I missed one week and then another and another and before I knew it, three short stories behind. I managed to get one down but then a new week flipped over (14) and then I was still three behind!<br />
I scribbled out another one, just something short and weird and kind of erotic and I don't know why but it's there and it's done and it's something to mark on the tally.<br />
I was debating starting to write an issue of the comic or the pilot of my TV show I want to do but that seems like cheating. It is, right? Right.<br />
I'm pushing out the last two now and it's just a fierce bastard to do. It's amazing how you completely reset to absolute zero when you miss out on a couple of weeks of this. Shit. It builds up like NaNoWriMo and resets your mind to NOTHINGNESS.<br />
Irritating.<br />
Once again, if anyone wants to read these things, let me know.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-36701394336563628412012-09-20T02:33:00.002-07:002012-09-20T02:33:59.549-07:0010 Weeks: ReflectionThis is it - the big ONE ZERO. I've hit ten weeks of this taxing writing experiment known as the Bradbury Method. It's been something, that's for sure. Only forty-two more to go.<br />
<br />
I find, as I finish my late-in-the-week story for this week - a short piece that I wrote in a rush because my mind wasn't ready for other things - that I am enjoying the act of writing more and more. The process itself makes more sense to me, feels better. I'm more willing to expand on certain paragraphs and ideas. The stories feel fuller, when it strikes me anyway.<br />
<br />
I'm also finding that I'm becoming less afraid. Each time I think of a new story idea, I no longer shy away from starting it for fear of ruining it. I just let 'er rip. I've been thinking of more of them than usual, too, which is nice. Kind of bombarding my mind it's hard to always keep track.<br />
<br />
Anyway, thanks for sticking through this bastard of a thing with me.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-89305656414705733882012-09-13T05:10:00.000-07:002012-09-13T05:10:18.714-07:00And that's Week 9......and what a week it was!<br />
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All in all, not a bad one. I started one story only to realize, after a discussion with my fellow Bradbury Method partner, that it could be taken to all of these wonderful places and would be far too long to be able to finish this week.<br />
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Luckily, though, I had a half-finished piece from last week that I hadn't had the energy to really look at. Fortunately for me, this week was better for it. Nailed it to the wall tonight. That felt good.<br />
<br />
Mahalo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743365011632433837.post-55521577921812674542012-09-04T03:00:00.000-07:002012-09-04T03:00:00.703-07:00Weeks 7 & 8So, I know I said that a) I would post more and b) that last week (Week 7) I was totally catching up. Well, I was, but the third story I started for the week completely eluded me and made itself far too intangible. Completely untouchable.<br />
<br />
Today, however, midway through Week 8, I have written two stories. Two. Today. Two brand new stories that brings my total back up to in line. I've caught up! The stories came to me today and I just shot them out through my (now sore) fingertips!<br />
<br />
I didn't finish the one I started at the end of Week 7, but now I have a bit of wiggle room in being able to work on it properly without too much stress, so that feels pretty good.<br />
<br />
Mahalo. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03571960752358483715noreply@blogger.com0