Month: July 2025

sidewaysssss

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That’s how things have gone today. Tomorrow doesn’t promise to be much better.

On the plus side, I’m almost done planning for the new draft (with a few sidetracks) of Bad Neighbours.

I expect to be editing within the next week.

Hopefully, I can get something done while we’re away.

Working on time, instead of word count, has it benefits and detractions – it requires a set butt-in-seat time, and hitting a word target for me usually takes less time, unless I’m making notes like I’ve been doing, then it’s a combo, and takes longest of all.

Freeform works best; editing is the middle road.

Agonizing over the specific word, is it strong enough? Is it accurate? Am I being too precious?

Am I precious?

Or am I nothing at all?

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1307 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Poorhouse Fair, John Updike (speaking of precious)
Comics: Death Or Glory 1-2, Deadly Class 34, Black Science 36
Music: Walk Among Us, Misfits

old friends, part deux

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These ones we see more often, but it’s been a year since I went.

Not my favourite group, but they are what they are, and my stepdaughter loves them, and my wife and the mother get along very well.

But the dogs will enjoy it; being out on the patio is always fun for them.

Especially when there’s french fries, am I right?

These pups are spoiled silly.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1230 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Poorhouse Fair, John Updike
Comics: Black Science 34-35, Deadly Class 32-33
Music: Wake Me Up When September Ends, Green Day (please)

old friends

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Even if they’re not mine, it’s nice. You’ve been through enough together that it can be a nice, genuine evening.

Or fraught, if the relationship was a perilous one.

My wife has seen both ends of that spectrum this week, and honestly, it’s so refreshing to be around people without all the weird family politics or selfish interests.

You’re just catching up.

It’s nice.

People should be nicer to each other.

Less fighting. Less either/or.

More us and.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1389 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Grass Is Singing, Doris Lessing
Comics: Black Science 31-33, Deadly Class 31
Music: Waiting For Herb, The Pogues

misheard lyrics

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It happens all the time (there’s a bathroom on the right, anyone?)

The worst one I can think, for myself, was my confusion (and when it comes on the radio I still hear it) over Poker Face by Lady Gaga.

I mean, I know, ostensibly, that she’s saying P-P-P-Poker Face, but no matter how many times it comes on, or how hard I listen, it still sounds like F-F-F-Fuck Her Face.

And that’s not a slight, even though I think Lady Gaga is vastly overrated. It’s just how it comes across, every time.

No matter how much I try, how I tell myself what it actually is, it still sounds the same.

We hear what we want to hear, I guess?

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1146 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Grass Is Singing, Doris Lessing (it's keeping my interest, but man, so bleak)
Comics: Seven To Eternity 8-9, Low 19, Deadly Class 30
Music: Eye Of The Tiger, Survivor

street names and the modern dichotomy

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I had originally named the street my bad neighbours lived on Sigmund Avenue, but now, given the material, I rather think I’d like to find a name that is more fitting of the analogy of dichotomy I’ve made with this book.

With that in mind, I’m trying to track down the father of modern political dichotomy, the man most responsible for creating the left-right “split” that we’ve got going. I’m not talking about someone who exploits it, like Trump or Reagan or Bush (Junior or Senior).

I want the philosopher. The modern political thinker.

I’d considered Descartes, but the hunt continues.

Who started all this shit? Jesus?

Who was originator of us versus them as viable political theory? It has always been such; someone must have codified as proper, and watched as all these murderous assholes latched on to it. Who created authoritarianism, in its current sense?

Who is the son of bitch that said there’s only two sides to every issue, and third party be damned!

Which founding father is responsible for this shit?

Should that be a theme, a running theme? Things named after founding fathers who turned out to be assholes?

Who thought putting guns in the Constitution was a good idea?

I bet they’re one and the same.

Our way or no way. Us or them. Till death do us part.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1413 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Grass Is Singing, Doris Lessing
Comics: Seven To Eternity 6-7, Black Science 30, Deadly Class 29
Music: Extras: A Collection Of Rarities, The Jam

the (apparently very scary) dogs of islam

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My daughter tells me her podiatrist, a nice Muslim convert, told her that the reason Muslims aren’t into dogs is because they feel like when the Messiah returns, they are concerned that if they have dogs in their house, their barking will scare off God or Jesus or the angels or whatever that have come to take them to heaven.

I mean, I can think of a number of immediately logical fallacies with that off the top of my head, not the least of which is why would an all-powerful being be scared of a dog bark, from a dog that it created, and its apparent all-encompassing love and kindness would somehow disappear in the face of such noise, instead of turning into the completely obvious snuggle attack a being of pure love for all things would engender.

Beliefs are weird, aren’t they?

And stupid. Also stupid.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1336 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Grass Is Singing, Doris Lessing
Comics: Black Science 29, Low 17-18, Deadly Class 28
Music: Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple (is she brilliant or what?)

fuckin’ poilievre

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I see he’s all up in arms because he’s worried about Mark Carney’s ethics screening.

Gee, guy who refuses to get his security clearance, are you sure that’s the fight you want to pick?

Christ, I had to get one for my one step above mail room government job. You’re the purported leader of the official opposition (though why the Conservatives let you keep that job after losing what should have been a slam dunk election AND your own riding, I’ll never know).

Shouldn’t Poilievre, with access to far more sensitive material and influence, have to follow that same path? I, for one, would think that anyone who is unwilling to get a security check has a) no basis to complain about what other people might be hiding and b) no place in our political system.

So how about this, Pierre? Carney conducts a transparent ethics review the same day you get your security clearance, and let’s just see how that shakes out, shall we?

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1232 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: A Study In Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle
Comics: Black Science 28, Low 16, Deadly Class 27, Seven To Eternity 5
Music: Exposure - The Best Of Gary Numan, Gary Numan

forty-eight plus one

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And we’re back in the office.

And the office is making it very difficult to get done all the things I need to get done.

I need to get the Mungk in more hands.

I need artists, letters, colourists, an editor for Romance and Western Cradle.

I’ve more or less resigned myself to including the poetry and short stories in with The Mungk (well, maybe not the poetry – once I have enough of those, I may just do a volume of it).

But The Mungk – it needs to be seen. Romance, it’s just a calling card of a comic to build fans, a free giveaway I can hope someone enjoys, and then recognizes the creators later when we put out other stuff.

Western Cradle though – I think it’s good. It may be kind of rape-heavy, which sucks, but if we do it right, draw it right, it could be very, very strong.

But for now. The Mungk.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1141 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: A Study In Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle
Comics: Deadly Class 25-26, Seven To Eternity 4, Black Science 27
Music: Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No Star, Sonic Youth (palate cleanser after Bette fucking Midler)

forty-eight

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My health fights my ambition.

My depression fights my motivation.

I’m not sure which is winning.

Happy goddamned birthday.

I’d like nothing more than to go back to being twelve, with the knowledge I have now, and do things the right fucking way.

Then again, would I have all this?

Or would I have opted for the easy way out that time?

Would I have followed Matt into heroin and other hard drugs?

Would I have done something even dumber than the things I already did?

It is hell to be at war, whether it’s with others or yourself.

The dichotomy must die.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1562 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Comics: Deadly Class 23-24, Seven To Eternity 3, Black Science 26
Music: Experience The Divine, Bette Midler (because I hate myself, apparently)

last day of forty-seven

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Tomorrow, I’ll be forty-eight years on this earth.

And given how my neck, shoulder and stomach feel today, I have lived all of them quite poorly.

At least, in all likelihood, I’m better than halfway through.

Closer to the end than the beginning, that’s for sure.

Target: 1300 words
Written: 1307 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Comics: Seven To Eternity 1-2, Deadly Class 22, Black Science 25
Music: Experience Expanded: Remixes & B-Sides, The Prodigy