Category: personal

the never ending story

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I do not understand what is happening with this book. I usually read for about an hour or so a day, which moves me usually about fifty to a hundred pages, depending on the depth of the text, font size, readability, how much dialogue the writer is prone to use, etc.

But this book, The Never-Ending Present, is weirdly entirely out of character. I read for an hour, to move maybe four to five percent on the Kindle. It shouldn’t take more than a week max; it’s now been five days and I’m only barely a quarter of the way through.

Not that I care that much, because it’s about the journey and not the target, but I’m definitely not hitting that reading target I set at the beginning of the year. A stretch goal for me was ninety books; I think of the minimum as a book a week. Basically, four to seven days on average per novel.

I may have to amend that if I’m going to read like this from now on.

Still, I’m enjoying it; anything Gord Downie is my spirit animal.

I just don’t understand why the slow pace, despite the effort.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 2345 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Never-Ending Present, Michael Barclay
Comics: Youngblood v5 76-78, Bloodstrike v2 1
Music: When Under Ether, PJ Harvey

happy birthday, brother

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Thanks for inviting us.

Oh wait, you didn’t.

Still, it’s cool. I guess.

Enjoy being an old man. The rest of us are only getting younger.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 1457 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Never-Ending Present, Michael Barclay
Comics: Bloodstrike 29-30, Youngblood v5 73-74
Music: When In Rome, When In Rome (how did this get in my playlist?)

happy birthday, father

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Usually, we do this somewhere southern, but hey, Texas is fucking out.

Hopefully, the best birthday gift will come today, in Trump’s sudden downfall.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 1117 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Never-Ending Present, Michael Barclay
Comics: Bloodstrike 27-28, Youngblood v5 71-72
Music: When I Was Born For The 7th Time, Cornershop (featuring one of the catchiest tunes in 90s alternative history, but also, one of the catchiest tunes that carries on WAY TOO FUCKING LONG)

remember, remembrance

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I’ll be honest. I grew up on tales of World War II. My grandfather was in the army, although he didn’t talk about it a ton.

He did tell me a story I turned into a book for a project in public school; years later, I’d find it and discover he’d related the Great Escape. He was proud of his deployment though; I believe he was a medic. He still had his uniform folded and pressed in the attic, along with a number of commendations, letters from my grandmother and pictures of him in gear.

I should probably look into that.

Anyway, thanks, Grandad, for either punching Nazis or healing the ones that did, whichever it was.

I’m sorry we’ve let them come back into power. I am ashamed for us.

We will do better, I promise.

At least, I will. I can’t make any promises for these other assholes.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 2203 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Comics: Youngblood Imperial 1, Youngblood v4 1-3
Music: Wheatus, Wheatus (fuck, earworm - it's going to get me days to get rid of Teenage Dirtbag)

a particularly difficult scene

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I don’t like guns. They’re everywhere in movies, television and books, but they have never been a part of my life.

I’ve never fired one. Never even held one.

I haven’t been around one when it went off.

So, it’s hard for me to write about what the effects of such a thing are, how one reacts and all that, when one actually does. Unfortunately, it’s a crucial addition to this book. A late addition, but to really capture the zeitgeist of what it means to be a MAGA archetype, well, you need guns.

Second Amendment bollocks, really.

How fucking dumb are you people? You know if you get rid of the guns, then no one can get shot, right?

Of course, unless you’re an asshole who wants to shoot somebody, which I believe you all are, whether you admit it outwardly or not.

Fuckin’ stupid, man.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 2713 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts, Susan Cain
Comics: Spider-Man/Badrock 2, Chapel v3 1, Judgment Day: Alpha 1, Judgment Day: Omega 1
Music: What Else Could You Want?, Bullet Treatment (well, if that don't beat all)

big changes, slipped hood

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At least, that’s what this scene is screaming at me.

Why is everyone so calm, including the protagonist?

There are bad things happening, terrifying, awful, annoying, dangerous things.

You have my permission to freak out.

I am.

(Also, yay to Democrat gains in the elections; now, we pray there are enough of us to overcome the rigging, or that he doesn’t suspend elections altogether.)

Target: 1400 words
Written: 1340 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts, Susan Cain (it's me!)
Comics: Shattered Image 3-4, Youngblood v2 14, Spider-Man/Badrock 1
Music: Western Stars, Bruce Springsteen

remember

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Now, more than ever.

Remember.

When the masks come off, it will be the face of the hopeful that shine, and the face of the condemned that bleed with fear.

Remember.

Target: 1400 words
Written: 1623 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts, Susan Cain
Comics: Shattered Image 1-2, X-Force/Youngblood 1, Extremely Youngblood 1
Music: A Western Harvest Field By Moonlight, Beck

slammed into first

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Hit the ground running this morning. You ever get the feeling, you’re running on the edge of a bridge as it collapses behind you, like in some twisted video game or action movie?

As Nazis blow things up down south and Carney proves to be the globalist traitor I worried he might be (still better than Poilievre), I can’t help but wonder just how close to the precipice we are.

If we slow down, if we stop running… are we dooming ourselves to abyss?

Or is time to turn and fight?

Target: 1400 words
Written: 1453 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts, Susan Cain
Comics: Team Youngblood 22, Youngblood v2 8, Prophet & Chapel 1-2
Music: Werewolves And Lollipos, Patton Oswalt

sunday, sunday

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Bah bah, bah, bahbahbah bah.

Also, I’m a little hungover. Going to a movie premiere, then rushing to a bar to catch the last two-thirds of the World Series, only to have it go extra innings, and be stressful to the point of multiple Guinnesses (Guinnessi?), well, that’s too late a night for me.

The movie was better than expected; a local production filmed two blocks from us at an abandoned prison from the old days (built by William Lyon Mackenzie King). We walked past the filming every day, saw the crew and the actors and actresses hanging out, scared the shit out of my wife given that she’s got a monster phobia of jails (and snakes and heights).

My cousin’s daughter worked as a PA on set too, so more ties yet. We had to go.

It was cool to see the various things we’d glimpsed translated onto the screen – the weird partial fence they put up for an outside shot, the girl leaving the jail by a side door after “killing” the Jason-like monster, Jeffrey. The old Bronco and convertible they came and left in (which had a fake severed head on the hood).

Fun times, unique kills, but maybe dragged out a little too long. A touch more editing time might help it get that really tight feeling.

Kill, or be killed – the rule of editing.

Only what’s necessary; and no more. Something I’ve been working on for months.

(It’s called Fresh Meat, if you’re interested, coming to a film festival near you, maybe?)

Target: 1400 words
Written: 826 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts, Susan Cain
Comics: Bloodpool Special 1, Team Youngblood 21, Chapel v2 7, Youngblood v2 7
Music: We're Outta Here, The Ramones