Journal 2006
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December 15, 2006
For nearly a year, I've been back in the steady routine of submitting short stories to various magazines. As soon as they come back, I send them off again. Most of them are still searching for a home, but my flash fiction piece "Autumn Harvest" was evidently published at AnotherRealm.com in September. Looking over my submission tracking spreadsheet, I was preparing a query letter, and checking their response time on their website … and there was my story. So hey, it's been awhile.
December 10, 2006
The word "responsibility" too often seems to be a declaration of immunity for people in power. Indeed, the higher a person's title in an organization, company or government, the more they seem able to get away with by claiming responsibility. But responsibility is not the same as accountability. Only a coward claims responsibility for human rights violations thirty years later on his deathbed. Let us not forgive these. Let us not forget.
November 24, 2006
All food was a success. And no Thanksgiving would be complete without a viewing of The Reanimator. We managed to gather at least three obviously uncultured people in the same room who had not seen this classic film.
November 21, 2006
Wendy will undertake a cooking challenge with a TurDuckEn-like recipe. Only this dish will involve other fowl, namely chicken, squab and quail. I will make my staple mashed potatoes and attempt a first pecan pie. We're hosting for a few of our wayward friends who'll also not be seeing family for this food holiday.
November 13, 2006
A photo of mine appears in today's New York Times, accompanying the article "Community Investing: Putting Your Money Where Your Heart Lies." (Not in the online version, apparently.) The photo shows people carrying ther canoe from the water at the landing of the Intertribal Canoe Journeys. The annual event brings together tribes and First Nations from Washington to Alaska, and from all along the BC coast. A different tribe hosts the landing and celebration each year. Here are more photos by others.
November 10, 2006
So long, Jack Williamson. Thanks for everything. Be seeing you.
November 9, 2006
Possibly some more balance installed in the government machine now. It remains to be seen how much damage can be undone.
October 29, 2006
Another needless insane idea signed into law. I thought the administration was trying to protect us from the evil outsiders who threatened our way of life, but apparently they want to control the entire population of our citizens as well. The pace at which this administration is destroying our freedom is so ridiculous that the only solace I have is my theory akin to the twelve monkeys and twelve typewriters. Maybe, just maybe, at this reckless pace, they will inadvertently write a law that kicks themselves all out of office early.
October 28, 2006
Received the kindest, most graceful, precious rejection note today. So bittersweet.
October 25, 2006
Writers use six words to tell a story. I'm not sure why William Shatner is considered a writer, but there are some great pieces in this article. Now I'll give it a shot.
Presidential address, Bush's face peels, revealing…
Aliens arrive, small article page A13.
Odd… bed, pillow moving… alive—hungry!
Montana fossil unearthed, unicorn carried Blackberry.
Sci-fi writer can't publish, invents religion.
Gort museum statue awakens, we're stubborn.
October 19, 2006
Habeas Corpus is dead. Again. Shame on them. Shame on us, who elected them.
October 16, 2006
Disabled all "hotlinking" on my web site. A hidden code page on the server prevents other web sites from referencing image files on my site. I'm no longer paying for the bandwidth of twenty different Myspace profiles and other sundry web pages that sucked a picture from my content every time their page loaded.
October 12, 2006
Giving one of my freelance design clients final notice. Four months since I sent his first invoice. And that was a month or two late on my part. I could see it in his eyes.
October 10, 2006
Attended the HP Lovecraft Film Festival at the Hollywood theater down the street. Must have been the 11th annual by now. This year I decided to purchase a weekend pass, attend more shorts and panel discussions. 'Twas fun, and perhaps renewed a longing in me to be more active at conferences with peoples of common interests. My last conference adventure was the Horror Writers Conference in Eugene, OR a full ten years ago, and I admit I've been distracted and afraid to stain that experience… Clive Barker, Tim Powers, Charles De Lint, and a small, personable atmosphere. I say perhaps, because I've found it amusing that the HPL Film Festival exists, and by its nature, discludes an emphasis on the literary origin of the source material. I've suggested to the organizer each year, but never been inclined myself to spearhead some kind of writing event. This year's schedule featured the first reading group, and Ramsey Cambell was an honored guest. All in all, including the big screen viewings of From Beyond and X: The Man with X-ray Eyes, it was mostly fun, and maybe it will get more depth next year.
September 15, 2006
Investigating a refinance of the house. Hoping to keep the dog, and stay in a decent neighborhood close to town. Wendy answered a craigslist ad, and it seems actually will star in a small independent Bergman-ish film.
August 25, 2006
The Troitsky Church in St. Petersberg is on fire 2pm PST. …And 9 hours later, still no mention on CNN news. Instead the top stories highlight alleged dynamite found in a student's airplane flight luggage, the to-the-minute movements of the Jon Benet murder suspect, and speculation that the fifth Atlantic storm of the season might reach hurricane level.
August 22 , 2006
Happy birthday, Ray Bradbury. I was despaired to hear that the ComiCon panel in San Diego with yourself, Ray Harryhausen and Forry Ackerman lost audience to the simultaneous panel for the Beerfest movie (no, they don't get a link, because it's not fucking worth it). Ray, you are a living legend. Keep telling stories and sharing dreams. We should only be so lucky to have your voice.
August 20 , 2006
Happy birthday, HPL.
July 6, 2006
Sometimes I become sad. Then the world seems a better place when I find something like Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan ("The Museum of Fantastic Specimens").
June 19, 2006
My spring league ultimate team, Logan (sapphire blue jerseys) made it into the A-pool for the final tournament, then we lost two games and sat back for some beers, and then an extra game against also ousted pink team. I haven't played the disc since last year, and league was just beginning to make me feel in shape again.
June 10, 2006
Free bumper sticker ideas… "Only assholes invade other countries", "Football is dumb", "I sat in meetings all day", "Meds still aren't free", "Urban sprawl sucks", "Liars piss off", "We stole this land", "Oil = blood", "Don't make me destroy you", "My world is better"
June 14, 2006
Huzzah, friends came to visit. I took a few days off, and the sun came out. We ate some good food, walked around and accomplished absolutely nothing productive. Awesome.
May 27, 2006
Food poisoning, my old nemesis, you've returned for the second time this year. Please, leave my gut in peace.
May 25, 2006
Weeee! It's our 1-year first-date-iversary!
May 23, 2006
All the fam came to town, and we jaunted through wine country to a rented house on the coast. The heads of sea lions appeared not far offshore and looked at me and barked. I am plotting to buy a wet suit so I can get into those waves.
April 24, 2006
Wordstock was held this weekend in Portland. Best $3 I've spent in a long time. While I didn't attend a workshop, or rent a table to hawk my wares, I enjoyed the presence of many small publishers, writers, and organizations. Listened to readings by Joyce Carol Oates, Dave Eggers, and Christopher Moore.
April 1 , 2006
The past five years have been a global dream. Writers of the Dallas TV show were hired by the gods to make us all think that the United States was not screwing up other cultures and the planet. Oh, wait, double-clever plot twist — April Fool!
March 22 , 2006
In response to South Dakota's crude hijacking of women's rights with the passing of HB 1215, Cecilia Fire Thunder, President of the Oglala Sioux tribe in South Dakota, writes, "I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction." Read more here. To make donations or show your support mail to: Oglala Sioux Tribe, ATTN: President Fire Thunder, P.O. Box 2070, Pine Ridge, SD 57770.
March 16, 2006
I've been sampling some European herbal digestifs, aperatifs, and bitters. You may have heard of Jägermeister, or Chartreuse. Try the latter if you're of the opinion that the former tastes like cough syrup. Apotheke is one place in Portland that serves more than a few of these drinks.
March 6, 2006
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse. South Dakota regresses women's rights by thirty-three years. The next state to follow such stupidity is hereby seceded from the Union and automatically signed up for Bush's scientifically relevant and highly realistic space exploration plan of colonizing planet Uranus. Pack your bags, you leave in nine months.
February 31, 2006
I am lurking in the between.
February 13, 2006
So we went from watching Millennium to The Young Ones and The Muppet Movie. Upon mentioning the Muppet Movie, two people have responded to me, "The first time I saw Kermit riding a bicycle, it blew my mind. I mean… his legs… they were moving. Blew my mind, I say." Also, I wish I had the power to magically summon up Motorhead into my living room.
January 31, 2006
I loved the Millennium television
series during its original airing in 1996–98. Yes, I admit it, I loved it more
so than I did X-Files. Then I whined and pined for many years that the series
was not available on DVD, until finally in 2004. Little time passed before I
owned the first season. More recently I found a used set of the second season,
which we devoured in one week's time. Then I returned to the scene of the crime
and nabbed the third season, which it seems I saw very little of during its original
run. Besides TV, I've renewed my membership to the climbing gym, we've had 40
days of rain, and I'm reading a book about parasites which may drive
me to becoming vegan.
January 20, 2006
The plan to get away to the Oregon coast for a few days, disconnect
from the Day Job and all other responsibilities, to read and write and do a
little art, was a half-success. Wendy and I managed to get there, and
rather enjoyed the cozy yurt,
but were blind sided by food poisoning on the second day. So we spent
the rest of the vacation recovering from said toxic shock, managing to
accomplish
some
reading,
lots of sleep, and many trips to the bathroom. Luckily I was mostly recovered
from nausea and able to keep some food and water in my system by the time I
encountered, in my reading of Eighteenth Annual Best Fantasy and Horror,
the Chuck Palahniuk story "Guts."
January 2, 2006
Ahhh, a Monday holiday. Makes me feel like a banker. On some
similar note, I've been craving an old green accountant's lamp for
my desk. The current Ikea piece once reminded me of a dinosaur or
a helicopter, but now it simply takes up too much space, the feet keep
falling off, and I grow weary of the hipster red color. Additionally,
I do not
doubt that at night it creeps outside and harasses the neighbors cats.
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