B1 just said "A tornado is like the Earth's blender -- every time you see a tornado, it means Earth wants a smoothie. You always see tornadoes on hot days."
Love it!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Waterblogged
I talked with the super this morning, and it appears a drain on the floor above ours was clogged, blocked, or in some way not working, and my floor got leaky ceilings all over the place. They fixed it, and the leaking stopped. Just glad I had a few of those old plastic cat litter buckets around to catch the drips. Whew.
It's stopped, now, so now it's just a matter of drying rugs and towels and ShamWows! ; )
I'm going back to sleep; that leaky ceiling crap woke me up too early.
*Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
It's stopped, now, so now it's just a matter of drying rugs and towels and ShamWows! ; )
I'm going back to sleep; that leaky ceiling crap woke me up too early.
*Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
Water, Water, Everywhere
WTF? I woke up this morning to dripping -- apparently the storm caused leaks in our foyer -- got two buckets holding the water. There's also some unspecified leak in the kitchen I'm trying to find. Ack!
Gee, I wonder if Exene'll still want this apartment unit? Bahah! My bet is "No."
After tending to it, I called the building maintenance. The balcony of the (empty?) unit above ours must've gotten a leak, and we're getting it, now. D'oh! Well, at least it's in the foyer, versus, say, over the books or the computer.
That was some storm last night!
Gee, I wonder if Exene'll still want this apartment unit? Bahah! My bet is "No."
After tending to it, I called the building maintenance. The balcony of the (empty?) unit above ours must've gotten a leak, and we're getting it, now. D'oh! Well, at least it's in the foyer, versus, say, over the books or the computer.
That was some storm last night!
Honorable Mentioned
I was pleased to see both of my published short stories (ack, yeah, all two of them -- I'm sooo overdue for a fresh publishing credit) of the other year were among the honorable mentions for the "Best Horror of the Year" anthology put together by editor Ellen Datlow. Nice to see that, since Datlow's not an easy sell on fiction (I know, since she's rejected more than a handful of my stories over the years), and for both of my stories to get a polite tip of the cap made me smile for a moment.
I think the long fiction I'm working on this year (and will be working on next year) will make a much-larger impression on people than those short stories, assuming I can get a publisher to pick them up. Always the big IF in the mix.
Just listening to the rain right now, the thunder. I should go to bed.
I think the long fiction I'm working on this year (and will be working on next year) will make a much-larger impression on people than those short stories, assuming I can get a publisher to pick them up. Always the big IF in the mix.
Just listening to the rain right now, the thunder. I should go to bed.
Sleepy
I'm not actually sleepy. I'm a bit caffeine-jazzed from seeing "Inception" (had a giant Coke Zero). Anyway, I found it to be a disappointing movie. I'll review it at Pirouettiquette.
It's thunderstorming right now, although mostly just raining. Soothing sounds.
It's thunderstorming right now, although mostly just raining. Soothing sounds.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Inception
So, I'm going to catch "Inception" somewhere after work. Haven't decided, yet. Someplace downtown. It's crazy-hot here today, and is likely to be so tomorrow, too. Ack. So glad I live next to the lake. One thing I will say about living in Chicago -- hug the shore! Don't go west. Stay by the shore, where it's about 10 degrees cooler than it is in the rest of the city. When it's mid-90s, it matters! Lordy, yes. Fucking HOT today.
I'll review "Inception" elsewhere.
Hopefully Exene won't be around this weekend. Bleah. Can't wait until I never have to say that again. Yeah! From "Bleah" to "Yeah!" in so many words! Baha!
My life actually is going to be so much better on my own. It's incredible to realize that. Maybe lonelier in some way, shape, and form, but since writing's "the loneliest profession" (wasn't it Hemingway who said that?) I'm really ready for that, honestly. I'll make use of that time to write -- that's the best thing about writing: you're never really alone. Hahah! But seriously, part of what drives me with my writing is building a better future for my boys -- that matters so much to me. If I can get things going with my fiction, I'll have single-handedly safeguarded their futures, and that matters more to me than anything I've done in my life. I want to do right by them.
It was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with splitting with Exene not because of her, but because of the boys. First I thought they'd be demolished by that reality, and worried that I needed to be there for them, but then I realized that being Happy Daddy was vital for their long-term health as much as it was for me -- they needed to see their dad happy and free and creative and vital, to be a good model for them. And in so being, I'll be able to create a good life for them, give them a head start, despite being a single parent.
I'm going to do better by them than I ever could as Exene's hired hand, truly. It's so clear to me. I'm free to be fully me, and there is power in that, and they'll see that and take heart in that, despite the change in their lives this will bring. I'm at peace with that.
I'll review "Inception" elsewhere.
Hopefully Exene won't be around this weekend. Bleah. Can't wait until I never have to say that again. Yeah! From "Bleah" to "Yeah!" in so many words! Baha!
My life actually is going to be so much better on my own. It's incredible to realize that. Maybe lonelier in some way, shape, and form, but since writing's "the loneliest profession" (wasn't it Hemingway who said that?) I'm really ready for that, honestly. I'll make use of that time to write -- that's the best thing about writing: you're never really alone. Hahah! But seriously, part of what drives me with my writing is building a better future for my boys -- that matters so much to me. If I can get things going with my fiction, I'll have single-handedly safeguarded their futures, and that matters more to me than anything I've done in my life. I want to do right by them.
It was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with splitting with Exene not because of her, but because of the boys. First I thought they'd be demolished by that reality, and worried that I needed to be there for them, but then I realized that being Happy Daddy was vital for their long-term health as much as it was for me -- they needed to see their dad happy and free and creative and vital, to be a good model for them. And in so being, I'll be able to create a good life for them, give them a head start, despite being a single parent.
I'm going to do better by them than I ever could as Exene's hired hand, truly. It's so clear to me. I'm free to be fully me, and there is power in that, and they'll see that and take heart in that, despite the change in their lives this will bring. I'm at peace with that.
Shrimps On Prozac?
Weird study I just saw today on SALON, basically showing that shrimp exposed to the main chemical in Prozac are more vulnerable to dying, for whatever reason. Several things about this -- I've been wondering for years about the role antidepressants play in suicides and murder-suicides, but the prospect of the chemical poisoning the environment by the way of urban runoff is creepy as well. The tip of the hat to brain parasites manipulating serotonin levels in shrimp is, of course, intriguing, too, given my lingering fascination with parasites. Parasites are tricky mofos. I'm forever amazed that dinosaurs had tapeworms, and those frickin' tapeworms survived the extinction of dinosaurs and migrated to mammalian species (no doubt because early mammals scavenged dinosaur remains and picked up the tapeworms, which then adapted themselves to mammalian bodies). That's an impressive (and horrifying) evolutionary feat. Don't underestimate parasites! Seriously. They. Will. Fuck. You. Up.
I've also long followed endocrine disruptors in the environment, too, which seem to come from plastics, creating false estrogens which may increase risks of cancer (and may be responsible for declining fertility in populations). Creepy shit.
I've also long followed endocrine disruptors in the environment, too, which seem to come from plastics, creating false estrogens which may increase risks of cancer (and may be responsible for declining fertility in populations). Creepy shit.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
That's Right!
Onion ha-ha
This ONION article (below), and the accompanying picture, made me snicker...
Kid Ready to Start Playdating Again
Bahaha!
Kind of timely, too, since the new episode of "Louie" the other night had a gag about playdates (only hinted at in the trailer -- Louie and the gal at the end have a playdate with their respective kids).
This older ONION article is amusing, too (the picture is my favorite part)...
Sorta Attractive Girl Halfheartedly Hit On
Kid Ready to Start Playdating Again
"The playdating scene can be shallow, and you meet a lot of kids who won't think twice before lying to your face, but there's got to be that special someone out there somewhere," Gallagher said. "Look, I'm not going to say that it's not hard, because it is. But what am I supposed to do? Sit in the corner and cry all day?"
Added Gallagher, "Trust me, I've done that already."
Bahaha!
Kind of timely, too, since the new episode of "Louie" the other night had a gag about playdates (only hinted at in the trailer -- Louie and the gal at the end have a playdate with their respective kids).
This older ONION article is amusing, too (the picture is my favorite part)...
Sorta Attractive Girl Halfheartedly Hit On
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Black & Blue
You know what I want? A black Timex and some blue Sperry Top-Siders. The Timex below isn't the exact one I want, but it's close. I will get the exact one I want, once I'm able to find it. The Top-Siders should be far easier to find. I want'em, and I'm gonna get'em.
I haven't worn any Top-Siders since high school, but I always liked'em. And the blue ones are awesome. I'm totally getting'em.
I haven't worn any Top-Siders since high school, but I always liked'em. And the blue ones are awesome. I'm totally getting'em.
Immutable Laws
I don't generally like the New Pornographers much, aside from this tune (below) and "Twin Cinema." But this video always amuses me -- crafted after an art film, I'm amused because several of the characters in it remind me of people I've known in my life...
The New Pornographers, "The Laws Have Changed"
Guy on Pedestal (particularly after he Mods up) = former coworker
Vixen Temptress = former classmate
Keyboardist = former coworker
Lead Singer Chick = former coworker
Guitarist = former coworker
Whey-faced Bartender = former coworker
Dancing Guy with Shades = former coworker
It just amuses me, how many people this video reminds me of, all in one place. I don't know of any other video that has so many!
The New Pornographers, "The Laws Have Changed"
Guy on Pedestal (particularly after he Mods up) = former coworker
Vixen Temptress = former classmate
Keyboardist = former coworker
Lead Singer Chick = former coworker
Guitarist = former coworker
Whey-faced Bartender = former coworker
Dancing Guy with Shades = former coworker
It just amuses me, how many people this video reminds me of, all in one place. I don't know of any other video that has so many!
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