Whitechapel - Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

warrenellis — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:24:46 -0700

Saturday Night Open Mic: for those newcomers who don't know the drill, Saturday Night Open Mic is when I, in my role as Doomed Messiah Of The Interwub, create a space for you to vent at the world. Saturday Night Open Mic is for getting things off your chest, reporting on your place in the world, talking about The Futur3, dancing like a nerve-damage case, explaining how DUNK! or dr0nk you are, and confessing how your Wrong Love for me has ruined you for other humans and livestock.

That last bit is, of course, a lie.

Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week. Tell me your plans. Tell me something filthy, strange and wonderful. Tell me where you are. Tell me who and what you want to be. Tell me what you want to make. Tell me what's next.

Pictures of your face are good, for I am senile and don't always remember all 3385 of you. Let the people see you. Otherwise, how will they know what to masturbate over tonight?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

TechnocratJT — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:32:26 -0700

This is now my one week point on my plan to shed about 40 or so pounds by the end of the year. The latest breathing shit spooked the hell out of me, this extra weight has to go.

So in one week I have gone from sloth to 45 minuets of exercise each morning, actually eating breakfast and cutting out a good amount of crap from my diet. Thankfully some friends are being quite the support staff - including the lovely and brilliant Spiraltwist who I have forced into being my fitness guru against her will.

My energy is already up and my stress is already down. This is a good start. Oh and I am drinking a gallon of water a day (ok maybe not that much), which means I may as well live in the damn bathroom.

Of course my body thinks I am readying myslef for some sort of natural disaster...

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Chris M Ferguson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:32:33 -0700

Still working on my comic. New art came in, flats are being done.

I'm in San Diego and the heat is numbing, I'm feeling light-headed, and all the beaches are down because a retired veterinarian was killed by a shark. The irony is painfully funny. But I don't like beaches anyway.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

rfrancis — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:34:28 -0700

I think maybe I'm hypothyroid. In addition to being diabetic.

If that doesn't sound like it should be pissing me off, you aren't imagining the Great Doctor Quest I've suffered through, seriously.

Honestly, when the Internet becomes a more useful medical tool than having a family physician, I worry. I really do.

Hopefully the next one'll surprise me.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

sizemore — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:39:26 -0700

Hey Warren,

I had my face pushed into a wall by Stormtroopers today. That was annoying*.

I saw Iron Man on Wednesday which means I saw it before Gwyneth Paltrow. This is kinda arousing.

I'm in London as usual. Thinking of a getaway.

I wanna be better at what I do. I may have to just pay people to be more rubbish.

My girlfriend is in Sheffield tonight so I guess I want to make some kind of cat-powered sex aid. We have three cats. About time they made themselves useful.

What's next is going to be interesting. This has been a bloody good year so far. Probably because I don't allow myself to get as distracted by things like Whitechapel.

*These are the bastard Stormtroopers: http://www.sizemore.co.uk/2008/04/27/why-do-i-have-to-be-mr-pink/ I don't even like fucking Star Wars.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Eric Trautmann — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:41:38 -0700

Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week.

Trying to figure out how the month-to-month numbers on Checkmate continue to drop like a stone, yet reviews continue to improve. Trying to figure out why Diamond is "sold out" on Checkmate #25. Trying to figure out why I think that phenomenon is BAD, not good.

Trying to make my head stop from fucking POUNDING.

-E

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Will Ellwood — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:41:59 -0700

I'm writing the report for my final year project. It's for a roguelike computer game I've been developing. It's got to be in on Wednesday. The program is in an interesting state. The document explaining my thoughts and actions is progressing nicely.

At some point I should learn to stop taking on batsheep crazy projects on for academic credit. My failure is always spectacular and not very noble.
On the other hand if I did learn that lesson life would be no fun.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

TechnocratJT — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:45:00 -0700

@Eric

Well as we talked about...

What you and Rucka insisted on writing was a sharp spy book that happened to have superheroes in it. What people wanted was Jimmy Olson punching Darkseid.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Ted — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:47:04 -0700

This is me. Just me.

This week internets bother me. Specifically, bad comments, a la Newsarama and other news sites. Even plenty of comments on The Times Online. I want scientists to find a way for me to email Herpes to these bastards.

The other thing that really pissed me off is musical theatre. Somehow I was dragged to see South Pacific with the family in Bristol, and loathed every minute. However, I was fascinated by a family 2 rows in front who were all too wide for their seats, and had no apparent neck. Any of them.

Plans: tomorrow, I'm going to write the bulk of the short story that I have floating around. Hopefully there will be sequels. Hopefully I will have several written by Bristol Con; it's a handy deadline as much as anything.

So, back to the future.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Elana — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:47:40 -0700

The Toronto transit system workers went on strike at midnight last night. Midnight, on a Friday night, all the buses and subways stopped working. At midnight last night, I was partying downtown. I had gotten there by subway. They gave less than an hour's notice. I received word of the strike approximately half an hour after everything had shut down.

I hitched a ride to work at the comic book shop this morning, in my party dress and platform espadrille shoes. On my feet: my blisters have blisters. I just got home and pierced one of them, and it squirted all over my pants. These blisters add another inch of height to me - if I could stand upright, which I can't. I hobble.

The transit workers claim that they didn't want to give notice about the strike because they were afraid of harassment from passengers in the period between the announcement and the strike.

I, and the entire city of Toronto, greedily look forward to their return to work.

I was a model passenger, taking my cues from Japanese transit etiquette. I always moved to the back of a crowded bus, sat quietly, knees together, took up minimal space, put my backpack on the floor instead of wearing it, was polite, thanked all bus drivers and streetcar operators when disembarking, I even mute my cell phone when I'm riding transit. But now I'm planning the magnificent feats of vandalism that I will enact when I regain access to their facilities.

Congratulations TTC, your strike has earned you the hatred of an entire city. You have turned everyone against you. You will learn whole new forms of passenger belligerence.

This is me at work with my angry face on. I took this photo with my phone, with Open Mic night in mind. ^_^ Customer behaviour was markedly different when I was in this outfit.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

happymrlocust — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:48:00 -0700

I saw a strange man with plastic torture implements and a light on a stick who told me I could levitate my ocular faculties, so I'm picking up a pair of swanky glasses this week. I had a brief thought if that was a form of "futuristic" augmentation but abandoned it because it sounded a bit silly. Can't sniff at free anti-glare coating though.

It's Saturday night, which means normal people with real jobs are in the pub, but I'm sat in a make-shift office fixing address labels to small packets of stickers and buttons. It's... one way to earn a living, but I feel there could be more. Possibly in the form of keyrings.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

El3mo — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:48:21 -0700

Instead of Escaping from Los Angeles, 2 year Exit Plan and all that, let's say we just burn it to the ground?

I've got 5 gallons of gas, access to an old VW engine and some flares. Anyone got a light?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

trini_naenae — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:51:42 -0700

I haven't taken any new pictures of myself and I still don't like many of my recent self portraits, so here's an old picture of me taken by someone else.

I was going to have an art show this Thursday, but my contact at the tea house I was going to be showing at got into an accident and the owner doesn't want to deal with me. I was really pissed off at first, and I'm still a little annoyed that I lost money in ordering invites. But right now I'm mostly relieved, because I won't be finishing a semester, getting ready for a month long trip, and having a show all at the same time. And matting and framing of all the drawings and prints was going to be frigging expensive.

I'm at the point where I have no clue what the future really holds. All I can manage is to attempt to plan for a year and try to keep going. I hope I have a better idea after Italy. I still have to make a bunch of phone calls. I hate phone calls.

Meh.
Edit: I probably should add that I had a couple emotional breakdowns between this and last week, and I've been a bit of a mess. I think I'm starting to get what's causing it and what's freaking me out, but it's still very scary and very frustrating. I hope this ends sooner than later.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:54:21 -0700

You are the only farm animal for me.

Break ends. I work now.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

orwellseyes — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:54:27 -0700

I think I'm developing agoraphobia. Well, either that or everyone has gone fucking crazy.

In the past 2 and 1/2 years I've worked mainly evenings and weekends. I'd come in at 1 leave around 9 (ok, 10) so most of my human contact was outside those hours. I volunteered to cover weekend time for people with kids and old dying relatives to visit. My girlfriend is in grad school so her schedule and mine were similar, most of my friends are night owl deviant perverts so that was covered too.

Being free in the middle of the weekday is so very nice. Post office is a snap, banks are deserted. Shopping for food or clothes or household goods and you rarely hit a line, even in the big old city.

Now, thanks to promotion, I'm 9-5. More of a face and name to the company so I have to be around more when clients come in to ask idiotic...*ahem*...probing questions.

It seems that humanity, in my absence, has gone batshit.

Today for instance.

-A woman screaming obscenities at a cashier over a hand towel. A 2.50 hand towel. "I DID NOT PAY FOR THIS YOU DUMB PUERTO RICAN CUNT!" sceamed the shouty white woman. At that the manager called security who had to drag her from the store. People pulled out camera phones to film it.

-The bicyclist who juked around a car and dinged a sideview mirror of a BMW. The Beamer driver took off after the guy, boxed him in at the corner and got out with murder in his eyes. Full on fistfight in the street at Damen Irving Park, not a "bad" neighborhood by any measure.

-People in stores in general. Everyone on a cell phone. I felt weird not yammering away into one. People grabbing, shouting, cutting in front of each other. Just this profound sense that they were better than all these other sorry assholes buying bedding and sheets. And the shit people buy...

-The children. Do people have kids now just to open up a new avenue of consumer products to purchase? I think so. There's just such greed so early. Kids clutching for useless stupid plastic nonsense.

I know that this is nothing new. Kids in ancient Rome were petulant and spoiled and violence in Medieval Europe was far more a matter of course than the occasional slap fight between motorist and cyclist. But right here, where I am, it just looks ugly.

I went by this industrial area by my house just around sunset. It's alot of old factories, many of them being turned into huge loft homes and office spaces. It's a nice place to walk around, bring a book, find a quiet spot. I realized I like it more and more because it's just a quiet place in the city. Nature is creeping in, sidewalks are cracking with grass and wild plants, the streets and alleys there are getting spotty. I like it because unlike the parks, which are more about sports and activities every passing year to keep them "relevant", this is a place with relatively few people.

I never thought I'd become one of those guys who wants to move to the country, live away from the crowds. But I think every year I get closer to that.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Katie 80 — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:55:10 -0700

On Thursday I saw a girl who I was best friends with between the ages of 12 and 16 for the first time since our High School reunion in 2006. We'd drifted apart when we started hanging out with different crowds back in the day, but spending time with her on Thursday night reminded me of why we were so close in the first place. She's the same open, compassionate person she was when we were in Middle School and High School, but I'd never noticed how fearless she is. She told me that, once she's done performing in Hairspray (which she gets paid to do), she's going backpacking across India for three months by herself.

Talking to her made me realize just how many things I don't do because I'm afraid to. Hell, I'm even afraid to be myself most of the time. I'm not even sure why -- I think it's just the default behavior I learned from my mother (not that my actions are her fault, cuz they're not). All I know is that it doesn't make me happy, and seeing her again reminded me that it's possible to be fearless.

On an unrelated note, I'm also pissed off because I found out that my roommate's girlfriend is lying to him about seeing other guys (they're in an open relationship, but he has no idea that she's seeing anyone else because she's purposefully hidden that fact from him). I'm really not looking forward to talking to her about it because I dislike confrontation and I'm already stressed out from finals. Also, I'm really, really mad at her for treating my roommate this way and I'm not sure how to handle the situation in a calm and rational fashion.

So that's the skinny. Thank you for hosting these open mic nights, Mr. Ellis :)

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

zarhooie — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:56:04 -0700

I haven't posted a full-body shot in a while. It feels awkward not posting a headshot, so I suppose you get one of those also:

getting things off your chest: This one is strangely appropriate this week. I had a big blow-up at my mom because she won't let me get a properly-sized bra for my 38G breasts (Yes, you read that right). She told me to get a breast reduction instead because it would, and I quote, "cost less". Fuck you, mom.
reporting on your place in the world: the weather here in SD is so fucked up. Three days ago, it was 70 and gorgeous. Two days ago, it was raining in sheets and thundering like Thor was pitching a fit. Yesterday, we had rain, then freezing rain, then sleet, then snow. We got about, oh, 4 inches or so? Up north and to the west, they got upwards of 14 inches. Today? 44 and sunny and windy as all fuck. The weather has multiple personality disorder with a side of ADD, I think.
talking about The Futur3: My immediate future contains too much math and chemistry homework and not nearly enough drugs or alcohol.
dancing like a nerve-damage case: *boogies*
explaining how DUNK! or dr0nk you are: No alcohol, as mentioned previously.
confessing how your Wrong Love for me has ruined you for other humans and livestock: This one hasn't happened yet.
Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week: My mother, the weather and my stupid, stupid self.
Tell me your plans: Working my ass off for the next few weeks so that I can get my GPA up to a semi-decent level, then working my ass off for a good chunk of the summer so that I can start classes in my major in the fall.
Tell me something filthy: Someone approached me last week about doing some doing some pornography.
strange: I turned them down.
and wonderful: My huurs are getting long.
Tell me where you are: Physically, I am in an interesting place. South Dakota sucks, but I'm dropping weight so my body is getting better. Mentally, I am in a wonderful place. I am motivated and prepared and achieving my goals.
Tell me who and what you want to be: I want to be someone who does good in this world. I want to be a nurse.
Tell me what you want to make: I want to knit my dad a scarf and my mom a shawl, but instead I am going to make decent grades this semester.
Tell me what's next: I can't. My future-machine is broken.

This week was pretty damn good when I don't think about the weather. I faced one of my biggest fears and stomped it into the ground. I am pushing hard to finish this semester off strong, and I am succeeding. I am finally realizing that I'm beautiful.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

mybrainhurts — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:03:24 -0700

I've spent today rewatching Cross of Iron and LA Confidential and desperately avoiding writing an essay I've got in for Friday. I should be okay though. LA Confidential astonishes me every time and Cross of Iron has one of my favourite endings of all time. I've got to write about 5-6000 words and I've written far more in less time. After that I plan to get astonishingly drunk and actually write something I want to write.

My final student loan installment ever comes in on Monday which I will be blowing on rent, novels, comic books and seven inches. If anyone wants to suggest an awesome book/comic that I should look into purchasing then I'm open to suggestions in all genres, the more obscure the better. I like everything from Cormac McCarthy to Aaron Cometbus to James Ellroy to Scott Lynch.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

waniyetuwi — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:04:05 -0700

I sang Big Poppa in a sequined coat with a cigar.
(I love it when you call me Big Pop-pa)
Throw your hands in the air, if youse a true player
(I love it when you call me Big Pop-pa)
To the honies gettin money playin niggaz like dummies
(I love it when you call me Big Pop-pa)
If you got a gun up in your waist please don't shoot up the place
Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin my baby
Bay-bee

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

halexander — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:06:09 -0700

This week I built a server with things sitting around and zotted my last windows machine into a windows server so that I could make a failover system out of some open source software. Mind you, this was for school credit, because otherwise I would have been spending all that time with my girlfriend.

Today, I had a medication mishap and controlled release was not so controlled -- leaving me higher than a kite and reminding me that not all of doing drugs when I was younger was fun.

The kid comes back tomorrow and I am glad. As much as I like the break other people don't always bow to my childrearing whims. Any mother-in-law advice? I am not looking forward to the 'I just got home from grandma's psychosis'.

Last week of classes is this week and I haven't done shit-all of work since midterms. Nothing too unusual there.

My girlfriend is cool, but she hates Leonard Cohen and I am not sure I can forgive her this.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Bentley Chism — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:07:29 -0700

Well, today I start my thirtieth year of life. Something about the start of another decade of life has me looking back at the previous ones. I don't seem to recall very much of importance, just the high points really, mostly a few good times and a few bad times. I can break things down into ten year cycles, at least after I turned ten. From ten to twenty was mostly a hell of a lot of school, mixed in with some fun and a lot of frustration. The past ten years dropped the school out of the equation and a hell of a lot of the fun too, frustration on the other hand remained. At least most of the frustration of the past ten years all ties back into my heart condition and the limitations placed upon me since it developed. On the upside, I deal with matters one hell of a lot better than I did prior to it. Hard to sweat a hell of a lot of small stuff after coming about three hours from utter heart failure or a transplant. Today is probably the one day things have really started annoying me, since I'm examining where I thought I'd be at this point in my life. Let me tell you, it wasn't here. Then again, I think most people are in the same situation at least in regards to where they thought they'd be in X years. It's not a bad thing, but then again it's not terribly great either. All in all though, I can only think of one thing I really wish I had changed, and that's just a school choice rather than anything else. I honestly wouldn't change having my heart almost crapping out on me, it gave me a damn good perspective and made me a hell of a lot more well adjusted in general. Now, as far as where the hell I go from here...well, that's an answer I'd love myself. I have a number of ideas, I simply have to find out what's actually going to work for me. Besides, I'll have a long time to work it out. As I say to many of my friends: "I'm immortal. I've been right so far". So until I'm proven wrong, I'll be about!

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

NeverWanderer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:09:19 -0700

I'm in a rare mood today.

The past week has seen a marked improvement in the state of things over the month or so before it.

Believe it or not, even when I got all smiley and posted this...

Life was wearing me out. Work was stealing more of my creative time than usual and my pathological need to please everyone had my emotions being tugged in more directions than ever before. (but through it all, my wife supported me and I love her dearly)

The new hat was the silver lining in all of that, so rather than wallow in my own shit, I decided to go outside and be sunny, and that's what I posted about.

Still... things were sucking.

Not so much now.

Work has calmed down after a stressful-yet ultimately beneficial talk with my boss, and suddenly I find myself able both do my work at work, do my work at home, AND take five or six minutes to relax in between.

Plus, on Tuesday, the anthology I'm editing got a BIG vote of support from the person whose message board spawned the idea for the anthology in the first place. He's going to write a forward for us, which, when you say it outloud, doesn't seem like a huge thing... but it's huge to me... it's huge to everyone working on this thing, because that person's involvement not only helps stack the odds in our favor when the book is published, it also makes the project complete. It really does. The whole thing is an effort of the community, and to not have his involvement would have left a big gaping hole in the heart of the project. And now that hole is filled. Someone call the tabloids.

So, yeah... that development rocked pretty frickin hard... but it did not prepare me for the news I was to receive today.

A short comic that I wrote... the FIRST comic project I have EVER seen completed... just got accepted into the anthology it was created for. I'm going to be a published comic writer. Holy shit. My collaborators and I are in our happy places.

In fact...

...this is my happy face.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Vespers — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:12:31 -0700

@El3mo
Always, dude.

As for me, well. Sitting at home watching the rain and listening to whatever my library tells me I want to listen to. This seems to be a lot of screaming, raging metal.

Some absolute bastard was making a pretty girl I know sad this week. If she didn't care about him so much I might have been even more tempted to push him off his apartment balcony. He's a chronic depressive and everyone knows about it; I'd totally get away with it. She finally told him to fuck off (in much nicer terms, sadly.) If he tries anything from now on, balcony-pushing is still an option.

Immediate plans are to finish this fucking wall drawing I've been working on for months, today. Longer term, I'd quite like to actually pass this year this time around, lose the belly flab, and get to be with that pretty girl I mentioned. In order from most to least likely, I must say. Girls are complicated; they mess my life right up. I wouldn't want anything else. A complicated life is more interesting.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Alastair — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:15:31 -0700

this is what i did today... along with the impossible task of finding an apple mac in aberdeen that isn't the one i own, long story, and eating what felt like my body weight in carrott cake

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

warrenellis — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:16:23 -0700

My girlfriend is cool, but she hates Leonard Cohen

What the fuck?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Egon — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:20:10 -0700

It's the last semester before i get my lonnnnnng overdue AA and move onto a University. I want Summer to be here immediately so I can get onto working on my own little personal projects. I want to start a monthly instrumental music series in my town. Record more and put out an album. I want to get back to writing comic scripts. I want to read more too.

My schedule lately goes like this: I go to work at around 7am and usually come back home around 10:30pm. I simply don't have the energy to do the things I love. Vegging out to World of Warcraft for my last two hours of consciousness is the only thing that makes sense. In Azeroth, I don't have to think or worry. I just play and it makes going to sleep a more peaceful task.

ugh. ok. time to start that research paper that's due on Monday.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Spiraltwist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:20:48 -0700

35 hours sleep since Sunday.
Five exams this week.
Presentation.
Finals start next week.
Finishing a paper now. Blarg.

I'm looking at bottle. It is full of green liquor, and that's all I know about it.

@NeverWanderer

Congrats, btw.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

rdhall — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:23:17 -0700

I just feel kind of empty anymore. That's my revelation I guess, a whole lot of empty gloom. I'm hoping it's just the alcohol, but I doubt it. If it's not the alcohol I'm kinda fucked.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

DonburiBoy — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:23:42 -0700

I am wrapping up another week of working at Vancouver's finest used bookstore, and I will exit the store into a cloud of cherry blossoms swirling about in a gentle spring breeze.

My girlfriend is going to stop reading Transmetropolitan long enough to cook me a steak for dinner.

I bought a Playstation 3. It's shiny.

I am living the Dream.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Andre Navarro — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:24:30 -0700

Usual gloomy pic of me in bedroom:

And this is how I look in broad daylight, extremely tired and severely pissed off. First with the sun in my face and me with a huge backpack in a queue where I couldn't turn around enough to open my eyes:

And in shade, but no less pissed off:

Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week.

The Brazilian Army.

And Rapidshare:

Tell me your plans.

Losing weight and not having to serve in the Brazilian Army, for it's mandatory in ~~this shithole country~~ Brazil. In the two last pics above, I was trying to enlist for the second time. This time, they bitched about one of the documents I brought. Had to go back home after waiting nearly three hours, will try for third time this Monday.

Tell me something filthy, strange and wonderful.

From here.

Tell me where you are.

In my apartment on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tell me who and what you want to be.

Work with Cinema, mainly at writing and directing.

Tell me what you want to make.

A flash animation. Haven't done one in more than a year. And I mean an EPIC fucking flash animation, with the help of Poser 7 and Naturalmotion's Endorphin Dinamic Motion Synthesis, goddamnit.

Tell me what's next.

Staying here, reading how everyone's doing tonight, possibly stay in the chat a little.

Good evening, Warren and good evening, Whitechapel.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Leandro Damasceno — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:26:35 -0700

I'm writing a SF comic and remembering the best comic panel of all times. This one, by the way:

To write a comic book is the only way I can smile after a week wasted with negotiations, back and forth paper work and what not. Very few actual work was done, but I'm feeling quite better now.

Oh, this is me, kinda:

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Kieran Clarkin — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:26:41 -0700

My wine shop caught fire last week, I had to spend ages cleaning it not to mention the 5.30am call by the security company to attend the site. balls. But now I'm in holiday, and no longer DUNK from 'cigar and whisky in your best rich cunt clothes' night as its actually midday sunday, and I've had breakfast. Good morning!

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

ScottBieser — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:29:56 -0700

This Texas Mass Kidnapping thing has been really pissing me off. I have no brief for those LDS-cult weirdos, but the state has gotten completely out of control and it scares the piss out of me. I'm not exactly Ward Cleaver, either. If the state can snatch a whole town full of children away from their parents based on what's turned out to be a crank phone call, they can come after any of our kids, on the slightest pretext.

The other thing that's pissing me off is I'm hearing more and more about how it's impossible to make money in the indie comics biz. Goddammit, something must be done about this.

Edited to add: OTOH seeing a new photo of Vanessa, even all tired and stressed from overwork, brightens my day. Take some time off, darlin', you deserve it.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

rdhall — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:31:53 -0700

Do we just buy things to fill the jagged wounds in our hearts? That would make sense, because after a while life shakes loose the jagged little pieces from the holes and forces us to replace them with ill fitting substitutes for what we lack.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Spiraltwist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:34:54 -0700

@Andrenavarro

Good Evening, Andre.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

The RicH — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:36:11 -0700

Schools over for me. I've got a nice shiny new diploma to add to my collection. I owe it all to COBRA of course hence the pic.

Brought to you by COBRA!!

Now if someone could tell me how to eat with a Creative Writing BA I'd love them for it and send them something valuable. My soul, as dark as it is, is already pledged to my Dread lord residing in a coffin amid the spires of lost R'yleh so I've got that going for me. Anyone got any ideas?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

ReverendJoe — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:40:02 -0700

Life is still going smooth. Work has become a lot more tolerable. I no longer feel the need to throttle my supervisor. I still might, but I no longer feel compelled to.

I'm noticing myself sliding into hermit mode, which happens here and there.

My only excitement this week was falling off a forklift and landing directly on my head. That and a coworker telling me about finding a man performing oral sex on a mobidly obese woman behind a dumpster at a local grocery store.

Thanks for asking.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Andre Navarro — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:40:41 -0700

Good evening, Spiral :)

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

mlpeters — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:40:43 -0700

To orwellseyes:

"I never thought I'd become one of those guys who wants to move to the country, live away from the crowds. But I think every year I get closer to that. "

Be careful -- weigh these feelings against the inevitable "cabin-fever". Seriously, the annoyance of too many people is nothing compared to being stuck on a rural, snowed-in, un-plowed road for a week at a time.

I'm just sayin' (from my little cabin/art studio deep in the woods of Michigan)...

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

NeverWanderer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:40:44 -0700

@Spiraltwist

Thank you muchly!

Hope you get some rest soon.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

hep — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:54:16 -0700

this is what i look like on my way to work.

This week I:

went to a space museum - saw a cccp capsule, saw sputnik2, taught 5th graders about impact craters, saw some badass telescopes

went to UCSF to visit my friend at work with Evan for take your kid to work day (my work is boring) - saw a bunch of NMR machines, played with liquid nitrogen, played with a $50K 3d imaging projector

threw a birthday party for a 9yr old

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

keighter — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:54:40 -0700

This week the ex is pissing me off to high heaven, we just recently broke things off and he's being really clingy, and I'm telling him to fuck off annnd it isn't working... Holy hell people are infuriating.
I have lots of work to do tomorrow... And i shall probably be putting them off until late tomorrow night. 3 papers, two short and one long due friday... excellentness, but it's mostly fun writing Media and Politics stuff. Two are for my teacher that I wrote a paper using Spider to show how modern media could change for the better. She was intrigued and started reading Transmet it was fun.
Filthiness is I am corrupting a nubile comic book nerd. YarHar!
I'm still in Montana and I don't want to go home for the summer because I don't want to deal with the dirty drama in Oklahoma.
I want to do the media watchdogging and try to change the bullshit 24 hour news stations to give me something useful...
I just finished my table top with tentacles one it, and well I need one more tiny tube of oil paint to do the last touch ups because my demon dachshund ate my two 4 oz tubes of oil paint and ruining my couch cushions.
Tonight it is time for video games and drinking exciting I shall return. Have a good night Whitechapel! I <3 lurking here
Oh and here is me from last night being drunk and playing board games...

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Catastrophe Jones — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:01:23 -0700

I don't hate Leonard Cohen. My girlfriend tells lies. I keep her around 'cause she's hot.

As for me, my plans are many, and sekrit. But here I am:

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Dextra — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:04:14 -0700

I'm pissing myself off this week. I ended up in a sales job that I fucking HATE. I don't have that thing that people have that can let them bullshit other people into buying shit they don't need.

However, I am a skeeball wizard and won enough tickets at it to get a cheap little wristband with a skull and crossbones on it. Fear my mighty skeeball arm.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

steveburnett — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:07:43 -0700

Pic of me after my set last night at a house concert:

I played with my contact mic'd metal mask the Iron Muse last night as a first field test that seemed to go well. Playing again with the mask on Sunday.

What's next: Soundcheck for the first band at the show I'm playing tonight with my looped and processed improv tuba project Ouroboros (my partner is the tuba player, I'm the looping and processing half).

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

arghhhhhhh — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:08:18 -0700

i'm trying to meet my own deadline of writing daily.
i have treatments to read for work, but...i don't really want to.
money concerns me.
quitting smoking sucks.
starting to use twitter has made me write shorter sentences.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

WaxPoetic — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:13:48 -0700

hunted for mushrooms today in the semi-wilds north of omaha. found none. there is talk that there will be no morel season this year, but had a wonderful morning tramping about in trees with no leaves in the sun and the breeze and scarves and gloves with a friend of mine who also needed to get out of town for a bit.

been waking up and getting out of bed and out of the house early most mornings this week. i have no fucking clue why, but i'm going with it for now.

tried to quit my job. failed. still not sure how that worked. still want to quit. developing plans to make that happen.

getting an invite to the only wedding i want to go to this year - gonna hafta get a dress! wee!

as for filthy - the litter box of pissed off kittens.
as for future - wondering about technology that would allow two women to produce a child. or two men. am poet, know nothing of genetics, but i really think it oughta be possible.
as for pissed off - stupid passive aggressive boss of can't focus for shit and doesn't listen to anything. really seriously quitting. even if she refuses to accept it. evil bitch poet will prevail.

plans for now include another glass of wine, movie with the folks and much happy time sleeping under the electric blanket because the weather isn't as psycho as in SD, but it sure hasn't taken its meds in a while.

who do i wanna be? me. 15 pounds more. different hair. nothing serious.

no pic this month. having strange face, not wanna share. will see about next week.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

JoshHechinger — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:14:50 -0700

Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week. Tell me your plans. Tell me something filthy, strange and wonderful. Tell me where you are. Tell me who and what you want to be. Tell me what you want to make. Tell me what's next.

1) Nothing and nobody.

2) Finish drawing two pages of a thing to send to my overworked secret editor, start writing the second issue of a bear-wrestling comic, work on a half-dozen other things. Take some pictures of a weird little alley so I can use it for a fight comic. Go see Iron Man? Maybe get some water-ice? I dunno.

3) Email I got from an artist: "Aztec Bear is going to be a fucking savage". When I get emails like this, it does not suck to be me.

4) In my room. I haven't really left the house since I got back from NYCC. Too many emails. Too much to write. Too expensive to drive anywhere. Too much effort to put pants on.

5) The Stan Lee of shonen comics. But apparently, Stan Lee is DOING shonen comics now? And is a samurai in them? Also, I'm probably lying about the first part?

6) Stir fried pork with mixed vegetables and scrambled eggs. Maybe throw in some walnuts, and ground potato stick powder for the eggs.

7) I'm no Baba Yanga, sir. I'm not even a Baba O'Riley.

EDIT - Right, picture:

Heya.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Jon Wake — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:16:44 -0700

I'd take a picture but my camera's out of batteries and I haven't the cash to get new ones.

Today I got fired from a job after only working 3 days there. Well, more like I walked while the supervisor did that thing they do where they want you to apologize for something. Call center work, outbound calls, for mindless surveys, is demeaning. Ever since I lost my job at the venue I've learned that I am incapable of working joe schmoe jobs. I can't handle the boredom that comes with it.

Boredom literally drives me insane.

I have no idea what I'm going to do.

Bad times.
Edited to add:
On the bright side, I have more time to finish up pages on my forthcoming webcomic.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Thorn — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:21:47 -0700

Tiamat has put up all of the tracks to their newest album Amanethes on their Myspace album. This is their first album in five years, since Prey. It is released on May 2nd, and I am grateful. At first listen it feels to be somewhat of a return to Wildhoney and Clouds. But there are still some of their more softer and experimental tracks that have have characterized their last four albums previous. Oddly, for being the metal-head that I am, my favorite track so far has been the softest one on the album, "Meliae." "Misantropolis" is another one I enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/tiamat

In other news, I am shortly about to make my way to a friend's house for a going away party. A friend of ours is moving to Flordia. Oddly, rather than feeling particularly happy for her, or even sad, I just feel a little bit older and more weary. I've only been in Salt Lake City for just a little over 2 years, and already friends are leaving... I just feel the passage of time washing over me again.

Luckily, I am armed with a bottle of Jack Daniel's Whiskey and a six-pack of Squatter's "Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout". I suspect I'll shortly get over it, and get in the spirit of the party. There's supposed to be a... pinata?

Finally, Battlestar Galactica is the most superior thing television currently has to offer.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

SJD — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:23:45 -0700

This week I worked much overtime in the hopes of getting extra money to move. I have a 50/50 chance of living with my cousin in the city. She bought a remodeled home and I am trying to be one of the two roommates she's looking for.

I need a change of venue. I need to feel better about me and I think a fresh start is the ticket. I could be wrong, but I live way too close to my newly remarried ex-wife. That way lies madness.

Haven't had much time to write or do much of anything. I have my darlings this weekend and we had another wonderful day. Tomorrow I'll make the most of it with them until their mother comes to pick them up. They're asleep now and I find it a bit lonely.

As always I'd like to have one of those love affairs that transcend the norm and last for a lifetime but I honestly don't think it's ever going to be in the cards for me. Even the girls that are somewhat interested balk the minute they find out I'm divorced with two kids.

I'm such a hopeless fucking romantic is goddamn sickening.

Ah well. Thanks Warren for this and thanks for the stories. They are always good for the soul.

Perhaps I'll actually do some writing now.

Kisses Whitechapel.

You can be my one and only. But only for tonight.

-SJD

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Spiraltwist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:31:24 -0700

@JoshHechinger

Good evening, Josh.

@SJD

Yes, that way lies madness. I hope you are one of the her new roomies.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

LokiZero — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:37:36 -0700

Just got back from Old Chicago, drunk as fuck. They do this beer tour now, and it's... it's just great.

Also, my cats are finally with us in Colorado, and they're sniffing around the new place. Just wasn't the same without them.

The reason I'm drunk (as if I needed one) is because after a week in a new city, I've gotten a job doing tech support for Lockheed Martin, making more money than I have previously. So, even in a new state, I remain the luckiest boy in the world.

Also, after two weeks with a cold that turned into a sinus infection, I get to have maritals with my wife tonight. So, I've got that going for me, which is nice. :D

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

brittanica — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:42:54 -0700

so far the only picture of myself without my glasses that i can tolerate. still doesn't look like me, though.

went to a record signing thursday. met elvis costello... in that, i told him how to spell my name, forgot everything else, and my boyfriend remembered to shake his hand. now waiting for the moment i can actually fucking listen to momofuku.

i've been depressed all week and i don't even know why. i'm starting to feel better, since i had a chance to spend the day with the boyfriend. he's just now getting over some sinus bullshit, and he can go more than a few minutes without coughing his lungs up. makes it easier to, you know, have a conversation.

i really wish i had friends to hang out with, but i deal. that's what the internet's for, right?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

JoshHechinger — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:44:17 -0700

@spiral

Heya, good evening to you, too.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Daniel Andrlik — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:57:52 -0700

Monday I have to do a demo for a piece of software that isn't ready for it. I don't have the guts to tell my boss that it would be easier to burn everything and start recoding the whole thing from scratch, so I have to hack together a miracle this weekend.

I need a new job, and I'm terrified of what's happening to the economy.

On the other hand, something finally shifted in my head and I'm suddenly feeling more free as a writer than I have in years.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

jrblackwell — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:58:24 -0700

Jennifer Rodgers and I got together tonight for a work day. She colored in comics, I wrote stories - it was all very productive.

Then, come night, we went into my new studio space and took some photos. It was fantastic!

Me!

Jennifer Rodgers!

It was a good night.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Kibblesmith — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:04:05 -0700

Before Picture (shave/haircut):

Way past deadline on a video commission:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHJtCGtrJ6o

Had to explain to same clients that I can't digitally rotoscope a vlog every day in under an hour, nor can I in that same hour supply them with the "Polar Express-style" motion capture that they half-requested, suspecting in an astounding act of understatement that it might be "a little pricey."

Breaking now to change the water in my turtle's tank (Red-Eared Slider; Cyrus), then pulling an all-nighter to finish the above, packing and leaving for the Bay Area for 3 Weeks.

(see some of you there, see some of you after).

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

slinka — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:10:49 -0700

In the past week a photographer I greatly admire was shocked that a shot he loved was taken by me AND that he had no idea it was a composite till I told him; a random blogger called our line fetish couture; we received our largest order ever.

What do I want to make? Next year's spring line already. Fucking schedules. What am I making? Men's underwear with foul words on the behind. Apparently, there's a gaping hole (pardon the phrase) in the gay market just begging to be plugged (again, pardon). Honestly, I've been told these will be a big deal. I'm fucking hoping. (Really, I think hot men wearing my SKULLFUCKER underwear is brilliant.)

Tonight I'm going to meet for the first time in meatspace someone I've known for years online.

Tomorrow we get interviewed on a podcast dealy.

My brain is never off anymore.

It feels good.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Confusion — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:12:33 -0700

Last night I went out of my way to terrify all of my friends at a party.
One of my friends decided I deserved a real life lolcaption.

Note to the rest of the universe. Candy posing pouches pinch in uncomfortable places, a lot.

I fear now that this picture is circulating the Internet, I shall never again be allowed closer than 5 feet away from a real woman. But it is done. And now I have shared the brain-melting horror.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

iangil — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:12:44 -0700

Shoot I lost everything I just wrote. THANKS INTERNET

Oh well, here's a picture someone took of me in Krakow last weekend:

The weather just got awesome this week, and Berlin just became alive. It's like it had been in a grumbly drowsy state all winter and now that the birds and flowers are back it's getting lively. The bear is a good mascot, indeed.

Spending lots of time in cafés, reading and writing and doodling as usual. I can't stand my webcomic, so I'm working on a new direction. I knew it wouldn't take long for this to happen, but then this comic is all about producing things. I feel worthless when I'm not creating.

Also working on SAD DOG (and the horror of stasis), a weekly comic which may be an homage to David Lynch's Angriest Dog strips. Waiting for the new ComicPress before I launch it and bring my putting-comics-online-rate up to 6/week.

Also, reading the Jodorowsky/Mœbius comic series THE INCAL for the first time and hoolllyyy shit.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Spiraltwist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:15:48 -0700

@jrblackwell

Lovely photos!

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Spiraltwist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:16:53 -0700

@Confusion

I hate you right now - did NOT need that photo. Glad I wasn't drinking anything.... ;)

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

trini_naenae — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:17:24 -0700

@SJD:One of the things I consistently freak out about is "will I ever meet a guy who will actually want me, and I'll actually want him back". So the frustration in the world of romance - I totally get that. (Granted, I'm not divorced or have two children. Instead I'm freakishly complicated and simple at the same time and ... yeah.)

@slinka: I'm totally all for hot men wearing SKULLFUCKER underwear.
edit to add:
@Confusion: That however, I am utterly not all for seeing. I'm all for not seeing that.

@iangil:That's a great photograph, regardless of who took it.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

hank — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:44:49 -0700

W-

Its been a fuck of a day. Last Sunday one of the members of another OTO body passed on. She was staying at a fellow member's home. Her brother is another member and she has been well known to MANY East Coast Thelemites.

She was a hell of a Thelemite, and while I have shared the same square mile with her in the past, I think the last time I saw her was the first time I really met her. She was at the William Blake Lodge lodgemaster change over and she priestessed that mass (It was her last, no less) I was doing foodservice for that event so I wasn't able to actually enter the temple space. It didn't matter. After the mass she came downstairs to the common area and was riding a charge that I have never seen anyone else get.

It was a unique moment. She touched a lot of lives. Hell I feel richer for the few times I met her.

Anyway, i caught the noon train from DC to NY and now am on the train back to DC. I should get in about 3 EDT. I have been going since 6am. But its been a fuck of a day, and I wouldnt want to trade it for anything.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

iangil — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:48:37 -0700

@confusion: TOO HOT
I hope someone ate that off of you

@trini_naenae: thanks!
Also, agreed: telephone calls are the worst. They're like the perfect blend of not being able to read body language but still being put totally on the spot. I know people say videophones aren't the future because nobody wants them, but most of my conversational communication is actually gesticulation, damnit.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

yorko — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:56:16 -0700

I'm drawing an illustration of a snakeboy and a cheerleader making out in a drive-in theater for a RPG game, feeling bad because Frank Miller did Ronin at my age, Sim did High Society at 25, wondering who buys stuff like Army Of Darkness meets Xena, missing having money to buy peanutbutter with marmalade, waiting for wednesday because I have a meeting about some illustration work that I know I'll hate the minute I start doing it , liking 30 Rock a LOT, hoping the brushpens I ordered don't get lost in the way, thinking about what to do to make this year a good year for my comics, Listening to Metallica acoustic right now, and lately listening to a lot of Daft Punk, SFDK and The Smiths.

Sorry no picture!

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

CamyLuna — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:56:50 -0700

I'm recovering from the LA Times Book Fest and staying in tonight. We're Tivo-ing "Coffy", but watching "Harry Potter". The Fest was so-so, but I enjoyed it.

My utter lack of motivation pissed me off this week. Next week I won't let it get to me.

Here's a picture from today.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

trini_naenae — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:57:19 -0700

@iangil: I'd much rather type. Then at least it's visual. I can see what I just typed before pressing enter. Ironically, I make my living as a concierge, so I'm always answering phones.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Danielle Ni Dhighe — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:59:24 -0700

What's pissing me off this week? Oh, that's easy. Yesterday was quite literally a disaster.

The apartment complex I live in is going to be converted to condominiums. Rather than wait until everyone moves out, work has already begun in vacant apartment units. Friday morning, a construction worker tearing out the walls in a unit upstairs damaged some pipes and a flood of water rained down in my apartment.

The kitchen, dining room and laundry room were flooded by gallons of water. Water was pouring out of light fixtures and out of several places in the ceiling. By the time they got the water turned off, that entire area of my apartment was under inches of water. It was a mess.

The complex's maintenance man used a shop vacuum to get as much water up as he could, then called in some carpet cleaners to see what they could do. There's currently a fan and a dehumidifier running in the dining room to take care of the rest.

The construction worker came down to apologize profusely for what happened. He said that if it was up to him, he would wait until everyone moves out to do this kind of work because of the risks, but the owner wants it done now and isn't willing to wait.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

gdwessel — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:04:42 -0700

Just got off at the bar after yet another Saturday night asskicking. We've lost 4 other cooks in the last month, so it's been...not a fun time, really.

Earlier today, at the "real job," finally finished up a 2-month project that saw me doing Saturday morning duties over there the past 7 Saturdays. Glad it's over, but I'm going to miss the boss overtime I was making. While that was going on, my daughter Miranda was swimming in a Special Olympics meet, and was having fun despite, according to her mother, finishing last in every event.

Meanwhile, waiting for more GRAVE pages, sometime soon I hope. But the artist, who does hang out here, is in the midst of getting his shit together to move from Norwich, UK, to NYC, USA, to be with his fiancee, so I can't really sweat him too much. Until he gets here and gets a cell phone. HA HA HA HAAAA. In the meantime I've made connections with other artists about other projekts that I hope are coming up. Yes indeedy.

And finally, it's less than 30 days til the wife and I fly out to Vegas for our 10th anniversary. 10 years. Good Christ.

I have a fresh DOCTOR WHO episode waiting for me, but I might wait til tomorrow for that.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

willreaves — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:10:46 -0700

getting things off your chest

My "boss", in as much as I have one, royally pissed me off Friday. I run the office, and he does whatever he wants. I keep our employees informed, trained, and happy while he takes off and "works from home" more often than not. I've been mulling over what he said and did yesterday and I'm contemplating walking in and telling him to fuck off on Monday.

reporting on your place in the world

I'm an undergrad who'll most likely never graduate but I've come to terms with that. I am the voice of reason to my ex-girlfriend and her harbor in stormy waters. I am in a small company at the moment but this is not the only job in the world.

I want to leave this coast and head West. I want to work on games and write mythology about deities that were never worshiped in this plane. I want to tell stories for the rest of my days.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Doctor Pockets — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:14:38 -0700

Wrapping up another semester of studying the future. Have to put the final touches on my portfolios for each class, and, surprisingly, have very little revising to do, which is nice. Problem is, I can't get my ass in gear and get it done.

Listening to the Ghostly Swim compilation - Ghostly International artists put out through the Adult Swim TV network. It's OK I guess. Whatever.

Back to more procrastinating.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

George Rohac — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:26:16 -0700

Definitely need to get something off my chest.

I just finished moving out of a place with two former friends. i had known them for 6 years, and at the beginning of the month things went crazy, no one I talk to can understand it, and I honestly will step forward and say when I'm wrong, when I screw up things. Did I leave the front door unlocked twice. Yes. Did I talk a tiny bit too loudly while Jen was trying to sleep twice, yes. Does that warrant shutting off the cable so I have to go couch surfing at friend's places so I can finish my senior projects? No. Does that warrant changing the locks while I'm gone doing so? No.

So that was a lovely day. I just wanted to get the rest of my things and go, and then I get told I left the front door unlocked (which opens to a porch which has a permanent broken locked screen door anyways) and then accused I turned the gas on one night and tried to explode them, mind you, I've only stopped in on monday and wednesdays to grab a box of something after I get off work to chunk in the storage unit before heading to a friend's place to shower and then mooch internet so i can graduate and actually get to grad school in the fall.

So now I'm rebounding between fine its over with, I got my stuff and never have to see those former friends again, to downright horror over how people I put my trust and faith in continually plunge daggers into my back. I walk on eggshells the greater majority of the time because I just want to make people happy and feel comfortable. I know I mess up, I'm flawed, but sweet crap.

As for my place in the world.

I got accepted to some amazing grad schools. I'm going to get to do the research I want to do, and so help me whatever excuse for a god exists or fails to exist I am going to keep marching forward through whatever shit gets thrown at me until I meet my bitter end trying to salvage this sad excuse for a race of intelligent life that I'm apart of from the maelstrom.

because what else better to do with my time then plunge head first into a hopeless cause.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

roque — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:28:45 -0700

digital camera's dead so I'm stuck with what I already got on the hard drive.

here's me at a younger age, but the hair length and color roughly approximates today's. the rest of me doesn't generally change that much. imagine a line on one side of my mouth from my hereditary, lopsided Gallagher smile.

I'm teaching children English and... enjoying it. it's unexpected and kind of discomfiting. I started out doing it just because their mothers pressured me into it, and now I'm actually trying to figure out ways to teach more effectively, instead of just cynically grinning my way through each class to get to the shot of whiskey afterward. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm only doing this for the work visa, because I desperately don't want to go back to the U.S. during such a very special economic period. the alternative would be to admit that I've got a side that likes kids, which would freak me out a little.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Rootfireember — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:34:03 -0700

It's cold here. Gloomy. It's been raining and dripping all day. I'm at my mom's house, hijacked her internet, and am watching her dogs. She hasn't called me to tell me everything's swank on her trip, yet, so I'm starting to get mildly worried.

Last night's house sitting was a bit odd. I came home at about midnight to find the walls painted the colors of ketchup and mustard (Mom had said it was 'yelow and red'). Personally, I find it not a horrid combination- in moderation. Moderation being the key word. And than I stepped in to my bathroom, to find it overtaken by a giant bouncey ball that barely fit through the door. I have no words to explain the giant ball, or my mother's sudden decision to paint the house in strange, eye-burning colors. Half asleep from work, it was a bit for my mind to take. So I hid downstairs, and watched TV.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

SJD — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:43:18 -0700

@Spiraltwist

Thank you. If it happens I will totally give you all the credit for putting the good vibes out into the ether.

@trini_naenae

Ah, I am also complicated and simple, so I feel you there. I'm very much the believer in the GREAT LOVE that novels and movies and sometimes music promises, yet fails to deliver. Having my baggage makes it harder for people to give me a chance. But my girls are my world even if I only get them a fraction of the time their mother does. They keep me honest and as I've often said, will end up being the true loves of my life.

I'm ok with that, though I'd never say no to that forever romantic love that has been missing from my life.

Good luck in your search.

I pray for good things for you.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

BryanSwan — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:09:15 -0700

Sitting about after another bloody long day at work conspiring how to not turn homicidal, and instead get some damn work done on my Chrysalis Falls serials which used to come out once a day and are now coming out one a fucking week if I'm lucky. I've got a pile of worlds to create, an RPG system to create, a book to finish designing (screw you for ever recommending CreateSpace you evil British bastard for it allows me to firmly take a problem by the horns and get gored by it... thank you as well btw), an interview to get ready for, and another goddamn day of pizza bloody delivery to deal with before I get two days off during which to negotiate local book purchases.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

muse hick — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:12:57 -0700

i have spent three days trying to compress and shift around enough data on my laptop to be able to defrag it. it is 50% fragmented. i had 70gb of music on there and have been in danger of losing all of my work. i already lost 200 poems thanks to a writing site earlier this year. those who read my blog know about my brother who is 30 going into liver failure because of alcohol -- i had a problem myself for a while but thankfully never got as far into it as he is. people on here really helped by listening and offering support. i freaked out, acted like an arse, pissed my wife off, then calmed down and had a great week.
today we went to bob evans and had a great meal. it is a year since me and the wife hooked up, so great times. i am writing a story with two deafblind anti-heroes at the moment which i am enjoying.

life is good.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Whimsical — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:18:22 -0700

Other than a brief break to watch the new episode of Dr. Who (A vast improvement over the serious misfire that was 'Planet of the Ood') I've been downloading and tearing through the best audio horror fiction I've heard in a long time:

Wormood

@roque: I'd love to get out of the US, but not really an option right now. You're quite right to stay away at least for the next year or too.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

stsparky — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:39:36 -0700

Some Scientologists tried to ambush a friend at the LA Festival of Books, work had us rock out to Guitar Hero. Odd world. More later.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

chris g — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:17:16 -0700

Ah, Open Mic. You therapatize (that's a word now!) me.
Whew, where do I start? I am pretty sick of driving in the morning through like 5 towns and get to work, and no one comes in ALL fuckin day. It's a bummer and a waste of time. I wanna meet some goddamn girls. Where do I go for the creative ones? I remember this place called "school" and it's swarming with a few. One day I'll do that again, I'm busy.
I am a fuckin artist and I am always looking for decent feedback on my crap. I think my stuff is becoming more polished. I hope I can keep that up, I did not crawl out from my own muck only to slip up an draw shitty again.
I want to be a nice guy with no more Natural Born Killers scenes pooled in the back of my psyche, if that makes ANY sense. It's like the Heath Ledger version of Joker has always been in me, but I'm tired of feeling like I want to snap and burn the world down. I should make more friends. HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Where am I? At home in the same lil computer room/closet I've had since high school, I should relocate all the equipment soon AND inside this fucking year!
What do I want to make? Well, I want to make my eventual comic go online, kind of like a one man Act-i-Vate. And keep it on-going, and going, and going. And I want people to like it and like me. I want to make it a somewhat heartfelt extension of me, and not something hacky. Otherwise I won't do it.

Hey, that god speech by Gaius Baltar on BSG almost got to me! ha. Crafty bastard.

What's next, what's next.....Man. I really want to go to concerts again (preferably a NIN show!) and get sweaty with a bunch of completely drunk strangers. It's rather cleansing. *cough*

here's me. Sorry, I'll do a face one soon. My crappy tripod from Staples just broke.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Steerpike — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:18:18 -0700

Oddly, most of the stuff that pissed me off this week didn't do so for long. Perhaps accepting Ambrose Bierce as my personal savior has its perks. I will say that I am never ever going to a science fiction convention as long as I live.

Filthy, strange and wonderful - you want 40 miles north or so.

I went to the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco for a day. Good points: Got to see actual Nokia phones from The Future, hung out with Eric "Saijo City" Rice, struck a blow for the people by lifting a Pepsi from the speaker's lounge. Unintentionally funny points: Listening to presenters talk about what they were doing to make it a green conference on a stage with a light and music show that would shame Las Vegas. More examples of people talking about how they can make social networking safe for the enterprise with their products offering tight access controls.

Next week I go to Pittsburgh, just like James Woods in Videodrome. Hoping to pick up tips at a conference on how one can actually pay the rent and bills as a freelance researcher, since this is apparently the Grim Meathook Future of what I used to do for the past 14 years.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Allen — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:29:03 -0700

My week has been a lot of shit. Severely sick for most of it, getting far behind in class right before finals.

As I'm barely able to keep my head up for more then 10 minutes, I'm told my grandmother is dying. This doesn't bother me as I've met the women twice and last time it was nearly 20 years ago. Does shake up my mom though so I feel like a bastard at the same time for it not really impacting me. Also get stuck with house sitting for parents as they drive across the country to deal with all that.

My girlfriend wants a life plan from me, to have kids, where to live, and so on. Not the fucking week to hear all this of course.

So tonight I fucked off with a friend and went to Insane Clown Posse's wresting show. Ten years ago it would have wowed me, tonight I felt oh so out of place. But it was free. How fucking people are excited listening to the cds of a band and PAY for it is beyond me. The only benefit was a lot of free booze from some guy who thought we were down with it all... so I lied fuck it.

Tonight was all about remembering the past and burying lots of it int eh backyard so I never have to see it again. At least the parts you have outgrown. Also cheap, horrible tasting domestic FREE beer!

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:41:56 -0700

@ScottBieser - That's sweet of you to say. Thanks.
No time for time off right now. I'll have a partial break when I'm in Paris for a couple weeks at the end of May though, so it isn't all bad.
And, I mean, just look at me now! All logged in to this forum and totally reading the Sat. Night Open Mic thread. It's breaktacular; I'm practically on vacation. Woo and so forth.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

halcyonday — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:03:28 -0700

I spent yesterday taking advantage of the sun - I've been in the UK long enough to work out that you guys only actually get a fortnight of summer, spread over three months, so you have to grab 'em when you see 'em - and now I have an utterly ridiculous sunburn across the small of my back.

I can't write anything at the moment because I have the last essays I need to write for my Masters hanging over my head - deadline terror hasn't kicked in yet but the guilt has, which is the death knell for all other writing. When I can write again, I'm contemplating working on some old comic scripts but I'm drawn to the idea of a children's book, which is mildly horrifying as I like children but couldn't eat a whole one. We'll see how it goes though.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Casey Moore — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:16:49 -0700

Sitting here drinking bourbon (Woodford Reserve tonight) on the rocks hammering away at a screenplay listening to the soundtrack for the original The Thomas Crown Affair soundtrack and MIA's Paper Planes.

Pissed off at the people I work with. I swear on the first movie I direct I am going to put a big sign up saying: If this is not your passion, get the fuck out! I have lazy PA's to deal with and people who can't realize that even though our film isn't the greatest artistic achievement, there are things being done here which might set the future of 3D. Really, if I was on set for this one I would be having a great time; working in the office makes me want to shoot myself several times a day.

Of course reading someone's Iron Man: Extremis didn't help things tonight. Jesus, how do you shove that much thinking into those 6 issues? I won't even touch Adi Granov's art which is the only way Iron Man should be rendered. Also reading Robert Pelton's article in this month's Men's Journal: "My Friend: The Mercenary From Hell" I got to the end and wanted to hunt Pelton down and punch him. No matter how much of a shit your friend is, if they saved your life you keep fighting for them.

So that is my Saturday night/Sunday morning. Back to the writing.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

D.J. — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:25:15 -0700

I don't have anything constructive or even interesting to add this week, but I think I shat myself. That's something, right?

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

razrangel — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:27:44 -0700

I have got to get out of here. I have to get out of this life. I don't know who I am, but whoever that is, she's boring and annoying. where is my tribe? Where are the people I just gel with, who are eager to see me and who I'm eager to see?

I desperately need something to grab onto. Something solid that means it's worthwhile to stick around and keep getting up every day and trying again. I think I should move to New York, but that's really just because the movie in my head makes that sound sexy eventhough I'll be just as alienated if not moreso. But if I know no one, then no one knows me and it's like starting again.

I ought to stop and figure this shit out. Because I'm becomming someone, and if I don't push for what I want I'll be someone I wasn't expecting, and there won't be a damned thing I can do about it. I'm just hanging around, pretending to try, waiting for something to show up. I need to build my own fucking house for my own life and to hell with just letting shit ride and trying to be cool with everything, even if I hate it.
-------

Oh and I'm DONE with my body not working like it should. I know I don't have a whole lot of control. If genetics shit-draw means my vision is going to go down the toilet merely because I turned 30 last year I know I'm SOL. But going blind SUCKS and GODDAMMIT IF I'M GOING TO VENT ABOUT SOMETHING IT'LL BE ABOUT GOING FUCKING BLIND. *pant*pant* the treatments are expensive and involve steroid use and courting cataracts, prevention is many times more expensives and means courting liver failure. GOD FUCK SHIT BALLS

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

johnmuth — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:30:32 -0700

I have had a nnumber of experiences with people from Whitechapel/P&P this week - both over the phone and mostly through the internet. I'm happy to making new friends and with people that at least I know are smart enough to be on the two best, interactive forums on the web.

I've had a couple of offers, communication with writers to illustrate their stories.

I'm finalizing plans to move from the dreaded and homely city of Pittsburgh, to the wonderful, urban landscape of Portland.

I spent today with the mother that I wasn't born to, but respect and confide in 100 times more, and ended it by getting drunk with friends from my old place of employment.

I will say, right now, that May is really looking up for me!! :)

*Not enough complaining, so I'll ear mark this for the Sunday post too. :)

-John

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Brandon Seifert — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:27:03 -0700

Yesterday and today have been spectacular. Amazing. I released my first comic online and at a convention (no link this time, I've whored here it to the point that I'm on watch for the Arse Eels), and got a fuck of a lot of nice things said about it, sometimes by some of my favorite comics creators. I am basking in the glow of a Job Well Done.

This comes at the tail end of Deadlinefest 2008, the three busiest, most stressful weeks I can remember. By far. By Thursday night I felt like I was going to be crushed like an aluminum can by the stress. Then Friday the sun came out, and my friends the cats of the world presented themselves for me to pet them in the streets, and people loved my comic and the cherry blossoms were blooming. But Deadlinefest 2008 isn't over. It's only *almost* over. There's some people still demanding their pound of flesh, in ways infuriating and not appropriate at this time, and either I deliver it for them or it becomes hard for me to do certain things in these parts.

That would be what's pissing me off this week. And there's also the fact that, between deadlines and day jobs, I haven't even been able to start looking for a place to live, I haven't made it back on food stamps to supplement my ridiculously small income, and hey, it sure would be nice to own a shirt I haven't worn three or four times since I last washed it. Maybe soon there will be time for such things. And I still haven't applied to go work in Antarctica, dammit!

And then there's a certain lady I used to care about quite a bit. And today I was reminded why. It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times.

This is me a couple summers back, diligently getting work done.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Jay Kay — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:34:33 -0700

I'm the one throwing the peace sign.

Tell me what and who is pissing you off this week.

School--specifically Spanish class. I've never been that good at it, but I'm certain I would do better if I had a teacher that didn't have problems with English and did more reviews/tests so I didn't have to cram whole bulks of the language for every test.

Tell me your plans.

Tomorrow, finish up papers for classes, return my scratched up PSP game for a better copy or a different game, and finally get some more original writing in. There are plans after tomorrow, but I'm having difficulty thinking of them at this late hour.

Tell me where you are.

In my computer room with the door closed, in the broadest sense.

Tell me who and what you want to be.

Who is pretty simple--someone who gets to do what he loves to do. What is starting to get complicated. I'm thinking of journalism, but I wonder if that's going to get in the way of the original writing I want to do. I had ideas to be a scientist, perhaps a forensic scientist, but I wonder if I'm mentally capable to learn and remember what is necessary. So yeah, I'm kind-of at a crossroads. But I'll figure it out. It's either that or be miserable, and that's not fucking likely.

Tell me what you want to make.

Babies. With every female member of the 'Chapel. Set yourselves in a polite, orderly line and be inseminated.

Seriously, I want to get materials to make a brass/metal cane for badass/attack purposes.

Tell me what's next.

More internet fuckery, less procrastination (I'll find a way to make it non-contradictory), and plenty of laughs.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

fiasco — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:45:24 -0700

Rough long working week of: family law firm --> shakespeare for screaming kids ---> family law firm---> shakespeare for screaming kids. Repeat ad nauseum.

Got to judge a shakespeare recitation competition at a fundamental islamic school. That was amazing.

Went to an 8 bit music show, but got impatient through all the suck to see this dude I know, Saskrotch, perform, so I invaded a boy's house and we had magnificent sex.

Tonight was a burlesque show. Tomorrow, I possibly kick out a roommate. No in-betweens for me. It is all either suck or awesome.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

CCosker — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:47:11 -0700

Honestly, I had a whole thing typed out. It was paragraphs long. But somehow I managed to not hit the ENTER key and infect the internet with my drunken ramblings. Now it is five AM and I have to go to fucking work. And so I leave you with this:

And that is why I hate and love this city, people.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Dj Dead Billy — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:56:54 -0700

it's late and i just got done djing a show.

skinheads eat horse dicks, i don't care what their political affiliation.
as much as punk rock affected me when i was young, the people who are over 21 and still into it need a good talking to.
punk rock is the "redneck" of all musical subcultures...i mean,seriously. bluegrass musicians are less redneck than punks.

this week i raised a bunch of money for aids research, a certain unnamed american presidential candidate (3grand!), and randomly ran into lawrence crowdog (of A.I.M. fame.)..for a guy who was considered a terrorist and probably has a 892376239847 page file from the fbi, he was pretty nice.

oh, and i drank until i puked black stuff that had tiny orange bits in it.
fuck scotch.

no.....no scotch, i love you. don't leave me...please

i don't have time to be funny or witty right now.
that is all.
dj db

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Don Kelly — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:59:00 -0700

It's technically Sunday morning and the word trellis popped in my mind. These things happen.

Music drifts up the hill on Santa Ana breezes. Acrid tunes that inspire wishes that the party would end. The drunken howls will be replaced by sirens soon enough. That's the Los Angeles ritual on Saturday nights. You breathe in a tube to discover the cost of your fun. All you get is .08 which isn't much fun at all.

Here's what's pissing me off. I've often been the target of some advice of the sort those giving believe sage. Don, they tell me, it's better to be happy than right. Had myself another instance this week where being right made me the asshole at work due to my confrontational nature. I refused to apologize, a quality that adds to my assholian legend.

So, I'm an asshole. My friends find it charming. They call me contrarian and invite me to dinner parties to stir up conversation.

Housesitting is almost over just in time for an inferno week in LA. 8 years have passed since I last enjoyed the gentle cool of an air conditioner. I have many goals for the coming months. AC is one of them.

28 Weeks Later plays on the TV while I concoct this. A terrible movie I witness upon it's release at the Los Feliz 3. It's on now as background noise while the laundry dries. And I'm in love with the little girl in the movie. I find it disturbing any time I fall in love with teens.

Calm down. I don't fall in love with teens in real life. Sick Monkeys. I don't fall in love with anyone in real life no matter how much I convince myself I do. I have theories on why. Oddly they have nothing to do with me being an asshole.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

foxtongue — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:45:59 -0700

It's just all bad. The fellow who asked me to be his mistress is feeling like maybe that was the wrong thing to do, and last night I was stood up by a whore. A charming whore, but he stood me up all the same. it might seem as if I'm bitching about sex, but really I'm bitching about companionship. It's been a tough and nasty knuckle fight of a week, with not a tenth enough wonderful to make me glow, and no one's holding me or trying to help me chase the bad feelings away. All I've got for the world is prickles, cynical comments, and wound-up desperation that lashes out like a bad metaphor in pointless bouts of self-flagellation. I work hard never to be one of those "a lesson is learned but the damage is irreversible" people, but really, chalk it up to a lifetime of terrible experiences with a side of pure bloody bad luck dumped on top. I'm so stressed out I'm starting to feel the same way I did when my boyfriend hanged himself the night we were finally going to sleep together. I know you understand.

It would be nice to let out that fragile, milk-white hedgehog underbelly I've got hidden away, but nothing's happening, there's no way out, no matter how much it likes to play. I need to get out of this city. I need to leave.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

dejectedgeek — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 02:57:15 -0700

Well...I'm considering dating my friend's ex girlfriend. Hear me out first, they have been broken up for about three years now and he's with somebody now. I like her and I know she likes me too but we're holding off because we don't want to negatively affect the friendship we both have with my friend right now. After some consideration on my own end and input from others, I have decided to go for it. I will talk to him about it next I get a chance about it out of respect and hope that the outcome will be positive.

Other than that, been trying to work on my own comic IP influenced by your own work and am having a blast doing it. Hope I can put it out and you'll read it and do you proud. Been a fan for a little bit now and love what you put out.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

curb — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:41:37 -0700

Morning, Whitechapel. Last week I had a good excuse to not show you a pic of me looking morose and unkempt in a dressing gown, but this week I don't. Sorry.

Well, it's been a pretty, pretty good week, really. No bone to pick, and the only thing that has pissed me off has been the comical ineptitude of some of the school bursars I support at work. It pisses me off in a paternal 'I think I need to explain how things work to you' kind of way, and frankly there are far worse forms of pissed-offness then that.

My plans? Well, I want to do more painting. I finished this one on Monday, and it amuses me

and hopefully the other three people on the planet who subscribe to the theory that TV's Gok Won is only pretending to be gay so women will parade around in front of him wearing not very much at all. As for what I want to make, a couple of friends have birthdays coming up, so I'm thinking badly rendered but personal gifts are the way to go. A friend of mine is loving Ennis' The Boys at the moment, so I might do some kind of faux cover with him beating up superman, or somerthing.

Filthy, strange, and wonderful? Well, my pinky toenail randomly shedding was kind of strange, but apparently not all that uncommon. Hopefully I can score filth and wonder points when I attend a monthly meeting of fellow deviants later, but no doubt it'll just be the same old faces.

Who and what I want to be? Someone who can look back on life without a long list of "I wish I'd tried .." Problem being, I will only know if I have achieved this when it's too late to change it anyway.

What's next? Eggy bread for breakfast, I think. Peace out, Whitechapel.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:43:21 -0700

@foxtongue - I know how it feels to need to leave a city, even if I don't know how some of the rest of that feels. I hope things get better, and I hope you escape to somewhere fabulous.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

krakatoakatie — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:18:53 -0700

i did not participate last night because i was attending the nebula awards... which was pretty freaking amazing. i was the youngest (and most tattooed) person there, but i was practically raised by science-fiction writers so i knew a lot of the presenters. michael moorcock got the 25th grand masters award last night and gave an incredible speech telling stories about fighting for sci-fi to be accepted as a mainstream form of literature and how tolkien wondered if he was sci-fi enough to join sfwa. michael chabon told me he liked my tattoo. j.k. rowling wasn't there so i didn't get to ask her if she was dianna wynne jones, as per my evil plan. i drank too much free beer at the afterparty.

so i'm floating on a fangirl cloud nine right now and have nothing to rant about.

Saturday Night Open Mic (26 April 08)

vg — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:06:52 -0700

dancing like a nerve-damage case

Done! It was a good night, Saturday.