John T Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I never thought this would ever happen' date=' but I'm really considering changing my political designation to Independant.[/quote']I'll probably change mine to Incontinent... John T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Hell' date=' moviemakers can't even get New York City right. Check out the Dean Devlin Godzilla flick. Godzilla isn't even going on the right bridge to head to the destination the scriptwriters said he was going to.[/quote'] In "The Day After Tomorrow", the dinky overpass bridge the heads to Trebuchet's neighborhood in El Paso was used by the moviemakers as the international bridge to Mexico, which is a ten lane wide monster and like a quarter mile in length. Oh, well, at least there really is a view of Juarez, Mexico from the movie bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skaramine Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings In "The Day After Tomorrow"' date=' the dinky overpass bridge the heads to Trebuchet's neighborhood in El Paso was used by the moviemakers as the international bridge to Mexico, which is a ten lane wide monster and like a quarter mile in length. Oh, well, at least there really is a view of Juarez, Mexico from the movie bridge.[/quote'] That's why I like the Shield. It's a fictional precinct in Los Angeles (only because the LAPD would have sued them). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings DS 9's "Hippocratic Oath" Episode, where Julian and O'Brian are captured by rogue Jemhaider whos leader wants Dr. B to 'cure them' of their addiction is a damn fine show. Somehow, the archetypes of the healer and the warrior are both up side by side, with neither sneered at by the writers. The side bit with Worf trying to butt into Odo's job was cute, but was just that, a side bit. It's amazing that DS 9 so often did a good job of looking at the uglier truths of intrigue and war without stripping the characters caught in those situations of their innate goodness, but rather just encouraged sympathy by showing how hard it is for even a good man to be sure of "the right thing" in such situations. DS9 was definitely the most intellectually complex of the Trek shows. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Just now, my boss set up a computer (just the tower) outside my office, plugged it in, and turned on the power. A moment later, I smelled something that resembed BO gone awry. A second after THAT, I realized I was smelling something burning, and alerted my boss. He has no idea what was burning, but it didn't actually catch fire. He suspects the power source burned out, though, since the computer will no longer turn on. And it STILL smells like burned computer innards in here. Bleah. That smell is pretty bad. Could of been power supply, could of been a motherboard bit. I got very good of finding the exact source of blown bits even if it wasn't an obvious chip blowing up. My favorite was a coworker who turned her machine on and flames shot out the front of her desktop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Hmm.. I wonder how many movies are set in Phoenix or Tucson, so I could watch them and go, "Yep, nope, nope, yep, nope"... If memory serves, parts of "Revenge of the Nerds" was filmed in Tucson at Bear Down Gym... Michelle aka Samuraiko When "Vision Quest" was filmed here, everyone had fun mocking the tesserects they must have been using... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skaramine Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Wow' date=' that brings back memories. My first semiauto was an S&W Model 39, the single stack more concealable narrow frame version. I upgraded to a stainless Model 59 when ammo capacity was more omportant to me than concealability.[/quote'] You know, I wish that Smith and Wesson hadn't discontinued the 909 and 3906. Those are the finest feeling handguns that the company has ever made, although, the new 952 is nice. It's a single action version of the 39 series with a five inch barrel. Smith and Wesson also discontinued their 4506's and 4566's. Ah well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Wow' date=' that brings back memories. My first semiauto was an S&W Model 39, the single stack more concealable narrow frame version. I upgraded to a stainless Model 59 when ammo capacity was more omportant to me than concealability.[/quote'] Memories Of the corners in my mind Misty water-colored memories Of the way we were Scattered pictures Of the smiles we left behind Smiles we gave to one another Of the way we were Can it be that it was all so simple then Or has time rewritten every line If we had the chance to do it all again Tell me, would we?.... Could we?.... Memories May be beautiful and yet What's too painful to remember We simply choose to forget So it's the laughter That we will remember Whenever we remember The way we were The Way We Were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skaramine Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings My wife just told me she wanted me to quit my job and spend the next 2-3 years trying to break into the fiction market. I... I... I... You COULD do it while you have a job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings You COULD do it while you have a job. Yeah, but not this job. I work 45-50 hours a week and spend ~15 commuting. Add a family and any other obligations that pop up (and they do) and you're dead tired before you begin. And there aren't many "good jobs" in Beit El; you have to go to commute to Jerusalem (some people go as far as the Tel Aviv region) to have a career unless you own your own business, or are in medicine or education. I'm sitting here crunching the numbers wondering about it. She makes enough to cover our essential expenses (and is in a nursing program where she only has to go to J'lem once a week). Its almost doable. I could work part time locally to make up the difference and any money from writing (short stories on the side, what have you) would go farther here than in America. I just don't know. I've always worked. And as a husband and a father I've always taken the responsibility for making ends meet. Writing is hard work - its a job - but it seems very different some how. And its scary. Its an unexpected and once in a lifetime opportunity. Its also a risk. At the same time, its not unlike taking a risk on any other business venture. Its a lot to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skaramine Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I'm doing it. It feels scary, but, do you want to have what you have to say be read? It's an amazing feeling, and worth the fearful leap. Hell, you moved to another nation. Writing's just another undiscovered country to call home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I'm doing it. It feels scary, but, do you want to have what you have to say be read? It's an amazing feeling, and worth the fearful leap. Hell, you moved to another nation. Writing's just another undiscovered country to call home. Very true. I need to do some market research so I can narrow down my ideas to those that are marketable, which will help me cut through some of the chaff and make a few necessary concessions to conventions. One problem I have is too many ideas. I have commitment issues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Very true. I need to do some market research so I can narrow down my ideas to those that are marketable' date=' which will help me cut through some of the chaff and make a few necessary concessions to conventions. One problem I have is too many ideas. I have commitment issues [/quote'] If you do decide to become a writer, good luck on being published! I have no doubt you will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Well, one thing I've figured out in the last few hours is that the major science fiction and fantasy markets are open to new writers and submissions without agents, while the major mystery-crime fiction publishers require agents. Short crime fiction is wide open, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zornwil Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Yeah' date=' but not this job. I work 45-50 hours a week and spend ~15 commuting. Add a family and any other obligations that pop up (and they do) and you're dead tired before you begin. And there aren't many "good jobs" in Beit El; you have to go to commute to Jerusalem (some people go as far as the Tel Aviv region) to have a career unless you own your own business, or are in medicine or education. I'm sitting here crunching the numbers wondering about it. She makes enough to cover our essential expenses (and is in a nursing program where she only has to go to J'lem once a week). Its almost doable. I could work part time locally to make up the difference and any money from writing (short stories on the side, what have you) would go farther here than in America. I just don't know. I've always worked. And as a husband and a father I've always taken the responsibility for making ends meet. Writing is hard work - its a job - but it seems very different some how. And its scary. Its an unexpected and once in a lifetime opportunity. Its also a risk. At the same time, its not unlike taking a risk on any other business venture. Its a lot to think about.[/quote'] I bet you could do it. I could see you being as effectively weighty (at their best, not their mediocre) as VIdal or Mailer or that type, although of course not like them in content. PS - even within a pure fiction context, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I bet you could do it. I could see you being as effectively weighty (at their best, not their mediocre) as VIdal or Mailer or that type, although of course not like them in content. PS - even within a pure fiction context, by the way. I honestly don't know what to say to that. Its flattering, but it seems beyond my league. Can genre fiction even hit those levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I honestly don't know what to say to that. Its flattering' date=' but it seems beyond my league. Can genre fiction even hit those levels?[/quote'] Does Lord of the Rings hit those levels? JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Can genre fiction even hit those levels? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Does Lord of the Rings hit those levels? JG Not for me. Tolkein was a wonderful world-builder who wrote well-crafted and elegant prose, but I don't consider him a great writer. He frequently strayed from theme and plot, and I felt the writing in Lord of the Rings often lacked vigor and healthy pacing. he was doting on the languages and the world he wanted to create more than he was actively telling a story. This is not to say I don't like Tolkein's work, but it is to say I can put it down without much effort. Then again, I hated Citizen Kane, so what do I know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted May 1, 2005 Report Share Posted May 1, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Yes. Care to give me some examples? My question is an honest one; I don't have any prejudgements on the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Yeah' date=' but not this job. I work 45-50 hours a week and spend ~15 commuting. Add a family and any other obligations that pop up (and they do) and you're dead tired before you begin. And there aren't many "good jobs" in Beit El; you have to go to commute to Jerusalem (some people go as far as the Tel Aviv region) to have a career unless you own your own business, or are in medicine or education. I'm sitting here crunching the numbers wondering about it. She makes enough to cover our essential expenses (and is in a nursing program where she only has to go to J'lem once a week). Its almost doable. I could work part time locally to make up the difference and any money from writing (short stories on the side, what have you) would go farther here than in America. I just don't know. I've always worked. And as a husband and a father I've always taken the responsibility for making ends meet. Writing is hard work - its a job - but it seems very different some how. And its scary. Its an unexpected and once in a lifetime opportunity. Its also a risk. At the same time, its not unlike taking a risk on any other business venture. Its a lot to think about.[/quote'] You could do it. I was just thinking earlier today that if I could find a practical alternative to my job... oh, btw If I can find the information from them, could you keep it in mind to contact a company over there for me? They are the ones who make the bullpup conversion sniper stock for the M-14 rifle. I know several people who would like them, if something could be worked out. Now that the Stupid AWB has sunsetted, it might be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Very true. I need to do some market research so I can narrow down my ideas to those that are marketable' date=' which will help me cut through some of the chaff and make a few necessary concessions to conventions. One problem I have is too many ideas. I have commitment issues [/quote'] I understand that far too well! From what you have said, you would probably find it easier to get published here than there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Worldmaker Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I honestly don't know what to say to that. Its flattering' date=' but it seems beyond my league. Can genre fiction even hit those levels?[/quote'] Depends on your opinion of Kurt Vonnegut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skaramine Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings I honestly don't know what to say to that. Its flattering' date=' but it seems beyond my league. Can genre fiction even hit those levels?[/quote'] Dashell Hammet. William Bourroughs. Robert E. Howard. Louis L'Amour. John D MacDonald. Yeah. Genre can rise above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 Re: Musings on Random Musings Depends on your opinion of Kurt Vonnegut. I read slaugherhouse 5 in high school. I hated it. oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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