The season has slipped back into obnoxious up here in the Portland of the West (I’m not talking to you Portland, Maine!).  Freezing wind (not literally, yet), cold nights, and RAIN.  RAIN.  Yes, someday we will move and leave you far behind.   New Mexico?  Hawaii?  New England somewheresabouts?  Somewhere!  All we need is that perfect moneymaking job!  Like… being a writer.  That totally pays about $40k a year if you luck out and bust your ass.  Wait.  That’s not that much at all.  Doh!

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There are no movies that look interesting to me because a) I rarely watch trailers and b) when would we have the time?  I suppose I should start netflixing all the stuff I’ve missed this year….right?  American Pie 12 here I come!

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Marvel announced at least three big events so far for next year: Second Coming (X-Men event), DoomWar (seems Black Panther centric, but has X-men & FF members &…Deadpool.  Kay!),  and Siege – the final “ending” of the Dark Reign stuff and return to semi-normalcy with Cap/Thor/Iron Man Avengering around together again.

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Books.  Books.  I haven’t read anything in a while.  I’m slowly working my way through a book of interviews with Michael Moorcock.  He’s been known to write a book in ?3? days I think it was.  Fucknutty!  Somehow I’ve made it to date without reading a single one of his books.  Cardinal sin, I KNOW.  I should be able to find some in old school paperback pretty cheap though, maybe I’ll do that after I finish (and start…) Name of the Wind.  I’m so afraid it will suck I haven’t touched it yet.

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I haven’t tried to watch a single episode of Heroes since my failure to complete the first one.  Jen seems to be enjoying Flashforward though, and it seems moderately interesting.   I think, if it doesn’t go the way of X-Files/Lost?/Heroes etc. (ie dragging out the initial premise to Herculean lengths, then never resolving it satisfactorily because you’ve inserted so much bullhsit in there in the attempt to stretch it out to 7+ seasons) it sounds like it could be decent.  We had a conversation about the different things we’re willing to invest in a TV show – I’m much less willing to start watching any kind of ongoing show these days because I lack the confidence that TV writers have the balls to end something.  If a story is only meant to run 1-2 seasons, that’s all it should run!!  But, of course that runs completely counter to TV programming-think.

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Nothing particularly new to me in the world of music.  I think I may like She & Him.  Still trying to decide. I like some of the songs, but I need to hear the whole album and I’m reticent to buy it without hearing the entire thing first.  I do dig the retro-50s vocal thing she’s doing though.  I like the sound, but not so much in its original context – amusing, yes?

I’m debating ordering Dear Leader‘s now album – it’s ex-Sheila Divine frontman Aaron Perrino’s current project.   They were a great band that I think was just hitting their stride when they vanished so hey, good luck with reincarnation.

I heard a rumor that Jawbox was going to be on some douchebag’s late night show.  That guy from SNL who couldn’t keep a straight face to save his life.  Can’t remember his name for some reason.  Crazy.

The Monsters of Folk album is ok.  Not ok enough for me to rush out and buy it, but ok.

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Z has a selection of chorus lines he says now when he’s in the mood, inevitably going from one to the other.  “Beating like a hammer” (Metric), “It’s cold outside”, (classics), “hit the road jack/don’t come back no more” & a few others I’m brain farting on right now.  He usually knows 1-2 extra lines of the songs as well.  It’s freaking adorable.  He’s starting to get a little bit of melody going too.

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I’m in one of those “everything bores me” phases right now, hoping it will end soon.   Could just be the seasonal doldrums.

So I should post something.  Right.  Because we’re all here for the digits yo.  Even if they be singles.

So, what’s going on lately?

Well, right now I’m annoyed that there isn’t an RSAT tool for Windows 7 RC, only RTM (how am I supposed to test it then, HUH?).  But this will pass.

I’m also annoyed that I can’t avoid the Kanye West BS.  MTV is crying tears of gold over that crap, seriously.  I bet they sent him a check afterward.  It will drive the netplays and such of their idiotic, still on the air, non-reality based “music” awards show through the middle of the room.  But still – who cares really?

Here’s what I don’t get – since when do people take the MTV awards seriously?  I mean.  Kanye – was it really that important?  Really?  Doesn’t Beyonce have enough shiny shit already?  Can’t you see that MTV is just trying to woo an audience they’ve traditionally not had any access to in a desperate grab for some marketshare as they plod blindly into obsolescence?   Oh, and WHEN WERE THE MTV (ANYTHING) AWARDS EVER ABOUT QUALITY? K?  So shut the hell up, please.  Seriously, it’s goddamn MTV people.  MTV.  M. T. V.  This is like, oh, I don’t know, whichever kid from 7th Heaven turns out to be gay crying about an ABC Family award a decade from now.  OK, not really.  But kind of.

My wife continues to be lovely, my marriage continues to grow.  It’s only been 6 years, but it feels like so much less and so much more at the same time.

My children continue to amaze me daily.  I’ll refrain from gushing, because you can fill in the blanks if you have kids.  And if you don’t you won’t care to listen.

We’re trying to buy a mini van.  A decent one.   And trade in our current car – which is worth half what we owe on it!  We’ll make it work, somehow.  Yes, I’m actually excited about getting a mini-van.  Maybe more than I should be – but I’m big, and squeezing into the back of our car in between two car seats and Shiva knows how much kid crap is painful, yet needs to be done.  Among other things that necessitate a desire for spacious driving.  Like a road trip.  Or several.

My beta readers are taking forever to finish my book, but I understand this.  Reading stuff on a computer sucks, and I’m too cheap to print & mail hundreds of pages.  They’ll finish eventually, then I’m sure I’ll be wishing they hadn’t, because I’ll have a shitload of editing to do OR I’ll just have to abandon the book (and by extension the 6-7 book series I’ve already plotted).

I DO have an idea for a new book/series finally.  I apparently can’t come up with a stand alone book plot.  Everything leads to something else.   I was raised on epic fantasy and sci-fi – what do you expect?

Heroes starts up again next week.  Yeah, I’m going to watch it.  *said sheepishly*  Maybe it will be above average, or maybe bad enough to drive me away forever.  Who knows?  My bet is on just middle of the road to keep me  watching it while doing something else more interesting on another screen.