Look at me not working.
Feb. 22nd, 2011 01:52 pmSo I've been tooling around on WoW for about a week. I can't stay (I don't have the time or personality for that sort of dedication) but it is pretty cool being back there. Seeing that dam blown to pieces I found kinda poignant. My best WoW memory from years back took place on top of that thing.
Anyway, the guild were talking about how some of the new quests made them kinda sad, but they're not as bad as the child-stealing quests from the Lich King expansion. And someone mentioned that the amount of poo-related quests are way down in Cataclysm.
To which I responded: "They missed a real opportunity there. They could have named it Scataclysm."
Just like that. Boom. No one liked it. Whereas I've been congratulating myself about it ever since.
Anyway, back to the grants. And the fine-tuning. DK got back with a low-flattery/high-substance critique. Half of which I'm already on, one golden piece of advice and a few things that make me want to blow my brains out. But hey, what else is new? On the upside his opening para went on at length about the degree to which my craft has improved. At least we agree on that. In fact what I'm hearing is what I expected. He stayed up past his bedtime because the first 100 pages just pulled him through remorselessly - which a lot of readers have said so far, about the whole book in most cases - and has an issue with the flip that occurs halfway through.
Anyway, all very fixable and in no time at all if we're using (twitch) Fateless as any sort of benchmark.
Anyway, the guild were talking about how some of the new quests made them kinda sad, but they're not as bad as the child-stealing quests from the Lich King expansion. And someone mentioned that the amount of poo-related quests are way down in Cataclysm.
To which I responded: "They missed a real opportunity there. They could have named it Scataclysm."
Just like that. Boom. No one liked it. Whereas I've been congratulating myself about it ever since.
Anyway, back to the grants. And the fine-tuning. DK got back with a low-flattery/high-substance critique. Half of which I'm already on, one golden piece of advice and a few things that make me want to blow my brains out. But hey, what else is new? On the upside his opening para went on at length about the degree to which my craft has improved. At least we agree on that. In fact what I'm hearing is what I expected. He stayed up past his bedtime because the first 100 pages just pulled him through remorselessly - which a lot of readers have said so far, about the whole book in most cases - and has an issue with the flip that occurs halfway through.
Anyway, all very fixable and in no time at all if we're using (twitch) Fateless as any sort of benchmark.
This post provided as a public service.
Feb. 18th, 2011 11:58 amFirstly, here is the funniest thing ever created on the internet. Without exception.
I first saw Kevin Spacey do impressions years ago when he ran through a bunch of alternate castings for Star Wars. Here's one: Jack Lemmon as Chewbacca.
And this is Spacey on The Actor's Studio, being forced to run the gamut.
And a brilliant song I'd almost forgotten about with a video that I think is pretty great.
I first saw Kevin Spacey do impressions years ago when he ran through a bunch of alternate castings for Star Wars. Here's one: Jack Lemmon as Chewbacca.
And this is Spacey on The Actor's Studio, being forced to run the gamut.
And a brilliant song I'd almost forgotten about with a video that I think is pretty great.
The Mountain Goats "This Year" from A Bruntel on Vimeo.
[Melb] Grand Sale!
Feb. 18th, 2011 11:48 amA friend has something of a break-in-the-making overseas and needs to sell his car. It's a near-new 2007 turbo-diesel Golf. I quote: "She's a beautiful set of wheels, and startingly cheap to run - probably my only regret with this trip is I need to sell her to finance it."
If anyone's in the market drop me a line and I'll put you in touch.
If anyone's in the market drop me a line and I'll put you in touch.
For the month of March Angry Robot Books are opening their doors to unsolicited manuscripts from unagented authors.
They look professional and publish the likes of Dan Abnett and K.W. Jeter.
If you have something ready to go, this would probably be a good time to stick it in an envelope. If they take you on then getting agent becomes a hell of a lot simpler and, from there, paradoxically, getting published.
[via![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
valkyriekaren]
They look professional and publish the likes of Dan Abnett and K.W. Jeter.
If you have something ready to go, this would probably be a good time to stick it in an envelope. If they take you on then getting agent becomes a hell of a lot simpler and, from there, paradoxically, getting published.
[via
valkyriekaren](no subject)
Feb. 14th, 2011 01:44 pmI've started getting feedback from about five readers now, some of it qualified but all of it definitely very positive. Compared to the death march Fateless was this fantastic.
Library day. Twentysomething guy behind me in a white t-shirt and white stretch jeans with Elvis aviators and a quiff has golden angel wings strapped to him, and his lady friend is carrying a cellophane bag full of golden heart balloons. She keeps telling him "You'll be fine, you'll be fine..." I guess he agreed to get pimped out for some cheeseball VD promotion.
Started fixing bodyclock last night. Woke at 4am as a result. Not exactly sharp at the moment, but looking forward to getting work done. If I can keep my eyes open.
rufus got in touch to work out plans for New Orleans. Could still happen but realistically probably not. I need to start saving up an advertising fund for Falling in 2012, which includes airfare to whatever countries publish it. So we're calling NO a plan for 2012.
Library day. Twentysomething guy behind me in a white t-shirt and white stretch jeans with Elvis aviators and a quiff has golden angel wings strapped to him, and his lady friend is carrying a cellophane bag full of golden heart balloons. She keeps telling him "You'll be fine, you'll be fine..." I guess he agreed to get pimped out for some cheeseball VD promotion.
Started fixing bodyclock last night. Woke at 4am as a result. Not exactly sharp at the moment, but looking forward to getting work done. If I can keep my eyes open.
rufus got in touch to work out plans for New Orleans. Could still happen but realistically probably not. I need to start saving up an advertising fund for Falling in 2012, which includes airfare to whatever countries publish it. So we're calling NO a plan for 2012.(no subject)
Feb. 13th, 2011 04:05 amThis is the latest trailer for DC Universe Online. The game - from most reports - is pretty average, but io9 was right about one thing: the trailer leaves a lot of actual superhero movies in the dust. And the reveal of the dude in the cloak is kinda cool. And makes me wish there was an actual frickin' story backing this up because now I'm curious.
Also, I suck at keeping normal hours.
Also, I suck at keeping normal hours.
On being a successful actor
Feb. 11th, 2011 06:30 pmAccording to Michael Caine there are three things you must NOT have in order to succeed as an actor:
1). If you can see your nostrils when facing a mirror levelly, you'll never make it.
2). If, when using your mouth for normal speech, we can see more gum than teeth, you'll never make it.
3). If, when relaxed, we can see the white of your eye above the iris, you'll never make it.
All these things, on a movie screen, are disconcerting. But if you have all three you'll probably make a fortune in horror films.
He also says to ignore advice from old actors, as in fifty years not one of them ever gave him any encouragement whatsoever.
1). If you can see your nostrils when facing a mirror levelly, you'll never make it.
2). If, when using your mouth for normal speech, we can see more gum than teeth, you'll never make it.
3). If, when relaxed, we can see the white of your eye above the iris, you'll never make it.
All these things, on a movie screen, are disconcerting. But if you have all three you'll probably make a fortune in horror films.
He also says to ignore advice from old actors, as in fifty years not one of them ever gave him any encouragement whatsoever.
*thumbtwiddle*
Feb. 10th, 2011 05:09 pmSecond 'day off', so to speak. Woke late yesterday, pottered, crashed for another four hours. Spent another four proofing DK's manuscript. Genuinely affecting ghost story. Jumped on WoW with Blithe for a couple of hours. Ron Skyped for our weekly business planning meeting thing.
Today slept late. More proofing.
Short story: I'm not much good being around my stuff and not working on something. Going out tonight. Taking my gear. Will spend tomorrow either/and/or plotting a short screenplay, plotting a short ghost story, chasing The Age RE Estonia, completing a travel article, submitting existing ones or prepping a grant application.
Two readers got back so far, both having read 'Falling' in one sitting, both with high praise. But you can't thrill everyone, so I'm expecting a few 'but's. Detailed critiques to follow. Can't wait to attach the final draft to an email to Howard and hit SEND. That's gonna be glorious.
Today slept late. More proofing.
Short story: I'm not much good being around my stuff and not working on something. Going out tonight. Taking my gear. Will spend tomorrow either/and/or plotting a short screenplay, plotting a short ghost story, chasing The Age RE Estonia, completing a travel article, submitting existing ones or prepping a grant application.
Two readers got back so far, both having read 'Falling' in one sitting, both with high praise. But you can't thrill everyone, so I'm expecting a few 'but's. Detailed critiques to follow. Can't wait to attach the final draft to an email to Howard and hit SEND. That's gonna be glorious.
Sod all left to do on the book and my eyes feel like they're made of ceramic. Might post a preview chapter to the olde websyte. Got feedback from my psych fact-checker who a). couldn't put it down, b). gives feedback I trust and c). said I didn't need their consult as I'd nailed everything. So that's something. Fingers crossed other readers feel the same way. Should know in a fortnight hopefully.
Went to Moonlight Cinema last night, caught Donnie Darko. Haven't seen it in years. Captures a bang-on sense of 1988. Nails the atmosphere and all the trappings perfectly. Next time we're definitely taking a more comprehensive kit though. Could have used an extra blanket. Load the travel pack, use it as a couch or head-rest or something.
Blargh. Back to it.
Went to Moonlight Cinema last night, caught Donnie Darko. Haven't seen it in years. Captures a bang-on sense of 1988. Nails the atmosphere and all the trappings perfectly. Next time we're definitely taking a more comprehensive kit though. Could have used an extra blanket. Load the travel pack, use it as a couch or head-rest or something.
Blargh. Back to it.
[GetUp] [Oz] "We ain't seen nothing yet."
Feb. 7th, 2011 04:10 pm"We ain't seen nothing yet." The Government's Climate Advisor Ross Ganaut on the extreme weather devastating Australia.
In order to pay for a flood disaster made more likely by dangerous fossil fuel pollution, the Gillard Government wants to cut and defer $250 million from the Solar Flagships program, meant to fund large-scale solar power stations in Australia.
But we've found a $600m loophole in the way polluting crude oil production is taxed that if closed would easily allow the Prime Minister to keep supporting renewable energy while helping Queenslanders and Victorians.
The flood package is being debated in Parliament this week, so we need to act urgently. The government is relying on support from key independents and the Greens to pass the legislation. Adam Bandt is in the perfect position to influence the flood package's final form. He needs to know that he has your support before he can make a stand and negotiate for our future.
Click here to send a message to Adam Bandt, asking him to support renewable energy.
Here's how the loophole works: having previously promised to tax the crude oil produced by gas companies as a by-product of production (known as condensate) the former Rudd Government gave in to industry lobbyists who bullied politicians into giving them a cheaper tax rate for their polluting oil production if their facility was built before 18 September 1975.
It's an arbitrary policy that was the result of industry lobbying. Just a fortnight ago, Treasury estimated that this benefits the bottom line of big polluters like Woodside to the tune of $600 million a year.
As much of Victoria is still underwater, as bushfires rage in Western Australia, and as Sydney emerges from the biggest heatwave since records started in 1858, we know that cutting clean energy programs is the last thing we should be doing.
That's why its crucial that when Parliament resumes tomorrow, Adam Bandt helps negotiate a solution to fund reconstruction efforts, while also reducing pollution and supporting renewable energy.
https://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveRenewableEnergy
Thank you for speaking out,
The GetUp Team
PS -- We're hiring! Are you a talented campaigner? Or can you help us get organized as we scale our work as our Executive Officer? Know someone who you think would be great? Suggest someone to us (or suggest yourself) here
In order to pay for a flood disaster made more likely by dangerous fossil fuel pollution, the Gillard Government wants to cut and defer $250 million from the Solar Flagships program, meant to fund large-scale solar power stations in Australia.
But we've found a $600m loophole in the way polluting crude oil production is taxed that if closed would easily allow the Prime Minister to keep supporting renewable energy while helping Queenslanders and Victorians.
The flood package is being debated in Parliament this week, so we need to act urgently. The government is relying on support from key independents and the Greens to pass the legislation. Adam Bandt is in the perfect position to influence the flood package's final form. He needs to know that he has your support before he can make a stand and negotiate for our future.
Click here to send a message to Adam Bandt, asking him to support renewable energy.
Here's how the loophole works: having previously promised to tax the crude oil produced by gas companies as a by-product of production (known as condensate) the former Rudd Government gave in to industry lobbyists who bullied politicians into giving them a cheaper tax rate for their polluting oil production if their facility was built before 18 September 1975.
It's an arbitrary policy that was the result of industry lobbying. Just a fortnight ago, Treasury estimated that this benefits the bottom line of big polluters like Woodside to the tune of $600 million a year.
As much of Victoria is still underwater, as bushfires rage in Western Australia, and as Sydney emerges from the biggest heatwave since records started in 1858, we know that cutting clean energy programs is the last thing we should be doing.
That's why its crucial that when Parliament resumes tomorrow, Adam Bandt helps negotiate a solution to fund reconstruction efforts, while also reducing pollution and supporting renewable energy.
https://www.getup.org.au/
Thank you for speaking out,
The GetUp Team
PS -- We're hiring! Are you a talented campaigner? Or can you help us get organized as we scale our work as our Executive Officer? Know someone who you think would be great? Suggest someone to us (or suggest yourself) here
