...

That bastard Nietzsche was right...

When you look into the abyss, the abyss does looks into you.

A Random April Driveby before the elephant comes stomping along...

Recent Reads:
Tom Piccirilli's The Dead Letters
With shame, I must admit, I haven't read a lot of Pic's work... although my favorite is still his poetry anthology, The Devil's Wine.

With The Dead Letters, PIc introduces us to Killjoy, a serial killer who is immensely amusing with his.. uh... choice of words and imagination in his letters. You'll see. Go read it. You'll see why Pic's prose has been described as lyrical and poetic and beautiful. I can see why the man loves poetry so much - it rings through in bright vivid colors throughout his long fiction and I can't wait to read another.

Eric Shapiro's It's Only Temporary
I picked up this release by Permuted Press earlier than I'd wanted to. I'd heard of it before, and the guys at Permuted are friends with the guys at Insidious Publications... more than enough to make me curious in the first place. But when John Skipp recommended it... well hell, that was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back and I ordered it up from Amazon the next day.

Shapiro's got a great little end of the world tale here... and what I like best about it is his sense of story. I've always been drawn in other's works, as well as my own, to have the focus not on the horror itself... but the people, the characters involved in the horror. Sounds simple enough, but all too often, it's not accomplished. In It's Only Temporary, Shapiro combines some really funny moments with a few emotional spots as well. And it all happens during the final hours of the planet's existence. Pick it up.. you won't be disappointed and you'll thank me later when he becomes a lot more popular than he is now.

Current Music:
Amy Winehouse: Back in Black
On first listen, you'll think someone slipped in an old soul singer from the late fifties, but as you listen, you'll hear the production values are tight and refined. It's classy... smooth... tight. Go check out a few samples from this place: (They're legit and easy to buy from btw) and see for yourself.

Eels: Beautiful Freak
Yeah, it's older, but it's damn good to chill out and relax to.

The top 100 Billboard tracks of 2005
Because my best friend Buddha gave me them to me and it's a damn fine game to play "Name that Tune" with in my office. (Except for the Kelly Clarkson tracks... which send small neurological shivers up my spine as if someone is giving me electric shock with a rusty cattle prod)

Current Infatuation: Trying not to piss anyone off needlessly, cause quite honestly, I'm just plain tired of arguing right now.

Favorite recent quote:
Guy's walking down the street and he kicks a Coke can, and out comes a genie, and the genie says: "I will grant you one wish." The guy says, "I don't need anything. I'm happy. I play tennis. I sing in a rock group. But there is just one thing. I want to go to Florida and I hate flying. Can you build me a bridge from London to Miami?" And the genie scratches his head and says, "I don't think I can do that. That's a bit too much." So the guy says, "Wait a minute: women. Can you explain the ways of a woman's mind?" And the genie looks at him and says, "About that bridge. Do you want a handrail and lights?" It's a handrail and lights, man. Whenever there's trouble with women we all go, "Just give me the bridge." It's much easier.
-- Robert Plant, during an interview with Details Magazine

Recent Movies:
Descent
Go watch this. it will make your jump. It will make your heart race.
Plus, it's got a great script, great direction, and it's probably one of the best horror flicks out in the past five years.

Jackass 2
Is like a bloody car wreck on the highway.
I see it. I can't help but look at it. I'm repulsed by most of it, but a tiny part of me can't help but be amused in it's own way. But boys... the race horse? Oh Sweet Christ Almighty... the race horse?

Cocaine Cowboys, documentary
If you ever wanted to know anything about the cocaine trade in Miami during the late 70's, and 80's, watch this. You'll hear about landing in Miami with under 700 dollars and within a few months, making 375,000 a week, literally running out of room to put the money, and how everyone has a price. Some entertaining research.

The Illusionist
A bit predictable, but has a good story line and Ed Norton does a hell of a job in his role. More of a love story behind it than I thought, but works out well.

Y' see that thing over in the corner?

Coming soon, it's time to talk about that big pink elephant in the middle of the room.

** and many thanks to all of you who have called or emailed about the April Fools post... they were tremendously entertaining, and one damn near made me spit out my Sailor Jerry's rum and coke as I read it. =)

A fork stuck in the road

Haven't posted in a while...

Been thinking about a lot since my grandmother's death and how short life really is. Too short to continue chasing dreams... too short to keep planting crops that may never bear fruit.

After a lot of thought and soul searching, I've decided to give up writing. No use pursuing something like that anymore and about time I realized it.

I've done a lot research in the last few weeks and since I'll be giving up writing, I'll have a lot of extra time on my hands that I need to fill. But it should still turn a profit if I can... so I've decided to pursue raising Chinchillas. For every corn fed pseudo-rat that I raise, I'll profit $15 and since they breed like.. well.. you know... it shouldn't be long before the money is coming in hand over fist.

Thanks to all of you who have supported my writing in the past and I'm sorry for all the stories you'll never hear... but there's always someone else that you can read.




Happy April Fools.
=)