Beautiful music and fantastic reading

I thought, for a change, I’d make a positive post. Yeah, shocking, I know. I’m just spending my weekend boning up on my music and reading, hoping I’d luck out and find something decent to while away the lonely weekend hours at I cuddle my kitty and sip my drinks. And kiddies, did I ever hit some paydirt.

Let’s start with what I consider one of the coolest websites to show up in recent memory, Wowio.com. It’s basically a site where you sign up and can download actual, real books, comics, etc from many different genres and authors. Did I mention for free? Yes, absolutely free. The only thing they ask if you verify who you are with a credit card or some other service that says you are you. Skeptical, don’t be. It’s because each download is registered to you and you alone. It’s your free gift from Wowio. They only ask that you click the Thank You button next to the download button. Big name advertisers pay them so the materials are free. You reap the benefits. God bless new media.

So I’ve tested the waters a few times to see if I could find something worth promoting this site to my family and friends. Some of their comics are independent crap in my opinion, but some like Carnival of Souls just rocks. The one thing of pure gold, to me as this is my site and my opinion, is an author named Anthony Bidulka and his PI named Russell Quant. These books are really good and a great way to pass the time.

The books, at least the ones I’ve read, take their titles from food or drink the characters find on their travels as they seek to solve the current murder mystery of the week. I like this, as it reminds me of Laurell K.’s habit of naming her Anita Blake books after locations they heroine visits. I’m sure this is a popular tool in the mystery writers belt, but I personally like the weird ones you just have to look for in the stories. Fuck the Maltese Falcon. Gimme Tapas on the Ramblas any day.

I’ll give you a bit of info on the basic story seed so you can see if you would care to check it out, free of course. Detective Quant is a PI in his early thirties who is getting his business on its feet. Along they way he is hired by some quirky characters who need him to check out everything from blackmail to missing grooms to murder. Still a little to generic for you? How’s this, Russell’s gay and so are most of the clients and people in his life. The characters feel like real people and this bit of a twist on the mystery genre just helps give it that little push it needs to make it stand out at something worth taking a look at it.

Honestly though, the mysteries aren’t all that spectacular, but the author’s ability to weave a good story is. It’s just a series of damn good reads and I promise, if  you like some stuff that’s not the usual top ten craptastic novels of the month, you’ll like these books.

As for the music, I’ve just got two words for you. Edina Menzel. I’ve finally gotten the chance to try out some of her non-Broadway music and, I can’t stress this enough, it’s fucking good. She’s a true songbird who doesn’t need to be modified by a computer like many of the singers out today. She’s from Broadway folks, Rent and Wicked to name a few of her shows. It’s not so much like she’s singing to the music, it’s more like she’s singing and the music feels the need to perform with her. Her piano version of Better To Have Loved is a stunning piece of music. If you get a chance, give her a listen.

Some other music I’ve come across is VSB.  It’s not for everyone, as the music and lyrics are of a very dark nature, but if you like Industrial Metal, you might like them. Werewolf is awesome and the video is on youtube, should you want to give it a look.

Another great album is Van Hellsing’s Curse: Oculus Infernum. It’s a weird mix of metal, classical, goth and a few other things, but the mixture of the performers is mind blowing on a few tracks, such as Let Me Prey. This too can be looked up on aformentioned site. The only lyrics are background voculs of traditional chants done in latin, but the music itself is just fantastic. It’s a concept album with a story where each piece is given at the beginning before the piece starts. This is what makes it a great Halloween album, though I like to listen to it all the time.

So, if you’re in the mood, give my recommendations a try. There’s nothing to lose, but much to gain if you only spare a little time to get a taste of something new and savory. It’s gourmet dining for your senses, and what could be better?

Late night commercials and news that isn’t new…

For the longest time I’ve pretty much stopped watching TV, except for a few isolated shows. Last night I made the mistake of watching a few hours of stand up on a certain channel that specializes in such entertainment. You know the one. While the comedians where really good, there was one small problem, the commercials. Not only did these commercials take longer to end than the segments of the show, they all consisted of the same basic things.

Do you have a small dick? Are you ashamed of this fact, but want to screw girls who look like they’re 14? Well, do we have the products you want! We have pills and potions which can give  you a bigger cock, and while you wait you can jerk it to barely legal teen girls who are one drink from drooling on themselves and going into liver failure! And if that’s not enough, you can download pictures of girls in skimpy underwear onto your phone! And call our chat lines to talk to young, hot girls who are getting paid to talk to your stupid ass!

Seriously, and this is to the guys, what the hell is this shit? Do young girls really turn you on? And do you honestly consider these pills and shit? Cause lemme tell ya, if you like to jerk it to Lolita, no magic pill will make me want to fuck you. It’s sick.

And as for those videos, drunk sluts aren’t sexy. It’s revolting, especially knowing there is a market out there of men who pay for this shit. She’s cross eyed from liquor, has no tits and is making out badly on camera with another really really drunk girl, and this turns you on? Shoot yourself, for the love of God. You’re not doing anything to help this world, and I pray you never spawn children. Your twisted DNA should be cleansed from the gene pool ASAP.

I honestly pray some of these men who get off on those videos are going at themselves one night watching the newest Drunk Teen Girls 15 and just as they’re about to pop, they’re little princess is on camera violating herself with a champagne bottle at the behest of some geriatric film producer who is going to make a fortune off his daughter’s drunken humiliation.

And onto the other topic. What the fuck is up with some of the news pages who barely show news, but have tons of “human interest pieces” which are basically inhumane? I don’t care to read 50 articles telling me what food is horrible for me because some author wrote a book about it. Spare me some critic’s list of the top 10,20,40 or 100 worst blah blah blah. Opinion pieces have no place on front pages where people look for news articles. Those go in the editorial section. I don’t care what celebrity adopted the chic third world kid of the week. Fashion do’s and don’ts are a waste of my precious time. Must I go on?

When I log on, I want news. Tell me how preparations for the new Olympic games are going. I know there is some controversy, but lord knows I have no clue what it is because the one tiny articles explaining it was buried under some pop diva’s latest drug fueled rampage throught a department store or whatever it’s chic to be doing this week. Is it still going to rehab? I honestly don’t know anymore. I can’t stand to even look at the news pages because of this.

I want to know what’s going on in the world. I’ll take war stories and politics at this point. Hell, the pope meeting with the molestation victims is a big news day to me considering the other options. It’s just depressing as hell these days to dry and read anything informative.

Look, I’m really not asking for that much. Keep the slutty girls and the penis pills off my tv and let me watch my shows in peace. Keep the stuff the tabloids print off my home page and my news sites, I just want to know what the hell is going on in the REAL world, not Hollyhell land.

 

Hello World

Oh where to begin? Work has been killing me, slowly but surely. When I’m not working 11 hour shifts, I’m so exhausted I’m coming home and sleeping till work time the next day. All worth it for a fifty cent raise, right? Luckily I came into some vacation time and I’ve had two whole days of me time. Well, half a day of me time and a day and a half of “pay attention to the kitty” time.

On the story front, I have alot of ideas for stuff and not much else. If I find the time and the drive, you’ll see something soon. Maybe not MIDAS, but a story all the same. Right now though, I’m waiting on a deal to go through for some of my previous works. If it happens soon enough, I can spare more time to getting stuff done for you readers and I won’t need as much in the way of currency for things like heat, food and water.

Honestly, I suck at getting things done lately. Trust me, one look at my home will tell you that. I need about a month paid vacation to sort everything out. Between depression from everything and it’s cousin driving me bonkers, to pure lack of energy, nothing in my life is getting accomplished. Though I still make my quota at my job, plus my bonus. Which isn’t all that great, let me tell you. You’d think two pay raises since January and bonus checks would be enough, but the more money I make, the more things need to get paid for.

Though, if things go according to plan, in the following months I might can make a change for the better. I’m looking at moving to a new home, a better job and having alot more money, time and energy on my hands. Plus there is a chance to further my education, plus expand my marketable job skills. Let’s face it, there is jack out there for someone with a BA in Anthropology who minored in Classics and Languages. (Latin for those of you who will ask, aka Shade.) Yeah, I don’t forget my loyal fans.

It’s just going to take time to get all this done, but I feel like I could be happier in the long run if I just make it to this summer and figure it all out then. Cross your fingers, say a prayer or ten and hope for me.

I think I’m going to need all the luck I can get.

Update

I know I said I’d try to get someting ready for after Christmas, but life happened again. In the time after Christmas, my parents spent a week here visiting me which meant I didn’t get anything done. That week concluded with my granfather passing away, which meant another week with no updates. To say I’ve been down is an understatement, I’ve been downright depressed.

I’ve been getting no sleep, and what energy I do have is split between work and taking care of a hyperactive kitten. Today was the first day I’ve actually slept since God knows when.

So no promises when MIDAS will resume with updates. It’s not dead, but I don’t have anything to add to the world just now. I just can’t seem to find the time to devote to it that you all deserve. All I can ask is that you hold on for a little bit longer and we’ll see how things go. You never know, I might just suprise everyone including myself and do something amazing. Or MIDAS will gather dust while I get things worked out.

I’m just not gonna stop trying. I don’t give up that easy.

As the world burns…

I suck at updating, let’s face it. But I have the best of intentions, just lack of follow-through. Sorry about that, but my life is just now recovering from financial and stress induced hell.

Starting Monday, December the 17 I will be starting a new position at work which is allows me to play up my strong points and ignores the weaker aspects of my skills. Yay! This also means dealing less with horrible supervisors, bitchy co-workers and the general crappy work I seem to get assigned more than anyone else. That ends now.

Friday of this week, I’m going out of town for Christmas. I’ll be away from my computer for about a week, but I plan on taking a notebook with me and actually working on ideas, if not writing actual stories, in my free time. This is what I need. No work, no Warcraft, no distractions except for family stuff, which won’t be that heavy. Let’s just say in recent years my family is less than tight and leave it at that.

So hopefully I’ll have something more than presents to show for my time off. This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to get something ready this week, just means it’s more likely to come with the new year. The new site needs some content, so AE and I will probably work on character bios and information on the world in it’s own special section of the site.

So I’d like to take this time to wish everyone a happy holiday in case I don’t get around to making another post till 2008.

Woohoo

Time for an update! Things have been kinda slow around here, but that’s not terrible. I have the first chapter of the next arc written, gonna finish it off and get it up soo. Just not here. That’s write everyone, I finally have my website up and running. You can now read the Midas Chronicles at http://www.midaschronicles.com/. Update your bookmarks. I’m very pleased with the look and the new title. But I do want feedback. For the next week anything you want to post, you can post here or there, but starting next week I’d like all feedback sent to the new site. This will then become strictly an artist’s blog. Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for the next chapter.

Happy Thanksgiving

I know it’s a little late to be making this post, but I’m just now getting around to it. I didn’t have a majorly busy day, but I’d still like to tell the people who bother to read this about it.

I got up at 9 in the morning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is a point of pride that since I was born, I have only missed it once, and that was beyond my control. The local cable went out and the local station wasn’t carrying it that year. Yeah, it’s slightly nuts, but I will not miss this parade for the world. I wait all year for it.

Near the end of the parade, I started my dinner for the day. Roasted chicken with black beans and onions, mashed potatoes, home made biscuits, cream gravy and roasted carrots. It was awesome. Sadly no pie since I’m short on cash and can’t afford the makings for desserts. I miss pumpkin pie though. Gonna have to get some during Christmas, or this will be a sucktastic year.

Everything was going well and I was having a nice morning till the very end of the parade. You know the part where Santa shows up and heralds the end of the show? Yeah, that part. Well, I had a minor break down at that point. It kinda hit me how I was without my family and friends for the first time on a major holiday. I recovered quickly, but it still felt kinda weird for a while. Luckily I talked to both of my parents, some friends and got my druid up to level 16 with her water form shapeshift. Yes, I always play video games on Thanksgiving.

Now things are going to get back to semi-normal around here since the holiday is over. Gotta do dishes and clean the apartment tomorrow before Alexandra gets here for our sleepover. Trust me, it’s getting to the point I would rather not come home it’s so messy here. Yeah, it’s that bad. So cleaning time.

Next week rent is due and I should be able to cover it, as long as nothing more than my credit card bill shows up needing money. Also next week is when I turn 24. My first birthday alone. Yeah, that bottle of rum in the fridge isn’t gonna make it to the next day.

So that’s my holiday. No family, friends or pie… the bills are coming due and I’m scraping by… I need to clean badly and do laundry (this means a tub washing cause I can’t afford the machine)…. and yet I’m still thankful to be on my own and living my own life according to my rules.

So it’s still a good holiday. Sorta.

Updates, changes and continuations

Howdy gang, making a quick post before bed. Which I desperately need, since the flu is kicking my butt all over the city and back. After Tuesday, I have five days off from work, so hopefully I’ll get something done on the stories by then. Right now I’m debating on what kind of story to do next. Since MIDAS has an ensamble cast, it could very easily turn into a character study, which is one possibility. Another is focusing on expanding more about the organization and the world in which it takes place, which will be very very exposition heavy. A third possibility is another horror/suspense chapter. Just let me know what you would like to see and I’ll work on my ideas and see if a cohesive idea comes together for it. What I’ve currently have written is very exposition heavy, and I’m worried it could hurt what I’ve already set up with Dead Air. If the feedback I get says you all don’t mind learning more with less action for a while, then I’ll continue. If you all feel that the story needs to be more exciting for a while with bits and pieces added to the world as I go, I’ll have to work on a new set of stories, which won’t be too hard.

That’s the update part. The changes part is I’ve already applied for a domain name and will be working on setting up a permanent website sometime in the next week or so. Which means this site will change to be specifically for my blogging whereas the site will be strictly for fiction.

As for continuations, I’m still sick as a dog. This flu is getting worse since I’m barely eating and not getting much sleep, so my body is getting weaker by the day. The holidays should help with that, but I still have one more day of work to get through before I can just rest. Wish me luck. Also, my finances are still sucky. Since I’m having to miss work due to this illness, my rent check will be less than I need it to be. I think I have enough to cover rent for December, but it will be tight. But it can’t be helped so I’m not going to stress over it, I’ll just work on dealing with things one day at a time.

But if you all want to do something to help me out, get the word out about Dead Air and the MIDAS Chronicles. The more readers I get means the faster word will spread and hopefully I can start making some money from ads and such when the site is up and running.

Also, check out the soundtrack to Spamalot if you get the chance, it’s wonderful. If you like a good laugh, you’ll be laughing all the way through.

Finally, I plan on posting information about a few characters this week, some you have seen and maybe some you haven’t. This will help me flesh them out in my head, and let you all get to know them a little better. So let me know if there is someone you want to know more about or if you would prefer to wait and find out things about Janus or Artemis to appear in the stories themselves. I’ll still do the character bios thing, but I just won’t post them yet.

But alas, time for me to slumber deep and awake to a new day. I wish you all a happy holiday week in America and a good week to all you around the world. Good night.

Hack cough hack

Tis the season to be snotty. That’s right folks, it’s cold and flu season once again and I have the flu. It’s a kick in the ass, I assure you. Headaches, fever, chills, coughing and sneezing… the whole shabang and then some. The fun part is I work in a place where it’s germ season year round. Damn people…

Luckily, it’s only the flu. Other people I know have had bronchial infections or/or pneumonia in the past few weeks, with whatever causing it spreading. So if I have to choose between a hospital stay and the stomach flu, yeah, well, I’d rather puke than suffocate.

I haven’t forgotten about Dead Air. The finale is written, just waiting for me to finish it off and put it up. Plus I’ve started on the first chapter of Awakening. That title is subject to change if I think of anything better in the mean time.

Next week is Thanksgiving, which means this is the first one I’ll be spending alone. Add in my birthday being the week after that and …. Yeah, I’m kinda depressed. Not the whole “It only hurts on the first cut” depression. More like “this fucking sucks and now I want ice cream” kinda depression.

I don’t actually have a rant at this time. I mean I could go on about how on the battlegrounds the Alliance seems to be composed of twink idiots and the Horde are nothign but power gamers, but not feeling it. Already done idiots on diets, so not repeating myself there. How about corporations putting a stranglehold on sick leave and creating workplaces that are breeding grounds for illness? Nah, I know you all are feeling that one less than I am.

 Basically I’m burned out. I get paid half as much for doing twice the work, the people around me are certifiable lunatics (NOT an exaggeration), I’m sick and all my paid days off are ear-marked for days a month away. I wish that was just me complaining, but that’s actually the truth at my job.

So here’s something that I plan/hope to pull off before the end of the year. I will try to start updating my stories faster so help build up a reader base, including starting at least one other series. After that takes off, assuming it will, I’ll consider putting up ad space and a donation box, but I won’t till I feel I’m putting out a product and not just a hand. Alexandra of MU and Randy of Something*Positive have done this and shown it works, but only if the author is committed to their creations and not just doing it as a sometimes thing. So that’s what I need to do, because even a few dollars extra a month will help in the long run and keep my bank account from being a rubber ball again. But only if I have the supply to meet demand, or I’m just another hack looking for free money, which isn’t fair to the readers.

So that’s my world at the moment. I’m going to work on MIDAS tonight before I curl up and pass out from fever, so yeah, things could get interesting. Hang in there folks, it’s bound to get better soon.

A little need to know info

I’ve meant to post this, but I’m lazy and find other things to do with my time. If you post on here for the first time, don’t worry if you don’t see your post immediately. WordPress requires I approve each poster the first time or their posts are put away for me to review. Not that anyone has tried posting dozens of times with no success, just letting you all know about this. Personally, I wouldn’t care if people just posted without needing my approval first, but it’s how this system works. Hopefully soon I can get with Alexandra and set up a permanent website for MIDAS and any other works I plan on releasing as time allows.

For those who don’t know, I’m a typer monkey at a major corporation. I spend nine hours a day typing phone book listings for updating things like Yahoo, Google and GPS units for cars. Every time you look up a phone number or address online, yep, that’s me. So I’m exhausted nearly every day of the week from this. It’s not a hard job, but it’s very boring and tedious and that drains you just as badly as continious hard work and such. So that’s part of the reason why stories aren’t regular events. Plus, as I said, I’m lazy. I’d rather play games or watch movies than have to type more than necessary. The only main exclusion to this is when I rant about stuff going on in my life or things that just drive me up a wall.

I hope everyone enjoys the stories, and I’ve been getting really positive feedback since I started, so that makes me happy. But please, feel free to comment on things you find interesting or that my stories remind you of, or even things you think could be improved on, or even monsters and things you would find interesting. Just remember, I’m prickly and respond badly to a rude review or comment. Saying you would like to see vampires show up soon is fine, telling me to put vampires in the next story will get your head bitten off. Telling me where typos are is fine, making me feel bad for making typos will probably not end well. Stuff like that.

Now since I’m posting, I feel a small rant coming on.

Ok, anyone who has seen me post about diet stuff on forums will know how volatile and opinionated I am on such things. So some of this shouldn’t come as a suprise.

Many people where I work have commented on the diet where you have six small meals a day because some doctor or other said it was better and a friend told them about a book another person read and blah blah blah. I’m not saying this is bad, just how they go about it is bad.

Six small meals a day. Meals. Balanced courses in smaller proportions. Three normal meals split in half fills this need. Or so you would think.

Apparently a meal now consists of yogurt and a banana. Or one measured cup of cereal dry or some other weird measurement of food. This isn’t normal folks. Yes, that stuff is good for you, but not all the time and not if you are sacrificing other important food groups in the process.

Yes, the yogurt and banana is fine, but tomorrow try having some bread and meat instead of dairy and fruit. Or do that for your second meal. And those diet shakes don’t count.

Basically these women (I say women because they’re the only ones I’ve heard talking about this so far) think cutting out important food groups is fine if they drink a chocolate flavored diet shake instead of eating one of the six meals they need. Um… no. Those drinks are designed to replace a FULL meal. Which means you’re getting more calories and shit than you’re planning on, which is why you’re not losing weight as fast.

And I’m sure there are lots of people out there doing this who are intelligent about their needs and fulfilling them, but some of these people are not. Dry cereal is not a freaking meal unless your next one consists of a glass of milk and a banana. And trust me, they’re not.

And honestly girls, look at what you have for dinner. You’re either starving yourselves instead of eating normal food or having fried chicken, macaroni with cheese and rolls, but “just in smaller proportions”. No no no. The chicken is fine, just remove the skin and bake it. The pasta is fine, but try making it from scratch. Have the rolls, just not with the pasta. Simple logic should dictate that. Cutting carbs is fine, just don’t quit eating them at all. Your body needs them for normal functions.

My point is, alot of these diets aren’t harmful alone, it’s the extremes we go to when we’re on them. Seriously, plan out three square meals and split them in half. That’s six small meals right there, which is what the specialists and doctors are talking about. Not starving yourself and eating just a cup of dry cereal measured out whenever you’re about to pass out from hunger. And stop with the damn diet shakes. There is some bad juju in those things, and I’m waiting for the news report about how one million people need liver transplants because some chemical in the drinks destroyed a vital organ.