tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153970782012-01-27T06:58:26.469-06:00The LextopiaSpiritual, Communitarian Geek Ruminating on Culture, Writing and UtopiaThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.comBlogger6131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-14143827751215483792012-01-26T22:50:00.000-06:002012-01-27T06:58:26.480-06:00Storylab Chicago: Keeping Us Human through Storytelling
Last week at the prompting of a performer-of-many-trades friend, I had the delight of attending Storylab Chicago. The Black Rock Pub & Kitchen hosted the event and apparently welcomes Storylab every third Wednesday of the month.
Six storytellers provided fuel for laughs, reflections to ponder and even some sighs of sadness. The night provided a great opportunity for them to get up in front of The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-25389338626026221712012-01-16T21:27:00.000-06:002012-01-16T21:27:10.500-06:00Good Short Literature at Your Fingertips: The Chicago Reader Presents 2012 Pure Fiction
Every year the Chicago Reader, the local independent culture and politics newspaper puts out the Pure Fiction issue. They released the 2012 Pure Fiction Issue this past Thursday.
I probably wouldn't have picked it up from the side-of-the-road box if I had my phone or some other reading material. Being an election year also contributed to my inspiration. I've got plenty of benefits industry The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-27679452549313416972012-01-13T20:10:00.000-06:002012-01-13T20:10:10.400-06:00Finding Out I was Trying to Re-Invent the Wheel with My Research
Last night I bought a book for my bachelors project. Nothing too exciting in that statement. In many ways, though, this new book acts as a continuation on a book I bought and read more than ten years ago.
The authors of the new book don't say as much. They say that they're exploring territory that the first book and other books in the field didn't look at. The general field I'm trying to use, The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-31327223595823237652012-01-06T12:25:00.000-06:002012-01-06T12:25:43.541-06:00Tonight There Will Be Adventure that Hopefully Stimulates Me
Tonight I will be Ezekiel, the Elf Avenger, in a home brewed world that I don't know the name of. Ezekiel along with his companions has started a quest to bring the 5 desert sieges together to combine forces against some oncoming Doom (details unknown as of now).
Tonight will be session three of this campaign. Two sessions ago, we proved our mettle against the number 2 ranked gladiator team, The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-34197632389914473472011-09-09T22:41:00.000-05:002011-09-09T22:41:22.441-05:00Combining the Powers of iPad & Blackberry
For the last couple months when time has presented itself (seriously, I had no time control or management during July), I've worked on transcribing a handwritten sermon by George Ripley. He was a Unitarian minister at the Purchase Street Church in Boston during the 1830's.
The sermon is called On Common Sense in the Affairs of Religion. The content of the sermon doesn't matter for this essay.
The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-76333773752916726902011-06-21T06:54:00.001-05:002011-06-21T06:58:30.191-05:00Benefits and Lure of Flow Experience with My Bachelors Project
Did you know that when you're engrossed in an activity that you enjoy, your brain can enter a near-meditative state, beneficial to body, mind and soul?
- Humana Financial Protection Products brochureI got this quote from a brochure I received with the policy kit for my Critical Illness insurance policy. It hits upon how I feel about my writing and the type of experiences we should look for in The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-62495028264573809812011-06-19T14:39:00.000-05:002011-06-19T14:39:33.925-05:00Administrative Post: E-Mail Form Seems to Work
E-mail form to the right hadn't been working for awhile. I apologize if you tried to use it and received nothing in return. It works now. Please feel free to send me an e-mail using it.
Thank you.
The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-53100386065828892422011-06-16T21:37:00.001-05:002011-06-16T21:44:54.090-05:00Review of a Guide to Writing History
Thrashing about to find a workable thesis for my current paper on Brook Farm and utopianism, I found Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students by Patrick Rael, Bowdoin College. Looks like they put it in the writing guide section of their Website.
Rael has targeted this guide to students, most likely undergrads. People looking to teach themselves history writingThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-75265450511943938222011-04-10T19:39:00.000-05:002011-04-10T19:39:50.232-05:00Writer with Obsessive-Compulsive Tendencies Productively Procrastinating
Lately I've found myself getting more in touch with my Type A personality by productively procrastinating to the nth power.
Dishes need to get done
Keep my organization technology all in sync
Keep in touch with all my social contacts
Scan tons of documents then shred them to make room in apartment
Keep dishes washed to keep counter clean
Put clutter away
Provide tabletop gaming friends with The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-50388341890190805882011-04-08T22:46:00.002-05:002011-04-10T19:45:05.611-05:00Wibbley-Wobbley Timey-Wimey: Boredom-Inspired Ruminations on Doctor Who
WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN SERIES 4 OF THE NEW DOCTOR WHO AND AFTER: SPOI. . .LERS!
With the premiere of Doctor Who Series 6 coming up in a couple weeks (whether I see the first two hours on the big screen or the 30" widescreen at home is still to be seen), I figure now makes a good time to publish these ramblings excerpted from e-mails to the wife one long day at work.
EXCERPT 1
The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-85668688473919408422011-02-01T10:57:00.000-06:002011-02-01T10:57:15.740-06:00Is There Such a Thing as a Stability Economy?
It's scary how unrest like in Egypt can make the stock market prices go up. Makes you think about how our economy can benefit by unrest in the world since that creates a scarcity and drives up profit margin.
Makes sense, though, since our economy is based on Growth and Manifest Destiny. Last time I was thinking about how we need to figure out a new economy that gets rewarded by stability and The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-77731266561318826042010-12-18T20:29:00.003-06:002010-12-18T21:24:57.932-06:00Inception & Movie Audience: Not a Disappointment, but Could've Been so Much More
My catch phrase when starting to talk about Inception: It was good, but it could've reached for more and been better.
As an amateur writer, story crafter and science fiction fanboy, I appreciate the narrative technique, creation of continuity and sticking to the rules of continuity. To sum it up: THAT SHIT WAS TIGHT!
Coming from the "artist" and "literary critic" in me, though, Inception couldThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-52773133542419076222010-09-05T12:27:00.002-05:002010-09-12T21:05:24.203-05:00Complaint About Stream of Consciousness Writing: Don't Always Know When I'm Done
Previous entry in this series is Start of a Series -- Two Experiments in One: Beat Structure and Shorter Blog Entries.
Stream of consciousness writing doesn't provide obvious clues of completion. For instance, I started drafting the last paragraph [of the last blog entry] using stream of consciousness process. I could have spent hours writing, ending up with a page or two of unneeded text. The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-4529413965371645332010-09-02T22:26:00.001-05:002010-09-12T21:03:16.303-05:00Start of a Series -- Two Experiments in One: Beat Structure and Shorter Blog Entries
This entry starts a series of entries. I started writing a larger essay then got the compulsion to publish sections of it as I finish. This way feels more amenable to the blog form compared to my usual long essay form.
I need a better writing process. An afternoon and evening wasted a couple weeks ago writing a blog entry that I never published made this point clear. Take into further The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-42170575296032111642010-08-19T20:48:00.000-05:002010-08-19T20:48:25.544-05:00Announcing New Blogs by The_Wife
The_Wife has set up two new blogs:
Wildfire Weaver: Professional blog focusing on her fire dancing exploits, tools, gig announcements and the Chicago fire dancing scene
Magpie's Marbles: Personal blog without any particular focus, but she likes food, making jewelry, art, reading and has plenty of interesting thoughts on shiny things
The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-66274665315044547552010-07-09T21:55:00.000-05:002010-07-09T21:55:24.276-05:00C2E2 Panel: Novels, Gaming and Information LiteracyBack at the beginning of April on a Friday night and Saturday all day, I attended the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (or C2E2). My postings for this event will be short, closer to the expected writing style of the Internet.
On Saturday, I spent most of it attending panels, three of them to be exact. I took fairly copious notes. Instead of writing in an expository form and expanding on The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-34100597851820213702010-04-26T22:24:00.000-05:002010-04-26T22:24:32.972-05:00C2E2 Panel: Pulp FictionLast weekend on Friday night and Saturday all day, I attended the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (or C2E2). My postings for this event will be short, closer to the expected writing style of the Internet.
On Saturday, I spent most of it attending panels, three of them to be exact. I took fairly copious notes. Instead of writing in an expository form and expanding on ideas and topics, I’m The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-30785986715806549632010-04-18T14:18:00.001-05:002010-04-18T14:38:12.328-05:00C2E2 Panel: The Middle East and the City Streets: Superheroes in the Modern WorldFriday night and yesterday, I attended the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (or C2E2). My postings for this event will be short, closer to the expected writing style of the Internet.
On Saturday, I spent most of it attending panels, three of them to be exact. I took fairly copious notes. Instead of writing in an expository form and expanding on ideas and topics, I’m just going to provide The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-37373442827390996512010-04-18T13:06:00.003-05:002010-04-18T13:38:56.196-05:00C2E2: First Two Doctor Who Episodes of Series 5Friday night and yesterday, I attended the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (or C2E2). My postings for this event will be short, closer to the expected writing style of the Internet.
On Friday, I only saw the first two unaired in America episodes of the new Doctor Who season on two "big screens" (full screens similar to what public schools used to show old films for educational films before The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-28763734189978139452010-04-13T22:38:00.000-05:002010-04-13T22:38:07.192-05:00Researching in Boston: Day 1Serious research day one in Boston completed. Unfortunately, I don't have much to show for it. Ended up learning more about the organization of records, navigating through the records and issues that can arise with records, both while in a collection and once an author uses them.
Not much gained for useful content.
I want to brush aside a couple things that people following on Google Buzz and The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-23461341216188152792010-02-02T21:00:00.000-06:002010-02-02T21:00:42.754-06:00The Best & Worst Friend a Satirist can HaveA couple weeks ago, a friend/acquaintance challenged some statements I've been making about my beliefs over the last couple years. He rankled me quite a bit with questions, but he provided me with a service useful enough to make my injured pride worthwhile. The exchange between the two of us has forced me to craft my statements and "argument" better.
First, the encounter with said friend/The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-81792790964563249262010-01-04T20:27:00.000-06:002010-01-04T20:27:16.570-06:00Learning More About the Preservation and Utilization of Historical DocumentsWorking on an all out serious history project can get intense. It gets heavy when you start getting a look at primary sources. I've already described the learning curve I faced with the microfilm readers at the Wisconsin Historical Society. That aspect was just a technical matter. The process gets crazier once the information from the sources gets used.
I'm still running into some issues The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-67472392541203704362009-12-15T22:59:00.000-06:002009-12-15T22:59:34.782-06:00The Redmoon Winter PagentA group of friends and I went to see the Redmoon Winter Pagent in a warehouse at 1463 W Hubbard in Chicago, Redmoon Central, Thursday night, December 3, 2009. It cost about $18, including online service fees.
I had no expectations except that I thought it would be Cirque du Soleilish. Only substantiated thing I heard about Redmoon before the show was that they performed the Winter Pagent at The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-54092035174377150062009-11-27T23:04:00.001-06:002009-11-27T23:05:42.646-06:00Social Karma (third of a three part series on karma)At Shift Happens, a couple weeks ago, an audience member asked Emanuel Kuntzelman what he thought of social karma. The answer provided some food for thought because the audience member and Kuntzelman had two different definitions of social karma.
The audience member defined social karma similar to my extrapolation about individual people's karma with our interdependent web of existence. The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-50174171034527012202009-11-17T01:00:00.001-06:002009-11-18T09:53:00.591-06:00Criticism of Self-Help KarmaThe way that I understand how everyday American self help adherents understand karma bugs me.
The first part of the definition of karma with this crowd probably coincides well with the original ideas of karma. Something to the effect of "what goes around, comes around" or "what you put out, comes back."
I see a divergence, however, from my understanding of the spirit of karma after that point.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-33878945611916364422009-11-03T22:46:00.002-06:002009-11-27T23:05:09.935-06:00Shift HappensWednesday night last week, Greenheart put on an event called Shift Happens at the Chicago Center of Performing Arts at 777 N Green Street. The main draw for the event was a lecture by Emanuel Kuntzelman about collective positive transformation. Sandwiching the lecture, and possibly the main attraction for some people, local transformative, New Age and/or Eastern businesses put on an exhibition The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-39773601741364695782009-10-27T19:54:00.000-05:002009-10-27T19:54:39.883-05:00Tricked my Perfectionism with Some ProcrastinationPoints to the wife for having the patience to deal with me over the last 24 hours. My behavior had befit an artistế. And sadly, my behavior had its benefits.
Last week, I posted a great article about procrastination. It addressed how perfectionism can lead to procrastination. I easily fit into that category of procrastination even if I work all the darn time on my project. Maybe it’s my wayThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-89471235181834516392009-10-22T21:13:00.001-05:002009-10-22T21:23:15.750-05:00DorkCastSo during the approximately 20 hours of being trapped on a plane during our vacation, I had the opportunity to engage in more enriching leisure activities than usual. Probably the most inspiring of all those activities was listening to the Dorkcast podcast.
Three friends of mine, Jeffery Smith, Paul Schreiber and Shawn McDowell, have set up Dorkcast as a talk show about geek pop culture (The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-49191926027212123122009-10-14T19:51:00.003-05:002009-10-22T20:00:14.025-05:00Finding a Little Focus in LeisureLast week, the wife and I took a real American vacation to Hawaii and visited some friends in LA. None of that holiday vacation travel or travel for a wedding this time!
We took a whole week off, rested a fairly small amount, packed tons of active things to do into each day and got 8 hours of sleep every night (not because we felt the obligation for our health but because we did so much and ourThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-43614129781359908512009-10-12T22:12:00.024-05:002009-10-22T19:58:05.956-05:00Musings on Lack of Clarity in Primary DocumentsI've complained aplenty over the years about the lack of clarity in the primary documents written by George Ripley, the founder of Brook Farm.
Big issue I've had with Ripley has been his failure to define terms.
I guess it's the usual issue with human communication, though. Everyone in a conversation or argument believes all the participating parties share the same definitions and The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-69287510842668517022009-08-20T07:20:00.002-05:002009-08-20T07:26:04.873-05:00Dream #14More post dream commentary, since I can't distinctly remember the dream.Rolled over in bed, quarter conscious and said to the wife: "Craps."Wife: "What?"Me: "I was rolling dice. You know, the game. I want to go back to sleep and roll more dice."Is this really all I get after feeling so darned tired at around bed time, tons of random monkey brain thinking going on and having the intimation that The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-53202049098057262292009-06-16T20:08:00.021-05:002009-06-17T07:44:35.225-05:00The_Lex v. The Wisconsin Historical Society: Weekend TwoThis looks pretty advanced compared to what I was usingTook another trip to The Wisconsin Historical Society this past weekend. This time, I reserved a Zipcar, drove up Saturday morning, studied all day then drove back after a Nepalese dinner. Proved more efficient, more affordable and heck, even more fun as I got to listen to my iPod over car speakers.Even after the $10 in tolls, $5 max per The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-33065133667286640122009-06-07T12:29:00.006-05:002009-06-16T20:07:58.876-05:00My Trip to the Wisconsin Historical Society: Another Shout Out to HistoriansI'm typing this one up on the Smartphone on the way home from Madison, WI. I came up last night straight out of work on a bus (with the L in Chicago su-cking!), stayed a night in a hotel that couldn't filter out the sounds of revellers at the bar across the street then got up this morning, had breakfast and got to the Wisconsin Historical Society at 10ish. An hour behind schedule, but it's the The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-46574376164817480962009-05-31T00:19:00.005-05:002009-05-31T00:32:14.532-05:00Movies Being Run by Venture Capitalist AttitudeMy parents' generation complained about the music my generation listened to. I think as my generation grows older, we will complain about the movies made McG and the other moviemakers and today and onward. And apparently I come from the MTV generation.A rant about the dearth of crappy movies in the theaters these days:You know what probably makes for the crappy movies today? It has to do with aThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-41950463990076227772009-05-27T22:21:00.005-05:002009-05-27T22:56:29.867-05:00Malnutrition Posing as Burn OutAround the time that I stopped writing, my consciousness felt like it was spinning out of control. I lost a lot of motivation. I felt down. I think I may have even felt a little paranoid or attributing unrealistic motivations to people, especially the wife. I intelligently didn't act overtly on my discontent except to voice my frustration about not understanding the things happening around meThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-47173190731390907062009-03-18T23:09:00.004-05:002009-03-18T23:16:38.935-05:00On Figs and Bunny Pre-Mating RitualsAn e-mail I wrote to the wife in reference to some glazed and roasted figs she bought me on Monday from Pastoral:Now I know why figs have become so mythological and "evil." These figs you got from Pastoral is the vegan answer to caviar. It's as sensuous as eating at Boka.I probably won't be getting them to eat everyday, but they certainly make a good treat worthy of their infamy.In other random The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-2439934599107339612009-03-12T19:10:00.006-05:002009-03-12T19:38:39.085-05:00The Smartphone: A Great Writing AidI wrote the last entry mostly on my new Smartphone during my commutes to and from work. It works great since it has an application for creating and editing Microsoft Word documents. Using it I can do more productive things than reading.I love reading, and reading can help me gather information to use later. I don't have any hard copy books or magazines that have relevance to my current The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-43976523978588582072009-03-05T20:56:00.005-06:002009-03-05T21:05:41.516-06:00The Indeterminacy of Serial World BuildingAs I mentioned in the last entry, I weaseled my way into copyediting a friend's entries on his Wiki, The Lands of Shadow. I don't believe I'll get credited anywhere, but that's cool. I've already received some benefit from working on it: brushing up on my writing skills and getting exposed to a couple interesting themes.Working with a "living document" certainly fascinates me while irritating The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-34492506927643259222009-02-28T01:07:00.003-06:002009-02-28T01:27:28.719-06:00Trying to Make a ComebackBeen awhile since I've made a post. Lack of time has been a big contributor.Over the last month, though, sending the laptop back to the manufacturer for repairs has been the biggest discouragement to do anything computer related. I had to depend on the old desktop for computer-related crap, and I probably ended up wasting a half hour to an hour a day just waiting for it to process tasks. Not The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-51658410697335504132009-01-14T20:04:00.006-06:002009-01-14T21:33:40.093-06:00Through Hard Work, Historians Will Outwit YouThis entry is a loose sequel to another entry, Please, Do It for the Historians.Historians will easily outwit you if you use a credit card or debit card to buy stuff. According to an NPR story from the other day, people with access to your purchases can already paint a good picture of you from the buying habits they can track. But that's not what I'm writing about here.I've decided to address The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-75675555068794335132009-01-10T19:15:00.002-06:002009-01-10T19:53:48.591-06:00Dream #13The wife and I are traveling cross country on buses. Reaching some small town, we decide to strike out either for some adventure or see a friend before we have to make our next connection.Flash forward to finishing what we would be doing and/or realizing that we need to rush or we'll miss the connection. We get lost or realize that we can't make it back in time going the route we know. The The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-27476122604421646612008-12-22T22:57:00.006-06:002008-12-22T23:49:12.342-06:00The Power of Music and Meditation #1Lately I've been on something of a Robert Fripp and Peter Gabriel. I think it started when the TV show "http://abc.go.com/primetime/lifeonmars/index?pn=index" TARGET="meditation">Life on Mars, based on the British Life on Mars, of course, turned me onto the David Bowie song, "Life on Mars."Going on over to Youtube, I would play "Life on Mars." From there, I moved onto playing a whole bunch of The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-72005489111689469832008-12-15T22:39:00.003-06:002008-12-15T22:59:04.355-06:00Fragments of PenseesSomeone criticized some e-mails I sent them. They essentially said that I wrote to them with too many run on sentences. I have yet to tell them, but those run on sentences come from incomplete thoughts. Maybe not just plain incomplete ones, though. Incomplete with hanging chads that associate and glom onto other ideas that ooze out and come onto the page. I, unfortunately, am one of those The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-92179463300316023462008-12-13T21:32:00.002-06:002008-12-13T21:37:22.334-06:00SpecializingSpecializing in a topic sucks. It gets in the way of having interesting conversations with people, since they yawn after the first couple minutes of me describing my topic. Coming up with varied topics to write about on the blog without giving away material that I hope to sell later becomes difficult. Overall, specialization gets in the way of enjoying socialization except for people in your The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-56793462211972537392008-12-08T21:45:00.003-06:002008-12-08T22:16:13.347-06:00My Moral UpbringingAlong with my parents, friends, my church and my primary and secondary school systems, I'd like to thank the following for my moral development:Sally StruthersEarly Transformers cartoonsEarly GI Joe cartoonsM.A.S.K.Early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoonsand other cartoons that had morals at the end and daytime infomercials that informed us children of the evils and misfortunes in the world. The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-90043183389940000092008-12-06T02:26:00.003-06:002008-12-15T22:59:23.454-06:00I am a Hermit2:30 AM, Saturday morning. It still feels like Friday night for me. Haven't gone to sleep yet.Just finished washing up, laptop, sitting atop the basket bench behind me, playing Hank Mobley and Sonny Rollins off of Live365.com.The wife slumbers away in bed, waiting for me while unconscious. The cats nibble on their kibble and patrol the apartment.I've been something of a hermit lately. I've The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-47844132733509351582008-11-10T19:48:00.002-06:002008-11-10T19:52:05.690-06:00Dream #12I'm sitting down in a comfy chair in front of my laptop. Someone I haven't had acquaintance with for years until they friended me on Facebook slumps down right next to me then slips a disc into the laptop. A video comes on, and a video shows her rapping on the laptop. I have no idea what to say, but she's super excited and ebullient about it.Seriously, I have no idea what to say about it.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-73629230045620827792008-11-09T16:46:00.002-06:002008-11-09T16:48:54.550-06:00Dream #11Another dream where I go back to my parent's office. Not sure if this one involves me starting to work for them again. I go into a cubicle, however, and start working with the computer and possibly answer a phone call looking for service. Unfortunately, I can't get into the database to provide a customer with service because my parents have either invalidated my sign in or I've forgotten the The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-39281587063036831232008-10-26T16:33:00.002-05:002008-10-26T16:37:08.012-05:00Dream #10I don't remember details on this one, just the feeling.I have the feeling that I'm hanging out with some "cool" kids in high school, at least by my impression. At some point, though, I learn that they're using me for some reason. Or maybe I finally realize that they don't treat me with respect, but rather look for any opportunity to not hang out with me and when they do, they look for any The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-12162541589362477682008-10-21T23:16:00.003-05:002008-10-21T23:28:04.755-05:00Dream #9No play-by-play of a dream today. I don't remember most of it, and what I do remember, I don't recall in detail.I remember talking to my mother, I don't know where, why or when. While chatting, though, she brings up something that happened in one of the other dreams that night. It might have been one of the other dreams, for all I know, but when she mentioned whatever she mentioned, something The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-65615488587247514972008-10-20T07:23:00.003-05:002008-10-20T07:28:30.338-05:00Dream #8I am on an el train heading west from Chicago. A friend is applying to some Ph.D. or graduate program out in the suburbs. I'm hoping to meet up with him and maybe he'll give me a ride home. Strange, some of the scenery looks like the Greater Boston area. The ride feels like it takes a long time and becomes tedious. I consider getting off and taking a train back to Chicago.I decide to get offThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-49152347342439739832008-10-13T18:24:00.008-05:002008-10-13T18:59:54.991-05:00Reading List for Amateur & Prospective Writers, Editors and Other Publishing ProfessionalsKids, reading the appropriate manual listed below is essential and a pre-requisite for getting a job in writing or publishing. Fail to read the right one and lose. I know that I have missed out so far and hopefully reading the first entry on the list will help me get into my desired field.The Chicago Manual of Style by Chicago Editorial, University of Chicago, University of Chicago Press. FromThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-77866064999941151152008-10-13T18:12:00.003-05:002008-10-13T18:24:37.400-05:00Dream #7aDriving into Chicago from a long trip with friend, Zach, in the back seat. We're driving into the city on a bridge over Lake Michigan [which doesn't exist in real life, as far I know], which takes us into a very industrial area of town. Zach expresses much excitement, and I feel very excited about getting home.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-35304801052472734502008-10-13T07:30:00.004-05:002008-10-13T07:36:17.387-05:00Dream #7I'm staying at my parent's house when I decide to take a walk or a bike ride, not sure which, at something like 3 or 4 in the morning. I end up walking somewhere between 7 and 11 miles up to Nashua, NH, with a lot of emphasis on the nature, fields and trees, between Dunstable and Nashua.Up in Nashua, I run into my friend, Jenn, who's heading back in my direction, so I catch a ride home with her,The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-20458143206253116112008-10-10T07:34:00.002-05:002008-10-10T07:38:27.402-05:00Dream #6My friend, Tim. Road trip. Hotel. Tim's new car in the parking lot. Heading off to the event or to continue the trip.COMMENTARYThe guides on dream journaling advise you to write whatever you remember from dreams, whether the memory has details or if it's just an impression. The last entry, I got to record just intimations and impressions but no details. This dream memory has no big details,The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-21524996330786144182008-10-07T20:15:00.002-05:002008-10-07T20:21:08.190-05:00Dream #5I had this experience yesterday morning. I don't remember the dream very well, if at all. Mostly, I just remember the feeling of urgency and the need to get back to sleep, so I could finish what I had started. I felt a sense of duty to go back to sleep and address the needs of more people than I could possibly handle. Even if I couldn't provide for all of them, I had to help and do The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-49373706856934706152008-09-29T20:30:00.002-05:002008-09-29T20:34:01.577-05:00Dream #4The mayor of the city dies. Up in a mid-rise shaped like a round tower in the middle of the city is a bookstore that has something for me. I go up there and run into a slim, balding Irishman with curly hair. He says that my parents on the East coast know the mayor, and we need to bring the body to them.I step out of big black sedan into the night in a parking lot outside of an office that my The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-49696520666379736382008-09-28T13:43:00.003-05:002008-09-28T13:55:50.244-05:00The Water Crisis vs. the Financial BailoutMy minister at church made an interesting quote that I will possibly mangle, but the spirit of it goes:It will take $700 billion to bailout the financial industry, but it would cost $20 billion to provide water to everyone in the world.I didn't find anywhere on the 'net to substantiate this claim, but I found a claim equally as shocking that we ignore compared to all the emphasis that we put on The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-43001105896103181272008-09-27T16:52:00.027-05:002008-09-27T19:41:37.242-05:00Choking RelaxationThe wife and I have had an active yet relaxing weekend so far. Last night after work, we went to a bar to watch the debates, the event being an Obama fundraiser. I have yet to decide who to vote for on Election Day (I'm not keeping my options to the major two parties, either), and I don't intend on announcing it to the public.Interesting, though, to watch a debate amongst a partisan crowd. HadThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-2677289910403332972008-09-22T19:03:00.004-05:002008-09-22T19:25:17.961-05:00Dream #3I step onto the road from my friend Chris's driveway. [He lives in a suburbian neighborhood (not a suburban one, mind you) in New England where the houses are big and they have good sized yards, the kind of yards you could have a picnic in and actually a good game of touch football or even tackle, if you had the inclination, with a good size field. It would probably take you between 3-5 minutesThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-47203012346445626472008-09-20T09:31:00.009-05:002008-09-20T10:07:36.601-05:00Dream Set #2One:I go to work. All my co-workers stand in a line, shoulders crossed, side to side. I know something's wrong. The big boss asks me, "How could you do it? You're fired." I feel an oppressive sense of guilt about something I don't know about.The woman who has the cubicle next to me says, "You didn't finish a sentence in a letter to customer." [I think I stopped writing the letter where I The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-4675566841217221672008-09-19T20:50:00.010-05:002008-09-19T22:48:00.545-05:00Dream #1Group of friends and I will go to a movie, but they want to stop into the mall first. They want to grab a bite to eat and also some candy to sneak into the theater.I decide that I don't need anything, so I wait at the appointed spot to meet up with everyone before we head to the theater.At the last minute, when friends start showing up, I realize that I do need something. I tell whoever there The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-46087167420402988962008-09-04T22:38:00.003-05:002008-09-04T22:40:39.735-05:00A Turn of Phrase Inspired by the Harvard Unitarians"I'm not depressed or sad. I just have a high tolerance to happiness."Just something silly I came up with today while walking away from my desk at work. I guess it could even apply to my state of mind lately.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-67319243734046060032008-09-02T19:46:00.012-05:002008-09-02T21:37:26.335-05:00Some Beautiful Scenery up in WisconsinThe wife and I got back from a long weekend trip up to Rhinelander, WI, where my parents grew up and my grandmothers live. We met up with my parents and celebrated one of my grandmother's birthdays.On the lead up to the trip, people kept on telling me how pretty it is up there. I didn't believe them, though, because after all the years I've gone there, I didn't see much prettiness. Rather, I saw The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-56398376299921055272008-08-27T19:33:00.003-05:002008-08-27T19:46:07.093-05:00For fans of Charlie Jade and Other Shows I LikeCheck some good recaps, interviews and conversation from Charlie Jade, Burn Notice and other shows that I don't watch but hear good things about at R.A. Porter's Pop Critic's page.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-71788004028630152352008-08-25T23:27:00.002-05:002008-08-25T23:33:07.483-05:00Bot-darMy bot-dar has gotten overly sensitive over the last couple years. About a year ago, I accused a nice young lady of being a bot writing a log. Yesterday, I accused Jose (who commented on the last entry) of being a bot.I don't know what to make of becoming so sensitive to having bots invade my personal space. It certainly happens, but it unnerves me that I accuse live, flesh and blood people ofThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-17106337705339077362008-08-23T15:57:00.002-05:002008-08-23T16:09:39.893-05:00New Computer!Woohoo! I got a new laptop the other day. It has something like 10 times faster processor and/or something like 10 times more RAM. The new one rocks and is far bigger and stronger than the old desktop that I had used.I can now communicate, do work on the computer and even procrastinate more efficiently. Now, instead of waiting for some free time to go through my e-mails and clicking on links The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-38521239001586928722008-08-17T20:52:00.005-05:002008-08-17T21:12:55.006-05:00Sense and MemoryBack in the spring semester of 1999 at college, I remember experiencing my visual memories in a unique way. At the time, I liked to say that I saw my memory in technicolor, which I guess could still apply.But now, after having my attention directed toward Super 8mm film from our wedding videographer, I think a better description would be that during that semester at college, I saw my visual The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-81533258711727683262008-08-13T20:27:00.006-05:002008-08-17T21:13:41.023-05:00My Many Tracked BrainThe other week, I got hyperfocused researching some aspects of the DC comics universe on Wikipedia. I need to research geeky things sometimes because I didn't really get into them back in the day like the wife and some of my friends have.My automatic, subconscious mind, however, kept on flashing intimations of the area behind the register of Wendy's in Ayer, MA. That was where I had my first The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-39361496332569086402008-08-06T22:27:00.007-05:002008-08-06T23:11:57.348-05:00Revisionist Viewing of the "New" Doctor Who Season 4 Finale[Along with voicing my opinion, this entry definitely acts as a cheap ratings stunt]The season 4 finale of the "New" Doctor Who that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US last Friday night disappointed me quite a bit and really made me feel frustrated about Russell T Davies.BEFORE MOVING ON, THOUGH, SPOILER WARNING. DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE AND DON'T WANT ANYTHING The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-63205305908206618462008-08-05T22:44:00.005-05:002008-08-05T23:03:59.759-05:00Update on my TediumI still live, even though I'm in a strange and tedious rut that has potential for growth and inspiration.The day job occupies me with tons of cognitive heavy tedium. I wish I knew how to explain it. Assisting someone with the sales of health insurance, selling health insurance, bothering people about paying their health insurance premiums every once in awhile and also helping people with their The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-68014679577968964752008-07-09T21:17:00.005-05:002008-07-09T23:10:26.826-05:00Please, Do It for the HistoriansI've had the idea for this entry in my head for quite awhile now. Only now, inspired to procrastinate away from starting the studying for my insurance continuing education, do I have the will to approach the subject. Yay!(OK, OK. . .I just had to play with the kitties for a couple minutes first).The current paper I'm working on for the last couple years has stretched on for quite some time. I The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-19622227086363354292008-06-22T21:05:00.008-05:002008-06-22T22:28:18.146-05:00Writing What You KnowI don't know what to think about it, but I can probably consider the last 5 or so years working in the insurance industry as research. The ideas of risk, losses, risk management, peace of mind and hazard, especially morale hazard, have become vital to at least one paper. . .and could easily become important to the other papers, too.All the above have become central concepts in insurance, and I The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-20352386594256868952008-06-19T06:42:00.002-05:002008-06-19T06:45:41.369-05:00Sci-Fi Channel Schedule Change for Charlie Jade Shouldn't Surprise MeTurns out that Sci-Fi Channel moved Charlie Jade to Mondays at 3 AM/2 AM CST.Just goes to show you the kind of support Sci-Fi was giving CJ.Makes me frustrated, nonetheless. Probably means no second season forthcoming.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-4498863445839209182008-06-16T18:29:00.010-05:002008-06-16T20:09:59.889-05:00Networking and Learning with Other WritersThe last couple couple weeks had become pretty hectic. Along with the usual seven to eight work day and working on my project, I also had do major studying on Medicare to get insurance continuing ed credits.I need 30 of them by October to make sure my license renews without hassle in January. So far I've done the work for 16 of them and put into motion the process for the Illinois Division of The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-66567294209060888582008-06-10T06:31:00.004-05:002008-06-10T23:01:08.810-05:00Open Mic Tomorrow Night in ChicagoLast night, while at an event at the Writer's Workspace, I saw a flier on a bulletin for the following:Open Mic at the4718 N Broadway Borders6 PM - 7 PM sign up7 PM start timeFor writers, poets, stand up comedians. . .(and unfortunately I can't remember the other categories of performers. I'm guessing if you want to play music, it probably shouldn't get incredibly loud or anything.)I don't plan The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-78996619096394031552008-06-05T19:05:00.000-05:002008-06-05T19:06:35.636-05:00Sci Fi Channel Supports Charlie Jade (FINALLY. . .A Day Before the Show Premieres!)Sci Fi also has a pretty cool interview with Robert Wertheimer, one of the creators of Charlie Jade, at http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw18980.html.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-48783412865339042862008-05-29T18:47:00.003-05:002008-05-29T18:58:09.213-05:00Punkin' Donuts Terrified by Conservatives Blasting Rachel RayThis blog doesn't really enter frivolous current event politics. I generally end up being the progressive in a political debate that often tries to defend conservatives, as group, and sometimes even ultra-conservative right-wing Christians as having just as much right to be involved in the political machine and most of them actually meaning well. Even considering all of the above, I just can't The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-88245716660265007752008-05-26T16:44:00.007-05:002008-05-26T18:23:29.134-05:00Asking for and Accepting Constructive CriticismI find it re-affirming to ask people critiquing or giving back notes on your unreleased work to focus on an aspect or two and for them to return with responses similar to your own suspicions. Hearing their different articulations of their responses also helps address a problem or see something good in your work.This past Wednesday, I attended the Chicago-SF Writer's Workshop. About a month The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-29159506575019447642008-05-21T22:38:00.001-05:002008-05-21T22:38:33.158-05:00Sadly, All I Wrote a Couple Days AgoLast week, back home in Boston, visiting friends and family, I had a common refrain when people asked me "What's up?" I would say, "Not much. Everything's pretty much the same, just a different city and different bosses." This quote is more succinct and articulate, but it pretty much says it all.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-53018342715996918972008-05-06T21:06:00.006-05:002008-05-06T21:56:11.092-05:00Heather Raffo's 9 Parts of DesireLast week, a friend of mine in the theater scene here in Chicago offered the wife and me a couple tickets to the premiere of Heather Raffo's 9 Parts of Desire (please note that this link will probably become obsolete in a couple weeks), put on by The Next Theatre Company in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The wife couldn't make it, but I found another friend who The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-26138516113988332112008-04-27T20:21:00.006-05:002008-04-27T21:16:39.422-05:00Working on the Bachelor's Project, Charlie Jade Premieres Soon and Other MiscellanyCHARLIE JADE NEWSFirst off, for fans of Charlie Jade, those who have heard me babble about the show or anyone interested in good TV, a little news: Charlie Jade premieres on the SCi-Fi Channel in the United States on Friday, June 6 at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST. Watch, help them get ratings (especially you people with Nielsen boxes) and hopefully a second season will get produced.BACHELOR'S PROJECT: The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-87225192959107886602008-04-14T20:22:00.003-05:002008-04-14T20:28:38.991-05:00Something to Consider about Competitive CapitalismIt's economic common sense in the United States that competition is supposed to bring the cost of products down.At the same time, though, companies spend millions to try convincing us to buy their stuff. Marketing costs get passed onto the consumer by raising the cost at the store.Competition also leads to more choice, which is supposed to be a good thing.Too much choice, however, overwhelms The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-21663435106768312112008-04-02T22:28:00.002-05:002008-04-02T22:46:29.020-05:00The US at WarWith all the changes that have occurred in the last 165 years or so, it's amazing how many things have remained the same. Shouldn't those with power have learned by now?"I wish," he [Theodore Parker] said, "All of this killing of 2,000 Americans on the field of battle, and the 10,000 Mexicans; all this slashing of the bodies of 24,000 wounded men; all the agony of the other 18,000, that have The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-24444339175564919272008-03-31T22:11:00.007-05:002008-03-31T23:21:52.329-05:00My Passive Aggressive Relationship with Research and my Bachelors ProjectStarting a couple years ago, while walking around during a lunch break in Concord, MA, frustrated as all hell, I came to the conclusion that I'm in an abusive relationship with my bachelors project. Please don't be offended as I use the term because, honestly, even though I've never been in such a relationship, I feel like I've been whacked about quite a bit by mind and this research. I've The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-39149603445363161762008-03-25T21:44:00.002-05:002008-03-25T21:46:17.442-05:00Sci Fi Channel Buys Charlie Jade EpisodesStraight from the mouth of one the writers for Charlie JadeWoohoo! Maybe this will lead to a second season.At the very least, I'm interested in seeing the United States audience reaction to the show.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-64415788662383131792008-03-25T19:38:00.003-05:002008-03-25T19:42:47.885-05:00Life as an Average American Adult of PrivelegeI like my wife in ways inappropriate to say in public. Unlike what you're probably used to with your HMO health insurance through your work, with an individual PPO, you have the responsibility to first pay a deductible of your choice; then the insurance company will pay 80% coinsurance for eligible prescriptions and medical services and you pay 20% of expenses of eligible benefits until you pay The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-9014928239451247622008-03-18T21:53:00.006-05:002008-03-18T22:37:20.938-05:00Resting into InspirationToday was about taking advantage of a day off and resting, even as I felt guilty about not going into work and wanting to work on things that matter to me. I've concluded, though, that I didn't really do the things that matter to me so much because I felt guilty about not going to work and addressing things that need to get done and addressing people that need or want attention. Sadly, I have The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-37647342723312909792008-03-12T22:17:00.004-05:002008-03-12T22:34:39.229-05:00A Couple Good LinksFinished up another night of hour-long outline writing. Added about four more pages in an hour. A lot of ideas coming together and coalescing, even though I have that feeling of spouting out nonsense.That feeling would often come to me back in high school (OK, maybe I remember one particular time) when I thought I was bullshitting. I would just say screw it, thinking I didn't know the right The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-27439120978844771102008-03-11T22:04:00.003-05:002008-03-11T22:06:42.891-05:00Outlining36 handwritten pages in a CVS Composition book and still writing. Have to make up the conclusion and eventually, after a little more research, provide some more information in the middle. Also plan on cutting out bits here and there that aren't relevant and become repetitious.Yes, I'm a wee bit insane. . .but maybe it could be come genius. Hee hee.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-64643839444885862882008-03-10T22:56:00.003-05:002008-03-10T23:08:27.812-05:00Eating WellI just spent the night, pretty much from 7 PM to 11 PM making a quiche and a hybrid Greek coucous/Southern US potato salad without the potatoes. Feels quite rewarding to make good food & know that I'll have it for the rest of the week for lunch. Spent a little more on groceries this week, but it'll be well worth it.And there'll be a little bit of showing off at work, too. For the last year or The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-80500996610562455852008-03-08T14:08:00.004-06:002008-03-08T14:21:19.577-06:00Check InI haven't written in awhile.A few things have been happening in the world at large that don't affect me directly (you know, politics, world events, crime, the economy). Got much praise and a raise at work. Otherwise, though, not much has changed too much for me these days.Not much has happened with my novel or project over the last month, either. Little bits here and there but mostly a lot of The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-37248570102767816412008-02-05T08:55:00.001-06:002008-02-05T09:06:53.593-06:00Difficulty Voting Green this Morning1) The turning elderly (probably not trained very well) poll workers didn't know there was a Green party, even though one of the ballots said Green Party at the top.Furthermore, the top of the Democratic ballot had a dark Green label. They argued with me that I had to tell them which political party I was part of, and I kept telling them Green, Green, Green. I almost thought that maybe I had toThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-6467063174935531942008-01-28T19:59:00.000-06:002008-01-28T20:19:33.016-06:00Rough Drafting ItI'm doing things a little in reverse again tonight. Doing so somehow ends up being a lot more productive, which certainly goes against some financial advice I once read: "Focus on your long term goals then work with what's left over [which includes bills and leisure]." I think the rationale behind is that people make do with what they have and adjust to their situation, so that's what they'll The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-9374599628387879552008-01-24T20:14:00.001-06:002008-01-24T20:34:09.289-06:00Bizarro Night Thinking About Writing WorkshopsTonight, I've decided to take things in a little reverse. I've had a few sips of a homemade not so great whiskey (bourbon) sour when I should be responsible, getting stuff done fast and being responsible. Usually, I would wait to write in the blog until I've done my writing for the night. Today at work was relatively hectic and yesterday sucked, though, so why not?Besides, I might not actuallyThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-6972281061775521792008-01-07T21:01:00.000-06:002008-01-07T21:35:28.091-06:00Evangelical PheonixesThe title really doesn't have much to do with anything except for what I've been reading lately. . .the Marvel Age of Apocalypse arc, which only just mentions a phoenix in a pretty cheesy allusion; and I've been reading about The Second Great Awakening and some of the moral parallels with the Transcendentalists, which has a lot to do with people being born again. So, yeah, the title just popped The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-66477547087454176752007-12-17T18:25:00.000-06:002007-12-17T18:31:12.667-06:00Night Haiku #5The more I learn of speech, meaning making and thought,parrots teach funny.The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-88632792233302447952007-12-16T20:05:00.000-06:002007-12-16T20:08:37.772-06:00DedicatedI wish I could say that holiday-related events have been keeping me busy and mind occupied, but that's not it. It comes down to:+ Moping about being a graduate student widow and trying to spend as much time as possible, passively and actively with the wife+ Focus tons of mental and physical energy to the bachelors project and writing+ WorkingNow that I think about it, though, I don't feel guiltyThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-12098864390468107332007-12-08T19:58:00.001-06:002007-12-08T20:33:37.145-06:00Die, Mad Consumption Cycle, Die!To add a little more color to your knowledge about consumerism destroying the human quality of life, check out:The Story of StuffThank you to the friend that sent me the link for it. She sent it to me a couple days ago, and I only got the chance to watch it this Saturday afternoon, right after I woke up.Nonetheless, we started in on a good conversation around the topic simply because I mentionedThe_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15397078.post-13311109746400537032007-12-02T22:35:00.000-06:002007-12-02T22:37:55.510-06:00Computers Can Really Suck SometimesI haven't been writing or really keeping up with anyone else's blogs or doing any writing or, frankly, getting anything worthwhile done over the last week or so. Most of the time, I spent trying to fix my computer because of various bugs, virus, trojans and spyware issues that had been installed on it.Not fun, not fun, at all.But, for now, everything that is evident has been addressed. As long The_Lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042029949389704751noreply@blogger.com0