Eagle's Roost

Short Story: 100 Feet

2011-04-21T05:04:00.002-04:00

Hello blogging world. Been almost two years since I posted anything here. Two years of creativity dulling BS, but that's life. This isn't a return to blogging either, but the other night I finally wrote a new short story and this is the only place I've got to put it. First thing I've written in a long time, but it felt good to write again. It's a sequel to my previous short story 50 Feet that's been in my head for awhile. I was amused with the different responses on how people took 50 Feet, so this should be interesting. And oddly enough after writing this one, I've got another sequel idea.

Anyway, if anyone still drops by here to read it, thanks for that. See y'all again in two years...haha

100 Feet by Eaglewing

God giveth, and God taketh away.

Thats what they taught him in Sunday school many moons ago, but they never confirmed if the giveth was good, or the taketh was bad. It was assumed, he reckoned now, and he knew well what happened on an assume. On such a blanket statement, details were onerously missing, and as usual, the Devil was in the details.

It’d been three years now since that rotten night. A night that was full of take. He’d been pushing hard in a close to hundred foot Rocky Mountain double tractor trailer with the hammer down coming up a grade and when he crested that hill it didn’t matter how good the brakes were. A man, stone drunk, out in the middle of the road with his eyes to the sky instead of the inbound coffin filler went to meet his Maker in a hurry amidst screaming tires, hot brakes, and crunching bones and metal. Even now, with a few years distance, he could still see the man standing there right before impact. What was worse, he could still feel it. It was just another given moment of time, but one that would take from both men’s lives.

He’d been a wreck afterward. Nightmares brought the fear that no therapy could help, and the fear kept him out of his home - his rig. And not being able to face driving anymore triggered a hell of a chain reaction. The bills piled up, the self esteem dove down, and the bottle was in easy reach. His wife tried to help, but eventually got fed up and took the kids and left. He didn’t blame her. Bouncing off rock bottom, he even tried a church. He asked God to give him a break. The next day they repossessed the house. On the one hand, he didn’t have to worry about the mortgage anymore, but it wasn’t the break he was looking for. Either God had a twisted sense of humour or he should have been more specific.

So with nothing left to lose, he sought out a job from a friend of a friend for a company that needed long haul drivers and weren’t worried about details like vehicular manslaughter or logbooks, to put it mildly. It was off the books, but he didn’t care anymore. He drank just enough to dull the shaky nerves but still had a hard time climbing in. Sitting there staring out the windshield, he actually said another prayer. He’d had enough, and muttered to God to just give him some damn peace once and for all. He figured it probably bounced off the roof, but was worth a shot. He fired up the engine and promptly stalled it in first gear. Then he took his mind out of it and his muscle memory kicked in and he was off down the road and catching that next shift felt so damn good.

He didn’t even want to know what he was hauling, and kept to the back roads. It meant a twisty and hilly and long route, but that was the price of contraband. He didn’t mind, it gave him time to think. Of all that he had given just to have it all taken away. He wondered if the drunk he had killed had thought the same. Was there a God in charge of it all, or were we just colliding with each other in a fit of chaos? Why were some given the world while others had it taken away? And if it all was the slip shod enterprise it appeared, then what was the point? It was a joke he couldn’t get. Maybe some day he would. He guessed it was all in the way you looked at it, but that was hardly comforting.

To ease his mind, he took another pull of whiskey from his hip flask, and toasted God for giving him a second chance at the wheel. Swallowing, he was taken aback at the sight out the windshield of a lone deer in the middle of the road. Not an uncommon occurrence this high up in the hills, but one he wasn’t prepared for. Sluggish reflexes trumped thought, and the brakes locked on black ice. As fate would have it, the curve lay ahead. The deer bolted on to the shoulder, and the rig bolted off the ledge and sailed through the air, gravity welcoming it with open arms.

As he sat in the cab, eyes wide watching the rocky valley below rushing up, he suddenly knew what he’d say in the coming face to Face. The damn prayer had made it farther than the roof, because here came peace once and for all. He figured he had about another hundred feet before he met his Maker, and he started to laugh.

A hundred feet.

Give or take.

The End.

Short Story: Getting Somewhere

2009-06-22T06:03:00.002-04:00

Well, been a while off the old blogging train here, but thought I'd try this. I'm probably not getting back to any regular posting, but wanted to try to write something - anything - good, bad, or unreadable. Been down with a flu bug here and have a day or two off work. Read the Ed Brubaker graphic novel "Coward" (Vol 1 of the Criminal series) and wanted to write something again. So here it is. Don't know if it's any good, but had to prove to myself I still could :) Enjoy if you can...

GETTING SOMEWHERE by Eaglewing

The engine of that Peterbilt moaned as the driver worked his way down through the gears. Then the unmistakable whoosh of the air brakes brought the shiny chromed workhorse of a machine to a stop by the side of the road. With every running light on and the reflections in the metal, it was like a ghost ship of hope coming through the dark night to the hitchhiker on the side of the road. She put her thumb down, grabbed her bag from the dirt, and climbed up into the waiting cab.

“Thanks for stopping! You’re a lifesaver.” She tossed her bag at her feet and turned to take in the driver. He was built thick and muscled, on the scruffy side of good looking. A beard and John Deere ball cap bookended what were sadly kind eyes however, and the young girl felt at ease even with a stranger.

“No problem, darlin’. Where you headed now?” he replied as he let her get situated in her seat, and gave her a once over. A little young for hitching rides he thought.

“Home to Thunder Bay. How far are you going?”

“Further than that, but I can get you there.” He checked his mirror, released the brakes, and started back onto the highway, going back up through the gears to get up to speed.

“Thanks. My name is Lorrie, by the way.”

“Jack. Nice to meet you. Been on the road long?”

“Not really. Just trying to get home. Nowhere else to go when you’re broke and bottomed out, right?” She sighed and looked back out the window.

“Makes sense I guess. Though I’d think a Greyhound would be safer than hitching for someone as young as yourself. Never know who’s out here. They ain’t all as nice as me.” he laughed as he shifted gears again.

“Well, I’m old enough. But broke means broke. I just want to get home, mend some fences maybe. Where I went didn’t work. Had it better where I was. Too bad you never know that at the time.”

He nodded and they carried on in easy quiet for a stretch, rolling through the miles under the moonlight. He thought she had nodded off, but she spoke again, eyeing a picture on the dash.

“Who’s that? Someone special?” she asked pointing to the faded picture of a woman he had taped up long ago.

“Yeah, someone special. She was my wife. Took that last ride to the other side a few years ago now.” He looked at the photo for a few seconds before gazing back out the windshield at the road ahead.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened?” She asked without thinking, a fault of the young.

He didn’t answer right away, and she thought he might not say a thing. Eventually though, he did. “A couple drunks, behind the wheel with too much power and not enough brains. Crossed the median when she was driving home and wrecked it. The docs did what they could, but couldn’t do enough. I got the call from my dispatcher. Never pushed this old girl so hard. Drove all night through a whiteout blizzard to get back, almost lost it myself a couple times. Just made it in time to say goodbye.”

She was quiet for some time after that, as she just didn’t know what to say. He didn’t blame her and welcomed the quiet. He wasn’t sure why he’d said so much, but sometimes it was easier talking to strangers. Still, he figured he should break the silence.
“You know, it’s good you’re going back home. Family is important. I don’t know what fences you got to mend, but it’s worth the work.”

She nodded soberly, then asked “Do you get back home much now?”

“No, been out here ever since. Her and the road were the only places I ever found any peace. Down to one now. But I like it out on the highway. What about you? Been gone long?”

“Yeah. I went looking for things that were bigger than me. Was going to be a model, have fame and fortune. It didn’t work very well. Wound up doing some things I’m not proud of. And now I’m broke and going home. Can’t say they didn’t warn me. I was just too stubborn and had to do it my way. I’m pretty sure I broke my Momma’s heart too, and disappointed my Daddy. I just hope they’ll open the door for me when I get back.”

“Well, good families are thicker than blood. They had the good sense to warn you, so I’m pretty sure they’ll just be happy you made it back. Parents never really let go of their kids.”

“I hope so. I left a good boy back there too. He wanted to get married and I wanted to see the world.” She turned back to the starlit night outside the glass of the truck cab and said quietly. “Now look at me.”

He did, and he saw a fallen angel, just one of many. But she was at least moving in the right direction.

“Well,” he finally said. “I’ll bet it’ll work out. Might not be all roses and smiles for a bit, but you’re doing the right thing now. That counts for a lot.”

She turned to look at him. “Did it work out for you? I mean, what happened was awful. How does that work out?”

He hadn’t thought of that, and it took him a minute to respond. “I don’t really know. I miss her a lot, I do. But somewhere out here I’ll find it. Like I said, it ain’t all roses and smiles, but you take what you can get. I keep rollin’ and it’ll work out somewhere.”

She smiled at him and nodded before they lapsed into easy silence again. As the miles passed and they drove through the night, she finally did put her head back and fell asleep, at ease with a stranger beside her at the wheel. He glanced at her from time to time, and wondered if her dreams were the good kind.

They rolled into Thunder Bay as the first hint of sunup pushed through the night sky. He tapped her on the shoulder to wake her. “We’re here. Where can I drop you off?”

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “The bus station is close enough. I can walk home from there.”

He brought the Peterbilt to a stop again outside the bus depot and applied the brakes. Turning to his rider he knew he should say something.

“Well, you hang in there Lorrie, I hope you find what you’re looking for. Hang on to that family of yours and mend those fences any way you can. Life’s too short for stubborn pride anyway.”

“Thanks.” She paused, then smiled again. “For the ride and the talk. I hope you find that somewhere that’ll work out too.”

He nodded. “Good luck, darlin’ ”, he said as she climbed down out of the cab and shut the door. A wave goodbye sent him on his way as he pulled back onto the blacktop, opening the throttle and shifting gears. As the sun kept coming up, his thoughts lingered awhile on Lorrie and he hoped she’d find her way down the right road, and maybe even marry that good boy she once knew.

As for him, he was married to the road now, and he wouldn’t have it any other way either. She could be a cruel mistress too, and a rough ride was to be expected. But if you knew how to love her, and handle her curves just right, she could make you feel at home in the middle of nowhere or just somewhere in between. It was where he felt the best, and the most peace he could find anywhere now. Some thought it was a lonely, bleak life, but then they just didn’t understand her, the road. It’d be their loss.

So he drove on, living for those light beams in the dark, the white line, catching that next shift, and rolling by another mile marker. Glancing at the picture on the dashboard, it was all he really cared to know anymore, anyway.

As long as those wheels were turning, he could still tell himself he was getting somewhere.

The End.

Been Thinking About Leaving Long Enough To Change My Mind

2009-05-18T08:02:00.003-04:00

(blog title is a Rodney Crowell tune by the way)

Well, it is a long weekend here in Canada, and so I thought I'd blow the dust off my blog and see what's left. One week going blog quiet led to another and another as it was an unintentional break brought on by fatigues and lack of time as 2009 is turning out to be just as cruddy as 2008. I thought about hanging it up for good as I don't have much left to say, but I still enjoy writing and reviewing movies and don't truly want to abandon it altogether. So, it appears I'm at a bit of a quandary as I contemplate the direction of my blog, if there is one at all. Life fatigue vs minor enjoyments and all that. Something had to give, and it's usually the stuff I enjoy as history repeats itself. Needless to say, posts will probably be rather infrequent for a while as I deal with the BS that is life. A post a week should be doable, but even that seems daunting at times.

However, a discussion on an episode of Diggnation gave me an idea on how I want to reinvent my web presence. We'll see if anything comes of it though. I did buy a few domain names tonight for fun, so it might lead to something.

Either way, if nothing else comes out, big thanks to all those that have read and commented. It's been a fun four years, and I hope there's more. I've got a story rattling in my head, and other things I want to try, and I want to blog about them too. However, as the song says - "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."

April Showers...Um, Snow

2009-04-09T09:47:00.005-04:00

It's the beginning of April, and with that comes the smell of spring in the air, the start of baseball season, BBQ's, no more winter coats, and...SNOW? Yes, the first two days of the week dumped some snow around here, but it's all gone away now. Still, gotta love Canada where the Toronto Blue Jays start their baseball season (and they won! May as well enjoy it, there won't be many this year) while it's snowing outside and I drive to work in this:

Sill, I loved it and wished it would stay snowy right through August. I guess I should move further north.

And in an unrelated picture, I managed to snap this shop driving along the highway in town. My '89 Dodge Ram about to pass an old '89 city bus. They have mostly newer ones now, but this has to be one of the older ones in the fleet. Still, they don't make them like they used to when two 20 year old vehicles can still be Kings of the Road.

Extract Trailer

2009-04-09T09:42:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of Cinematical, a new trailer is out for Mike Judge's new comedy Extract. This has the workplace comedy/misery feel of his Office Space cult classic, and has some genuinely funny moments in the trailer, at least for me. Compared with some of the...let's say unique individuals I work with (and who doesn't?), this really hits the nail on the head of workplace dysfunction. I love the bit where one woman's flip out over who's doing what leads to a brutal chain reaction of events. I could just see that happening too. Anyway, enjoy the trailer and look forward to this come Labour Day.

Wolverine Movie Leaked, FOX Earns It

2009-04-04T06:18:00.001-04:00

The internet is awash in buzz (at least the sites I frequent) about the leaked and pirated Wolverine movie. Somebody dropped this thing on the world - a month AHEAD of it’s theatrical release date. Movies winding up on the ‘net is nothing new, but something of this kind of blockbuster status being leaked early certainly is. Reportedly it’s DVD quality too, not some shaky cam job either. This isn’t great for the Wolverine movie, and it’s really bad for Fox Studios who are really worried about Box Office dollars now, but I gotta say it looks good on ‘em.

Now, while I’ll admit I was tempted to download it, that temptation was quickly doused when I learned it was an early workprint copy. This means incomplete special effects, visible wire work, green screen, and none of the reshoots added in. No thanks. I’ve been waiting for a Wolverine movie for a while, and when I do see it I want the complete version on the big screen. I just hope it doesn’t suck, and unfortunately it might. There’s been many reports of this being a train wreck, largely in part to interference from Fox chief Tom Rothman, but I keep hoping that Hugh Jackman’s solid grip on the character pulls it through. We’ll find out soon enough.

Still, having this leaked and possibly ruining Fox’s tentpole release of the year must be some kind of karmic backlash. Consider all the ways Fox has screwed it’s product’s fan base and gone out of its way to damage good shows/movies over the years, I can’t help but feel like Nelson on the Simpsons and point at Fox and go “Ha-Ha!” Gotta say Fox, you earned this one.

But it doesn’t stop there. Oh no, Fox has to up the ante. After swearing legal vengeance on whoever leaked it (or downloads it) and even troubling the FBI over it and asking movie web sites and the fan community not to download and review the film early, I read this over on CinemaBlend.com:

...today when Fox News reporter Roger Friedman posted a review, on FoxNews's website, of the recently pirated, illegal copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

As CinemaBlend’s Josh Tyler goes on to write: “let the implications of that sink in.” Really, it’s a doozy. Now, while Fox comes out to indicate News and the Movie studio are different entities and Friedman is a freelance writer, it still boggles the mind they’d let this happen. Go ahead and read the entire article by Josh Tyler and you have to shake your head at the incompetence shown by FOX. After complaining non stop about movie piracy for eons, and getting a lot of facts wrong along the way, and trying to make their product as difficult as possible to get to the fans, and now begging the online community to ignore the leak, they wind up with an early review of a downloaded, illegal, pirated version of Their Own Movie on Their Own Website! Kudos to you FOX - you have attained an EPIC FAIL. If you ever open your mouth about pirated content again after this, I hope you’re laughed out of town.

It’s just really too bad it had to happen to the Wolverine movie. The first X-Men movie is one of my all time faves, and I’m a huge Wolverine comic fan as well. I’ve been waiting for a solo Wolverine movie for a long time, and now all this drama has to surround it. After the first awesome trailer, I’ve been avoiding any further clips/trailers/spoilers like the plague. I’ll be going to the theatre to see this, no doubt, but I’ll be regretting the fact my money is contributing to Fox - the worst movie studio of all time.

In the end, the Wolverine movie and those that worked on it don’t deserve this. However, Fox Studios, the corporation and CEO, certainly does. Way to go karma.

Burn Baby Burn

2009-04-02T09:02:00.003-04:00

Here we are in April, which means a quarter of the year burned up. Yay. The quicker the better I say.

I appear to be back online here in a solid way for a change. Starting last week, my (probably 7 year old) Linksys router started to cough, then choke, then die on me. After messing around with it and limping along for a couple days, I finally gave up on it. Looked like I'd need a new router. Luckily, I've been using an Apple Airport Express as a wireless access point for my network, and I'd forgotten it can be used as a router as well. It took me a little to get it online and then setup right, but that was more me and my dearth of networking skills. Apparently it's got a firewall as does Mac OS, so I'm back up and running. The downside is I have no wired access to my network at the moment, so I may consider an upgrade to get the old XP machine online again. The upside to the switch though was a massive burst in internet speed. I guess my old Linksys router was really slowing me down, but I think I'm getting true wireless N speed now on my iMac. On top of that, this seems to have fixed what I thought was a bug in Mac Mail, but that left along with the router. So the router going up in smoke was a very good thing apparently.

Otherwise, it's same old on the western front here: tired. Watching CMT here and listening to Dierks Bentley's song Feel that Fire. I wouldn't mind feeling a bit of fire either. Speaking of CMT, what's with the jamming the screen full of every bit of graphics and moving text possible to keep you from seeing the actual video thats playing? Rather annoying, but it did tell me that it's EmmyLou Harris birthday, turning 62. So happy birthday to one of the best ever.

Oh well, on with the show. Enjoy your Thursday.

A Hog On Ice

2009-03-24T07:32:00.001-04:00

Good grief. Just had to post about this. We've already had word recently there are movies in the pipe that are remakes of MacGyver, The A-Team, and Missing In Action. Really, how are they going to fill the boots of Richard Dean Anderson, Mr. T, and Chuck Norris?! I don't think we really need remakes of these shows/movies, but whatever, we already know they'll probably suck the high wind (see Dukes of Hazzard movie, Starsky and Hutch movie, Bewitched, etc).

But now they've gone TOO far! They've announced the Coen brothers are remaking True Grit. What?! For starters, John Wayne movies don't need to be remade. (I'm ignoring the fact Rio Bravo was remade three times, twice starring Wayne, and one of the remakes has been remade. Don't ask.) But come on, this is unnecessary.

Granted, if anyone could pull this off, it'd be the Coens, but I just can't really see any current actor being able to successfully utter the famous line:

"Fill your hand, you sonuvabitch!"

Checkin' In

2009-03-23T13:22:00.004-04:00

Just a quick placeholder post. Still here - almost recovered from the flu bout, but still sleeping a lot. Guess the body knows when it has to repair. Had the building mangers on plumbing detail lately with a day without water and today having to wait for them to come by and do a look under the sinks in my unit. Guess they'll sleep better having checked, but it didn't help my sleep pattern any. Especially when they say it starts at 9 am and show up at noon. Wear a watch, people. Ok, rant over.

Got a good opening line for a story from Pappy in the comments of the last post, and I do like a writing challenge so I'll be coming up with something. I know what the last line will be, I just have to write the middle now.

Back for more sleep and then work again. Hope to get back into blogging again with some new posts later in the week...

Into The Sun

2009-03-16T09:55:00.001-04:00

I'm just testing Flickr and Firefox's ScribeFire blogging plugin. But here's a picture for you to enjoy anyway. Managed to grab a pic of the sun and cloud while I was driving...

Driving into the sun

Me Mini Movie Reviews: Babylon A.D.

2009-03-12T06:22:00.003-04:00

This is a frustrating movie to review. On my first watch through the uncut version I rented, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, knowing what I do about the troubled production, it sure leaves me wondering just how much better that three hour cut by the director is and wish yet again that Fox studios would leave movies alone.

The sci-fi story is set in the not too distant future that is probably a ‘pre’ post-apocalyptic. It definitely has a Blade Runner feel crossed with Children of Men and the look of this future is very cool. We join the story following a mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel in an excellent performance) getting an offer he can’t refuse to transport and deliver a girl, Aurora (Melanie Thierry) from war ravaged Serbia to New York City. He picks her up at a monastery and reluctantly has to take her guardian Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh) along too. From there it’s a tension fraught fight or flight run to the border and Toorop begins to find out there’s more to this mission than just delivering a package. Choices will have to be made, and they won’t be easy.

The movie is very well paced and the action scenes well done. There’s a bit too much quick editing in the fight scenes, but it’s certainly watchable. Some of the best parts are the futuristic cinematography as we travel through war torn Russia, the snow covered Arctic, and into the glitzy New York cityscape. It’s not so far into the future that you have flying cars and such, it’s just a well done, believable version of the not too distant future. The actors all give excellent performances that change as the movie progresses, from Vin Diesel as the hopeless cynic to having a reason to fight, and Thierry as the naive young girl seeing the world for the first time and adjusting to it’s horrors.

But this is where that frustration kicks in. As much as I really liked this movie, there are deeper themes being presented here that don’t get the chance to play out. Human manipulation of mankind, religion, God, Artificial Intelligence, power, love, etc, all get touched on but not explored. Apparently the book it’s based on, Babylon Babies, is a 500 page thinker and I believe the director had a lot more he wished to address here than just a futuristic action movie. The director, Mathieu Kassovitz, has already stated in interviews he won’t work with Fox again as they consistently meddled in the entire production resulting in what he called “a bad episode of 24.” (Quote of the year?) I don’t think the end result is that bad. However, from what I gather the theatrical release was a complete mess, but the 15 minutes added back in to the “uncut” version makes for at least a comprehensible story, if short on depth.

This is a case of where all my internet movie reading is a double edged sword. I was sold on the movie from the trailer (which gives away a pivotal moment, so don’t watch that if you intend on watching the movie), but reading about the production troubles saved me spending 10 bucks at the theatre for a cut to bits version. Having watched the “uncut” version though, I really wonder what’s on the cutting room floor and hope someday we get a true Director’s Cut. If not, well there’s just one more reason among many for me to hate Fox Studios.

Verdict: Worth a rental - get the Raw & Uncut version only though, NOT the theatrical version. Good action, impressive visuals, and interesting but underdeveloped sci-fi themes.

Could Use A Healing Factor...

2009-03-11T05:34:00.001-04:00

Hey all, still here. Bit of a rough week. Inexplicably wound up with my left shoulder feeling tore up and couldn't sleep more than a couple hours without waking up from the pain. Don't know how it happened, but after about a week of it, it's getting better. Wound up sleeping for 12 hours on Sunday to catch up. 'Course, as soon as that clears up I catch a flu bug and got the sore throat head cold thing going here just to keep March's good luck streak intact. Can't wait for this month to fall off the calendar.

On the upside, I'm watching movies and reading and watching podcasts as any distraction is good. Watched Clint Eastwood's Pale Rider today and over a couple nights at work I watched True Romance on the PSP on lunch breaks. Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott, it's a wild ride of a movie with an excellent cast. Typical Tarantino writing, but directed by Scott it's not as overdone as some of Quentin's other stuff. Fun movie.

I also finished the Preacher series and loved it, but still thinking about writing something up on it. Started in on the Watchmen graphic novel now, with it all the rage in the theatre, figured I better read the book first.

And here's something cool - I've resisted any next gen game console to this point, but this game might be worth a PS3. Can't wait for the Wolverine movie, and this game looks like a lot of fun to play, hitting stores the same day. If I had Wolverines healing factor, I wouldn't have to worry about sore shoulders and throats...

Everybody's Got A Trailer...

2009-03-06T04:37:00.001-05:00

We got trailers hitting the net all over the place for the summer movies. I guess now that we're into March, they don't have all that long to go after your hard earned bucks, so they gotta get those hype machines rolling.

There's a new and final Wolverine trailer out there. I watched a low res version somewhere, and since the HD version is in the bowels of MTV's website I'm not going to bother to link to it here. Just wait till it comes to Apple. (seriously, MTV?! What are you thinking Fox?) What I did see of the trailer convinced me not to watch it - the trailer, not the movie. It's Fox doing the usual "give away all the good stuff" and so I stopped watching and will wait for the movie. No need to have it spoiled by overzealous marketing. However, the bits I did see look great and I can't wait for this one.

Then there's a new Star Trek trailer out and it looks pretty cool, even for a non Trek fan like me, which I assume is the point of rebooting the franchise and going after new viewers. Lots of explosions in space, not much else in the trailer. Looks like it could be ok, but it won't be any Serenity.

Also out is a trailer for 500 Days of Summer. This is a little outside my wheelhouse movie wise, but sign me up. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel? Ok, I'm in.

But the best is saved for last here. The first trailer is out for what is one of my Top 3 anticipated movies this year - Public Enemies. It's the story of bank robber John Dillenger and the FBI agent, Melvin Purvis, hot on his trail. Dillenger is played by Johnny Depp and Purvis is played by Christian Bale. That's enough right there to be interested, but the guarantee this will be awesome is that the director is crime action/drama master, Michael Mann. His movies Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice are three of my all time favorites. Now I watched this trailer in low res flash and it was ok, but if your computer is at all capable, go over to Apple and watch it in 1080P HD glory. This one should be great. (by the way, the cool blues music in the second half of the trailer is Ten Million Slaves by Otis Tayler in case you were wondering like I was)

Shiny Apples

2009-03-03T16:14:00.001-05:00

So much for that March 24 date. Apple quietly updated their desktop line and a few other things today. The iMacs got some good speed bumps, Airport Extreme and Time Capsule got updated, but the Mac Mini update is what I've been waiting for.

The Mini now has the new Nvidia graphics, same as the laptops and a huge improvement over the old Intel GMA950. It's got DDR3 Ram in it too, although the low end version comes with only 1GB (really?!). On the back, it's got 5 (yep, 5!) USB ports, firewire 800, and this is where it gets interesting - both a mini-DVI and mini-Display ports so that you can now power two displays off it. There's been a lot of people wanting that for a long time. And all this in about the smallest desktop package you can get.

The downside is, I think they actually raised the price. The low end version starts at $729 Canadian which I think is about $80 more than what they were selling the old one for. Guess I'll be looking at some older refurbs, see what they come in at.

So, back to the Apple website I go...

Terminator Salvation

2009-03-03T05:14:00.001-05:00

Of the blockbuster summer movies coming this summer, I'd have to say Wolverine and Terminator Salvation would be two at the top of the list. And now, the first full trailer (Not a teaser) has hit the web for Terminator and it's awesome. We get a look at more of the story, the interaction between Conner and Terminators and the apocalyptic look of the future. With Christian Bale as John Conner (leader of the human resistance) and Sam Worthington as a Terminator who think he's human, it looks like the battle is all set.

I'm a huge fan of the first two Terminator movies. From a sci-fi angle and CGI and action viewpoint, they were ahead of their time, but it's the story in both that holds up no matter what. The third Terminator kind of took a helluva dive on that front, but I'm hoping Terminator Salvation gets it back to quality storytelling and not just "blow it up good." The downside is that the continuation of these movies rather stomps all over the point of the second movie, in that "fate is what you make it" and that you can change the future, but apparently the war happened anyway. Of course, the war between humans and Terminators would have had to happen for one to get sent back to protect John and Sarah Conner in the first place so that they could change the future and - oh dear, I've gone cross eyed...

Anyway, this trailer looks great and hopefully they can get Linda Hamilton back to do a voice over to book end the movie and maybe even an Arnold cameo. That would be classic.

HD trailer at Yahoo Movies here.

Carryin' On

2009-03-02T14:47:00.001-05:00

Hey, look at that, I have internet access again. Came home last night and had nothing in the way of a series of tubes to connect me to the outside world. My equipment was working right, but with the lights dimming on and off, I figured there was probably something else wrong further up the line. Must've been, cause now it's working. Would hate to have to go through internet withdrawal.

Elsewhere, I make it a point not to talk in details about work on here, but I will say I got good news last night in that the contract has settled and we'll keep working. That's a huge load off the mind and yet another chip falling in place. I may still hate my job, but in this economy you've gotta be grateful to just be working - anywhere. And if I can last another year, odds are good I'll get transferred to a better location. So it's just a wait and endure thing now, but at least the bills will still get paid. Now it's on to a laundry list of to-do's that have been on hold for the last six months...

And in other news, reading around the web there are some strong rumors that there will be an Apple event on March 24, likely to introduce updated Mac desktop models. Waiting for the new Mac Mini here, which is more in the affordable bracket than a laptop. Or even better would be a nice drop on a refurbed older model price. We'll soon see.

And the quote of the day goes to The Outlaw Josey Wales - classic western I watched:

"Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is."

Oscar The Grouch

2009-02-23T02:09:00.001-05:00

The Oscars were tonight...anybody notice? Yeah, that's what I thought. I didn't watch the show (who could?), though I guess I should have considering I do need to get caught up on some sleep.

I caught the Hugh Jackman opening number, which was pretty good, on YouTube, but other than that, who besides die hards are going to watch? I might have tuned in had any movies I was interested in been nominated, but movies like Dark Knight, The Wrestler, and Gran Torino among others are ignored in favor of the usual selection of biopics and period pieces the Academy seem to like a lot.

For my money, The Wrestler was movie of the year and Mickey Rourke didn't even win Best Actor which was the only race I was interested in. That's highway robbery right there. Most of the other movies nominated I really have no interest in seeing. They scream boredom to me. I'm not saying they're not good movies, just that they don't interest me.

And that's the thing. They want more people to be interested in the Oscars, but then they show how out of touch they are. No one's saying they need to nominate Norbit or equal drivel, just widen the scope a bit.

How Slumdog Millionaire is best picture of 2008 is beyond me. But then the Oscars are always consistent...if not correct.

Random Bits

2009-02-22T05:56:00.001-05:00

Favorite song lyric of the night: "She ain't ashamed to be a woman, or afraid to be a friend..." Any guesses? No Google allowed...

Tonight one of the chips fell...the right way, for a change. Onward.

Came home from work and sat down and read for three straight hours. I'm now into book 7 of 9 in the Garth Ennis "Preacher" series of graphic novels. It's action packed, heart breaking, thought provoking, downright profane, and laugh out loud funny and I'm loving every minute of it. Wouldn't let a kid within ten feet of the books, but it sure does work to put your mind in a different spot...

Now if only I could managed some non sleep deprived time to continue writing Allison and the truck driver's epic tale...

So, done made it through another week. Only 45 left to go before it's adios '09. Can't wait for that - still tired and wired here. Nobody said it would be easy, but it don't have to be this hard (another lyric. guesses?) But then, to quote the Preacher, Jesse Custer, "Aw, f$ck this self pityin' bullshit. I dunno. Could be all I need's to shift down a gear." Could be...

Man Working - Semi Hiatus Ahead

2009-02-16T06:35:00.001-05:00

Well, thought I'd better do a check in post here.

Took an little unplanned hiatus from blogging there, which may continue. The walls are still pushing in, and I've been crunching numbers and burning brain cell cpu cycles to come up with a plan to change a thing or two of the life misery going here. Might even be a move in order, who knows. I have come up with a suitable plan, so now I just have to wait for a chip or two to drop first and then see what's what. (Thank you, oh screwed up economy). Oh the joys of working a job you hate and living in a noisy building. Sooner or later, the bad mood becomes permanent at that rate, and trying to put words down in a cohesive order just lacks appeal compared to laying in bed watching a cooking show trying to "zen" yourself to sleep. If I can put myself into a quiet home environment, the rest of it would probably be more doable. We'll see. Hmm, I wonder if a 32 year old could move into a retirement community? That'd be quiet, wouldn't it?

However, I have been watching movies and reading graphic novels and generally looking for any distraction I can in my half asleep downtime, and have caught a few good ones. I saw Casino, Donnie Darko, Out of Sight, and some others on TV, and read Batman: Year One, Preacher Vol 3 & 4, Punisher Presents Barracuda, The Killer Vol 1, and Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears. Nothing like coming home from work and reading some Garth Ennis at 4 in the morning. Oddly relaxing...

And now, for the first time in years, I'm hooked into a TV show. Two, no less. First is Patrick Swayze in The Beast which I've mentioned before, and now is Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse. I'm just glad Whedon is back writing a TV show - let's hope Fox gives it more than 3 episodes before canceling it. This is Fox afterall - the enemy of anything creative or original. Thank goodness for the internet too, or I wouldn't be able to see these shows on night shift.

So I'm still around, but my blogging may be even slighter than usual for the next bit yet again as I try to change a thing or two, and it'll take some work. It all comes down to money, as usual, and I can say I have really come to hate the green stuff and the problems it generates. When I was working part time, I was broke but happy. Now I'm fulltime and earning more to throw at the mortgage than any job I've ever had and I'm miserable. Sounds kinda like a Zen riddle, don't it?

But the man has a plan...

Short Story - Sign of Life (Part 3/3)

2009-02-01T05:02:00.001-05:00

(Reader discretion advised - some coarse language / violence.)

Part 3

They were here.

Three people and their moments in time converged to this singular spot. Each there for a different reason, but joined now nonetheless. Then, as always, time moved forward and the next moment came.

The gunman whirled around at the sound of the door and without hesitation fired a wild shot. The truck driver instinctively ducked and seemed to stumble as he came through the door but continued to move fast as the clerk screamed at the sound of the gunshot and ducked behind the counter. Another shot rang out and then the two men met head on and grappled in a desperate fight for the weapon.

Then the heads by the cooler wall started to move too. The truck driver registered movement and in desperation managed to turn the gunman towards it, saving himself from another attack, but it would only be momentary. He was still fighting for the gun and didn’t need the man’s two friends in the struggle too.

With seconds to spare, his over charged brain caught more movement and the girl came out from behind the counter, no longer scared but embracing the anger generated from the fear. She held a baseball bat in her hands, an afterthought of a weapon the owner of the store kept there for peace of mind, if not practicality. Still, it was all she had so with a manic yell, she swung the bat and connected a home run shot on the surprised gunman’s friend, who hit the ground, knocked cold. The other girl took one look and bailed out running, so the fight was down to these three.

The truck driver finally got his hands on the gun and wrenched it out of the robber’s hands just as the clerk connected another shot to the now overmatched gunman. He staggered away a few steps and then turned back around to look at the other two and wondered how this guy and girl team had bested him at his own game. Enraged at being beaten, he pulled a knife and moved towards the closer bat wielding Babe Ruth impersonator.

Another gunshot rang out then, stopping everyone cold. Seconds ticked off the clock before the knife fell to the ground. With a confused look on his face, the robber looked down at the bright red on his shirt. Then he looked back at the truck driver and the smoking gun in his hand. He really hadn’t expected the man would actually pull the trigger. Coughing suddenly, he sank to his knees, then looked back up and ground out in a hate filled voice, “Go to hell...”

The driver held the gun steady, looked back at the dying man and spoke softly, “Been there. Your turn.”

With that, the dying man fell to the floor and breathed his last breath. The clerk lowered the bat and took a step backward to lean heavily on the counter. She was still alive and couldn’t believe it. She took a deep breath before realizing that the driver was talking again.

“You ok? Are you hurt?”

“I’m ok,” she whispered, then looked up in shock as he took a step backward before collapsing awkwardly to the floor. Rushing to him, she saw the red stain on the left side beneath his jacket. She pulled him to her and tried to put her hands on the wound. It was hopeless. The bullet he had caught coming through the door had done it’s damage. She was amazed he had lasted this long.

Police sirens wailed in the distance as she looked down at his face, life draining out of him as more moments moved past.

“Why’d you do it?” she whispered. “You had to know this could happen. You could have driven away. Saved yourself...”

“Couldn’t let him get away with it.” He coughed again, “too many assholes. Somebody’s gotta put a stop to it.” He blinked a couple times, then refocused on her face and half smiled. “Worth it though...”

She gave him a smile that gave him a glimpse of what heaven might be like, if he made it there. She held his face softly in her hands and quietly spoke, “Thank you. Is there anybody I can call? Something to say to somebody?”

He shook his head no, but whispered “What’s your name?”

“Allison.”

“Nice to meet you Allison. You swing a mean bat.” They both tried to laugh before he coughed harder and then his gaze went unfocused and with his last breath he whispered, “It’s finally quiet.” Then life slipped out of him and he counted his last moment in time.

She continued to hold him, even as the police hit the store and secured the scene. She ignored all their words, until an older officer knelt down and put his hand on her shoulder. “He’s gone, dear. You have to let go.”

She turned then, with tears rolling down her face and anger in her voice, “Must the good always pay the price for the bad? He was a good one, I just know it. I finally get a sign, and it’s wrapped in death. Is that fair? Is that right?”

The older cop had seen a lot of bad things in his time and could think of only one thing to say.

“No, that’s life.”

The End....?

---------------------

And there it is, nothing major just a dark little story I had on the mind. I still haven't decided if I should leave it alone or use it as a prologue for a bigger story that's kicking around the brain. If I can make the time, I just might. Having read three Garth Ennis graphic novels in the last two days, the urge to write something is proving itself not quite dead yet...

Thanks for the comments and taking the time to read it!

Short Story - Sign of Life (Part 2/3)

2009-01-30T17:21:00.001-05:00

(Reader discretion advised - some coarse language / violence.)

Part 2.

They were nowhere.

Good guys, that was, or so she thought. She was a register jockey at the local gas ‘n go on the edge of town and spent her nights watching the few late customers come in for expensive gas and cheap coffee. In between counting change and swiping charge cards, she’d read a book or make notes in her journal. Tonight though, she was content to stare out the window and listen to the late night radio. Through several hours of interrupted contemplation, she had come to the conclusion that guys were jerks. That morning a friend had sent a picture to her cellphone. A picture of her boyfriend getting way too comfortable with someone who wasn’t her. Despite the picture, he even tried to deny it, then excuse it, then apologize for it with an ill placed and insincere “I love you”. That made for a short conversation. It may have gone on longer, but after a baseball found it’s way from his shelf to her hand to his TV, nothing more needed to be said.

Now she was putting in time on her all night Short Stop shift and stewing about the state of her world. She was now pretty much homeless as she had been living with the jerk. Smashing his TV probably put an end to their more than roommates status. And this job of human interaction misery wouldn’t pay the freight either. She wanted to go back to school, and had put her hopes on a man, but he had come up short as usual. Now she needed a place to stay, a better job, and if she was honest with herself, a fix it up glue for another broken heart.

As a customer bought a coke and she handed him some change, she thought to herself that was the worst of it. She had really thought this guy was different. Honest, true, and honorable. It turned out he just put on a good show. It wasn’t the first time, and she was beginning to wonder if there was anything good left in the human race? Was there anyone who wasn’t just looking out for themselves and determined to be an asshole 24/7? She was so tired of being lied to and used and was getting angrier by the day; but the more she thought about it, the more she didn’t want to become jaded and hard. But it was pressing the point of half past too late, and she just hoped for a sign that all was not lost on this dying planet.

A truck pulled into the gas pumps and she watched as a tall guy got out and started up the fueling. The truck had seen better days, but it was an old school warrior and as she watched him wait on the pump and stare into the darkness of the night she idly thought he might be too. She was about to jot something down in her journal when the door chime rang again and two guys and a girl walked in, talking a little too loud while heading to the coolers at the back.

Then one of the guys turned back around and yelled to his friends “Get whatever you want.” He approached the counter and she bent down to put her journal on the lower shelf. She stood up to see what he wanted and her heart flatlined. He had a gun in his hand and he brought his arm straight up and pointed it at her. “Give me the money and the smokes, bitch! Now!” Instinctively she jumped back but hit the cigarette shelves of the wall behind her. She couldn’t think for a second as her mind and body refused to co-operate. The guy with the gun said something else she missed entirely as her now alive heartbeat in her ears drowned it out. She tried to reach to open the register, hoping the little cash in there would be enough to make him leave.

Then she looked up and she saw his eyes and she knew this was happening and it was no joke. Where there should have been something - hate, anger, or even evil - there was nothing. He didn’t care about her or even pulling the trigger, and she knew it. All hope left out of her in a hurry, and she closed her eyes. The word help went through her mind, out to someone - anyone - on this plane of existence or the next, but her hopeless broken heart didn’t expect to hear anything back. She figured this was it. A bad end to a worse day.

Then the door chime rang again...

To Be Continued...

Short Story - Sign of Life (Part 1/3)

2009-01-29T14:55:00.001-05:00

Just a little three part story coming here. Enjoy if you can, comments welcome...

(Reader discretion advised - some coarse language / violence.)

Part 1

They were everywhere.

It was getting really, really tiring too. It didn’t matter where he went, he’d bump into one. Assholes at work, idiots in the checkout line, arrogant brain-deads on the other end of the phone line, and plain old stupid-meets-dangerous in the car next to him on the freeway. The list could go on forever and he wouldn’t run out of examples for a millennia or two.

So, what happened? Where did it all go wrong? When did humanity decide that brains and civility were no longer requirements of a proper existence? Did the sea of unwashed two legged pollutants not realize that this mess wasn’t necessary? That a little honor and common sense could make life a lot better for more than a few? These were the questions that wouldn’t quit going round his head every day, and with each passing cycle of the sun he got a little further removed from finding any answers. His faith in humanity was long since gone, and his faith in something better was on a slippery foothold.

It was in this mental fog that he rolled into the Short Stop on the edge of town to get some fuel for both himself and his truck. He got out and started pumping gas into the four wheel wallet drainer. One more thing to swear at as he watched the tally roll higher on the pump. Somebody somewhere was getting rich off him at this very moment, and if there was any justice in the world the bastard wouldn’t get a chance to spend it. But there was none of that left in the world either.

Some other voices broke into his thoughts and out of habit he registered other people walking into the store. Years ago a bad luck streak had taught him the knack of keeping track of his surroundings mentally; a habit that was hard to break even now. Sometimes he wondered if it was a blessing or a curse.

He finished filling up and was putting the gas cap back on when, out of habit, he glanced into the store to see where the clerk was. He stopped short at what he saw - the clerk was behind the register, backed up to the cigarette wall and was staring at the business end of a pistol in the hand of yet another asshole. Just what I need, he thought, taking a step back behind the cab of his truck. He pulled out his cellphone and quickly dialed 911, switching to speaker mode so he could keep the phone out of any possible line of sight. The operator answered and he spoke tersely, “Listen close - the Short Stop gas station at the Lincoln street highway ramp, send cops fast. The store is being held up. One assailant, gun sighted. At least four people in the store by my count. Got that?” He got a yes response, then hung up as the operator continued talking and glanced back into the store. The robber appeared animated and agitated. The clerk was trying to melt into the wall while reaching to open the register. She was clearly scared. And he could see the tops of two heads back by the coolers as well. Eyes back to the gunman, and something in his gut told him this wasn’t going to last long enough for the cops to get there. He had to make a decision.

Honor was telling him to do something. Common sense was telling him he already had and to drive away before a bullet wound up with his name on it. But then if he did that, he’d be just another one of the assholes he’d grown to hate so much, and he’d be damned if he’d allow that to happen. So be it, he thought, damned it is. He pulled his ball cap a little lower as he walked towards the store pretending he was oblivious to what was going on inside. He took a deep breath and reached for the door handle, wondering if his number had finally come up and might he be headed for that last ride...

To be continued...

It's A Rant

2009-01-21T06:49:00.002-05:00

Ok, what the hell, time for a rant.

Here’s a comment from the last post: dont talk trash about carrie said...
Carrie always does an amazing job no matter what she is singing and she sings I told you so just as good as Randy Travis or better. Find someone else to talk bad about.

For the record, I wasn’t talking trash about Carrie, I was making an observation about feeling old when stuff I grew up on is now a classic to be covered by the current radio darling. Still, let’s explore this a little for kicks and giggles anyway. Carrie covering a Randy Travis classic is ok, but to release it as a single is a little odd. It’d be like Keith Urban trying for a number one hit by doing a cover of He Stopped Loving Her Today. I like Urban, but that’d be weird. I have no problem with covers, but sometimes a cover of a classic should just be an album track, not a radio single. A nod to a favorite without trying to score popularity points.

Now I have no idea whether Carrie is a die hard Randy Travis fan or not, but from this cynics viewpoint, it just seems like savvy marketing, much like most of country music today (not just Carrie). An American Idol pop music winner, shrewdly moves into the much less fickle country market with a studio pushed custom made Faith Hill in waiting look and sound, wins big at awards shows on only one album’s strength to keep the Idol fandom/market happy and buying, and then after a couple radio friendly pop-ish hits releases a radio single of a classic “doesn’t get more country than that” song to bridge the gap to true country fans and works in an Opry appearance with the original singer himself. Either this is the luckiest girl on the face of the earth living a dream, or there’s a brilliantly savvy marketing team behind the curtain. I’m a cynic to the bone, so guess what I think?

I realize I’m no longer in anyone's sales demographic, but it just seems country music today is marketed straight to the 13 year old girl with expendable cash market. Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift (which one’s which?), Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, and too many other newbies to count have made my ears bleed with uninspired, tepid lyrics and pop blended beats. Can I not flip on my radio and find someone singing something that doesn’t sound like it just made it through a five step focus group and marketing session and blandified (Trademark!) for your protection? Sure, there’s still good singers and songwriters making their mark with solid art from the heart, but I have to go to the internet to find it. Forget CMT or KIX FM.

Or maybe, in the end, this is the way it is with every generation. What appeals to the age appropriate masses is turned away from by those who have lived a little longer and seen something with more quality than quantity. I’m sure when I was listening to Garth Brooks, my parents wondered what happened to their country. Now I have to hear Sugarland and wonder what the hell happened to mine.

Perhaps Vince Gill said it best...

You wake up one morning and it's passed you by.
Don't know when and you don't know why.
You feel like an old memory hangin' round.
And man, you've got to face it, it's a young man's town.
You knew this day was comin' all along.
So why bitch n' moan and say they done you wrong.
Just teach 'em what you know and pass it on down,
'Cause man you gotta face it, it's a young man's town.

It's a young man's town,
Full of young man's dreams.
And all God's children gotta learn to spread their wings.
Sometimes you gotta stand back,
And watch 'em burn it to the ground,
Even though you built it, it's a young man's town.

You always seem to be the last to know.
Man, that's just the way that the story goes.
There's nothing you can do when the fields have turned brown.
And man, you gotta face it, it's a young man's town.

It's a young man's town,
Full of young man's dreams.
And all God's children gotta learn to spread their wings.
Sometimes you gotta stand back,
And watch 'em burn it to the ground.
Even though you built it, it's a young man's town.
-Young Man's Town, by Vince Gill

Quick Picks

2009-01-19T04:23:00.001-05:00

I think if I'm going to continue blogging, it'll need to be short and sweet with the posting. At least till my life eases up on the pressure a bit later this year. Till then, here's a few things grazing the surface...

- Not many TV shows can grab my interest anymore, as the major networks don't usually offer much and anything interesting gets canceled too soon to bother with (I'm looking at you FOX). However, when HBO or A&E launches a series, I take note. This time it's A&E, and the show is The Beast (A&E synopsis: The Beast, starring Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel, centers on an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran, Charles Barker (Swayze), who takes on a rookie partner, Ellis Dove (Fimmel). Barker trains Dove in a hard-edged, psychologically driven approach towards undercover work, where a moment's hesitation can lead to death). I just caught the pilot, and its a show that delivers. Here's hoping Swayze's health allows him to keep doing the show.

- With iTunes now going DRM free, I'll actually buy some music there now. I recently bought albums by Bryan Adams, Kanye West, and Miranda Lambert (how's that for eclectic tast?) I normally hate rap, but Kanye West's 808 & Heartbreaks album isn't all bad, with a couple good tracks. However, the surprise was country singer Miranda Lambert who delivers a really good album and writes her own songs. She's more Gretchen Wilson than Taylor Swift, so that's a plus right there, and she can rock or do a EmmyLou Harris cover with equal talent. One of the very few country singers today worth a listen.

- Speaking of country, I recently heard on the radio a classic song - "I Told You So", only thing was it certainly wasn't Randy Travis singing it. It was Carrie Underwood doing a cover of it. Suddenly I felt old. What I grew up listening to was now being remade for the bubblegum country/pop generation. At least she picked a good song for a change, but I'd have rather heard Randy back on the radio singing it.

- If you're a Firefox 3 user, available plug-ins can really add to it. The #1 essential is AdBlock Plus. With that enabled, you never have to see an advertisement on a webpage again. I don't like surfing without it anymore. And if you're a blogger, ScribeFire is a must that makes for easy blogging right while you surf. How'd I not know about this sooner? I just found it, and it works great. It's in your browser so you don't have to launch another program, and better yet, it's free.

- I've been impressed with the online video service Vimeo.com. It's a step up from YouTube, as they will give you 720P HD video. It's pretty strict in that they only want originally created content, so you won't see music videos or news clips there, but some of it's quite interesting. Here's a well put together vid of snow in Seattle shot with a Canon 5D MK II (sweet camera if you got an extra 3 grand)...[click through to Vimeo's site for the HD]

A Walk Around Seattle in the Snow from Luke Humphrey on Vimeo.

Checkin' In...

2009-01-15T05:55:00.001-05:00

I'm still around, just a little swamped. So here's a pic of me in Sin City style, just for fun. Marv Rules!

(Speaking of which, if you get a chance to see Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler, do so. It's as good as they say, and he just won a Golden Globe for it and so did Springsteen for the amazing song. I'll try to put up a short review for it soon...)