I felt like I’d been running a marathon, and the finish line was finally in sight. Much relieved, I drew strength from the fact that the end was near. I could spend the rest of the afternoon decompressing, choosing my next leisure read, and, of course, counting down the hours to the weekend. And…
April 14, 2008: F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
In 1941, a group of German soldiers occupy an abandoned Romanian keep. But an attempt to unearth the fortress’s rumored “hidden treasure” instead loosens a dark force that dwells within its walls. When the men under his command begin to meet with mysterious and grisly ends, Captain Woermann sends a dispatch back to Germany requesting…
April 13, 2008: A dark day in schnitzeldom
“Where are we going?”asked Fondy, this despite the fact that she was the one driving and we were already halfway down 16th Avenue. “I don’t care,”I truthfully replied. “Wherever you want to go.” The fact is, while my wife was out of town for a month and a half, I enjoyed most of my dinners…
April 12, 2008: Don’t judge a book by its drop-dead gorgeous cover
Well, as expected, reaction to the Whispers casting news has ranged from excitement and anxious anticipation to “Hey, Joe. Couldn’t you cast anyone hideous?” Well, sure, we could have - but rather than basing our casting decision on looks, we chose to pick the best actress for each of the three roles. I envisioned Teldy…
April 11, 2008: Production Update!
Watched the director’s cut of Daedalus Variations this afternoon. Andy Mikita did a terrific job on this one. Wow! Talk about a visual effects extravaganza! For those of you who enjoy “team” episodes in particular, this is one to look forward to. Incorporated all of the notes on the Broken Ties producer’s cut and will…
April 10, 2008: My Horrorific Top Ten
Wow! You guys enjoy your horror! Yesterday’s entry generated over 150 comments. So, what scares you? Apparently, a lot. Interestingly enough, over lunch today we were talking about Halloween events and Carl mentioned how a farm near his home used to put on a special Halloween-themed event every year complete with creepy corn mazes and…
April 9, 2008: What Scares You?
So what scares you? I asked this question about a year ago after reading two Dan Simmons books: The Song of Kali, and The Terror. One is grounded in the real world and deals with a menace firmly rooted in the every day. The other is more fantastical, focusing on a villain supernatural in nature.…
April 8, 2008: No time for the pinks!
With prep on Whispers less than a week away, I decided to do a little research to put me in the proper frame of mind. And so, over the weekend, I picked up my research materials - I Am Legend, The Mist, 30 Days of Night, 28 Weeks Later, and The Devil’s Backbone -…
April 7, 2008: Timescape, by Gregory Benford. What’d you think?
In the not too distant future (or, in our case, the recent past but whatever…), Earth faces an environmental crisis. Scientists seek to send messages back to the past in the hopes of averting a seemingly inevitable world-wide catastrophe. To be honest, I knew little about Gregory Benford’s Timescape going in (besides the fact that…
April 6, 2008: A Sunday Matinee
The link was titled “Death by blogging” and clicking on it brought up a recent NY Times article “ In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop“ by Matt Richtel. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/technology/06sweat.html?ei=5065&en=1c3f36a3531123cb&ex=1208059200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print). The article suggests that the constant demands of a ravenous internet economy place bloggers under incredible stress. The pressure to…
April 5, 2008: Fans Feeling Fuelish 2: Electric Boogaloo
Last night, I was so frustrated with the New Coke version of the WordPress Dashboard that I feared I’d go all Naomi Campbell on someone. Well, today, things are improved. And by improved, I don‘t mean improved over the original version of Dashboard which was, in my opinion, far superior in its appearance and…
April 4, 2008: Dear WordPress – WTF?
Seriously. WTF? I wrote today’s blog entry - a rundown of last night’s Fan Fuel Dinner, Round Two - clicked onto my dashboard, and was greeted by an ugly and counterintuitive jumble. Where was the concise, easy to navigate dashboard page I‘d grown to know and love? I assumed there was a problem with wordpress…
April 3, 2008: Just read the damn blog!
“Hey,”I greeted Rob as I walked by him chatting to Ivon Bartok. “Hey,”he replied before turning to resume his conversation. A seemingly innocuous exchange, but one I found somewhat odd given the circumstances. After all, I hadn’t seen Rob in days and, at the very least, I figured he’d want to catch up. But…
April 2, 2008: Fans Feeling Fuelish
Table #1: Diner: “Hi, Joe. Would you mind taking a picture with me?” Me: “Not at all.” Click. Table #2: Diner: “Hi. Can I get a picture with you too? Me: “Of course.” Snap. Table #3: Diner: “Joe, could I also get a picture?” Me: “Sure thing.” Click. Table #4: Me: “Hi. Would you…
April 1, 2008:
A short blog entry today as I have very little time before heading off for my date with the lovely Marty G. and who-knows-how-many-fans at Fuel. Tomorrow’s entry will include a rundown of the evening along with plenty o’ pics. In the meantime, here are some quick updates: Lulu had successful eye surgery today. I’m…