Slacking

Alright alright... i have been slacking on updating... a lot.

I have some good excuses, I swear!

I had been going through the housing purchase process, which was a pain in the ass. It ended up with me finding someplace, having some headaches, but eventually closing on the place one week ago. So there has been a lot of work going on with the place right now - ie everything has been spackled, sanded, and is in the process of being painted. Maybe I am crazy, but I feel like a fresh coat of paint will do the place more justice.

Aside from that I am working crazy hours at work, trying to get done a number of random other things personally, and still trying to have time for a social life. Let me tell you - it isnt working out so well.

I guess here is to hoping I can get things situated in the house sooner than later. I have until the end of November before I absolutely have to be out of the apartment... but I would much rather have things completed within the next two weeks or so, in order to get back to something of a "normal" life.

ugh.

there holly - i posted for you.

baseball card fans - contests going on

a couple of baseball card contests going on that are amazing. take a look if you are a card collector / fan

http://collectivetroll.blogspot.com/2009/08/bloggers-vote-for-hall-of-fame-contest.html

http://cardcache.blogspot.com/2009/08/2009-allen-ginter-giveaway-complete.html#comments

Time passes, things change

Ive hit that time in my life when I think I am ready to settle down in the area. As in, its house hunting time. I guess I felt like now is as good of a time as any... I have held the same job for a few years, my lease for my apartment comes up at the end of October, and I am sick of throwing money away on renting something. While I have some sort of wanderlust, I also have a silly sense of obligation and the need to stay somewhat in the area / be stable with money.

Of course looking for a house adds a new level of stress. Money constraints, wishes for nicer places, monthly payments, etc etc etc. And there are so many additional costs that you have to remind yourself of: heating, homeowners insurance, random things breaking, closing costs, property taxes. Honestly its a nightmare and I will be happy when this process is over. Even moreso because I will have some of the things I have wanted for so long - a room to be able to do my artwork / writing / shirt making, more storage for things I have, someplace to brew my own wine, etc. There are lots of little processes I would love to take part in... but I cant with my current living constraints.

Aside from that its always really interesting to me to look at the many things that people do in their lives in order to change. For me... well change is coming rather fast. A coworker of mine passed away a few weeks ago from a massive heart attack, and then my stepfather was in the hospital for chest pain the following week. On some level I think that really played on my own psyche since I have changed my eating habits completely. Thats right, Ive balanced my diet, and I consume less and less now. Why? Well again, part of it had to do with fear, but part also had to do with comfort. What people miss is the feelings inside I have had. For example - most people wouldnt be able to pinpoint that I was having some major stomach issues that I was dealing with, but I was having some real troubles. So after changing my intake, I realized how much better I feel. heh.

I got rid of cable too. And now I see just how much time I wasted in front of the tv. In the past few months I have read through a few books Ive been meaning to get to, finished off some magazines, cleaned things out, etc etc etc. Aka all things I have been meaning to do but just never did. Now - I have more than enough time.

next book im reading - http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Autobiography-L-Member/dp/0802141447

and now im off. back to work. then tonight, a few drinks and roaming around looking at houses. heres to hoping i find one.

cheers.

Notes from Underground

I just completed Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground and I have to say, I'm impressed on multiple levels.

The book really pushes the antihero to the maximum limits. Actually I haven't seen such a great antihero character since reading Warren Ellis' character Spider Jerusalem in Transmetropolitan. He is edgy, impulsive, and yet passionate and brutal. It seems that he is very self loathing, and yet in the same he has such high expectations. It almost makes you feel like you are hearing this sad and lonely character who has this underlying sea of intelligence and life beneath him, but he cant seem to push it all forth. instead he relishes in the pain.

the man is so tormented that its almost surreal, but it is written in such a manner that you cant help but empathize with him. And at the moment you do, he laughs at you, telling you that he was just joking about that all along. So throughout you find yourself questioning the exact things he does, sometimes actually questioning if he himself believes what he is writing. that is until you hit the second part of the book where it ties all of his ideals together into a tight little package...

well played mr dostoevsky.

memoir material

With some of the odd people I meet, I feel I should chronicle it for a memoir of sorts. Let me explain...

Yesterday I made my way over to Cigars International (which is a large cigar lounge / store) and was quite set to read my Dostoevsky while enjoying the pleasures afforded by a good cigar. I figured I could read and kill a little time before my dad called to stop over, as was the plan (as a side note, he didn't get home until late so I wasn't able to get there... anyway...) While a couple of the areas were a little overcrowded, I snagged a seat away from the commotion, near another gentleman who was also reading. He was working through the autobiography that Lee Iaccoca had written, which is of course interesting to me since its written by someone who was born and raised here in Allentown.

Eventually we get to talking and he notices that I'm in the midst of Dostoevsky. this simply opened countless doors for the guy, as he has read a lot of his works, and actually is well verse in some of the other writers and philosophers of the time (Hemingway, other niche authors [thanks Holly, I was being lazy], etc). So we get to talking and let me tell you, this guy was brilliant with some of the things he had to say. And it was nice to find someone who could talk about a lot of the items without getting too hot under the collar about it. Religion, politics, philosophy, etc - all great topics that were traversed. He mentioned he very much enjoys items that center around politics and economics. Especially those which have socialist ideas throughout (which I agree with in principle).

Now partway through the conversation he asks my thoughts on the 9/11 stuff. My response is my normal response - I personally feel that the government knew a lot more than they were told, if they were not the actual perpetrators. There are historical areas where governments used fear tactics to change the face of their country and push other agendas forward, and this may have been one of those times.

Of course it seems that was the answer he was looking for. He tells me I managed to run into him at just the right time. He explains that he actually makes copies of the "well made" conspiracy theory documentaries and distributes them to people who may be receptive of those ideals. Piracy in order to get ideas out there, what a thoughtful policy!

At any rate he passed on Tim Wise (who is a pretty famous speaker on racism), a documentary called In Plane Site (which is akin to the one called Loose Change), and Painful Deceptions. I plan to at least view them once... but with the intelligence the guy held, I almost wish he would have been producing the stuff himself. That would have been much more exciting. Instead I'll keep this as a possible memoir item, and get back to reading Dostoevsky - what a sick and spiteful man!

Back from Vacation

The nice thing about taking vacation is not having to worry about work or any stresses that are associated with it. I, of course, checked work email a couple of times in hopes of relieving any stress I would have coming to me when I came back to the office. Overall, I am really glad I did, as unfortunately there was a lot of crap I had to cover when I returned. I guess such is the reality of working for a corporation eh?

In other news I read much less than I anticipated while on the trip, but managed to finish The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz. not a bad book. More a psychological thriller than anything with some horror aspects to it. the concept was pretty interesting, although I don't want to give much away if anyone decides to read it in the future. I was extremely disappointed in the ending through. Honestly it was very anticlimactic (aka you read 330+ pages and then all of a sudden its summed up in 15 pages). Further, he ends with some trite cliche load of bullshit that really just pissed me off. Had he left the last paragraph out of it, I might not have called him a douchenugget.

On to another book - Notes From The Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Its one I have been really excited to read for quite sometime. I've read through the introduction a bit, and honestly... its some twit who is trying to sound monumentally intelligent by breaking down the work. Honestly the intro is really misplaced as it talks about things that happen in the book in detail at a few points, thus partially ruining some of the reading (or at least decreasing my drive for the book). They should have thought that out a bit better... you leave general explanations there and put an afterword if you really feel the need to go in depth with your analysis.

People are generally stupid. I'm coming to believe that more and more, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

Vacation

Ahhh vacation. time for me to relax, have some drinks, read, write, and have a great time. I'll likely be away for the next week or so, enjoying (what I hope is) some summer sun and a gorgeous beach. but we shall see. If the weather doesnt hold up, I expect to be playing ridiculous gams with friends.... like good old N64 since i plan on busting that out. muhahaha.

goldeneye and bomberman? be ready for some rockage.

The Face of Fear - complete

Another book spilled out into the brainpan, as I finished reading The Face of Fear by Dean Koontz. Another pretty solid book, although I havent utterly disliked anything I have read of his. Actually I would recommend From the Corner of His Eye if I had to choose one. He always tends to write about some sort of supernateral abilities (golem creation, the ability to use quantum mechanics for travel, time-stopping / slowing, etc, psychic abilities).

This one was set in NY, as my last post indicated, about a hiker who ended up with special clairvoyant powers after taking a nasty fall on Mount Everest. Its not at all out of the question either, because people have reported that after they hit their head somewhere, they could do thins like never before (art, math, etc). It makes you wonder if we will ever unravel the many complexities that the human brain has to offer. It also gives me pause to think about the person that discovers how the brain will enhance things. Take a person who can now paint with amazing artistic ability... what would someone pay to have the kind of talent? How would the economy work after that point? Would we simply program people how we want them? Hmm. This smells like a possible novel / short story.

But I digress, the story, with this clairvoyant mountain climber who is now deathly afraid of mountain climbing and left with a limp, is set in New York. And I figured the backstory of the mountain climber was set to lay out the story. Boy was I wrong. It intertwines with the overall solutions of the book, but when you are nearing that point its pretty hard to miss whats coming. There are some surprises throughout, but in the same its predictable at some points. There is just enough action and dialogue to keep the pages turning quickly, and this book feels very much unburdened by extensive language.

The most interesting points in the book center around the killer(s) wanting to prove themselves as "superbeings" that Nietzsche and William Blake both illuded to in their writings. I have read a small bit about thsoe items, but it makes me want to further research the thought process. Can we evolve into something that is beyond our current selves? So many thoughts....

Now I have to hit the bookshelf and see whats next...

Additionally... another blog

I am keeping a seperate blog for notes on my zombie novel. Some are going to end up being cryptic, but I think overall I will benefit from being able to keep a repository of ideas.



General basis of the story:



Zombie apocolypse has occurred. 5 friends have managed to survive and have bonded together even further. In addition to enduring an endless line of zombies, they will also be facing: their own fears and insecurities, previous issues lack of supplies, stress, and themselves. The major focus of the novel is the interaction of the 5 friends, and how such a huge amount of stress tears them all apart.



http://theforgottenfive.blogspot.com/



there is the addy if anyone is interested. early on there will be a lot posted there, as i have a chunk of the story already written.

Andromeda Strain - done.

Alright, I'm impressed. The book was a quick read (even though it was 300 pages) and really kept me interested. Even some of the more monotonous sections were seemingly intriguing, as the intertwined storyline was solid.

The storytelling element was the most striking to me though, as you are reading things as if they are happening from one second to the next. And yet, the narration takes over at a couple of points and it pretty much states that the characters are making some sort of mistake and are going down the wrong path. It then even suggests what they could have done to right their course. It seemed to add a different dynamic to the story, since it kept you trying to unravel what was occurring.

Honestly, this book is a two thumbs up read.

Now on to The Face of Fear by Dean Koontz. I had never heard of it before, but heres the little blurb on it: "Graham Harris was once one of the world's foremost mountain climbers, until a fall five years earlier left him with a lame leg, a fear of heights...and a frightening psychic ability in which he can see murders as they are happening. Harris lives in New York City, where a murderous madman known as the Butcher has been mutilating young women. While he is giving an interview on live television one night, Graham senses the Butcher claiming another victim. When the madman realizes that [Graham] poses a threat to him he formulates a plan to kill the clairvoyant. While working late one night in his office building, Graham senses that the Butcher is coming to his floor aboard an elevator. With his girlfriend Connie at his side, Graham begins a long night of playing hide and seek to try and avoid the psychopath's grip."

Hopefully its equally interesting.

Now Reading...

The Andromeda Strain. Its an interesting book thus far, as it intertwines alien life in the form of bacteria coming to earth via a satellite that crashed down. Just something random I picked up in an effort to pound through some of the books I have had on my list for a while. The interesting thing is that I somehow acquired a copy of the book in its 1972 form. Aka the cover price is $1.25, and it has an ad in the back selling copies of the book Deliverance, soon to be a movie! Its one of those artifacts of time that people tend to overlook. With the digital age being so relevant, I wonder how books will fare in the future... I mean in my life I have already seen the Kindle and things like that which will push books into a digital medium...

Will all books become a thing of the past when it comes to their paper form?

Did I mention I love books and reading? Because I do...

I'm also reading a book on quantum theory, as well as Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Elliot. Both are good reads in their own right.

I also just finished reading a "Teach yourself psychology" book, as well as the most recent book of the Drizzt series (Forgotten Realms... yeah I'm a nerd). The psychology book was a lot of what I knew already, just presented in a nicer format than my ever chaotic mess of a brain. Drizzt... well, lets say I was disappointed. Its the second book of a trilogy called "Transitions" and it doesn't follow the same type of mold as the first book, which really left me missing that time travelish storytelling element. Perhaps I am too picky.

Bah, I should be working on my own novel anyhow.

new beginning, less xanga

i find myself always questioning why i kept going back to xanga. you know - im not sure anymore. i used to go through there and really enjoy the postings. i enjoyed the ridiculousness. honestly, i really enjoyed the community aspect that it allowed for. while i will likely continue to post on there for some of the more goofy stuff (perhaps my infamous wtf postings), i think i need a change of scenery.

actually i think i need a change of blog spots. someplace to keep my random collection of thoughts where its me and the paper, and the handful of friends who actually enjoy reading and are willing to read this here. maybe it will be less than a handful. maybe it will just be me... writing to myself.

but no matter. its something new. and something i need.