tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155009452024-03-13T21:24:05.785-04:00Legal AlienRandom thoughts from the USADoombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.comBlogger921125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-34572169958316310462017-03-02T23:00:00.001-05:002017-03-02T23:27:40.138-05:00Stop Doctoring The Doctor<div>Seriously, stop. Yes, I know. Peter Capaldi is leaving Doctor Who. So, yes, endless speculation over who will replace him. It's all so boring and predictable. So let's dispose of the usual suspects, shall we?</div><div><br></div><div>First of all we have, from the people who didn't pay attention to the whole "why the doctor was getting younger and younger and why he suddenly got older" storyline, the We Want David Tennant Back Because He Was Sooooo Dreamy lobby. These are the people who cried foul because Capaldi was so damn old and, well, ugly. These folks want Benedict Cumberbatch, or Collin Morgan or Bradley James or someone like that. Look, Tennant's pretty boy Doctor may have attracted a new fan base to the show, some of whom even stuck around, but trying to bring that back is just cheap. The Doctor is supposed to be the elder statesman, the wise man, the long-suffering parent to a planet full of children. Tennant just didn't cut it. Smith did that much better, but Capaldi was the best at that job since Pertwee. We don't need another young GQ Doctor.</div><div><br></div><div>Next up we have the We Want An American Actor To Play The Doctor For Reasons We Can't Satisfactorily Articulate lobby. Seriously, this group's suggestions range from the plausible (Jeff Goldblum) to the interestingly weird (Nicholas Cage) to the ridiculous (Keanu Reeves). There's no real reasoning behind the request, they just want to see someone they know in the role. The Doctor is British. Having him be Scottish was bad enough. But American? No, you took our Marathon bars and our Opal Fruits and our Action Man, stay the hell away from our Doctor.</div><div><br></div><div>(As an interesting aside, the biggest opponents to the Doctor as an American lobby comes from American fans. Just as I grew up with the Doctor, so did they. One of the reasons they love the show is precisely because of its lack of Hollywood pretentiousness, its lack of spectacle over substance, and they want to see it continue.)</div><div><br></div><div>Then we have the We're Still Pissed That Star Trek: The Next Generation Went Off The Air lobby. These want Patrick Stewart. Both these and the previous lot are intersected in our little Venn diagram by the We're Still Pissed That Firefly Went Off The Air lobby, who want Nathan Fillion. Whilst these suggestions have their intriguing side, just no.</div><div><br></div><div>Next, meet the Scooby Gang lobby. They miss Buffy and want Anthony Stewart Head as the next Doctor. Maybe, he has the gravitas to pull it off, I suppose. He, though, like Stewart and Fillion, suffer from the already-famous stigma. Head playing the Doctor would just be playing Giles playing the Doctor. I mean, he's got that whole Been In The Show Before vibe going for him, so maybe not a totally terrible idea.</div><div><br></div><div>Idris Elba. I actually don't have a problem with this one.</div><div><br></div><div>Then there's... this one's difficult. Merely mentioning it will result in accusations of mansplaining and patriarchy. Opposing it will no doubt incense people beyond reason, but here goes. There's the We Want The Next Doctor To Be A Woman For Reasons That Are No Better Articulated Than The American Lobby But Are Somehow Held To Be Higher lobby. Names are occasionally floated--Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley (who already played the Doctor in a Comic Relief special, something that's often overlooked)--but really, all they want is anyone with a vagina. </div><div><br></div><div>It's this last lobby that are especially troublesome because, unlike the rest (with the possible exception of the Buffy Brigade) this one actually stands a chance of happening. And it would be disastrous.</div><div><br></div><div>I hear keyboards being warmed up so I'll be quick.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1981 Tom Baker announced he was leaving the show after 7 years, still the longest tenure for any actor in the role. At the press conference where his retirement was to be announced, Baker was to make a few comments for the press, wish his successor luck, then hand over to John Nathan-Turner, then series producer. This, he did, but he did it in a unique way. He did the normal speech, always value my time on the show, look back with fondness, made great friends, time to move on, yadda yadda. But then he said "I wish the next Doctor Who the best of luck, whoever he--or she--may be."</div><div><br></div><div>It was the prefect mic drop moment. He turned, walked away, and left Nathan-Turner to face a suddenly very alert press. Did he just say "she"? Seriously? A female Doctor?</div><div><br></div><div>The media loved it. The fans loved it. We debated it. Could it be? Should it be? It was new, it was fresh, it was exciting. A female Doctor? How delightfully epoch making! How genre defining! How mold breaking! Of course, the next Doctor was already waiting in the wings--Peter Davidson--so the question was moot, but it was excitingly moot. What could have been, we sighed and mused. A female Doctor in the eighties would have been a black female officer in Start Trek's Original Series (or a middle eastern doctor in DS9 in the nineties). It was in-your-face, it was bold, it was big. It was an idea ripe for the time. It was the idea that the time demanded.</div><div><br></div><div>But that was 1981. Thirty-six years ago. The idea raised its head again, three years later, when Davidson retired and Colin Baker took over, and again in 1987 when Sylvester McCoy became the Doctor, Back then it was a fresh, exciting idea. Now it's bland. It's boring. We're in the 3rd Millennium. We have female action heroes. We have nuanced female baddies. We have a female Thor. We have the Master as a female. And none of this is a big deal. It's yawn. Today it's the equivalent of a female Captain in Star Trek: Voyager. No longer new or challenging or novel, it's a big bucket of who cares?</div><div><br></div><div>Worse, it's pandering. The day the Doctor regenerates into a female is the day the series jumps the shark, It'll be over. And that day I'll stop watching, with great regret. I'd have watched if the fifth, sixth, or seventh Doctor had been female, because that would have been Doctor Who. The series will continue, for a few years, but it'll no longer be Doctor Who. Doctor Who does not pander. Doctor Who is groundbreaking, it respects its audience, it pulls no punches. It doesn't do things just to please a small but vocal group of sometime fans. And it does not jump the shark.</div><div><br></div><div>Okay, it did once, with that movie, but it managed to right itself eventually. Everybody gets one.</div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-43697035345583491062016-06-19T10:32:00.000-04:002016-06-19T10:32:10.964-04:00Happy Father's DayI haven't seen my dad in a long time, but I do carry him around in my head. He shaped me a lot when I was a kid, and a lot of what I am is thanks to him. On this Father's Day I'd like to reflect on the many things my father taught me. These are, I think, guidelines to a good life,<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When driving, all other drivers can be classified as idiot, twat, or maniac. Any driver in front of you is an idiot. Any driver behind you is a twat. Any driver who attempts to pass you is a maniac. Any driver coming the other way is an idiot until they prove they are a twat (by, for exmple, having their full beams on) or a maniac (by, for example, by passing someone in the other lane when they can clearly see you're right there).</li>
<li>Never be afraid to take an open-mouth nap in your favourite armchair.</li>
<li>Despite the modern fad of everyone looking like they got dressed out of the bargain bin at Oxfam, people still do judge you on your clothes and shoes. Ergo, you should always own a decent suit and a well-polished pair of shoes. Never dress down for weddings, christenings, funerals, interviews, or court appearances.</li>
<li>In any possible situation there's a Right Thing to Do and you should do it, even if it's difficult. Sometimes it's hard to see what's the Right Thing to Do, but that doesn't mean there isn't a Right Thing to Do. Mostly the Right Thing and the legal thing are the same thing, but not always. When they are not, see above.</li>
<li>Life isn't fair. You must accept this.</li>
<li>In a street fight there are no rules, no judges, no points. The aim is to put the other guy on the ground as fast as possible and make sure he stays there. Everything is a weapon, everything is a target.</li>
<li>There is a difference between fear and respect. Any idiot can be feared if they hit enough people hard enough and often enough, but it takes character to be respected. Never confuse the two.</li>
<li>Never trust anything a politician says in an election year.</li>
<li>There comes a time when the discourse has broken down to the point where the only appropriate response is to tell the other person to fuck off. Sometimes this happens very early in the conversation. Sometimes it should be your immediate response.</li>
<li>Don't allow others, especially the media or politicians with a vested interest in the outcome, to do your thinking for you. Make up your own mind.</li>
<li>Anybody who doesn't reevaluate their position when presented with fresh evidence is an idiot and you should be wary of them.</li>
<li>There's nothing wrong with a man being able to cook his own food, wash his own clothes, or do his own ironing. In fact, if he doesn't know how to do these things, he's useless.</li>
<li>Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one and most of them stink.</li>
<li>Laugh. Laugh a lot. Nobody can take that away from you.</li>
<li>Figure out what's important. Only worry about the rest if you have time.</li>
<li>It's perfectly acceptable to drink without getting drunk.</li>
<li>If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.</li>
<li>Life is too short for bad friends, bad beer, or bad sex.</li>
<li>Most illegal drugs are horribly addictive, do awful damage to you, and cost ridiculous amounts of money. Why would you want to do that?</li>
<li>If you don't understand why something happened, you don't understand what happened at all.</li>
<li>Never trust the French.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I don't really know what that last one was about, but I've kept it close to my heart.</div>
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Happy Father's Day, dad. Later on I'll be lighting the barbeque and grilling some burgers, something else you taught me.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-68269179065130046192015-11-28T21:53:00.001-05:002015-11-28T21:53:00.961-05:00Another updateHighlighting done. I think next job is to paint the engines.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHsVvANjhu2S3UD4BY7e0yYca4oOjhDgCKNYM3VEvnkwd0Q9dBbvO-iZ8kkptdAXPUmZYxfxDiu_Nep2xvgxwXMO_PSk8elOIsYySLdKmuVHie_ZaTqxydvwwvUaoKPAXBkmv5A/s640/blogger-image--629899944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHsVvANjhu2S3UD4BY7e0yYca4oOjhDgCKNYM3VEvnkwd0Q9dBbvO-iZ8kkptdAXPUmZYxfxDiu_Nep2xvgxwXMO_PSk8elOIsYySLdKmuVHie_ZaTqxydvwwvUaoKPAXBkmv5A/s640/blogger-image--629899944.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-77571948333483683642015-11-24T21:57:00.001-05:002015-11-24T21:57:35.445-05:00ProgressLaid down some serious weathering. Next stop: highlighting.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zoSOidEEBBWbTn3h3BLYbPYZ8Oj9KHkFcy5jaJskg9uKBQKq52kQ_qCoevL0Z3B9UOe8a_xB_NVFxRZ8HcModuV2bVBCN2UIRQPovz4p5Gi8Rm83XK2U4BzU6reeOFlO6VIr0g/s640/blogger-image--1493543794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zoSOidEEBBWbTn3h3BLYbPYZ8Oj9KHkFcy5jaJskg9uKBQKq52kQ_qCoevL0Z3B9UOe8a_xB_NVFxRZ8HcModuV2bVBCN2UIRQPovz4p5Gi8Rm83XK2U4BzU6reeOFlO6VIr0g/s640/blogger-image--1493543794.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-89506187816572048612015-11-16T20:02:00.001-05:002015-11-16T20:02:46.621-05:00UpdateAdded some initial weathering to the Eagle:<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJMl335yDzcV1SsKD887zeM7S92JISKWLMgfYn6cl-FuWVEaJWOJOGRTmTvYjcgom4s_ZpTrvawBiNVn6mlGKoW_NmaqK9FSCoYB6gfhA0BwFrvhaeqGOFLIPI9nvigJpTkaDkA/s640/blogger-image-773236920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJMl335yDzcV1SsKD887zeM7S92JISKWLMgfYn6cl-FuWVEaJWOJOGRTmTvYjcgom4s_ZpTrvawBiNVn6mlGKoW_NmaqK9FSCoYB6gfhA0BwFrvhaeqGOFLIPI9nvigJpTkaDkA/s640/blogger-image-773236920.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-89246031368884890752015-11-15T13:55:00.001-05:002015-11-15T13:55:08.368-05:00The Eagle Is Painted(Well, base coat, anyway)<div><br></div><div>Here is the Eagle, along with the body shell of Ecto-1, in the spray booth, getting a base coat.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgM3uT9aOlly6NDUBaRz4ocgXb4iJmRG_2C-uPQZmezlq4g4aeqgCSlSjJ5nTa_LrpBQdVLtCdialSbfjlMJKsENeAw-lPJ3Q0lYTiiBlLuNyKegEXn8mpqtGfLy7Q5pZ-havhMg/s640/blogger-image-1347058434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgM3uT9aOlly6NDUBaRz4ocgXb4iJmRG_2C-uPQZmezlq4g4aeqgCSlSjJ5nTa_LrpBQdVLtCdialSbfjlMJKsENeAw-lPJ3Q0lYTiiBlLuNyKegEXn8mpqtGfLy7Q5pZ-havhMg/s640/blogger-image-1347058434.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-46742101755344578882015-10-25T20:25:00.001-04:002015-10-25T20:25:14.268-04:00New modelsWorking on two models at the same time, both blasts from the past.<div><br></div><div>First, from the epic Space: 1999, Eagle 1:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbooXrtOcmsWtlGFbeE-miwE7HKFaxDvAJkcTv_YXOdr4CnBS3WD3RJfxa3aUDapB0ABIaMdjXFwMWClPDE-nyiwb-G4Vo_6DSgrC-68AcqGRIy9wygMGVJ-OzopEZqiruYZnAEQ/s640/blogger-image-414620223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbooXrtOcmsWtlGFbeE-miwE7HKFaxDvAJkcTv_YXOdr4CnBS3WD3RJfxa3aUDapB0ABIaMdjXFwMWClPDE-nyiwb-G4Vo_6DSgrC-68AcqGRIy9wygMGVJ-OzopEZqiruYZnAEQ/s640/blogger-image-414620223.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Then, because I'll need to charge up the old airbrush and fill it with white, this:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNVeZ3p6EaRCWHzUJKswCWoSdcu2h_xA7hy2FYx7A_8nvj1HeyABb5V6xpw4un5-Y1gJ_-vOK1v7p_88dYayWAylNBY6BFdG6BRAc-qSmi3XJf14cBQd8WLLZ14zp0S3FJ9jEcQ/s640/blogger-image-928850477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNVeZ3p6EaRCWHzUJKswCWoSdcu2h_xA7hy2FYx7A_8nvj1HeyABb5V6xpw4un5-Y1gJ_-vOK1v7p_88dYayWAylNBY6BFdG6BRAc-qSmi3XJf14cBQd8WLLZ14zp0S3FJ9jEcQ/s640/blogger-image-928850477.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I'm actually making Ecto-1 instead of 1A. This involves removing the mounting brackets for the dot matrix displays and using the alternate decals. In short, fun.</div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-39899603494776797052015-10-23T22:35:00.001-04:002015-10-23T22:35:49.010-04:00Chieftain!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Pics of a newly finished Chieftain Mk 5, now standing guard on my desk at work. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN2tTR6eJG-I3HItvJkluynG-WWkVKfuWUD6QfLtz2dZLnWXDkrEYVxVAeUdXr8gABNJ3VroGim5oHIs5jIhyphenhyphenxwZGGnDKTYIDcKMZtuqY28BbdJNFKKW0oKvz7M6qwZm3Jx85BA/s640/blogger-image--37914146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN2tTR6eJG-I3HItvJkluynG-WWkVKfuWUD6QfLtz2dZLnWXDkrEYVxVAeUdXr8gABNJ3VroGim5oHIs5jIhyphenhyphenxwZGGnDKTYIDcKMZtuqY28BbdJNFKKW0oKvz7M6qwZm3Jx85BA/s640/blogger-image--37914146.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfuUHTaGbZOT4iQJLpzPwxCMb4-JU9INhv2p7xJqFbxdsq0yBFtLvskF3vxpx-bk4wjREVDVCcTT03_4VZf9_Ce-4EZOIRtfiDcG7NU0hSn1eKE0mViA752io-Rc-OXRIfOh8Pg/s640/blogger-image-1585763278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfuUHTaGbZOT4iQJLpzPwxCMb4-JU9INhv2p7xJqFbxdsq0yBFtLvskF3vxpx-bk4wjREVDVCcTT03_4VZf9_Ce-4EZOIRtfiDcG7NU0hSn1eKE0mViA752io-Rc-OXRIfOh8Pg/s640/blogger-image-1585763278.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUKssl5AtYmfpL-HfXafc3V3838yPcPfC1DZE08LK-gDLohiCWDHUdYa9Ayah03IimpbesPaz7oeOT8Y8kAz6gZO88oLHmeiRBn_r8UKCknDJ_xf0GlmWRBNqBq1gyquJ67eNfQ/s640/blogger-image--1505510351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUKssl5AtYmfpL-HfXafc3V3838yPcPfC1DZE08LK-gDLohiCWDHUdYa9Ayah03IimpbesPaz7oeOT8Y8kAz6gZO88oLHmeiRBn_r8UKCknDJ_xf0GlmWRBNqBq1gyquJ67eNfQ/s640/blogger-image--1505510351.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-26251154103053828522015-05-13T21:33:00.001-04:002015-05-13T22:20:30.961-04:00Wenesday Cat Blogging?Time for another long-delayed update.<br />
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And this one's about Tigger.</div>
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Here's Tigger's story.</div>
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We live on a farm, on a road of farms. A few doors down, one of our neighbours has a large number of cats who roam free. Thus, the area has a lot of cats. And some bastard decided this was an ideal way of getting rid of a cat who was, no doubt, bought as a kitten as a Christmas gift for some child. He was obviously domesticated. He was completly calm around people and knew what doors are for. He kept trying to come inside the house and even managed it a few times, much to the consternation of Loki.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2E2hQkLY83Rw5hoqt4ePhyphenhyphengHVog8Om6PtzY9Pd7wQRfYPKlU6_RGlTDLpwu0AWuEqm5p2HoveLlAP_3luvVxCDGljWt2hVnVQwN-Gm5pYsLl5SjqCh__NyJIIrNlOFHFH2rTf9w/s1600/IMG_0915_kindlephoto-1119912524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2E2hQkLY83Rw5hoqt4ePhyphenhyphengHVog8Om6PtzY9Pd7wQRfYPKlU6_RGlTDLpwu0AWuEqm5p2HoveLlAP_3luvVxCDGljWt2hVnVQwN-Gm5pYsLl5SjqCh__NyJIIrNlOFHFH2rTf9w/s320/IMG_0915_kindlephoto-1119912524.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this photo he had been around for a few months and we were heading towards winter. In fact, this was the day of the first, light snowfall. He is complaining about the white stuff falling from the sky.<br />
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Tigger caught worms from one of the other cats, so we managed to get him to the vets where a quick injection resulted in a dead worm on our doorstep the next morning.</div>
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As the weather got colder, it became apparent that he wasn't having a good time of it. So I built him a shelter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJw8vvoPcE8yndTISXnxQ-molt8skTwJM7pEKGcDZ9SbwN58wrlfRnoSX6NnNFlbqrcaJhx08p-Xrau7nWBXfWJhmcp9FEXThXd3c-Xr3e_EDPKZncL_R8Ysd4kFnL-6op45qCw/s1600/IMG_0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJw8vvoPcE8yndTISXnxQ-molt8skTwJM7pEKGcDZ9SbwN58wrlfRnoSX6NnNFlbqrcaJhx08p-Xrau7nWBXfWJhmcp9FEXThXd3c-Xr3e_EDPKZncL_R8Ysd4kFnL-6op45qCw/s320/IMG_0916.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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You probably saw the how-to on this doing the rounds on social media. A tote, a styrofoam cooler, some straw, and a sharp knife and you get a little place to get out of the worst of the weather.</div>
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But winter got worse. Kentucky broke the snowfall record, and then broke it again in the same month. Temperatures fell as we suffered through the worst winter in decades.<br />
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The neighbour's cats had a barn to shelter in. Tigger had only the shelter I had made for him.<br />
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And he was not doing well.</div>
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Tigger was clearly sick. He had horrible diarrhea and was losing weight. His inner eyelids were visible--really not a good sign in a cat--to the point where he was obviously having trouble seeing. So we took the decision to bring him inside. We put aside a room for him, gave him a constant supply of food and water, and a litter box. He immediately knew what it was for. Like I said, he had spent time indoors before someone kicked him out.<br />
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We took him to the vet. The biggest concern was dealing with his diarrhea. The vet tried everything. Antibiotics did nothing. A steroid injection briefly dealt with it, but an extended course failed to clear it up. We tried probiotics, thinking that the antibiotics could have interfered with the bacteria in his gut. Nothing. Then I noticed another worm in his stool. The vet was astounded. The shot he had given Tigger previously should have protected him from worms for up to six months.</div>
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The vet administered another shot, along with two pills to give him before we went to bed.</div>
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The next morning his litter box looked like a plate of spaghetti. Huge segmented worms. Tiny whip-like worms. All dead. Two days later, Tigger's diarrhea was history. Within a week he was back to what we call "rude health" in my country.</div>
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In fact, he had bounced back so well that we were able to book him in to be neutered. After a week's recovery he was cautiously let out into the house proper, where he met Loki.</div>
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Things went well for a few hours, but we had to remind ourselves that Tigger is still barely an adult cat, wheras Loki is an old man. Tigger wants to play, Loki wants to lay in the sun and relax.<br />
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So Tigger keeps jumping on Loki and Loki reponds with a swift slap. No claws--yet--but sometimes it gets rambunctious and Tigger gets put in his room for a time-out.</div>
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We've progressed to the point of uneasy truce.<br />
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Tigger rarely gets a time-out, Loki is holding his own, and we have, apparently, now given forever homes to two strays.</div>
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Loki is still not sure about his new brother, but he's getting used to having an energetic ball of fur trying to play with him at all hours.<br />
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He's learning that he has to share the bed and the sunny spot by the back door, though his cat bed he defends with vigour. He has to share the back of the sofa, but he still sleeps pressed up against my side at night.<br />
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He's even found a few places around the house where he can take shelter from the mad ginger one.<br />
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He's not happy about it, though.<br />
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I have yet to capture them both in the same photograph.<br />
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Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-70520280445363617992014-10-12T09:28:00.001-04:002014-10-12T09:28:59.902-04:00It's been a while...It has. I started this blog with the intent of publishing something every day. And, for a while, I kept it up. Then it started to slide and, eventually, I gave it up altogether.<br />
<br />
But I am nothing if not consistently inconsistent, so I decided to come back. This may or may not last, according to my whims. And that may or may not be true.<br />
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So, what's been going on?<br />
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Well, I am still married to the most wonderful woman in the world. That's a small miracle, given the times, but even more so given who the most wonderful woman in the world is married to. How she puts up with me, I have no idea. I am, however, grateful that she does.<br />
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New book. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Renegade-Ministry-Paranormal-Research-Defence/dp/1492333379/ref=la_B002VIGOFY_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413119497&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Renegade</a>. And I'm working on the next, called Scrapper.<br />
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Loki is still around, growing fat and lazy and ever more entitled and pampered.<br />
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We have a new Doctor, the magnificent Mr. Capaldi, who is perfect for the role.<br />
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I have a new job, which is significantly better than any job I've ever held.<br />
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I've lost weight, hair, and a tooth. Some visual acuity, too, apparently. On the gains side, my eyebrows are larger and more aggressive than ever.<br />
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Some things are better. Some things are worse. Some things are the same. It's called life.<br />
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<br />Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-80448299572942410352011-04-18T12:24:00.003-04:002011-04-18T12:35:03.135-04:00The MinistrySo, if you go into the Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence building and, upon entering through the front door, turn left and, just next to the potted plants, <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/MPRD">you'll see a gift shop</a>. It has everything you'll ever need to proclaim where you stand in the war between humans and vampires.<br /><br />You can get <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/MPRD.474868323">Jack's shirt from PAGAN</a>, <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/MPRD.474868322">Marie's shirt from CRUSADER</a>, and <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/MPRD.495637908">even a bear</a>.<br /><br />Actually, this could just be a tremendously self-indulgent act. See, I collect shot glasses and it recently occurred to me that, having bought the <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/MPRD.517517467">Hunter shot glass</a>, I could change the design... over and over... and just keep making MPRD shot glasses for my own collection.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-50775152747980767162011-03-16T17:25:00.002-04:002011-03-16T17:31:23.222-04:00Finally!Okay, so Crusader is finally out. Huzzah! And so on and so forth.<br /><br />On <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3513904">CreateSpace</a>, on Amazon.com (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crusader-Ministry-Paranormal-Research-ebook/dp/B004RPS3L2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1299897037&sr=1-1">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crusader-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1456412302/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3">print</a>) and Amazon.co.uk (only on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crusader-Ministry-Paranormal-Research-Defence/dp/B004RPS3L2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1300310951&sr=8-1">Kindle</a> as yet).<br /><br />Oh, but no time to rest on my laurels. Renegade is a-calling.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-12894313413692717072010-09-20T16:19:00.004-04:002010-09-20T16:46:02.559-04:00Canadian Pagan!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinh-_fK5gaqmS3wGJfd91ym_pvRCvE1qABwzNmSMJ0kmcmSLsubuiCDEQ50dwC1cxyBF_JEjUTDDG0oavRpKtLoOH6_SGYh2W0MfJyymlEzNcon6Uk82BIQZCFbVjK9okSJhduiA/s1600/41gNBcyke9L.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinh-_fK5gaqmS3wGJfd91ym_pvRCvE1qABwzNmSMJ0kmcmSLsubuiCDEQ50dwC1cxyBF_JEjUTDDG0oavRpKtLoOH6_SGYh2W0MfJyymlEzNcon6Uk82BIQZCFbVjK9okSJhduiA/s320/41gNBcyke9L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519093229541344482" border="0" /></a>So, Pagan is now available direct from Amazon.ca (<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Pagan-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285013636&sr=8-5">clickety click here</a>) and it's actually a direct buy, rather than through 3rd party sellers, which is more than can be said for Amazon.co.uk (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pagan-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285014229&sr=8-3">here</a>). The Kindle version on the UK site is now down to a silly 69p (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pagan/dp/B002XULEMS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1285014229&sr=8-1">here</a>).<br /><br />I'm available in France (<a href="http://www.amazon.fr/Pagan-Mprd-Novel-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1285015076&sr=8-2">here</a>), Germany (<a href="http://www.amazon.de/Pagan-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1285015173&sr=8-1">here</a>), and Japan (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/Pagan-Mprd-Novel-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1285015258&sr=8-2">here</a>) believe it or not, and based upon my limited international language skills, all three appear to be places where you can buy it direct. Everywhere apart from good ol' Blighty.<br /><br />So... yeah.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-3735863428416162942010-08-20T10:28:00.003-04:002010-08-20T11:01:18.906-04:00Is There A Doctor In The House?So, Matt Smith, huh? If you're not a Whovian you probably don't know who he is. In fact, if you're not a Whovian you probably don't know what a Whovian is.<br /><br />Matt Smith replaced <a href="http://imalegalalien.blogspot.com/2006/11/dr-who-x.html">David Tennant</a> as the Doctor on the longest running, and best, science fiction show in the world, Doctor Who.<br /><br />Tennant, who is ranked by most as the greatest Doctor of them all, grew on me but slowly. Smith, a virtual unknown, I loved from the get-go. The very first episode was incredible. From fish fingers and custard to the most terrifying threat ever--"Basically... run"--it was all gold. And the sheer genius of an actor who is the youngest ever to play the part--28--who manages, more than most, to project those nine centuries of life out of the screen is just breathtaking.<br /><br />And now I've seen the entirety of Smith's first season I have to say it just got better. Karen Gillan as Amy Pond is equal parts gorgeous, heroic and sympathetic. The stories are as deep and convoluted and satisfying as ever. Even the new TARDIS interior is pretty good. Okay, now I need to go buy another prop replica sonic screwdriver, but that's a small price to pay, I feel.<br /><br />Two thumbs up.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-57739075794154116372010-08-04T15:57:00.003-04:002010-08-04T17:14:38.343-04:00Faith In FashionRemember, not so long ago, that it was the done thing to be all new-age-y and talk about 'homeopathy' and 'alternative' medicines? It was fashionable to pretend to be a vegetarian, buy anything with the word 'herbal' on the bottle, and eschew leather shoes for sandals made out of hemp.<br /><br />Of course, after that came Kabbalah, which consisted of pretending to know what 'kabbalah' was and trying bits of red string around your wrist.<br /><br />And now, it seems, we're on the downswing of Wicca. Modern Wiccans (generally referred to as 'fluffwiccans' or 'wikkans' in print) have little in common with traditional Wicca. Modern Wicca consists mainly of buying books by someone with an incredibly pretentious and excitingly dark name*, dressing like an escapee from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, telling people that you're a Wiccan as loudly and as often as possible, and pretending to understand what 'harmony' and 'balance' mean in respect of your hastily adopted religion. Once in a while you might want to light a pre-dribbled candle and place it on a fake skull, just to maintain proper witch-cred.<br /><br />No, I didn't write this post to bash Wiccans (but then, what would they do about it if I had? Cast a spell at me?) nor to talk about those who select their religion from the pages of a fashion magazine. No, I wanted to share with you a nightmare.<br /><br />See, sooner or later the people who treat religion as a fashion accessory are going to find their eyes caught by atheism. Yeah, atheism's not a religion. I know that and, I hope, you're smart enough to know that, but bear with me.<br /><br />Atheism has many of the features that the religion-as-fashion-statement crowd look for:<br /><br /><blockquote>It's likely to annoy the heck out of your parents, coworkers, friends and generally anyone you meet, which means you can think of yourself as dark and edgy.<br /><br />It's not liked by the establishment nor the religious right.<br /><br />It's not actually necessary to truly believe in anything.<br /><br />There's no church (or equivalent) to attend when you'd rather be having a lay-in.<br /><br />There's many books on the subject you can buy and fill your bookshelves with.<br /><br />It's quite easy to be loud and in-your-face about it, with t-shirts, bumper stickers and jewelry.<br /><br />There's money to be made from the t-shirts, bumper stickers and jewelry.<br /><br />There's no required clothing, jewelry, or dietary prejudices, yet you may freely adopt any you wish and you don't have to give up a single thing you don't want to.</blockquote><br /><br />The list goes on. The point is, fellow atheists, they will find us sooner or later. Sooner or later a Hollywood starlet will opine "I believe in God, but I'm an atheist" and, at that point, there's not much left to do but head for the treeline. Our cries of dismay and challenge will fall on deaf ears.<br /><br />But forewarned is forearmed, so maybe we can prepare. The children and our slower members might be able to find sanctuary in some religion until they leave. I hear that Unitarians are pretty open, and there's always Buddhism. For the rest of us, though, there's little hope. We'll have to endure the eyerolls and smirks, the sighs and knowing nods, as people judge us as trendy atheists.<br /><br />Here's hoping that the religion-fashion victims find something else and miss us this time.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />*For both first and last name, randomly select at least two words from the following list: dark, claw, silver, night, wolf, storm, child, moon, raven, crow, paw, tail, star, mage, spell.</span>Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-80673436847092178372010-07-01T17:53:00.000-04:002010-07-01T17:53:41.400-04:00A Cleaner Future<a href="http://acleanerfuture.org/">A Cleaner Future</a> is a website dedicated to, well, a cleaner future. From the site:<br /><br /><blockquote>"A Cleaner Future aims to provoke, inspire, and provide information about alternative and renewable energy sources. We're not experts on what should be done, we're just concerned citizens that want there to be an earth for our children and many future generations to come."</blockquote><br /><br />It's a thought-provoking site, full of interesting information and informative videos. I, however, spent much time playing with the "create an oil spill" programme. Basically you can take any website and add an oil spill to it. Type "http://instantoilspill.com/?url=" into your browser, then add the website you want to despoil.<br /><br />Like <a href="http://instantoilspill.com/?url=http://www.imalegalalien.blogspot.com/">http://instantoilspill.com/?url=http://www.imalegalalien.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Yes, you can treat the entire internet the way the oil companies treat the real world. And, of course, <a href="http://instantoilspill.com/?url=http://www.bp.com/">inevitably</a>...Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-56085599641396299242010-05-17T21:30:00.003-04:002010-05-17T21:36:58.760-04:00Moving againSo, we're packing for a move. That's, what, the fourth time since I started this blog? Well, we learned our lesson this time. Last time, I may have mentioned, I had to do most of the move myself, between Mrs. D's infirmity and our legions of friends utterly (with scant exception) failing to appear. It took me almost three days, I kid you not.<br /><br />This time we're paying a company to do it for us. We pack, then sit back and watch them do all the actual lifting. As someone who has moved more times than I've eaten curry (again, I kid you not) this seems a bit wimpy. But then I remember struggling to lift Mrs. D's antique china hutch in and out of the Uhaul and I think "you can take wimpy and shove it".<br /><br />See you on the other side, possibly.<br /><br />Oh, and for those waiting, CRUSADER is squeakingly close to finished. Proofreading and then it'll be out. Keep it here.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-57754091937878461132010-05-06T17:14:00.003-04:002010-05-06T17:21:56.470-04:00Spinal Beeb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTXTXkKdDFfrxaILWSpZEruyMBzj9LbEn_i6_0YhX56hoB2o_7QTn2A2-NzuSrHsMAg5SWSBNRDtRE4KnSuPkPzbO_Qa0GdpsdnITaB5zk0qgFZfPFJVL3Y66mBavPPEL2sI-PA/s1600/spinalbeeb.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTXTXkKdDFfrxaILWSpZEruyMBzj9LbEn_i6_0YhX56hoB2o_7QTn2A2-NzuSrHsMAg5SWSBNRDtRE4KnSuPkPzbO_Qa0GdpsdnITaB5zk0qgFZfPFJVL3Y66mBavPPEL2sI-PA/s320/spinalbeeb.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468268731518953490" border="0" /></a><br />I'm keeping up with Election coverage by watching BBC.com (because BBC America is showing Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares instead) and I just noticed something with dear old Auntie Beeb's media player...<br /><br />It goes up to eleven. That's one louder, isn't it? You see, most news outlets, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten there, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your news. Where can you go from there? Nowhere. Exactly.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-24365374097226268542010-03-22T15:34:00.003-04:002010-03-22T15:38:53.385-04:00New facebook phishing emailI've had this one twice in the the last few days:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear user of facebook,<br /><br />Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.<br />You can find your new password in attached document.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Your <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1269286568_0">Facebook</span>.</blockquote><br /><br />It comes with an attached document called "facebook_", and the "to" field is, somehow, someone else's email. I'm guessing it's a virus and it shouldn't be opened.<br /><br />Be careful out there.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-55103265368598330172009-12-27T02:51:00.003-05:002009-12-27T03:16:15.292-05:00Oh Brave New World......that has such <span style="font-style: italic;">people</span> in it.<br /><br />Remember <a href="http://imalegalalien.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-just-game.html">this post</a>? Well, I can top it.<br /><br />My wife is a member of a website called Neopets, has been for a long, long time. Nine years, in fact, and in that time she has built up her collection of pets, pet-related items and general cool stuff to a level that was pretty impressive. She had several collections that were complete, lots of rare and retired items. She had four pets, all of which were named in a way that was somehow special to our relationship.<br /><br />Why the past tense?<br /><br />Because someone has stolen her account and is busily selling everything off. Whoever did this obviously has experience in doing it. They stole her account just before Christmas, ensuring that nobody at Neopets would be there for at least four days, giving them plenty of time to get done what they wanted before the account gets returned to my wife, if, indeed, that ever happens. They changed her password, changed the email address associated with the account, so my wife couldn't request a new one, and changed the birth date so that she couldn't access the account without the email. They knew what they were doing. They knew how to steal her account and get away with it.<br /><br />And for what? Money to feed their starving kids or to make a mortgage payment so they could keep a roof over their family's heads? Nope. For an online game. An online game mostly played by kids. It's bad enough that it's my wife. She's understandably upset that something she put work and time into, something that had real, personal meaning to us, is being violated by a slimeball. Imagine some little kid, waking up one day, trying to log onto their account and finding that some amoral bastard has stolen it.<br /><br />Once again, this scumbag is stealing for no actual real-world gain. This pathetic wastrel is ruining the enjoyment of the game for no reason. This person is cheating and stealing for no material gain. And it's only a game. So, once again, why are you acting like a jerk? What has happened to a society--to a species--where people will just do this?<br /><br />It makes me livid because this piece of excrement is causing pain and distress to my wife. I'd love to find out who it is.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-34561348911210388882009-12-19T09:26:00.003-05:002009-12-19T09:31:38.365-05:00UpdateI have finished writing CRUSADER, book two of the MPRD novels. With a some editing and a little luck it should be available around March/April.<br /><br />So now it's on to book three: RENEGADE.<br /><br />For everyone yelling for Marie to get her own book, I've decided that the fourth, after RENEGADE, will be a Marie novel. It'll probably be called SCRAPPER and will deal with Marie having to go hunting without Jack, in a team run by another hunter, someone who has good reason not to like werewolves. I'm not saying why Jack can't go hunting, that would spoil RENEGADE.<br /><br />RENEGADE will also feature a 'flip-back-and-forth' between Jack's POV and Marie's, seeing as they spend much of the novel apart.<br /><br />More updates wll be forthcoming as they become available.<br /><br />Have a safe and fun holiday season.<br /><br />Andy.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-65364287790336174152009-12-02T22:04:00.003-05:002009-12-02T22:06:11.230-05:00Umm... what?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gBos8eKAFfT7Xy2AiKRF2S7ZSXjK1yf7EYfF4iY7Hm5S757rlaZa2cBxn5cuiGqlQJeTmIOqXfUTKysXo4kCwa8jqVp_REs_rmSo3wCWaCZcBs7qL1I7JfQNVVki0G5sJJFglw/s1600-h/amazonwtf.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gBos8eKAFfT7Xy2AiKRF2S7ZSXjK1yf7EYfF4iY7Hm5S757rlaZa2cBxn5cuiGqlQJeTmIOqXfUTKysXo4kCwa8jqVp_REs_rmSo3wCWaCZcBs7qL1I7JfQNVVki0G5sJJFglw/s320/amazonwtf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410840472581697874" border="0" /></a><br />Can someone please explain to me why there's a used copy of PAGAN, my novel, being sold on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-MPRD-Novel-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2">Amazon.com</a> for $39.38 when anyone can get a new copy for $15.99?Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-6793648982678866722009-12-01T22:27:00.002-05:002009-12-01T22:35:38.569-05:00NaNoWriMo and why I fell short.Well, NaNoWriMo has come and gone and I failed. All told I ended up about ten thousand words shy of the total.<br /><br />My heartiest and sincerest congratulations to everyone who signed up and managed to hit the total. You guys rock. However you managed to do it, you did manage it and my hat is off to you.<br /><br />For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, an annual event which seeks to encourage writers, both amateur and professional, to commit the month of November to ... look, the name is National Novel Writing Month. Do I really need to explain further?<br /><br />Anyway, the target is fifty thousand words words or roughly sixteen hundred and sixty-seven words a day. A not-impossible target. So why did I fall short?<br /><br />Well, I could talk about how I was sick for a large slice of the month, and that would be true. I could talk about setting aside last Friday as the day when I was going to catch up, only to find myself hit by the worst migraine I've had in nearly a decade, and that, too, would be true. I could mention the Bengals unexpectedly being quite good this year and how I had to--no choice, you understand--watch them every Sunday. I could add Thanksgiving into the mix and lament about how, between the cooking and the going to relatives houses, I had to take valuable hours away from the keyboard. I could mention that I do my best writing at work during my split shifts, and how, for reasons unknown, I didn't get split shifts for at least a week. I could mention the sick wife that I nursed. I could talk about all of these things and more.<br /><br />But let's face it, those are just excuses.<br /><br />They're not reasons.<br /><br />The reason I fell short was because I just didn't write enough words. And that's didn't, not couldn't. I can write seventeen hundreds words a day. I can do that easily. On three separate occasions during November I sat down and wrote five thousand words, often in four hours or less. On Monday, the last day of the month, I spent a total of four and a half hours bashing out over seven thousand words.<br /><br />I can do it. I had the time. It was not a failure of time, or ability, it was a failure of motivation.<br /><br />I messed around on facebook when I should have been writing. I tormented the cat when I should have been writing. I watched a half-dozen movies, three seasons of Blackadder, three episodes of Stargate Universe, the same number of Sanctuary, and went through most of the Military Channel and the Science Channel on Insight's Free Spot. I watched Stargate: Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum. I watched American football. I watched a spot of real football. And I could have written whilst I was doing all that. I have my AlphaSmart. It's portable and cord free.<br /><br />I read, too. Boy did I read. I went on a Terry Pratchett binge, reading most of my collection. I read Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. I proof-read Pagan again before authorising it for sale on Kindle. All told, during November, I read close to twenty novels. Twenty! When I could have been writing!<br /><br />There was also the whole issue of getting started. I didn't set finger to keyboard until the fourth of the month. The fourth! I was already over five thousand words behind by the time I got started.<br /><br />Maybe if I had got started early and worked a little every day, I could have...<br /><br />Excuse me, I just have to go and have a flashback to every rushed homework assignment from my school days.<br /><br />So, lessons learned?<br /><br />Let's find out, and I don't have to wait 'till next year. December is my private NoWriMo. I'm going to write fifty thousand words in the month of December, if only to prove to myself that I can do it.<br /><br />Just as soon as I've finished watching this really cool special on the History Channel. And I still have four episodes of V on the DVR. And the cat's looking bored. And I never did get around to reading Sourcery. And I have food to serve on Cafe World.<br /><br />Oh, this month's not looking good, either.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-19261320787122003082009-11-24T13:19:00.003-05:002009-11-24T13:24:55.245-05:00Sick Con or Sad Delusion?The <a href="http://www.randi.org/site/">James Randi Educational Foundation</a> has a disturbing piece on a man Belgium who has--according to reports--come out of a persistent vegetative state and is now merrily communicating with the world.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/783-this-cruel-farce-has-to-stop.html">Except, as they point out he's not</a>. It's complete balderdash that gives people false hope and adds fuel to the notion that we absolutely must keep bodies alive, no matter the cost, no matter the condition.<br /><br />Hat tip to Penn Jillette via twitter.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15500945.post-27923621742719224452009-11-10T19:31:00.000-05:002009-11-10T19:33:47.964-05:00PAGAN on Amazon.comPAGAN is now available on Amazon.com, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-MPRD-Novel-Andrew-Chapman/dp/1449537871/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2">click here</a>.Doombreedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01517129087986617756noreply@blogger.com0