tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96294622024-03-18T23:27:33.602-07:00Rish's Ramblings<i>"We are uncool. While women will always be a problem with guys like us, most great art in the world is about that very problem. Now, good-looking people, they got no spine. Their art never lasts. ... The only currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."</i><br> --Almost Famous<br><br>
<i>"I don't think anyone knows what they really think--or perhaps even what they really know--until it's written down."</i><br>
--Stephen King<br>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.comBlogger2771125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-49471007922120715032024-03-18T23:27:00.000-07:002024-03-18T23:27:00.130-07:00(NIGHT OF THE LEPUS reference)<p>In my plug yesterday for the Tales To Terrify episode "<a href="https://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/2024/03/rish-narrates-prairies-song-on-tales-to.html">The Prairie's Song</a>," I mentioned NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, the 1972 turkey made by a film crew that was used to doing Westerns, starring Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, DeForest Kelley, and Paul Fix (who both played the Chief Medical Officer aboard the Starship <i>Enterprise</i>, by the way). </p><p>Anyway, if you've listened to the story, you may understand why I referenced NOTL, but even if you don't, I came across this disturbing bit of trivia about the making of the film.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDlmRaUdPsThKHADALsTUN86X8L7qZp1JavcVw6zv_vmq9q0anrLoRzF6dTUJXKesnbTuT47VSto_CZSYg895prOf4rknd58_-Cn4RKMPhpmu9pX8NkjSq-fhrDhjHjWScESQg1M7J53jbDKseZpiJVmkI7IiGT1_EYO3m3_4KpWD7CjVTXtOTA/s2848/night_of_the_lepus_xxlg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="1866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDlmRaUdPsThKHADALsTUN86X8L7qZp1JavcVw6zv_vmq9q0anrLoRzF6dTUJXKesnbTuT47VSto_CZSYg895prOf4rknd58_-Cn4RKMPhpmu9pX8NkjSq-fhrDhjHjWScESQg1M7J53jbDKseZpiJVmkI7IiGT1_EYO3m3_4KpWD7CjVTXtOTA/w263-h400/night_of_the_lepus_xxlg.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p>Director William F. Claxton told his female lead, Janet Leigh, that there was a part for her two children, if they wanted to be in the film, and she refused, saying that she in no way wanted her kids exposed to horror films, even in the making of them. </p><p>I found that pretty amusing, since one of those two kids was Jamie Lee Curtis, who remains THE Scream Queen, today, and forever.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-989647537143016022024-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:002024-03-18T12:17:00.140-07:00Rish Narrates "The Prairie's Song" on Tales To Terrify<p>Once again, the Tales To Terrify podcast has given me a story to perform, and while I appreciate their thinking of me, did you ever see the 1972 classic NIGHT OF THE LEPUS?* Apropos of nothing, I'm sure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQjDzuvUr-1dRc2dm4VxY8yqlJ95ulVUD2-htPqA71jyo75CXiCo9xgBtX9kAxyV0NaE-1gB0Lgp1prjxjFpR3dx69cGclttCb-K1njP9SRFCtzi3WFzTtZeFRp2Z51AZ2z1ftMeSTQCmmFakEioaigpdWD71eSmZz-DsePUCHkq_MKpHunu5Pg/s478/Tales%20To%20Terrify.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="478" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQjDzuvUr-1dRc2dm4VxY8yqlJ95ulVUD2-htPqA71jyo75CXiCo9xgBtX9kAxyV0NaE-1gB0Lgp1prjxjFpR3dx69cGclttCb-K1njP9SRFCtzi3WFzTtZeFRp2Z51AZ2z1ftMeSTQCmmFakEioaigpdWD71eSmZz-DsePUCHkq_MKpHunu5Pg/s320/Tales%20To%20Terrify.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyhoo, "<b>The Prairie's Song</b>" tells the tale of one Leland, who travels across Kansas to homestead a plot of land, which will be legally his if he can manage it for five years. But as soon as he sees the thick grasses, and hears the whistling of the wind across it, he is unsettled, all alone out there. But IS he alone?</p><p>The story was written by Emily J. Weisenberger and can be found <a href="https://talestoterrify.com/episodes/633-emily-j-weisenberger-kc-grifant/">AT THIS LINK</a>.</p><p>As I've often observed, every new project offers new challenges, great and small. This one was the character name Justicia. Unfortunately, I pronounced it differently practically every single time, giving different sounds to both the J and the U, but never the -cia, which I suppose I never did get right. But it's not a name I've ever heard before, and my brain kept interpreting it as a Spanish word, so . . . sorry?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDMIuWLfgyjaf0-zQY5RejN-PDOYM2pkJTzrT2gzRhOxwrDlZF8c6TFRPEq-IrKy_f4cJP4I_6FR5s55t0ohkFNMyGP0cDWtOHWK9Oq-INfacqTx24AcCyIfl6FLMKDHxWsFmKEVm2ZRB44Hac2M5qS2ktB_kxF2JCOJpxoxgIwkvYtDW0G0gQ/s900/GImSIGrXoAAq3kD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDMIuWLfgyjaf0-zQY5RejN-PDOYM2pkJTzrT2gzRhOxwrDlZF8c6TFRPEq-IrKy_f4cJP4I_6FR5s55t0ohkFNMyGP0cDWtOHWK9Oq-INfacqTx24AcCyIfl6FLMKDHxWsFmKEVm2ZRB44Hac2M5qS2ktB_kxF2JCOJpxoxgIwkvYtDW0G0gQ/w400-h400/GImSIGrXoAAq3kD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>*Well I saw it, and it scared the shit out of me. It scared the shit out of every man in America!</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-40882809190434897532024-03-17T12:14:00.000-07:002024-03-17T12:14:00.253-07:00What's Troubling You?<p>So, you may remember my story "<b>Troubled Child</b>," one I wrote for a <a href="https://journeyintopodcast.blogspot.com/2021/04/journey-164-troubled-child-by-rish.html">Journey Into... contest</a> years ago (the Journey Into Journey contest). I had to write a story using the title "Troubled Child," and incorporating two lines from the song in there.</p><p>What I wrote was about a baby that was drawn toward people who were sad or suffering, and you know, it was pretty good, considering the contest stipulations. I may never win one of those Journey... contests, but you can be sure I'll keep trying.</p><p>So, I went ahead and made that available for purchase, encouraged by Big's prolific output recently. You can check it out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY76G7L6">HERE</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobpYigAFhRVQFUcO3wKKf3yKH6G7VrchSnC7TWTV2PeutwwUpNxPtEvsvPUSMkgz1thw4Tu3VImM7JskoSvzddl5BLalriLVGkt_vE8CzyYKjbtByMQCNdtF-NhBvTEoNHRjtIvAfTwbXDO03Yy2WnhCKoR8QV7ZOo2mBEZIuK8jrcpg0mYSXg/s2560/Troubled%20Child%20Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobpYigAFhRVQFUcO3wKKf3yKH6G7VrchSnC7TWTV2PeutwwUpNxPtEvsvPUSMkgz1thw4Tu3VImM7JskoSvzddl5BLalriLVGkt_vE8CzyYKjbtByMQCNdtF-NhBvTEoNHRjtIvAfTwbXDO03Yy2WnhCKoR8QV7ZOo2mBEZIuK8jrcpg0mYSXg/s320/Troubled%20Child%20Finished.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is the cover Big made for me last year, that I just got around to using this week, but what I'd really like is to get an image of a baby or toddler reaching toward somebody in a wheelchair. I see it in my head, but I wasn't able to get a cover generator to do that for me. </div><div><br /></div>Now that I've been doing this for a couple of weeks (give or take ten years), I sort of wish I'd thought to put "A Short Story" on every one of these covers, to warn people that's what they are. I'd hate for somebody to buy one, thinking it was a novel, only to discover that I'm not a novelist. Ah well, maybe next life. Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-9161319162152472472024-03-16T11:32:00.000-07:002024-03-16T11:32:00.156-07:00It's Easy M'Kay (Threepio)<p>Hasbro, the toy company, is renowned for doing cheap repaints of their figures, in order to maximize a return on investment.* Often, these are extremely lame or ill-advised. But sometimes, like with the various Prequels clones, or the assorted droids, it's not only expected, but encouraged by the fans.</p><p>A very minor character in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (technically, an extra) is K-3PO, a white protocol droid killed during the attack on Echo Base. Or "killed," if you want to be that guy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sQmIPa3yZRpYE1ZPskTx8gfhvs-hbaD_2BbxEr0eBNaXsAdZ5L2WxQUnWvCwHR0_j9NCMBchdtThWTXM9Z2jm6hjPe5joGvhC2NAqc19nHTG1sVgv_r078jar7fIGWiTSPS-3f8FBRuUlLurfa8Go5DFCp2od_nCWs7Qy54nxKCy-mEud7tPkw/s1115/k-3po%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="1115" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sQmIPa3yZRpYE1ZPskTx8gfhvs-hbaD_2BbxEr0eBNaXsAdZ5L2WxQUnWvCwHR0_j9NCMBchdtThWTXM9Z2jm6hjPe5joGvhC2NAqc19nHTG1sVgv_r078jar7fIGWiTSPS-3f8FBRuUlLurfa8Go5DFCp2od_nCWs7Qy54nxKCy-mEud7tPkw/w400-h194/k-3po%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It's a figure that would be very easy for Hasbro to do (in their 6 Inch line), but one they never have bothered to make (there's also a red protocol droid called U-3PO that I'll set my sights on later). So, when I saw a very cheap C-3PO for sale a few weeks back, I scooped it up with a quick repaint in mind.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aen8MrRUQ-qmN9X0gYqsERoWnjaHhusHGKdrvlq972nqKhrBQwwvwEgdUc8gElVPOI1lm6FTiLA39hXNt9yPppWf4dWls9COEwXOV3YY5F0-VwgvZFWa84gwi7HJfGFIAT3zOpYsqssm0rJGPlqWDwvVsf9RyRPoKG2-__c9DZl-MnRd2sIjgw/s3031/20240210_155026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3031" data-original-width="2281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aen8MrRUQ-qmN9X0gYqsERoWnjaHhusHGKdrvlq972nqKhrBQwwvwEgdUc8gElVPOI1lm6FTiLA39hXNt9yPppWf4dWls9COEwXOV3YY5F0-VwgvZFWa84gwi7HJfGFIAT3zOpYsqssm0rJGPlqWDwvVsf9RyRPoKG2-__c9DZl-MnRd2sIjgw/s320/20240210_155026.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Unaltered TFA figure</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>Three weeks later, I finally finished it.</div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zBqmFhyYqqCmlUSt20rCP92DWunMkfhzzEKtf4JddICzPaKVdqatd0wXBj4Q61rw5WnH7O00ZRg5WfyNrCsY-FXoOdNLnvq3bGmtNT_2pXtGU4NP0iQVU735X4jTZzpevfrqs_7vLDCNHnb99PGpkziAT-FxqPgfJVu8gxNO50lWoMg_BGga4w/s2817/20240210_190141.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2817" data-original-width="2321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zBqmFhyYqqCmlUSt20rCP92DWunMkfhzzEKtf4JddICzPaKVdqatd0wXBj4Q61rw5WnH7O00ZRg5WfyNrCsY-FXoOdNLnvq3bGmtNT_2pXtGU4NP0iQVU735X4jTZzpevfrqs_7vLDCNHnb99PGpkziAT-FxqPgfJVu8gxNO50lWoMg_BGga4w/s320/20240210_190141.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><div>The above pic was my first try, using one white paint on one arm, one on the other (the pearlier white did not coat at all, so I ended up using the other white, then doing a recoat in the pearly, almost glue-like white).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJEN-GW5-CLmWegpW4qeFNmV4zgFb_I1aGd6bVEaCNPl6PP2cDSpoM2sTzt1a015KVcz_FH_s9jXbeKQAslgQgESSVv-RvuLe0mR_z_qKgSKAjPnvlNN9SUYAXgHiIuc_QOy-H0SRgTF__4HoBsSAGnV_o3YETvEQo4cg4w4TS3EhNZ8_rupFg/s2887/20240211_145532.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="2727" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRJEN-GW5-CLmWegpW4qeFNmV4zgFb_I1aGd6bVEaCNPl6PP2cDSpoM2sTzt1a015KVcz_FH_s9jXbeKQAslgQgESSVv-RvuLe0mR_z_qKgSKAjPnvlNN9SUYAXgHiIuc_QOy-H0SRgTF__4HoBsSAGnV_o3YETvEQo4cg4w4TS3EhNZ8_rupFg/s320/20240211_145532.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I did the whole upper half, and I thought it looked pretty good (still do, even though when I used that same white on a different figure, it looked like I had tried painting the darn thing with a piece of chalk).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUEvfjIbx2sqby_joNG_AtnkjGILcBzig5a1VAtPXq4eU4JBhAEmGrvILAPCYMPEH35TS09PGFjUiKNBlNczuPibXJi9lJQTljMUG_E_xL6kQQQKZ9LyR1wf74I-klidu3df4L6T-BKKeZgNnqfjXR8DzQseIZB_S-52YUlxVaY1sPRsFE6Yy9A/s2802/20240211_160859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="2171" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUEvfjIbx2sqby_joNG_AtnkjGILcBzig5a1VAtPXq4eU4JBhAEmGrvILAPCYMPEH35TS09PGFjUiKNBlNczuPibXJi9lJQTljMUG_E_xL6kQQQKZ9LyR1wf74I-klidu3df4L6T-BKKeZgNnqfjXR8DzQseIZB_S-52YUlxVaY1sPRsFE6Yy9A/s320/20240211_160859.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p>This is the whole thing painted white (first coat). Am I taking too many pictures?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0E82kDcPpm_zxdV_C6gE5uAli84bAyA0rEx3h2bJZ37dSug49vNYIeXY5i2M3dz7ZerPUTTUH4KvAGEyGdy2qoz4S9aJmk1tKD5EzhZ64sKAB6VMlJKrB-6iG_RQ65pFPRMATRpHzh8UyJixhn1nb3EVSAq2w8uPphsO-n1vlzs9TXkqx-EkmEA/s2633/20240211_205642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="2017" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0E82kDcPpm_zxdV_C6gE5uAli84bAyA0rEx3h2bJZ37dSug49vNYIeXY5i2M3dz7ZerPUTTUH4KvAGEyGdy2qoz4S9aJmk1tKD5EzhZ64sKAB6VMlJKrB-6iG_RQ65pFPRMATRpHzh8UyJixhn1nb3EVSAq2w8uPphsO-n1vlzs9TXkqx-EkmEA/s320/20240211_205642.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And here it is with the second coat.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I took a picture of it with all the paint covered, including the stomach, but the flash was on and the photo's unusable, but here's one I took out in the snow with my Mandalorian repaint.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbk0ivyfUzenwp730MFAVOfDpNJWHWvhaDFaurU2_6CVF0hOX3ixNAbfaGRna0vdo6hFFsnhl26H0Bn2OlM5q2Snqy8yV8_UWKbmBWOv9QaHDhjbhh4cJPq3KunwcVX6DGrZpupTSGFoA2aLUboSDOXYPOjUhQz4-ZzGNCOc_dsJgn8RLdSntkQ/s2745/20240302_190232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2635" data-original-width="2745" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbk0ivyfUzenwp730MFAVOfDpNJWHWvhaDFaurU2_6CVF0hOX3ixNAbfaGRna0vdo6hFFsnhl26H0Bn2OlM5q2Snqy8yV8_UWKbmBWOv9QaHDhjbhh4cJPq3KunwcVX6DGrZpupTSGFoA2aLUboSDOXYPOjUhQz4-ZzGNCOc_dsJgn8RLdSntkQ/s320/20240302_190232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(I realize the snow looks fake)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And here's the finished product:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzYqS0Qgw038t1zQSz2r6n4tA9_szjCmUawAlLlBgh-NBllCrKA3OGAIdBtTt1qWwtmUbd0bF9FGlS5uPDQRCQKDK5eVoaOi54UNGsGlHWX1IsTb_LMI77XhAwngq__niS4KbpvJGgF8hyuyw_0BsMJXMSaN-kpMnMrPU2D_xKT5slk88-FVeEQ/s2489/20240312_132313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2489" data-original-width="2045" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzYqS0Qgw038t1zQSz2r6n4tA9_szjCmUawAlLlBgh-NBllCrKA3OGAIdBtTt1qWwtmUbd0bF9FGlS5uPDQRCQKDK5eVoaOi54UNGsGlHWX1IsTb_LMI77XhAwngq__niS4KbpvJGgF8hyuyw_0BsMJXMSaN-kpMnMrPU2D_xKT5slk88-FVeEQ/w329-h400/20240312_132313.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><br /><p>Big thinks I need to do a black or grey wash, to bring out the detail, and he may be right, but I'm not sure it will work in this case. In the past, I've used an oil-based wash that is essentially paint thinner, and I worry it will just undo the white paint layers I've laid on. I could experiment with another item, but in the meantime, I'm happy with my K-3PO.</p><p>Which means Hasbro will announce one tomorrow.</p><p>*The molds from which their figures are made cost a fortune, so if they can reuse them over and over again, the toys become exponentially cheaper to produce the more they do it.</p></div></div></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-3086361614130379292024-03-15T13:34:00.000-07:002024-03-15T13:34:31.551-07:00Rish Outcast 273: Lara & the Witch and Me<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTCSqhRJPIy_pzE4sno9U3G-Z6eo99wsZZwG4GUnhT8w-nnj4LXLRHl4uIDUl-XtTvY2R7M1vPU1cxXRN7TfFJ0x0gHjGaO2jpRtVe2vprI9V7OWDmPUYF_K8olDbMXMMwveJRHO8ZUIXgHfMiufhyphenhyphenq0G6k2v_CPtAnFW-6pq1wR7dH5UGEWI-A/s2772/Rish%20Outcast%20273%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="2772" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTCSqhRJPIy_pzE4sno9U3G-Z6eo99wsZZwG4GUnhT8w-nnj4LXLRHl4uIDUl-XtTvY2R7M1vPU1cxXRN7TfFJ0x0gHjGaO2jpRtVe2vprI9V7OWDmPUYF_K8olDbMXMMwveJRHO8ZUIXgHfMiufhyphenhyphenq0G6k2v_CPtAnFW-6pq1wR7dH5UGEWI-A/w400-h400/Rish%20Outcast%20273%20art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="sc-fmBCVi eAgiUq"><div class="sc-1sp3zau-0 gzfjRJ sc-d4f3hw-0 hFeKDx"><div class="sc-1ye87qi-0 bCBphS"><p>Rish does his annual episode about the Lara Demming series, specifically talking about "<b>Bundling Made Easy</b>" and "<b>Here To Help</b>."<br /></p><p>Note: Recorded over three sessions in two different months, expect plenty of repetition in this one. Yay!</p></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="60" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/rish-outcast-273" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="500"></iframe></div></div><p>If you'd like to download the episode, Right-Click <a href="https://ia600206.us.archive.org/32/items/rish-outcast-273/Rish%20Outcast%20273%20%28Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20and%20Me%29.mp3">HERE</a>.</p><p>If you would like to support me on Patreon, click <a href="http://www.patreon.com/rishoutfield">HERE</a>.</p><p>If you like piƱa coladas, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXG_I_tf_i4">HERE</a>.</p><p>Logo by Gino "The Itch and Me" Moretto.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-34921031046224154022024-03-14T18:19:00.000-07:002024-03-14T18:19:42.728-07:00Walk Or Run, You're Coming With Me<p>A bit a trivia for you: The only one of my stories that we did on both the Dunesteef and the Rish Outcast was "Know When To Walk Away, Know When To Run." </p><p>It's one I've never been thrilled with, because I couldn't make the story itself as scary as it was in my head. But I did rewrite it and try it again, then put it up on Amazon. I worked really hard on the cover art . . . and it was ghastly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0PfEUYmPIIvLB1Ztw885XrT3nWi6cuLuASblIfRAsyiA-5lymPf7C6OsrgQkf2EjYaalNmyB_NrygnsebtFtorVTUxH_j_Csii94Cde4-Mr1Ek4_aAGB9WMGRlXrj6dbYNuUtd9xlIwmQ_8qO5-aZ_c-cHJxECBq6_sNSuviogwRZQgWpqDPAQ/s500/1%20Know%20When%20To%20Walk%20Away%20original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="462" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0PfEUYmPIIvLB1Ztw885XrT3nWi6cuLuASblIfRAsyiA-5lymPf7C6OsrgQkf2EjYaalNmyB_NrygnsebtFtorVTUxH_j_Csii94Cde4-Mr1Ek4_aAGB9WMGRlXrj6dbYNuUtd9xlIwmQ_8qO5-aZ_c-cHJxECBq6_sNSuviogwRZQgWpqDPAQ/s320/1%20Know%20When%20To%20Walk%20Away%20original.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(only not in a good way)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>But I went online and spent a full half hour asking for a pair of scaly alien hands/tentacles holding cards at a Blackjack table. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYxFusQhidSUvUz9GbKZvwDqWidFsdHRiWSJnYIA4B6u1E93KTJH9nt16xq_xMbkYaqjP2adPBEBj3gN6UWUvkQLJbb6DwLXhLL1VY7aRxQeBszrfHxqX5vaWCnHql7f8FpIjznJKlt65mRQjmpDkaHVoMmmVDHI-eNCIhQ6HhWJFOfuVwrlplw/s2560/1%20Know%20When%20To%20Walk%20Away%20Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYxFusQhidSUvUz9GbKZvwDqWidFsdHRiWSJnYIA4B6u1E93KTJH9nt16xq_xMbkYaqjP2adPBEBj3gN6UWUvkQLJbb6DwLXhLL1VY7aRxQeBszrfHxqX5vaWCnHql7f8FpIjznJKlt65mRQjmpDkaHVoMmmVDHI-eNCIhQ6HhWJFOfuVwrlplw/s320/1%20Know%20When%20To%20Walk%20Away%20Finished.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p>It's available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Know-When-Walk-Away-Run-ebook/dp/B00GPE4QTQ">HERE</a>, and I think this cover is better . . . but man oh man, I couldn't get the hands, the cards, and the casino to look right, so I had to compromise (and like the story, it's still not quite there). Ah well.</p><p>Another bit a trivia for you: TWISTER was the first movie released on DVD.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-65065033686296266042024-03-13T01:43:00.000-07:002024-03-13T01:43:47.690-07:00You Know You're Getting Old When...<p>I had something of a milestone today, but it wasn't a good milestone, like paying off a house or sleeping with your daughter's friend. No, this was more along the lines of throwing your back out for the first time, or finding a white chest hair, or, I dunno, pooping your pants for pleasure rather than by accident (you know what I'm talking about).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpCTSmPztv_Af8fosTdFLSkohPFu4JCzyNPKnGySvrm2mUvmg2nm1mYUT_TH4glI8t78oKMeh8CX8BEiRpsOQJ9FODAmautzzAaHmZ3AHFO90yaHvUT12YXOvEDJ6dkY1O5Z-KgA-Jm1bzjKNXM1c4gyJ6TlsIlaHybGl1yJ2jN4iPewboSELIA/s437/old%20man%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpCTSmPztv_Af8fosTdFLSkohPFu4JCzyNPKnGySvrm2mUvmg2nm1mYUT_TH4glI8t78oKMeh8CX8BEiRpsOQJ9FODAmautzzAaHmZ3AHFO90yaHvUT12YXOvEDJ6dkY1O5Z-KgA-Jm1bzjKNXM1c4gyJ6TlsIlaHybGl1yJ2jN4iPewboSELIA/s320/old%20man%202.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /><p>I went to Ross (Dress For Less, doncha know) and bought a few cheap toys, and the guy behind the counter gave me my total . . . then pressed a button and gave me a new total--a lower total. I asked what had happened, and he said, "Tuesdays we give a senior citizen discount." I said, "Uh, what?" but I paid my bill and then looked at the receipt. Sure enough, there was a ten percent Seniors discount.</p><p>Won't be long now, kids.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIC68JqNQptibdxbHgmi5cBz-VT0dS_xODfiUPXIhHGhElPX6cCFoVsqSjm_l7g7u64b6pdE-n_aojWsAtyQOrJ3BtXEhU21rsKi5_pTvIgG1pRg4miwod_nbwp38mmsy_QcIByCMhTGeEfmpYQ6cJrovU9_aHoEMxS_alqX_Uau8k7bDjHnJgw/s816/reaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="816" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIC68JqNQptibdxbHgmi5cBz-VT0dS_xODfiUPXIhHGhElPX6cCFoVsqSjm_l7g7u64b6pdE-n_aojWsAtyQOrJ3BtXEhU21rsKi5_pTvIgG1pRg4miwod_nbwp38mmsy_QcIByCMhTGeEfmpYQ6cJrovU9_aHoEMxS_alqX_Uau8k7bDjHnJgw/s320/reaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-6897414953279766392024-03-12T18:12:00.000-07:002024-03-12T18:12:00.123-07:00Olivia Redux<p>I wrote a story called "Olivia Redux" a year or so back . . . then changed the title to "Olivia Rewinds." I still like both titles, but went with the latter.*</p><p> After an argument with her boyfriend, Olivia finds a strange pendant that enables her to go back in time to before it happened. This was inspired by actually finding a strange pendant one morning (and finding it gone in the afternoon), and trying to come up with a story for a "Be Careful What You Wish For" writing contest--one that I ultimately lost, but not with this story.</p><p>Maybe the tale isn't great, but the cover art by Big Anklevich sure is.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNNdUYFdkKld1Mo9eOTtMKaJeNG8t5hG-ZyAWehyphenhyphenrh2MZBnvNzlVyo4cWASmCwHvuEYcbngw_l_mDHQlsBRRw-LZ84PXbJeYf73PaCGBZzEyBfShcnelsRqEbELGTEkRxA8Cci3_7sHnUzKd8qH22ldlAmDcT4MC4vUS_NQMgxKlAo-lMby5ZVg/s2560/Olivia%20Rewinds%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNNdUYFdkKld1Mo9eOTtMKaJeNG8t5hG-ZyAWehyphenhyphenrh2MZBnvNzlVyo4cWASmCwHvuEYcbngw_l_mDHQlsBRRw-LZ84PXbJeYf73PaCGBZzEyBfShcnelsRqEbELGTEkRxA8Cci3_7sHnUzKd8qH22ldlAmDcT4MC4vUS_NQMgxKlAo-lMby5ZVg/w250-h400/Olivia%20Rewinds%20Finished.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p>This guy ought to charge for his services. </p><p>If you think the same of me, go <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HQXSR">HERE </a>to buy the story.</p><p><br /></p><p>*If I ever write a story called "Octavia Restarts," I'll let you know.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-31683531807152773322024-03-11T18:54:00.000-07:002024-03-11T18:54:00.243-07:00Still Fighting It<p>I keep trying to replace covers and publish stories that had been sitting around, waiting their turn.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2juVI65CGa6412FtV7lyPyOHwSyfQh1bZ-3tbsHunFOa1RcNoIjLejnbcZ13YvX2nC-pYXHtYJrwd9wxmnDe-OR46HKYsOSHVwTVQt0E8V-D78vwwVoXydSEjylLOizE6LQY2OMJJun5ydjFgLb5Ipb95yHZtL_3W_TzogZz80jENpzeE50RxQ/s2560/Sleepless%20Afternoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2juVI65CGa6412FtV7lyPyOHwSyfQh1bZ-3tbsHunFOa1RcNoIjLejnbcZ13YvX2nC-pYXHtYJrwd9wxmnDe-OR46HKYsOSHVwTVQt0E8V-D78vwwVoXydSEjylLOizE6LQY2OMJJun5ydjFgLb5Ipb95yHZtL_3W_TzogZz80jENpzeE50RxQ/w250-h400/Sleepless%20Afternoon.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><p>Next up is "<b>Sleepless Afternoon</b>," the prose version of a sketch I wrote for the show in 2010 or so. It was a semi-amusing* piece where a vampire child awakens his father with fears of daylight, old English professors, the sun, Southern California vampire slayers, etc. I had never released it on its own, so I tried to get an image of a little boy hiding under the covers.</p><p>I even went in and put vampire teeth on this one, but felt that less was more (although I did add a bit of orange to his eyes in the other, less angry kid).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXfJ3ZhPC8uZhd32XQJJ76vxDg6glLu2onn8lqGzRN3KRdnGVqWPVoxVMKbYbmCOsLiBI6Xr5OnogSCsdFMnUGHYgIRJy3VTBjqyl537PXNbi_eanizRODO4aZ8UXcF2QmjF99gMo6nhVn-KRk1bUZORy5m2kkqbDL0YdT86fmGnr-j6F6K1HuA/s1536/Sleepless%20Afternoon%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXfJ3ZhPC8uZhd32XQJJ76vxDg6glLu2onn8lqGzRN3KRdnGVqWPVoxVMKbYbmCOsLiBI6Xr5OnogSCsdFMnUGHYgIRJy3VTBjqyl537PXNbi_eanizRODO4aZ8UXcF2QmjF99gMo6nhVn-KRk1bUZORy5m2kkqbDL0YdT86fmGnr-j6F6K1HuA/s320/Sleepless%20Afternoon%202.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>But the first image worked a little better . . . though maybe not perfect for the story's tone. Hey, you be the judge. You can find the story <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXPVDMBQ">HERE</a>, if you like.</p><p>It's been a while, but I'm fond enough of that old sketch that I might record a video of myself reading that one and put it on my Patreon too. We'll see--I do hate to edit videos.</p><p>Oh, that reminds me, I opened up "<b>Bundling Made Easy</b>" the other day, to add a link to "<b>Here To Help</b>" at the end (Abbie suggested I put a list of the other entries in a series on every one, and I'm going to assume that it has helped me sell copies), and I discovered that I had somehow pasted my About The Author page in the middle of the document. So I removed it, and while I was at it, replaced Chapter 6 with an extended Chapter 6 I had started last year and never included in the final version. I wish there were a way to let anybody who bought a copy simply switch it out Walmart-style for the newer version, but I suppose they could simply let me know and I woul--</p><p>What's that? Nobody bought "Bundling Made Easy?" Nobody? So, Big was right? Oh.</p><p>Never mind then.</p><p><br /></p><p>*Your kilometridge may vary.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-35466008773976030982024-03-10T15:40:00.000-07:002024-03-11T15:56:14.056-07:00New Clerk, Old Story<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORUUqs8cQgh_pudnlvW6WBs-9nbez_QsAoM8rrHFhLAwv-Mph2wpBkJ7m8skHfPqs7ABtlNU1rZ3-e_sYO69y6bAv181WnLd7Md1X3PIx-71TuXfHj7oP7j1aMUnXfU8CmQBmpLwvgBa1RvbXpBo18HC_NaDiiyg5lvLn6VzMIdHN-ctXogqvaw/s2600/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20mockup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORUUqs8cQgh_pudnlvW6WBs-9nbez_QsAoM8rrHFhLAwv-Mph2wpBkJ7m8skHfPqs7ABtlNU1rZ3-e_sYO69y6bAv181WnLd7Md1X3PIx-71TuXfHj7oP7j1aMUnXfU8CmQBmpLwvgBa1RvbXpBo18HC_NaDiiyg5lvLn6VzMIdHN-ctXogqvaw/s320/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20mockup.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my mock-up of what I wanted for a cover, using a free stock photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>As I mentioned earlier (although I've been posting these out of order, so maybe I mentioned it later), I've been republishing stories with superior covers this month, and publishing stories that I somehow failed to put out there over the years. And the one I'm plugging today is called "<b>Meet the New Clerk, Same As The Old Clerk</b>." It's a story in the <b>Dead & Breakfast</b> series, and deals with Meeshelle Lovett, a one-time employee of the Noble Oaks Bed & Breakfast, who quit working there, and is now coming back.</p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu28yBi4o9-j0UVp3fWKtoMnTSkOZQITiZ9lY4Cc7GGsKDAPuKsbGPPyF3hkj60P8sxU0nCCku16N4ssKftWhE5LyCoKdY4E1RCGSJr-e2syOeJtPIGDvJh2CA3_0pUdWLbw0cBlpK-mf4sWMrm-H7527uhSznemS2J9FITWEKukNMAReJJnIxmw/s2560/Meet%20the%20new%20clerk%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu28yBi4o9-j0UVp3fWKtoMnTSkOZQITiZ9lY4Cc7GGsKDAPuKsbGPPyF3hkj60P8sxU0nCCku16N4ssKftWhE5LyCoKdY4E1RCGSJr-e2syOeJtPIGDvJh2CA3_0pUdWLbw0cBlpK-mf4sWMrm-H7527uhSznemS2J9FITWEKukNMAReJJnIxmw/s320/Meet%20the%20new%20clerk%20Finished.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this was Big's improvement on it.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For a year and a half, maybe two, I was knee-deep in the Dead & Breakfast stories, cranking them out as fast as I could. That time seems behind me, but I'm still fond of the series. I like this particular story because I like Meeshelle, and that she's afraid to come back to the haunted motel, but forces herself to do so anyway. </p><p>Check it out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meet-New-Clerk-Same-Old-ebook/dp/B09HL4JLY7">HERE</a>, if you like.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJJKcIkQkfMQvGN-781RvmUOk3QOdZpIjUeUMunJGOZXN4SQ_jdsh_OK9SKP_MuONbzaLHCUS4iUXkAVaIt48WS5WG3FHUmpulcpQugAjET1sssIrfvqDF0bR8oE5yE65Hl_DN3LfBCPUu1YOHVVkhohgNhjenTgS1YXDRvvIFNJQOpvJ4k-RJA/s1536/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20mockup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJJKcIkQkfMQvGN-781RvmUOk3QOdZpIjUeUMunJGOZXN4SQ_jdsh_OK9SKP_MuONbzaLHCUS4iUXkAVaIt48WS5WG3FHUmpulcpQugAjET1sssIrfvqDF0bR8oE5yE65Hl_DN3LfBCPUu1YOHVVkhohgNhjenTgS1YXDRvvIFNJQOpvJ4k-RJA/s320/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20mockup.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the 2024 version I came up with--which is much closer to what I wanted in my head.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD8BUjxrBhno6uS1BJZWWKxx8DHCB4Ka1mfm2ylxZ2L-OehiivEf1RsBiurxQN3wDPz3aHyF1BVG9iMU4jy17V_b_P0GHEmwXtCzPNuwODgDrefSqgnujwdFe6O8IFKYZiQ64zLaD-iWwK3F6X5W3QSj3exXL0VZDMtx5eiCz_-A_ydvtUgS4Ng/s2560/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD8BUjxrBhno6uS1BJZWWKxx8DHCB4Ka1mfm2ylxZ2L-OehiivEf1RsBiurxQN3wDPz3aHyF1BVG9iMU4jy17V_b_P0GHEmwXtCzPNuwODgDrefSqgnujwdFe6O8IFKYZiQ64zLaD-iWwK3F6X5W3QSj3exXL0VZDMtx5eiCz_-A_ydvtUgS4Ng/w250-h400/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="250" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">And this was the finished product Big gave me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD8BUjxrBhno6uS1BJZWWKxx8DHCB4Ka1mfm2ylxZ2L-OehiivEf1RsBiurxQN3wDPz3aHyF1BVG9iMU4jy17V_b_P0GHEmwXtCzPNuwODgDrefSqgnujwdFe6O8IFKYZiQ64zLaD-iWwK3F6X5W3QSj3exXL0VZDMtx5eiCz_-A_ydvtUgS4Ng/s2560/Meet%20the%20New%20Clerk%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-61172309774266918502024-03-08T13:53:00.000-08:002024-03-10T20:02:49.184-07:00Went To The Ninth Sector, And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt<p>This week, my buddy Big and I finally got together to talk about cover art--specifically, the bad art I've had on my stories that he's seen fit to improve for me--and we talked so much that we ran out of time and will have to do it again next week. A lot of time, the images I picked were good, but my text looked unprofessional, or worse, like recently-microwaved walrus dung.* Other times, it was just bad, top to bottom.</p><p>And while we were looking over old covers, I stumbled upon the image Sonny See created for us back in 2014 for my story "Greetings From The Ninth Sector." That was a story I wrote for a contest where I had to use the words "<b>Squad</b>," "<b>Reports</b>," and "<b>George Lucas</b>" in there somehow.** In it, Corporal Bruce Otterson, onboard the <i>IFS Lucas</i>, sends messages
back to his girlfriend Mandy, as their ship enters the mysterious Ninth
Sector, which many onboard think is haunted or cursed. As his
transmissions continue, Bruce becomes more and more concerned that his
shipmates may be right</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYhexC2B-dox26tVz2wl5Sk9zlekS75nCfLJ7gP19vFUWgVLeZ2qLhDJ-AUn8x5xwMooD3zAOMVMjzE2nJ0XWwMlDQr-Htru4bzrwdVhCnT5E3n-XBdx4UN4tcRBtjwYjJ42rucfc0Pe7zGr7xXp41yih2r_V1DDuJA3Cgzq1hS9cHmeDNkJeGw/s1500/Greetings.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="938" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYhexC2B-dox26tVz2wl5Sk9zlekS75nCfLJ7gP19vFUWgVLeZ2qLhDJ-AUn8x5xwMooD3zAOMVMjzE2nJ0XWwMlDQr-Htru4bzrwdVhCnT5E3n-XBdx4UN4tcRBtjwYjJ42rucfc0Pe7zGr7xXp41yih2r_V1DDuJA3Cgzq1hS9cHmeDNkJeGw/w250-h400/Greetings.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Big added the star field and the text. Not sure why he picked that shade of blue.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Big said he could make the logo on the image look better than what I had done myself (goes without saying), and to my surprise, I discovered I had NEVER put it out on Amazon.*** So, today I remedied that. The story is available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1H397S">HERE</a>, if you never read the longer version. I plan on publishing other stories in the next couple of weeks, so I'll keep you posted.</p><p>I also thought I would sit down one evening this month and video myself performing the story, then make it available on my Patreon. And if people like that, do it again. And again. What do you think?</p><p><br /></p><p>*Looking forward to the episode yet? I know I am, and I haven't even started editing it.</p><p>**I figured I could just go look up the words on the Dunesteef page . . . but the Dunesteef page is long gone. :(</p><p>***That's not technically true; it was part of a collection that's no longer available. I really ought to put together five or eight story collections in case somebody somewhere wants to buy them. But I probably won't.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-67642278402272855902024-03-07T00:06:00.000-08:002024-03-07T00:06:40.927-08:00The Washer Did What?<p>Not for nothing*, but I've got another story out there, if you'd like to read it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBhRomIs53d1SBh09GQHNFuOr2CTrVCUASB5jHRaMaU6qOTMx1xjVEgWh1n_qqEkC688V_NECBtgqp7glJZ3q8d70ar-1q35QoLDLscn6WAyI_qOc0WnHDm9C5VZh-SqHXq5gomts4ZSlkoCR7lowCgm3syXmi9BCqmx9F4EOh-fU20Hun0JOAw/s2560/Washer%20Whispers%20Finished%20Cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBhRomIs53d1SBh09GQHNFuOr2CTrVCUASB5jHRaMaU6qOTMx1xjVEgWh1n_qqEkC688V_NECBtgqp7glJZ3q8d70ar-1q35QoLDLscn6WAyI_qOc0WnHDm9C5VZh-SqHXq5gomts4ZSlkoCR7lowCgm3syXmi9BCqmx9F4EOh-fU20Hun0JOAw/w250-h400/Washer%20Whispers%20Finished%20Cover.png" width="250" /></a></div><p>In "<b>The Washer Whispers</b>," Gil Pinto, recently widowed, hears a sound coming from the dishwasher. Sounds a bit like a voice, doesn't it? What is it saying? And is it talking to him?</p><p>Check it out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Washer-Whispers-Rish-Outfield-ebook/dp/B0CW1LH4MV">HERE</a>.</p><p>This is another one of those stories inspired by real life (I came upstairs and heard someone talking low, even though I was sure I was alone, and walked around trying to figure out who left a radio or phone on . . . but it was the gurgling of the new dishwasher, sounding remarkably like a person whispering), but ended up very much different than I intended it (I'm not usually a pantser, rather than a plotter, but this was closer to the former).</p><p>I really struggled with the cover art on this one, asking it to make a man with his hand on a dishwasher, or kneeling beside a dishwasher, or squatting in front of a dishwasher. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRXY5o5HlPkW5pN9wHzo_JUBl8yaEOnK5_UQGIGp3mLm0mWz8G5cM_ghGwFde1kT-UL3PdCwQcFPrUH6yJHmpySrXhGPPNwijy1QwsRiyG0wAcY9rycuen6yGN8kQ8s3lrUxe908CC_mb4jW2wl-NGYGRhlwQZIPTBkJ4KThGLLpkvckrWbADoA/s768/washer%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRXY5o5HlPkW5pN9wHzo_JUBl8yaEOnK5_UQGIGp3mLm0mWz8G5cM_ghGwFde1kT-UL3PdCwQcFPrUH6yJHmpySrXhGPPNwijy1QwsRiyG0wAcY9rycuen6yGN8kQ8s3lrUxe908CC_mb4jW2wl-NGYGRhlwQZIPTBkJ4KThGLLpkvckrWbADoA/s320/washer%201.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I went through dozens of iterations, and it kept putting the man INSIDE the washer, or having the "camera" in the washer, and once . . . it filled the washer with skulls, which I liked, but doesn't fit the story I was telling.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQpwXomGS1ZTHdaohh4OMtcc-IvFkEg7zc2700LLwe4-KNG-stL0gGVWLJGYH-Sggj7_m4ES2VovN2ANP3xQe_X7qRblos9ItFy1ZjTRS5QdyqnsjQRglO9OIMTx2ldLc2573-R_B0dqg4qVWDy4yX4hC4K825UGBVecU6DEQ7nt49lUcbG7PtQ/s768/washer%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQpwXomGS1ZTHdaohh4OMtcc-IvFkEg7zc2700LLwe4-KNG-stL0gGVWLJGYH-Sggj7_m4ES2VovN2ANP3xQe_X7qRblos9ItFy1ZjTRS5QdyqnsjQRglO9OIMTx2ldLc2573-R_B0dqg4qVWDy4yX4hC4K825UGBVecU6DEQ7nt49lUcbG7PtQ/s320/washer%202.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div>Finally, I decided on the bottom image, but you may (or may not) notice: he's got three feet. Luckily, Big cropped it tighter, and the world will never know my sin.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe2h3-nrou7rznZcfkgyMCWqq0UbelCU1duNSWZBUqOLPvFZ8khXazniUE7V8Qyp_He8EfYwr5b0gdnpIPJepnTueYrUCXpg9fS1NytqnU-AvHNsN1kYvyfGwB93eW04PAK0RijxMDQYuuSD0lxi0EWlFeAUCFOMDHp0reUFhKGVFudnTx6JOrg/s768/washer%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe2h3-nrou7rznZcfkgyMCWqq0UbelCU1duNSWZBUqOLPvFZ8khXazniUE7V8Qyp_He8EfYwr5b0gdnpIPJepnTueYrUCXpg9fS1NytqnU-AvHNsN1kYvyfGwB93eW04PAK0RijxMDQYuuSD0lxi0EWlFeAUCFOMDHp0reUFhKGVFudnTx6JOrg/s320/washer%203.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div>Oh, I did record this one, using a gruff old man voice (even though the narrator isn't even ten years older than me), and . . . that was a mistake.</div><div><p><br /></p><p>*Again, I probably would not even care if Big Anklevich weren't doing so well right now with writing and publishing stories. Peer pressure's the worst.</p></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-43583331680514164702024-03-05T14:15:00.000-08:002024-03-05T14:15:17.318-08:00Podcast That Dares 47: Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0iTOdXtzroV7oLyJeg_t3f9R1c9YgYOE5C8KIkEmZshEPn9MKgrbuPZCmk2CHPeK1r2TBXVAcVZy8vgbpTV29Ow4gh3dzjdafkgdUs-lggzT0EycSlg7HpjDgK4eRwKGCqmdMfuKvolbStmnl6_RPWcRqSBdXhsQ2L7HE_jHLr5_1tX23dg-WQ/s2048/TPTDNSIN%2047b%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="2048" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0iTOdXtzroV7oLyJeg_t3f9R1c9YgYOE5C8KIkEmZshEPn9MKgrbuPZCmk2CHPeK1r2TBXVAcVZy8vgbpTV29Ow4gh3dzjdafkgdUs-lggzT0EycSlg7HpjDgK4eRwKGCqmdMfuKvolbStmnl6_RPWcRqSBdXhsQ2L7HE_jHLr5_1tX23dg-WQ/s320/TPTDNSIN%2047b%20art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Rish presents Ambrose Bierce's 1890 story "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge." Remember that one?</p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="60" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/podcast-that-dares-47" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="500"></iframe><p>Note: Over <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/podcast-that-47-96775074">on my Patreon</a>, this was a double-episode, with a second Bierce story, "The Eyes of the Panther."</p><p>If you want to download it, just Right-Click <a href="https://ia600204.us.archive.org/27/items/podcast-that-dares-47/Podcast%20That%20Dares%2047%20%28Occurrence%20At%20Owl%20Creek%20Bridge%20-%20regular%29.mp3">HERE</a>.</p><p>If you want to support Rish on Patreon, as a sort of last meal before his execution, click <a href="http://patreon.com/rishoutfield">HERE</a>.</p><p>Logo by Gino "Deterrence At Owl Creek Bridge" Moretto.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-89622787828980006782024-03-04T22:23:00.000-08:002024-03-04T22:23:42.201-08:00Exercise Report '24 - February<p>So, February came and went, and even with an extra day, I didn't manage to achieve all my goals. One of those was exercising 24 days (which, now that I think about it, allowed me to take Tuesdays off and a <b>single </b>other day the whole month). I did manage 21 days, and did very well at the end of the month (though I still miss most Tuesdays), and I'm happy that I keep it up, but technically, this was one of those months I fell short of my goals. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb1L7xjbp___tqDlKSpEdOEfP5slyxU6vcNm8cs3KBpKmt6xNFJPxNkht66lvl-PH7-jT42xkqG8aaLFyOx2VT8UOC6v-B9IhKSjVOSaO3CvEIpi-ZEM03RFx4xV9q0pKSinuvfaVCb_FwZPK0KU89cezRWR0h8-zR1WctmCKYzSnTuYuIJn1VQ/s860/2024%20Exercise%20Goal%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="823" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCb1L7xjbp___tqDlKSpEdOEfP5slyxU6vcNm8cs3KBpKmt6xNFJPxNkht66lvl-PH7-jT42xkqG8aaLFyOx2VT8UOC6v-B9IhKSjVOSaO3CvEIpi-ZEM03RFx4xV9q0pKSinuvfaVCb_FwZPK0KU89cezRWR0h8-zR1WctmCKYzSnTuYuIJn1VQ/s320/2024%20Exercise%20Goal%201.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll try to manage 24 days in March. </div><br /><p><br /></p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-61932839312078398582024-03-01T11:32:00.000-08:002024-03-01T11:32:40.642-08:00Bundle This!<p>So, I recently published the <a href="429586269_10160034618542876_765355124636051283_n">text version</a> of "<b>Bundling Made Easy</b>," a novella in the Lara & The Witch series,* but the audio version (of course) takes longer. </p><p>But hey, that time is up, because Audible let me know that the recording--narrated by me--is available now at this link. If you recall, it's the story where Lara Demming gets a boyfriend, and at one point, casts a spell so that everyone can be as happy as she is. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet a reader that her spell was successful on.</p><p>Even so, both Lara and I would be pleased if you bought a copy. If you don't, the next person will have to buy two. Check it out <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Bundling-Made-Easy-Audiobook/B0CWSKJ53P">HERE</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZHDswcTprra7xu7KW6U9cGw3orL_AVEdRduse7ZP1s8Gv4EvBBCrADqZ8SQ4sQyj8vOveJNwnspQVWcHDQsfjcIEFrHNZqdZSKorNkarWPtlDRF1zFZm269-kozlHwhzi-osnbFABr8xPQgN8pByLqA-ipDrho3dPejjqNj_072xYNJ5luOToA/s2403/Bundling%20Made%20Easy%20Square.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2403" data-original-width="2403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZHDswcTprra7xu7KW6U9cGw3orL_AVEdRduse7ZP1s8Gv4EvBBCrADqZ8SQ4sQyj8vOveJNwnspQVWcHDQsfjcIEFrHNZqdZSKorNkarWPtlDRF1zFZm269-kozlHwhzi-osnbFABr8xPQgN8pByLqA-ipDrho3dPejjqNj_072xYNJ5luOToA/s320/Bundling%20Made%20Easy%20Square.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Audible insists that you provide square cover art, so Big made me yet another one.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>P.S. Just today, I opened up my file for "When You Need It Most," the book that takes place during her Senior year, and was shocked to discover that it was nearly eighty thousand words. If you want me to get started on that, let me know . . . but it will take a while.</p><p><br /></p><p>*Because of Amazon's listing practices, it's considered Book 3 in the series, with "<b>Made Just For You</b>," "<b>The People We Touch</b>," and "<b>Here To Help</b>" considered side projects (since they're just short stories--not that they all aren't). Which will maybe confuse people, if I keep the series up, adding Books and Adjacent entries as I write/publish them. If it didn't confuse Stephen King's readers when he published "The Wind Through The Keyhole" (Dark Tower Book 4.5), my dozen readers should be fine.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-59425590338679587492024-02-29T01:33:00.000-08:002024-02-29T13:16:28.751-08:00Rish Performs "Like A Moth To A Flame" on Journey Into...<p>So, I spoke a lot--too much?--about Marshal's demented contest over at the Journey Into... podcast, the Quordle Quell, where I wrote my banjo story* . . . which you, again, may listen to <a href="https://journeyintopodcast.blogspot.com/2023/12/journey-191-with-banjo-on-my-knee-by.html">HERE</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvskDxqsHRkBx9C7Fd41zaNr-aD10TBcsSIakV8wQAKRJsene77ncvc6xhZou3OxOXNz7GLe3KifVXHLjzSQEK33uYnFiCL_xhLl3VR18I8HbufdS-N4iHeyPpiywB1CbctSkjIjgDQFSr5jdvTTAuYybjHU9AZxdliQ5LxHdkr4ME2XedKZ6pA/s1100/quordle%20quell%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1100" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvskDxqsHRkBx9C7Fd41zaNr-aD10TBcsSIakV8wQAKRJsene77ncvc6xhZou3OxOXNz7GLe3KifVXHLjzSQEK33uYnFiCL_xhLl3VR18I8HbufdS-N4iHeyPpiywB1CbctSkjIjgDQFSr5jdvTTAuYybjHU9AZxdliQ5LxHdkr4ME2XedKZ6pA/s320/quordle%20quell%206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But as part of my prison release arrangement for my crimes of finding Selena Gomez attractive when she was a teenager, and finding Hilary Duff attractive in her thirties (my mother still isn't returning my letters), I was charged with narrating the winner of the Quordle Quell, "<b>Like A Moth To A Flame</b>" by Barry "Be Wary" Howarth.<div><br /></div><div>It's the tale of a priest brought in to debunk a medium who may or may not be conning a wealthy widow that her dead husband is contacting her. Marshal added cool layered music and sound effects, as well as copious amounts of explicit nudity.** Check it out <a href="https://journeyintopodcast.blogspot.com/2024/02/journey-195-like-moth-to-flame-by-barry_27.html">HERE</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJBjF1uHC268QX7k6L0V6bC5fvn1yuJRFvuif-58pam7ZF8IJNIEY3z-4tsBMq8dxGXXqPsW5P3l4diMC14RAfSDyqhmY-LQFnge2OP3nxVg6OgnVRD0Sx7QNTlveBpgVMQWT_CvxsDu9CSwuxXg0uAC9tUj-cbCuvTj6B6_IOwVUmT0WW23F_Q/s640/seance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="640" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJBjF1uHC268QX7k6L0V6bC5fvn1yuJRFvuif-58pam7ZF8IJNIEY3z-4tsBMq8dxGXXqPsW5P3l4diMC14RAfSDyqhmY-LQFnge2OP3nxVg6OgnVRD0Sx7QNTlveBpgVMQWT_CvxsDu9CSwuxXg0uAC9tUj-cbCuvTj6B6_IOwVUmT0WW23F_Q/s320/seance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p>*Someone asked me recently if I really do hate the banjo, since I complain so much about it. And I'd say, banjos and quordle quells are about neck and neck in my mind.</p><p>**Your results may vary.</p></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-62206005985776543632024-02-26T17:25:00.000-08:002024-02-26T17:25:00.249-08:00Lara & the Witch Collection - Volume I<p>Like I said, in publishing "Here To Help," I had five stories that I thought made a pretty good presentation of the Lara Demming series, so I went ahead and put out "Lara and the Witch: Volume I," which collects those stories (as well as a new introduction).<br /></p><p>This was something I challenged myself to do in the month of February, choosing "Here To Help" (which wasn't 100% finished) to end the collection, instead of "The Company You Keep" (which was finished and already out there). I decided on five stories instead of six when I discovered that just the first four stories came to sixty-something thousand words (which seems like a great deal). With the fifth story/introduction, that brought it to more than 81,000 words.</p><p>I struggled with the cover art, having picked this image (that I still like), but was much too low-res:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYui_brdLedxQkPqr_nNWioTUSw7yWnvGTzxqEK71h05pwDowdjSWl_Q0N6xKX81Xb7idtBapQxWjZdDyiJyUxTohtw8oRP_622cgahZ0y3c-cmq8BIQCkQbliNhCdd8peQwfK4Wg95RJD7z69lquKf0F7eqM-kOuO8q7LI-gImUFXA5y1BNudKA/s370/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20tiny%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="370" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYui_brdLedxQkPqr_nNWioTUSw7yWnvGTzxqEK71h05pwDowdjSWl_Q0N6xKX81Xb7idtBapQxWjZdDyiJyUxTohtw8oRP_622cgahZ0y3c-cmq8BIQCkQbliNhCdd8peQwfK4Wg95RJD7z69lquKf0F7eqM-kOuO8q7LI-gImUFXA5y1BNudKA/s320/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20tiny%20art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>But I found a photo of two mushrooms on last year sometime (on Unsplash, where people upload photos they've taken and you can use them as long as you give the owner credit), and sent it to Big, which he used his own special magic on to make this cover:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTqM983BEBKidS8vUZjm-4JHdtYpsU5vR_qOGBnWv29vJ1PbivXjkjubX2ZJS3muAds-aVsY6pgBjxzewgbPxeIuqpaJ0spEXKNIHw9zXc8-6hlWiBkUaueg69kaw1pUBSWKG1rH9qYTc_t3KFTU2xHIAbiey1rFMAQwYpv1L5we2bNuKVSU2Nw/s5297/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20Big%20Glow%20in%20the%20dark%20Blue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5297" data-original-width="3767" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTqM983BEBKidS8vUZjm-4JHdtYpsU5vR_qOGBnWv29vJ1PbivXjkjubX2ZJS3muAds-aVsY6pgBjxzewgbPxeIuqpaJ0spEXKNIHw9zXc8-6hlWiBkUaueg69kaw1pUBSWKG1rH9qYTc_t3KFTU2xHIAbiey1rFMAQwYpv1L5we2bNuKVSU2Nw/w285-h400/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20Big%20Glow%20in%20the%20dark%20Blue.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I still like that one a lot. Maybe I can use it sometime.<div><br /><div>But since then, he and I have discovered that most pernicious of new technologies, image-generating A.I., and while I have dabbled in here and there (probably only wasting five or six hours over the past months), Big has absolutely gone wild for it, spending nights at a time on the website, not getting up to go to the bathroom (warning: that bottle of Mountain Dew he's got next to his office chair is NOT Mountain Dew). <strike>You can read about his adventures <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ">here</a>, if you like.</strike> He's blogged about it, but he couldn't pull himself away from the A.I. siren song to publish the post yet. </div><div><br /></div><div>But using that program, I asked for a silhouette of a big witch and a small one, and here's the new 2024 cover, one I had a bit of difficulty getting to look right (I'll admit that the mushrooms are less prominent than I would've preferred).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztkv3TbPY9-FfyAdCK8AXi17YFZ58plifELmVX3slodbPv7JacFAQqJWHo6XMJfuQZHv9lSbD7V00PgRS5jJDjKrwciHyU1lJ9NaP5HmHjw9sEQmtU4fJAUivUQXqPaxyJ4jHao1vzbSl9p07jAkJC9KQdfN8IdHzINfzcjOGWykirxsixSHubg/s2560/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20Volume%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztkv3TbPY9-FfyAdCK8AXi17YFZ58plifELmVX3slodbPv7JacFAQqJWHo6XMJfuQZHv9lSbD7V00PgRS5jJDjKrwciHyU1lJ9NaP5HmHjw9sEQmtU4fJAUivUQXqPaxyJ4jHao1vzbSl9p07jAkJC9KQdfN8IdHzINfzcjOGWykirxsixSHubg/w250-h400/Lara%20and%20the%20Witch%20Volume%201.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So, now that I have published it (you can get your own copy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lara-Witch-Collection-Rish-Outfield-ebook/dp/B0CVKZX9S9">HERE</a>, if you like), I've started editing the audio for "Here To Help," and I keep getting ideas for new stories (just today, I noticed that Lara mentions that her birthday is in just over a month, and I thought, "Ah, that's got to be a story, what she gets/does for her fifteenth birthday"), but what do I do if I write them? What I mean to say is, as of right now, this volume includes the first five stories, chronologically, in the L&TW series. But if I write a story set in 8th Grade, or heck, one from back when she was even younger, where do I fit them? And does that mean I need to revise the collection, so it's six stories? Or keep it to six stories, but kick "Here To Help" to Volume 2? </div><div><br /></div><div>I've never done this sort of thing, so I honestly don't know.<br /><div><br /><p><br /><br /></p></div></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-78315601175097373202024-02-25T17:35:00.000-08:002024-03-02T14:49:26.242-08:00Lara Demming is "Here To Help"<p>Well, I went and put out another "Lara and the Witch" story. This one is "<b>Here To Help</b>," as is the most recent one I've written, taking place when Lara is fourteen (Ninth Grade, which is the last year of Junior High, at least in the fantasy world I created)--putting it between "<b>The People We Touch</b>" and "<b>The Company You Keep</b>." In this one, she encounters Perpetua Trevorly, another witch who
claims to be a friend of Old Widow Holcomb. She wants something from the girl, something seemingly only Lara can give.</p><p>This one may or may not interest you, but I found myself quite moved while performing the end of it last week, having to stop and sniffle and wipe my face, which is pretty unusual for this particular narrator. As soon as I finished it, I published the text version, which is a good habit to get into.* In re-reading it for the audio version, it gave me an idea for a story that takes place before this one, and an idea for a later story, probably set between "<b>Bundling Made Easy</b>" (Lara's Junior year) and "<b>When You Need It Most</b>" (her Senior year**).</p><p>Once again, Big helped me create a cover I don't have to be embarrassed about. He seems here to help as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnF5EX6YUXXAnuSYPNDmMxYSxJ48w_3zIC_2UbMsgrnRP5JAlsIy8nobCyZUDfK-lg2gPESrSnGYUPKdG5Z6StwmZ8hKXouFo2qCL_6CNsHaDaAKgNGB2LhcHyfSgaAi5gN7881QLrCwzZy8tZfjfa_lBYf2vu2Hg96xDpgfrfqRNxO55IyzaGQ/s2560/Here%20To%20Help%20Finished.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1688" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnF5EX6YUXXAnuSYPNDmMxYSxJ48w_3zIC_2UbMsgrnRP5JAlsIy8nobCyZUDfK-lg2gPESrSnGYUPKdG5Z6StwmZ8hKXouFo2qCL_6CNsHaDaAKgNGB2LhcHyfSgaAi5gN7881QLrCwzZy8tZfjfa_lBYf2vu2Hg96xDpgfrfqRNxO55IyzaGQ/w264-h400/Here%20To%20Help%20Finished.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If you wanna check it out, it's available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVKH5Z9H">HERE</a>. However, I did go ahead and put out a new collection, featuring the first five stories. I'll try and write up a blogpost plugging it tomorrow.<div><br /></div><div><b>P.S.</b> I often struggle with feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness. I'll read someone else's story (or hear one on a fiction podcast), even if it's mediocre, and think, "I'm not as good as that. I have no business writing at all." But today I was editing the audio of the scene where Perpetua Trevorly shows her true colors to Lara on the bus home from school, and I thought, "Dang, that's some cold-blooded Clive Barker-lovin' shit there." And it gives me a nudge to continue. If you read that scene, what were your thoughts?</div><div><br /><p>*I did have to write an author's note, but that only took a few minutes.</p><p>**This one's not yet available. I'll try to tackle it in March or April. Maybe, if I keep feeling ambitious.</p></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-89942653653061601392024-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:002024-02-23T15:26:40.079-08:00Rish Outcast 272: The Winter of Our Discontent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Py0UtwPv8J4ef5X0s8wH_xlEDepsrsjjpgC6jAHahBKulgy-z4nTzz37rL25glY-d1Soh6mB6a_NBFDYqayFcQdq5Bn81GJ-0FLppCYK6DA22iXzr5R_P0h-p7hChVheDuA7b1Wv1bClHJffannPDsRpt3krhF_5doqJoq-mbn6lm9BntFhig/s2772/Rish%20Outcast%20272%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="2772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3Py0UtwPv8J4ef5X0s8wH_xlEDepsrsjjpgC6jAHahBKulgy-z4nTzz37rL25glY-d1Soh6mB6a_NBFDYqayFcQdq5Bn81GJ-0FLppCYK6DA22iXzr5R_P0h-p7hChVheDuA7b1Wv1bClHJffannPDsRpt3krhF_5doqJoq-mbn6lm9BntFhig/s320/Rish%20Outcast%20272%20art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Back in 2023*, Rish recorded a
sprawling episode, ostensibly about the winter, but much more about
writing and sports and being an extra in a Clint Eastwood film, and the
MATRIX sequels, podcasting, and Stephen King, "The Adventure of the
German Student" by Washington Irving, and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. </p>You know, the usual.<div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="60" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/rish-outcast-272" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="500"></iframe></div><div><div><p>To download this episode, Right-Click <a href="https://ia601306.us.archive.org/24/items/rish-outcast-272/Rish%20Outcast%20272%20%28Winter%20of%20Our%20Discontent%29.mp3">HERE</a>.</p><div><div>To support Rish on his Patreon page, click <a href="http://www.patreon.com/rishoutfield">HERE</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Logo by Gino "It's Bloody Summer Here" Moretto.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*He didn't know what winter was!!!!!</div></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-82387876597996666522024-02-20T01:36:00.000-08:002024-02-23T15:15:58.868-08:00Swift As A Coursing River<p>The other day, I mentioned Taylor Swift on here (talking about a song of hers I listened to and liked), and decided to make a searchable <b>keyword </b>for her, since I knew I'd referred to her before.* I then thought I would check to see what other posts (in the past) I had mentioned her in, so I could add the keyword to those posts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtdvyQe4LJXUPjPsrU67kkbg-1wDdKGhXXtKz1X33SvB6SPxbVtufAoesj6JeT94Mj6qVGA1IMD0Jnls8OxxDAw92hJuiRA909UbI-9sS5sF1eq73MK-ISoXVdS_Zn57h2HM1mEZH7dDr-7xzVjuN4CICHqAaQRbKhTuloW5hDpURTJktpVyrQw/s2992/Taylor%20Swift%20face.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtdvyQe4LJXUPjPsrU67kkbg-1wDdKGhXXtKz1X33SvB6SPxbVtufAoesj6JeT94Mj6qVGA1IMD0Jnls8OxxDAw92hJuiRA909UbI-9sS5sF1eq73MK-ISoXVdS_Zn57h2HM1mEZH7dDr-7xzVjuN4CICHqAaQRbKhTuloW5hDpURTJktpVyrQw/s320/Taylor%20Swift%20face.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><p>An hour later, I was still at it. You see, there were dozens of references to Ms. Swift over the years, starting in 2009, which according to my math, is over <b>five </b>years ago. And instead of writing--or doing anything productive--I read through those posts to determine whether they merited a "Taylor Swift" tag or not.</p><p>Taylor Swift is important to me. Enough to waste all that time, apparently.</p><p>Oh my lord, I just realized that I've now wasted even more time blogging about it. I really, really didn't want to write, did I?</p><p><br /></p><p>*WHY doesn't Lara Demming like Taylor Swift? Is it something as basic as not liking the pitch of her voice (I recall my mom saying that about Taylor Dayne, back in the day. And Big Anklevich had that with Tina Turner. I feel that way about Billy Corgan, Alanis Morrisette [nails on a chalkboard, children], or the dude who sings with Rush)? Does she dislike her because of all the attention she gets--one of those "I don't like anything everybody else likes" kind of stands? Or is it that something about Swift reminds Lara of her dead sister Emma . . . and that makes her feel guilty because she was so jealous/disdainful of Emma, and now Emma's gone? Hmmm.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-38114367163763879392024-02-15T22:54:00.000-08:002024-02-23T15:15:45.385-08:00Not Bad For A Little Furball (2)<p>A few days back, I showed the repaint I did of <a href="https://rishoutfield.blogspot.com/2024/01/not-bad-for-little-furball-1.html">Wicket W. Warrick</a>, but you know, I never explained WHY I was doing it. The answer is twofold: first, because I really enjoy painting. It relaxes me and the voices that constantly tell me to kill start singing Echo and the Bunnymen songs (they really like Ian McCulloch apparently).</p><p>The other reason is that since Hasbro started the toyline in 2013, they have only ever released three Ewoks (well, four, if you count the white Paploo repaint this last year), even though there are seventy-two Ewoks credited in RETURN OF THE JEDI.* But when I was a child, I would often take the headdresses off my Ewoks and switch them around, so mine looked distinct from the ones owned by Steven or Dennis or Ryan, and I thought, "Hey, I could do that with the ones they've put out, and double or triple the number of 'distinctive' Ewoks in a display or collection." Madness, you say? Well, maybe, sure.</p><p>So, Hasbro's website put these guys on sale recently, so I went ahead and ordered a couple of extras, so I could paint them. And the first to arrive was this one, Paploo:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZruh1AiENn3F61BKaz8T9Rbdq88VqdnFpbGk_c4XGV_LK1wDn0h4jSfs5O01wMctzlQOm12eKcAG7twCDNcZ2x_l75wk5jftnXOxgomxBcWRivisPefVPsnJttKk2nwd-a_XZJT4OiJbY-2NwwjSN3W154Ad3RBTdTltXiJ2RhBGWKR6SXxQt-w/s3056/20240124_182253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZruh1AiENn3F61BKaz8T9Rbdq88VqdnFpbGk_c4XGV_LK1wDn0h4jSfs5O01wMctzlQOm12eKcAG7twCDNcZ2x_l75wk5jftnXOxgomxBcWRivisPefVPsnJttKk2nwd-a_XZJT4OiJbY-2NwwjSN3W154Ad3RBTdTltXiJ2RhBGWKR6SXxQt-w/s320/20240124_182253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>He's dark brown/reddish brown) with a light tan hood.</p><p>I had a bugger of a time getting the hood off the figure--indeed, the head popped off much easier. But that made the painting around the neck a simpler task, so ah well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W0K6GPGUjMel1De6tm6q-sJo2Pk0L9seXjmdGMfMq2zHXcOls7Hl9kmXC2vj5OClXdeDCd9UkiAx7cutVPg8mMHY8A1iLTk_RAvmkZxIQTg-4ThABG7BoCrr1PuBsRzAcg1KPSIKagUtzIv1Qcdpz950S0SYIr0cDs02yA0caqaRh-TnOGfrcg/s2106/20240119_155222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2106" data-original-width="1685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W0K6GPGUjMel1De6tm6q-sJo2Pk0L9seXjmdGMfMq2zHXcOls7Hl9kmXC2vj5OClXdeDCd9UkiAx7cutVPg8mMHY8A1iLTk_RAvmkZxIQTg-4ThABG7BoCrr1PuBsRzAcg1KPSIKagUtzIv1Qcdpz950S0SYIr0cDs02yA0caqaRh-TnOGfrcg/s320/20240119_155222.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p>Wicket's cowl looked good on the (headless) body of Paploo, so I thought this would work.</p><p>Now it was time to paint the body. I picked a light tan, since the factory paint was so dark.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdO5r_yNANRgQz6ojTv84IRl5DT1kcdV0qunlzh1RcZ1TBRtI1tZpyfHR6ACal27qjNUy8pq7vBNbyUVejO1pgrJNub2TwYJYlNsLl6AeU-HmEra39wiSZUx3bvEqtOGwSc_RhRlFHnVFtzRaVw86UCTfNO0jdG7FRNv9vehUloG6Ct6q12t5pg/s2887/20240119_173903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="2490" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdO5r_yNANRgQz6ojTv84IRl5DT1kcdV0qunlzh1RcZ1TBRtI1tZpyfHR6ACal27qjNUy8pq7vBNbyUVejO1pgrJNub2TwYJYlNsLl6AeU-HmEra39wiSZUx3bvEqtOGwSc_RhRlFHnVFtzRaVw86UCTfNO0jdG7FRNv9vehUloG6Ct6q12t5pg/s320/20240119_173903.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><p>It may seem to be white in the above photograph, but it's actually a tan color . . . maybe the bathroom tile is tan too.</p><p>I was amazing while painting to discover how detailed this figure is, with fur that's realistic and way more fun to paint than armor (sorry if I said this on the Wicket post, but it's been a month since I wrote that).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbd2WuxzelqfApfrzfHMHCmZnKAP9K6LE8LRlZ9vQgk9YoeIu-lsFNSw_9ypDkSjAtZ-7CWOS6VQviemfFOY2G8ZAcjaE4ekIVnk5efaVYOkcAFRzSTWvoLXv4ZR4a-CdTZUv7rQVTztEpstK46W2a2kn5byRozLSoRkd2VB11LgIFQeaw7BLqQ/s2355/20240121_182934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2355" data-original-width="2209" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbd2WuxzelqfApfrzfHMHCmZnKAP9K6LE8LRlZ9vQgk9YoeIu-lsFNSw_9ypDkSjAtZ-7CWOS6VQviemfFOY2G8ZAcjaE4ekIVnk5efaVYOkcAFRzSTWvoLXv4ZR4a-CdTZUv7rQVTztEpstK46W2a2kn5byRozLSoRkd2VB11LgIFQeaw7BLqQ/s320/20240121_182934.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>It was incredibly difficult to get the paint right on the eyes and nose and mouth. Ultimately, I grabbed a toothpick and used that instead of a brush. It was not ideal, but it was a lot better.</p><p>It turned out to be a real pain to get Wicket's cowl on Paploo's head, and I kept having to cut the ear holes longer and longer (it's not a soft material, despite its leathery look).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGdPGS8NpVD3TjFh58aeogs6uGUrFfT0ZL3i7CxlriuXmwqdi4Z2Dtm4vFVIjErBF9oN9N2kJR0Hg0lj_IPKkMzhenCf89W24tkqLRq-N8lf3sCrrG0Hm6oe330CanqEcvwbVLKnWzVkCdZrHD2w_jTL0Gy5MuAXx20Njxox24R8zC6bETeLdNA/s2607/20240222_234158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2221" data-original-width="2607" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGdPGS8NpVD3TjFh58aeogs6uGUrFfT0ZL3i7CxlriuXmwqdi4Z2Dtm4vFVIjErBF9oN9N2kJR0Hg0lj_IPKkMzhenCf89W24tkqLRq-N8lf3sCrrG0Hm6oe330CanqEcvwbVLKnWzVkCdZrHD2w_jTL0Gy5MuAXx20Njxox24R8zC6bETeLdNA/w400-h341/20240222_234158.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Here are both of my repaints together. I think they turned out well . . . but it did make me wish I had a dozen more, so I could try all sorts of new combinations.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiknDrvoErLgLXXT50q30Tw-f731OwOgYz1NHz3ctqDjFdWF7RP_ash26QZQ1SzLs8qMx_PXcmPEsCknJhXfDR6R2bYSCM3m6GXommaaF5hdEvxNOvK13PVX0ljizQCdaOsLgvPXFH_gAIO1xrPixkvlj8R6ESUIrVGCF6HK-q0REcDFZtMNIanA/s2679/20240123_124824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="2679" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiknDrvoErLgLXXT50q30Tw-f731OwOgYz1NHz3ctqDjFdWF7RP_ash26QZQ1SzLs8qMx_PXcmPEsCknJhXfDR6R2bYSCM3m6GXommaaF5hdEvxNOvK13PVX0ljizQCdaOsLgvPXFH_gAIO1xrPixkvlj8R6ESUIrVGCF6HK-q0REcDFZtMNIanA/s320/20240123_124824.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And be careful what you wish for, by the way--they're still on clearance on Hasbro's website.<br /><p><br /></p><p>*I counted. That's how much I love you guys. Er, guy. Singular.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-40804478588877561962024-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:002024-02-14T23:02:35.629-08:00St. Valentine (R.I.P.)<p> I've always had a hard time with this day. You understand.</p><p style="text-align: center;">***</p><p>I was boasting to Big the other day about how, in the Lara Demming stories, Lara continually expresses dislike for superstar Taylor Swift, which is so very far from my own opinion. I am a fan, though I've never bought any of her albums, and know only a handful of her many, many songs. </p><p>For example, I downloaded a track called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn_0zPAfyo8">August</a>" by Ms. Swift (purely at random), one I'd never heard before. It tells about a cherished adolescent romantic experience one summer, and how fondly she remembers it . . . now that it's done.</p><p>It's familiar ground for a Taylor Swift song, and its refrain of "<i>August slipped away like a bottle of wine, 'cause you were never mine</i>," is like a lot of her best songs, and it occurred to me that the reason it resonates (with me) is because she's singing about a time that is over. She lost her virginity (or the character the song is about, anyway) to some (presumably) dude, and for just a little while, all was right in the world. </p><p>And then the world continued to rotate, and soon enough, it was all over, in the rear view, as I have grown fond of saying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen9rneiTCs3Qv8hR9XMXpldqvKWP9rrBuEtzVH4Kon8-whgp8vTXRMhwBQfljrBkjMCKgYWVKqiN5OkQA5jdNoPgamGEUVDgzvEOmVAYB6n63q17PFz0_orZOGmSceYxHAebkGlk9OmMbxXLVIKElKgaOCPFTOZVCmLiMEeiYmd1ynEDFs-Gjbw/s1000/de9vhu8-be0accb9-2814-4d27-ad78-5633ea6866ca.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen9rneiTCs3Qv8hR9XMXpldqvKWP9rrBuEtzVH4Kon8-whgp8vTXRMhwBQfljrBkjMCKgYWVKqiN5OkQA5jdNoPgamGEUVDgzvEOmVAYB6n63q17PFz0_orZOGmSceYxHAebkGlk9OmMbxXLVIKElKgaOCPFTOZVCmLiMEeiYmd1ynEDFs-Gjbw/w400-h400/de9vhu8-be0accb9-2814-4d27-ad78-5633ea6866ca.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>And that's what works about these Taylor Swift songs: there's a palpable heartbreak to a lot of them, some wistfulness, some anger, some regret, some embarrassment, maybe. But the romance is in the rear view, and for me, that's so easy to relate to, even if it wasn't my personal experience.</p><p>There's so much negativity toward her right now--gotta be at an all-time high--so I figured, unlike Lara Demming*, I'd try to say something positive. I especially like the bit where she says </p><p><i><span jsname="YS01Ge">So much for summer love and saying "us"</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">'Cause you weren't mine to lose.</span></i><br /></p><p>Fleeting, isn't it? Just like life.</p><p>So, I listen to the song (over and over, as is my wont) instead of dwelling on this abhorrent day, and pretend that I share the bittersweet memory of that August day with the writer(s?) of this song.</p><p>Take care.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmauLE2j1biyTwpgSPlLYGBfu8MEv6vNl9Fg6rIiQtX65ZWAHEGnWF6iijtn-RZb23u6EtNzyDLvBQkPQZE_0WqH35j7hCmKiUuB8NPQh7t2hYdj29cFyAjVwOWzcfsQMzhZ6zkFp23kczLHCnsCtDKHRF5am_2vH7uBID1tVJNB8YENjNgHjlkQ/s1101/taylor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="1101" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmauLE2j1biyTwpgSPlLYGBfu8MEv6vNl9Fg6rIiQtX65ZWAHEGnWF6iijtn-RZb23u6EtNzyDLvBQkPQZE_0WqH35j7hCmKiUuB8NPQh7t2hYdj29cFyAjVwOWzcfsQMzhZ6zkFp23kczLHCnsCtDKHRF5am_2vH7uBID1tVJNB8YENjNgHjlkQ/s320/taylor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>*I even toyed with writing a story where Holcomb surprises Lara on her fifteenth birthday with some happy news: that singer she hates so much has died in a tragic, one-in-a-million accident. Lara is mortified, realizing that her complaints about her least-favorite singer have inspired her well-meaning guardian to murder the musician. But when she opens her phone, she finds that Florida hip-hop artist Sailor Twift was killed in a bizarre petting zoo calamity. She spends her birthday trying to decide whether to explain the witch's mistake, and when she finally does, Holcomb claims to have done nothing to anyone, and presents her more banal present to the girl: a candy cane that allows her to see in the dark.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-5684102860798777832024-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:002024-02-13T20:11:00.135-08:00Rish Outcast 271: Run Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7wtjdUuK0r7j6x8WwPaj-dDR6Hb-j5msPWSIgJjzCFgM3iwZZPGJI_IjdwCkODpIvnoygTpaPjrKEFpYc3N2ZYhDIM4qMOTPq605luUiZil9lSuSw3kDVcbuF_5Jerl-7fCXcJHk-8AxxuPIvcsjFinuDBMBoTaOTCCdW37-Xc1nMTfcgnCGKQ/s2772/Rish%20Outcast%20271%20art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="2772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7wtjdUuK0r7j6x8WwPaj-dDR6Hb-j5msPWSIgJjzCFgM3iwZZPGJI_IjdwCkODpIvnoygTpaPjrKEFpYc3N2ZYhDIM4qMOTPq605luUiZil9lSuSw3kDVcbuF_5Jerl-7fCXcJHk-8AxxuPIvcsjFinuDBMBoTaOTCCdW37-Xc1nMTfcgnCGKQ/s320/Rish%20Outcast%20271%20art.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I prefer
stories that don't lose contests. </p><p>Rish presents "Run Away." Carol Tooley leaves home and makes a stop
in Siodmak Corners. Wouldn't you?</p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="60" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://archive.org/embed/rish-outcast-271-run-away" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="500"></iframe><p>To download this episode, Right-Click <a href="https://ia601308.us.archive.org/34/items/rish-outcast-271-run-away/Rish%20Outcast%20271%20%28Run%20Away%29.mp3">HERE</a>.</p><div><div>To support Rish on Patreon, click <a href="http://www.patreon.com/rishoutfield">HERE</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Logo by Gino "Pun Away" Moretto.</div></div>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-17219681128047846722024-02-12T15:42:00.000-08:002024-02-13T18:20:51.467-08:00My Voice on "The Decline of the West" on Journey Into...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ka6EFRHxeoQdyIr53arpuFTF4IGakoqM5tlVkCVJAtJ3bCBW0NgFAveBOsjS8AzaWPObpy_0HcHMmuPkjlkOiD7mQ3vR-5JrvNSqZGhUGLbDGKAdZjaBPm1nK4nNk8myuhZYz4dKZiA8tlQHzURdHcyw20rUuRf9sTgOuFYVhfITFTaLiBQR1w/s914/Journey%20Into%20logo.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="914" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ka6EFRHxeoQdyIr53arpuFTF4IGakoqM5tlVkCVJAtJ3bCBW0NgFAveBOsjS8AzaWPObpy_0HcHMmuPkjlkOiD7mQ3vR-5JrvNSqZGhUGLbDGKAdZjaBPm1nK4nNk8myuhZYz4dKZiA8tlQHzURdHcyw20rUuRf9sTgOuFYVhfITFTaLiBQR1w/w400-h99/Journey%20Into%20logo.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Marshal "The Acupuncturist" Latham has finally put out the second-place winner in his (cursed) Quardle Quell story contest. It's by R.C. Anderson, called "<b>The Decline of the West (And Other Terrorist Photo Galleries)</b>," about a computer programmer who stumbles upon a pattern that might be a far-reaching conspiracy. </p><p>I voice Zoltan, an Eastern European computer hacker, which, yeah, is typecasting. Also featured are Bria Burton, Josh Roseman* and Marshal himself.</p><p>Check it out <a href="http://journeyintopodcast.blogspot.com/2024/02/journey-194-decline-of-west-and-other.html">HERE</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXnBQgIseecSScevIyQDHds0wSNu-pdMUcaRBreIHL6Rcy-FsZYHBWZIYCoOMfVO37VhBA6yFQqL5p_qxnNCIfj4uFNSKOLxo8z5Vtnh2safAmIonSwjJzyiotH7YuXi53r61VRxwCVWleps8BryWTav83y-MwT7p4z6JFhalVSD5lNRVYnMA4Q/s640/Pablo-picasso-blue-nude.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="533" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXnBQgIseecSScevIyQDHds0wSNu-pdMUcaRBreIHL6Rcy-FsZYHBWZIYCoOMfVO37VhBA6yFQqL5p_qxnNCIfj4uFNSKOLxo8z5Vtnh2safAmIonSwjJzyiotH7YuXi53r61VRxwCVWleps8BryWTav83y-MwT7p4z6JFhalVSD5lNRVYnMA4Q/w167-h200/Pablo-picasso-blue-nude.jpg" width="167" /></a></div><p>*Not THAT Josh Roseman, though.</p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9629462.post-44578911136534520182024-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:002024-02-07T14:57:52.013-08:00R. Crusoe Moment<p>I remember (pretty vividly) Stephen King in 1997 mentioning that in "Robinson Crusoe," there was a bit where the main character stripped naked and swam out to a nearby island, where he gathered up what he found and filled his pockets with it. He brought it up in regard to discovering a similar mistake in his current book ("The Green Mile"), but promised it would be fixed in future editions.*<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwqh5HgOFPe5neJkpOeZCC-A6_gvr-vCulBU2QNZoxnF1VI3_sLeTHqsrC-6NQkMc6Un1a2yQbeP1T9rOECD795p7TFo0cReO9kweX7hJg_EcwrYt0pjO_48j0UO5x3BfuQ1x6duZ92eLtEu-YsJWeseeJnHcT-L-GYEC1MvkHEj_p1alRpA8og/s612/istockphoto-850711228-612x612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwqh5HgOFPe5neJkpOeZCC-A6_gvr-vCulBU2QNZoxnF1VI3_sLeTHqsrC-6NQkMc6Un1a2yQbeP1T9rOECD795p7TFo0cReO9kweX7hJg_EcwrYt0pjO_48j0UO5x3BfuQ1x6duZ92eLtEu-YsJWeseeJnHcT-L-GYEC1MvkHEj_p1alRpA8og/s320/istockphoto-850711228-612x612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Well, I discovered my own Robinson Crusoe moment while editing yesterday, where Lara Demming meets a man whose hair looks like he cut it himself . . . and on the next page, he takes off his hat.</p><p>It's not that big a deal, and I know I'm no King or Defoe, but I wonder if it's something I should sit down and fix (and re-record), knowing there are probably dozens more of those kind of errors still out there, unnoticed by me.</p><p><br /></p><p>*Unusually, "Green Mile" was published in paperback first, and then in a hardcover version a number of years later.</p>Rish Outfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126627112516914578noreply@blogger.com0