Till All Are One

These past few days, we lost a bunch of celebrities, and I tried to put a little tribute to them on Facebook, but I didn't really have anything to say about Hayden Panettiere (I mourned her loss, but never met or worked with her or . . . a third thing) or Dolly Parton (although, wow, it was nice to hear such fantastic tributes to her, half for her talent and half for, well, being nice).

I just posted about Tim Curry (who I also never met or saw in person), but I figured I'd say a few words about Peter Cullen, who I did see at a voiceover panel at San Diego Comic Con one time.  But even if I hadn't, well . . .

This was a "life-sized" Optimus they had at SDCC in 2010.  I realize now that it just looks like a cardboard backdrop or Photoshop, but no, it was real and you could "stand" in his hand.

I was a much bigger fan of the Decepticons than the Autobots as a kid, particularly the ones voiced by Frank Welker, but dang, when they killed Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, in 1986, that was something.

What I found strange (though not so much anymore) is that, in the intervening years, the loss of Optimus Prime became more and more significant to me, especially when discussing it with others of my generation.  I went to a signing for the 1986 movie, and while waiting in line, I saw grown men shed tears when Prime says, "Do not grieve.  Soon, I shall be one with the Matrix."  

And Cullen's performance was a really significant part of that.  His work was always excellent, but Optimus had a gravitas to him, a decency and caring that made him the kind of leader everybody wishes they had in their lives, to give them a reason to fight for the right side, and who will always be there when they need him.

The fuggers will say, "Oh, that show was just a half hour toy commercial," and even though they're pretty much right, the show was more than that (and they're still fuggers).  Marvel and Sunbow pumped real character and talent and charm and heart and sweat into that cartoon, to the point where my friends and I knew not just characters' names and what they turned into, but their personalities as well.

You can never predict what will have an effect on someone, especially in childhood.  But, having said that, when Dolly Parton died this week, her loss was felt by people who hadn't even been born the last time she had a hit song--who were literally too young to have EVER heard a Parton song on the radio.  And yeah, as an adult, it's always been emotional to see the Autobot leader die . . . but I imagine it'll hit even harder the next time I see that.

Cullen lived to be eighty-six, and has voiced Optimus Prime for forty-two years or so, and was also known as the voice of Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh), Monterey Jack (Rescue Rangers), Venger (Dungeons & Dragons), Mario (Saturday Supercade), and I just discovered, did the vocalizations for the title character in 1987's PREDATOR.  Not too shabby.

Till all are one, Mr. Cullen.  Until that day.

Blog 5-22 to 5/24

5/22

One of my non-writing goals for this year was not to buy any more Transformers toys.  And even though I broke that rule by buying a Starscream figure for Big Anklevich, I'm doing pretty well with it.  Today, Big told me he'd bought a little tiny Ravage figure, despite how expensive they've gotten, and I was with him on it, since Ravage was one of my favorite characters growing up.

He's a Decepticon sidekick who transforms from a panther into a mini cassette that you could put into Soundwave's chest, or his tape deck when he was in disguise as a stereo.  At least he was, back in 1984.  But Big sent me a photo of what 2022 Ravage NOW transforms into . . .

Absolutely nothing.

It somehow gave me the strength not to break my resolution for the rest of the year.  Thanks, man.

My mom took my aunt to the airport and my sister took her two older kids to a homeless shelter this afternoon, so I volunteered to take care of the four year old (since we had a good time last Sunday, with our hike and all).  We went to the park (where they had completely emptied out their duck and goldfish pond, then left it empty), and then drove down to the riverside and took a walk.  

It's a cool, semi-exotic place just a couple of miles down the road, and yet I only go there once or twice a year.  There are several trees that grow up alongside the river, and one of them had apparently died and fallen over, and there were two dudes who had walked out on it and were fishing there, which seems pretty exotic too.

I took a Coke Zero with me, and at one point, my nephew grabbed it and took a big swig of it . . . which would have consequences, as he was just coming down with a cough at that time.

Then, before I knew it, the day was over.  The wind blew like a mutha tonight, and I remembered that I hadn't written or exercised tonight, and though I wanted to watch "Saturday Night Live" and eat ice cream, I forced myself to put on a long-sleeved shirt, some sweats, and went on a run.  

Writing or Exercising: Exercising

5/23

I did pretty great at the library today, logging in with less than an hour to write, but still getting nearly eight hundred words.  "Balms & Sears" is really coming along.  Too bad no one will ever read it.  But ah well.

I had lines to do for another Horror Addicts story due soon, and I sat down today and recorded them.  Strangely, the story was in First Person, but I was only supposed to be doing the spoken lines of the main character.  I even emailed to ask if it was a mistake, but that was how she wanted it done.  I wonder how that will sound, having a female narrator in a male POV story.*

I finished another Rish Outcast episode today, so that makes three that are in the bag that I can release over the next three weeks.   But will I?

My brother is going to the cabin this weekend to de-winterize it, and I would love to go with him, but I'll be in Southern California.  Still, I guess that means I could drive down to the cabin next week.  I'm as excited about that as I am the Star Wars Celebration.

Writing or Exercising: Writing 

5/24

My nephew was really sick yesterday, coughing constantly, even through the night, and alternating between being hot and cold.  It scared me because on Sunday, he'd leaned over and drank from my Coke Zero, and with me going on a road trip this week, I sure didn't want to get sick myself.

I coughed a few times yesterday, but way less today.  I did, however, alternate between being too hot and too cold.  But I'll muddle through, I hope.

Today's garbage Spam email is a rerun, but boy, it's a good 'un.  RishOut, Your Prostate is the Size of a Lemon! (oh, the capitalization was mine--even my name wasn't capitalized in the email)  It's an oldie but goodie, and I noticed the sender's name was Bedtime Prostate.  Makes me feel less alone, somehow.

This will be the last time I make it to the library this week, and maybe for the rest of the month.  I was surprised to see none of the regulars up here on the second floor, from the homeless guy who lives up here to the scary wrestler-looking dude who is always reading the Wikipedia page for Shari Lewis and Lambchop.  But hey, that also means that Lizardface is absent, and boy oh boy, color me grateful for small favors.

I've crossed the 48K mark on "Balms & Sears."  Unfortunately, I've shown no signs of stopping.

Writing or Exercising: Writing 

*Truth be told, I have done a couple of stories like that, but you can only hear my own narration on my audio collections--when I do them on my show, I ask a female reader to do that part.

January Sweeps - Day 371

This was the first Saturday in months I haven't gone to the library (I think), because my nephew and I were going to the city for a toy trade (long story short: he got some excellent stuff, I got . . . to pay for gas), but I still managed to write a little bit at the end of the day.

Basically, you bring a box (or crate, or truckload) of toys, and people either trade their stuff for yours or buy your stuff outright.  It gives you a chance to get rid of stuff you don't want, and maybe help another guy complete his collection.  And if you're my nephew, people simply give you stuff, because . . . well, I'm not sure why they do that.

Sit-ups Today: 100
Sit-ups In February: 677

It was a big success for my nephew (he got a figure for free that he later sold for forty dollars), and there was free pizza (I only got one piece, but no big deal), and he wants to go again next month.

I'm not much of a people person, as you may know.  But there is something kind of neat about going someplace and mingling with others who have similar interests/passions as you.  Sort of like church, but without the judgment.  

A guy had a black Optimus Prime (an evil version) called Nemesis Prime that I was awfully tempted to buy, but luckily, I have almost no money right now (I managed to pay off one of my credit cards in January, so that's a small success there), and I would've regretted it had I bought it, since it's far too big to display with the other half dozen Transformers I have on my windowsill at present.

Push-ups Today: 131
Push-ups In February: 590

One of the things I most dislike about myself--besides 1) my face on video, pictures, or mirrors, 2) the fact that I'm a middle-aged man who still talks to himself every single day, 3) my inability to maintain a job or a human relationship, and 4) that I can't hit the high notes on Air Supply songs--is 5) that I start many, many projects and never finish them.

Heck, I may hate that more than talking to myself or failing to hit the high note at the "I don't know what to saaaaaaaay" bit in "The One That You Love."

Case in point: I started a new "Lost & Found" story a couple of months ago, started a high school-set werewolf story/screenplay that would've kicked ass, started my Outpost Pandemic novel in January, and began a Valentine's Day "Lara and the Witch" story just yesterday . . . and they're all in various states of abandon.  And today, I started writing my "Bossk P.I." sketch, instead of continuing a project.  I think it has real potential (of course, it's already a failure because I intended it as a comic sketch and came up with a dark-ass ending that negates any comedic potential it might have had), but I only got about a fifth of it written because I've never written a Mystery before.  I don't even know how to go about it.

And so, of course, I'll never finish it.  Predictable, really.

Words Today: 591
Words In February: 4507

April Sweeps - Day 86

I have a Transformer I bought when I was in Las Vegas in March, intending to add it to my collection (I have four of them standing on my windowsill, including the Megatron from the video the other day).  But I haven't dared open it.  You see, I made the mistake of looking it up on eBay when I got it home, and found that I could double what I paid for it if I sold it.

But I didn't sell it.

Instead, it sits in the box on a huge pile of crap that, if I ever muster the ambition to clear out, will only be replaced by another huge pile of crap within a few days.  Last night, I looked at it again and thought, "Dude, I should open this and play with it for a minute, then put it up there next to Soundwave and Megatron."

But as soon as I thought that, I knew what would happen: I'd enjoy posing it and standing it up there with the other four . . . and that would be it.  Every time I look at it from that point on, I'd be aware that I could have sold it, but instead, it's just there, not being played with, just another thing on the windowsill.  Sigh.

Today was Sunday, and I tend to relax a bit on these days, since there's no point (in my mind) in trying to get packages shipped or heading to the post office.  I always spend three hours at the end of the night, between 8:00 to 11:00 listing items on eBay anyway (someone once observed that that's when the most eyes are on the website, so I try to have my auctions end during that window).  The last two weeks, I've gone hiking on Sunday afternoons, so I'm looking forward to it today.

But first, I forced myself to upload the entire Lara and the Witch audio file to Audible, hoping (kind of dumbly) that "You're In Good Hands" will be approved, and that these same files will also be accepted.  To my surprise, most of the original "Like A Good Neighbor" files that were accepted by them in 2016 were immediately flagged as too quiet today.  So, I opened every one of them, boosted the volume, and re-saved.  A couple were still deemed too quiet, but most went through.

The final length for the two pieces together is five hours and twenty-nine minutes.  We'll see if any of them sell.  That is, if they are accepted by Audible in the first place.

I got 178 words so far, so I'm going to head up the canyon now.

To be continued . . .

I like how this silhouette could be anybody.

Words Today: 821
Words In April: 28,871

P.S. I post one of these each day.

Day 26. So, a song that makes me want to fall in love.  My first thought was "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You," the Elvis Presley version.  It's so good, and it makes me want to sing it at a storage unit near you.  But I thought I'd try to come up with something else, one of those songs that, when I hear it, I go, "Ohhhh, please let me meet someone and this can be Our Song."
I thought about Finneas "Let's Fall In Love For The Night," which is a new song (at least new to me in 2020), which I taught myself to sing at a storage unit, but got one line wrong and it bugs me to this day (those episodes are now so far behind, I could not record another one until October and be fine--I just keep having to go to the damned storage unit).  But that's more a song about getting it on for one night only with a girl that's way out of your league--which is great, don't get me wrong, but it's not what the question is asking for.
Finally unable to come up with anything more profoundly unique, I picked "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel.  I've loved that song, it seems, my whole life.  A perfect song to fall in love to, or be in love to.

April Sweeps - Day 75

This whole circle of life thing is weird.  I went to sleep pretty proud of myself for exercising, editing, and writing . . . and when I woke up the next day, I was back to zero again.

But don't worry: I'm not going to put writing off to the last minute today.  I mean, it's barely four pm, and I've already written 44 words.  I was but a learner; now I am the master.

The audiobook for "You're In Good Hands" is up to three hours and four minutes.  I suppose it'll only be around four hours when it's done.  Not sure what I think about that.

So, a week or more ago, Big Anklevich asked me to do my Optimus Prime voice for a little sketch he was doing involving his oversized action figure.  I thought it turned out quite good, and immediately thought of doing a rebuttal of it.

I don't know if you can still do what they used to call "reaction videos" on YouTube, where yours is linked to somebody else's, but I went ahead and recorded my own, then sent it to Big to put the finishing touches on.  He is so much more proficient than me when it comes to video editing that it's like comparing my nephew's typing skills to my own . . . or my own writing skills to those of the Sanderson alien.

But here's my own.  Hope somebody likes it.

In writing today, I focused on my Rowan and Mason story, and got to a point where I was tempted to write "the end," even though nothing supernatural WHATSOEVER happened.  And that gave me pause.  Since I didn't know where the story was going, was there any point in continuing it?

I never came up with an answer to that, but I did sit down and tell myself I couldn't get back up again until I'd reached a thousand words.  As a reward, I could drink some water and then go on my nightly run (yes, madness takes its toll: I now consider exercise some kind of reward . . . why am I not in a straightjacket somewhere with a nice Thorazine drip?).

Well, I did it, I forced myself to write a thousand words, and now I feel at least somewhat accomplished.

Words Today: 1002
Words This Month: 16,700

P.S. Also, I'm going to, starting today, go back and insert this song poll thing that I've been posting on Facebook every day.  Somebody posted theirs at the end of March and I've been listing one song each day since April 1st.  I figured, since I go to the trouble of posting them daily, and I'm already blogging daily, I might as well include them here.  Here's today's:

Day 15. My favorite cover is Sting's version of "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix. I talked about it earlier this sweeps marathon, but there's the line that goes,
"When I'm sad, she comes to me, 
With a thousand smiles, she gives to me free.  
It's okay, it's okay, she says, 
Take anything you want from me."
Wow.

I Read "The Joining" By A. VanCluth

Well, this is a first. A listener has sent in a story, and I'm going to read it "live" on video. This could set a precedent, so be warned.

Enjoy?

"The Little Talk" in Video Form

Here's another video for you of an old sketch.

The first, "Sea Monkey Do," took me quite a while to put together (for reasons I can't quite vocalize), but when I did a second and third one the same week, those went much faster, once I got the hang of it.  If I could somehow have an incentive to do these all the time, I think they could become a regular feature.



This one, "The Little Talk," is about that time in every parent's life, where they have to sit down with their child and talk about right and wrong, light and darkness, Autobots and Decepticons.

Link?