My UnPublished Art

Watching and Waiting

2011-12-04T19:51:00.001-08:00

It's been years since I've written a poem. I guess it just took me this long to find the proper inspiration. In any case, the mood is right, and the words are flowing. So here's what's been on my mind and heart lately:

Watching and Waiting

No greater love has e'er been known,
Than to lay down your life for another.
My aim has been nothing but
To learn to love you as such.

Who'd give up her own ambition
Sacrificing to help me reach my own.
But who's strong enough to ask
I forsake my dreams for hers.

I thought we met once in high school,
We connected a moment. Just a glimpse.
A joke in class. The school dance.
But it wasn't you at all.

I'd lost you. Before we'd e'en met.
I searched. Wand'ring. 'Til we met in college.
Lives complete, then something changed
And it wasn't you at all.

I see you in a smile. A laugh.
But you're always distant. Just out of reach.
Did we meet the other day?
Our paths finally crossing?
Maybe for the final time?

Decisions

2009-03-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last couple of days taking stock of my life, and I think I've come to a decision. For years, I've been pushing forward with no goal. When you don't have a destination, though, pretty much any road will get you there.

Luckily enough, I've ended up on the road less travelled and I'm fairly content with both where my life is and where it seems to be headed. At the same time, though, I want more. Not out of greed, but out of this deep feeling that, while I'm still finding a lot of success, there's more I could be doing.

So my decision. At the moment, I'm working for an incredible, mission-driven start up company. I'm also managing my own business, an all-purpose marketing/publishing firm. Both jobs are fantastic. But they're both domestic, and I want to do something global.

What I'd like to do is keep moving forward in what I'm doing, but with two things in mind. I want my business to be profitable enough by the middle of 2010 that I'm earning enough passive income to cover my debt from school so I can move on to other pursuits. I also want the start-up I currently work with to be so successful that I can step out and work on another, equally important project.

Really, I'd like to be able to join the Peace Corps to work on business development abroad. Ideally, I'd start my application by January 2010 so I could be ready to start in Q4 of the same year (it's a long application process). If the start-up is up and rolling by then, and my personal gig is also picking up speed, I should be able to take the time to go and make a difference where I'm needed while still knowing I'll have something to come back to after the two year stint.

I know, it sounds like a crazy, wild ambition. But for once I feel like I have a target - a goal to push towards. I'm excited, nervous, and a bit scared ... and I like it that way.

So ... what do you all think of my insane decision?

Lost and Found

2008-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you spend 2 or 3 hours searching each of the ten places something could be only to come up empty? I've spent the past week looking for something that I know is here, somewhere. There are only three other places it could be:

The attic - I'm not looking forward to searching up there
Two closed boxes at the bottom of the pile in the shed - I can't get there without help ... and that would ruin the surprise.

Ugh!

Follow the Jumping Duck

2008-06-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

I usually don't post about business stuff here, but I thought I'd break that pattern today - because it's a day of accomplishment.

Back in April, I finally pulled the trigger on starting my own publishing company, Jumping Duck Media. I registered the name with the state, bought a whole lot of Internet real estate (not really "real" estate, more like "virtual" estate, meh), and started talking up my new idea. As my brother would say, though, I was "all talk."

In reality, the idea of owning my own company and being self employed scared me to death. It still does, a little. Today, though, I realized a great many things.

I actually know what I'm doing - I went to business school and got a fancy degree that tells the world I know how to manage a business, so why not manage my own business? The principles are the same and, now that I'm in the throw of things, it's a lot easier than I thought it would be.
I like to try new, exciting, frightening things - Sometime I have to remind myself how much I like the adrenaline rush of doing something new and unexpected. I spend so much time worrying about what could go wrong that I forget it's the actual execution I enjoy.
Every successful businessman started somewhere - Every great company started from a single idea and, in most cases, a single visionary trying to act on that idea. Yes, even the Microsoft giant started small ... so why can't I?

So here I am, ready to actually take on my first handful of writers and first couple book projects. Getting to here I've been publishing blogs and social networking sites, some of which are actually seeing success! In under a month, InspiredSmiles.com has collected 50 stories!

Am I still scared? You bet! But at the same time, I'm trying to harness that nervous energy to accomplish something wonderful. Wish me luck as I keep going!

Barack Obama

2008-05-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

I had the priviledge this weekend to finally see one of my heros, Barack Obama, speak in public. I've seen almost all of his televised presentations, but never one in person.

The gates were set to open at 12:30 on Sunday, so I showed up at 8am to get a good seat. I was early enough, I was given the chance to volunteer and help set up and run the event! I had a nifty "volunteer" pass and was able to walk around the grounds long before the Secret Service allowed the general public in.

I did take a lot of photos before, during, and after the event. I also recorded some great video. The problem: I was using a brand new phone, and if you don't click the "save" button after recording content, it disappears about 5 minutes later. :-(

Nonetheless, here's a YouTube video showing some of the highlights of Obama's speech:

Oh, Canada! (Part II)

2008-04-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the video of the street performer that I promised. I must apologize, though, there's no audio and I was only able to clean one clip up enough to post online ... the rest is too bouncy to watch. Enjoy! Oh, yes, those are real knives ...

Oh, Canada!

2008-03-16T09:12:00.001-07:00

This weekend I decided to be adventurous. I've never had the chance to visit our neighbors up north, so I booked myself a trip on the ferry and spent the day in Victoria, B.C. I've watched a lot of movies featuring stereotypes of Canada, and was relieve to realize that none of them were completely true. As always, there's usually an element of truth in every stereotype, but the entire country isn't like that.

Here's what I saw in my day in Victoria:

Six people used "eh" in a sentence
If you ran into someone, even on purpose, they still apologized
Everyone acted as if I was an old friend they had known for years when we talked

Keep in mind, though, I spent ONE day in ONE city, so this is in no way typical for all of Canada. Though it was interesting to see this behavior, as a whole Victoria seemed like any American city. It was full of 15 year old girls pretending to be 30, 50 year old women pretending to be 20, overweight men who don't understand the difference between a mid-rift and a muffin top, Japanese tourists, and obnoxious college students. In reality, I felt right at home.

Here are a few photos from the trip that I think you all will like:

This is the view when you come into the harbor. I couldn't see much through the ferry's fogged up windows, but this bridge just looked cool.

Here's a photo of the legislative building. It was one of the first things I got to see after going through Customs. There's a big statue of Queen Victoria out in front of it, but I didn't catch her from this angle. Sorry.

Growing up, my parents always told me that planting pennies would not grow a money tree. Apparently Canadian dirt is better than ours because they can grow umbrellas and windows!

I'm used to street bands being made up of one or two people with homemade instruments, lots of energy, and absolutely zero talent. This group, though, was incredible! I had to fight to the front of the crowd just to take this photo to show your thier setup. Unfortunatley, my camera doesn't take sound, so you can't hear just how good they were. Their following act, though, was a one-man act; some teenage guy with a guitar and even less talent than the washouts on American Idol.

The advantages of travelling by yourself are that, until you pull the wrong dollar out of your pocket, no one pegs you as the American tourist. The advantages of this are that you are constantly asked for directions, panhandlers don't ask you for money, and no one shouts at you when the anti-American protest walks down the street. I did feel bad for the two families in Disneyland t-shirts who got picked on, though.

It's great to go to other countries and look at how they do things. There's at least two trashcans on every block and one of these beauties on every other street corner. It's solar-powered, so it's free to run - and you don't have the disgusting, overflowing messes that permeate Portland, Eugene, and Seattle.

I didn't actually buy any souveniers while I was up there, but this shirt definitely caught my attention! I think it's hillarious, and it was almost worth the $10 they wanted for it.

I have video of this guy, too. I'm working on splicing scenes together and adding music, so look for a YouTube link sometime soon.

And finally, I've found the sailboat I want. I've tried to describe this to people for a long time, but having a photograph will make things much easier!

All in all, I had a great day! The boat trip to Victoria took a little over 2 and a half hours (a miracle for me because I don't really like boats), and I had about 6 hours to tour the city, people-watch, and take pictures. I was grinning for the first half of the day, it's exciting to just go out and do things (though the Customs officials were confused that I didn't have any set plans ...).

The boat trip back was a bit longer, though, because the boat broke. We were in the middle of the strait (couldn't see land on 3 sides!) and we hit a log or something and got it sucked up into the engine. It took them about an hour to clear the debris, but then they realized the engine STILL wasn't working. After a while, they turned off one engine and decided we'd limp back to Seattle at half power ... a 4.5 hour trip. The engineer got fed up with the slow speed and took the engine apart while we were underway, fixed the problem with the gearbox, and got us back up to 30 knots. We got back to Seattle only an hour and a half late, but it was still a fantastic trip!

Photos from Seattle

2008-02-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd drop in to let y'all know how it's been going. I also have a couple of photos for you from the past month. Wow, has it been a month already?

The job is treating me very well. I enjoy my work and the challenge some of our projects bring for me. It's exciting to work with big clients, or even just on big projects for smaller clients. All of our projects are very strategy-intense, and I'm learning a great deal that I'll be able to apply to future positions.

I took this first photo from the 14th floor office of one of our clients. Yes, I actually got to meet a client and attend a facilitated meeting. It was quite an experience!

This second photo is from a few weeks ago when it snowed in Seattle. I find it ironic how, through all my years of school, I hoped for snow but now, when my job rides on whether or not I can fight the morning commute, I dread it. The snow was pretty heavy that day. We got about an inch in 2 hours. Luckily, everything melted by the time I got off work.

I think I'm finally settling is a bit up here, though the future is still somewhat uncertain. I'm still looking for opportunities for continuing work, so if anyone has a recommendation please drop me a line!

I'll check back later to tell you how things are going!

Updates all around

2008-01-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give everyone a status update. I tried to give you a similar post last weekend, but my computer crashed right in the middle and I lost it all. My apologies. I've run away to Seattle. Just this week I started a 3 month internship at a prominent branding agency up here in Washington. While I'm in town I'll be living with my cousin in his very nice and spacious townhouse. He has several pets and, so far, I get along with most of them. I'm driving too and from work because the transit system up here is, in a word, unreliable. Even in heavy traffic, it's a 25-30 minute drive. The bus, however, is over an hour to work and almost 2 hours coming back from work. If I happen to miss the bus, it's a 45 minute wait (yes, during the morning rush) for the next bus. The same goes for the return trip. Driving really isn't as bad as everyone lead me to believe. The hardest part with everything is getting used to a new place. I still don't know anyone in town and really don't know my way around. Hopefully, the next week or two will let me meet more people in town and get to know the area a bit more. This first weekend with nothing to do and no one to talk to has been a real killer. Wish me luck, and I'll give you more details about my new position later.

Interesting Photos

2007-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

My mom was sorting through a bunch of old photographs today. Among pictures of Colonial Willamsburg, a trip on Amtrak, and some unidentified child sleeping on a bookcase, we came across this:

It's a photo of my dad playing poker. I'm not sure if he just won a hand or lost one, but it is by far the most interesting photo I have seen of him to date.

I'll forward any of your comments on to him.

Riddles and riddles

2007-11-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all my riddle-fiends. I am in the midst of a competition where I have to solve a very confusing and difficult riddle. If you would be so willing as to give me some tips, suggestions, or justified guesses to get me on the right track I would be in your debt!

Charged with maintaining peace and security, five permanent seats and ten temporary seats, Church House was first, what is the family name of the partner to where no man has gone before.

Just leave a comment with your idea and the reason behind it and I'll get back to you. Thanks in advance for any help. This is driving me crazy!

New York (part III)

2007-10-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more photos from New York.

This is a close up of the Statue of Liberty I took from the Staten Island Ferry.

This is looking back at Manhattan from the ferry.

I always thought this statue was actually on Wall Street, but I seem to have been wrong.

And finally, the New York Stock Exchange!

New York (part II)

2007-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a few photos from New York.

This is a photo of the chandelier on the first floor of the Rockefeller Center. Beatiful, huh?

Here's a gorgeous photo of Central Park from the top of the Rockefeller Center.

We ran into a random parade at lunch. This was the Polish Pride parade or something like that ... a lot of people speaking a language I don't understand.

After Times Sqaure and the giant ferris wheel in Toys R Us, we went across town and toured the United Nations. I've been dreaming about visiting the UN since I was a kid and I can now proudly say that I have stood on the floor of the General Assembly. This, however, is a photo of us in front of the UN seal. I have all the other pictures, I'm just lightening them because it was dark and my flash was acting up.

New York

2007-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Just to give everyone an update, I made it to New York City last night. I'll be here through the 16th, and I expect to give you updates in the mean time. You should see photos from my day at Rockefeller Center and the United Nations sometime tomorrow.

Tomorrow will take me back to Manhattan for an informational interview and more touristing. If you can think of any good marketing firms I should stop by and visit, drop me a line.

You've GOT to be kidding me!

2007-10-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a big football fan. So despite feeling somewhat ill this evening, I went with my family to watch my high school alma mater play ball against our old hometown rivals. Now, if you know me well enough you know I usually give the refs the benefit of the doubt and I will always acknowledge a good play by the opponent. Tonight, though, I can't say anything good about these referees.

There were two plays that I have serious problems with. And both resulted in touchdowns for our opponents. Play #1 was a kickoff by our team. The ball leaves the tee and takes an immediate high and wide bounce off the ground. One of our guys catches it on the bounce about 15 yards further downfield and gets a good 10 more yards before the refs blow the play dead. They spot the ball where he caught it and throw a flag. They give the other team possession, and then give us a 15 yard penalty for, and I quote, "interference with the opportunity to return the kick."

Play #2: We're already losing, so a punt from our own 30 yard line is to be expected. Ball goes up, opponent catches it, then trips and drops the ball. Another one of their players jumps on the ball and it shoots out towards the sideline. Finally, one of our guys dives and tucks it under, refs blow the play dead. Everyone stands up and our guys start to huddle so we can start our drive again. But the refs blow the whistle, AND throw a flag. They once again give possession to the other team, and call unsportsmanlike conduct on our team. Fifteen yards leads the opponents back to our 45 yard line, essentially negating the punt and leaving them with good field position.

I'll argue that both teams played hard. I won't argue that we should have won, but there was an easily observable bias against us. Even a few of their fans pointed it out. We left with a few minutes left int he 4th quarter. Down by 35, there was no chance we could win ... but the refs kept blowing the most obscure and, in many cases, impossible penalties against our team. It was demoralizing to watch, and I feel for every kid on that team.

I love football. I love it more when the outcome of the game is due to hard work by both sides, not random, inexplicable calls by the referees.

As my brother said after the game, the score should be:

Them - 28
Us - 14
Referees - 14

Segway

2007-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was walking through downtown Portland yesterday and once again saw an interesting sight. A public safety officer on a Segway!

Halo 3

2007-09-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is what it's really all about!

Correspondence

2007-09-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend sent me a cute card the other day. I Photoshopped it and sent back my own version. Here's a photo of both cards side-by-side.

American Marketing Association

2007-09-12T11:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I attended a luncheon hosted by the American Marketing Association. It was great! There was excellant food, I talked with extraordinary people, and we got to listen to a pretty good speaker on market segmentation. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. This is the only photo I managed to snap with my cell phone. Forgive the low quality.

This is the crystal ballroom of the Benson Hotel in downtown Portland.

Help with graphics

2007-09-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

To start out, I'll tell you to click the "Read More..." link to see my graphics.

I'm trying for something a little simpler than the crowd banner you see on my professional website. I want to go with the unknown perfect customer theme, but I wanted to do it with something small. It should be black and white, small enough to be used as an icon on a business card, but still catching enough to convey the meaning I want to get across. Click the link to see the two pictures I've started working with.

This first graphic I drew freehand and then cleaned up on my computer. I like the proportions, but the question mark is a little "blah" in my mind. I want something with a little more character and flare.

This one has more of the character in the question mark because it's an actual font on my computer. Only two problems:

I don't think I can use this in production because I don't own the rights to the font.
I can't get the rest of the image right on the computer. I might have to print it out, freehand what I need to, and then rescan it ... lowering the image quality.

So what does everyone think? Do you have suggestions for how I can have a jazzy question mark without losing control of the image? Ideas on how I can just spice up the first freehanded graphic? I'm just looking for a little validation on my design. And no, I will not be using this until after I move and need to get a new batch of cards to reflect my change in address. I will probably continue to use the crowd banner on my website but will add this graphic throughout later.

I say "Tomato" you say "Tomato"

2007-08-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

My dad and I have a vegetable garden outside. He grows lettuce, radishes, zucchini, potatoes, and big red tomatoes. I grow jalapenos, cilantro, onions, and roma tomatoes. His veggies are just for miscellaneous enjoyment; mine are part of a salsa recipe that I've been dying to make from my own ingredients. As a matter of fact, I tried it the other day ... but I had a few problems:

My cilantro went to seed, so it tasted funny. I had to buy more at the store.
I used WAY too much jalapeno. My mouth was on fire for the better part of an hour and my hands were burning all day from making the stuff.

But in all, the salsa turned out OK. I learned my lesson with the jalapeno and will only use 1/4 of a pepper next time. (The recipe called for 4; I only used one and a half and it was STILL hot!)

We also sliced up some tomatoes to make BLTs the other day. They were spectacular! Besides that, my mom's been frying the zucchini and we've been slicing the tomatoes for pizza. The rest of the veggies have had their run (no more potatoes, lettuce, or radishes) but we're optimistic for next year.

I wanted to show you the fruits of our labor, so I took a photo with my cell phone before slicing a few tomatoes for pizza. I'm very proud of my romas. I started them from seeds on my window sill a few months ago and now have 3-4 ripe tomatoes a day!

Old Poetry

2007-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

I was rummaging around on one of my old web servers today and I found an interesting poem that I wrote. I remember writing it for some kind of scholarship (that I didn't win). I read back through it and still think it's pretty good. Let me know what you think. The title is "Amazing, isn't it?"

It's amazing how productive laziness can be.
Just sitting around,
     carelessly
     no interruptions,
relazing the moments away
Your mind is capable of so much more
than the expected
     tedium
     and pointlessness
of the everyday.
It's amazing how productive laziness can be to a child;
     playthings,
     imaginary friends,
a five year old's self-education.
It doesn't take money to satisfy a child,
just an imagination.
     Singing
     or pretending
to be doing whatever it is you really want to.
It's amazing how productive laziness can be
to a student
     "studying" ...
     or procrastinating,
resting now as to work with more ease later.
The simplest assingment can take forever
to complete well.
     Research
     and forethought;
lack of progress precedes greatness sometimes, too.
It's amazing how productive laziness can be.
Take Professor Einstein's
     contemplations
     and thought-experiments -
the silence before the storms.
Some of the greatest things in the world came from him,
a C-student:
     computers
     digital television.
What would the world be like without those?
It's amazing how productive laziness can be
sitting here with you
     arguing
     after dinner.
Because now, dear, it's too dark to mow the lawn.

So long!

2007-08-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

I had to say goodbye to Suzie last night. She's my girlfriend's cat and it was time to send her off to New York. I set up a reservation with Delta Airlines and started getting everything ready. This involved a trip to the veterinarian to certify that she was in good health and to get her up-to-date on all the necessary vaccination. Veterinarians are expensive, by the way, I might be in the wrong line of work.

After that, I took her to the airport (keep in mind I'm compressing a week of work and worrying about paperwork and procedure into the words "after that.") and set her up withe Delta Air Logistics. We were early for her check in, so we sat on the hood of my car and watched airplanes take off and land for a bit. It was fun.

The niftiest things about Delta was the paperwork. I had to fill out the "No, I'm not a terrorist" form, the "No, my package is not a bomb" form, the "Yes, you may search my package to prove it's not a bomb" form, the "Yes, you can actually ship my package" form, and the air waybill. In graduate school, we studied international trade and talked about waybills, but I had never actually seen one. Last night, though, I actually got to fill one out!

I feel very accomplished, and the kitty is safely in New York playing in her new apartment. But my puppy is still here and I'm sure they're both very confused about why they no longer have a playmate.

Eeeew!

2007-08-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I talked about my dog and my girlfriend's cat. Well, there's more news for the both of them: fleas. The dog has never had fleas and the cat has never been outside to contract them. The problem is, combining the two animals made for a perfect petrie dish for the disgusting insects. We think the dog brought in one or two and they used the cat to increase their numbers.

The puppy has really thin fur and goes swimming often, making her useless for an incubator. The cat, on the other hand, has thick, dark fur that makes her an ideal nesting ground. We've sprayed, powdered, bathed, and otherwise tried to rid ourselves of the nuisances so far, but with little success. Up til now, though, we thought the cat was relatively flea-free.

We bought a flea comb, and I'd brush both animals' coats to check for bugs. The dog would always yield a handful with the cat following with maybe one or two. Today, though, I combed her stomach, too. There, I hit the mother load. I took at least 20 off her in the first sitting. Then I came back and did it again. Here's a photo of the insects drowning in the bottom of a cup.

Both pets are pretty bug-free at the moment, but I'm going to give the kitty a flea-bath in the morning and take the puppy in for a flea-dip at the vet. I also sprayed both the rooms where they sleep and washed all their bedding, twice, in scalding water, with lots of soap.

Pray the bed bugs stop biting!

Graduation

2007-08-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all done and graduated. Here are some photos from the ceremony:

First comes the Pittock Mansion. This was the beautiful building that was the backdrop for the whole ceremony. Allegedly, there was a lot of food inside. There were too many people milling about for me to actually find it, though.

This is us, hanging out and waiting to be told what to do. No one told us how to put our hoods on or even where to go until the ceremony started.

But one perspective on our class photo.

We walked around a bit more, and then somehow I got put in the front of the line. The only problem with leading the whole group is that no one told me when to go ... so I just started walking.

Our accomplished speaker talked a lot about international journalism and issues regarding the East Asian Financial Crisis. He works for the Oregonian and had some interesting insights on international affairs.

I might not be able to claim 'commencement speaker' on my resume, but I can forever boast that I was the first of the 2007 MIM class to get my hood.

Everyone who came to show their support. Thanks again for coming!

As I said in my last post, now it's time to hit the real world and find a job. Wish me luck, and keep in touch!

Graduation Day

2007-08-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Today is graduation. I'm excited, and still a bit scared. I have yet to find a job with my new degree and credentials, and the prospect of having to take something less that what I can do frightens me. Today should be fun, though. If any of you want to come, graduation starts at 6pm at the Pittock Mansion. It should take about an hour and a half, and then we have a small catered thing in the building afterwards.

My family and a few of my friends will be there, although I know there are people I forgot to invite. You know who you are, and I'm sorry. I will make it up to you somehow.

After this, it's back to the job hunt. If anyone knows anyone looking for someone in marketing, please pass their email my way. I'd be very grateful.

I have new business cards to help facilitate my search. I figured "MIM Degree Candidate" wouldn't apply to me much longer (not after tonight, anyway), so I made new ones. Here's what they look like:

I'll be redesigning my website to match this theme in the next few days as well. Hopefully, the consistence will help land me a job.

Wish me luck tonight and over the next few days!

Up, up, and away!

2007-08-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

My mom bought me a gift certificate for an Airplane Demo Flight at Hillsboro Aviation. I used it today, and it was INCREDIBLE!!! Here are some photos from the trip:

This is my pilot explaining everything about the aircraft to me.

It took me a little while to find the seat belt and get my seat adjusted. The cockpit is ridiculously small, by the way.

Imagine my shock when he handed me the keys and told me to start the engine. Up to this point, I thought I was just going for a ride, not a lesson!

He gave me some quick instructions on how to use the rudder pedals and the brakes, then had me taxi up to the runway

All of a sudden, he started giving me more directions. I followed them and actually took off ... by myself ... in a real airplane!

This is us taxiing on the runway after landing. I was in control of the aircraft until we parked. I don't have any in-air pictures because I was flying the whole time. He gave me the controls to answer his cell phone and let me keep going because I was doing well. The one part I didn't do, though, was the landing. He took over so we'd stay safe because I have no idea how to land a plane.

Safely back on the ground, I talked the pilot into a photo before I left. It was an incredible flight that I'd love to do again, and again, and again. We were only in the air for 30 minutes, but this is something I've wanted to do my whole life!

Now it's only a matter of finding a job so I can afford pilot lessons.

Thanks Jimmy

2007-07-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for the MAX today and a guy came up and asked me for change. This is typical of Portland, but Jimmy was different. He already had a few dollars in his hand and asked for exactly what he needed - $9.82. Jimmy told me he was from Eugene and had come up to Portland to do some artwork; mostly window paintings. He was trying to buy a Greyhound ticket home but was coming up short. Considering that we were only three blocks from the station, I believed him. That, and he didn't have the bags (or smell) typical of Portland pan-handlers. I was generous and gave him all the change in my pocket (58 cents) and a $5 that just happened to be floating around with my keys. It wasn't the full $9.82, but it was enough of a start that he got excited and we talked for a bit.

Jimmy is 44 and grew up outside of Albany, near Scio off I-5. He never went to college and is self-educated as a painter. He travels up and down the I-5 corridor trying to find work, but has little luck as an artist. During Halloween and Christmas he finds plenty of odd jobs doing artwork in restaurants, but the rest of the year is filled with under-the-table help here and there.

Jimmy commented on how proud he was of Portland to create someone like me - allegedly the only 23 year old college graduate he's seen that doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I'd like to think there are more "me's" out there, but Jimmy assured me that I'm a rarity and expressed how honored he was to shake my hand. He then passed on to me his philosophy on life. I'm amazed at how profound his concept of integrity was, so I feel obligated to pass it on to you.

If you're real with yourself, you'll be real with everyone else. You can't be real with anyone unless you're real with yourself first.

It may seem simple, but we had a 30-minute debate about what exactly it means and how to live your life by the simple rules it implies. Integrity is a habit. The example Jimmy used with me was promises and exercise. If you promise yourself you'll get up every morning at 5:45 and do 10 push-ups and follow through every morning, then you'll be in the habit of waking up early and do it without thinking. A friend trying to join you will find it awkward, but you'll already be up and pushing for them to keep pace with you. This extends to the promise-making aspect. If you keep promises to yourself, you're more ready to keep promises made to others. It will become a habit and you'll show up at 9am for a meeting as promised without having to think about it.

Likewise, if you can't wake up at 5:45 and do those push-ups, what makes you think you can show up at 9am for a meeting? If you can blow off number one, no one else will deserve better treatment. Even if you do wake up and do your push-ups, not doing so consistently makes each and every day a chore. Integrity is about second nature - an acquired behavior of honesty - not about wrapping a string around your finger to remind yourself that you're keeping a promise today versus yesterday or next week when you'll ignore it.

I was actually kind of disappointed when my train finally came. I could have stayed longer, but I needed to get home to finish a paper I promised myself I'd do. Jimmy told me that I was a great person and wanted me to promise not to change. "I'll try," I answered back as I climbed on the train.

"Don't try anything! Just do it and stay real with yourself. You were real with me, stay real with you."

I hope I can.

PowerPoint

2007-07-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of building my professional online portfolio, but I'm having issues putting PowerPoint presentations online. I use animations in a lot of my presentations. Is there a way to convert PowerPoint presentations into movies in Windows? I want to preserve my animations so that the shows are viewed the same way online as when I presented them. Any ideas? Drop me an email.

Inter-species Friendship

2007-07-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

My parents have a Jack Russell Terrier.

My girlfriend has a cat.

According to many, there is no way the two will ever get along with one another. I just happen to be kitty-sitting this summer, so you can see why this would create a concern. So I looked in several books and researched online trying to find some way the two could co-exist for the 4 weeks the kitty will be staying with me.

All in all, I think I've been pretty successful.

I kept the kitty in my bedroom for the first week she was with us. This gave her and the puppy a chance to learn each others' smells. The puppy would sit outside my door, sniffing underneath it while the kitty laid on her side and watched the puppy's nose. After a few days, they started playing together. The kitty would whip her tail under the door and watch for the puppy to grab it before jerking it back. They'd play for a few hours at a time and it kept both of them very entertained.

Today was the first day I let the two actually meet for anything more than just a sniff-sniff introduction. I closed the doggy door so neither would be tempted to run outside and let them sniff around and play in the living room. As you can see from the photo, things are going pretty well now. They'll still chase each other every now and then. For the most part, though, the dog ignores the cat and vice versa. I don't plan on leaving them unattended any time soon, though. The cat will still stay in my room when no one's home ... just to be safe.

I just wanted to prove it could be done. Dogs and cats can be friends.

New website

2007-07-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

This just in!

I have a new website!

You can find my professional page at: www.eamann.com. I will also be keeping a professional blog at the new site.

Don't worry, I'll still be posting here, too. I just wanted a "professional" blog out there as well.

Website Designs

2007-06-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of designing my own website. Here's one of the graphics I'm working on. I made it with Illustrator and Photoshop. What do you think?

My girlfriend's tattoo

2007-06-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

To commemorate her college education and mark a milestone in her life, my girlfriend got a tattoo today. She would have gotten it done yesterday, but we waited in the tattoo parlor from 4:45 until 8:15 before we gave up waiting on the "just 15 more minutes" and set a new appointment. She really likes it, and I think it looks really good. Click "Read More" to see photos from the wonderful day at the parlor.

To begin with, here's the original artwork for the tattoo. She found a "teacher apple" magnet and I used Photoshop to clean up the image and add a sketch she did of her initials.

The process of tracing the image, resizing it to what she wanted, and actually tattooing it on her hip took about a half an hour. This was relieving after our 3.5 hour wait yesterday. Here's some photos of her in the middle of getting the tattoo. I think it hurt ...

I took her out for ice cream afterwards to celebrate once again the fact that she's a grad school graduate ... and also because ice cream makes any pain go away. Here's a photo of the final artwork. It should look a little better after it heals a bit. I'll try to give you an updated photo in a week or so.

After watching everything, I am fairly confident in my decision to not get a tatoo. It looks painful and besides, what if I don't feel the same way about the image five years down the road? Oh well, I'm still happy for her and hope she can always use it as something to remember Oregon by.

Flexible Ethics

2007-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

In one of my classes, we had a long discussion on ethics and flexible principles. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it, so I wanted to kind of air my thoughts online and ask for input.

The example used was a job posting. In addition to the usual job responsibilities, the description listed additional requirements: male, age 30-35, send photo. Our instructor then asked us if the listing was OK. I immediately said no. That should be a given.

Our instructor then explained that listings like the example on the board were commonplace in Hong Kong and that requiring such things was perfectly legal. Legal or not, I argued that it was unethical. The instructor then wrote another description on the board: college degree, 10-13 years of experience, must be available for interview. He argued that it required mostly the same thing, that the candidate be roughly 30-35 (college graduates are typically 21-22 years old) and that gender and appearance would be easily determined in an in-person interview.

This is the usually practice in the US, where we pride ourselves on our "superior" sense of ethics. Our instructor explained that, while we may think we have certain ethical standards, we need to be flexible in different situations (i.e. hiring in Hong Kong).

I'm not so sure that merely being in a different place justifies different ethical standards. I try not to argue for cultural universalism, but I'm having trouble differentiating my support of unchangeable ethical principles from any sort of universalist stance. I recognize that you have to change your behaviors in different circumstances to fit local practices, but how far does this extend?

In certain places it is perfectly legal to treat women as inferior, to force children to work in factories, or to bribe public officials. I consider all of these activities unethical (some immoral), but if it's locally acceptable does it mean I should do them anyway? I know I'm using some extreme examples, but if you bend your ethics once, what's to stop you from bending them again to suit your needs at a particular time?

Now that everyone knows the dilemma in my head, would someone care to weigh in on it?

The City of Roses

2007-06-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

On one of my other blogs, I posted a video and critique of the Chinese government's use of pesticides. I referred to them as hypocritical for spraying pesticides over the heads of pedestrians while simultaneously promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness. I feel they are making a mistake and I'm not trying to propagate conspiracy theories, I just thought it would make for interesting debate.

Now is time for another debate, one much closer to home. The bike path I frequently take to campus has been under construction for quite some time. This is fine for me, because the construction will preserve the path and keep the hillside next to it from falling down. However, I have become upset with the way the city is constructing their retaining wall.

They are using brand new sheets of plywood for the concrete forms. Even though they built the wall in sections, they would dispose of all their materials before moving on to the next section with completely brand new 2x4s, plywood sheets, and anchors.
While I don't know if the wood was recycled elsewhere, I know the anchors used to hold the forms were just thrown away. Furthermore, they are to be buried behind the retaining wall rather than reused or recycled.

Here are some photos and the reasons I'm upset:

This first photo is just a small picture that shows several of the brackets lying on the ground behind the retaining wall. They're metal and plastic and are used to hold the wooden forms in place when pouring concrete.

What you do is put the bracket all the way through the void that is filled with concrete, let the cement harden, and then remove both the brackets and the wooden forms. While most of the brackets have to be cut, there is no reason the city can't recycle the metal and plastic. For those of you who've forgotten, plastic is a petroleum-based product. Gas prices are rising and we're running out of fossil fuels. The city is basically ignoring this reality and burying pieces of recyclable plastic they already have!

You're probably looking at the one photo thinking I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Here's another photo that shows the back of the retaining wall and the sheer number of brackets strewn behind it. Do you understand now why I'm so upset? We live in a city that prides itself on its leadership in the environmental sustainability movement, but our city's own construction employees are wasting materials!

Does it matter that we have special drainage gardens set up to filter street run off before it goes back into the streams? Does it matter if we have an extensive public transportation system and even a car share program to cut down on traffic and pollution? Not if we are displacing those conservation efforts in other areas. This is a situation where the right hand doesn't know (or care) what the left is doing. It's unacceptable.

Last month, the American Marketing Association organized its annual conference to focus on topics of sustainability. The number of people in attendance suggest to me that there are people in this city that care about what we're doing to the environment.

I'm just worried how much more of this wastefulness is going on elsewhere in town.

Writers of the Future

2007-06-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the results are in. My story did not make it to the next round of judging. I'm a little disappointed, yes, but I take this as an opportunity to learn and move on to the next piece. I'll polish up what I have a bit and try to make it available to the public some time in the near future. Stay tuned!

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't this just a beautiful view?

What'd you all do this weekend?

Share Time

2007-05-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to attend the annual conference of the Oregon Chapter of the American Marketing Association. The second keynote speaker was Kevin Carroll, and I have to say his presentation was very inspiring.

Most of all, he talked about the idea of sharing time. You might remember in elementary school when we all got the chance to share about the new book we got, the movie we saw, the soccer game from the night before, or whatever it is that makes you happy.

Well, I was inspired by his presentation and have put together a Google group for us "grown ups" to have our own sharing time. It's called "Inspire Me." I've opened the group to anyone and everyone and want it to be a safe place for all of us to practice being kids again and take a minute to share with one another. Stop by, sign up, and tell your story.

New Idea

2007-05-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'd like to propose a new idea, and I want to know what everyone else thinks of it. For a while, I've been posting on my own quasi-daily blog called "Eric's Weird World." The premise of the blog is that each post is a day in the life of a fictional individual called "Eric" (I was unoriginal when I came up with the idea and named him after myself). What I'd like to do now is create another blog and, once again, have posts put up daily. The difference is that I want to use more than one writer ...

Basically, I want two different writers to alternate back and forth for about two weeks. Each day will feature a 2-4 page section of the story, with the second writer following it and continuing the story the next day. Ultimately, I'd like to do a 100-day, 5-10 writer project, but all good things must start small. So I'm proposing a 10-14 day, 2-writer project with a common storyline, common characters, and daily updates. What do y'all think of the idea?

Of Free Speech and Other Things

2007-05-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad student and I frequently check my email during class when I should be paying attention. Because of an email I received last night from PSU President Daniel Bernstine, however, I will no longer be checking my email frequently when I should be focused on other things. Last night at about 8pm, President Bernstine emailed the entire university community with a message titled "Free Speech Issues on Campus." I was intrigued because I thought it was about content in the student newspapers (When I was at the University of Oregon we had frequent similar messages about our student papers). The email was not, in fact, about anything so trivial, though.

While I was at the University of Oregon last year, an organization called the Genocide Awareness Project held a presentation on campus. I was working for the UO at the time, so I found out about their visit several weeks ahead of time, but had no idea who the group was. At the time, public conversations about the on-going conflict in Darfur were frequent and I assumed, however erroneously, that the GAP had something to do with protesting international inaction in Darfur. Their somewhat stealthy arrival on campus (I was not allowed to tell students about the group until the night before they showed up) should have tipped me off to what was really going on.

The Genocide Awareness Project is really an effort to liken abortion with the infamous genocides throughout history of which we are all aware. Keep in mind, I am not trying to make a statement that is pro-choice, pro-life, or otherwise. I am merely trying to point out the naivety with which I received information while at the UO.

Flash back to last night and the email from the president of PSU. He was informing us that an organization known as the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform would be bringing a similar demonstration to campus today and tomorrow. I looked in to the issue a little further and discovered that the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform and the Genocide Awareness Project are one and the same; just a new name for a new year. Their display is set up in front of the Millar Library on the Park Blocks in the center of campus. President Bernstine's email encourages students to avoid the area if they don't want to see the display. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the PSU campus, this location is centrally located in front of the library, the student recreation center, and the student union. Avoiding this part of campus is next to impossible for many students, which is the reason I'm sure the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform chose it as the site for their display.

Those of you who are reading now are probably wondering when I'm going to get to some sort of point. My point is not that this display should be censored, nor is it that their message is wrong. I will always support someone's right to exclaim a controversial message, but I feel this group is doing so in an inappropriate manner. Genocide is an act of hatred, performed by those who are in such a state of rage they lack any form of respect for the lives of their victims or how others will view their actions in the future. I refuse to accept the juxtaposition of unwilling mothers seeking medical help with the mobs of bloodthirsty Klansman that terrorized the south or the indication that certain medical professionals are as cold and malice-filled as Adolf Hitler or Yosef Stalin.

The images presented by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform definitely serve their purpose of provoking emotional responses from onlookers, but those responses are likely to be highly polarized. I respect the Center's pro-life position and, whether I agree or disagree, would be willing to sit down with them and talk about it whenever they'd be willing to. However, while I will support their right to make such displays and demonstrations, I feel the one on the PSU campus today and tomorrow is disrespectful and distasteful and will do more to emotionally harm those on the other side of the debate than encourage active discourse. No rational person would be willing to sit down and discuss an issue with someone who just stood on a podium, pointed at them in the crowd, and publicly placed them in the same column as the most hated murders of human history.

While I disdain the way in which the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform is promoting their message, I encourage you to not stop at my words to form your own opinion. Feel free to visit the display yourself, or to peruse their website. I warn you, though, the images on campus and on their website are VERY GRAPHIC and highly disturbing. If you disagree with anything I've said here, please leave me a comment and we can discuss both of our opinions.

eBooks

2007-05-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying to figure out how to publish my own eBooks. I have found one website, Lulu, that allows self-publication, but I can't format the appearance of my eBook with the cover and other elements the way I want to. Beyond that, I know my book will open in plain old Adobe Reader. The downside to this, is there are three really good eBook programs I'd like to use but can't.

I'd really like my PDF eBook to open in Adobe Digital Editions, but I can't figure out how to do that. My second idea would be to use eReader, but I don't want to pay the $30 for the software because I don't know if my stories will make enough money to cover that cost. Thirdly, I could use the free Microsoft Reader, but the formatting of the finished eBook is hit or miss, and my first attempt ended up with half the title page on one page, the other half merged with the first paragraph on another, and weird text formatting errors.

My other issue, and ultimately the one preventing me from moving farther forward in my endeavors, is selling the stories. Does anyone know an easy way to set up an online store where my stories will be sent automatically on receipt of payment to the purchaser? I could set up PayPal, but I'd still have to manually email out the finished goods. That doesn't go well with the "right here, right now" image eBooks propagate in the first place.

I am open to any and all suggestions as to how I can progress from this point. If I don't get anything, I might just have to go with a third-party publisher like Lulu.

New Links

2007-05-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Check out the new links on the right hand side, courtesy of my friend Elaine.

Project Photo 365: http://brilaineproject.blogspot.com/

Today in E-Bomb's World: http://spilt-ink-project.blogspot.com/

Writers of the Future

2007-05-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

So I was randomly perusing the Internet the other day and stumbled on what appears to be the blog of the Writers of the Future contest. I'm still a little confused about its authenticity, though. The contest's first quarter ended on April 1. I receieved an email about a week after that deadline telling me to wait 10 weeks before any kind of announcements on finalists would be made.

This being said, the blog I found claims to have announced the first quarter finalists on May 23rd. That's only two weeks after the "wait 10 weeks before we make a decision" email, not ten. I'm still hoping there was some kind of error in reporting the finalists, though, because I have not heard ANYTHING official from the contest organizers.

Does anyone have any other ideas about this?

In the even that I'm not a finalist, I'm still very interested in self-publishing my story. I found a website called Lulu that allows self-publication of eBooks for free (well, there's a 20-25% royalty charged on your selling price). If I didn't win, I'm thinking of setting up an account and selling my eBook for $1.50-$2.50 per copy. Does that sound reasonable?

Adobe Illustrator

2007-04-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

What I want here is some feedback. I have to write a market entry proposal for my marketing class and am going to hypothetically encourage an Italian company called Bailo to enter the Japanese market. To do my project, I needed to redo their logo so I could enlarge it for a presentation. Here's the original cut from their website:

Now here's my version (Update 4/27: I added the rest of the logo to the cute little squirrel. And the background is supposed to be black, it looks right in PowerPoint anyway ...):

Does it look OK? I need to display this on a VERY large screen next Tuesday. I'll let you know how it goes, but feedback on my artistry would be nice.

May the force be with you ... and your mail

2007-04-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was walking on the University of Oregon campus today and saw this mailbox in front of the law school. I just had to post it on here.

I wonder if R2 does a better job of delivering mail than his regular old blue brothers. He can use hyperdrive.

Graduate School Exit Project

2007-04-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Unlike most people in my program, I was given the opportunity to start my exit project early. Most projects start in the middle of May, but I was given mine in February. This was great because the project emphasizes study in Japan, and I was in Japan for the first week of my Asia Field Study in March.

I decided, though, that I don't like the video quality that Windows Movie Maker gives me. I took a lot of video on the trip and want high-quality movies on my computer. If anyone can recommend a better program, please do so. Here's a YouTube video clip of one of the baseball games I watched while I was there. For more details about this clip, visit My Asia Trip Blog:

Tri-Met

2007-04-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

I take the MAX every day to campus for several reasons: 1) It is cheaper to buy a term-long bus pass than a term-long on-campus parking pass, 2) I don't like to add to the congestion of morning rush hour (i.e. I don't like to drive in traffic), and 3) I think carpooling and using public transportation is a very important step in protecting our environment. I do, however, drive from my house to the MAX station because I have always found Tri-Met's bus service to be unreliable and a further tax on my time. The station I park at usually fills up by 8:30, so even though I don't have class until 10am, I find myself leaving the house no later than 8 just to find a parking spot. Sometimes, though, I end up parking near some very disrespectful individuals.

We've all see it: the guy with the fancy car who parks as far away from the grocery store as possible and straddles four different parking spots so no one will scratch his baby. I usually laugh at them because they do that when parking lots are completely empty and end up walking from one end to the other out of their own vanity. When I see someone doing the same thing in a crowded parking lot - one that I use and occasionally have to abandon because it's too full - it just irritates me. Take exhibit A for example:

Everyone else who uses this MAX station is very respectful because they use it every day. I have been parking here every day for almost a year and - knock on wood - have yet to see an accident. What would motivate someone to park like this other than his or her utter disrespect for fellow commuters?

I did forward this photograph on to Tri-Met to complain as well. They have their own security company and the city police department has a car drive through the parking lot to keep an eye on it at least every couple of hours. I'm rarely one to wish fines on anyone, but this parking job is just insulting to me and everyone else who tries to park in the morning on the way to work or school. I want this driver to if nothing else at least get a warning from Tri-Met. There are more cars on the road in many cities than places to park already; just because we haven't caught up yet doesn't mean this person needs two parking spots for one car.

New story idea

2007-03-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. I finished my first short story for the Writers of the Future Contest before I left for Asia. I'm here now, but I get bored easily and started working on an outline for my next story. I don't want to go into details yet, but I do hope to gather some information from everyone on how to put together the story line.

What I need is a profession for my main character. I don't want him to be a businessman or teacher. The one recommendation I've gotten thus far is "dolphin trainer," but I don't think that will really work. In my story, he needs to be walking home from the subway at one point and be brave enough to run into a burning building to save someone. I realize that just about anyone could do that under the right conditions, but I want a profession that would fit that kind of character. Any ideas?

Also, there is going to be a lot of neurological discussion in my story, but I'm not very familiar with literature about it. Can someone refer me to some short articles or paper about neuro surgery and psychology so I can have convincing technobable in my story? I don't need to come across as a Ph.D., but I want my characters to sound like they know what they're talking about.

Any and all help is appreciated!

Oh, and I'll keep you informed about how my previous story goes over with the competition. Whether or not I win anything I will post my story here eventually for all of your reading enjoyment.

Rock Climbing

2007-02-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

I have been involved in outdoors activity since I was a child. I was in the Boy Scouts and am still active as an Assistant Scoutmaster now even five years since I earned my Eagle badge. I love camping, hiking, canoeing, and climbing. For these reasons, I have decided to go into marketing to show people the things I love and encourage them to join me in the outdoors. I have also decided to start my own outdoors consulting company; it will deal mostly in equipment and facility reviews as well as providing advice and counselling to those starting in outdoors activities. To that end, I am putting a very informal first review of a local rock climbing facility up here today.

--

Stoneworks Rock Gym
Location: Beaverton, OR

Stoneworks Rock Gym is a medium sized climbing facility located off Denny Rd. in Beaverton, OR. The gym features regular bouldering, top-roping, and lead climbing. It also has limited fitness facilities upstairs.

Facilities
Stoneworks is built into what looks like an old office building. Much of the climbing area is two-stories tall, but some lead routes go into skylights that add another 5 feet to the challenge. There is also a U-shaped bouldering cave in the back of the gym and a members-only fitness area in a loft above the gym.

The walls are made out of molded artificial rock and provide very satisfying smears and feature holds throughout the gym. Stoneworks also uses high-quality artificial holds for its routes, employing everything from jugs to tiny nibs. Keep in mind, though, that none of the routes are rated. Know your limits and be sure to either ask before you start or have a crash pad beneath you when bouldering as some of the more difficult and high routes can appear deceptively easy from the ground.

Equipment
If you don't have your own equipment, Stoneworks will provide it for you at an added price. They have shoes that are all in fair condition and plenty of harnesses for any group you bring. They keep all of their top-roping routes roped and leave quick draws in several of their lead routes to make things easier on novice climbers. Be forewarned that you might need to bring your own gear for some of the more difficult lead routes.

Like most gyms, Stoneworks does not allow loose chalk. They sell chalk bags and chalk balls if you forget this rule. Leave your ATCs at home, too. Gri-gris are the only allowed belay devices.

Staff
Many of the staff member seem knowledgeable about climbing. Others seem to care less about day climbers and more about either the daily crossword or team climbers who are in training. It really depends on both the day and time of day you decide to climb.

If you're willing to shell out the extra money, Stoneworks offers introductory and developmental courses for beginner and intermediate climbers. Their instructors are all intelligent and experienced and will make any lesson enjoyable for the learner.

My Ratings
Facilities: 7.0 out of 10 - Routes go unlabelled and you spend more time finding a good one than actually climbing.

Equipment: N/A - I always bring my own.

Staff: 1.0 out of 10 - The staff focuses on their own team members and private lessons and ignores day climbers who are not regular members. I had several instructors tell their students to ignore me while they were climbing and had two teenagers almost fall on my head because they were trying to climb over the top of me in the cave. Route-setting gear was left unattended in the middle of the gym in a location where a fall could have caused serious harm. A staff member even started taking down a route I was working on while I was in the middle of climbing it.

Overall Experience: 4.0 out of 10 - High quality architecture does not outweigh unlabelled routes or rude employees.

Of the Aftermath

2007-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

This is part of a story that I'm working on for the Writer's of the Future contest. I will likely post the story in its entirety after the judging is finished. To prevent myself from being disqualified, though, I will only post a brief section for now.

It was just after seven o’clock in the morning and I was nearly ready to hit the road. I had packed everything that I thought I would need for the weekend and changed into my gym clothes. My girlfriend, Jackie, and I were planning to head straight to the rock gym when I got to town for an early workout. I did not want to waste any of the time the two of us had together this weekend; being dressed for the gym when I got there would save the unnecessary minutes it would take to change in her apartment. That, and I wanted to use those extra minutes to make her a surprise breakfast when she woke up.

Jackie lives about a hundred and fifty miles north of me. She works at the local hospital and lives in one of the newer apartment complexes nearby. It is convenient for us because the athletic center with the rock gym completely takes up the first floor of the complex. It is one of those new space-saving architectural concepts you read about sometimes in the newspaper. I really think that should have made the rent for Jackie’s apartment more expensive, but she had negotiated a student discount with the manager. She was crafty like that.

When she’s not at work, Jackie is taking classes at the University in town. We both went there to get our bachelor’s degrees, but she had stayed in town to work on her master’s degree. Unfortunately, this means I only get to see her when I drive up on weekends because she is not able to take enough time off work or her studies to visit me. I usually leave early on Saturday mornings, rather than sleeping in like she would likely be doing – Friday nights were late ones for her in class.

This trip was special, though. Sunday was our second anniversary. I had made plans to take Jackie out to a fancy dinner, followed by the ballet that I had bought tickets for last month. The downside of the trip was that I would have to wear a tie to the ballet. I hated dressing in fancy clothing, but I wanted everything to be perfect for Jackie. I had also gotten her a new necklace. It had a slim gold chain and held a set-in-gold diamond pendant. I wrapped the necklace in its box and hid it in an exorbitantly large box of chocolates. It was nestled delicately in the back of my car between my duffel bag of clothing and my laptop computer.

After I double-checked to make sure all of my things were in the back of the car I ran inside to grab a bottle of water. I had already planned to swing by the gas station on my way and would probably be picking up a soda while I was there. The water was not for my drive to Jackie’s, but for when we went to the gym. Jackie rarely keeps bottles of water in her apartment and you have no idea how expensive a twenty-ounce bottle of water is out of the vending machines at the athletic center.

It was still very early when I left, so I expected traffic would be next to nonexistent on both the main roads through town and the freeway. I had no trouble hitting every traffic light green and made my way into the north-bound lanes of the interstate not ten minutes after I pulled out of the parking spot in front of my own apartment. I had already pulled the car’s antenna up, so I turned on the radio to my favorite pop station and set the cruise control for my typical three miles per hour over the posted speed limit. I figured three miles per hour would shave at least fifteen minutes off of my drive, would be fast enough to keep up with the majority of traffic, but still slow enough to avoid the being pulled over for speeding.

The drive gave me plenty of time to think about Jackie and how we were going to celebrate our second anniversary. I was out of college and had landed myself a steady job that paid fairly well; I co-owned a sports bar with one of my old friends from high school and worked nights tending the bar. Jackie planned to move in with me after graduating and was going to get a job at one of the doctor’s offices down here. She enjoyed working in pediatrics and felt starting off in a smaller practice rather than a large hospital would be the best way to enter the workforce. I tended to agree with her, but more out of my own selfish interests that concern for her career – her moving here meant not only that I would have her near me twenty-four hours per day but that I would not have to drive for hours just to get a hug when I need it.

My quarter-tank of gas was close to running dry after the first fifty miles on the road, so I pulled in to a truck stop to refuel and pick up a nice big cup of liquid energy. Gas was relatively cheap at this station, so I had more than enough cash left over to afford the two dollar “super-mega-huge” size cup at the fountain machine. It was one of those out-dated sixty-four ounce cups that went the way of the dinosaur after people started caring about their health. Judging from the condition the rest of the gas station was in, though, I doubt anyone here had caught on to the healthy, “clean” trend. I put the lid on the cup and grabbed an oversized straw to go with it. I knew there was no need for that much caffeine or sugar, but I liked the name of the cup and it was affordable.

I got back into the car and reset the mileage counter before I continued my way northward to see Jackie. It was only around seven fifty so far, and I had another hundred or so miles to go before I got to her place. I figured I would be there around nine forty-five with the light traffic I was seeing; it would get a little heavier as I passed the hospital and I would not be able to maintain my freeway speed once I got into town. None of this worried me, though, because I knew that Jackie rarely woke up before ten AM on Saturdays. She had a full shift on Friday followed by a three hour evening lecture class and valued the extra sleep she was able to get while I was on the road. I hoped I would get to her apartment with plenty of time to sneak in and make her a nice breakfast before she woke up. That is, if her cat was in a good mood and let me get through the door in one piece.

Author's Note

2007-01-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

It has come to my attention that the comment feature on this page is malfunctioning. If you are trying to leave a comment, please submit it twice. If both come through, I will remove one so there is no duplicate.

If, on the other hand, you would like to email me your comments instead, I will post them for you. Please just let me know which post the comment is meant for and what your name is (unless you would like it to be anonymous).

2007-01-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

So I've finished draft 1 of the story I talked about last time. It's about 7,000 words long, which places it securely in the "short story" realm. Unfortunately, I'm not sure just yet about whether or not I want to publish the story. It's of a very sensitive nature and I don't know a) how it will be received or b) how I will be viewed for writing it in the first place.

As I go through and work on the second draft I might post some snippets here. To send it in for the Writers of the Future contest, though, my snippets must be very short or they might disqualify the story.

Stay tuned and I'll let you know.

2007-01-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

I've been working on another short story lately based off of another one of those weird dreams I seem to have frequently. Unfortunately for you, I won't post anything here until I'm done with it and even then it will be significantly abridged. My goal is to finish the story before I take my trip to Asia so I can get it proofread and sent off to the Writers of the Future contest.

If you want a hint at what the story is about, I incorporated the idea-creation process into my Day 7 post over on Eric's Weird World. Feel free to look at it and tell me what you think either here or over there. Keep in mind if you read the rest of the blog that it is fictional and only inspired by my life.

Good Books

2007-01-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

I broke down today and bought Eldest, the second book of the Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini. I read Eragon long before the movie came out and couldn't wait to get the second book in the series. I guess this means I won't be writing much for a couple of days so I can complete the next leg in Paolini's story.

On the upside, I will still be updating "Eric's Weird World" on a daily basis if you want to keep up with some of my other work. Let me know what you think of my hundred days idea. I might want to continue with another kind of story. Let me know if you have a genre you'd like me to use for my next installment.

Follow-up

2007-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed that little tidbit about the four different characters that I posted the other day. It's the first part of a short I'm working on. Trust me, those four quickies will be fleshed out a bit more, and other narratives will follow those as well.

What I'd like from anyone who is interested is some feedback about the imagery. I think these sections are pretty well painted, but I'd like to hear what you think about it, too. What works? What needs more clarification? Is there anything that flat out makes no sense? Is there another direction or profession you'd like to see me take on? Any help is very appreciated! Just leave a comment on this page (If you don't want me to publish the comment, just leave a note to that effect and I'll respect your wishes).

The Businessman, the Athlete, the Taxi Driver, and the Writer

2006-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

The businessman set down his half-empty mug of coffee and once again picked up the day’s copy of the Wall Street Journal. Looking again at the top headlines he scowled. His newest investment had proven less than profitable as the CEO had fired his third head accountant in less than a year. Watermarx Industries was a digital security company that had looked perfect on paper. In reality, the businessman could see it had been suffering serious financial problems. It was a small investment, but would damage his financial portfolio nonetheless.

The businessman cursed before finishing his coffee and straightening his tie. He stood and walked across the kitchen of his small one-bedroom apartment to pick up his briefcase and shut the front door. Traffic at this time of day was fairly light, so he normally was not in a hurry. Today, though, he seemed in a rush.

“Time is money, and I’ve lost enough of it for one day because of that damn company,” he said, hitting the elevator call button a tenth time. The day had not started off with the most optimistic outlook.
---

A single shot rang out and she immediately dashed away from it. Heart pounding and feet beating the rubber path beneath her, the athlete took off down the track. Months of harsh training led up to this ten-second exhibition. Hard work that would be meaningless should the tape a few yards away not break against her chest.

The crowd was screaming for her and for those behind her, struggling to keep up. The athlete could hear nothing more than her own pulse pounding rapidly in her ears. The rhythm kept her pace and urged her forward, closer to the finish line still an eternity away. Seconds passed as hours and the adrenaline coursing through the athlete’s veins gave her clarity of mind and physical calm she experienced nowhere else. Crossing the finish line exhilarated her, but broke the silent rhythm of her sprint, thrusting her back into the chaotic excitement of the crowd and competition.

The athlete’s facial calm broke to a wide smile as she raised her arms in triumph to meet the ever growing cheers of her observers.
---

Another day, another dollar, the taxi driver though to himself as he accepted the wad of cash the old woman handed him through the window. I’m just that much closer to my future, he concluded as he waved to the woman before pulling away and weaving back into the heavy afternoon downtown traffic.

Unlike his father, the taxi driver was not content with working eight hours a day to earn a paycheck. He had brighter plans for his future. In the evenings, after returning his cab to the depot, he went to the community college to work on night classes. In a few months, he would have enough saved away to enter the medical program at the university. He had been awarded a full scholarship, but still needed some resources to make ends meet with bills and other living expenses. This side of five years, the taxi driver would wake up early not sit idly by as others lived their lives but to help save lives at the hospital.

His father had worked at the shipping docks for next to nothing almost his entire life. His mother had been a waitress at the local Korean restaurant. Ironically, she made more in tips than with her regular paycheck; neither or which was at all substantial. The taxi driver’s lifelong goal was to make his parents proud and help prove the American dream was possible for anyone with the drive and skills to reach out for it. Every passenger took him one step closer to accomplishing that task.
---

Writer’s block rarely plagued his mind, but today was different somehow. He had written scores of novels and short stories and had several ideas for these new plot lines. But rather than allowing inspired prose to flow from his fingers he sat on the couch, staring through excessive boredom at the television. He had nowhere to go and nothing of consequence to do, but could not find motivation to put his thoughts to paper.

His characters went about their lives in the inner recesses of his mind. Countless story arcs raced past in front of his eyes every time he blinked, but he could not convert the thoughts and vivid images into words on his computer screen. Thousands of hypothetical characters and activities were just an arm’s reach away, but only a handful seemed within his grasp; of those, many were too slick to hold on to and all but a few escaped back into the void that was his imagination.

He opened his laptop and began on page one, with no title. Writing furiously in spurts of five to ten minutes he hastily threw together three pages of his stories so they might not be lost to nothingness. With experiences and ideas given a voice through his words, the characters involved became tactile, real. Their lives, although existing entirely in the writer’s imagination, would continue whether the writer put words to them or not. They would continue to live, as would the universes they existed within.

A story dies in its infancy

2006-12-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my brother bought me a Stephen King novel called Cell. I couldn't put it down and just finished it about an hour ago. I have to say it was a magnificent story, albeit one with a lackluster and almost disappointing ending. I just wanted a bit more of the story, but my imagination can fill in the blanks.

The biggest problem I am facing now is with my own story. The basic premise and plot outline are very similar to that of Cell, and I don't want to continue with my own story now out of fear of unintentionally incorporating King's work into my own (or being accused of doing so intentionally).

King's principle: An unidentified cell phone signal makes people lose all of their memories, conscious or otherwise.
My principle: A terrorist chemical attack makes people unable to distinguish between their memories and other information in their brains.
Similarity: Everyone affected goes crazy and the world is plunged into chaos.

King's plot line: A single and highly unlikely hero travels across states to save his son from Armageddon.
My plot line: A single man travels across a horror-ridden city to save his lover.
Similarity: Unlikely hero traveling a great distance to save a loved one from turning into a mindless zombie.

I can't keep writing this now. Even if I did, it would seem too much like King's work and either no one would read it, or I'd have to find some way to prove I didn't steal his idea. Considering I've now read his book before finishing my own story, I think that'd be kind of hard.

So, if anyone has another plot idea for a short story, please let me know. Until then, pick up a copy of Cell; it really is a good book.

Light Reading

2006-11-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

I neglected to post yesterday, but I received my copy of Inside the Aquarium yesterday in the mail. It's hardback, but doesn't look too long. I plan to start reading it next week, over the Thanksgiving holiday break. I have a week off from classes and plan to spend at least the first half of my time away with my girlfriend. Unfortunately, her program is not nearly as benevolent as mine and I will be spending time alone with her cat for the first several hours of each day. Lots of free time to read, I guess.

If you have any other suggestions for reading material for me, please let me know soon so I can get my hands on it quickly. Specifically, I'm looking for recommendations of work on sensory deprivation. Anything and everything will help, but please keep in mind that I'm a layman and need any reading material to be either drastically simplified (as opposed to technical) or illustrated (charts work, too).

Flashbacks

2006-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is meant to be a flashback in the middle of the story ...

There were five small huts clustered around a larger, squarer building in the center of a clearing. A few villagers were wading waste-deep in a creek that ran alongside the northern section of the pentagon-shaped town. Two small children were playing near the opening of the large center building but stopped and stared at Martin as he emerged from the foliage on the edge of the creek. A young woman walked topless from behind one of the huts and looked curiously in his direction. She then turned unceremoniously and walked through the entrance, with the two children scampering from the larger building to follow.
At almost the same moment, the villagers in the creek put aside their fishing nets and approached him. One of the older-looking men stood directly in front of Martin with the other three men standing to either side. Martin and the man looked at each other, but said nothing. The men’s faces were barren of expression, as if they had come to Martin to investigate his strange appearance in their community but that they did not know what else to do.
Two boys came out of the eastern-most hut carrying an assortment of spears and other flesh-rending tools. They couldn’t be any older than 15, but they had a murderous look in their eyes. Without even turning to look at the boys approaching with their various armaments, the men in front of Martin changed their expressions. They had the same look in their eyes as the boys and began to shout in unison; their voices resembling the Borg groupspeak Martin was familiar with from Star Trek reruns.
That was when Martin realized that no one had called the boys. No one had called the men from their fishing. The woman who had taken the children away had not even spoken to them. There had been no noises in the village since Martin had arrived besides those coming from the distant animals in the jungle.
Martin took a cautious step backwards and bumped into someone standing behind him. He turned quickly, pulling his sidearm in the same motion, and came face to face with the woman he had seen on the other side of the village. She was standing with four other villagers who had all somehow crept around the huts and behind him, cutting off his way back into the jungle.

Recent Webpage Updates

2006-11-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Those of you who frequent this site have probably noticed two minor additions on the right-hand side. The first is the inclusion of Google Ads. I subscribed to Adsense as a way to increase the cash in my pocket before I go abroad. If you're a fellow blogger, you might want to look in to the feature. Check it out here.

The second addition is a blunt statement: "I use Google Analytics!" This is just the title I needed for a new page element. I installed a java applet that will tell me how much traffic my site gets per day and where my readers are located. This will help bolster my confidence in my own writing as well as let me know more about you: my readers. If you want similar features on your site, check out their information page.

A Beginning

2006-11-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

Anyone from the military, please give me an idea for where this could happen and who they could be fighting. Please also let me know if I'm getting any of this right.

There was a hollow thump as the enemy soldier’s corpse hit the ground. Sergeant First Class Martin Bradley allowed the breath he was holding in to escape slowly while keeping the rest of his body perfectly still. The soldiers on the road below him scrambled for cover, leaving their fallen comrade lying face-down in a muddy pothole. Martin had chosen his target for no particular reason, merely trying to hit someone near the center of the group to provide enough chaos for the ambush.

He noticed a flicker of movement near the rear of the convoy and smiled as he watched one of his own men toss a grenade under the trail vehicle. A slight turn of his head to the left allowed him to see another soldier do the same with the lead jeep. The stereo explosions came almost together, boxing in the remaining two trucks and causing the confused enemy soldiers on the road to clot once again near the convoy’s center.

Looking through his scope, Martin tried to figure out who was giving the orders. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to be shouting something and he was not much for reading lips. Martin watched from his perch atop a boulder-ridden hill a few hundred yards away as the other six soldiers began to fire from their positions into the mass of disorganized combatants. He eased the bolt of his rifle back and locked another round. There were only five enemies left fighting, and he took aim at the one who seemed to be returning the most fire at his six concealed friends.

The other four fell quickly thereafter and the skirmish was over with no casualties on the winning side. “Good shooting today, boys,” Martin whispered into his mouthpiece before inching backwards over the hill. “Stay safe and I’ll look for you stateside.”

Martin knew he would never see these men again, though. He would probably never even find out who they were. They were all members of an elite American guerilla unit, individually deployed behind enemy lines to sabotage enemy operations. Martin received his orders via a small satellite phone he carried and would usually sit above a single road for days at a time waiting to snipe a high-profile enemy commander being driven to one conference or another. This particular engagement had been planned weeks ago through the same satellite network. Regular ground troops would be at this position in another day or so to recover the supplies from the remaining trucks; Martin’s job had merely been to cover the small six-man strike force that took the convoy out.

Now he needed to move to another rocky hillside a few miles north. Intelligence claimed several regional commanders would be traveling to a strategy conference at the capital and a few would be using that road. Martin had standing orders to eliminate as many military personnel on the road as possible before the conference so friendly forces could set another ambush. Catching the enemy traveling in a false sense of security and eliminating their top commanders would aid in the demoralization of the enemy ranks and bring victory within reach.

43things

2006-10-31T19:08:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend recently showed me the website 43things.com. I was impressed with the website and decided to add my own personal list of things I want to do, places I want to go, and people I want to meet. Unfortunately, the website itself is fairly slow and it took me a lot of time to add what I did. I expect to add more things, places, and people in the future ... but for now, enjoy reading the shorter list of my interests in life: My 43things.

And so it begins

2006-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Thus far I have received only one Internet vote and two in-person verbal votes for which story I should write. At the moment, "In the Shadow of the Sun" is ahead by 1 vote. If this makes you unhappy, please voice your opinion on my last post. On the other hand, if this darker story intrigues you, please let me know you feel that way by voting as well. I'll keep listening for votes for another week (October ends next Tuesday), but then I start my marathon writing endeavor. For now, enjoy some disjointed samples from the story ("In the Shadow of the Sun") that I want to test out before I actually put them to use.

The sun was warm in an empty sky of clear blue, suggesting the fog Martin now saw in the valley was an impossibility. It was an inky black mist that seemed to cling the ground and flow, though not downhill but upwards. Hugging the bases of trees and moving in unnatural ways away from the stream bed hidden beneath it.

A small reddish bird flew down from a branch towards the fog and let out a shrill chirp as it disappeared into the fog. Martin could have sworn the fog reached out to grab the bird as it flew overhead, but he dismissed the thought from his head as quickly as it had risen.

Martin slowly scanned the area around his blind, confirming once more that he was utterly alone on the hill. He flicked the safety on his rifle and, after carefully covering the eyepiece on his scope, slung the rifle behind his back and took out his sidearm. The artificial bush he had erected had covered him for three days; a short while and an eternity at the same time. Four soldiers had met their end while Martin had occupied this hill, a number he would not soon forget. Rather than tempt his fate to the same end, he quickly gathered the rest of his field equipment and looked hastily at his topo map. Thinking for only a moment, he started to walk Southeast, the direction of his next nest, leaving the mysterious black haze in the valley below him.

Writers of the Future

2006-10-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

So I picked up a copy of the latest Writers of the Future anthology this weekend. I have to say, it's pretty good. I just started into it, but the idea of eight well-written science fiction/fantasy stories in one book is amazing! It has inspired me to actually finish one of my own and submit it. As we all know, though, my time is somewhat limited lately, and I don't want to start in on something only to find I have a lack of interest in it or no one will want to read it. Therefore, I've decided to let all who venture to this shadowy corner of the internet to take a vote. Just leave a comment with your choice of which story I should bring to fruition...

1) A Dream of Remembrance Lost

I've been working on it for quite some time. It's the story of a man whose brother died when he was younger, but who takes in a young boy later in life who bears a striking resemblance to his dead brother. The street kid gets to know the main character's daughter fairly well and eventually breaks the snobbish character she has and they become friends. She convinces her father to let her attend public school ... but then dies shortly thereafter in a tragic accident. The street kid tries to find her body, but instead finds an abandoned infant girl. The entire point of the story is reincarnation. Interested?

2) In the Shadow of the Sun

A man goes to war as a sniper but goes crazy. He comes home and battles with his sanity for some time and then rejoins society. Turns out, he was subjected to some military doomsday weapon. After he's back in the flow of things, the weapon is unleashed on the public. Since he'd already been exposed once, he's somewhat immune from the effects and works to rescue survivors and save those affected by the weapon. Interested?

3) untitled vampire story 1

About the birth of vampires ... kind of. A man dies and goes to what heaven really is. Decides he still needs to do something on Earth and rejects paradise by returning and tricking someone into giving up their own life. With a newfound knowledge of the workings of the universe and the comparable powers of god on earth, he strives to do something virtuous, only to realize that he can never return to heaven and when he dies he'll simply cease to exist. He is forced to sustain himself by slaying and consuming (not eating, more like inhaling) living souls ... which drives him to madness ... Interested?

4) untitled vampire story 2

Either story 1 is a prequel or this is a sequel ... visits the world later when the man from story 1 has been around for a few years and comes up against other vampires. There's no logical reason to think he was the first. He's also made a few of his own (more like zombies, but oh well). Battle of evil vs. evil but both really think they're good. Interested?

5) Suggest your own ...

I'll give it to the end of October before I start writing in earnest. Please let me know ASAP what you think I should do so I can get started just as soon. I'll even post snippets on here when I get going on it.

Syndication?

2006-10-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is just a quickie update that I decided to put up before class. I have been given the opportunity to post over on Aberdoober.com as well as here. I will not be leaving this blog to the dust, though, just keep in mind that there are now two places you can go to read my work. I'm trying to work on a piece that's a bit longer than what I've posted, too. This is why I've had the long delay. My apologies. Stay tuned for part 1 of whatever it is I'm working on ... it's a surprize!

Newer stuffs

2006-09-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's something that I finally decided to write down. It's part of a storyline I've been mulling over for a while. I'm debating whether or not I want to delve far enough into my dark side to actually write it or not though. Let me know what you think of it.

The thing's name was gone. The name had taken all identity with it. The thing sat in the dark corner, muttering in its mind, trying to coax identity back in. But instead, the name sat there, mockingly, on the corner of recollection. Like something you should remember and can describe with intimate detail but cannot recall the name of. Trying more intently to remember does nothing but force those details further into the realm of doubt. What kind of car was that again? It was blue, had two doors, was a convertible ... no, maybe it was red ... or green ... I don't think it was a convertible after all ... I think now that it had a flat tire ... oh, right! It was brown ... definitely not a convertible ... hatchback ... four door sedan maybe? Before realizing it, your mind has twisted the fire-red Corvette over which you had been drooling earlier that day into an outdated, dented family station wagon. Not even something you would have noticed. You forget what it was and reality lies down next to the fantasy you have created in its place and dies. The thing's name was gone.

Another Story Starter

2006-09-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a snippet from a story I tried writing back in High School. The original draft was never quite finished, and this is version 2.0 from ... wow ... from 2002. From reading back over it I can tell I'd rewrite it, but the flow and spirit is still there.

Rays of moonlight painted the side of the palace like strands of the Almighty’s great paintbrush. A cool breeze in from the mountains stirred outside the main gates, forcing the guardsmen to adjust the lay of their heavy robes. Silently, a shadow drifted past closed storefronts and between the boxes aligned on the street for the next day’s recycling. The shadow seemed to tiptoe behind the first guard, mocking his inattention. A whisper floated along the wind, and the guard dropped and disappeared into the shadow. The second guard shivered at the foul whisper in the breeze and chuckled to himself to break the tension. He turned to his companion to share the joke just in time to see his own fate pounce.

The shadow drifted unhampered past where the guards had been and slipped elegantly through the gates and past the palace’s high walls. Ghostly footsteps echoed faintly and then more noticeable on the marble walkway as Ker Nasad Alchar removed the hood of his inky black cloak, a pentalla. Walking through the open door of the palace, he smiled to himself, reveling once again at the simplicity of his plan.

Bouncing around inside my head ...

2006-09-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

So this is the introduction to a story that's been bouncing around inside my head for the better part of 2 years now. I think it would be interesting to develop into a larger story, but I have absolutely no desire to explore this storyline at this point in my life. It's just a bit too dark for me, especially while I'm so busy with school.

Shattering glass. That was all he ever heard anymore. Once, it had been the proud ping of his bullets striking the metal backing behind the targets on the firing range. After that had been the satisfying thud of the enemy’s life leaving his body on the battlefield. Now it was the shattering of the glass fronts of picture frames on the mantle. Picture frames that held snapshots of the future; unfulfilled expectations of a life that should by all rights continue beyond the moment where he had shattered them. Firing again, there was no loud retort of the rifle. Another man fell in the woods a few hundred yards away and all the pictures on the mantle fell with him and shattered.

A Dream of Remembrance Lost

2006-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is a story I've been working now and again on for the past four or so years. The story takes place in a town called Havenloch, or Heaven Lake, or whatever I decide to call it along those lines. This is just a snippet, please email me and let me know what you think. I'll have more later ...

Thomas Newman gazed once more at his reflection in the water at the bottom of his sink. The man staring back at him was disheveled; hair tousled, collar unbuttoned, tie hanging limply around his neck. Today was the same as the day before, and the same as every day before that, but a distant cousin of yesterday. Since Pieter’s death 17 years ago, its anniversary was the only day that mattered to Thom.

He scooped the water between his hands and threw his likeness at its original. He grabbed the hand towel from its station above the sink and dried his face. Glancing once more into the mirror as he walked out the door Thom almost saw his brother reflected in his eyes. Forming in the corner of his eye, a tear was quickly brushed aside as he walked through the kitchen, and smiled at his ten year old daughter, Katherine.

“And what are you working on today, darling,” he asked, glancing at her cluttered cursive-filled notebook.

“Rhetoric and its practical applications in media,” she responded without even looking up from her notes. She had the same tone in her voice that her mother had, the air of arrogance that almost certainly accompanies money and privilege. Thankfully an air he had never acquired.

"Don’t have to much fun, you’re supposed to be studying for your exam this week.” Thom smiled to himself when he saw his daughter’s reaction to the thought she was having too much fun. An under-the-breath 'oh father' followed him out through the foyer and the front door into the bright mid-afternoon.

My UnPublished Art

Watching and Waiting

Decisions

Lost and Found

Follow the Jumping Duck

Barack Obama

Oh, Canada! (Part II)

Oh, Canada!

Photos from Seattle

Updates all around

Interesting Photos

Riddles and riddles

New York (part III)

New York (part II)

New York

You've GOT to be kidding me!

Segway

Halo 3

Correspondence

American Marketing Association

Help with graphics

I say "Tomato" you say "Tomato"

Old Poetry

So long!

Eeeew!

Graduation

Graduation Day

Up, up, and away!

Thanks Jimmy

PowerPoint

Inter-species Friendship

New website

Website Designs

My girlfriend's tattoo

Flexible Ethics

The City of Roses

Writers of the Future

Memorial Day Weekend

Share Time

New Idea

Of Free Speech and Other Things

eBooks

New Links

Writers of the Future

Adobe Illustrator

May the force be with you ... and your mail

Graduate School Exit Project

Tri-Met

New story idea

Rock Climbing

Of the Aftermath

Author's Note

Good Books

Follow-up

The Businessman, the Athlete, the Taxi Driver, and the Writer

A story dies in its infancy

Light Reading

Flashbacks

Recommended Background Reading

Recent Webpage Updates

A Beginning

43things

And so it begins

Writers of the Future

Syndication?

Newer stuffs

Another Story Starter

Bouncing around inside my head ...

A Dream of Remembrance Lost