Desperately Seeking Inspiration

So, I'm trying to come up with an entry for a monthly "Flash Fiction" contest on one of the SciFi/Fantasy sites that I frequent. The theme this month is "Super Powers" and I have to admit, this one has me stumped. It's going to be a real challenge to come up with something original in a genre that has been done to death. I have one idea that sounds good in theory, but the execution is proving to be a bit tricky. If I'm not careful, I'll have another flop on my hands. I tend to either do really well or completely flub it. There's rarely an in between with my stories. Well, nothing for it but to try and crank something out in the next little while, I suppose. Maybe if I just go with my gut and then polish it from there, it won't turn out too badly. Wish me luck!

Tourney of the Foxes Videos!

First Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ETpObwLv5A

Second Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KStEN--7SMA

Third Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNia8f9lLY

Fourth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxcSNOr6ALQ

Fifth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbAV31YRPZs

Sixth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y1tLLZALdk

Seventh Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob_aekHUXB0

Eighth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrtXl1lpa8

Unfortunately, the batteries died before the final round, but it went well and we ended up going undefeated. The hardest fight we had was against Captain Thomas O'Toole, Pepper and Baron Thorgrimm of Atlantia in round eight.

P.S. Special thanks to my step-son, Daniel, for running the camera for us.

Return of the Living Blog

Ok, I admit it. I haven't updated my blog in like forever. But I didn't mean to neglect this medium of self-expression. I was seduced by the Facebook side of the Force. It's so easy to lose yourself in the bells and whistles of social networking and forget about the basics. So, I'm going to try and make better use of this outlet of information. Starting with some links to videos of us fighting at Tourney of the Foxes, which I'll put in a new post as soon as time allows. Enjoy!

The Principles of Aquisition

As a follow up to my musings regarding the power of material possessions, I just wanted to share some of the items that have mysteriously (not really) appeared in our home lately. Since my last post we have managed to purchase, through various means, a new sectional sofa complete with two recliners and a hide-a-bed, a 42" flat screen HDTV, a new entertainment center, an Xbox 360 (courtesy of my step-son), new landscaping for a problematic patio in front of the house and various and sundry smaller items such as new dvd's and games. We've also managed to pay off one of our more vexing credit cards. When life starts going this well, I get nervous. Surely something is going to go horribly wrong and put us even farther in debt than we've ever been before. Nothing comes without cost and I'm not just talking about money. I'm waiting for the bomb to drop and wipe out all of our gains. Paranoid? Maybe. But I've seen it happen too often to trust in fate. In the meantime, though, I'm more than happy to kick back in my recliner and play new video games in high definition on my new big screen tv. Oh, yeah, baby!!

The Power of Material Things

It's amazing how much power physical possessions can have over us. We get into routines of need and want that are very hard to break sometimes. Our material existence is bound up with all kinds of strange devices that are supposed to bring us comfort and make our lives more satisfying. For the most part, having nice things is... well, nice, but if we dwell too much on the items that we want and, for lack of money or availability, can't get, then it can be a terribly frustrating ordeal. There is a large list of fairly expensive things that we have been wanting to purchase for quite some time. Some are things that I want and my wife doesn't really care about and, of course, there are some that she thinks are necessities that I find kind of pointless. But in the end, we usually manage to agree that we need/want x items in the near future. This has proven to be an ongoing battle with temptation. We already have a significant amount of debt that eats into our monthly budget. We don't want to incur more right now. However, that big screen lcd tv has been waiting for us to give it a home for a couple years now, our king size mattress is getting lumpy and uncomfortable, our downstairs sectional couch is falling apart, our fridge is getting on in years, it would be really nice to remodel the downstairs bathroom, etc., etc., ad nauseum. So we debate endlessly on how to go about spending our money and very little actually gets bought that isn't an immediate need. And so the frustration at our lack of progress builds. I don't blame my wife. She and I have both been burned before by over-extending our finances. I try to tell myself that it's only "stuff" and it's not that important. But we have been raised in a culture that places great value on possessions, however shallow that may be in the grand scheme of life. I should be above that nonsense, but part of me is vulnerable to it. It's difficult to admit to oneself that buying frivolous stuff makes one happy and fills a void of sorts. I think it has a lot to do with the sense of power that comes with finally getting something that has been out of reach for so long. My wife fusses at me for "beating a dead horse" every time I mention making certain large purchases that we have been putting off. I know it's irritating to her to hear me gripe about such things. I hope she can forgive that particular character flaw because, in the final tally of success in this life, her happiness means far more to me than all the gadgets and physical comforts in the world.

I Need Serenity...

For those of you familiar with the Firefly series and it's big screen follow up, Serenity, you may want to check out the pen and paper RPG version. We are planning a role-playing campaign using that setting and rule set and it looks to be a hoot. The rule book is written with the same wry humor of the source material and it gives some very in-depth information about the game world. I've already got a character in mind, a big, burly security type. Pretty standard with a couple of twists (always got to have twists, after all). Haven't got all the wrinkles worked out just yet, but I'm already looking forward to playing. We are just tiny little bundles of hopes and fears floating through the Black, but with a good ship and solid crew, no power in the 'Verse can stop us! Shiny!

Malicious Microorganisms

Once again, I have been assaulted by germy invaders that delight in tormenting me. A viral sinus infection, the doctor says. Nothing serious enough to be life threatening, of course. Not much the medical community can do about it. Just tough it out, sonny boy. Get lots of rest, drink lots of fluids. Purge you body, bolster you immune system, take over-the-counter drugs. Well, I knew to do all that already, so going to the doctor seems kind of pointness, after the fact. I can't just stop my day to day activities for the sake of getting "rest". I have responsibilities, after all. So, unless I'm completely debilitated, what I end up with is long stretches of low grade misery as I try to carry on with my normal routine. I'm tired of being subjected to the whims of non-sentient (supposedly) microcosmic forces that flare up whenever my immune system is the slightest bit stressed. I can only seek to focus on the positive right now. After all, had I lived even a hundred years ago, I would have probably died in early childhood. Now, I can at least look forward to old age, when the health problems will be much, much worse than merely annoying. That's a happy thought....