The Science Of God

I have been re-reading a book I bought last year called The Science Of God:The Convergence Of Science and Biblical Wisdom, because the first time I read it I was a little overwhelmed by the depth that author Gerald Shroeder goes in his various explanations of how the Bible and science are actually compatible. That is, indeed, the point of the book; to get scientists to see passed their labcoats and for theologians to see passed their pews and find that there is a lot of common ground to be seen between the two.
While the book is not wholly convincing -- I think Shroeder, who is a Jewish scientist, leans too much on traditional Jewish writings like those of mystical kabbalahist Nahmanides, a 13th century Jewish philosopher, and his own interpretations of the first five books of the Bible -- the book does go a long way in helping people like me grasp concepts such as evolution, relativity, and other scientific concepts of which religious people tend to be afraid. I particularly enjoy his discussions on Einstein's relativism and the dating of the earth. The whole concept of time and space. Deep stuff.
Anyway, for anyone willing to delve into such a book, I would suggest it as something that, if not totally convincing as an argument for the case of God in every aspect of Creation, atleast it will get a person thinking. I know what side I am on, and I think that those on both sides who read this will stay on their respective sides, but maybe with more respect for those that appear to be their enemy. In my mind, science and nature are one. God made it. We just haven't figured it all out yet. And we never will in this lifetime. But it's fun trying.

Digital Man

Here are some experimental digital photographs of mine. They are about 5 years old.

I have others. I will post more in the future,

Wil.

Some Old "Drawrings"

Some old sketches out of my past... This is Natalie Merchant, who was the lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs.


And this is a rough sketch of Steve Howe playing his old double neck from way back in the 1970's. He was (and is) the guitarist for Yes. Both sketches are about 4 or 5 years old. I don't draw much these days. Actually, not at all -- I have been focusing on writing and film stuff.


Maybe I will post more one day... Wil

Cartoon, Cartoon! Shaken and Stirred...

For anyone who hasn't discovered this site yet, you need to go. There are some seriously twisted cartoons here. But this series is the most twisted. And yes, I think it is funny. What does that say about me??

http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgsmenu.html

Book Update

I finally got a copy of The Chronicles Of Narnia this past week. It has been a long time coming. I was behind the curve on the Lord Of the Rings books as well. I was just never exposed to these books as a child. I was deprived! It took a couple of good friends to introduce me to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. When I heard there were going to be movies based on the books I asked them if they were good books. Both said yes, and that I had to read them. So I did, and I was almost finished with The Two Towers when the first film came out. Soon after I finished the final book and I was glad I got to read them first before seeing them. In fact, I went back and re-read the first two before the second film came out.
While I new of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kid, but never read the book, though I knew it had something to do with some kids and a lion. And I had no idea it was part of a bigger set of stories. It wasn't until about 6 years ago that I learned that it was in a Narnia Chronicle set. It was about the same time that I was introduced to the writings of C.S. Lewis and I quickly devoured many of his books around 2000 and 2001. But the Chronicles was always left out. I guess because I saw it as a children's book. And yea, it is. But that doesn't mean it isn't a classic, and children's books used to be written on a more intelligent level than they are now. I mean, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, they all are classics, and are still fun to read as adults. Very well-written.
The Chronicles volume that I got has them all in one set and although the original books were published at different times in a different chronology to the events in the books themselves, this volume places each book in the order in which they were meant to be read. That means that the first book is The Magician's Nephew. Second is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I am about 20 pages from the end of The Magician's Nephew. Should be able to knock that out tonight. Then I will start the other one tomorrow. The film opens in theaters in two weeks I think. But I am sure I can read it before that time. A friend told me that more films are already on the way, but I will have ample time to read the remaining Narnia stories before then.
Anyway, the first book is good, even if the allegorical nature of the story is a bit obvious. Not as obvious as Lewis' Out Of the Silent Planet or Perelandra. But still apparent. Good book so far too. And that is the point really. Does it entertain? Does it make you think? Would you recommend it to others? So far, I say yes.

A Visual History Of Rush

This is just my way of sharing the band through the many images taken of the band over the years. 30 years is a long time. And a lot changes -- especially the clothes and the hair! Some of these pictures are funny. Enjoy....

I Can't Believe It

It is almost Christmas. Wow. Time sure does fly. It is almost 2006. I remember when I was a kid, the year 2000 sounded so far away, so futuristic! I remember reading a short story in the 3rd grade that stuck with me all these years, and amazingly many of the things it talked about have happened -- it was about the future, and it talked about how everyone would have computers and no one would ever have to go outside their homes because they would be able to go to work, school and shop via the computer.
It also talked about portable phones (which we of course call cellphones). And it mentioned other things that I don't really remember well, although I do recall it mentioned flying cars. I think as a society we really want flying cars, cause it seems that every futuristic story has one (remember Back To the Future?). But that will never happen -- people can't even drive on solid ground -- what makes anyone think they would drive any better flying?? There would be cars falling out of the skies and onto people's homes left and right. It would be chaos.

Speaking of chaos, here is our word of the day....

an·ar·chy n. pl. an·ar·chies

Absence of any form of political authority.
Political disorder and confusion.
Absence of any cohesive principle, such as a common standard or purpose.

[New Latin anarchia, from Greek anarkhi, from anarkhos, without a ruler : an-, without; see a-1 + arkhos, ruler; see -arch.]

TALES FROM THE DRYER
Episode III

It was just another day for Steve. He woke up like he always did, went to school, like he always did, spent most of the day writing poetry in his notebooks and the rest flirting with girls. He knew the poetry was bad. He knew the girls would never go out with him. But Steve was bored.

Steve wasn't dumb. He just hated school. And as a result he barely got by in all of his classes. He could have passed everything with flying colors. But he just didn't want to work that hard. He wasn't lazy. Well, okay he was a little lazy. But it was more about the previously mentioned boredom than any kind of laziness.

These were not thoughts that Steve ever coherently focused upon in any conscious way or verbalized. It was more an instinctive gut feeling. He knew he could do more. But he refused. Why? Because he had a vague dread of where it would all lead. And the life it led to was not something of which he wanted to be a part. He had other ideas. He had other dreams. Those ideas and dreams did not include getting a college degree and sitting behind a desk everyday, being a slave to the clock, getting stuck in traffic. The "daily grind" as his mother called it. It sounded way too ominous. Way too real. Way too boring. Business suits. Afternoon meetings. Even if he were the President, it would be, in his mind, nothing more than a glorified desk job, with too much pressure and too much responsibility.

Not that Steve didn't care about some things. There was one thing he greatly cared for, a thing -- that idea, that dream -- for which he would slave over, be subject to, the servant of, all day every day if necessary. It was the only thing he truly wanted to learn about and be successful at. And it didn't involved punching a clock or working on reports for some faceless client.

So Steve continued to coast through school. His parents complained. His teachers pleaded. All to no avail. They knew he would be destined for greatness if only he would "apply himself". Steve knew as well that he was destined for greatness. But his idea of greatness was not the same as theirs.

Although Steve hated the idea of becoming a slave to the "daily grind" he understood the necessity of paying dues to get to where he really wanted to be. Plus, his mother made him. She felt it would instill the values of hard work and the understanding of what the "real world" would be like. It only had the opposite effect, and Steve learned to hate work even more.

And so it was that Steve, after school that day, which was just like any other day, went to his part-time job. He hated it of course. But he viewed it as a stepping stone. It was a roadside stop on the journey to where he really wanted to be and nothing more.

Steve was standing by the time clock, preparing another night of work when a pretty brunette walked into the room, which was actually the breakroom.

"Hey, Steve", she smiled.

"Hey, Wendi", he answered flatly, clocking in and sighing.

"We got a new guy starting tonight", she continued. "I wonder if it's anyone we know from school."

"What's his name?" asked Steve, suddenly interested.

"I think Rob said it was something like, um... Shawn? No... It begins with an 'S'.""Hm", mumbled Steve thoughtfully, trying to think who he knew from school with an "S" name."Oh!" Wendi interjected. "I know, I know -- Seth, that's it. His name is Seth."

In Other News...

... I got the new Rush DVD set, R30 -- a live DVD celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rush as a rock band. Amazing run for these guys. With the exception of a different drummer on the first album, Rush have been the same three guys since 1974 (when the first album was released). Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars, backing vocals, synth pedals) and Neil Peart (drums and multi-percussion) are a great band indeed. Of course, they are unique -- especially Geddy Lee's vocals. You either love them or hate them.
This DVD has a concert they did in Germany last summer. A bonus disc was included with vintage footage of the band playing live and in music videos from the late 70s, plus rare interviews. It also features the Juno Awards (the Canadian version of the Grammys -- yes, Rush are Canadian) when Rush was inducted into the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Rush released a live DVD two years ago, Rush In Rio (that was their first ever) and I have to say that as far as the concert goes, I like Rush In Rio better. But the R30 is cool because it includes live songs not performed in Rio. Also, the bundles of extras on disc two make R30 worth every penny. Speaking of which, Rush is known for giving fans value for money -- the two disc set sold at Target for only $25. Not bad when most single DVDs run for around $20.
"Tom Sawyer", "Limelight", "Working Man", "The Spirit Of Radio"....classic tracks by a classic band!
I also got Season 5 of Seinfeld. I have Seasons 1 - 4 already. Season 6 is out as well but I am getting that for Christmas. :-)
Another show I like and have on DVD is Everybody Loves Raymond. A lot of people don't like this show, but I think it is really funny. I could really relate to that show, especially when I was married. It's funny -- Ray was my point of connection before; now it's Robert! (Yes, my life is sad). At any rate, the 5th season comes out next week. Can't wait to get it.
The only other show I have on DVD is Monty Python's Flying Circus. I have 1/2 of Season 1, all of Season 2 and 1/2 of Season 3. So if anyone wants to get me the missing halves of those seasons, or maybe Season 4... You know where to find me. :-)

Some Info On Our Film Project

Here are some preliminary technical notes on our film that we started last night (and should be finished with by next Sunday night). Right now, we have no title, but the working title is New Age Nerds. I am never good with coming up with cool titles. I think Josh said once that he struggles with good titles too.
Anyway, here are some production notes:

CAST:
Bry....................................Josh Self
Trey..................................William Brownell, III
Don Villaberto(voice)......Josh Self
Bernie from PA (voice)...William Brownell, III
Announcer (voice)..........Jordan Self

Directed by - Josh Self
Written by - William Brownell, III and Josh Self
Edited by - Josh Self
Cameras - Jordan Self, Josh Self and William Brownell, III
Sound - Hannah Self, Josh Self and William Brownell, III
Lighting - Josh Self and William Brownell, III

As you can see, Josh and I did a lot on our own. That made it a lot of fun. It can be difficult trying to juggle a lot of things on a bigger sort of project (trust me I have seen Josh and my friend Nathan Voltz do that), but on this little film it was really fun.
What was a riot was trying to memorize our dialogue. We had to learn it in chunks and sections. Josh, who took our basic idea and transformed it into a working script, was cursing himself when we starting filming our speaking parts and he realized that he had given himself the most dialogue to remember! I was spurring and cheering him on, and we got through it. But there are some humurous outtakes of us both. One line that was really fun to watch Josh recite was "polyphonic sleep therapy musical journey of the mind" (I know that phrase makes no sense -- you will just have to see the film). Poor guy struggled with that one for some time. It was a riot though. But he got through it. I have to applaude him for that. And I am glad it wasn't me.
I think Josh plans to assemble an outtake "blooper" reel for the film, so I am sure folks will get to see us cracking up.
So till then, enjoy your own personal polyphonic sleep therapy musical journeys of the mind.

Wil

Weekend Update

Well, first let me say that I don't know if all the planets aligned, or if God was smiling on me, but the date did not happen. I asked Josh if his wife, Carrie, had still planned for us all to go out Sunday night. He said that she hadn't mentioned it since last Sunday. So I didn't bring it up. Carrie had to work Sunday evening. And it was never brought up again. But somehow I don't think I got out of it that easily -- problems like that don't just go away that simply.
What else? Well, without a date to worry about Josh and I were able to work on our film. Josh and I accomplished a lot Sunday, filmwise. His brother, Jordan, and Jordan’s wife, Hannah, offered to help us, so we got together Sunday around 2PM and headed to our first location to film a few exterior shots for our short comedy. These shots had to take place in a parking lot, outside of a bookstore. So we drove to the Summit and parked at the far end of the parking lot; we were considerate of the fact that there were many folks coming and going and with this being the holiday season, there would be a lot more folks than usual out shopping.
So there we were, trying to work around other people. Most folks were good humored, and so things went well -- it was like the perfect set -- buildings, cars, extras.
It was overcast and somewhat windy, but that was okay because we planned to film the rest at night, inside Josh’s car. So with the sun quickly disappearing, we didn’t worry too much. Josh did worry about whether or not security would run us out. See, we were filming "guerrilla style" -- meaning we had not asked anyone if we could actually film in the parking lot. I figured that as long as we did it quickly and stayed out of folks’ way, we would be okay, but Josh wasn’t sure. I don’t know if I was just pumped up that we were actually working on something new or what, but I felt uncharacteristically bold. I was like, "Forget it, who cares? What is the worst they can do? Tell us to leave? Then we will leave. But till they do let’s film as much as we can." Jordan and Hannah agreed and we got all the shots we needed.
Then I added, "Just remember, if anyone asks, we are shooting a student film." That was always our excuse, because for some reason if you say you are a student working on a student film, people find that neat and fascinating and leave you alone. It’s almost like a golden ticket to do what you want. Most of the time anyway.
Josh then wanted to film a few shots of me and him getting into his car, but the light was slowly fading and so we decided to move to another part of the Summit parking area, under one of the light poles, which were on and beginning to illuminate the lot. So we pulled into a spot where there were few cars around (amazingly) and set up to get our last shots before we headed back to Josh’s apartment to film the interior shots of his car.
As we are about to get our last shot, a bike cop cruises up to us. "Anything wrong?"
Still being in the bold frame of mind that I was, I piped up our pre-prepared statement: "No, we are just shooting a film for school, a student film."
"Oh, cool. Well, sometimes people have accidents here and film it for insurance purposes."
"No, no", we laughed. "Nothing like that."
"So", he continued, "what’s it about?" Josh gave an explanation as he continued setting up.
"Where do you go to school?" he asked us. Okay, we had never been asked that one before. We hadn’t prepared for this little white lie to go to this level.Everyone else just stood there.
Uh...The bike cop seemed really cool, and he was. Very friendly, young guy. His easy-goingdemeanor gave me an extra shot of confidence. There was certainly no turning back now!So I start to answer, somewhat sheepishly, "Jeff State." But at the exact same moment, Josh says, "UAB."I almost fainted. It was almost like something out of a sit com.
Josh simply turned back to his camera. Jordan and Hannah continued to stand there and say nothing, leaving me, Mr. Bold, to hang by a thread. But, as Jordan later commented, I bounced back and recovered quite nicely.
"Well", I tried to laugh casually, "He (meaning Josh) goes to UAB. I go to Jeff State. We’re working on it together." The bike cop seemed to buy it, and then the conversation (thankfully) turned to his job and shoppers and all that. I was ready to crawl in a hole. We had pressed our luck. Let’s get this shot and get out!But the cop was very friendly and wanted to talk about his family too. And life in the military, which Josh was keen to explore. Which was okay, as long as we didn’t have to lie anymore. But we were losing precious time and I really didn’t want to carry on this discussion anymore. So we tried to wrap it up with a sort of, "Well, guess we better get this done." Sort of thing.
Then he asked me what I was majoring in. "Art", I said very confidently. Which was only a half lie cause at UAB I did take two semesters of Art.
He asked Jordan what he was taking in school. Jordan answered, without missing a beat,"Biology." (Which was so not true. I don't think he is even in school.)
"Oh", asked the bike cop, "what do you plan to do with it?"Jordan seemed at a loss for words. This guy must have been onto us. He was asking way too many questions. If he had asked us for student ID we would have been screwed. But thankfully he didn't. As I said, he was really nice and talkative. I almost wished he would have just told us we needed to leave.
Before Jordan could stammer, I jumped in quickly with a joking reply. "Oh, Jordan is a bum, he doesn't do anything." We all laughed, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and begged God to make this guy go away. We were not planning on this long string of white lies. We weren't hurting anyone. We just wanted to get one more shot and we would go.
Well, we did want one more shot up at the coffee shop. And this guy was so nice and we were getting away with this string of lies so well, that I said, "Well, we need to get this done. We do want one more up at the Joe Muggs over there, but that is all."
"Okay", he smiled, "but just be careful, the guy who patrols over there can be like Rambo sometimes." We laughed, he biked away, and we all stared at each other and started breathing again. We are all terrible liars. Which I guess is a good thing. Sometimes anyway!
"Okay", I announced, "from now on, we get our lies straight!"
Jordan swore the guy was onto us the whole time and was just being cool. I tend to think that he was so busy talking to us about his own life -- he seemed glad to have people around his own age to talk to for some reason -- that the little inconsistencies in our story probably didn't hit him until he got home that night. Either way, it was rather exciting.
We got our shots, we moved on, and back at Josh's apartment we got most of the filming finished. We have a few more shots to do next Sunday, editing, and any music we will need. Josh and I think it's funny. It was great to do something where he and I could act together. We cracked ourselves up. Don't know if anyone else will laugh. But we sure did.

Suction Horse History

As mentioned before, Suction Horse Productions is one of the independent film teams I work with, run by Mr. Josh Self. The first thing we did together was back in July '04 for the Sidewalk Film Festival (and in fact, most of our stuff has been for Scrambles. For more on Sidewalk Film Scrambles, you can go here:http://www.sidewalkfilm.org/scram.htm ). We are given themes and sometimes props to use in the films, and you only have 48 hours to put it all together, starting on a Friday night and finishing Sunday night. Oh, and it has to be 5 minutes long (the first was 6 minutes, but they changed the rules.) It's really fun.
This is a screen shot from our first short (6minutes long), called The Dungeon Master. It is sort of a comedy. It starred Chris Hobbie, with off screen voices by Daphane Voltz (as Chris' mom); as well as three D&D styled figures that speak! Floyd the Barbarian was voiced pathetically by me, Vermillia was voiced by Stephanie Wilhite, and Baldor was voiced to award-winning success by Nathan Voltz.
We were pumped about getting an award for our first film and when the next Scramble came around in November '04, we wanted to assemble the same group. Unfortunately, that was not to be and we had to get some folks we had never worked with before involved. Some worked well, but others did not and the end result suffered from it. It was called Peace Of Me (my title) and was about a guy hunting for a girl he only knew from a photograph. It was 5 minutes long, and was a disaster. I have only ever watched it once since. Josh and I had to really work hard to pull that thing together. Carrie, his wife, was an anchor as well. But when it was all said and done I swore I would never go through something like that again.
In February of '05, in the freezing weather, we were able to assemble much of the original team, plus a few new faces such as Joey McCain and John P Butka (JP) who were instrumental in the success of this project. (Joey, Chris, Nathan and Daphane would go on to put together Hypocrite Films, the other film team with which I have worked). We also had Chris Hobbie's then wife, Shona, as one of the starring characters. This one was called Death Wears A Boa, and of all the films Suction Horse has made (that I have been a part of making) this one is my favorite. I really had a good time. We hit a few bumps along the way but overall it was good. I think we did a really nice editing job, writing job, and acting job. But unfortunately the Scramble judges felt otherwise and we went away with no awards. But no matter. Death Wears A Boa may be odd, subtle, and weird, but I personally enjoy this one.
In the summer of this year, Josh, Carrie and JP got together and made a nice film for the Sidewalk Scramble called The Basement, a sort of psychological thriller/suspense/horror. I was unable to be involved due to my work schedule, and when I saw the final product, I was even more upset that I was not able to come along and help out because I think it is my second favorite of the Suction Horse projects. It, like Death and Peace, was 5 minutes long. Good work on this one.
That brings us up to our most recent project, another odd suspense piece called The Tree On Rod Lane, starring...me. Yes, I really felt strongly about trying my hand at some real acting this time around. Josh was willing and so was JP, who usually was our go-to guy for acting. But JP wanted to write more and that worked out fine with me.
So I took my turn at the acting and while I know I wasn't that good, I don't think I was wretched either. Mostly. JP is certainly the better actor, that is for sure. But it was still really fun and I wasn't as freaked out as I thought I would be. Normally, the idea of being on camera would have made me sick to my stomach. (This almost happened at the screening of the Hypocrite Films movie, The Three R's, in which I was on screen for maybe two minutes, and had no dialogue. Yet at the screening I was so wound up in knots I was almost shaking.) I enjoyed acting, and I would like to give it a go again one day. But I am perfectly happy behind the camera, helping with the writing, or sound, or with editing or any of that "no one can see me" safe stuff. Who knows? Maybe I will act again in the next Scramble? Until then, we have other non-Sidewalk related films to work on, with no time limit, and more than 2 days to finish. So be sure to keep yourself glued to this site (LOL) for updates on those projects. I am pretty confident that our short comedy (which, ironically, we want to be no more than 7 minutes long -- take away our time limitations and we still make short ones!) will be finished first. Then we will be dedicating a lot of time to a documentary that should be about an hour long. What will the topic be? That shall be revealed in due time.

A Few Pictures

Liam eating breakfast(11/25)
Liam, with a friend (11/25)

And, a bonus picture from this past summer. This is one of my favorite pictures of him.

Giving Thanks

Sure, we are all thankful for our rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yeah, we appreciate and treasure our basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter. But there are many things that are equally wonderful to give thanks for and it is time to name of few of those that get overlooked. So join me as we give thanks for:

pre-packaged meats and meat by-products; the arts, in all of its many forms -- drawing, music, writing, film, photography -- without which my life would be even more boring than it is; headache powders; combustion engines; science fiction; seat belts -- even though I think seat belt laws are stupid; close friends and good times; indoor plumbing; mouthwash; air conditioning; digital technology; seafood; getting through a traffic light just before it changes to red; express lanes at Wal-mart; Monty Python's Flying Circus and Gary Larson's Far Side comic strip, for completely warping my sense of humor; electricity; toothpicks; women, God's most beautiful creation; toilet paper; stereo surround sound; anesthesia; my youthful good looks and charm; my abundant modesty; soft spring thunderstorms on late Sunday nights; clear blue skies, the open road, and King's X on the car stereo; deoderant; turkey as the meat of choice on Thanksgiving Day, as oppposed to, say, possum or squirrel; college football; talk radio; being born in America...

Sure, there are more -- staples, clip on ties, power steering -- but I think you get the idea. Have a good Thankgiving -- be safe! It is crazy out there on the roads today.

One last note: I have my son for a few days and pictures will be forthcoming. I probably will post something Friday, but if not, then it will most likely be Monday before I say anything else. Till then,

Wil

Æon Flux

Back in my highschool days, in the summer between my 11th and 12th grade years, MTV actually did something cool. At the time they were getting away from doing what they were supposed to do -- play music -- and putting some really stupid crap on the airwaves. Actually, not much has changed. But for a brief moment, they actually aired a really cool, groundbreaking animated series called Liquid Television.
The first time I saw this, I was blown away; it was artsy, clever, sometimes twisted, often funny, and totally hooked me. I taped every episode, and some of the short animated clips that they featured stood out as favorites. One was a series of neat shorts called Æon Flux.

Then, a couple of years later, I hear MTV has decided to make a 30-minute series based on those original shorts. I was intrigued. But when I tuned in, I was taken aback -- the characters spoke! You see, in those shorts, there was no dialogue (except for one whispered word, "plop"). Having no dialogue added a certain level of mystery to the shorts -- it made you pay attention more because these were not straight-forward pieces. You really had to watch. The artistry, not just in the animation itself but also in the direction, was addictive. But hearing them speak just took the wind and spark out of the series. I still found it to be neat; there was nothing else around like it. It was original, unique. But it had lost the appeal of those wordless shorts.

At any rate, I was impressed, to say the least. Then I stumbled across a DVD set that has the original shorts, plus the series episodes, in a 3 disc set. *gulp* Finally! I had to have it.

It was great seeing these things again. They are still engrossing to behold. And the series still lacks the magic of the dialog-less shorts. But no matter. As a whole, it is really a cool set to own. And I am not someone who gets into animated sets. But I sure dig this one.

And now, they are coming out with a live-action movie. Charlize Theron is playing our heroine. Hm. She isn't who comes to mind when I think Æon Flux, but who knows, she might be good. I would have thought Angelina Jolie. But who knows, maybe she was offered the role and turned it down, as she has already done the action/adventure thing in Tomb Raider.

I have seen the trailer, and I must say I am disappointed they couldn't get her hair to look like the animated Æon Flux. Just one of those little touches you can miss. I still plan to go see it.

Now if they will just release the whole Liquid Television series on DVD (they have only ever released parts of it). Who knows? One day. And it's too bad MTV has only had that one moment of coolness since the early years. They need to bring Liquid Television back and get rid of all the tripe that pollutes that channel now.

The Blind Date

Okay, the blind date. Well, it's not technically a blind date, since I have met this person. But it's still a blind date in my mind, as you will see as you read on. This is what that is all about.
My friend Josh and I got together Sunday to work on our film ideas. We decided to go to a restaurant where his wife Carrie is a hostess. I can't even remember the name of the place but it's pretty high-end. Anyway, we got us a table near the bar, Carrie bought us drinks (Josh and Carrie are connoisseurs and I sometimes partake in the experience). With pen and paper in hand, we proceeded to knock out a script for our short comedy.
Carrie then asked me what I thought of one of the girls who worked with her, who was sitting at the bar talking to co-workers. I was very into the script and gave an off-handed opinion. I thought she was okay -- honestly I didn't really take too much notice because Josh and I were on a roll and we were cracking ourselves up, almost crying at our own unique brand of humor (so unique that sometimes I think we are the only ones who think we are funny). The next thing I know, Carrie is telling me that this girl finds me interesting and she (Carrie) wants me to go talk to her. I was in a good mood, laughing and all, and I really didn't take anything Carrie was saying seriously. So I said, hey we are working on the script, she can come talk to me if she wants to talk.
Carrie, dejected (but with a sharp determination) returns to the bar. Josh and I return to our script.
After we get our rough draft down, we tell Carrie we are going to Wal-Mart and then back to the apartment so Josh can type our script. As we pull into the parking lot at Wal-Mart, Josh gets a cell phone call from Carrie, and I can tell they are talking about me -- apparently some of her co-workers are planning to get together after work and she wants us to come back so she can hook me up with this girl. I begin to realize Carrie was for real. Josh then tells me Carrie wants to talk to me.As we are walking through Wal-mart I try to tell Carrie that I am not ready for a relationship right now, but she says that is crap and I will be alone for the rest of my life and I need to go out with someone. I just sigh and I really had to laugh. The whole thing was sort of funny. But I couldn't get Carrie to let it go. She cares too much about my well-being. Thank you Carrie, I appreciate it dear! :-) But I do not want to go out with someone I don't know.
Then she says, "Here, she wants to talk to you." And before I can interject I find myself talking to this girl. Seems ol' Carrie has already arranged a double-date for the four of us for next weekend. What can I do? What can I say? I am talking to this person and I don't want to be rude. She was nice. She was upbeat and all. But I didn't even know her name, besides knowing nothing about her. That is why I have never gone on a blind date and I hoped I never would.So we have this little shindig set for Sunday. And I have no clue how to get out of it. I really do not want to do this. I would just not go, but Josh and I had plans to do some filming on our comedy and if I don't go, it will be a lost opportunity. But then I will have a hard time getting away before Carrie shows up with this girl. Because Carrie is bound and determined to set me up with someone.... *SIGH* Carrie, Carrie. God bless ya, girl! :-) I can't help but love ya!
And I also can't get the idea out of the back of my mind that it's a pity date for me. Carrie probably told her that I haven't been out with anyone since my divorce and ... well, I don't want to be a pity date!

Picture

One of my all time favorite bands was in Birmingham back in October. This is a picture of me with the guys after the show (which is why they kind of look tired.): L-R Doug Pinnick (bass, vocals); Jerry Gaskill (drums, vocals); Ty Tabor (guitars, vocals). They have a new album called Ogre Tones, which I will probably be reviewing on this site in the coming weeks.

Tales from the Dryer

Episode II

"A job?...A JOB?!"There it was -- that dreaded three-letter-word that all teenagers fear. But Seth knew this to be his only option if he wanted that guitar. Apparently begging isn't all it's cracked up to be, and his parents proposed that if he wanted a guitar so badly that he should get a (gulp) job and buy one himself. Then they added something about how he would value it more. Seth wasn't sure about that part. He never heard anything after the word "job" was uttered.He knew he had rolled the dice and lost on this deal.

A job? It loomed in front of him like a shadow, the last vestiges of childhood swept away in a cloud of memories, adulthood mocking him on the horizon, a world of mortgages, balancing checkbooks, taxes...You would think that most teenagers would be overjoyed at these first steps into a world of self-sufficiency and freedom. Not Seth. To him, it was only an illusion, the end of one phase of his life, where he was subject to the whims of his parents, to another phase where he was subject to the state. Only the stakes were much higher in this second phase. Sure, the payoff was bigger, but at what price? He didn't want to be chained to a timeclock, a rat race. Responsibility. He was sixteen, but according to the state, he was still a child. A "minor". That was something. Yeah, something confusing. How could he be considered a "minor child", unable to (legally anyway) see R-rated movies, smoke, drink, or vote, but be expected to work? The only thing he had was that now he could get his driver's license (which he did indeed aquire a month previous).

Wait -- that was it! Seth thought he had found himself an out. Sure, he could drive -- but he didn't have a car. So how could he get to a job? He smirked darkly at this thought.But he soon realized that this was a non-issue. It seemed that his parents had already thought this little problem out and Seth's grandmother had a car she wasn't driving and she was more than willing to let her "favorite grandson" drive it.An old lady car?! He cringed at the thought. How was he supposed to look cool and pick up girls in a granny-mobile??

When Seth asked exactly what kind of car she drove, he was somewhat relieved to discover that it wasn't as bad as he thought, but still it wasn't exactly a babe magnet; a 1986 VW Rabbit. Once the issue of transportation was out of the way, his parents gave him suggestions on where to apply for a job. He became quite irritated at this; they seemed just a little too anxious. He really didn't care where he worked -- it was, after all, WORK, and it would suck, he knew it. The only place that seemed even slightly appealing was the little grocery store 3 miles from his house. He figured it was close to home, small and out of the way, and he knew for a fact that they closed at ten every evening. It was a small country grocery store after all.

So he went, his father driving, and asked for an application. He returned home, filled out the necessary information and returned it the following afternoon. He was told that they would call him within a day. His parents waited on pins and needles for the call, or so Seth felt. What is with those two anyway? It was like they were doing everything they could to shove him out of the house.

Seth received a telephone call the following day -- he got the job. I don't believe that "thrilled" is the word that would describe his feelings about this at all.

A Technical Note

I think I finally have it fixed so that anyone can post messages if they wish. I think I had it set so that only members can post. So post away and lemme know if anyone has trouble.

Wil

È Lunedì -- Blech!...

So -- what can I say about this, the first day of the new week?Well. It is dreary, cold and raining. Alabama lost (which I predicted). And I have been set up on a blind date against my will by one of my best friend's wife. Hrm. (More on that one later.)Oh -- I have some pictures...As I have mentioned before, I have an interest in short films. One of the teams that I have made films with, Hypocrite Films, made a 14-minute short called The Three R's, a parody of those old 1950's style educational films. Anyway, I play a guy who gets hit by a car. And I die.Apparently the Birmingham Sidewalk Film Festival thought we were funny and gave us two awards -- Best Alabama Short Film and Best Comedy (aka "f***ing funny" award...hey, I didn't name it, I'm just tellin' ya). So here is a picture of me with the Best Short Film Award, plus some detailed images:


Detail of the name plate at the base of the award.
Detail of the Sidewalk logo.
I look thrilled don't I?

The thing is freaking heavy too. It's made of titanium or something, I dunno...
Anyway, it was fun to do. I wish I could say that my contributions were greater, but really all I did was show up, mug for the camera and play dead. The others (Nathan, "Daffy", Chris, Jason, Joey, Lauren and Willis) all deserve the real credit. I was just glad to have been asked.
My other team, Suction Horse (mentioned as well previously) has three projects in the works -- a short skit comedy; a serious thriller; and a documentary. Stay tuned for more details.

Here It Comes...

...the weekend. Glad of it. What do we have on tap for il fine settimana? Well, there is the Alabama/Auburn game. Hopefully, Alabama will win. I think the Tigers might have an edge though, being that the game is in Auburn. I hate to say it, but this is my prediction:
Auburn-32 , Alabama - 27
I am going over to watch the game at a friend/co-worker's house (Brian Harris). He and Allyson, his wife, invited me. They offered to feed me, so how could I say no?

What else? After the game, Nathan Voltz (the guy who directed and co-wrote The Three R's short film for which we won awards) asked if I wanted to come over and talk shop. Sure, why not? We can hang out and work on another film. It should be fun. He said they want me to be in it and play another dead guy. Am I being typecast? I hope not, that sort of thing can be the death of an actor... It's a dead-end street... It can be the nail in the coffin of an aspiring actor. Okay, I will lay these bad puns to rest...in peace.

Uh, what more? Don't know much. Might go to Josh's Sunday, dunno about that one yet. I might just go shopping, then vegetate on the couch or something.

Next week -- Thanksgiving is arriving. That is pretty cool. Also, the rock trio Rush has a DVD coming out, which will be awesome. I am sure more interesting topics will arise between now and then that I can write about. I am gonna try to get a recent picture of myself as documentation of the hair growthage too.

So -- it is about time for me to cut outta here. I am tired. Be safe, be free, and be funky y'all.

Wil

Q and A

And now it's time for the question and answer portion of our show. This is when I, your humble host, will field email questions from you, the faithful readership.

Q: Who was your favorite president and why?
Jill, from Sarasota, FL
A: My favorite president was Ronald Reagan because he was key in helping to defeat Communism. Plus he was very funny.

Q: What is the atomic number for Nickel?
Bob, from Huntsville, AL
A: 28. And if you were wondering, it's atomic weight is 58.70 and it's symbol on the periodic table is Ni.

Q: What is your favorite color and why?
LeRoy, from Lansing, MI
A: I like blue. Why? Because it isn't purple. I also like black, but black is not technically a color.

Q: Who reigned in England during the American Revolution?
Peter, from Billingstown, PA
A: King George III.

Q: What do you think of Adam Sandler?
Renee, from Dallas, TX
A: I try my best not to, Renee.

Q: What is the easiest way to pick up single women?
Dan, from Carlsbad, NM
A: With your arms.

Q: Are you a nerd?
Steve, from Nashville, TN
A: Yes.

Q: Are you agnostic?
Paul, from St. Augustine, FL
A: No, just extremely irritable.

For Your Listening Pleasure

Thought I would suggest more cool music (atleast to me anyway) that someone out there might find interesting. This is a little more "out there" compared to the last album I suggested. It is by a Scandinavian group called Hedningarna (in Swedish, it means "heathens" because a friend felt that their music sounded wild and heathen).
The group started in the late '80's as a traditional trio -- fiddle, Jew's harp, lute, hurdy gurdy, nickylharpa, that sort of thing -- and then evolved into a five piece after adding two Finnish vocalists. It gave a whole new dimension to their primal ancient sound, which began incorporating modern sounds with ancient ones. The arrangments became angular and quirky and sometimes very bizarre.
In 1999, they released what I consider to be their best work, Karelia Visa. While it still retained the old-meets-new qualities it seemed to focus much more on the old. The band travelled to Karelia, a part of Russia that had once belonged to Finland but was incorporated into the Soviet Union after World War II. It was finally re-opened to outsiders in the late '90's with the fall of Communism. Hedningarna's vocal traditions were born in this region, for the most part, and they wanted to go back and explore the roots of what they were experimenting with all along. The result is a downhome, warm, mature album.
Yes, all the vocals are in Finnish (and are mostly based on traditional folk songs) but the vocal work of Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Anita Lehtola is hypnotic, fierce, and sometimes avant-garde. If you are looking for a different experience, I highly suggest this disc. For me, there is nary a bad track to be found.

KARELIA VISA -- Hedningarna
Released: 1999 (in America, on Northside Records)
Hot tracks: Metsän Tytto (Forest Maiden); Ukkonen(Thunder God); Neidon Laulu(Song Of A Maiden); Viima; Alkusanat.

Hate Crimes

You know, I heard something on the radio about a "hate crime" being committed. I have never understood this terminology. It has always bugged me. In this particular case, a heterosexual man was accused of trying to kill a homosexual man by beating him with a hammer. Now, needless to say, this is a rather heinous crime in and of itself. But why is the term "hate crime" attached to it? I think this bothers me on a few levels.
First, why should a particular person of a certain race or lifestyle be accorded special recognition when a crime is committed against them? If a straight white man beats another straight white man, is this not considered a hate crime? No, it's "just a crime". Why is there a distinction made??
Which leads to the second thing that bothers me -- the very term itself makes no sense. Would you not have to have some level of hate within yourself to commit a crime anyway, whether you are raping or killing someone who is black or white, straight or gay?? I mean, it's as if they are saying that a straight white on straight white crime is not hate filled. And I disagree.
I think the thing that has been so hard for me to grasp is why. Why the special recognition? By making that special distinction, basically the criminal and legal system in our country is saying that because someone was motivated for a hatred towards a particular group then the person committing the crime deserves a stiffer penalty... So they are trying to get not only to the motivation of the crime but the very thought processes behind the person committing the crime. Do you see where this is going? Trying to get into the thoughts of the motivation of the crime. Has anyone read Orwell's classic 1984? Visions of the "thought police" should be coming to mind about now if you have.
As horrible and loathsome these crimes may be, it begins to smack of an attempt by the government to label people for thinking a certain way. If you believe something they disagree with then you will suffer more than others for it. See what I am saying? Before long, it will become an issue of punishing people before the crime is committed, for simply speaking what you think. Anyone see Minority Report?
Now, I am not defending people who promote hatred towards certain groups of people. All I am saying is that in America I thought we were free to think what we wanted. And if someone takes those thoughts to another level and commits a crime based on those ideals, horrible though they may be, they should be punished equal to what you or I would be punished. Now, I am not saying that a minor crime like stealing a pack of cigarettes should be punished on the same level as murder. That is not what I am talking about when I say there should be equality. I just mean that if a white man kills a gay man, why should there be a difference from if a white man kills a straight man? Or a black man? It's the irony of a system that wants to make you think it's bringing more equality to the legal system when it's really creating inequality.
It just makes no sense whatsoever. But be aware -- the thought police are not a dream in a book anymore. They are coming, if we are not careful.

Into the Wintery Night

Tonight after work I am going to visit a friend, Dave Reese. You will probably hear more about Dave as time goes by. I met him via Josh Self; the two of them were in a band together. Dave is a talented singer/songwriter and the band (called Needleye) broke up just before they broke out. But that's life, I suppose. Anyway, Dave was the lead singer, and of course, it is only natural that now he is studying law at Alabama. If you think about it, being a lead singer really is the perfect testing ground for future lawyers. They should add that to the curriculum.
He and his lovely wife, Leigh, recently had their second son, James. Their first is Ian, and they have a blog as well that can be found here: http://thereeses.blogspot.com
Many many pics of the kids!
Also, Dave is a gun guy, and I would be interested in comments from his point of view on the San Francisco gun ban thing that I posted some info about last week. So Dave -- get to it, man!
By the way, he and his brother Derek have started working on some new music. I will have to go more in-depth on that topic another night. But I guess I should get ready to go and warm up the ol' truck... Brrrr....

Weather Report

No this is not about the group. This is about the real weather. And it looks like its getting nasty out there -- a major cold front is sweeping across the state and of course, its storming, windy, and behind it is coming the long dreaded COLD WEATHER... Man, I am so glad I don't live too far north. Alabama weather is just right. Actually, it's about the only thing that is just right in this state. Yeah it can get wild and weird sometimes but on the whole, it's better than most places. We have our tornadoes, but really those are not so bad when you think about hurricanes (yes we have them on the coast but Birmingham is far enough north that we aren't really too effected by that, though lately we have been getting close calls) or mudslides, or earthquakes. I just cannot imagine what it must be like living in an area that gets a lot of earthquakes.
But anyway, I really hate the cold weather, and so, it is with a a sigh that I must face four and a half months of frigid cold weather. And cold weather brings sickness and you have to bundle up and I hate doing all of that. My mood automatically goes down during this time of year. Definitely winter blues hit home for yours truly.
Well, I suppose I will just have to brace myself and bear it the best I can. Now, where are my gloves and scarf?

Suggested Reading

This is a classic -- it's by CS Lewis, and it is his best work of fiction (well, I have to admit I haven't read the Narnia Chronicles yet -- I know, I know!! I will soon). It is the tale of a demon and his nephew, corresponding via letters about the human that the younger demon is given charge. The younger nephew sends letters to his uncle with updates and advice; we never read those, but we do read the replies from Screwtape. (Yes, way back when the book was written -- in 1942 -- they had to write letters, no internet! Besides, The Screwtape Emails just doesn't have the same ring to it.)
The book is clever, poignant, humorous, and reveals more about the dangers and pitfalls of complacency and apathy in one's spiritual life than any sermon could ever reveal. The book is also just the right length to hold someone who doesn't like long reads, and yet contains amazing depth and heart. CS Lewis hits a homerun with this one and I strongly suggest it. You will not regret reading it.

(PS -- Trivia fact: In the 1993 video for U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (from the Batman Returns film) Bono -- or rather an animated Bono, as the band are seen as cartoon heroes in the video -- is hit by a car and as he falls into a heap on the street, out of his hands falls beside his body a copy of -- The Screwtape Letters.)

Governor's Race

The upcoming governor's race here in Alabama should be quite interesting. We have Don Seigelman and Lt. Gov Lucy Baxley (I hope I am spelling their names right!) on the Democratic side, and Gov. Bob Riley and Judge Roy Moore on the Republican side. If ol' Don doesn't get himself put in jail before the election, I think he will easily beat out Lucy B. For one, nobody knows what Baxley stands for because she never lets anyone know. Probably because she knows if she opened her mouth she would automatically lose. But ol' Don is slick -- he's kinda like "Bill Clinton light"; he is just snakey enough that I think he will get the nod from his party. And he also has that lottery thing. Which of course, is ALL he has. And once again, if he were to win, it would die again just like it did before.
Bob Riley was very popular when he first won, but since then he hasn't done a lot. He has brought some businesses into the state but beyond that what else can he say he has done? Not much as far as I can see. Except try to raise taxes after promising he would not. He refuses to do anything about illegal immigration (one of my pet peeves) and I think that has a lot of folks tee'd off. Which is probably why Judge Moore is running on that platform (as well as other things).
As for Moore -- I was worried about having such a controversial person running for governor, and his ties to religious issues seem an ill fit for politics. The last thing I would want is a state-run religious personage trying to legislate morality from his office. But I have to say (begrudgingly) that he is looking more and more like the better choice of any who are out there. I haven't thoroughly researched the man's stand on all issues but I have heard him on the radio talking about his views on various topics and he actually makes a lot of sense.
It will be interesting, no doubt.

buongiorno!

Ciao a tutti, e s'accomodino il sito mio! Vedi, mi imparo italiano, benchè non sono italiano. È difficili -- è qualche volta bisogno avere aiuto -- ma voglio finire mio studio dalla lingua.

William

And Now For Something A Little Different ...

TALES FROM THE DRYER

Episode I

Seth wanted to be a guitar player. It had been a dream of his for some time. Of course, there was one small obstacle -- he first had to buy the guitar. And then learn how to play it. Okay, that's two small obstacles. These might not seem like huge obstacles, and in fact, the first one was probably the greater of the two. That would be because it carried with it a smaller, more subtle obstacle -- Seth didn't actually have the money to buy the guitar.

He knew that if he wanted to be a guitarist that he would actually have to buy one first. That is, unless a guitar was ever presented to him for a birthday (it was not) or for Christmas (not a chance). Or, in the case that he decided to steal one. Stealing was not something Seth was really into, being plagued (to a certain degree) with an annoyingly sufficient level of honesty to prevent such an action. The thought of stealing a guitar never entered his mind. Although the coveting and envying of guitars was a regular practice for him. But those are vices for another day.

So being jobless, he went and and did what he knew he had to do, what anyone would do in his situation. He went to his parents and begged for the money. Now, it is significant to note that he went to his dad first. He always thought his dad to be more sympathetic to his needs and desires. He also knew that his father had played the guitar as a young man and he hoped this would work in his favor. He was also willing to sit through his father's boring stories of those days, stories he has heard a million times before. Seth's dad knew his only son wanted to play guitar (as Seth had been bitten by that particular bug 4 years previously) and had often regaled him with tales from his own misspent youth.

And so it was, when Seth finally worked up the fortitude needed to face his father. His father did indeed bombard Seth once more with his own deep love of his wanton youth, he loved revisiting every nook and cranny and revelled in each and every thrice-told, bell-bottomed, Floydian-enhanced tale. In order to appease Seth's mother, however, his father did make the pretense of footnoting each remembrance as a dressed up "cautionary tale" about how he had "wasted so much time" listening to Zeppelin, stoned, trying to chase girls, rather than paying attention in his calculus or government studies classes.

"Son", he would say, placing a hand on Seth's shoulder, pursing his lips and speaking in a mock regretful tone, "If I had payed more attention to what a rhombus was instead of wasting so much time hanging out in record shops" -- he actually called them record shops -- "and learning the chords to 'Heartbreaker' I would have a better job now." (Of course, his father had a fine job, but this last part was always added for effect. Seth simply rolled his eyes)

During this little speech, Seth's mom would usually be somewhere nearby, folding clothes, watching television, or passing through the room. But each time, Seth saw a twinkle in his dad's eye that pretty much nullified every word he had so eloquently spoken just moments before. Seth knew by the ever-so-faint smile on his dad's face, the distant look in the eyes, that his father missed those days. They were days he longed for, and treasured. There was something special about those wild days of sex, drugs, and rock and roll...

Seth had to have that guitar.

Tide and Tigers

Well, Bama lost (as I thought they would) and Auburn won (which kinda surprised me). Next weekend's game should be a good one. No predictions from me yet though... Maybe Friday.

Well...One More Won't Hurt

Yeah, I just had to throw in another quick word or two before the weekend.

One of the many artistic endeavors in my life involves the making of short films with my friends. One film I was in won Best Alabama Short Film and Best Comedy at the Alabama Sidewalk Film Festival this year (the film was called The Three R's -- I was the dead guy!). That was made with a group called Hypocrite Films.

Another group I work with is called Suction Horse Productions. It is overseen by the Overlord himself, Josh Self (brother of Jordan previously mentioned in an earlier post.) and a close friend for many many ages. The actual production team is sort of a revolving door line-up of whoever wants to help out, but the core group seems to remain Josh, me, his wife Carrie, and a friend, John P Butka (JP). If you want to learn more about us, Josh has a rather interesting site set up. Here are directions: http://bellsouthpwp.net/x/a/xabbu/suction.html

I think we do interesting stuff, but we tend to procrastinate when we don't have a timetable. So I think we need to start cracking down on ourselves to get more done. We have some good ideas floating around. One is a documentary on Josh's dad, who has led an interesting life. Another is an idea I haven't even talked to Josh about yet, but I need to do that soon -- I think it would be a great film idea. But until we flesh it out more, I won't go into much detail yet. But if things go well, I think we could start filming in January.

Anyhoo -- wanted to throw that out, and I suppose that is all. Be safe, be kind, and be funky.

Peace, Wil

Can the Tide Keep Rolling?

I hate to say it but I think my boys in T-town are gonna be dealt their first loss of the season tomorrow. I really hope I am proven wrong, but they just have not been playing well. Defensively they are strong, but offensively they are weak -- I am kind of shocked that they are ranked #3 in the nation. Glad, but shocked. However, they have managed to pull out some wins in bad situations already this year. But I am not getting my hopes up. I still think they can beat Auburn.
And speaking of the Tigers -- I really think they will lose tomorrow as well, though I think it will be a good, close game.
Predictions for scores? Hm... I don't know about Bama. I want to say they will win. I have mixed feelings. So I will bow out of that one. But I will predict a score for Auburn: Georgia 24, Auburn 17.

I guess we will find out soon enough.

I probably won't post much this weekend. I might, it depends. If not, be safe!

Wil

Just Do It

Love your neighbor as yourself ... do unto others ... man, I know we all have heard those things a million times, so much so that I don't even have to include the entire quotes -- everyone knows them, even non-Christians. But how many of us live by them? Sometimes I look around (and at myself) and think that there are more non-Christians living by the words of Christ than those who claim to be "Christ-like". As I said, I put myself in that catagory.
Well, not long ago, I decided something should be done about it. Yeah, one day ... as usual, I procrastinated. But it was always there, in the back of my mind, needling me. When would I start living by those words?
Well, the part about loving others, that was simple enough -- I really have made the effort to be kind, loving and just to all people around me, even people I may not like.
But what about helping others in need? We forget that -- helping the sick and needy. Oh, uh... yeah... *nervous shuffle of feet* One day...
Well, the time came when Katrina hit. My company took up a collection of goods and I brought a plethora of things. It was a start. I felt better.
Now I think it's time to keep the ball rolling. Thanks to a friend, Jordan Self (brother of Josh, a good friend of mine you will hear more about here), I decided to try something cool and drastic.
Jordan is a youth pastor who usually has really short hair. But Jordan grew his hair really long, and when he decided to cut it, he told me he was going to donate it to an organization known as Locks Of Love, which makes wigs from real hair for cancer patients. I thought that was cool, and that one day I would try that. I like long hair -- haven't done that in awhile.
Well, I decided that I wanted to grow my hair out a little for the winter. Not super long, but longer than usual. Then what Jordan did came back to me. Why not? I thought. So I talked it over with my boss, cause I wanted to make sure he wouldn't freak out, and he thought it was a good idea. Soo... the hair is a-growing. And in order to donate it, it has to be shoulder-length (about 10"). It's a cool way to let my hair grow again and also to make it about something more than me, ya know?
So I will try and post pics as the hair gets longer. Stay tuned as that situation develops.
And in the meantime, I will be trying to think of more ways to love folks and do more for those in need. God knows (literally!) I don't do enough.

Peace, Wil

Getting Better ... part due

Well, I am in a better mood today -- the work thing is, well, being "worked" out... Thankfully, I have enough character witnesses to know that what was said is totally not true. And my supervisor was already aware of part of the situation and the person who brought my name into it is, according to him, going to be issuing me an apology, which is fine for me. Talk about my taste in clothes, music, my hair, my car -- I don't care. Talk about my character and defame it, then you got problems. But as I said, it has been dealt with. :-) Thanks.

It is Veteran's Day BTW -- Be sure to thank someone for serving our country today (or anyday!).

Peace, Wil

A Self Portrait

So here it is -- a promised picture... Not much to say other than it is a self-portrait, a digital image manipulated with the use of Photo Studio 2000. Or something. Not really in the best of moods right now because of some gossip floating around about me at work. It takes a lot to bother me -- I am the kind of person who does my own thing and could care less what people think of me -- but sometimes people say things that really upset me. But fear not -- I shall get to the bottom of the issue, because the thing being said is about the most absurd thing ever uttered about me. Stay tuned...

For Your Consideration...

From time to time I'll post albums, books, or movies that I find interesting, things I have found that are really cool, atleast to me. But maybe you can get something out of it too.
Today, I will start with an album that is pretty much the starting point for me when it comes to my interest in music -- way back in the first grade I discovered a little disc known as "the white album" by The Beatles, which I found in my dad's record collection. If you only knew the impact that double album had on a 6-yr old! (Especially whacked out tracks like Revolution 9 and Helter Skelter.) To this day, I still consider The Beatles to be the greatest rock band of all time. While "the white album" isn't necessarily one of my favorite albums today, it is still a great album to spin -- and I would suggest that you do the same.

The Beatles (aka "the white album") -- by The Beatles
Released: 1968
Hot tracks: Back In the USSR; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Blackbird; Birthday; Helter Skelter; Julia; Dear Prudence

Banning guns??

Ok -- so I have never been a gun guy. Don't really care to have one. But I would never consider banning them. But it looks like the fine folks of San Francisco are doing just that. How is that possible? Last time I read the US Constitution (which, incidently, was about 2 months ago) I seem to recall something about citizens having the right to bear arms. Even if they only ban certain guns (i.e. hand guns) this is still WRONG. Because it is only the first step in the direction of socialism and the destruction of our freedoms.
Think about it -- as I said, I am not a gun guy. So this would really not effect me. And you may be thinking the same thing -- so what?? But while today it's something that does not concern you, tomorrow it might be something else that does. Slowly, steadily, our rights will be chipped away.
Also, if they tell everyone to turn in their guns, who do you think will? And who won't? That is right -- the law abiding folks will turn theirs in, even though they may not like it. And the criminals will not. Leaving citizens with no way of defending themselves.
So be aware of what is going on. It starts with small things. And then one day you wake up and find that you have no rights left at all.

Getting Better

I think I must be having allergy problems -- I don't feel sick per se, but a little tired...blech. Anyway, hopefully it will pass...

It's in the air...

Seems that I might be coming down with something -- again. I was just sick two weeks ago. But I suppose it is going around. The weather here is hot one day, cold the next. Typical Alabama weather. I guess we shall see how I feel tomorrow.

Some History ... and a picture or two.

I was born in Anniston, AL in 1972. Yes, I am old, but I don't look it, and that is all that matters, right? Anyway, I grew up in various places, but Pinson is where I felt most at home as a youth. It is also where I graduated from high school. Yes, I am a survivor of the public school system. Pity me...
I married in 1997, divorced in 2000. I currently reside in a small little town west of Birmingham. It's cozy and I like it, even if it is "in the sticks".
By the way, my marriage produced a son, Liam. He was born 09/10/98. Anyway, that's him, this past summer when I had him for a month. Enjoy... (pictures of yours truly to come at a later date...maybe.)

Welcome...

...to my little corner of the cyber universe. My name is William. Here you will find all sorts of odd and interesting things -- random thoughts, poetry, photos, updates on what makes me tick and anything else that might come along of interest. All of these things will be added as time allows. I hope to update as much as possible. So pull up a chair and envelop yourself in my world.