Wrapping Up Day One in My Latest Campaign to Take Over the World

Spent a lot of time today on the thorny issue of the Podcasts.

I have been using archive.org to store most of the files, and they recently moved servers around, so MOST of my podcast links had to be reset. Aigh.

Made some tough calls...or instance, took down the podcast discussion of FROM AN UNEXPECTED QUARTER. I'm de-commissioning that book in February, so I figured I better start winding down my promotion of it.

I got the weekly FROM OUT OF THE CITY podcasts aligned right, cleaned up the muse discussions, the book discussions and of course, made sure everything by Nordette Adams and Dan McTaggart.

Which reminds me...I still haven't received Nordette's sound files for this week's shwow.

Which reminds me, there are a few others whose files I haven't yet received. Snarl.

Went and saw KING KONG today. Well done, Peter Jackson, well done. Naomi Watts has never been yummier, Adrian Brody never more soulfully heroic and Jack Black never more...hm...amoral. The cinematography is amazing.

If anyone out there knows...when the song "Bye Bye Love" is done in Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ, there is a brief violin intro to it...not the Vivaldi bit he does in the shower scenes, I am talking about when Ben Vereen as O'Connor Flood hands the microphone to Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon (get the feeling I know this movie? I do...) Anyone out there able to identify it for me? Some music lit major?

Heard from Brigit over the Holidays. Always nice to hear from her. A shame she can't record for the show...that would be awesome (besides, she is one hellaciously gifted writer, in her own write...) but domestic issues kinda/sorta get in the way. Great to have the Selke in the house.

I think I'll go see this season's new Harry Potter movie tomorrow, and finally assemble my computer desk. Then put together something truly magical for the band...later this week, if anyone cares (I know you do) I'll release the second cut by THEOCRICIDE (maybe we do need to change their name to avoid a conflict with the forthcoming book)...maybe Radiant Tigers, or Gods of Love, or Amomancer? Dunno.

The piece is called "Live at Kyrienar" and features only three poems, but all of them first water works: MONUMENT, GOLEM AND PHOENIX and TRANSCENDENCE. A little more Wagnerian in tone than WORDSLINGER...but about 5-1/2 minutes long instead of the 18 minutes of the latter piece. Where is Kyrienar? Wow, you need to do your homework.

No, don't waste your time looking it up on the web. In the Panther Cycles, I reveal the real name for The City of Legends is Kyrienar. Yep...it's in there. Quit taking shortcuts and actually read something, okay?

Hey, 2006. This is good...very good. I feel like a butterfly having just made my first incision in the cocoon to emerge. These are exciting times. I have had the good fortune to accomplish more in the last twelve months... And I did it all with integrity, even humility ( as close as I can tell). Yes, I can be arrogant, although sometimes people mistake diligence or intent as arrogance. But when you look down at the ground and kick the dirt and say "I'll try" instead of pull on the cape while leaping over a skyscraper, people sometimes are less discomfitted and don't get in your way as much.

In my experience, people don't like heroes very much. It offends them, like in THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN when Johnathan Pryce orders Sting shot for being a hero saying "Have him executed at once. This sort of behavior is demoralizing for the ordinary soldiers and citizens who are trying to lead normal, simple, unexceptional lives."

The damage people do in their quest for boredom, as if accomplishing nothing more remarkable than taking up space was a virtue. I get more grief for doing something well, for doing something good, for doing something crucial, than I have ever been criticized for failure.

Question: How do people stay sane on this planet?

Answer: They don't.