Is the new anti-war movement in danger of being torpedoed by its own fanatics? A great salon.com article…talking about how there’s a real danger of the overwhelming majority of normal, well-adjusted folks who are against the Bush Pre-emptive War doctrine being ignored due to the wacko-anarcho-college-student fringe loonies subverting the message. Hard for most of us to be taken seriously when anti-war event organizers are anti-US hardline neo-communist revolutionaries…

On the other hand, Barbie is gonna be a Bond Girl, so things can’t be all bad.

My brother Jason apparently has come down with a case of Bell’s Palsy, the facial paralysis that I had an occurance of in 1999. Needless to say, he’s a bit freaked out, since there is nothing that can really be done about it, and a lot of times you don’t get 100% of your muscle strength back (My right eyebrow droops noticeably now, in fact–the doctors told me that I had about a 90% recovery). I told him about my experiences, we noticed that the early-warning symptoms were identical (an odd metallic taste in the mouth two days or so before paralysis, followed by a facial tic, and then a prickling sensation similar to getting anaesthetized before losing muscle control entirely). I notice that I was about the same age he is now when I came down with it…wonder if there is some sort of genetic trigger or something going on here.

In other news, getting ready for National Novel Writing Month…I guess it’s cheating a little bit, but I’ve been taking notes, prepping for the main process in November (hey, notes aren’t actually writing, so they don’t count. So there). It’s going to be set in the world of Apollyon Noir, so I’m killing two birds with one stone.

Wow…two days, two updates! You’re all gonna get spoiled.

GMS

Again, a little while between updates. Sorry about that. Work (both day job and dumb-as-hell-why-the-hell-do-I-put-myself-through-this writing at night) has been kicking my ass for the past week.

No deep, Wil-Wheaton-esque soul-searching this time around, though. I haven’t really got the time today (same goes for Apollyon Noir updates, although I will be getting some more of those up here soon, I promise.) Just a couple of cool links for you today:

Kaiju alert! Giant Bird Sightings in Alaska. Rodan’s back on the block, kids. Can King Ghidorah be far behind? I mean, check this out: Mauna Loa is active again. Volcanos stirring, giant birds appearing….hmmmm.

Am I hearing a “SkreeeeeeONK” in the distance?

Something to think about.

GMS

Get Off Yer Ass & Do Something

So, I saw over at Gareth Hanrahan’s weblog that he’s getting on board with National Novel Writing Month.

Basically, it’s a internet-based pledge to spend November 1-30 writing at least 50,000 words of a novel. No worrying about whether or not it’s any good, no worrying about whether or not it’s saleable–just a deadline: 50K in 30, and few thousand people in the same boat with you.

Sounds like a plan.

What the hell–I’m in. I’ve got nothing better to do in November, except for the commute, the day job, and stuffing myself with Turkey and Punkin’ Pie towards the end there. I need an excuse to get some words on paper, and this seems as good as any.

So, consider this a challenge to those of you out there reading this (I’m talking to you, Melton, don’t try to duck down in the back, there…) to get off yer asses and do the same. I’ve heard more than one of you say that you should be writing–now’s your chance. You’ve got an excuse.

Or, to put it another way: If I’m goin’ insane, I’m not goin’ alone–some of you bastards are coming with me.

GMS