Vacation so far…

Saturday

An odd day for our dads. My parents moved to Canada a few months ago, and my dad came to see us on Saturday while he was in Florida. We had a three hour visit, during which we talked and hung out and got along better than we have in a long time. I even felt comfortable enough with him to show off the writing projects I’m working on, and he surprised me by showing genuine interest, a rarity it seems. Weird.

Annie’s dad, while trimming a bush, discovered that he had disturbed a mockingbird nest. The mother flew to a nearby tree, leaving three newborn chicks and a hatching fourth!

A little background: my father-in-law was an abusive man towards his wife and children in the past, and couldn’t give a damn about animals then, too. Then years ago, he went through anger management courses which turned his ways around with his family. I always get along with him (we have the same sense of humor), but always wondered how much he had really changed inside from the man my wife tells me about.

Well, here’s my huge father-in-law on Saturday, carefully replacing the nest, very carefully replacing the hatchlings and the hatching egg, then going inside and worriedly watching from the window, praying that the mother will come back to the nest, which she did. My wife was stunned by how he was acting, and I think she sees him in a better light now. I guess it’s proof: some people CAN change.

Sunday

Had to get up early Sunday: 9:00 am. Hey, it’s early when your usual wake-up time is 2:30 pm!

This was a day of good omens for my writing, I think. After all the setup with the writing projects, I was wondering if I would have any stalls, any problems getting inspired. We went shopping on Sunday to a few stores and a flea market, and I hit a mother-lode of inspirational sources: I found a local newspaper from 1931 with a TON of pulp-ready news stories that I DEFINITELY can build upon. I also bought a book (entitled “The Airline Builders”) that has loads of pictures and articles from the golden age of aviation, and two of my 3 ideas have something to do with air-power. Lastly, I found what I’ve been trying to find for years: model kits of two of my favorite vintage aircraft- a DC-3 and a Ford Trimotor “Tin Goose”. As my birthday is a week away, I consider these an early birthday gift to myself.

Monday

As my wife and her mom have gone to visit family today, I get to stay home and putter with the computer a bit. We have a Photoshop-like program that came with our new printer, and I’ve been working on doctoring some vintage photos of aircraft and stuff. So far, so good. And that leaves me here, sitting in a quiet house, blogging freely at home for a change and looking forward to the rest of my vacation. Have to go back to work on Thursday, but it’s cool.

Miami Aerodrome: Research And Development Laboratories (MARDL)- Open for business!

As stated before, I’ve been working on some of my own pulp ideas, along with a feedback team.

Here it is.

Hmm…

Astonishing Adventures Magazine.com.

This might not be the place for my stuff right now, but it might be worth watching.

Watchin’ The Clock

As of 11:30 PM, EST, my vacation begins.

Between me and my week off stands a horde of irate customers on the phone.

Can the Professional Dummy defeat and defuse them, so that he and his lady love can find peace and contentment. Stay tuned, and be sure to drink you’re rich, chocolatey Ovaltine!

P.S.- My long-overdo review of “The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril” is up over at The Pulp Collective. Check it out, won’t you.

Maybe, As Long As There’s No Dolph Lundgren…

Variety reports new live-action He-Man movie in development.

Uhhh….

Okay, this might not suck.

In the beginning, before there was a cartoon, Masters of the Universe action figures had little story books that were a hell of a lot cooler than that crappy show or movie ever were. The books (dubbed “Mineternia” by fans, were a pretty cool mish-mash of pulpy concepts: a heaping dose of Robert E. Howard’s Conan, another dose of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter of Mars” books, a dash of Jules Verne, a bit of steampunk, and voila!: the coolest concept in toys in a long time. That show ruined it so bad…

Maybe, with the success of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, “300″, etc, just maybe this could be worth waiting for.

Short Time

Our vacation starts on Saturday, and since my wife continues to be an optimist, I’ll go along with her and up my schedule here:

1 DAY UNTIL VACATION!!!!

A Coffee Rant

Okay. Some of us in the work force live and die by coffee. It’s our lifeblood, that dirty little bean, and we need it. So when you casual coffee-drinking morons don’t respect the communal coffee machine area, when you don’t think beyond your cup only… things get ugly for some of us.

First of all: some of us LIKE caffeine, and we like to know that it’s in the right pot. Remember: as a rule, the de-caf goes in the GREEN POT. Don’t put it where the caffeinated stuff goes (BLACK POT). We’ll know when we taste the bad stuff what it is (and I heard de-caf has formaldahide in it… ugh!).

Second: it only takes a second to wipe up any spilled creamer or sugar or whatever you have left behind. It’ll attract ants, fool. You wanna get our coffee taken away completely?!

Last: It only takes a second to start another pot brewing. If you take the last of the coffee, and you have the moment, FOR GOD’S SAKE MAKE ANOTHER POT!!

…

Did I mention that I like coffee?

______________________________________________________

3 DAYS UNTIL VACATION!!!

Introducing: The Pulp Collective

I thought, like a stubborn Luddite, that the internet could spell doom for antique-centric hobbies and entertainment, like pulp magazines, movie serials, radio shows, etc.

Instead, the internet has proved to be the best thing to happen to pulp entertainment since the “Indiana Jones” trilogy. It’s brought pulp fans together (I had NEVER met a fellow enthusiast before I got online), and brought new fans to the genres.

Gabriel (from the Adventures In Writing blog) and I have been collaborating a bit, and here is The Pulp Collective, a joint project, possibly to have new members in the future. The purpose of the Collective, as Gabe has succinctly put it, is “to provide discussions about pulp and its many seedy bastard sons as they appear in many forms (movies, comics and even video games).” Expect discussions there to also include his neo-pulp projects as well as my own (that is an official announcement, by the way). Not sure what direction it’ll be going, but man… it’s nice to talk to pulp fans finally, y’know? I love the internet.

______________________________________________________
4 DAYS UNTIL VACATION!!!

Random Monday

Happy birthday, Mom!!!

______________________________________________________

We watched “The Godfather” this weekend for the first time ever. Don’t know how my wife and I lived so long without seeing it.
______________________________________________________

This blog has been added to ThePulp.Net’s “pulp blogs” page. Since that site has been the go-to place for pulp stuff on the net for me since the beginning, this feels like an honor. Silly, but true
______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

My vacation has been pushed back a day! Bah! Dave Flora, I know this is your doing, somehow!
______________________________________________________

Berries & Cream Dr. Pepper is the best tasting soda ever.

(Yes, I am the little lad that likes berries and cream!)

______________________________________________________

The title villain in the Shadow novel “Malmordo” actually chews through a wooden privacy fence!! Egads!

______________________________________________________

Licking a wall socket will not turn you into a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

______________________________________________________

5 DAYS UNTIL VACATION!!!

My Own Private Mission -Control (or, “Ground Control To Major Don…”

While we were driving home from work last night, my wife pointed out to me a huge tree-house in a nearby yard.

“Wow, that’s pretty cool. I never had a tree-house when I was a kid.”

“Neither did I,” I said. “But remember what I told you before? I did have a rocket.”