January 2012
1 post
Glenn Lord, R.I.P.
I just learned that Glenn Lord, champion ofRobert E. Howard’s writings, passed away on New Year’s Eve 2011. If not for the efforts of Lord then your favorite fictional barbarian may not even be known to you, if, of course, your favorite fictional barbarian is Conan the Cimmerian. After Howard died, Lord compiled the pulp writer’s stories, which were primarily published in Weird Tales magazine and...
March 2011
1 post
Caffeinated Screenwriting
PastedGraphic-1.pdf Download this file Fans of script consultant Pilar Alessandra’s On The Page podcast will already be familiar with her new book, The Coffee Break Screenwriter, but those who don’t listen to this excellent podcast may not know about this great screenwriting resource and book. The Coffee Break Screenwriter contains numerous short chapters that contain focused exercises to...
December 2010
1 post
December 29th is 'Scripped Day' in San Francisco!
Official Scripped Day in San Francisco ~ December 29th Scripped is humbled and honored that Mayor Gavin Newsom signed a proclamation stating that December 29th is Scripped.com day in San Francisco. Mayor Newsom recognizes the rising tide of film and entertainment entrepreneurs in the city, and wanted to recognize all of us on the 29th. To celebrate, Scripped will be putting on a free...
August 2010
1 post
Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha Screenwriting
The thirty-seventh annual Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha Convention recently concluded at the University of Mississippi. This year’s theme was “Faulkner and Film.” I’m excited that there is interest and a concerted focus on the film writings of this American writer. Perhaps it will assist in ushering a renewed interest in the films produced in the past based on scripts by Faulkner.Faulkner...
February 2010
2 posts
It's National Entrepreneurship Week
This week, February 20-27, 2010, is National Entrepreneuship Week in the U.S. Are you Entrepreneurial Literate? Go here to find out. And, yes, I am in charge of my own fate. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Oscar Nominations for 82nd Annual Academy Awards...
In your opinion, which film will win best picture? Best Picture Nominees “Avatar” “The Blind Side” “District 9” “An Education” “Hurt Locker” “Inglourious Basterds” “Precious” “A Serious Man” “Up” “Up in the Air” http://is.gd/7xZo7 Posted via email from...
January 2010
1 post
“We’re off to see The Wizard!”
It frightened me as a child. I saw it on broadcast television nearly every year. It contained fantastical images of Winged Monkeys and the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West. The shriveling legs of her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, as the black-and-white stockings curled beneath Dorothy’s house, was a particularly scary scene. As I grew older I became less and less frightened of the...
October 2009
5 posts
Thinking about Steampunk
Years ago I read William Gibson & Bruce Sterling’s The Difference Engine and immediately loved the steampunk milieu. It’s a work that divides fandom into those who feel that The Difference Engine is a fractured novel, and the others, like myself, who enjoyed the narrative even toward the gimmicky end. It is worth a read, twenty years later, if you’ve never experienced it....
Are you a "pragmatic" author? Are you up for the...
It seems that NaNoWriMo has inspired those with a technical, and pragmatic, bent to declare November “Prag Pro Wri Mo.” Are you a technical writer, software developer, project manager or just a “git r done” practitioner with several ounces of hacker spirit? If so, then “Prag Pro Wri Mo” just may be the writing challenge for you. Posted via email from...
Anyone participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel...
It’s a rapid fire, fun-filled challenge to produce a 175-page (50,000 word) novel in the spirit of the “24-hour comic,” or the “48-hour film project.” Are you up to the challenge? Participation details are here. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
With Story, We Face the Infinite
In the realm of mathematics Georg Cantor and Kurt Gödel faced it. But what of creative types? What of writers? Is infinity part of the storyteller’s world too? I claim, with boldness, that it is. The action of translating fleeting, ephemeral thoughts into the corporeal words of story is an act of godlike agency. For when the writer is faced with the expanse of infinite possibilities of...
Why I Write #writing
Why I write.The short answer is quite simple: I have no choice.But that’s not the answer you’re looking for. The long answer, since you asked, is complex, but not complicated. I write because writing allows me to make sense of the world, of this existence. Writing is the one act that permits me the freedom to tell you my thoughts about the human condition, but more importantly, it...
September 2009
5 posts
Storytelling is Eternal, Great Stories are...
Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms. We can surmise that storytelling was an integral part of our standard repertoire when our primitive ancestors sketched their hunting exploits on the walls of caves. The storyteller, and storytelling, is a uniquely human affair. No other species on earth engages in this act. Tools don’t separate us from other species, for chimpanzees and crows are known...
Why I Like Screenwriting
Many screenwriters have written about why they are attracted to the story form of the screenplay.Now, it is my treat to bring you my thoughts on why I am attracted to this form of storytelling. It’s the Architecture for a Film It’s a blueprint. It’s the “architecture” for a film. Essentially, the screenplay is the framework that will support the creation of the film. Without the story, in the...
I'm an Alumnus of Robert McKee's Story Seminar
On July 19, 2009 I had the honor of becoming a graduate of Robert McKee’s Story Seminiar. After three grueling days I am well-versed in the fundamental principles of story according to McKee. I’m fortunate to be able to attend the seminar; it helped that I have family that resides in San Francisco, the location of McKee’s Seminar. My family made turned it into a vacation while I...
Film Review of "Times and Winds"
It doesn’t matter what culture or society a person is reared in, childhood can be a brutal and horrifying experience for nearly all who mature to adulthood. Oftentimes, a child is faced with feelings of despair, cruelty and isolation under the authority of adults; a world filled with expectations and etiquette that children don’t understand, try as they must in order to survive, in...
My Battle with the Oxford English Dictionary
For nearly twenty years I’ve desired my own copy of the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition. I finally bought a copy of it, on CD-ROM. I excitedly ordered version 4.0, the latest version, from an online retailer, and my excitement grew as I was notified that the order had shipped earlier this week. The twin entities of anticipation and excitement grew even greater when I arrived home from my...
July 2009
2 posts
Google Chrome OS and Writing and Me
Like most netizens, I primarily use my computer for three primary purposes: Browsing the web to watch online videos, read news/feature articles, learn something new. Communicating via email, Twitter, and chat (rarely). Storage and organization of digital media: music and photos.Other activities that we all use our desktops/laptops/netbooks for to a lesser extent are: Word processing ...
Check out this blog comment I received
Here’s a comment that I received on multiple blog postings: “さあ、今夏も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか？当サイトは円助交際の逆、つまり女性が男性を円助する『逆円助交際』を提供します。逆円交際を未経験の方でも気軽に遊べる大人のマッチングシステムです。年齢上限・容姿・経験一切問いません。男性の方は無料で登録して頂けます。貴方も新たな出会いを経験してみませんか ” I don’t read Japanese, so translated using “Yahoo! Babelfish” it says: “The [a], this summer it doesn’t try experiencing the new...
June 2009
4 posts
Legowood Pictures
Here’s some pictures from our trip to Legoland, San Diego earlier this year. The Legowood Bowl. Another of the Legowood Bowl Opening night at Grauman’s Chinese Theater with Legowood Sign in the background Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
3-D Street Paintings
先用粉筆打底稿 測量一下比例是否正確 給路人講解 立體畫草稿 開始繪畫 用手涂抹 初見雛形 調顏色 他作畫的工具都很簡單的 刷涂大面積的顏色 畫的是felix貓 畫面的另一半 細節需要精心刻畫 主要形象已經完成，看出來是什麼了麼？ 開始完善畫面 累了，坐下來畫 中國舞獅和felix貓，呼之欲出 換個角 即將完成 大功告成 圍觀的人群 成品 與作品合影 這個作者令人欽佩 其他作品 記本電腦 真假難辨呀 你能看出哪個是真人嗎 這張畫是倒立看的 真是厲害呀 被殺蟲劑殺死的蒼蠅 太逼真了 蜘蛛俠 街頭陷阱 被撬開的地板 看上去和真的一樣路過的人不由自主的要避開 發現金礦開始挖掘呵呵是不是和真的一樣 繼續探測發現大金礦了 挖出大金礦了 發達了...
New Story on Tor.com: The City Quiet as Death by...
A new Michael Bishop short story! Michael is a native Georgian and I met him nearly ten years ago and he signed a couple books, one of which was the excellent novel “Philip K. Dick Is Dead, Alas.” I’m glad he is still writing as he is an immense talent with the written word. New Story: “The City...
Total Eclipse of the Heart Deconstructed
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May 2009
13 posts
The Creature From the Black Lagoon in 3D!...
This Week at the Plaza Theatre 22 May 2009 Upcoming Events Fri May 22nd THE SOLOIST & LYMELIFE Sat May 23rd - Silver Scream Spook Show presents CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON IN 3D Tue May 26th - Tommy Wiseau Films presents THE ROOM Thu May 28th - Sun May 31st OUT ON FILM FESTIVAL June 2nd & June 5th MIL MASCARAS VS THE AZTEC MUMMY Tue June 9th - Splatter Cinema...
I Found My Birthdate In Pi
I was entering some calculations and other things in Wolfram|Alpha such as: E G# Bb (which is the first three notes in an E Raga Nigamagamini scale in Indian music) Taylor series e^y y=1 (pi)^2 when I came across the link for more information. I clicked it following the pi calculation and was presented with a list of links to resources on the Web for pi. Here’s an...
Don't Waste Your Time With Unwanted Screenplay...
I just read a great blog post by producer Gary W Goldstein where he mentions his 10 Basic Rules of Successful Screenwriting. All of the points are excellent. Read them and apply them.
Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Writer's Block Is A Myth
There’s no such thing as writer’s block. It’s all a myth. I very often read on blogs and discussed on occasion the idea of writer’s block, and to me, it’s not even a reality, not worth my consideration or attention. I’ve got a finite time on this earth and I’ve made a commitment that I will do what I can to get the swirling myriad of ideas trapped in my...
Geek Stuff: Music and Programming
I’ve often thought about the relationship between music and programming. It’s an interesting relationship that deserves further exploration than a simple blog post. Here I would like to present the culmination of years of casual wondering about this topic. I’m not a cognitive scientist and therefore not qualified to investigate the association between music and programming at...
Hearin': Kaminari One
Guitar Wolf is an excellent punk trio from Japan. They have carried the torch of raw, dirty, garage rock and roll since the late 80s. “Kaminari One” by Guitar Wolf I highly recommend you get yourself some Guitar Wolf. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Purkinje Patterns: Key to Hallucinations Found
I saved this article about hallucinations to my delicious late last year and finally got around to reading it. It’s a good article on the discovery of the origin of some hallucinations. I wonder what Terrance McKenna would have thought about this. Does anyone know if he ever studied or wrote about Purkinje patterns or phenomena? Postscript: I’m not a big fan of McKenna or his...
Geek Humor: TCP/IP Upgrade
The next version of TCP/IP should replace SYN/ACK with ORLY/YARLY. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Keeping the Swine Flue in (a Skeptical)...
This is a good read: http://skepticblog.org/2009/05/04/swine-flu-science-pseudoscience-and-panic/ Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Dinosaur Jr. - New Album, Free Download and Tour...
I’m excited about the new Dinosaur Jr. album. I saw them during the reunion tour in 2006 and they were still one of the loudest bands I’ve ever seen. The Unsane may have topped them with decibels since I had exit the building and stand outside to ensure that my ears would stop bleeding. Anyway, I’m looking forward to this new album by the original members, from the days when...
Yo! It's Time For Free Comic Book Day 2009! (2 May...
May 2, 2009 FCBD e-Newsletter Free Comic Book Day 2009: It’s Finally Here! Gas? Check. Positive Attitude? Check. Eternal Gratitude for FREE comics? Check! FCBD09 is finally here! Go check out the official site to find the latest info and your closest participating shop! The official FCBD Shop Locator: Find a participating shop near you! Free Comic...
Cha Cha Cha Films
Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro have created the production company Cha Cha Cha Films. I’m happy for their successes and how it allowed them to start their own film production company. I’m inspired and this prompts me to continue my market research so that I create a solid business plan for the production company that I am working on creating. The...
Interesting Article about BOA-Merrill Lynch Merger
We certainly live in interesting times. This article, from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, presents a letter from New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to the federal regulators and oversight committee regarding the merger of Bank of America and Merrill Lynch that occurred last fall. The letter brings new light into the background surrounding the merger, especially considering what we know...
April 2009
3 posts
Interesting Google Results for "~/home"
Typing “~/home” in a Google search results in The Home Depot homepage as the top result. It’s interesting how Google interprets “~/”. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Research: Broken WIndows Theory
My day job allows me to encourage and foster continuous process improvements throughout the organization. In my day-to-day interactions never a week goes by when I am not reminded of the “Broken Window Theory of Crime.” For those not familiar with it, it goes like this: “A window is broken in a neighborhood. For some reason or other, the owner of the property decides not...
Gaming: Dave Arneson Dies
I just learned that Dave Arneson, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game with Gary Gygax, died on April 7, 2009. Here’s a tribute. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
March 2009
4 posts
Science, Belief, Knowledge and Sorting Out...
Here are some quotes from a position (and plea) presented presented by Dr. Helen Quinn that summarize my thoughts on faith, belief and knowledge (science). “When a person hears ‘scientists believe,’ he or she may hear it as a statement of faith or a suggestion of uncertainty. Neither is what we intend. “What do we mean by ‘scientists believe that …’?...
Writing Research: The Classical World
I’ve been researching the history of the classical world (i.e. Greek, Roman) for a screenplay. In addition to the history I’ve been reading, I’ve spent some time with the few remaining Greek dramas that are available. Here’s some of the historical figures I’ve been investigating: Caesarion Cleopatra Selene Alexander Helios Ptolemy Philadelphus Does anyone have any...
Mark Your Calendars, ATL, "The Room" Is Here!
Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre will screen Tommy Wiseau’s film, The Room, at 9:30 PM Tuesday March 17, 2009. Mark your calendars for this unique and rare event to view this cult film on the silver screen. I’ll be there, and if you would like to hang, let me know. Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
Celebrate Square Root Day!
Today, March 3, 2009 is Square Root Day. 3/3/09 Either way you format the date “Month, Day, Year” or “Day, Month, Year” it’s still a square root. Have fun and enjoy today. The next one won’t arrive for seven years: April 4, 2016 (4/4/16) Posted via email from walterhisownself’s posterous | Comment »
February 2009
3 posts
Philip José Farmer Travels To The Riverworld
I just learned that science fiction author Philip José Farmer died yesterday, February 25, 2009. He’s best known for the Riverworld series. When I read his Hugo award-winning novella “Riders of the Purple Wage,” I was reminded of Joe R. Lansdale’s “Writer of the Purple Rage.” Yes, I know the obvious connection is to Zane Grey’s western novel...
Geek Trivia
See if you can answer these trivia questions without resorting to your favorite search engine: What operating system uses rc as its primary shell environment? What processor architecture was originally used in unreleased versions of the BeBox? In which operating system was VSAM first introduced? What utility program on the IBM mainframe is used to manipulate character set...
Of Mice and Men, and Truth and Honor. And...
Our hero is an unlikely sort. He’s from a timid culture. A society that not only encourages timidity and fearfulness from birth, but also indoctrinates its youth through an institutional pogram designed to rat out any visage of individuality, free-thought and fearlessness. Into this world is born our hero. He’s small, much smaller than others of his species, but his heart is...