Regular thoughts and incidents from the life of Jeff Boman, a writer, artist and website designer with a strange lifepath.
For those who didn't hear about it (which would be surprising after it was plastered all over the media), while performing a song, she came out in a gangster-style business suit, and stripped it off to reveal a flesh-colored body stocking - so she looked like she was naked.
What I thought: this is a lady who's made a point of telling the press she intends to preserve her virginity until marriage. Fair enough. But what message does this stunt then give? That no sex is ok, but so is teasing men?
I also went to price the Diablo II game at a computer store. 75 dollars Canadian plus tax. Ouch! NO WAY I'd spent that much money on it!
Pat "Fluffy" Lapointe. A few years ago, a group of us slept over at another friend's place. His constant mantra was "I am the wind. I am windlike." Granted, you had to be there for it to seem funny, but we definitely thought it was.
One disastrous apartment move some 9 years ago (I haven't forgiven myself for it. I'll be surprised if any of that group has!) he used his credit card to help me reserve a moving truck. I intended to pay him back for the truck later, but he told me it was a gift. You don't get many friends like that in your life...
Yet, I have no idea where he is today. Sad. Very sad.
I barely got any sleep last night. A little better than the night before, but not much...
Now I have to get cleaned up to be at Constance Lethbridge (my readaptation center) for 10:30am to get measured for new furniture in my computer room... followed by a subcomittee meeting for a group I volunteer on called Leth-Go at 11, lunch, then our weekly meeting at 1pm.
Sleep? Rest? Whazzat?
Today was a day of "'About time"s for a few things:
First, my morning transport to work was a driver who I'd vehemently complained about last trip with him. I don't know if he knew it was me, but he was extra careful with handling this time: he had new seatbelts in the back of his car (the old ones had been broken for months; that's against the rules), and he got off his butt to let me out of the car this time (he didn't do that the last time, not even asking if I needed help. Again, against the rules.). Finally, he let me off on the proper side of the street this time - not leaving me to chance oncoming traffic (that was a HUGE rule infraction!).
Secondly, Virtual Avenue finally gave me the proper information to access a domain name account there. I've only been trying to get this straightened out with them for a month...
Sigh
It's been a record profit year for the recording industry; this is just ignorant and greedy.
US condemns religious intolerance
I'm thoroughly against religious prosecution; ironic, seeing as I'm an agnostic. Still, I've always had problems with intolerance of the faith of others.
It's a large part of what bothers me when I visit my aunt in Vermont. Her husband always rails against the Lubavitch (an Orthodox sect of Judaism). He may just think that in his own twisted way that's funny; myself, I just think that one Jew criticizing another for a difference in the way they practice is unbelievable ignorant and intolerant.
I just learned that Spider Robinson is intended to be the toastmaster at TorCon 3, the WorldCon to be held in Toronto in 2003. If they're talking about it after the Chicago WorldCon, then it's very likely to be happening - and it'll be the first one I can go to.
I met Spider in person at Con*Cept 95, when he was our Guest of Honor. I saw him again later that year at Primedia 95. I coined the name 'Montreal Spiderheads' for me and my friend Mike from that.
Sadly, we haven't seen him in person since. I'll look forward to seeing him in Toronto.
I go way back with the book. I believe I read it when I was 13 or 14. A neighbor gave it to me in one compilation volume for Chanukah then. It had a cover drawn from that awful Ralph Bakshi animated film that was out then... THAT has to date me a bit!
I read the story non-stop for about 11 days. I even took the book with me to a high school swimming event. Foolish, because I didn't separate it enough from the wet stuff to protect it; the book was trashed as a result.
Anyways, for some reason I can't explain, I haven't been able to re-read it since. I only get a few pages in before I lose interest. I guess the magic of that first reading is gone.
I don't mean I won't write anything for the site anymore - far from it. What this means is that, in two weeks, I'll transform the column into a Blog.
I'm guessing we don't get a lot of visits at the moment; with my column being the only one that gets updated, once a week columns aren't enough incentive for visitors to return very often... whereas a Blog could be updated more frequently, and maybe bring us more page views.
I helped my sister to raise Boots back when we were roommates years ago. He stayed with her when I moved.
A few years ago, he got surly with her newborn son, and I took him in again.
About 5 years now, and he still won't learn that weaving through my feet when I feed him is a bad thing.
Many of the links listed in the sidebar won't be active for a few days as I'll have to further work at them... but everything should be operational within a week or two.
This is almost too funny... except that being a geek guy, it reflects much on me too.
This Blog by a fellow web designer is very well designed and has some very interesting content.
Being musicians (me a former singer; Ace a 20+ year singer/songwriter), we can tell how these guys need major practice and training to be good in their field. Still, most folks would laugh at us just for watching it to begin with. :)
Now, I just have to do some major updating on that website to do it justice.
I went to my comic shop, Empire Comics today. I mentioned the lighting that broke, and the store owner offered to come back to my place after work to replace the light. He did, and it works again.
One problem solved, and a new one pops up: suddenly, Word Perfect 2000 is crashing on my system. I even tried refreshing my setup from CD, but it still isn't working... and this is the program I use for my Comicopia zines. Lovely.
Mr. Prolific continued to earn that accolade at least. I finished a 20 page zine for Apacalypse. Now after I sent it to the Central Mailer, I have to write my next column for Fight City, then start on my next zine for Comicopia.
Another Blog I think you may find interesting.
For what some people are thinking, I have one suggestion for you: Keep it in your pants!
The Breast Chronicles is a blog from a lady in Britain with an (allegedly) 34DD chest size. She isn't - and won't - bare them for you. The whole point of this site is to help people come to terms with the idea of NOT considering breasts as sexual objects.
At least I got some potentially good news at work: they'll try to raise the funds to give me a larger salary. If that happens, my budget'll be very grateful.
My one trip was to a local used CD store, to sell a few CDs that I don't like. I needed some cash for this evening, when I meet a very much out-of towner Comicopian for dinner.
A Kenny G CD netted me more money than one by Lauren Hill. What's wrong with THAT picture?
The next issue of Apacalypse (the gaming zine I'm part of) is due this coming Friday. I just completed a major chunk of my section today, some 12 pages of material.
All I have to do now for the zine is to add some more clip art to the piece, write some mailing comments, then put it in a PDF format for the editor, and I'm done.
... at least until next week, when I start pushing away at the next Comicopia...
If you've been reading this Blog for awhile, you know how underwhelming Survivor was to me.
Still, this Survivor-style Blog is amusing to me.
I found out yesterday that they can't increase my work hours, or increase my salary... it comes from a government grant (the company's not-for-profit), and there are no other funds to do it.
This means I'll have to do something I haven't succeeded in until now: find a second job to supplement my income.
It isn't due to pride... I'd be happy to work as a cashier at a music/book/video store. The problem is that I have a lot of degrees and skills on my resumé... many potential employers see me as overqualified.
I haven't been there in about a month. Has the group folded? If you know, please email me to let me know.
Two autos, one bullet fail to stop Rottweiler
As I read this, I saw the dog pulling a Terminator, saying "I'll be back!"
Like Jack Kirby, Carl Barks contribution to the art of comics will live on in memory for a long time to come.
Lorretta was good friends with my grandparents on my mother's side; I never knew them, because they died in a car accident in the 1950s. Lorretta was our only link to them.
Lorretta introduced my Aunt to her later husband (something I'm sometimes not so sure was a blessing... but I digress.). When I was first diagnosed with MS, Lorretta suggested to one of her nephews, a fellow-sufferer, to call me. Lorretta herself called me often to get both our spirits up.
Her later years weren't pleasant: she had cancer, and due to her ailing health could no longer leave her home to do anything. I don't remember ever seeing her, but she told me her health had changed her dramatically.
I feel both sad and bad at her passing (not that death isn't an inevitable part of life); sad, because she was so alone for a long time, and probably died alone, with no one she loved nearby. Bad, because she always wanted to meet with me, and that never happened.
Good-bye Lorretta. Wherever you are now, if there is some form of an Afterlife, know that you did touch my life and many others... and that I'll never forget you.
It's really a shame, because those riots just reinforce a stereotype of African American culture that we've all been hoping would end: that a black event almost always ends in a riot.
The Chicago Bulls win the NBA playoffs? Time for a riot. The L.A. Lakers win? Another riot. I already mentioned the problems here in Montreal with the Carifiesta.
How can we end prejudice and stereotypes if people do their best to thwart efforts like this?
If you're anything like me, you don't have any interest in "'Survivor". If so, you'll find this FAQ funny too.
How sad. It's much like the Carifiesta here in Montreal: all it takes are a small few to mess things up for everyone else.
I don't think I'd mentioned here that I've been getting more of a feel for the utility. I guess it started about a week ago, when the things I was trying to do started working.
Most of you who read this don't yet know me, but my friends who do know this about me: I hate needles. In fact, I'm mildly needle-phobic.
Either the lab-tech today was gentle, or was using a new, less painful needle. Either way, I hardly felt it this time.
(Not that I want to do it very often from now on...)
Gee... Hollywood's premiere lesbian couple are splitsville? I'm so devasteted... not.
When will Ellen DeGenres accept that her series didn't die because she came out... it died because it just wasn't funny?
By this point, it was almost a foregone conclusion, but we still held out some hope.
Our first majorly public international tragedy of the new century (the crash of a Concorde being the first).
If you are in any way religious, give a prayer for the men lost here.
Last night, I went to the same local restaurant/hangout that my friends and I have been to almost every Friday for nearly 10 years now. I brought a copy of Comicopia with me for a guy who had confirmed would be there. He wasn't.
It burns a lot of my not-unlimited energy to carry stuff heavy like that around all the time. This person seems to take pride in being un-dependable. Good going, pal.
Notice a thread-theme to what news I Blog?
This just shows yet again how the bigwigs don't at al understand Napster.
Tony is a writer I very much respect... and his views today on the Republican candidate I find very astute.
I also got my paycheck today. Not so good, as I've figured out how much I'll have left after I pay some expenses tomorrow; I really have to earn more, again.
At least I got a few more hours done on my Flash test-site for work.
Trying to work on my Flash site for work, I can't make things work, even though they're using tricks I've already made work. Frustration.
My Meals-on-Wheels service called me. They have a different driver while the usual one is on holiday. They couldn't find my home, so they haven't come to deliver. Maybe later.
Frustration.
Phil Muschnick has used the WWF to fuel endless vomitous articles in the New York Post. He practically pounces on any death in the industry as more proof against wrestling that it deserves to be banned. He practically drools in pleasure that someone has died, he doesn't have any respect for them, just sees them as fuel for his fire.
I've said this in other places: write to the NY Post. Request that they remove Phil Mushnick from publication. He's a soulless individual who deserves nothing less than to be put out on the streets.
I guess this blows part of the big companies' beliefs out of the water: they insist that electronic music formats are stiffling artist creativity.
A pity if this happens. WWF Smackdown! airs on this network. Where it would go if UPN crumbles I don't know.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the local CLSC (a community medical assistence organization) to bring me a Rollator (a walker with a seat built in). They told me they could come between 1:30 and 4:30pm. As it's almost 3:30 now, I can see that they're going for the later end of that.
Then again, the battle is far from over...
Mind you, this is AOL we're talking about.
AS predicted, the goverment can try to stamp it out, but MP3 sharing is here to stay.
As always, the press tried to dumb this down... but as an avid comic reader and a writer, I'm eager to see if they can get things right this time!
I finally got to my comic shop today. Finally, because new book day is Wednesday. Nothing in my reserve, but I'm not complaining; funds are tight this week because of the APA. Not too bad, the fact that the heat forced me to sleep almost an hour after I got home.
I spent the day finishing my week's hours on Flash, at least. I finally have a handle on masks, how they work and what they do.
I've been trying to get to various web forums to yak today. Frakkin' Microsoft... IE5 seems to cause crashes everytime I try to logon them. Worse, my copy of WordPerfect 2000 crashed this evening too - and I was planning to get a massive head-start on my zine for issue 61.
Tenth Anniversary, and I never gave up hope we'd reach such a page-count. Hopefully it's something we'll soon repeat - and not just in another 10 years!
(Tweening, for those who don't know the term, is the frames between an on-screen movement.)
What amazes me most is that making it work was a simple thing, albeit one not explained in any of the literature I read... except for the website I looked at this morning.
I've already spoken of my contempt for his political stance (being a board member of the PTC), but here people are posting racist hate based on him being Jewish.
How sad it is that such racism is still alive and well into the 21st century.
Conspiracy theorists and UFO-logists, rejoice in more info! :)
I did get something constructive done during the day, at least: I finished my latest column for Fight City, and uploaded it to the site. I also posted the suggestion of turning it into a Blog; I'll wait to read some reactions.
More grief for Napster... I know my newsclip choices haven't been very Jazz-related of late, but they do reflect on the things that make opinions for me.
Here's the step that killed Gore's chances entirely. Having a V-P candidate whose general message is that he's intolerant of change (thanks to the PTC) is the last thing the Democrats needed.
The article says Gore is worried about George W. Bush's popularity lead; reading that, I can't understand why he'd go for a running mate with such conservative opinions.
Democratic Presidential candidate Al Gore chose his running mate. I don't have the man's name in front of me... but while he's a Jewish senator (which is a plus to me), he's also on the board of the PTC - the thought-cops trying to wipeout the World Wrestling Federation.
This is a serious mistake. First off, it almost guarantees that neither will there likely be a WWFpresence at the Democratic convention, it also likely means that of the 14 million elligible voters among the federations audience, few will vote for the Democrats. They may well have slit their own throats with this.
The Republicans winning would be a disaster. No matter the image they try to portray, it's still a party that supports being a White wealthy Christian male, and essentially will shaft anyone who doesn't fit that identity.
I went to hear my cousin Ellen hold a redital. Ellen is studying to be a doctor, but she's also a trained Soprano operatic singer. If she applied herself in that field, I'm confident she could be one of our generation's Soprano divas. She's that good.
While there, we went shopping at Walmart and Costco. Both surprised me in how adapted/accessible they were: Costco had wheelchairs to loan for use getting around, and Walmart had motorized chair-scooters available!
I finally got a new VCR while there; considering I've had the same one for a decade, it was about time. :)
Today is actually the day I've published to this Blog the most so far. I guess it's safe to say that I like the technology...
I'm thinking to update my personal website, making the Writer's Journal a Blog too. After more than four years of doing a monthly journal, this would give me the chance to update it more (I'm currently 3 months behind)... also I'm considering changing my 'ABomanation' column on Fight City to one as well. A weekly column has been tough to do; this would also help me to update it more often.
I've used this utility much more often than Napster. I like that extra level of protection. :]
I'm interested still in the idea of 'Hollow Man' and - being a red-blooded testosterone machine :> - want to see 'Coyote Ugly' too.
I didn't know about Mrs. Welch, but as a disabled person myself, I'm glad we had someone like this on our side. Rest In Peace.
So what do they announce? that Alyson Court, a lovely and talented actress who I saw there years ago, is a confirmed guest for the coming year.
I'm quite smitten with her... now I'll have to find a way to get to Toronto for the con.
What do you know? The GOP didn't cave to the PTC (Parents Television Council), to keep the Rock off.
I guess that the PTC aren't taken very seriously at all... good!
My Animation studies really come in handy now; I used to use fade-in and fade-out techniques for effects in my movie projects there too; since this all works on a timeline similar to those days, I know what to do to make it all look good.
When will the suits learn that creating new digital music formats just to control them backfires? Web-citizens don't ever support attempts to control them.
At least this is a way to get some George Benson music...
I also got a large chunk of my next article for Fight City done. I want to get back to a weekly schedule. I'm frustrated that mine seems to be the only column that gets updated on the site though.
I'm considering turning the column into a Blog, so that I can update it more frequently.
Today I continued my search for missing CDs. I still didn't find them, but I did find a possession I hold dear that has been missing from my radar lately: a photo.
Specifically, it's a photo taken at Con*Cept 98, one of me with fandom legend, Forry Ackerman.
I could fill this entire Blog page with ravings about Forry; suffice to say, he's the current living legend of science-fiction and fantasy fandom.
