Today is a sad day in the history of Wisconsin and in those things I love.

They say these things happen in threes. Hard to imagine what would go with this.

Today, the greatest Quarterback in Packer history, in NFL history announced his retirement. After 16 years of being the best goddamned gunslinger to ever play the game, Brett Favre announced his retirement.

Peyton Manning? An up an comer.
Tom Brady? Pretentious pretender.

There will be great quarterbacks. The Packers will still be good. But there will never be another Brett Favre.

-----

Then as a footnote to all the Brett Favre hype and horror today, I almost missed the obit notice.

Gary Gygax, inventor of Dungeons and Dragons, dead at 69.

This man shaped society in ways some people may never understand. Lets lay it out.

1) Gary Invented DnD.

2) Dozens of other games were invented in response to DnD's popularity.

3) Geeks who played games decided to merge thier love of gaming with thier love of computers (something seen as a business tool for most of thier existance)

4) RPGs become the game of choice across many systems

Nintendo - Final Fantasy
Sega - Fantasy Star
Origin - Ultima
Blizzard - Diablo

5) Somone hooked up the internet to a RPG and money was born.

Origin/EA - Ultima Online
Sony - Everquest
Blizzard - World of Warcraft

It all goes back to Gary and those funny looking dice.

And I must get into the habit of updating more regularily.

Especially now that somone has shown interest in one of my books!

Nothing is official and nothing is signed yet but they have sent me an electronic copy of the contract to review.

As I am able (and allowed) to post more details I will.

Yay me!

My Thirteen Favorite Famous (or not so Famous) Quotes

I'm a fan of history. I truly truly believe we cannot change the future without knowing and understanding the past. There is alot of wisdom in 4000 years of written history, and I draw from it where I can. Each of these are amazing quotes from amazing people, and can be attributed to just about any facet of life.

I'm putting these in reverse order, as they do have a hierarchy of importance to me.

( Thirteen slices of wisdom... ) 13) "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." - Mark Twain
12) "I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be." - Abraham Lincoln
11) "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
10) "If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." - George S. Patton
9) "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein
8) "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Vince Lombardi
7) "Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it." - Mark Twain
6) "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" - Thomas Jefferson
5) "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
4) "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche
3) "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke
2) "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson

1) "The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves." - Leon Trotsky

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. moondancerdrake
2.  Marina
3.  xakara
4. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

 

 

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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First off, I want to aplogize for missing the last two weeks of Thursday Thirteen. Life has been crazy busy and I haven't had time to breathe, much less blog.

So, for this week's Thirteen:

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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1.   xakara
2.   pookielocks
3. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) 

Heya all. (You know, the three of you who actually read this). 

I've been busy and out of sorts, and really not up to sharing or blogging. Then I got this video from my bud Jamie. 

When a 16 year old has this kind of clarity, you have to sit up and take notice. 


 

Ok, so I haven't been blogging much...but I've been busy.

Two weeks ago, i submitted "Null/Void" to PD Publishing.

Since then I've been editing.

Today I submitted "The Black Wyverns" to Juno Books.

Now the nail-biting begins. 

So I've been on a media bend lately. Audio, video, anything to stimulate the brain. Last week it was albums. This week it's movies. Picking 13 was harder than I thought I would be.

13 Must See/Own Movies - According to Me ( Read more... ) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

So, morning creativity burst. Need to get it out.

So creativity isn’t a problem, it’s getting into the character’s head and thinking about how they would react to things. Not only thinking about how they would react to things in their writing, but other stuff. The more you understand about your character, the more you know about them. So today, I take on a project a friend of mine gave me some time ago. (Thanks Jesse)

12 Characters, 24 Questions, 36,000 Ideas

I'm borrowing this from tracerjwho borrowed it from pocket_entropy who got it from kobi_lacroix. Here are twelve of my original characters, including autobiography score (one means not like me at all, five means it's me one-hundred percent!) and twenty-four questions regarding them. This may not be in the same vein they designed or used it, but it works for me.

Participate! Pick twelve of your own characters, put them in a list and then read on. If you do, post here, I'd love to see what others get.


1 - Beret (Nathanial Wahington) [From my in-submission book - Null / Void]
Nate is a criminal against the megacorporations of the near future. A born rebel, he's got the skills to back his attitude, but still has a head of bad wiring. He's got far more ego and attitude than I do, and is far quicker to break a fist off in someone’s face than I am. 
Score 3

2 - October Star (Alexei Nikolski) [From Fan Fiction I did for City of Heroes]
Star is a legacy. His grandfather was an iconic hero of WW2 and the Cold War era Ukraine S.S.R. Working in the USA, after the fall of communism, he steadfastly tries to stick by his communist ideals and live up to the name he carries. In many ways he is a reflection of me if I had been raised in Soviet Russia. 
Score 4

3 - Joaquina Fleichman (Jojo) [From my in-submission book - Null / Void] (Thanks to moondancerdrakefor character assistance)
How does one of the top fashion models in the world become a grease monkey in postmodern Chicago? Just ask Jojo. This knockout albino threw away her life in the fashion world to pursue her passion and dreams. Trading luxury and money for hard work? Yeah right! 
Score 1

4 - Sir Nikolos Derathian [From my "World of Marna" Series of books]
A headstrong member of a group of knights dedicated to the enforcement of justice that sometimes puts them on the opposite side of the powers that be. Justice does not equal law, and often, unjust laws are the worst of enemies. My buddy Xanacu helped breathe some life into this character. 
Score 3.

5 - Agent Pogo (Anthony Maselli) [From Fan Fiction I did for City of Heroes]
Expose a dying cop to a genetic rewriting disease that makes him an unstoppable killing machine, with the unfortunate side effect of mental instability and you have Pogo. You have the right to remain dead. He started off as a caricature of me but has since evolved into a firebrand revolutionary and militiaman. 
Score 6. (He does things I wish I could)

6 - Dealthagar [From multiple pieces of fiction, he's often recycled and simply renamed]
An ancient wizard who survives using dark magic and often seduces those he wants to control. Sex, power, magic, control. He's the ultimate in BDSM lifestyle as everything he does, he makes you verbalize your giving him permission to do the horrible things he does to you. You may know his intent and designs, but if he's done his work, you will beg for him hurt you more. 
Score 0 - Any time I want to know what he should do, I simply ask myself, what would be the most horrible/horrific/immoral way to do it...that's what he'll do

7 - Marshal Genevieve Von Holst [From my in-submission book - The Black Wyverns]
The eldest daughter of the leader of the largest professional army in the world (don't call them mercenaries!), she's a spitfire military genius who earned her rank through hard work and skill. Her father gave her nothing. She's cold, hard and strong, but don't think it makes her less of a woman because of it. 
Score 2

8 - Turuth [From my "World of Marna" Series of books]
When an ancient dragon teaches you magic because of the talent and potential it sees in you, who needs an academy accreditation? He certainly doesn’t. Call him a barbarian and he'll roar in laughter and agree with you. Call his kilt a dress you better bring friends. He won't bother with magic to beat the hell out of you. 
Score 4

9 - Calanna [From my "World of Marna" Series of books] (Thanks to  moondancerdrakefor character assistance)

The most powerful shaman her people have seen in thirteen generations, Walks-With-Stars was stripped of her name and place among her people for a blasphemous vision. She's naive, innocent, wide-eyed and very compassionate. 
Score 1.

10 - Alexandria Stonekeep [From my in-submission book - The Black Wyverns]
Raised in a life of luxury, Alex ran away from home once she learned her military father arranged a marriage for her to further his own political ambitions. Out of money and options, she joined Von Holst's Wyverns out of desperation. No one expected her to complete her initial training. When she graduated at the head of her class, she was assigned to an elite unit of assassins and scouts that she doesn't believe she belongs in. She's passionate but short sighted. She doesn’t look at the big picture most of the time. 
Score 2

11 - Godakai [From my "World of Marna" series, and an upcoming YA Fic project]
Eldest son of the Khan of the horseclans of the Great Saeran Plains, he is a model of regal bearing, devout faith and actions speaking louder than words. Fearless, he believes in his friends more than they do sometimes. 
Score 3.

12 - Shyft (Cerenje Wolkoff) [From Fan Fiction I did for City of Heroes]
Raised in the Soviet "Acadamicia" and educated from a very early age, CeCe is one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th and 21st centuries. Her work in subatomic physics and astrophysics was revolutionary. Her patents made her fabulously rich, and her Nobel Prize made her famous, but it was her "accident" with a pinpoint singularity - an artificial black hole the size of a single molecule - that made her a super hero. She's a cross between a rock star and an intellectual.
Score 1.


01. Who would make a better college professor, 6 or 11?
Dealthagar or Godakai shaping minds. Godakai can't read and would command the youths to get out of thier desks and live life, wind in thier hair, earth beneath thier feet. Dealthagar would teach them everything they wanted to learn, and some things they didn't.

02. Do you think 2 is hot? How hot?
Star? He's a super hero. Abs of steel, buns of titanium. The man's life revolves around how fit and trim he is. Plus he wears a skintight spandex bodysuit most of the time. Hell yeah he's hot.

03. 12 sends 8 on a mission. What is it, and does it succeed?
Shyft sends Turuth on a mission. More than likely it's to deal with the Circle of Thorns as she doesn't like dealing with "that magic crap". Yes it succeds, but only after many explosions, columns of flame, jets of lava and a number of graphic sword strikes. I'm betting half of Perez Park would be burnt to the ground.

04. What is or would be 9's favorite book?
Calanna comes from a society with a rich oral tradition and no writing system. She only recently learned to read. Anything with a metaphoric or spiritual overtone and having good pictures would entertain her. Dr. Suess' "The Lorax" comes to mind.

05. Would it make more sense for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around?
Niether. Dealthagar swears fealty to no one other than himself, and October Star answers only to the Russian government.

06. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he share a studio apartment with 9 or with 10?
Pogo needs a roommate and has to choose between the magic using priestess, Calanna or the military raised and trained Alexandria. No contest. The hippy is out on the street.

07. 2 , 7 and 12 have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?
October Star, Genevieve an Shyft go to dinner. As long as the vodka is cold and the steak is rare it won't matter where. Shyft would probably treat them to somewhere continental in Founder's Falls. Poor Alexei would be lost for most of the conversation and miss the subtleties but enjoy the company. Afterwards, Shyft would take Genevieve home and they'd %^&* like animals.

08. 3 challenges 10 to a duel. What happens?
So Jojo, an avowed pacifist challenges the military raised Alexandria to a duel. Not a fight. Probably a dance off or a game of quarters. Someone's going to be naked over this.

09. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would she/he get it back?
If Beret - a professional thief - stole Turuth's most prized posession - his familiar, Angrest, how would Turuth get it back? Mass destruction. Lots of death. And Beret would probably help him.

10. Suggest a title for a story in which 7 and 12 both attain what they most desire.
Genevieve and Shyft? "Star Dragon" Really hard to explain.

11. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4 and 1 to work together?
Sir Nikolos and Beret. The lawman and the professional criminal. Pick any 80's action buddy movie and run with it

12. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?
If Genevieve visited for the weekend we'd get along fine until I had to go to work. She'd use up all the hot water.

13. If you could command 3 to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?
Jojo? Pimp my ride.

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11?
No. Godakai is a personal character as of yet.

15. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, which would it be?
As Pogo is a known villian in City of Heroes, Star would charge to Sir Nikolos' side.

16. What might 10 shout while charging into battle?
Alex? “Honor and Valor!” The credo of Von Holst's army.

17. If you chose a song to represent 8, which song would you choose?
Turuth's song is "Through the Fire and the Flames" by Dragonforce.

18. 1, 6 , and 12 are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets to eat it?
Beret, Dealthagar and Shyft are eating together. Two things come to bear, the food is among the best in Chicago, and Shyft is footing the bill. CeCe eats only for flavor, as her internal black hole fuels her body. She'd quickly aquiess seeing someone else wanting it. Dealthagar would let Beret have it, but "at a price". As soon as Dealthagar got all creepy, Beret would probably shoot him.

19. What might be a good pick-up line for 2 to use on 10?
"Vant to come up to my aparament and see my etchings?" It worked on his ex-fiancee.

20. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
I'm reading this question aloud and laughing. He is a wanted mass murderer, a revolutionary, a threat to national security and considered one of FBI's Top 10 criminals. He has killed dozens of Longbow and SLED agents sent to capture him and has no qualms against destroying anything associated with the US government.

21. What is 6's secret?
Good lord. He is his biggest secret. Who he is. What he does. what he represents. He is a five thousand year old wizard who traffics in souls, ancient magical artifacts and raw magical power. His entire existance is a web of secrets and lies.

22. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Godakai beats Calanna, as long as horses could be used. On foot, depends on the familiarity of the terrain.

23. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, would you feel safer in the company of 7 or 8?
He's a nearly seven foot tall barbarian with wild red hair, a kilt and a six foot long sword, she's a six foot tall Aryan goddess in gleaming black armor riding a small dragon. I'm fine with either.

24. 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that he/she is actually a spy for 4 . Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?
"Null Sence" It would have to be told from Jojo's perspective for it to make sence. 

Wow. So I wanted to do this meme, and I had a bajillion ideas. Big artsy stuff and deep inner delving, lots and lots of...stuff.

And then I realized, like always I'm trying to over-do, over analyze and super astound the world....and it never gets done. So how about the basics?

Thirteen Odd Facts about Adrian Drake ( How odd is odd? ) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. moondancerdrake 2. xakara  3. Tinkerbell_NL

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

 Sundays are supposed to be the day of rest.  Yeah right.

My normal routine during the work week gets me up at 5:30 every day.  My day is far too full of all of the things I want and need to do, so typically I get to bed around 1am.  Yeah, not the healthiest of patterns, but after years of it I'm fairly used to it.  I seem to make up for it by sleeeping in until 9ish on weekends.

So I fell asleep on my sofa reading last night, rather than in my bead.  Besides the fact that it's a litle stupid (I have sleep apnia, and should be hooked up to my CPAP machine when I sleep) it shouldn't have been a big deal.  My wife got up at 6 to blog and let me sleep.  Somehow children know.  You think they don't, but they do...

They got up around 6:30-7:00.  Thier first entertainment? "Let's jump on daddy!" Fathers develop a danger-sence for that sort of thing.  Even in my half-asleep state I thought to cover my head.  I don't think they left any bruises, but I'm really not a morning person, so I'm grumpy.  Probably will be until I get a few doses of caffiene in me.  Life would be easier (or at least cheaper) if I could stand the taste of coffee.

So while I'm laying on the couch, awake, but wishing I wasn't, I was struck by a thought.

"Why not do something to get yourself going.  Something creative to get your brain going?"

This struck me as something to make out of early Sunday mornings.  My biggest problem with writing has been the buckle-down-an-do-it phase.  i have have written out story and novel ideas sitting in a folder on my computer, some of which go back 10+ years.  Yet since my wife really helped m focus and start writing seriously 9 years ago, I've only managed to push out 4.75 novels, and the .75 has been lost to a computer crash other than a couple chapters that were recently found on a forgotten hard drive.

So I guess that's what a blog is to me.  A place to focus.  A place to spit the words in my head out and get the brain running.  A place where I can knock off the dust and cobwebs and rev the engine up.

I'm not a linear thinker.  I think this post is a good display of that.  But I am a object of momentum.  I think the more I write here, even if it is meaningless rambling that nobody can follow but me, it will get the clutter out and let m tell the stories I have trapped in my mental attic.  Here's hoping.

 So I've been doing the MySpace thing to get th words out of my head, and the love of my life tells me "you should use LiveJournal".  She was the same person that said to me a few months ago "You should use MySpace".

Feh.  So...

Here I am.  Guess I'll do both.  Or I'll point one to the other.  Or something.

It's all good.