Month: December 2007

magic hour

Posted on 29 December, 2007 By Wil

The sky was on fire when I ran inside to get the camera. By the time I got back out to take some pictures, it had cooled to this beautiful pink. I love the way the palm tree is silhouetted against the sky.

What you can’t see, but I can hopefully describe now, is how the entire sky cast a soft pink glow down on the entire world from the mountains, to our house, to the street in front of it.

Hrm. It’s not the same, but if you were lucky, maybe you got to see something like it with your own eyes tonight.

(Click the image to go to Flickr where you can embiggen and see a couple other shots I took.)

genesis of the daleks

Posted on 29 December, 2007 By Wil

I should have finished my script yesterday, but the goddamn sinusitis completely knocked me out. Luckily, used a winning combination of Sudafed, Mucinex, Advil, and sitting on the couch next to a humidifier to prevent this thing from developing into something really nasty, like a Moose Bite.

The best thing about being a geek who makes a living writing about geek stuff is that I get to do the things I love and not feel like I’m goofing off. So even though I was sitting on the couch watching Genesis of the Daleks for the entire afternoon, I felt like I was being productive.

I am aware that it’s a gaping hole in my geek cred, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never watched much Dr. Who. I mean, I’d seen a little bit here and there, but certainly not enough to tell you which Doctor I liked the most, or why the Timelords are cool — in fact, I still can’t — but when I got about halfway through this DVD, I said, out loud, “Where have you been all my life?”

While I don’t think I would have liked Dr. Who as much as I liked The Prisoner when I was a teen (the time I was most likely to have discovered it, because my friend Guy had a knack for introducing me to awesome British television) I’m thrilled that I chose to seriously begin my travels with the Doctor at this time and in this way. Once I get these writing deadlines behind me, I think I’ll go back to Robot, which is the first appearance of Tom Baker as the Doctor, and make my way forward a bit.

Questions for Dr. Who fans:

What do you call yourselves? Whosiers? Timsies? Time-ers?
I’m sure a series that ran for decades has uneven stories, but did I serendipitously fall into Dr. Who’s Best of Both Worlds? Because I loved just about every single frame of Genesis of the Daleks.
Does Dr. Who — which appears to me on one viewing to be awesome in the 70s — suffer the same fate in the 80s as so many things that were awesome in the 70s? (Boston, Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Starship — oh, I’m sorry, I mean Starship — I’m looking in your direction.)
Do Dr. Who fans have blood feuds about their favorite Doctors the way Trekkies do about their favorite captains? I imagine they must, because if there’s one thing all geeks have in common it’s our ability to take something we love and turn it into something to argue about with other people who love it, right?

I’m about 85% of normal today, and not cranky at all, which is quite nice. I’m looking forward to finishing my script, because there’s a bottle of 14 year Oban in it for me when I do.

best playground equipment, ever

Posted on 28 December, 2007 By Wil

When I used to take Nolan and Ryan to the playground, I always felt like they got seriously ripped off. Playground equipment in the 70s and 80s was totally awesome, and playground equipment in the 90s was so goddamn neutered (in the name of protecting The Children, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Busy Bodies, Inc., of course), I’m not surprised kids wanted to sit inside with Playstation, rather than letting their imaginations go crazy on swingsets (x-wings, jets) or jungle gyms (pirate ships, secret bases on the moon, secret bases on Mars, battle cruisers.)

Over at Plaid Stallions, probably the best 70s nostalgia site on the Internet, I came across some playground equipment that looked very familiar to me. I never saw one of these when I was growing up, but I created it in my imagination quite frequently on the old rocket ship and geodesic domes at Sunland Park.

Because nobody asked: Wil’s Game of the Year for 2007

Posted on 28 December, 2007 By Wil

I think I may have gotten a sinus infection for Christmas. The last two nights I’ve woken up at least a dozen times, my head is killing me, and I’m so congested my head throbs whenever I move it. Which, as it turns out, is frequently.

So I’m exhausted and a little blurry right now, because I’m not getting enough sleep and I feel like my head is encased in lucite and pudding. Well, maybe pudding in a lucite box. Yeah, but the lucite doesn’t have any scratches in it, so it’s almost like it’s not there at all. But if it wasn’t there, what would hold the pudding? Nothing, that’s what. There’d be pudding every where, and I’d still feel like hell.

Uhm.

From that place — which isn’t exactly Bat Country, but is certainly on the road to it — I present my game of the year award:

Nobody asked me, but if someone did, my Game of the Year for 2007 is Portal, from The Orange Box, because I can’t recall the last time I played a new game and loved every single thing about it. Seriously, there’s nothing in Portal that I don’t like. The story is creepy and simple, the gameplay is unlike anything else I’ve ever encountered, and the length of the game — cited by its detractors as their chief complaint — was perfect for me. The soundtrack is awesome, too, and I find myself singing Still Alive almost every day. I loved Portal so much, I bought myself a Weighted Companion Cube plush toy for Christmas. I put it on the red chair next to the tree, with this silly snowman we put out for Christmas every year, but had to move it, because Ferris kept trying to take it off the chair and chew on it.

I’m not the only person who likes Portal enough to bring it into our world, either. When I finally gave up on staying in bed and trying to get sleep this morning, I came across this Portal LEGO display at Geekdad, who say “You could call it the Orange Blocks.” I loves it.

Oh, hey, look! Gabe and Tycho agree with me. See? Great minds think.

Runner up — by a Planck Length — is Rock Band, which I’ll be playing with my friends on Monday when they come over for the first annual Wil and Anne’s New Year’s Rock Band Eve. (This is why I’m going to the doctor today to get shot up with uranium or whatever I need to beat this sinus thing into submission right quick. I don’t want to cancel this party, El Guapo.)

Honorable Mentions: Bioshock, New Super Mario*, Puzzle Quest.

*Oops. This came out in 2006. But since I discovered it in 2007, I’m putting it on my 2007 list. Hey, I’m the boss around here, and I can make up whatever rules I want as I go along. Don’t mess with me; I’ll chase you with a used kleenex. I am so not kidding right now.

did i say overlords? i meant protectors!

Posted on 24 December, 2007 By Wil

Best_xmas_cover And just like that, it’s Christmas Eve. Gifts are wrapped, meals are prepared, the gingerbread house is waiting for our unique brand of mayhem ("Hey, let’s make it a crackhouse this year!" Anne said, because we just can’t do much of anything in a "traditional" way, which is just fine with me.)

I haven’t been into Christmas this year. I’ve been too overwhelmed with work and deadlines to enjoy the few things that I genuinely love about the season. Last night, while my family was out doing Christmas things in the kitchen, I was in my office, struggling to stay on schedule to make my deadline on Friday. I could hear the Christmas music, I could smell the Christmas treats, and I felt sad.

I called my editor, and asked if I could have a few more days on this project, so I can take the 24th and 25th off and give my family a husband and stepdad for Christmas, instead of a bitchy writer who is freaking out on a deadline. He said it would be fine, and I got the greatest Christmas present of all: the gift of time to spend with my family.

For the last 18 hours, I’ve been able to love Christmas. Though my kids are grown, I’ll be watching NORAD track Santa, because it’s silly and magical and reminds me of all the years I sat on dial-up with Ryan and Nolan in my lap (when they could both fit there at once) while we waited for the big guy to get close enough to go to bed. This evening, we’ll be watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and, of course, A Christmas Story.

Yeah, it’s only Christmas Eve, and the Christmas season is only lasting a few days for me this year, but it’s okay. I already got what I wanted.

Right now, Anne and Ryan are out taking a walk, Nolan is at his friend’s house, and my house is empty except for me and the dogs. I’m doing a few Propeller things, so I can close up the laptop and officially put myself on 48 hour family leave. I’m listening to my crowning achievement this holiday season: a collection of holiday music that’s so awesome, it took two CDs to hold it all. I’m proud of it, and I though I can’t actually share the CD, I can at least show it off, so here goes:

The Best Xmas Ever! Volume I
1. Linus And Lucy – Vince Guaraldi Trio
2. Zat You, Santa Claus? – Asylum Street Spankers
3. Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys
4. Christmas Is – Lou Rawls
5. Mr. Heat Miser – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
6. Christmas Cocktail – Jaymz Bee & the Royal Jelly Orchestra
7. Winter Wonderland – Darlene Love
8. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo – Billy May
9. You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
10. Chiron Beta Prime – Jonathan Coulton
11. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – Andy Williams
12. Jingle Bells – Singing Dogs
13. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – The World’s Greatest Jazzband
14. Feliz Navidad – Los Straitjackets
15. Cha-Cha All the Way – Capitol Studio Orchestra
16. Winter Wonderland – The Golddiggers
17. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
18. Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
19. Holiday On Skis – Al Caiola & Riz Ortolani
20. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) – Vince Guaraldi Trio
21. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Jaymz Bee & the Royal Jelly Orchestra
22. Twelve Gifts Of Christmas – Allan Sherman
23. Deck The Halls – The World’s Greatest Jazzband
24. Christmas in Las Vegas – Los Straitjackets
25. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid

Best Xmas Ever! Vol II
1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – The Alarm
2. Space Age Santa – Jaymz Bee & the Royal Jelly Orchestra
3. Please Come Home For Christmas – Charles Brown
4. Mele Kalikimaka – The Surfers
5. Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
6. The Christmas Song – The Raveonettes
7. Donde Esta Santa Claus? – Guster
8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – Domenico Savino
9. This Christmas – Donny Hathaway
10. Frosty The Snowman – Jimmy Durante
11. Carolina Christmas – Squirrel Nut Zippers
12. Nuttin’ For Christmas – Stan Freberg
13. Sleigh Ride – Johnny Mathis
14. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – George Wright
15. Carol Of The Bells – Hanna Barbera Organs & Chimes
16. (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag – Kay Starr
17. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers – Fred Waring
18. Cool Yule – Louis Armstrong
19. What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder
20. Sun Valley Ski Run – Esquivel
21. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Rauder and Hobbs
22. White Christmas – The World’s Greatest Jazzband
23. Baby It’s Cold Outside – Royal Crown Revue
24. Jingle Bells Mambo – Pete Rugolo Orchestra
25.Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
26.Christmas At Ground Zero – Weird Al Yankovic

Peace on Earth, and Happy Xmas, everyone!