greenman23

10:23 am - Kim Harrison is a class act,but Booksamillion still sucks

This was posted to Kim Harrison's website,the day after the incident:
2/24/09 -- I can see why you're upset, Trevor. I would be too. What an awful thing for a person to do. Guess what? It was a misunderstanding between me and the staff. That's it. I said one thing, and it was taken as if I said something else. That's all that it was. I'm sorry. Whether you believe me or not, I am. I don't blame you for leaving. I would have too. But I do sign everything as it comes through the line. My standard practice is that I personalized one or two and signature on the rest, with the option of getting back in line to have me personalize two more and so on. It's the only way to get through the line when people bring me eight books at a time. Whether they are hard cover or paperback. But I'm glad you wrote me. Thanks for letting me know there was an issue. --Kim

Now that's how you handle problems,people.You do the best you can, and go from there. Bigkudos to her.

Current Mood: calm

10:15 pm - Why author Kim Harrison and BooksaMillion suck harder than a Dyson vacuum.

This is my letter to her,posted to her Myspace and website:
Dear Kim Harrison:

I am/was a fan of your books. I just attended your signing at the Books-a-Million in Concord,NC. I was low on funds, so I wasn’t picking up your latest in hardcover. So I grabbed the first book in the series, figuring my 16-year old stepdaughter would like it, since she likes similar authors. I waited for close to an hour, and got to the front of the line. I was then told I would have to go to the back of the line, since new stock had to be signed first. I tried to explain I had arrived late, and it wasn’t posted anywhere. So, embarrassed and humiliated, I left.
My wife,who is much better at this sort of thing than I am, went back to the store,and talked to the store manager. She was told that this was a request by you, the author.
Now my question is, Ms. Harrison, is how do you think such horrible manners are ok? Yes,I wasn’t buying your newest book. It wasn’t posted that you had to either buy it or a certain amount. Maybe it was said at the beginning. It wasn’t on any of the signage, or the media. Maybe now that people like me, who bought the first books in paperback, have gotten you to the hardcover ranks, you don’t feel you need us. If that’s the way you feel, fine. Just remember that what goes up, comes down, and you might just see some of us again. And my 16-year old stepdaughter? She’ll just have to make do without.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself. I know I was for coming and seeing you.

Yours,

Trevor Curtis
I mean,where do people get off?You get two books in hardcover,and suddenly people who buy you in paperback aren't as good? WTF?

Current Mood: pissed off

01:11 pm - A letter to my daughter

Dear Aubry:
Today was a big day in history.You won't remember much about it.You're only 3,but this is the day that things changed quite a bit in America. We elected an African-American president today.It might not mean much to you.Most of your life we've lived in a world where the color of your skin doesn't matter.When you play with Keira or Dendric,you don't care what color they are,so long as they share the toys. But for the rest of us,this world has changed a lot this day. We can still remember when a day when White cops beat a Black man by a road,and got away clean.It was in your grandfather's time that water fountains and motels were separated by skin color. Today is a giant step towards making things like that history,not today's story.
You won't remember what life was like under Bush.You won't remember the days after 9/11,when we traded freedom for security,and got neither.You won't remember the grinding feeling of an entire world looking at us with shame.Today,that day is no more.
Today begins a rebellion.It is a rebellion,because as Phil Brucato says,"hope is the bravest rebellion". Today is a day of hope,of realizing there is work to be done,but faith in that the road ahead has a light,and we will work toward it,to bring you a world better than the one we started with.You,the children of tomorrow,have placed your trust in us.Today is the day we start earning it.

Current Mood: hopeful

08:26 pm - The #1 reason not to vote for John McCain

from boingboing.net:
McCain staffer slams Dungeons and Dragons players

Jimmy sez, "Michael Goldfarb of the John McCain campaign oddly disses gamers in his post yesterday on the John McCain blog."
"It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others."

And yes,they do already have a pro-obama d and d crowd shirt available:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/19/proobama-dd-tee.html
Trevor

Current Mood: amused

09:33 pm - So this is what a 2 year old thinks is summer clothing in NC...

Current Mood: amused

11:17 pm - My birthday was yesterday,part 2

Let me also really,really thank Terri and Andy for the HDTV they got me and the family for my birthday
YOU GUYS RULE!!!

Current Mood: thankful

10:21 pm - My birthday was yesterday

My step-daughter,Robyn,got me the coolest gift of the b-day extravaganza:



Yes,that is a Guild of Calamitous Intent shirt,from Venture Brothers.

I have really,really cool stepkids.
In other news, I totaled the van,and we can't get financing.We'll be carless for about a month, unless someone's got 5 grand to loan us,cause that's hwo much we need for them to evne look at us for a car.
So the plan is for Terri to haul our POS Ford Contour back here, get it repaired and run that into the ground until we can get our credit back up to where we can get financing for a new vehicle.
By the way, I officially HATE car salesmen. After the lawyers and politicans, they should be the next ones into the fire.

Later

Current Mood: distressed

11:11 pm - Wolves win!!!!

My Chicago Wolves won the Calder Cup in the AHL tonight. I love the Wolves,and am so happy I got to watch them win it tonight,800 miles away.Its the only major league sports trophy I've ever drank out of, the last time they won in 2002.
YAY!!!!!

Current Mood: chipper

09:54 pm - Geeking out

The Chicago Wolves are about to go 3-0 in their quest for the Calder Cup,and fucking NHL network is only showing the game in Canada. And I saw this:
http://www.animals-movie.com/
WARNING:The trailer is NSFW.
I love,love ,love the Skipp/Spector novels.And this is one of the better werewolf novels, done a decade before Laurell K Hamilton did something decent with them.


Drool.

PS. If you haven't read the John Skipp/Craig Spector novels,or Brian Keene's the Rising,you're missing the best horror since Stephen King stopped doing drugs.

Current Mood: chipper

09:39 pm - Where my heads at these days:

Created by OnePlusYou - a Free Dating Site


Yeah,it's like that.

Current Mood: anxious

12:57 pm - RIP Robert Asprin

Another good author gone.Probably the best humorous fantasy author the US has given the world.
His Thieves World books showed how good shared novels could be.

here's his webpage:
http://www.mythadventures.net/

11:17 pm - The best argument for voting Obama so far

“Suppose you had to choose between two Presidential candidates, one of whom had spent 20 years in Congress plus had considerable other relevant experience and the other of whom had about half a dozen years in the Illinois state legislature and 2 years in Congress. Which one do you think would make a better President? If you chose #1, congratulations, you picked James Buchanan over Abraham Lincoln.”

I tell ya ,if you're making under 100,000 a year,or have kids,or give a rat's ass about the world,voting anything other than democrat is just playing into the Dark side of the force.

And yeah,you can go vote green. I voted Green,I voted for Nader. The Green party is so fucking pathetic that they can't even rise up when Global Warming is a huge issue neither party is doing anything about.
Look,politics is an ugly,nasty business.Anyone telling you otherwise is lying to you. Unless you act locally,you're not going to change the big picture overnight.Overnight change usually results from blood in the streets.

Current Mood: anxious

02:47 pm - RIP Gary Gygax

Another day, another part of my childhood goes away. He,along with Dave Arneson,pretty much invented the RPG.If you never picked up Dungeons and Dragons in your life,then fine,you probably don't think it matters. But if you played any form of RPG,wether it was video game,computer,or even live action,then you owe the man a debt. His creation bought me numerous hours of good times,flights of fancy that fuel me to this day. I don't think I'd have survived puberty without it.It was my escape from a home that was rotten,and a world outside home that held nothing but hatred.I made all of my real friends through Dungeons and Dragons and other RPGs,so the debt I owe him can never be repaid.I'm curious to see how the mainstream media will cover this,especially Stephen Colbert,who wrote an essay for the D and D 30th anniversary book. Top all my friends in Wisconsin,if there's a service,please go.I think it's important,because we need to show the world he mattered,in the end.

Current Mood: sad

09:37 pm - Gen Con goes broke,there goes part of my youth again

Here's the story:
http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=24825
Ok,this sucks.I went to over 14 of these things,mainly because I lived near Milwaukee,and you go for just a day or two and get your rpg on.My game demo experiences? Gen Con. I have my name in two rpg books because of this con.My only time as a booth whore? Gen Con. I LOVED going,even after the bastards at WOTC moved it to Indianapolis.I really think moving it two hours away from the only other major rpg con in America,and trying to focus mainly on video games was a big kiss of death.I think I might try and go this year,just so I can tell my daughter that she too, went.She's only two,but hey.
Damn WOTC and Hasbro for selling the thing.Damn the SOB's who let the Star Wars celebrations take precedence over it.
Grr.Just,Grrr.
Now how am I going to get my LukeSki fix every couple years?

Current Mood: cranky

11:43 pm - A valentine to my wife

It's been my tradition to not overdo VDay,and this year seems no different.But I got to thinking today that sometimes we lose sight of those around us,and we should stop and tell those people that they really do matter to us.When Lianna and I got married,we based a lot of how we wanted the wedding from one quote,"Love is Behavior" by Andrew Vachss. So,let me brag here and tell you about how blessed and lucky I am,and how I am loved.(No this isn't going to porno,you sickos)

Love is...
Getting me Silver gel pens,even when you're in pain and not feeling good.
Your head lying in the crook of my arm.
Sitting through a movie I want to see,even when it makes you nauseated.
Believing in me,even when I don't.
Cutting through my neurosis with a laser.
Staying up with me when I've been sick.
Every gift you've ever given me,because you've thought about them.
Aubry.Nuff said.
And because words are failing me,here's some other guy with something to say about it:


Here's to you,Pookie.I love you more and more each day.

Current Mood: loved

11:41 pm - Where I've been lately

I've been kind of stuck inside my head,grappling with the grief since my mom died.It's made it kind of hard,since I can't look at anything involving a parent/child dying combo without having to choke shit back.It's weird,cause the two things that have made me bawl the hardest have been that song "Sorry" by Akon,and this:


Yeah,say what you want about awards shows,but this was more open and raw than anything I've seen performed on TV in years.Between this and his teamup onstage with Daft Punk,they should be just giving him his own TV channel.Certainly the best rap TV appearance in a decade.
The wife and I were back in Kenosha,briefly.That got cut way short due to my father being very sick.So we missed a lot of people,but it couldn't be helped. I'd say we'll see you when Steph gets married,but that's not gonna happen anytime soon.Mad thanks to Dr. Bill,Patty,Jesse,and Brian for showing us some K-town love.
So I really need to start doing something in terms of physical activity to fight the depression.I don't have the weather as an excuse down here, and yet I keep not exercising. I can't keep that up,or all the memories Aubry will have of me will be as that blob on the couch.
I'm supposed to go spread Mom's ashes in May. I'll keep you posted about that.

Current Mood: sad

03:03 pm - the future is catching up with us.

As a teenager,I devoured everything by Spider Robinson.One of his best known works is Stardance,coauthored with his wife Jeanne. Its about dancers in zero gravity.Now, he and his wife,who is a long time dancer and choreographer,are going up in the "vomit comet" to help with the first ever zero gravity dance piece,which will be filmed and released in Imax next year. This is the best use for that zero gravity planbe I've heard of. Hopefully the film will ignite people's passion for space travel,since it's probably only one of the things that might save us someday.

here's the story on Boing Boing,which if you have a computer, you ought to be reading anyway:
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/28/freefall-zerog-dance.html

Current Mood: surprised

01:54 am - Ministry Xmas Poem

MINISTRY mainman Al "Alien" Jourgensen has penned a special Christmas poem entitled "T'was The Night Before Impeachment". It goes like this:

T'was 2007 and all through the year
Not a creature was buying this climate of fear
The stockings were hung in a foreclosure scare
In hopes that the Banks would forget we were there!
The soldiers were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of extended tours messed with their heads
And Dick and Lynn Cheney with shotguns in lap
Had just pardoned Scooter for shutting his yap
When down at the White House there arose such a clatter
I sprang out the door to see what was the matter!
Away to the protest I flew like a flash
I marched for a while and got tazed in the clash
Then soon I was arrested – for what I don't know
But the ACLU said that “This just won't go!”
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature Cheney and eight dead reindeer
With his pacemaker pumping, so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be St. Dick!
Faster than subpoenas, his minions they came
He waterboarded and tortured and called them by name:
“Now Halliburton! Now Exxon! Now Conoco! Now Shell!
On Blackwater! On Bechtel! – Let's all go to Hell!”
To the top of the West Wing, to the top of The Wall
"Now stash away! Stash away! Stash way All!"
As voters are wondering why their vote doesn't fly
Here comes Karl Rove and he'll tell you why
So up to the White House the CEOs flew
With a sleighful of cash and Dick Cheney too!
And then, in a twinkling I heard on the roof
Was the hemming and hawing of the ultimate Goof (heh heh heh heh)
I raised just one finger and jumped all around
Coz there on the roof Ol "Dubya" came round
He was dressed all in fur that Cheney had killed
He looked rather dapper on the taxpayers' bill
A bundle of cash he had flung on his back
Looked happy as Cheney right before an attack
His eyes — how they twinkled, but his manners were weary
Coz Alberto Gonzales has so much to bury!
His droll little mouth was drawn up in a sneer
Like all of those press conferences he holds so dear
The stump of a crack pipe he held in his teeth
He said: "Laura, I'm sorry! I've relapsed — I'm weak!"
And his friend had a Wide Stance and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed in a toilet so smelly
Dim-witted and dumb a right jolly old elf
And I laughed when I saw him, giving way my own stealth
A wink of his eye and a snap of his finger
Soon gave me to know I shouldn't loiter or linger
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
Put the cash in his stockings, then turned with a jerk
And laying his finger aside of his nose
Thumbs up! And a nod for the coke that he chose
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle
"And away to Iran like a nuclear missile!'
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight:
"Happy Christmas to no one — Impeachment's not right!"

Current Mood: okay

11:35 pm - life update

I got fired Monday from BooksaMillion.Once again,fired from a book selling job I love a week before Xmas.To say that this has mentally fucked me up is an understatement.I can't blame anyone but me, unlike the last time,but still..
Damn,I really liked that job,for the most part.
Big ups to my wife's family,who in their efforts to cheer me and the wife up, brought us a new computer.Its very,very fast.so maybe I'll just dig myself a bigger hole and get addicted to WOW.
I'm trying very hard to have Xmas spirit,but alone at a keyboard at midnight isn't the place to find it.Failing myself is one thing, but dammit,I have a family now,and I have really failed them.
And I can just imagine what my wife's exes will have to say about this.But they won't say it to my face,so fuck them.
So yeah,a little brought down,and no its not because I thought you were the candyman.

Let's hope 2008 brings some light,and some fucking snow.

Current Mood: depressed

12:54 pm - Been looking for this for YEARS....

My favorite Xmas cover ever.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAn-NlKcm6
Anyone know how I could get an MP3 off this thing?

Only 18 days til Black Friday.The store I'm working in opens at midnight. Yeah ,you read that right. On the plus side, they don't stay open til 11 like Bastards and Noble.

Off now to wake the baby.

Current Mood: amused