Saturday, March 15, 2008

Does Not Compute

I haven’t been around much lately. I’ve been immersed in radio.

See, our main computer blew up at the station. It was kind of like the way those computers would self destruct in the old Star Trek series, where Kirk would ask them questions that would get the machines so angry and knotted up in logic cramps that they would explode (which always begged the question of why you would load a computer with explosives, but some things are better left unexplained. Don’t get me started on why the chairs on the Enterprise didn’t have seat belts).

Anyway, much time was spent on getting a new system built, having it installed and trying to make my old, tired and, frankly, undersized brain to understand it.

Still working on that last part.

So the last couple of weeks have involved 99 % work and 1% sleep. Hopefully that ratio is slowly swinging back to my normal 80/20 work/sleep ratio.

Hey, I did manage to write a short story this week. I received an invite to an anthology revolving around a character I dearly love. I finished it a few minutes ago and sent it off. I’ll let you know what the deal is when I hear if I made the cut. Meanwhile, I’m celebrating with a Rising Moon Spring Ale from the makers of my current favorite beer, Blue Moon Pale Ale.

The new issue of Horror Fiction Review praises Dead Earth: The Green Dawn, stating in part: “While Dead Earth isn’t the most original idea for a story, Justice and Wilbanks have a knack for doing this the right way. Sure, it’s end-of-the-world-zombie time again, but it’s done very well, and protagonist Jubal Slate is one of those characters you care for and can’t wait to see how he reacts to situations.”

That’s good, right?

(Full disclosure: Nick Cato, publisher of HFR, also published Deadneck Hootenanny. That doesn't mean he automatically likes my writing. Ask him some time about the prolonged negotiations that went on about the language in DH, especially about whether a male organ was more offensive if you called it a "dick" or a "pecker".)

I’m also catching up on TV and movies. Two brief notes: LOST is having it’s best season since the first. And Justice league: The New Frontier is an excellent adaptation of the graphic novel, and an obvious labor of love for all involved.

2 comments:

Ron Fortier said...

Hi yah, Mark. Those last two comments required AMENS. Justice League - The New Frontier is what animation should be about all the time and here's hoping DC is smart enough to dip into their bottomless vaults and do other classic heroes in this vein. And what can anyone say about LOST this year, except its the best damn written show on television, period!!
Have always been a fan, but the episodes this year have totally upped the suspense. Flash-forwards!! What an idea.

Mark Justice said...

Ron: Last week's Jin/Sun combo flashback/flash forward twisted my brain into knots!