Two Words on Bullying

Oh hey, it's 2013 now, isn't it? And I haven't posted anything here for you guys since last November. Obama was rightly reelected, of course, but predictably, we've only seen the usual disappointment from the government since. That's a matter for another irate ramble, however. Normally, as I've meant to for the past year or two and still haven't gotten to, I'd start out the new year with some big rambling post summarizing things as of late - personal, boring nonsense. There's not much to report as of late, though I'll probably babble enough about it at some point, from my having been freelancing for over a year and a half now to tentative efforts to escape the south that I've been focusing on to present ongoing health problems threatening to derail more than I care to think about.

At any rate, just over three and a half months into the year, I'm starting out 2013 with a couple of things I felt compelled to post.

The Limits of Control

You're overdue for some movie talk. I need a subject to blog about today. Two and two - let's go.

This time, we're taking a look at a fantastic film that most critics and viewers have hated. That alone should tell you outright that I enjoyed it because my tastes are better - and not in the "Hey, Marmaduke wasn't made for critics!" sense - and by establishing this, I am officially firing a shot off the bow of the critical giant that is Roger Ebert.

Oh god, what have I done?

Even If You're Never Awake

This post is pretty much a reconfiguration of something I've been meaning to post since late last September. As I keep up with the regular posts, I've been planning on expanding into more music and video posts, and I wanted to share this particularly inspiring piece of amazing, ambient drone music by Stars of the Lid.

Originally, it was going to be with this fantastic video of the snowy environment and nature captured on film up in a wintry Canada. Unfortunately, in the months since, that video was removed due to copyright claim. Curse you, legal system. That video wasn't harming anyone. This video just has a single still - but appropriately chilly - image of some icy mountains. An image that will be appearing in Project Princess as well.

I had also intended to post this during the winter, when a cold, snowy, deeply wintry bit of atmospheric music like this would be entirely appropriate. With May mere hours away, we're bound for the latter half of spring at this point. What I'm trying to get at here is that I deserve a medal for my punctuality.

Evocative, atmospheric, deeply moody music like this serves as yet another source of inspiration while I work on my second novel. I probably wouldn't be half the author I am - take that as you will - if not for the music I listen to while I write. If I ever manage to expand into music in the future as I would love to, it would be a tremendous fortune and privilege to create anything even slightly near the universe of this song's quality. (Though obviously, seeking out that fortune and privilege in the literary world is my first goal before I fire any shots off the bows of other creative media.) This song is nothing less than pure emotion - and exactly why I enjoy ambient drone music and you should too.

The Places We Leave Behind

My current novel, Project Princess, begins in ruins. Not the ruins of some ancient civilization - 遺跡 【いせき】, iseki, or 'historic ruins/remains/relics' - but 廃虚 【はいきょ】, haikyo. The ruins of an abandoned building, or something more recent. In the case of my novel, the ruined building in question had been functional and inhabited mere weeks to months prior to where we join the protagonist, at a time in which the passage of time has not only become unclear, but relatively meaningless. Ruins have spent quite a bit of time on my mind in the past year.

The 'Stairway to Hell' within Hashima Island/Gunkanjima.

Trains Through Tokyo

May 19th, May 19th, and also May 19th.

It has been a while since my last post here, hasn't it? (Don't count the days.)

Before you drop a ten-ton weight on my head, I've got a valid excuse! Lucky me, I've been sick for about a week and a half now, since the 8th. Not one of those fun illnesses either where you near the brink of death and they pump you full of powerful drugs so everything seems wonderful. (Upon further examination, those aren't really fun illnesses either.) Instead, I've had one of those lovely persistent stomach viruses that make it very hard to eat much of anything and leave you feeling tired, sore, and weak. And subsisting on crackers, cereal, and water doesn't make for much in the way of necessary nutrients to fight said illness, or avoiding losing weight, either. At this point, I'd just like for my stomach to stop hurting and to be less dizzy so I can finally get back to eating normally again, fix the whole nutrition thing with a more varied, balanced diet again, and actually get back to writing more often.

As you'd expect, illness can inhibit one's desire to be creative. Especially when you're malnourished, have been for over a week, and just want to collapse most of the time. Doesn't help when you have days when you feel like you're finally on the up and up immediately followed by a day or two of feeling terrible again, either. I've missed way too many good meals and desserts in these past eleven days. So let's hope I get well soon so I can pour a lot more time into novel work, the upcoming third round of agent queries (June's not far off!), and babble here some more. And also eat normally again and enjoy the whole good health/able to leave the house thing.

On a more positive note for this blog, its main focus. (This is your cue to make the jump to the main entry itself by clicking the title.)