Open Letters

Top Five Graphic Novels

2009-05-08T00:07:55Z

Okay, my brain has gotten rusty. Annoyingly so actually. A few weeks ago I was doing the whole "Top Five X" list thing on Facebook and I listed my Five top graphic Novels.

1. Cages
2. Transmetropolitain
3. Dark Knight Returns
4. Finder
5. Jinx

Last night I started thinking about why these are my top five graphic novels. Because it's nice to have these whole top five lists and all, but they are slightly pointless and unrevealing unless you have some form of explanation to them. So I figured "what the hell, shake of some of the cerebral rust and write about why each of these books deserve such high regard from me." But I'm not going to do quick little things I wants some depth for them so each day next week starting with Jinx and ending with Cages I'll go down my list and tell you why these books should be read, what makes them great and why they touched me as a reader. This also allows me to set up a bit of a challenge for myself and knock the rust off the gears in my head. One "article" a day for me to share here. The other side is I'd also like to see the reactions and open a bit of dialogue on the subjects.

That's it for now.

See you on Monday for Jinx

Okay, should have done this sooner

2008-06-07T05:19:33Z

Last week of work for the summer until I start again next september or so. (Got a new gig and it's awesome, but that's not what I wanted to write about.) Wanted to spend the evening listening to Quadrophenia on a head set in my room, but my CD player is dying, so I decided Fuck it, and downloaded Ziggy Stardust. This is the first time I've ever listened to it, and FUCK, why has no one ever forced me to sit down and listen to this album before! Christ it's awesome.

Running for Home (again)

2008-03-20T03:26:03Z

I keep using the "Running for Home" title on posts occasionally. It comes from the Matthew Good song, but it extends out further for me. That feeling in baseball, making that run from third base to home plate. I hate watching baseball, but I can remember that feeling from when I was a kid the few times I made it onto third. I was a slow runner as a kid, the ball would be hit out into feild and all of a sudden it was a mad dash and I was the target, I was the threat. All I could focus on was making it home, I couldn't look behind me to see what was happening I had to watch the plate, make sure I made it home before the catcher got the ball. Everything rode in those few last seconds. I still get that feeling at times, that feeling that everything is coming down around me and as long as I make it to home plate I can rest a little while, I'll be safe again. It's come along again. Sometimes I'd get the run going and I know I'm going to make it home, others I knew I was burnt, others, like now, it's a crap shoot, I don't know how long I've got but I know it's not long.

None of my friends will get it, I know that, they don't get sports, they all know where they are. Everythiong has been changing for me. The one person I could talk to about it is out of my life for good and that is a good thing most days, except at times like right now. Hyped up with this crazy nervous energy, just wanting to jump right out of my skin, and at the same time a fatalistic feeling of "what happens happens". I'm not the same person I was a year ago, I know what I want and where I want to be, but at the same time I'm feeling as if I lost my compass.

In life I've been a slow runner too. I always feel as if I'm ten years behind everyone else. But if I can get my foot on home plate in time maybe things will start for me. I don't run often, but when I do... I can run.

More done

2007-11-12T01:35:10Z

Story went out on Monday last week for it's second rejection letter, will recieve it by early December.

Lots of work done on "Oh Bugger... A Love Story!?" now waiting to hear back on how the script was recieved by artists.

Waiting to hear back from some friends in the video game industry about my portfolio. Have to redo my letter of introduction for a couple of other places.

Another short stoy has been worked on mildly, will be focusing on that more shortly, when it's done I'm going to work out the "sequels" to it, and see if I can actually work it into a whole novel of sorts.

That's about it at the moment.

Failure and submission

2007-10-03T02:36:28Z

Completely blown my whole "quit smoking by my Birthday" plan.

One short story is out into the submission winds, waiting for the regection slips to start flowing in.

but in good news (Quiz Care of Greg Rucka)

Your results:
You are Han Solo

Han Solo		72%
Luke Skywalker		69%
Obi-Wan Kenobi		68%
Chewbacca		68%
Qui-Gon Jinn		64%
Princess Leia		60%
Lando Calrissian		59%
R2-D2		58%
Anakin Skywalker		57%
Mace Windu		56%

Even though you've been described as
reckless, selfish and cocky, you're the
type of person others love to be around.
People like you because you're a scoundrel.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)

Click here to take the "Which Star Wars character am I?" quiz...

Quitting Smoking Week 3

2007-04-24T02:15:21Z

Week 3 three in my slow quest to quit smoking began today, switched from a cigarette every hour and a half to one every two hours. I'll be adjusting to 2 1/2 hours in either two or three weeks depending on how I'm holding. After that I switch to three hours then four.

I want to be done by my 32nd birthday. I haven't sat down to figure that part out yet, But I hope I'm on track.

-D

The Biomech Cycle

2007-04-05T03:40:37Z

Started The Biomech Cycle shortly before Christmas in either '99 or 2000, I can't even find that out since the original version is on a completely other computer that is now stored in a closet. It was originally going to be a comic (OGN), but a lack of willing artist stalled it there. I spent half an hour tonight looking over the 1500 words that have been written, remebering the ideas and concepts and inspirations for it. 14 chapter, non liniar story line, fast chapters, all told I don't see the project being over 15,000 words and that'd be piushing it. It would be a style play in Science Fiction, from the same vein as James Joyce's Ulysses (not that I'm trying for the same high avante garde type stuff, it's just something I've always wanted to play with since I read the book.) I think I'm going to start playing with it more seriously in the next few weeks depending on work, get some of my artsy fartsy experimental juices flowing a bit since they've been slightly hamstrung with the other projects I've been fooling around with lately.

In other slightly related news, I finished one of the short stories I've been working on lately today, 200 odd words over where I wanted to be but with a bit of trimming it should be alright. (Although there's actually about a 1000 more words I could easily add to it.)

-J

Something stupid (project Soulburn)

2007-03-24T23:36:57Z

Longest thing I've written to date: 22,500+ words. 122 page screenplay.

I just proposed a project that would be aproximately 175,000 words to a friend of mine, the lowest viable word count would be 100,000 words. He'd have to find the time for it, but it would be a reall cool project to do. I just didn't quite figure out what the word count would end up being. But then again, I'm pretty sure I could pull it off. It would be a cool challenge one way or another.

-J

Working and stuff

2007-02-28T17:52:06Z

I've been off work for the past few weeks so I'm now working on catching up with my writing. I've also been offered a chance to get a really funky writing job that could be really cool, I don't know what the pay or the contract would be like, but if it still allows for personal projects I'm definately going to make a run for it.

Still listening to Eskimo Joe, but I've also started listening to another album I got for Christmas, a John Coltrane live album, man the guy could play.

I've been kicking around a few new ideas in my head but I need to finish off my current projects first.

-J

Album of the year

2006-12-28T06:46:09Z

Only dicover this yesturday through a buddy who is big on Australian music. By far one of the best albums over the past few years. Eskimo Joe: Black fingernails, Red wine.

Check them out at eskimojoe.net you'll be glad you did

-J

Gay Rights

2006-10-04T19:36:03Z

My question is: How can any person who considers themselves human not?

"We would like to know who really believes in gay rights on livejournal. There is no bribe of a miracle or anything like that. If you truly believe in gay rights, then repost this and title the post as "Gay Rights". If you don't believe in gay rights, then just ignore this. Thanks."

Question of the Day:

2006-09-29T04:10:30Z

Why is it that the best news reporters these day are Comedians?

It seems like the guys who are willing to go out and actually do investigative work and show the world for what it is are comedians. And I'm not talking about being funny, but simply actually going out and being able to put together a reasonable news pice instead of spin doctored fluff.

-D

...never change just what...

2006-09-15T20:31:14Z

It's amazing the effect some women can have on me. I keep telling myself that I am over it, that I'm good, that it's all in the past, and then I see them I tell myself that I'm good and then they say one thing or another and I feel like I'm crumbling to pieces.

I managed to get myself fairly fucked up over a girl who played me a year ago. I Joke that I fall in love at the drop of a pair of pants, but that's not true. All she needs to do is pay attention to me and I'm going to lose control of this stupid heart of mine. And it had been such a good day at that point. Oddly enough this was the second girl to do that to me this week.\

I keep thinking that I'd love to beable to fall in love again, of course I need to fall out of it first.

-D

jaydici @ 2006-09-14T18:26:00

2006-09-14T22:46:12Z

You scored as Baldr. You are Baldr! You are the God of beauty, and doomed to die at the hands of a friend. You will watch as all your friends die in Ragnorak (the end of the world). You are very playful and naive, and dont think about the consequences in life

</td>

Freyja

70%

Baldr

70%

Tyr

65%

Thor

60%

Odin

60%

Loki

58%

Which Norse God Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

I met my best friend right where the guy walked through

2006-09-13T18:54:04Z

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/09/13/shots-dawson.html

Shooting at the school I met some of my best friends. Fuck.

-D

one down five to go... bitches.

2006-08-30T04:35:51Z

FUCK YEAH.

-D

From the Journal of Edward J. Navarre Dated September 10th 2003

2006-08-29T03:21:26Z

Cry foul oh terrible, cruel and foul puppeteers of fate
your strings pull and tangle and cross our intents at unjust times
creating a web of sorrowful calamity bringing woe upon we five humble pirinces of the city.

Now we stand torn and lost between our honour and the intents of our heart's desire.
Pride and nature and our cores as honorable men keep us seperate from that which you have placed before us like cruel jokes to lay before us temptaions of such esquisite features and beauty.

You have placed that which has troubled me most before me once more
a face of such coutanance that even my long memory did wrong in it's allure.
This web that you have caught us in oh terrible fate I believe will cost us greatly
and no blade will cut us free, here in this place we must sit and wait for you to reveal your unkind intents as our place in your puppet show is revealed.

-EJN

In the end it seems very Lost Boys with Zombies

2006-07-27T16:49:22Z

Your Livejournal zombie attack.

LiveJournal Username

The name of your zombie infested home town.

Your zombie killing weapon of choice.

How much do zombies scare you?

Oh noes!!11 A zombie! What do you do?

Blasting zombies left and right with a freaking twelve guage. What do you think?

jaydici

Curled into a fetal position crying their eyes out.

kenix

Is pwning some zombies with Don't Stop Me Now playing in the background.

badluck97

Is sitting at home watching CNN and eating ice cream.

girlmod

Get ripped to pieces by the zombies. Bummer.

grrm

Is the zombie king who you must destroy to end the zombie menace.

jaydici

Number of zombies you decapitate.

421

Chances you survive the zombie swarm.

60%

This Fun Quiz created by Rob at BlogQuiz.Net

Science News at NewsDump</a>

Shattered Diamonds

2006-07-12T00:43:25Z

When I was 17 one of my heroes was Syd Barret, not because of his song writing abilities or even his founding Pink Floyd, it was because I felt a kinship with him. At a time when I felt like I was losing my mind and unable to control my creative impulses to the point where I spent almost all my time writing songs, playing guitar or studying music while at the same time straining every last friendship I had to the breaking point, here was a man who 20 odd years before had done the same and managed to become a legend for it. Music was my Life, it was my air, my food and my water, it was everything to me, everything else, school family friends, even my band mates were left standing in the dust with me off in my own little obsessed world. I could see what I was doing to those around me but it didn't matter, I had to get the music out of my head, and it didn't matter what else was going on at the time. I knew I was going crazy, but it felt worse when I wasn't doing it. And then came along the story of Syd Barret, the legend, the guy who helped form Pink Floyd, and then burnt his bridges as quickly as he had built them. On top of it my own little mythos includes The Fact that the album Wish you Were Here hit number 1 on Bilboard Cgharts the day I was born, I felt a distinct kin ship to the man.

Over 13 years later I look back at that time of my life with a sense of sadness, awe, and sorrow. But I also look back at it with wholly new eyes and a different take. In the last month I've finally been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (I'm not just an ass... I'm an assburger!) Something reading some of the Obituaries of "Syd" Rodger Barrett mention as a possible reason for his odd behavior.

The death of Syd Barrett also marks a strange feeling in my head, like my 17 year old self, the tireless and dedicated artist who is a legend in my own mind has also passed as well. No one really remebers him any more, and if they do no one cares except for me. He was the one who would be the voice in the back of my head telling my I was fucking up by working at tellemarketing and wouldn't stop, he's the guy who lets me know when I'm really fucking things up as an artist. My seventeen year old self, the one that went crazy and saw God one night while his world was falling apart the one who pledged his life to art has almost always been there beside me not guiding but leading me, even forcing me, down meandering paths, not letting up until he got his way. With SYd Barrett's death and the legend coming to a close he seems to have gone quiet as if reality has finally sunk in.

To Ride the Legend is to Understand the Myth.

Shine on...

-D

I wanna see the sumo!

2006-05-25T22:52:33Z

http://www.centrebell.ca/eng/events/redirect.cfm?sectionID=bellCenterGEGEventInfo.cfm&eventID=1424

Unfortunately I don't think I can afford it. Sumo is one of those facinating things that I wish I could see more of on TV.

-D

Amuse thy self with clicking!

2006-05-19T02:24:15Z

http://www.helpwinthebet.com/

-D

Quote of last week!

2006-05-08T15:59:19Z

"Your life will have fewer disapointments if you follow one simple rule: Never ever trust George Lucas."

-D

Falling in Love is the dumbest thing you can do...

2006-05-04T04:02:54Z

and doing it often is a sign of madness. Or maybe it's madness not to. Is it unselfish if I let her marry another man? Is it that my low sense of self worth is that low, that I realize that the guy she's marrying is that much better than me? Yet every time she smiles at me I feel like I could move the earth on it's axis. I try not to but each time I see her I fall in love all over again.

And I'm actually doing it twice over these days. The women I love are better off without me. There are so many factors that I can't just blindly go in in either case, it would be foolish and destructive.

I'm 30 years old and I can't stop falling in love.

-D

Khaos D Radio

2006-04-21T21:00:53Z

Discovered Pandora.com the other day, I've been fooling around with what I want in there. if you want a listen to what I've been listening to feel free http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh23599592 .

Saw Ladytron on Wendsday, they gave a good show but the crowd was so down played that only the section arround my friends and I was dancing. I'm also now out of DVDs to watch, and video games to play, so I'm working a bit more, but then I also finally started George R. R. Martin's A GAME OF THRONES which is quite the consuming novel.

My buddy Ian is also leaving to move back home to Cape Breaton Nova Scotia at the end of the month. He's throwing in the towel on the acting thing it seems and he's going to try to go buld some kind of life with Finacial security. I'll miss him when he's gone the guy's a mad bastard, I won't miss the nudity though.

-D

Flashbanged

2006-04-08T04:17:44Z

PAK! and flash.

kind of in the mood to play with loud explosives. (Reason #1 why I should never be allowed to play with neuclear divices, I like explosions.)

Listening to ladytron on headphones cranked up in preperation for the concert this month. Also watched "It's all gone Pete Tong" tonight and realized I should really get myself a decent mixing program on my computer, I have a ton of beats and remixes in my head all based off of some of my old songs and some jazz that I have laying around. Of course I'd DJ under the name "Khaos D" and the first three tracks I'd put together would be "The Arsonist" "Wunderkind" and "CyberGirl" the first two are ols songs of mine from way back in the day, "CyberGirl" would involve remixing my friend Chets song Future Girl which has one of the collest bass lines in the past 15 years.

-D