Back when I traded dial-up BBS handles for an ICQ UIN, I found myself prompted to create a username. I was heavily into White Wolf role playing games at the time, having recently graduated from AD&D 2nd Edition. Inside the White Wolf universe, a newly created vampire is called a Childe, and the creator vampire is called a Sire. As I was still pretty new, I decided to go by Childe.
Like the Skippy nickname, it stuck. And that’s… the rest of the story.
I spent yesterday before work writing in the last issue of Steven. It’s half done, and I’ve got the last chapter of the last issue rattling around in my head. I’ve also posted more of Steven’s Book 2 on the Short Fiction page, so feel free to stop by and eat up that chapter. :) I had so much fun developing Blaize from Steven’s prodigy to a mentor in her own right… and she really rose to the challenge.
Steven’s page: http://steven.davidmcrampton.com/
Short fiction page: http://www.davidmcrampton.com/fiction.php
I hope to finish Steven entirely on my lunch/dinner break tonight. I’m going to give the sequel a shot as my main project afterward, which I know at least a few of you will be happy about.
Any tips for me on how to write with distraction? Up until now, I’ve needed to sequester myself with headphones, and derail pretty easily when interrupted, either from outside sources or my own need to look at shiny things. Being a Dad figure for kids is going to necessitate an ability to write amidst chaos, I’m thinking. :) So, any advice would be very helpful.
Let me start this off by saying that I suck at helping people move. I either end up sick, or too whiny and petulant. I detest moving, and I’ve avoided helping my friends do it in the past, and I acknowledge the full level of suck that this heaps upon me.
Not only that, but last time I asked for help moving, I did it the day of. *facepalm*
So, with that understanding, I am asking for help moving.
On the weekend of 09-10 August, I will be moving my (packed) crap from both my apartment and my storage and into the shiny, fancy, awesome house that
Yeah, I really just wanted to use the word aftermath.
So, leave a comment here, or drop me a phone call, and you will be welcomed with open arms. Or, with a box to carry. Or something. :)
Book 2 of Steven continues as Steven makes his way to Detroit. I’ll probably put up the next chapter later this week, as I’ve been lax in getting them up regularly. Check it out over here.
I know that lack of feedback is a normal issue with people who write… when it’s good, there’s nothing to complain about, I guess. However, I’m wondering how to find out if people are reading the stuff I’m putting out there – if it’s useful to have out there – without asking in a whiny, nasal voice. I guess this sort of qualifies as asking, doesn’t it?
I’m feeling a ton better today than I have in weeks. I’m pretty sure that I’m leaving, or have left, the mono behind. I need to make sure that I’m still getting a decent amount of sleep as I’m packing and such, but I can’t wait to reschedule my sleep test and get the CPAP. Being more awake, I’m hoping, will allow me to concentrate better while writing. I have to remember – it’s okay to suck. That’s what first drafts are for.
I am awake, with the aid of Frappuccinos. I feel like I’ve somehow betrayed my Gone Wired roots.
Ever run for office by imitating a webcomic? Somebody in Kansas is doing it. Thanks to
I like these things:
– Good writing.
– Melodrama.
– The paranormal.
– Legends, myths, religions, and disturbing commonalities between them all.
– Fiction.
– Serial fiction.
There’s a well-written, dark, mystic serial fiction that gleefully dances into melodrama, the paranormal, legends, myths, religions, and disturbing commonalities between them all. I keep linking to it. Unfortunately, being an LJ community, it’s written backwards. Newest entry, and therefore the most recent “end” to the story, shows up first. I wonder if re-arranging them in chronological order, via links, including the introduction and story behind it, would make it easier to read…
Yes, I’m talking about the
Good article on the attempt by politics to polarize a nation that mostly strives towards the middle. This one from
Went to
I’m here at work late tonight. Will be crashing hard when I get home, and likely sleeping until just before I have to come into work tomorrow.
Last rent payment sent off to my current apartment complex. All I have left to do is pack, do a light cleaning, move out, and drop off my keys and forwarding address. New address will be forthcoming as moving commences.
What was I doing up at 7:30 AM?
Poopy diaper. Off of the baby. Holy gods what a smell.
“Hi! Hi! I poopy! Hi! Poopy poopy poop poop poopy! I ucky! Hi! Mommy! Skippy! Hi! I poopy!”
He wasn’t kidding.
All of the parents on my list, feel free to either a) point and laugh and/or b) express sympathy. ;)
Character death? Did someone say character death? Did someone let George R. R. Martin into the writer’s room? My guess is that yes, he was there, talking about football and when to destroy the dreams and potential of whichever particular character that you were just starting to like.
Make no mistake, I loved this season, and that’s part of why. I really dislike kid gloves, and Season 3 takes off the kid gloves, takes off the adult gloves, and peels off three layers of skin from the hands. And then, at the very end, it chops off your hands, slaps you with them, and then takes you out to a movie and buys you dinner.
There’s not much that I can say about this season without spoilerizing it. I’ll just leave this little teaser for you. At least four of the last five Cylons are revealed. Five stars. And I have it on good authority that Season 4 is even -more- screwed up. I can’t wait!
I’d never pictured the dude from Fight Club, Edward Norton, as a tough guy. Really, as a muscley guy at all. And as a skinhead? Woah. This movie was truly amazing, and nailed nearly every single thing I look for in a movie. I was caught up, I was emotionally involved and invested in the characters, and the ending wasn’t rushed and didn’t take the easy way out. I really didn’t expect to see the girl from The Craft there, either. If you get the chance, see this movie. Five stars.
Apparently, I was on a bit of a skinhead run. Maybe I’m trying to figure out my cousin. Who knows? This one was recommended to me a while back, but I don’t remember who did it. This one’s got a bit more of an innocent cast to it than the other, due to the age and circumstances of the main character. Again, I was invested in the characters, and it was a great film. You could tell that it was an independent film, but the actors were amazing. The actor that played Tommy in Snatch was another surprise showing. That man can play really diverse roles. The ending was inevitable, but not labored. Four stars.
So, I contacted my apartment complex about when my lease was up, and they gave me the solid date of November 10th. That was cool and all, gave us a while to shop around and look, and take our time. And then I get this email saying that they’ve got a deluge of apartment requests from new Cooley students. So, I can get out of my lease by August 15th. *blink* So, after a bit of searching and links from
If you like guitar geekery, I highly recommend reading
Jury Duty Scam
This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.
The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.
The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
And here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
This is an open-ended contract opportunity to work as a consultant to repair desktops, laptops, and printers. The Candidate will perform desktop computer “Break/Fix” support and Simple to Complex Installation, Add, or Change requirements of peripherals & Device Drivers. This is a great opportunity for the right individual.
The troubleshooting has already occurred through the Dell help desk support line. That support line has determined the problem is hardware related and ordered the components for replacement.
Your job will be to pick up the hardware and take it to the client site (home, home-based business or small business), swap the part(s) out and return the warranty part(s) to Dell.
This contract pays $27.00 per ticket within 50 miles and $35.00 per ticket from 51-75 miles, and you will be assigned an average of 4-8 tickets a day. The mileage is included in the price per ticket.
Position Overview:
Duties and Responsibilities:
· Provides quality customer service and support for designated equipment.
· Escalates problems to appropriate next level of support when necessary.
· Monitors assigned service calls to ensure timely completion.
· Ensures all time reporting, expense reporting, and other required reports are accurate and submitted on time.
· Completes all administrative duties correctly and promptly
· Meets or exceeds various service levels as established by assignment (calls per day, ETA’s, on-time response, administrative call closure, customer satisfaction.)
· Responsible for ensuring on-going maintenance and development of positive customer relationships with all business partners and customers.
· Ensures that quality and service level goals are achieved in a timely manner.
Requirements:
· At least 2/3 years hands on experience working on hardware repairs and/or upgrades on pc’s, laptops and printers.
· A+ certification, Associate’s Degree in Electronics, formal PC hardware service courses, or similar military related training can replace a year of hands on experience.
· Must be comfortable swapping out motherboards (Desktop experience necessary, laptop experience desired)
· Must have experience diagnosing/troubleshooting hardware issues on pc, laptops, and printers.
· Proficiency in desktop support of Clients’ individual PCs. Minimum operating system knowledge includes: Microsoft Windows 9x, 2000 and XP
· Basic understanding of TCP/IP networking, hubs and switches
· Support of computer networks, as directed by a Level II or III Engineer/Technician
· A+ certification is preferred
· Dell Certification is a plus ( If you do not have one we will pay for you to get dell certified)
· Must enjoy driving, you will be driving from location to location
· Must have your own tools for repairing computers that include anti-static protection and DC volt-meter
· Must have your own reliable transportation and valid driver’s license
· Ability to locate addresses in your immediate area
· Must dress business casual for the position. No jeans or tennis shoes.
· Must be well organized
If you are qualified, available, interested, planning to make a change please forward a recent copy of your resume to:dallas.temp@rcmt.com, even if we have spoken recently about a different position. If you do respond via e-mail please include your resume and a daytime phone number so I can reach you. In considering candidates, time is of the essence, so please respond ASAP.
Thank you,
RCM Technologies
Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor
PO2 (EOD2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq , giving his life to save his fellow SEALs.
During Mike Monsoor’s funeral in San Diego , as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rose crans National Cemetery , SEALs were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of twos, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike’s coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.
The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.
This should be front-page news instead of the crap we see every day.
Since the media won’t make this news, I choose to make it news by forwarding it onto you guys. I am proud of our military and the men and women who serve in it. They represent the highest and finest values of this country.