Another retired Barger

For the most part, my local community newspaper does a fine job reporting local news and community events. The editing, however, leaves a lot to be desired. For example, the latest issue ran a story, "Barger hangs up the clippers after 40 years."

Well...

I didn't know we had bargers working the area. Hell, I didn't even know we had barges, or that they needed clippers.

Okay, enough cheap jokes. The article was, of course about a local barber.

The thing is, this was the HEADLINE in thick bold font, not a typo buried in the fifth paragraph. Sadly, this happens fairly often with this paper. I would hate to be this poor guy. My father retired a number of years ago. He, too, was a barber and had an article with his picture in the paper. He has it framed and hanging in the house.

After 40 years of work in a profession largely self-employed so there is no gold watch at the end of service, just a comment in the local paper to commemorate your retirement, and this is what you get? I doubt he'll be framing this one, just lining his bird cage.


On a bright side, I've finished Chapter 5! Woohoo!


Mike

A pleasant surprise

Okay, so the other day I was doing a kind of vanity googling and came across this 'review' of my Writers of the Future 21 story, "Annus Mirabilis."

"In another story a young Einstein (No, no connection to a ghawdawful comedy best forgotten along with it's creator, thank god) is confronted by his older self. Anyone who likes/respects Saint Albert ought to like it."

It was a post made in Oct. 07 in a newsgroup, but still brought a smile to my face. The post on whole was about the writer finding the anthology in a bargain bin, and, ignoring L. Ron's stigma, purchased and read it. In the end, they found the book was all that it advertised to be and gave a glowing recommendation.

My story got an extra comment :)

Mike

Update

Just finished Chapter 3. I told you rewrites take me forever.

Woot!

Hey, here is what the cover of the Golden Visions is going to look like. If you look closely, my name just covers a small planet. I guess that makes it a Class M. ;)

The mag is still at the printers and should be ready by the end of the month.

Mike

Oh, ha, ha, very funny

Yes, I can hear the sarcastic laughter coming from you as click on the link in my last post. Just where the heck are these stories I'm supposed to be voting for, you might ask?

Well, the answer is here.

http://www.canadiansf.com/

You will have to sign up to allow access, but it's free and thats all you have to do.

Sorry about that, but I was in a rush.

:)


Mike

You can make a differance in a poor author's life

Want to help out a poor Canadian author looking for a break in the business? Does the power over someone's future give you a warm fuzzy feeling in body parts better left unmentioned? Ever see those award shows and think to yourself, hey, who the hell votes for this crap anyway?

If you've answered yes, no, or have ignored any of the questions, then click the link below and make a differance. The Auroras are the premier Canadian award for best Science Fiction and Fantasy writing in Canada. The rules are fairyly simple, if you have had a work published in the previous year, (ie 2007), your eligible for nomination. Most authors willing to play the game have made their work available for reading. So, if you got the time, or feel you should actually read the work as opposed the popularity contest method used by the People's Choice Awards, you can at no charge to you.

What does the award mean? As far as I know, nothing financial. But you do get a real spiffy trophy, and the right to claim "Aurora winner" which looks good on any resume, title page or submission to a publisher.

Best of all it's all free. This is the first time the awards have offered an online ballot, so click on the link, fill in the blanks and give the vote counters a real headache this year with all the ballots to wade through.

Finally, just so you know, I have nothing to nominate, so I have nothing invested in this other than a desire to help others.

So, click and vote.

http://www.prix-aurora-awards.ca/English/AwardProcess/nominationForm.php

Mike

Golden Globes

NBC did their best to make lemonade from lemons Sunday, presenting a much truncated version of the Golden Globes. Even though there were no writers to write for the show, or stars to attend or/present/receive the awards, there was still a whole pile of trophies to give out. So, they got some Access Hollywood type set, put up a podium and rifled off the nominees and announced the winners. The whole thing in one hour. It was beautiful.

I won't go into detail as to who got them all, read your local paper or watch TV.

What interests me is what ET and all the other shows are going to do to fill in the time. For every awards show there is about 3 following shows dedicated to the after parties and how to get rip-offs of star's gowns. But with no ceremony, that leaves a big hole in the schedule.

I wonder if those selfish Producers and Writers thought about that when the decided on this course of action? Its one thing to mess up the TV schedule, but if you screw with the garment industry you had better watch out.


Mike

Ad Astra 2008

Just checked the Ad Astra website and saw two new names added to the Guest of Honour list: Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Not only is the married couple powerhouse writers in the genre, they are also judges in the Writers of the Future Contest.

As yet, I don't know if they will do a WoTF Panel, but can you imagine sitting with these two, then include Robert Sawyer and Jame Alan Gardner. Then you got Stephen Kotowych, who won the recent grand prize; Tony Pi, 2nd place winner and critic's favorite; Goblin Quester Jim C. Hines who'll be launching his third book at the convention . . .

Hell, I'll have to join the panel just to find a seat in the place.

Went to visit friends and family in the hometown of Kitchener this past weekend. Always fun and had a good time except for a throbbing headache that refused to go away. Finally succumbed to taking a couple of Extra Strength somethings.

Christmas vacation has ended. Kat's back at work, the kid is back to school and, for me, the new year has officially begun. As I said before, I'm going to concentrate on getting a final draft of the BIG BOOK done. As before, I'm not going to do a word count, which is kind of difficult anyway, since it's a rewrite. I will do the chapter count off, and start the ball rolling with Chapter 1 in the can and halfway through Chapter 2.

Hopefully I can get a major chunk done before Kat makes me reno the upstairs bathroom.

Yikes!


Mike