OK, so, having failed so FABULOUSLY at my last daily writing attempt, I think I need to redeem myself. Hey lookey there - National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November! AND - I remembered it before October!!!!! I figure that if I can do National Poetry Month in April, NaNoWriMo ought to be a cinch! What's that, writing a novel in a month can't be done? Poppycock! Of course it can! Especially when the "contest" is really only 50,000 words. Yep, that's all I have to do - 50,000 words in thirty days. That's 1666.67 words per day, or roughly 70 words per hour.
Of course, the story can be as long as one likes, it doesn't have to END at 50k words. This is wonderful news for the Fat Kid, because his other novel...yep, THAT one...is roughly 170,000 words long. Clearly, complex plots that involve a lot of explanation are nothing I fear. But here's the shocker for ya. This one...this one isn't fantasy literature.
SHOCK!!! GASP!!! WTH??????
Yes, kiddos, you heard me correctly - the Fat Kid is exposing himself to new and varied genres, and you know what happens when the Fat Kid exposes himself!! (A humble thank-you to Bill Murray and Harold Ramis for that little gem.) But seriously, I think in more terms than just fictional worlds full of dragons and orbs and outlaws and psionic half-men, and since I have this idea in my head, I thought I should try and get it down on digital paper - and at least get it out of my head.
But wait - did you say that this is happening in November? Why, yes I did, dear reader - how astute an observer you are!! Yes, the tules state that I cannot begin the creating of text until November the 1st, but I can create outlines, graphs, charts, storyboards, plot diagrams, and have copious amounts of notes at my disposal beforehand. So, not only will I be exploring a new kind of genre, but I am also going to approach it a different way: prepare everything first, THEN jump in!!!! For those just sent into diabetic shock/collapse at this notion (yeah, you know who I'm talking about, you Elf) stuff it. It's only because of the truncated time schedule that I'm doing it this way. We'll talk.
So...FEEL FREE TO PESTER ME. Yep, ask questions, get me talking. Seriously, it helps in the writing process. 90% of writing is thinking, and the more I'm forced to talk about this, the more I'll think about it and the various problems that will come up with my plot. The more I think about it, the more I'll solve.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Older...not so much wiser...
In what now seems like a lifetime ago, the Fat Kid used to play hihg school sports. Well, ok, for two years, I played one high school sport - Men's Volleyball. Yeah, in Central New York, Volleyball is a mne's sport AND a women's sport...only the men's season runs from the end of January through most of March. It's a winter sport, which means it's played indoors. For those who consider volleyball to only consist of beaches and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in sport bikinis - the indoor game is quite a lot different.
1) speed - it's a lot faster.
2) ceilings - they suck, but it's a heck of a limiter
3) the sand is forgiving when you land on it (we'll come back to this point)
4) 6 people per side, not 2
5) no sport bikinis (for men's volleyball, this is an excellent idea)
Now, the problem with playing any sport on an organized team is that, innevitably, the coach of said sport drills certain ideas into your head that you cannot shake, no matter what. This is where the Fat Kid gets into trouble. Oh, there's nothing wrong with those principles, mind you - it's just that those principles are not conducive to the pain-free lifestyle that I would prefer living.
Principle 1: the ball better not hit the floor unless three bodies hit first. Remember that bit about how sand is forgiving when you crash into it? Yeah, gymnasium floors...not so much. In fact, a gymnasium floor tends to be quite a bit harder than flesh. One might even say that the floor hits back.
Principle 2: the height of the ball (in feet off the ground) is exactly the same as the number of feet you can travel to get to it before it hits the ground. Of course, this does not take the speed at which the ball may be traveling - sometimes a crucial element - or the angle at which it is moving.
Principle 3: The ball is more important than the well-being of the physical self. And THAT's the one that's hardest to shake, probably because it is the most warped of them all. Bruises heal. Pain is momentary, fleeting. Victory....victory is forever.
Of course, these priciples, when you are 15-18 yrs old, are sound theory. Practice follows theory to produce victory, and through victories, the team achieves glory. It is awesome. When you are a teenager. When you are a thirty-something guy nursing a bum calf muscle...these principles are still cool, but the ability to practice them and produce victory and attain glory...well, that is another matter entirely.
So last night, I went to what I am calling the League of Somewhat Ordinary Gentlemen - 30-40-somethings intent on recapturing former glories. There, I promptly tried to play the way I used to, utilizing all the principles I'd been taught so many years ago. Theory into practice, producing victories (although not many) and achieving glory...SCREW THAT. What did I get for my efforts? The heel of my left hand is tender, right thumb is bruised, left calf muscle is tighter than blazes and screaming at me any time I move my leg, right shoulder is painful to move, upper back is sore, and lower left side of my back is stiff and sore, too.
Why did I do this? Because - it's the only way I know how to play. Thanks, Coach. You forgot to mention Principle 4: Tylenol, Advil, drug stores, ace bandages, wrist and ankle braces, and ice packs are my friends.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
1) speed - it's a lot faster.
2) ceilings - they suck, but it's a heck of a limiter
3) the sand is forgiving when you land on it (we'll come back to this point)
4) 6 people per side, not 2
5) no sport bikinis (for men's volleyball, this is an excellent idea)
Now, the problem with playing any sport on an organized team is that, innevitably, the coach of said sport drills certain ideas into your head that you cannot shake, no matter what. This is where the Fat Kid gets into trouble. Oh, there's nothing wrong with those principles, mind you - it's just that those principles are not conducive to the pain-free lifestyle that I would prefer living.
Principle 1: the ball better not hit the floor unless three bodies hit first. Remember that bit about how sand is forgiving when you crash into it? Yeah, gymnasium floors...not so much. In fact, a gymnasium floor tends to be quite a bit harder than flesh. One might even say that the floor hits back.
Principle 2: the height of the ball (in feet off the ground) is exactly the same as the number of feet you can travel to get to it before it hits the ground. Of course, this does not take the speed at which the ball may be traveling - sometimes a crucial element - or the angle at which it is moving.
Principle 3: The ball is more important than the well-being of the physical self. And THAT's the one that's hardest to shake, probably because it is the most warped of them all. Bruises heal. Pain is momentary, fleeting. Victory....victory is forever.
Of course, these priciples, when you are 15-18 yrs old, are sound theory. Practice follows theory to produce victory, and through victories, the team achieves glory. It is awesome. When you are a teenager. When you are a thirty-something guy nursing a bum calf muscle...these principles are still cool, but the ability to practice them and produce victory and attain glory...well, that is another matter entirely.
So last night, I went to what I am calling the League of Somewhat Ordinary Gentlemen - 30-40-somethings intent on recapturing former glories. There, I promptly tried to play the way I used to, utilizing all the principles I'd been taught so many years ago. Theory into practice, producing victories (although not many) and achieving glory...SCREW THAT. What did I get for my efforts? The heel of my left hand is tender, right thumb is bruised, left calf muscle is tighter than blazes and screaming at me any time I move my leg, right shoulder is painful to move, upper back is sore, and lower left side of my back is stiff and sore, too.
Why did I do this? Because - it's the only way I know how to play. Thanks, Coach. You forgot to mention Principle 4: Tylenol, Advil, drug stores, ace bandages, wrist and ankle braces, and ice packs are my friends.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?
Today - right now, actually - is the tenth anniversary of the attacks of 9/11/2001. I was at work on a bright Tuesday morning when the first plane hit, and a coworker rushed over with the news, wondering if we could get reception on the TV we kept for students' use. You could still get analog signals then, and we were able to pull in one local news channel, even if it was a bit fuzzy. I saw the second plane hit the towers.
The city began to evacuate. Then, the reports came in about the plane that went down in Shanksville, about 90 minutes from Pittsburgh. Did it miss us? Was it aimed for the USX Tower? Mass confusion and gridlock on the streets reigned. I went to the Student Union - there was no point in trying to get out onto the streets. We waited inside, all of us wondering what would happen next. Some were scared, and others panicky, and some just went about their day, almost oblivious. I stayed on the bottom floor, underground. For the only time in my life, I felt a little like a refugee, trying to make sense of the world and what was happening, but knowing I was powerless to do anything about it right now.
It's ten years later, now. We gather together in NYC, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, PA today to remember those we lost. And it hurts. An old wound that might not ever heal re-opened. I wonder what our future holds. Will we, as we did back on December 7th, 1941, become a nation that puts aside our differences, and finally unites? It's been ten years. Those in 1941 didn't need even five years to join a war effort, and finish that war as the victors. I can see how, with our advances in medical science, in social thought, and in civil behavior, we see ourselves as having progressed. And then I see how we remain divided, and I think that perhaps for all our advancements, we've lost sight of what is important. Yes, our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers smoked, drank too much, worked too hard, punished severely, had strong gender-specific roles that we find abhorrant now. But, they were able to do what was necessary when they were pushed too far. I wonder how far we will have to be pushed to do what is necessary, and if we are lesser sons and daughters of better generations.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
The city began to evacuate. Then, the reports came in about the plane that went down in Shanksville, about 90 minutes from Pittsburgh. Did it miss us? Was it aimed for the USX Tower? Mass confusion and gridlock on the streets reigned. I went to the Student Union - there was no point in trying to get out onto the streets. We waited inside, all of us wondering what would happen next. Some were scared, and others panicky, and some just went about their day, almost oblivious. I stayed on the bottom floor, underground. For the only time in my life, I felt a little like a refugee, trying to make sense of the world and what was happening, but knowing I was powerless to do anything about it right now.
It's ten years later, now. We gather together in NYC, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, PA today to remember those we lost. And it hurts. An old wound that might not ever heal re-opened. I wonder what our future holds. Will we, as we did back on December 7th, 1941, become a nation that puts aside our differences, and finally unites? It's been ten years. Those in 1941 didn't need even five years to join a war effort, and finish that war as the victors. I can see how, with our advances in medical science, in social thought, and in civil behavior, we see ourselves as having progressed. And then I see how we remain divided, and I think that perhaps for all our advancements, we've lost sight of what is important. Yes, our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers smoked, drank too much, worked too hard, punished severely, had strong gender-specific roles that we find abhorrant now. But, they were able to do what was necessary when they were pushed too far. I wonder how far we will have to be pushed to do what is necessary, and if we are lesser sons and daughters of better generations.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Welcome to the New America, Check Your Baggage at the Door.
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
Recently, I was embroiled in a lively - and civil - discussion on having the words under God" appear in the Pledge, and whether or not they should be there, as they have been since 1954. I want to thank all those involved in said discussion, because it was kept civil, with no name-calling, etc. In this day and age, that's a pretty amazing feat.
Among the opinions expressed were several individuals claiming that it's not right to say "under God" since a lot of people do not believe in a deity. They were offended that they should have to express belief in such a concept, and that it was included in something pertaining to the State, since it had to do with religion. Now, I'm going to say this here: I personally do not care whether you believe in God, Allah, Yaweh, Jehovah, Buddha, Shiva, Ra, Zeus, Jupiter, Gaia, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Cthulhu, or the Almighty Dollar. You believe as you do for your reasons. I don't have to understand your reasons - I just have to understand that you have them. I don't care whether you share my belief or not. Would I like it if you did? Well, it would give us one more thing in common to talk about, but I'm sure the same can be said from all perspectives.
But I was saddened, none the less - not at the opinions and points argued, but at what I've come to notice as a trend in this country. It is now a social "crime" to offend anyone - and what we are labeling as "offensive" is way, way, WAY out of control. When and how did we become such pansies that when someone says something we don't agree with, we become instantly offended and are owed an apology? Furthermore, we MUST argue and prove ourselves "right" to anyone and everyone! Why? What is the point of all this nonsense?
We have become a nation not of free thinkers, but a nation free from thought. I know my "liberal" friends will now be mortally offended at this statement, but it's true from the perspective that we don't "think" anymore - we simply react on how we feel and then argue the hell out of it. We are so desperately clinging to the idea of being able to think and have our own opinions that anyone or anything that expresses an idea opposite to our own draws our ire.
And all I have to ask is: THIS is a nation that's supposed to be a superpower in the world? We can't even agree on a uniform way to pledge our allegiance to our country!! Unified? We are only unified when it suits us, and really only on the basest of levels. We were all unified and pretty much universally agree that the attacks of 9/11/2001 were attrocious - but that's as far as that unity spreads, because we can't even agree on how - or IF - we should seek out and catch those responsible for it! Then, when someone makes a decision one way or another, we criticize the only people willing to make a decision on the topic because we don't like the method of action the individual(s) chose! It seems we're offended at having to make the choice, offended by the choice someone else has made for us after we abdicated making the choice, and then we're offended because that choice that we didn't make didn't turn out the way we wanted it to!
This is the New America. This is our legacy. You can blame liberal thinking, you can blame Conservative politics and structure, but the truth is that somewhere along the line, we stopped thinking about what was best for this country a long time ago, and we started only looking out for ourselves. There is nothing "United" about the U.S.A. Check your baggage and personal opinions at the door, and welcome to the Automoton Nation. That's the only way we can be assured to not offend anyone, ever.
We live in a culture of fear. Half the advertisements we read/see are based on a fear of something: fear of dirt, fear of an accident, fear of growing older, fear of getting fatter, fear of looking worse than anyone else, fear of being laughed at, fear of being alone...the list goes on and on and on. WHY DO WE FEAR BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OURSELVES AND DOING THE BEST WE CAN???????? Why do we fear getting older, going bald, having less things than the nest person, etc? WHY DO WE LET FEAR WIN?
I don't know if you care to hear or not, but here's what I believe:
I believe in God. I believe that in the terms of The Pledge of Allegience the words "under God" mean that the USA will tolerate being second to no other power other than The Almighty on this earth, whatever the cost. I believe that men and woman are not equal, but that each should be given proper respect for their individual abilites, talents and gifts - in accordance with how they choose to use them. I believe that chivalry and graciousness have been out of common practice for far too long. I believe that nothing is free. I believe that sometimes, there is a proper order in which to do things, and sometimes it doesn't matter. I believe in telling those dear to you that you love them. I believe that children are watching us to learn how to be adults, so we better do a damned good job of modeling and teaching. I believe that we need each other in this life. I believe I am here for a purpose, and that I might never know what that purpose might be - and I'm OK with that. I believe that life is worth living, if we make it so. I believe in the power of a healing smile, a kind word, or a hug. I believe we all have to deal with disappointment - the point is to deal with it. I believe it's time we all started growing up a bit, stopped thinking like children, grew a spine and some thicker skin, and stop living in fear of everything, expecially each other.
Oh and I believe that if you were offended by any of my ramblings, I really don't care. Get over it. I have.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
Recently, I was embroiled in a lively - and civil - discussion on having the words under God" appear in the Pledge, and whether or not they should be there, as they have been since 1954. I want to thank all those involved in said discussion, because it was kept civil, with no name-calling, etc. In this day and age, that's a pretty amazing feat.
Among the opinions expressed were several individuals claiming that it's not right to say "under God" since a lot of people do not believe in a deity. They were offended that they should have to express belief in such a concept, and that it was included in something pertaining to the State, since it had to do with religion. Now, I'm going to say this here: I personally do not care whether you believe in God, Allah, Yaweh, Jehovah, Buddha, Shiva, Ra, Zeus, Jupiter, Gaia, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Cthulhu, or the Almighty Dollar. You believe as you do for your reasons. I don't have to understand your reasons - I just have to understand that you have them. I don't care whether you share my belief or not. Would I like it if you did? Well, it would give us one more thing in common to talk about, but I'm sure the same can be said from all perspectives.
But I was saddened, none the less - not at the opinions and points argued, but at what I've come to notice as a trend in this country. It is now a social "crime" to offend anyone - and what we are labeling as "offensive" is way, way, WAY out of control. When and how did we become such pansies that when someone says something we don't agree with, we become instantly offended and are owed an apology? Furthermore, we MUST argue and prove ourselves "right" to anyone and everyone! Why? What is the point of all this nonsense?
We have become a nation not of free thinkers, but a nation free from thought. I know my "liberal" friends will now be mortally offended at this statement, but it's true from the perspective that we don't "think" anymore - we simply react on how we feel and then argue the hell out of it. We are so desperately clinging to the idea of being able to think and have our own opinions that anyone or anything that expresses an idea opposite to our own draws our ire.
And all I have to ask is: THIS is a nation that's supposed to be a superpower in the world? We can't even agree on a uniform way to pledge our allegiance to our country!! Unified? We are only unified when it suits us, and really only on the basest of levels. We were all unified and pretty much universally agree that the attacks of 9/11/2001 were attrocious - but that's as far as that unity spreads, because we can't even agree on how - or IF - we should seek out and catch those responsible for it! Then, when someone makes a decision one way or another, we criticize the only people willing to make a decision on the topic because we don't like the method of action the individual(s) chose! It seems we're offended at having to make the choice, offended by the choice someone else has made for us after we abdicated making the choice, and then we're offended because that choice that we didn't make didn't turn out the way we wanted it to!
This is the New America. This is our legacy. You can blame liberal thinking, you can blame Conservative politics and structure, but the truth is that somewhere along the line, we stopped thinking about what was best for this country a long time ago, and we started only looking out for ourselves. There is nothing "United" about the U.S.A. Check your baggage and personal opinions at the door, and welcome to the Automoton Nation. That's the only way we can be assured to not offend anyone, ever.
We live in a culture of fear. Half the advertisements we read/see are based on a fear of something: fear of dirt, fear of an accident, fear of growing older, fear of getting fatter, fear of looking worse than anyone else, fear of being laughed at, fear of being alone...the list goes on and on and on. WHY DO WE FEAR BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OURSELVES AND DOING THE BEST WE CAN???????? Why do we fear getting older, going bald, having less things than the nest person, etc? WHY DO WE LET FEAR WIN?
I don't know if you care to hear or not, but here's what I believe:
I believe in God. I believe that in the terms of The Pledge of Allegience the words "under God" mean that the USA will tolerate being second to no other power other than The Almighty on this earth, whatever the cost. I believe that men and woman are not equal, but that each should be given proper respect for their individual abilites, talents and gifts - in accordance with how they choose to use them. I believe that chivalry and graciousness have been out of common practice for far too long. I believe that nothing is free. I believe that sometimes, there is a proper order in which to do things, and sometimes it doesn't matter. I believe in telling those dear to you that you love them. I believe that children are watching us to learn how to be adults, so we better do a damned good job of modeling and teaching. I believe that we need each other in this life. I believe I am here for a purpose, and that I might never know what that purpose might be - and I'm OK with that. I believe that life is worth living, if we make it so. I believe in the power of a healing smile, a kind word, or a hug. I believe we all have to deal with disappointment - the point is to deal with it. I believe it's time we all started growing up a bit, stopped thinking like children, grew a spine and some thicker skin, and stop living in fear of everything, expecially each other.
Oh and I believe that if you were offended by any of my ramblings, I really don't care. Get over it. I have.
Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
It's been a while...
So, it's been a while since I've written on here, and well, quite frankly, I haven't really had that much to write about. The last experiment was a bust, it seems. I found that I wasn't finding much to be able to write about - with the people I was observing. More importantly, there was nothing that was going to sound much different that what I'd already come up with - and nobody wants to read the same thing, same thing, same thing, same thing, same thing....it's BORING. I do not like to be boring, as anyone who actually reads my drivel ought to have figured out by now.
So, what's new? Well, it's going to be an active fall line-up, I can tell you. THe workshop is starting to get into full swing, what with the holidays approaching. What?? Already? Look, if I don;t start thinking and doing stuff now, I will completely miss November and december, and I wish to not miss them every again. So I start early. There are a few leaves that still need to be made, and a couple other projects as well.if it all works out ok, I'll have everything done in good time, and I won't ever be harried and hassled. Also, yesterday began the kick-start training for a triathlon. I celebrated it by drinking beer and eating frid onion rings and a burger (with bacon). WHEW! The bacon saved it! If not for that, I would have considered it a waste. I would have done something, but I walked off without my gym bag. The mistake was not repeated today. Go me.
What is this about triathlon training, you say? Well, since I don't remember if I've put it in writing on here or not, I've been inspired by a certain someone to take biking one step further (see what I did there?) and give triathlons a try. Now, I'm not going for an ironman or anything like that. That would be silly. However, a "sprint triathlon" (600 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, 5k run) isn't that far out of the realm of possibility. 12 miles on a bike ought to be about 35 minutes @ 20 mph. A 10-minute mile (5k is like 3.1 miles) should be 30 minutes. and a 600 meter swim...well, ok, so I gotta do a bunch of work in that department. But still - assuming an even 30 minutes for that, allow for transition times, there's no reason not to shoot for a 2-hr -or-under timeframe. That....that I could be proud of. So that's the plan, at least, to shoot for. To do this, the gym at work is offering an incentive program (if I finish, I get a free t-shirt) to do a run/bike/row triathlon, over the course of 7 weeks. I signed up at the ironman level: 26.2 miles of running, 110 miles of biking, and 9 miles of rowing. Free t-shirts, it seems, are very powerful motivators!
So that's what I'm up to. A good friend of mine was on a kick earlier this year about being amazing and searching out experiences that made her and her life amazing. I think it's a good thing to explore. So I'm going to try and find some amazing. Today's amazing - snagging a victory on the chess board from a game I probably should have lost. Opponant made a few mistakes that I was able to use to my advantage in position, and all was good.
Thanks for reading.
The Fat Kid
So, what's new? Well, it's going to be an active fall line-up, I can tell you. THe workshop is starting to get into full swing, what with the holidays approaching. What?? Already? Look, if I don;t start thinking and doing stuff now, I will completely miss November and december, and I wish to not miss them every again. So I start early. There are a few leaves that still need to be made, and a couple other projects as well.if it all works out ok, I'll have everything done in good time, and I won't ever be harried and hassled. Also, yesterday began the kick-start training for a triathlon. I celebrated it by drinking beer and eating frid onion rings and a burger (with bacon). WHEW! The bacon saved it! If not for that, I would have considered it a waste. I would have done something, but I walked off without my gym bag. The mistake was not repeated today. Go me.
What is this about triathlon training, you say? Well, since I don't remember if I've put it in writing on here or not, I've been inspired by a certain someone to take biking one step further (see what I did there?) and give triathlons a try. Now, I'm not going for an ironman or anything like that. That would be silly. However, a "sprint triathlon" (600 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, 5k run) isn't that far out of the realm of possibility. 12 miles on a bike ought to be about 35 minutes @ 20 mph. A 10-minute mile (5k is like 3.1 miles) should be 30 minutes. and a 600 meter swim...well, ok, so I gotta do a bunch of work in that department. But still - assuming an even 30 minutes for that, allow for transition times, there's no reason not to shoot for a 2-hr -or-under timeframe. That....that I could be proud of. So that's the plan, at least, to shoot for. To do this, the gym at work is offering an incentive program (if I finish, I get a free t-shirt) to do a run/bike/row triathlon, over the course of 7 weeks. I signed up at the ironman level: 26.2 miles of running, 110 miles of biking, and 9 miles of rowing. Free t-shirts, it seems, are very powerful motivators!
So that's what I'm up to. A good friend of mine was on a kick earlier this year about being amazing and searching out experiences that made her and her life amazing. I think it's a good thing to explore. So I'm going to try and find some amazing. Today's amazing - snagging a victory on the chess board from a game I probably should have lost. Opponant made a few mistakes that I was able to use to my advantage in position, and all was good.
Thanks for reading.
The Fat Kid
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