Egg-Noggin'...

I'm about to pull the plug on my computer for about a week, so I can drive to Seattle, so here's my holiday send-off. Everybody be safe and have fun.

See you in S-town!

The Pork of the Porcupine...

So I made a bit pot of chili, and I'm eating it, and I notice "damn I'm gettin' fat." But you wouldn't know it by looking at me, because I bought a new sweatshirt at Target for $6. And it's a Large. Seriously, I've been slacking on Yoga and I feel lazy. But with an impending move and a new life on the horizon, there's tons to do in a short amount of time, and I haven't had the chance to go to Yoga. I do still drink Yoga tea and listen to Yoga music, but it's not the same.

You were reading pancakes...

Help Pancakes!!!!

Happy Birthday 'D'...

On the left is my nephew Dominic, and today is his birthday! He's somewhere between 5 and 8 years old today! He loves Star Wars and getting beaten-up by his younger sister.

The House of Nine Shadows...

I watched "The Thin Man" last night (1934 Willam Powell, Myrna Loy). Great movie. Despite not being gay, I can still appreciate the style and flair of the silver screen. Nick and Nora Charles basically throw a fancy dinner party to reveal the murder suspect they've been following. Sounds not-that-great, I know, but I get to watch fancy people drink martinis.

Working from home is just ok. I have the dogs and the birds and lots of coffee, and no one around, but I do get a little antsy from time to time. The biggest problem is the time difference. I talk to my co-workers a lot throughout the day, but they're 2 hours behind. So basically, I start around 8am, and finish around 730 pm (because it's only 530 to them). I've been in on conference calls in the middle of Krogers. I've talked to customers while not wearing pants. It's weird. But I get to look out my window and watch the birds go through their day, which is about as simple as mine, really.

And eventually, the shadows grow long and darken my keyboard and it's quittin' time. Time to put some pants on.

New Poll...

By Colin's request, we've added a new poll (thanks for the reminder)! Get your votes in now!!

The Great Northwest...

Well. It seems I'll be writing from the land of rain and trees and mountain lions and bears and fish from now on. Yep, movin' to Seattle. In the short-run, it'll be a nightmare cross-country move (although my sister-in-law seems to do this pretty regularly, with 3 dogs, a turtle and a bird). In the long-run, it'll be awesome. It's a much better environment, all around. For those readers already in the Seattle area-- See you soon!!!

Time & Motion...

I'll be headed back to Seattle next week for a job interview. How was I to know, when I was last in Seattle back in August, that in 3 months' time I would be out of a job, trying to get a new one, and possibly be living and working back in Seattle by X-mas? The Gods do love their irony.

Sirena...

The job search is young, but very promising. 2 game companies in Seattle, and here in Memphis it's been FedEx, 3 design studios, the people that own all of Gosset Motors, and some wierd connection with Martha Stewart?! My former co-workers have been great, writing me letters of recommendation, and calling other companies to try to find a place for me. Many thanks for the huge outpouring of support.

And then there's the other kind of support. The kind that comes to me in the form of a singing telegram from India. I shit you not. I'll try to post it on here, but my sister in law basically hired some woman in India to call my on my cell phone (while I was at the car dealership getting it fixed) and to sing and whistle this little tune called "Bobby feel better."

Fantastic!

Wake up...

My parents have made it home safely from their tour of the country. A great time was had by all, and I'd like to thank them (once again) for being so supportive in times of need. My special way of thanking them is to NOT put their picture up on the internet, because my mom threatened me about it. Instead, here is a video dedicated to Speedbump (Scoochy), their indominable cat.

The Inevitability of Transmutation...

"Someday, this war will end..."

Well, all unstable things must come to an end. Yesterday, my 4-year career with Games Workshop ended when Sabertooth Games released me due to "the current state of revenue-to-structure imbalance in the parent company." Basically, GW has been bleeding badly for some time now, and Sabertooth won't be hitting its numbers for 2nd quarter, so someone has to be labeled 'expendible.' I guess that's me, although it did come as a shock. My position has been eliminated, through no fault of my own. It hardly seems fair, given that my position helped to support sales, not directly impact them, and not for the parent company. But being the newest member of the 5-person manager team in a 15-person company, I guess I can see it. I can also see that this may not be the end of it for the Sabertooth staff. The situation is a bit dire over there. Oh well, I guess I just have to 'deal with' the poor business decisions of others that have put me in this position. That's business, right? Nothing personal, as they say. Well, no hard feelings (maybe to some, but not to all). I'm sure I can find a place to live in the coming months, and a way to get some kind of health coverage for the prescriptions we need, etc. After all, it's just business. I do have some good opportunities to join up with some of GW's competitors, however...

I'll keep you posted.

All Hallow's Eve...

Tomorrow is Halloween, a holiday that has always been a favorite of mine, but that I haven't done much for in years. This is mostly because I don't have kids to make costumes for or to take trick-or-treating. In addition, I can't go trick-or-treating as an adult (court order) because no one will give me any candy! So my favorite holiday has been a bit of an impass lately. I'm trying to find a way to get involved again.

Harvest moon...

My parents are coming down this weekend for the first time since we moved down here (actually my mom and sister and family did come down one other time). To my parents, Memphis will seem like outer space. But they really do need to get out more. It's fall, and different birds are showing up to my feeder, including lots more mourning doves (which I like to call Mexican Pidgeons). Exit the migratory hummingbirds, enter the Juncos and Chickadees.
And yes, it's harvest time. Lots of pumpkins and cider and haunted houses, the latter of which I enjoyed last night.

Anyways, back to my parents, who will be staying with us. To stay at my place means you accept the following:
• We have yappy dogs that are high-strung
• I have hundreds of miniatures (monsters, wierdos, zombies, skeletons, etc) that will stare at you at night from their shelves on the wall.
• The coffee maker is working almost around the clock every day.
• The dogs have their own couch (keeps them off of the main couch).
• The neighbors are odd.
• There is always plenty of beer and wine.

I'll post pics of the parents when they get here. They'll be the older folks on this very blog, with the deer-in-the-headlights look.

Podcasting...

I've been listening to Andi Sexgang's reading of the Bram Stoker masterpiece. Speaking of audio, here's me:

www.pulpgamer.com/2007/10/18/inside-track-033-bobby-stickel-of-sabertooth-games/

The Devil runs a piano bar in L.A. ...

Relax, have a cigar, make yourself at home. Hell is full of high court
Judges, failed saints. We've got Cardinals, Archbishops, Barristers,
Certified accountants, music critics, theyre all here.
You're never alone, not here you're not. Ok, breaks over...

Hello, Goodbye...

A bittersweet weekend has prompted this post. Last Friday, our friends J and M gave birth to their first-born. Mother and Pea-pod are doing fine.

Sadly, K's grandfather passed away in Ohio last week. Our condolences to K and S and their families. In addition, Jenn and I lost a dear friend yesterday: Marilyn Lubin lost a long-suffering battle with cancer. I'm of the belief that she's much better off now, no longer fighting a losing battle. I could open up this post to all the reasons that the world is unfair, and that this is proof of either:

a) No god, therefore this is just the nature of life as we know it.
b) God does exist, but he is obviously not interfering in anything he's created, and is only an observer, taking no real responsibility for his 'creation.'

Either answer suits me, but I really don't want the post to disintegrate to this.
It is best to celebrate the good memories that were left behind by those we lost, and to celebrate the new memories we are about to create with the lives we've gained.

"Where is the fisherman, where is the boat,
Where is the keeper in his carrion coat?
Eclipse on the moon when the dark bird flies
Where is the child with his father's eyes?"

Today at work...

The short story "The Mask" is introduced by an excerpt from Act I, Scene 2d:

Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.
Stranger: Indeed?
Cassilda: Indeed, it's time. We have all laid aside disguise but you.
Stranger: I wear no mask.
Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda.) No mask? No mask!

Even the Dead have nightmares...

• Happy birthday to Sarah
• Our condolences to Keith
• Both moms are coming soon...
• Autumn is here and my fantasy football team lost to Jenn's this week.

Typical Saturday...

Remember that OLD computer game "Oregon Trail"? That was cool.
Anyway, on to more important matters: My Saturday routine...

• Refill bird feeders (hummingbirds are moving out, cardinals are rampant, woodpecker season is approaching).
• Make lots of coffee
• Make some breakfast
• Update blog
• Put on some music
• Peruse the internet
• Consider getting dressed
• Refill coffee
• Flip through some book I haven't read
• Loaf around
• Update my fantasy football team (the Crash Test Bunnies)
• Nothing's on tv
• More coffee
• It's now 11am

Jenn's Saturday routine:
• Get up and go to work

*(this may seem like a cruel act of fate, but i DID make her breakfast this morning, and she's only working a half day).

Live from Seattle...

As promised, here are some pictures from the Penny Arcade expo in Seattle. Our very own George Hancock took these shots, so thanks to him. I got to play that "Rock Band" video game, which is a cross between Guitar Hero and Karaoke. I perfomed a Stone Temple Pilots song. My score was 100%, but my bandmates absolutely tanked. My good buddy Rachel, from WizKids, is our other Rock Band performer, who sang Pat Benetar. Then I got to pose as Wil Wheaton (formerly of Star Trek: the next generation, currently unemployed). Fun for all. This is what I get paid to do.

Happy Birthday Keith...

I found this for you. It's my special way of saying 'happy b-day.'

Home. Finally...

So I went on a 3-day excursion to Madison, Wisconsin. All was well until the flight home, when we boarded our plane at the airport in Atlanta. We're on the runway when a bad thunderstorm delays all flights to the west. The pilot decides to wait... So we get a new flight plan, which will take us down through Mississippi and back up to Memphis. But we don't have enough fuel. So we taxi back to the fuel station to get the extra gas we need to make the extended trip. Lightning hits part of the runway (nowhere near us) and flashes are happening all over as the storm worsens. They can't send the fuel truck out into the lightning storm, so we have to wait for the storm to pass... and we wait... I've now been on this plane, on the runway, for 2 hours (the flight to Memphis takes 50 minutes from ATL by the way). Finally the storm passes, and we get fuel. But now there's a warning light coming on in the cockpit, and we have to get a mechanic crew to check it out. There are none available. So we wait... The crew shows up to fix the problem. We're told that we can get off the plane if we want, but to stay close to the gate in case we're cleared to leave. 2 minutes (and I mean 2 minutes) after a handfull of people get off, the plane (with no announcement) seals the door and leaves the gate. Now we're back on the runway, and after about 3 hours on the plane, we take off!!! Without those people!! We're in the air for about 15 to 20 minutes when the right engine's oil pressure reaches an 'abnormal level.' We turn around immediately, and are forced to land. The people in first class (none of whom bought tickets, but are all upgraded due to points, skyteam memberships, frequent flyer miles, etc) are getting fussy and find the situation 'unacceptable.' There are about 20 of them. So they are given free alcohol, snacks, and who knows what else. The 110 passengers in coach were told only 2 things: Please don't use the forward restroom, as it is for first class passengers only, and we cannot provide any water or snacks or turn on the air conditioner at this time, 'it's just not possible.' Fuck that. People begin to talk of mutiny and rebellion. All this is happening while we're taxiing to the maintenence yard being followed alongside by 2 of those big airport firetrucks! We sit on the plane and wait. We are told that the repairs could take several hours and that "we aren't sure what options we have available." The crew sends its apologies. It's been 5 hours. First class is drunk and happy. The rest of us are devising a scheme. We are told to depart the aircraft. At the gate, they print meal vouchers for $7, and we're told "we don't have another plane, the next flight to Memphis is full, we're not sure if the mechanics have the part needed to fix the engine. Oddly enough, after 6 hours since we first boarded, they found us a plane and scheduled a new flight---in 20 minutes. Jonathan and I grab a stack of meal vouchers ($42 dollars worth) and while we rush to the other gate, begin handing them out to anyone who will take them. Delta didn't give its customers any time to actually use these vouchers, but we wanted to make sure they got redeemed. Lots of Northwest, American Airlines, AirCanada customers enjoyed free food courtesy of Delta last night.
We finally got on our plane, with the same flight crew, and listened to apologies all throughout. The entire experience has come to serve as an example of what NOT to do in a 'customer service' situation. I made it home around 9 last night, about 7 hours after I was supposed to.

Peter Cushing...

...would like to be added to your list of friends on MySpace.

Everybody cut and paste this and post it on everyone's MySpace accounts. He'd do it himself, but he's dead. Help a guy out.

Elder Gods erased my Buick...

I thought about what was beneath my pale flesh. It was not blood, tissue, and organs. I was filled with a struggling mass of slime, tentacles, straining hideous chartreuse cat eyes, and great salivating maws with thousands of tongues. I am not human, I am a monster. And the tradition I follow, the path I tread is a very old one. Still asleep, still a haven for the many, many "I's", continually oblivious to the nature of what I am, a machine, as well as I'm equally unaware the very real prison I inhabit.

Watch, my disciples.

Humans cannot progress while burdened with their humanity. They must lose themselves, shed their skin, and become inhuman in order to bear the inky blackish green gnosis; the dark revelation of mind over matter.

Put yourself in the same mental framework as if you were turning a problem over in your head, or trying to fathom where in the world you lost your keys. Not only does this take prolonged and intense concentration, but a willingness to perceive the world through various diverse perspectives. Then a physical act is necessary, giving the sign of the devil with your hand, the drawing of a strange symbol, writing an outline, short story, poem, or painting a picture of the desired alteration in "reality". Then let go of your desire. And the answer, or change, will simply come to you later. I believe that merely writing down one's thoughts, goals, and experiments in a magical journal is magic itself. Formulating what you want and what sorcery you've performed to get it, signals the obscure substance that is in "reality". And then it will manifest.

Another point worth mentioning is to not let the universe push you around, because when you disturb the natural order, the natural order may try to disturb you back. Simply don't let it. If the disturbance is a wholly negative one, become iron and resist its change. Although if the change could be beneficial, then absorb it with ease and fluidity. Remembering yourself, your surroundings, and that you are the rock and reality is the river.

Times of black violet passion - drives of white knuckle fire

This is about changing reality,
This is about changing reality,
This is about changing reality,
This is about changing reality,
This is about changing reality…

Self Annihilation

The destruction of oneself must come before the new self can grow. And it will grow - like a chartreuse fleshed corpse fiend or a worm of dark red phoenix blood. Birth and death and rebirth; there is a cycle which is followed.

Birth

In your head, create the person who you want to be and have that person whisper his intentions over the mental landscape. Those thoughts are slowly becoming more real. Like a muscle, the magician's will needs to work, rest, and then work harder than before.

Death: the high cost of living...

We just got back from Savannah, GA. Among some other things, we visited the historic town, also known as the "Jewel of the South." I took these at the Bonaventure cemetary, and even got a photo of Johnny Mercer's tomb. Yep, the songwriter. This city, to me, IS the south. At least the good parts of it. And their cemetaries are full of woodpeckers (some of my favorites).

Catharsis...

clickit.

Tour de Dust...

Back from Seattle, I now turn around and head to Georgia for a few day's vacation. My travel season is almost to an end. It will be good to be home.
It's still over 100 degrees here (it was 72 in Seattle) and the birds on my feeders are feeling the heat. But as fortune smiles, I have finally won the war against the ants. For weeks, my hummingbird feeders were swarmed by ants, who basically destroyed the rubber tips of the feeders, thus ruining them. So I bought a new feeder. The ants returned. So I bought little ant traps, the kind that "ants are attracted to the bait, and carry it back to the nest, killing the entire nest guaranteed!" The ants returned again. I turned to an aerosol pesticide and sprayed over 70 of them in one sitting. Still they returned, going in and out of the ant traps with little effect. My hummingbirds couldn't drink because the little drink holes had ants going in and out, and the liquid holder was full of drowned ants. Then, one day, the ants were gone. I haven't seen one for 3 days now. Perhaps the traps worked? Perhaps they gave up? Or maybe they performed a strategic fall-back and plan to regroup with larger numbers. Either way, peace has returned to the porch. Nature is back to the imbalance of my favor, with one part of the ecosystem wiped out. Now the hummingbirds have returned, and can now feed and fight each other to the death.
More when I return.

That which does not kill us...

...makes us stranger!

Vote Know...

Please take a moment to participate in our poll, located to the far right of your screen. Your honesty is important to us, and the voting will close on Sept. 1st.

Thank you.

-Official Rumors staff

The Price is Fright...

I've been watching Vincent Price movies that I've recently taped. He's a "fabulous" guy, if you catch what I'm sayin'. I think I'm going to invite him to do some guest spots on my radio show. I know what you're thinking: he's dead. You don't know Vincent Price very well, do you?

Radio, radio...

I'm off to Seattle in a couple of days! It'll be fun, but it will be far greater to just be home for awhile. So, if I had my own radio show that could be listened to over the internet, would you support me? I'd like to call it either "Post-Modern Prometheus" or "B-side Bistro." I'm submitting a format application to 89.9 WEVL in Memphis, which is a public-supported station that welcomes variety and obscurity. Hope it goes through, as this is a big piece of the puzzle for me.
More upon my return. Thanks for all the great comments everyone has left here in my absence.

Travellin'...

I'm on the road to Indy and Seattle this week. Almost done with my travel season, which is good because I have a lot of stuff I want to do at home. See you all when I return.

I am Jack's smirking revenge...

There's a list you want to be on, and a list you don't.

We are open...

The Official Rumors Curiosity Shoppe is now open for business. Go buy some stuff. It's probably stuff you need anyway, except now you can show your blog loyalty on it! The URL is to the right of your screen, under 'Links.'

I'll be putting more image options up later.

108 degrees...

That was the heat index yesterday. Today should be just as bad. It's too hot to go to the pool even. I watched a bug fall out of the sky in mid-flight (not sure if it was a heat-related death or just his time to go) so I'm staying indoors as much as possible. This gives me the opportunity to finally finish a project: Official Rumors merchandise! That's right, soon (wait for my signal) you'll be able to get high-quality merchandise to show your loyalty to this blog! Stay tuned. I promise it'll be worth it.

I make toy soldiers...

How hard can it possibly be?

"You
Soft and only
You
Lost and lonely
You
Strange as angels
Dancing in the deepest oceans
Twisting in the water
You're just like a dream"

Lomo arigato...

This photo was taken from friend-of-a-friend, Meryl, who is a fellow Akronite. The weapon of choice is a Lomo camera, something I've wanted for a while but keep forgetting about. It's time I got a new hobby, and this might just be it. Aside from the wonky effects it has based on its design, I really love the history of the camera itself. Go read it somewhere. (Sexy note: I do have a Photoshop action that will put a Lomo effect on any image of my choosing. While this is awesome, it excludes the experience of really taking the photo the way it was meant to be taken. Cool plug-in, though).

Thanks to S for the new Interpol (a proper thank you call is pending, I promise) and to D and B for one of the best dinners ever. It really was a good birthday, as Jenn put into perspective for me yesterday. I was also told that birthdays should be a week-long celebration, and if that's the case, mine would end on a great note this friday, when I get to go scootering with the girls!

Birthday!

Today is my Birthday!

Gravy for Baby...

For Markian...
( I promise I'm near the end of my youtube kick).

Nature is ancient...

I'm leaving you with a music video this week.

Happy Birthday...

Happy birthday to Nina, my dad, Millhouse, Sher-bear, Tiffeny and anyone I may have overlooked. This week, I'll be driving to Ohio for another convention, visiting my sister along the way.

Pork Chop Sandwiches...

Girl from Glasgow...

I think this chick has it! This is Miss Yoshi, but she lives in Scotland. She's covering Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon."

40 hours...

For most people, 40 hours is a full week's worth of work. For me, it was 4 days in a van driving to and from Philadelphia. That's one long-ass van ride. And with all the people and all the luggage, that's a cramped van ride as well. The occasion was, once again, work. Wizard World is a big comic/media show, and as with all shows, people like to dress in costume. Now most of the costumes were amazing: characters that looked like they walked off the set of Star Wars and whatnot. Some dudes dressed as transformers, ninjas, Jedi, belly dancers, G.I. Joe characters... the list went on. Then there was old gay Spiderman. This guy had a skin-tight, form-fitting Spiderman costume that looked like it was (at one time) movie quality. But there were loose threads hanging everywhere, and this costume may have been form-fitting when he was 10 years younger and 100 pounds lighter. Nowadays, it was REALLY form-fitting!
You can thank me later for not posting a photo.

Balance...

The word "balance" has seven letters. It is hard to divide evenly. Division has its pros and cons.

Some words before bedtime...

One eye goes laughing,
One eye goes crying
Through the trials and trying of one life
One hand is tied,
One step gets behind
In one breath we're dying

Shub-Niggurath...

The Black Goat of the Woods, Mother to the Thousand Young! But enough about my day, how are you all? We've been playing a lot of Arkham Horror lately, and going to Philly next week means we'll have the down-time to play more. I'm kind of dreading a 2-day drive to a city I could care less about. I'd rather be home, indulging in my other hobby: bird watching. I've named the chirpy little cardinal Ygethmor, and the woodpecker Yog-Sothoth.
Last week at yoga, I was the only guy in the class (along with about 12 other women). Now, I've been doing this for a year and a half, and this is only the 2nd time this phenomenon has occurred, but I find it to be surprisingly awkward.
I'm finally motiviated to start painting miniatures again, which is good, since I have over 100 tiny pairs of eyes glaring at me wanting to be painted. Back to the brushes...

So THAT'S what kids eat...

Buttered noodles. Corn dogs make Nina barf.

Thanks for all the fishmen...

Vacation time is over. Parents were visited, food was consumed, and dogs petted. And stuff was brought back. Stuff I now have to drill into walls.
Aside from that, being home is good. I went back to yoga, ate some barbeque, drank my favorite coffee.
In recent news:
• S and K are engaged!
• Happy birthday Markian!
• Big Warhammer tournament this weekend!

So has anyone ever had an issue where they talk in their sleep, and wake up just in time to catch themselves? I had this dream where I was talking to a woman from England, but I was having trouble with her accent. I heard myself explain this to her while I woke up. So in reality, I was explaining to the sock monkey in my bed why I couldn't understand him.

Syntax is everything.

What do kids eat...

I don't have any kids, but my sister does. So therefore I have a neice and 2 nephews. When they do bad or strange things, H says they get it from me. I'm so proud of them. But they live far away and I only get to see them a couple times a year if I'm lucky. Down here I have these kids, Tiffeny's girls (who I call Mah' Girlz). I teach them to say all sorts of cryptic and smarmy things. Today, they're coming over for a cookout at our place, but what the hell do kids eat these days? Corn dogs, would be my guess, but we're also making them buttered noodles and grilled chicken. We'll see how it goes.

(from left to right: Jasmine, Lilee, Nina)

Peter Pumpkinhead...

Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live t.v.
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
and an awful lot like me!