In Memoriam : Dave Brubeck

Dave Brubeck dead at 91 - chicagotribune.com:

A Jazz great. R.I.P. Dave Brubeck

'via Blog this'

Thursday 13 - NaNoWriMo

Thursday Thirteen #80

13 Reasons I Participate in NaNoWriMo

Well it is November! And it is NaNoWriMo time. For you thaht don't know National Novel Writing Month is a mad dash to write 50,000 words in thirty days. Thousands of aspiring writers worldwide take on the challenge. Some go on to publish their work (after a massive edit). So here are 13 reasons I participate every year.

1. Everyone has a great novel in them. I just have to work through the thirty or forty crappy ones to get to it
2. I want a character to survive the Game of Thrones
3. I want to document the location of every Starbucks and Panera Bread in NE Ohio
4. I plot the messy deaths of real people who annoy me and carry them out through my characters
5. How hard can it be? look at that Twilight stuff
6. In my literary world you can be married to Condolizza Rice AND Halle Berry. In fact you can combine them into one person.
7. Someone has to write "The New Adventures of Harry Potter"
8. I thought of another dozen shades of grey
9. I can make teenage vampires and werewolves spontaneously combust
10. I can justify the purchase of a new laptop for my art
11. I get to write-in with real people whom I only see once a year
12. It is more fun to rewrite history than it is to study it
13. I think I can score a big hit with "The Hunger Games: More Fiber"

NaNoWriMo is a wonderful exercise in literary abandon. Nad nothing beats the feeling of reaching that 50K word goal before November 30th.

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

New Journey

Well I will be two years post surgery in August. And while I feel and look better than I have in decades, I have lost a battle. Despite my weight loss my diabetes never got under decent control. as a result my kidney function has dropped to the point where I need to start dialysis and consider a transplant. When my nephrologist told me I almost fell out of the chair. I thought that once I had lost weight my diabetes and high blood pressure would just disappear and I would live happily ever after and look great doing it. And yet here I am two years later facing dialysis and my BP is still all over the map. I start my dialysis education class next week. after that we begin serious discussion about transplant. A blessing I recieved during this time was when I told my family about my kidneys, several members volunteered to be tested as donors. I cried and thanked the Lord for such wonderful support. Now we just need to wait and see where the next leg of the journey leads.

I'm Writing, I'm Just Not Blogging

I had an absolute blast last November with NaNoWriMo. I was three months post-surgery, looking great, feeling better and I participated more with the local NaNoWriMo community. I didn't come close to my 50K word goal but I learned more and had more fun in 2010 than any previous NaNoWriMo. Earlier this year I decided (it was a New Year's Resolution) that I would try to hone my writing skills. Last Month I signed up for Writing.com. It is a user community dedicated to support aspiring writers as they develop their craft. So if you want to read my stuff, follow the link.

It's NaNoWriMo Time Again

Well I am going to participate once again in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)which begins Midnight November 1st and goes to Midnight December 1st. The goal is to write 50,000 words of a novel (or as many quickly point out novella)in 30 days. In 2007(untitled) and 2008(Brilliant Shadows) I wrote in the science fiction genre about a starship captain and his eclectic crew, including his android first mate whose body was cobbled together from parts of pleasure droid and a warbot. In 2009(Void Tripper) I wrote about a man who discovered that he could cross dimensional rifts into parallel worlds. It was a mixed bag of sci-fi and fantasy settings with a little horror thrown in. After all who can resist including the zombie apocalypse in their novel?

This year is going to be strictly fantasy. My working title is "Seven Sisters of Blood" and is loosely based on my gaming experiences in World of Warcraft although I won't be calling them "Blood Elves" and they won't live on Azeroth.

NaNoWriMo is a fun way to drive yourself crazy trying to meet a deadline. There are some rules to follow like you can't start writing before November 1st, and certain literary cliches must be avoided but other than that you can go crazy. By forcing yourself to write, stories take on different directions than you originally planned. Plots change and characters come and go throughout the 30 day exercise. If you complete the challenge you get nice little gifts and of course bragging rights. If you don't complete it, You still learn valuable lessons on what you have in you as a writer. And then there is always next year.

But don't fret! You are not alone! When you sin up at the official website, they give you all the tools needed to participate. You can register for a region and your geographical area might have a Municipal Liaison (ML) who moderates a forum specifically for your area. My group in Akron Ohio has weekly meetings at local spots so we can encourage each other in person. There is also a kick off party in the works this year. You can get all the support you need to make it through.

Now I am not trying to tell you that if you participate then on December 1st you will have the next Harry Potter Novel ready to publish and make you rich. Not gonna happen, but you will have a draft. Rough doesn't even come close to describing it. But in years past, one of the prizes for completing the challange was to have your draft printed in book form complete with cover. You say you want to finish and have a complete novel? Don't worry, the good people responsible for NaNoWriMo don't leave you hanging. The website has information on what to do after NaNoWriMo with your work if you want to see it through to being published by more traditional means.

So if you think you have a book in you why not take the plunge and be a 2010 NaNoWriMo participant.

I Have an Issue With One of The Commandments

Oh Not one of God's commandments but one of the 10 Commandments of Weight Loss Surgey. They are

1. You Shall Eat Adequate Protein
2. You Shall Drink 64 oz Every Day
3. You Shall Take Thy Vitamins Everyday
4. You Shall Eat Slowly, Very Slowly
5. You Shall Exercise
6. You Shall Not Drink With Thy Meals
7. You Shall Not Eat Sugar in Any Form, No Candy, No Ice Cream
8. You Shall Attend Support Group Meetings
9. You Shall Not Modify These Commandments to Suit Thyself
10. You Shall Love Thyself

Well first a little background. As of today I am 11 days post-op. I had a Bariactric Sleeve Gastrectomy. I feel great and no pain. Energy levels are good I just miss solid foods. I have to stay on a liquid diet for the first two weeks. Oh and I can't lift anything over ten pounds. Other than that I am peachy. Although the lack of pain has given me a little cause for concern.

You see the day of the surgery and two days after while I was in the hospital, they gave me morphine. And I needed it. By the time I was ready to go home I didn't need it. And the only pain I had once I got home I took care of with some acetaminophen. But they discharged me with a prescription for Lortab elixir, about a gallon of it. That's like liquid Vicodin for those without a PDR. So I wonder if I should be in pain and is there something wrong with me because I'm not. Oh well.

Anyway back to Commandment #7. I understand why I can't have sugar. Dumping syndrome is very unpleasant and is to be avoided. Also sugar is empty calories which defeat the whole purpose of the surgery. What I object to is in the subtext wheich reads

Treat yourself to some fresh fruit or better yet a walk or some new clothes.

Hmmm. Now I LOVE fruit. Some a piece of banana or pear or nectarine would indeed be a treat. But what moron thinks walking is a treat? Before you answer with the names of all your power walking friends consider the term treat and imagine this. Ladies your husband comes home and says "Honey, you've really work hard this week taking care of me and the kids and the home and all the other projects you do. I think tonight you should treat yourself. Why don't you take a hike!" See my point? That's just my perspective on it.

Oh and as far as new clothes, that's also a BAD idea. Am I really suppose to buy a $50 pair of pants every time I crave a 10 cent bite size York Peppermint Pattie? I think whoever wrote that was on their gallon of Lortab.

Soylent Green Is People!

Not only that but they come in several tasty flavors

Thursday Thirteen #9

13 Things About Dane Bramage
13 Songs by the iPod Mystery Artist

When I get buried at work like I have been lately, I like to listen to my iPod Nano. It has 8GB of memory and currently holds every piece of music I own. (I won it in a raffle at "Employee Appreciation Day" at work! Yea me!) Well here are thirteen songs by the mystery artist(s). I am pretty sure you will have it figured out by number 13!

1. Gloria
2. So You Say
3. Joy Spring
4. Twilight Tone I found a video for this song on YouTube but it has since been removed. Too bad it was a cool video.
5. Body and Soul
6. Shaker Song
7. Four Brothers
8. Night in Tunisia
9. Java Jive
10. Operator
11. Birdland
    
    This was such a find. There are only two acceptable versions of the song Birdland. The original by Weather Report and the version by the mystery artist. BOTH OF THEM PERFORM IN THIS VIDEO! How cool is that?
12. Soul Food to Go
13. Boy from New York City
    
    Okay if you don't know by now then this signature song should give it away.

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Very Interesting.

Simply Brilliant

See the Pam Tebow story at Focus on the Family

Thursday Thirteen #8

13 Things About Dane Bramage
13 Fun Facts About Walking
In preparation for my bariatric surgery, I have to increase my level of activity. Specifically I have to do more walking as I will be doing a great deal of it immediately after the procedure. It helps removes the excess gas pumped into the abdomen during the procedure. So this week I have 13 facts about walking and the benefits of exercise. I may have modified a few.

1. Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month.
2. My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.. Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where the heck he is.
3. I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
4. The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
5. I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
6. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
7. We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
8. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
9. I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
10. If you don't get enough of a workout everyday pulling your own weight or pushing your luck, just add about 1000 diddley squats.
11. I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,...... just getting over the hill.
12. If the benefits of walking aren't readily apparent then look at my mail carrier. He's shaped like Jabba the Hut.
13. The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, he looks good doesn't he.'

So get out there and walk!

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Jon Stewart and Wyatt Cenac Slam Chris Matthews

Hat Tip: Hot Air

Thursday Thirteen #7

13 Things About Dane Bramage
13 Answers About ME!

I had done this back in 2007 so at first I was hesitant to do it again. But then I thought there is no way the same results would come up. AND if I vary the questions (there are more than 13) then it will be a completely different post.

So here's how it works. Choose 13 questions. Then type the answers into Google Image Search and choose an image from the first page of results. Lots of fun really. So let's do this.

1. 
   
   What age will you be on your next birthday?
   This is the infamous Area 51. I hit half a century in 2009.
2. 
   
   What is your nickname?
   Everybody just calls me "Kev"
3. 
   
   Where do you live?
   Akron Ohio. Once known as the Rubber Capital of the World. Still home to the All American Soap Box Derby. You cant really see it but my house is at the very top edge of the picture.
4. 
   What is your mother's name?
   Self explanatory
5. 
   
   What is your favorite drink?
   Its the real thing
6. 
   
   What is your favorite food?
   Not the kind from any fast food franchise but home fried! Yum.
7. 
   
   What is your favorite snack?
   I will eat an entire bag if allowed. Especially white cheddar!
8. 
   
   What is your favorite dessert?
   Even in winter I love it. They cant make it in enough flavors.
9. 
   
   What is your biggest concern?
   Jeez, with a diet of fried chicken, cheese puffs, Ice cream and Coke what did you think it was going to be, Global Warming?
10. 
    
    What place would you like to visit?
    Visit and possibly live there forever!
11. 
    
    Where do you spend the most time when not at home or work?
    My real church looks so much more beautiful than this one.
12. 
    
    What do you do to relax
    And with my DVR I can see several episodes in one sitting and zip past commercials!
13. 
    
    What is your biggest time wasting activity?
    Yeah me and 11 million of my closest friends everyday.

Well I hope that tells you a little more about me. If you use this idea drop me a line so I can see you explained in pictures!

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen #6

13 Things About Dane Bramage

13 Random Photos from the MyPhotos Folder

I am still deep in NaNoWriMo so I grabbed 13 photos from the MyPhotos folder on my PC. Most of them are photoshopped creations I did. And Many have a foot theme. Hmmm maybe its time for therapy.

1. 
   Jonny Depp and SpongeBob Squarepants together again for the first time. Somehow I don't think there is a woman out there who would reject John for having a SpongeBob tattoo.


2. 
   I did this during the campaign. Too bad no one listened to me! LOL.


3. 
   My little visual pun entitled "Obamanation"


4. 
   This is an actual Dutch magazine cover. It proclaims "Black Jesus is Here!" No wonder the man has a Messianic Complex.


5. 
   Here is my super friend Scott. I actually did two versions of the chop. This is the second. I added 15 pounds to him. Now he has a super gut.


6. 
   Shamed by my super photo of him, Scott began an intense workout regimen. Unfortunately his regimen consisted of eating nothing but green chili burritos and beer. I did this photo to let him know what he could have been.


7. 
   This is another super friend Dave. He once had a promising career as a foot model. It was cut short by a tragic ingrown toenail incident. As you can see Dave is currently suffering from burnout. But I have preserved some of Dave's finest work. Starting with today's Thursday Thirteen logo.


8. 
   Dave's problems started when he wouldn't keep his feet off the table.


9. 
   Dave's health began to fail and it affected the appearance of his prize winning feet.


10. 
    Soon all he could land were cheap Sci-fi gigs.


11. 
    But all was not lost. Two fellow foot models, Carpet Feet...


12. 
    and Escalator Feet helped Dave land a new gig.


13. 
    You cans see Dave's feet in a new exhibit honoring Magritte.

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen #5

13 Things About Dane Bramage

13 Bumper Stickers Found on a Marine Base

My buddy Karl saves the day when he forwarded me this list via email. Thanks Karl! Otherwise I would have no Thursday Thirteen due to NaNoWriMo.

1. "U.S. Marines -- Travel Agents To Allah"


2. "When In Doubt, Empty The Magazine"


3. "The Marine Corps -- When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight"


4. "Death Smiles At Everyone -- Marines Smile Back


5. "Marine Sniper - You can run, but you'll just die tired!"


6. "Marines, Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity to Die For their Country Since 1775"


7. "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Anyone Who Threatens It"


8. "It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden -- It's Our Job to Arrange the Meeting"


9. "Artillery Brings Dignity to What Would Otherwise Be Just a Brawl"


10. "Machine Gunners -- Accuracy by Volume"


11. "A Dead Enemy Is a Peaceful Enemy -- Blessed Be The Peacemakers"


12. "Happiness Is a Belt-Fed Weapon"


13. "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. Marines don't have that problem."

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Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants