Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Sprucing Up the Place
I'm starting a new sidebar feature for the old Eddie-torial blog here. I'd like to try and blog about every concert we see in 2007, so I've started a section to link to those reviews. Not sure why. It just seeme like something to do. Also, after every show is reviewed, I'll be adding artist links to the More Good Music section. I've already added the artists from the shows we've seen so far. Check them out!
I've just about finished reviews for Todd Snider and Kate Campbell from this weekend. Those should go up tonight, along with my favorite concerts of 2006. When I post them, I'm going to redo the timestamp on this post so that it still shows as the first post for today. So, if you come back late tonight or tomorrow to see what's happening here, keep scrolling past this one to find out!
Off to work!
I've just about finished reviews for Todd Snider and Kate Campbell from this weekend. Those should go up tonight, along with my favorite concerts of 2006. When I post them, I'm going to redo the timestamp on this post so that it still shows as the first post for today. So, if you come back late tonight or tomorrow to see what's happening here, keep scrolling past this one to find out!
Off to work!
He's Still An All Right Guy
We’ve seen Todd Snider perform a half dozen times or so, and his performance at Headliners last Friday was one of the best. He was in rare form, laughing and interacting with his audience, and really putting an effort into both his playing and his singing. At this point, his catalog is large enough that he can’t possibly do everything any one particular person would want to hear, but he sure tried. Of course, given Snider’s songwriting, it’s hard to be disappointed in what he plays, even if he doesn’t do any of your favorites! I thought the set was a nice mix of older material and stuff from his most recent two albums, which is some of the most mature material he’s ever recorded.
It took me a while to get my head around the opening act, Cory Branan, who’s a good songwriter, but has some stage quirks that put me off until I got used to them. His stuff kind of floats between alt-country and neo-folk, which means strong rhythms, great lyrics and a tendency to change tempos several times during one song. Still, I ended up enjoying his set quite a bit and am now looking for more of his work.
Picture cribbed from Snider's webpage.
Kate Campbell
Kate Campbell is probably my favorite folksinger/songwriter. And her benefit show for Habitat for Humanity showcased all of her strengths. Her songs treat many topics that resonate with supporters of an organization like Habitat: ordinary people trying to make their way in an increasingly difficult and hostile world. She also manages to treat spirituality in such a way that someone like me--who has a lot of baggage and issues with religion--can be touched without feeling threatened. It was a great show with a great performer for a good cause. Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.
Next concert (for the moment) for Keith and Eddie: Iris Dement in Nashville in April!
Photo taken by Keith after a Kate show a couple of years ago.
Your Eddie-tor's Favorites of 2006: Concerts
I guess I really should get my 2006 wrap-up posts done. The end of January statute of limitations is nigh upon me!
As usual, we saw a lot of live music in 2006. Much of it was free, which was nice. Most of the ones we paid for were less than ten dollars, so 2006 was a year of much entertainment bang for not much entertainment buck. I wish that every year could be this way!
Here's a look at my favorite concerts from 2006:
9. Waterfront Wednesdays
Free shows, sponsored by the world's greatest public radio station, down at Waterfront Park--who could ask for anything more? And they did a bang-up job bringing acts in last year, including Kieran Kane, Todd Snider and Old Crow Medicine Show! I can't wait for the 2007 shows to start.
8. Shawn Camp
Corydon, Indiana is about a half hour from Louisville. It was the first state capitol of Indiana, now it's just a small town with a charming square. Every summer, they have free bluegrass shows on the grounds of the old Capitol. The only one we caught was Shawn Camp, but it was great. A lot of the attendees were a little put out that he didn't do a strictly bluegrass set. He even had (gasp!) a drummer with him. I thought it was a great set that showcased his range and songwriting talents, but I'm not one for strict boundaries and rules.
7. BOTOfest
The first and possibly only Banks of the Ohio (BOTO) Bluegrass Festival took place in March. Two nights and two days of wonderful music, ranging from legends (JD Crowe, Doyle Lawson) to newcomers (Cherryholmes) to local acts (The Betweeners) to Kentucky-based national acts (Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland). I hope they can get their funding together to keep this one going.
6. Slaid Cleaves
One of my favorite songwriters who doesn't get to this part of the country much. He likes to unplug the instruments and do some songs off-mic for effect during his set, which is always interesting.
5. Ky Music Weekend
The annual free celebration of traditional and folk music was just about the best one yet. Homefront host John Gage performed with his son Will, who is an amazing guitarist. Two of my favorite Kentucky duos, Zoe Speaks and Wishing Chair did amazing sets. And, of course, the highlight of every festival is the return of the legendary Jean Ritchie to her home state.
4. Library Concerts
The Louisville Free Public Library Foundation got a huge grant to expand the library's CD collection, so to celebrate they held a series of free concerts in the Main Library. Is that cool or what? Iris Dement. Dar Williams. Ladysmith Black Mambazo. (Yes. Ladysmith. For free! Imagine that!) Two of the shows were busts--Loudon Wainwright III was annoying and Andrew Bird was just pretentious as all get out--but the others more than made up for it. Louisville was actually the center of something amazing and cool! I can't get over that.
3. Kris Kristofferson
Solo acoustic performance highlighting songs from his newest release and old classics. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it.
2. Doc Watson
One more musical legend to check off my list of folks to see. And we had front row seats!
1. Del McCoury
Okay. Nothing in my life will ever, ever top this. But you knew that, right?
As usual, we saw a lot of live music in 2006. Much of it was free, which was nice. Most of the ones we paid for were less than ten dollars, so 2006 was a year of much entertainment bang for not much entertainment buck. I wish that every year could be this way!
Here's a look at my favorite concerts from 2006:
9. Waterfront Wednesdays
Free shows, sponsored by the world's greatest public radio station, down at Waterfront Park--who could ask for anything more? And they did a bang-up job bringing acts in last year, including Kieran Kane, Todd Snider and Old Crow Medicine Show! I can't wait for the 2007 shows to start.
8. Shawn Camp
Corydon, Indiana is about a half hour from Louisville. It was the first state capitol of Indiana, now it's just a small town with a charming square. Every summer, they have free bluegrass shows on the grounds of the old Capitol. The only one we caught was Shawn Camp, but it was great. A lot of the attendees were a little put out that he didn't do a strictly bluegrass set. He even had (gasp!) a drummer with him. I thought it was a great set that showcased his range and songwriting talents, but I'm not one for strict boundaries and rules.
7. BOTOfest
The first and possibly only Banks of the Ohio (BOTO) Bluegrass Festival took place in March. Two nights and two days of wonderful music, ranging from legends (JD Crowe, Doyle Lawson) to newcomers (Cherryholmes) to local acts (The Betweeners) to Kentucky-based national acts (Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland). I hope they can get their funding together to keep this one going.
6. Slaid Cleaves
One of my favorite songwriters who doesn't get to this part of the country much. He likes to unplug the instruments and do some songs off-mic for effect during his set, which is always interesting.
5. Ky Music Weekend
The annual free celebration of traditional and folk music was just about the best one yet. Homefront host John Gage performed with his son Will, who is an amazing guitarist. Two of my favorite Kentucky duos, Zoe Speaks and Wishing Chair did amazing sets. And, of course, the highlight of every festival is the return of the legendary Jean Ritchie to her home state.
4. Library Concerts
The Louisville Free Public Library Foundation got a huge grant to expand the library's CD collection, so to celebrate they held a series of free concerts in the Main Library. Is that cool or what? Iris Dement. Dar Williams. Ladysmith Black Mambazo. (Yes. Ladysmith. For free! Imagine that!) Two of the shows were busts--Loudon Wainwright III was annoying and Andrew Bird was just pretentious as all get out--but the others more than made up for it. Louisville was actually the center of something amazing and cool! I can't get over that.
3. Kris Kristofferson
Solo acoustic performance highlighting songs from his newest release and old classics. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it.
2. Doc Watson
One more musical legend to check off my list of folks to see. And we had front row seats!
1. Del McCoury
Okay. Nothing in my life will ever, ever top this. But you knew that, right?
What a year!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Your Eddie-tor goes insane
What do you get when you combine a comic-reading couch potato concerned about his weight and fitness and a town that turns a three minute horse race into an excuse to party for weeks?
Temporary insanity that's what.
Last week, I not only signed up for the Triple Crown of Racing (all three races), but I also put my name on the roster for the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon.
That's over thirty miles, all together!
And I paid to put myself through this!
Clearly, I have lost my mind.
Okay, I'll be walking rather than running. I don't have the knees for running. That's my one concession to reality.
Last year, I decided that my aerobics and walking routine needed a little kick. I felt like I was getting a little accustomed to my exercise routines, and way too lax in my diet, so I signed myself up for the Triple Crown.
My thinking was this: I walk between 3-5 miles a day, usually. (True it's in 2-3 segments, rather than all at once, but that's a technicality.) The first race is about 3 miles, and that's about what I do in a day, so it should be no problem. The second one is only twice that, so it should be doable. And the last race isn't even twice the second one, so it should be no problem.
Like I said, insane.
That's the same reason I'm applying this year, with one addition: I did ten miles last year, so three more ought to be a snap!
Once insane, always insane apparently.
Still, I made it through last year and I have the pics to prove it!
This is me at the start of the second race last year:
And at the finish. That grimace is my way of saying to the world, "I'm fucking nuts!"
And here I am at the start of the ten-miler:
And at the finish.* The body language is saying "I'm beyond fucking insane!"
Last year, some of my plans got screwed up as far as training and prep. I came down with a sinus infection that lasted the last half of February and realy messed me up. Regardless, I went ahead as planned, and somehow managed to survive. (And also helped a really worthy local charity in the process.)
This year, I'm moving ahead as planned. I've spent January getting my daily walking routine re-established after a holiday break. I plan to spend February slowly expanding that routine. The Triple Crown Races happen every other weekend in March. Then, I'll have another month to get ready for the Mini.
Pray for me, for clearly I have lost my mind.
*True story: One of the local stations was providing the music at the finish line for the Ten Miler. As soon as I started across the line, they started playing "Dancing Queen." I swear! I think it was the musical gods' way of saying, "You made it. Well done!"
Temporary insanity that's what.
Last week, I not only signed up for the Triple Crown of Racing (all three races), but I also put my name on the roster for the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon.
That's over thirty miles, all together!
And I paid to put myself through this!
Clearly, I have lost my mind.
Okay, I'll be walking rather than running. I don't have the knees for running. That's my one concession to reality.
Last year, I decided that my aerobics and walking routine needed a little kick. I felt like I was getting a little accustomed to my exercise routines, and way too lax in my diet, so I signed myself up for the Triple Crown.
My thinking was this: I walk between 3-5 miles a day, usually. (True it's in 2-3 segments, rather than all at once, but that's a technicality.) The first race is about 3 miles, and that's about what I do in a day, so it should be no problem. The second one is only twice that, so it should be doable. And the last race isn't even twice the second one, so it should be no problem.
Like I said, insane.
That's the same reason I'm applying this year, with one addition: I did ten miles last year, so three more ought to be a snap!
Once insane, always insane apparently.
Still, I made it through last year and I have the pics to prove it!
This is me at the start of the second race last year:
And at the finish. That grimace is my way of saying to the world, "I'm fucking nuts!"
And here I am at the start of the ten-miler:
And at the finish.* The body language is saying "I'm beyond fucking insane!"
Last year, some of my plans got screwed up as far as training and prep. I came down with a sinus infection that lasted the last half of February and realy messed me up. Regardless, I went ahead as planned, and somehow managed to survive. (And also helped a really worthy local charity in the process.)
This year, I'm moving ahead as planned. I've spent January getting my daily walking routine re-established after a holiday break. I plan to spend February slowly expanding that routine. The Triple Crown Races happen every other weekend in March. Then, I'll have another month to get ready for the Mini.
Pray for me, for clearly I have lost my mind.
*True story: One of the local stations was providing the music at the finish line for the Ten Miler. As soon as I started across the line, they started playing "Dancing Queen." I swear! I think it was the musical gods' way of saying, "You made it. Well done!"
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Saturday Morning Web Wanderings
I have a Peculiar Aristocratic Title now, thanks to Roger. And it's actually fitting, in an odd sort of way. I just hope the "Hope End"art isn't literal, given the turmoil at work these days.
-------
Wow. I went to the new comics weblog update thingie* this morning to see what I needed to do to get this blog added, and, to my surprise, last night’s post was already listed there. I'm in!
I don’t know whether I got pulled over as part of the old update thingie or if I got picked off someone’s blogroll, or what, but it’s much appreciated to be remembered. Thanks, Chris! The update thingie now has a link on my list!
*I’m not as technical about these things as Mike is.
-----
Lefty knows what makes me happy!
This is already shaping up to be a pretty good music year. There's a Neko Case at Austin City Limits CD out now.
Patty Griffin's new CD is out 2/6.
And, later on, new releases from Hayes Carll and Mary Gauthier. Plus, a box set from a certain Goddess of Music!
------
I love it when Tom Spurgeon looks at super-hero comics. His parsing of the “mysterious” image DC released this week is priceless, as much for its analysis:
These things are rewarding to longtime fans, and sort of baffling to the rest of us. If I'm locked out, with my job of reading comics, that's one goddamn insular club.
As for its humor:
Crying Superman in his various forms has to be the goofy comic book image of the decade, and is battling Jimmy Olsen in a Dress and that beautiful square planet establishing shot in the Bizarro comics for goofiest superhero-related image ever. Crying Superman should have his own comic. Clark Verklempt.
I actually think I'd buy Clark Verklempt! Personally, I think Superman is faking the crying thing, so that WW will cradle his head between her breasts. It's the kind of sitcom-ish thinking that would seem to fit with a lot of the things I've read online about the DCU's current view of women. "If we're 'sensitive' and 'vulnerable' (sniff!) we get boobies! Break out the Kleenex!"
Either that or he’s crying because it’s not Jimmy Olsen cradling his head. Poor Clark. Abandoned in his hour of greatest emotional need. Dorian's right. Jimmy is a jerk.
Take your pick.
Oh yeah, the high-res version of the image now on Newsarama certainly reinforces Spurgeon’s comments about the relationship between the figures and the backgrounds, doesn’t it? (There's an odd "color form"kind of feel to the picture.) And The Beat’s comment about Black Canary.
--------
Finally, a local news link (story only available for one week) for Roger to follow up on his Muhammad Ali post of a couple of days ago: The Champ is moving back to his hometown! How cool is that?
-------------
PS Happy 500th Bully!
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Sir Edward the Complex of Hope End Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
-------
Wow. I went to the new comics weblog update thingie* this morning to see what I needed to do to get this blog added, and, to my surprise, last night’s post was already listed there. I'm in!
I don’t know whether I got pulled over as part of the old update thingie or if I got picked off someone’s blogroll, or what, but it’s much appreciated to be remembered. Thanks, Chris! The update thingie now has a link on my list!
*I’m not as technical about these things as Mike is.
-----
Lefty knows what makes me happy!
This is already shaping up to be a pretty good music year. There's a Neko Case at Austin City Limits CD out now.
Patty Griffin's new CD is out 2/6.
And, later on, new releases from Hayes Carll and Mary Gauthier. Plus, a box set from a certain Goddess of Music!
------
I love it when Tom Spurgeon looks at super-hero comics. His parsing of the “mysterious” image DC released this week is priceless, as much for its analysis:
These things are rewarding to longtime fans, and sort of baffling to the rest of us. If I'm locked out, with my job of reading comics, that's one goddamn insular club.
As for its humor:
Crying Superman in his various forms has to be the goofy comic book image of the decade, and is battling Jimmy Olsen in a Dress and that beautiful square planet establishing shot in the Bizarro comics for goofiest superhero-related image ever. Crying Superman should have his own comic. Clark Verklempt.
I actually think I'd buy Clark Verklempt! Personally, I think Superman is faking the crying thing, so that WW will cradle his head between her breasts. It's the kind of sitcom-ish thinking that would seem to fit with a lot of the things I've read online about the DCU's current view of women. "If we're 'sensitive' and 'vulnerable' (sniff!) we get boobies! Break out the Kleenex!"
Either that or he’s crying because it’s not Jimmy Olsen cradling his head. Poor Clark. Abandoned in his hour of greatest emotional need. Dorian's right. Jimmy is a jerk.
Take your pick.
Oh yeah, the high-res version of the image now on Newsarama certainly reinforces Spurgeon’s comments about the relationship between the figures and the backgrounds, doesn’t it? (There's an odd "color form"kind of feel to the picture.) And The Beat’s comment about Black Canary.
--------
Finally, a local news link (story only available for one week) for Roger to follow up on his Muhammad Ali post of a couple of days ago: The Champ is moving back to his hometown! How cool is that?
-------------
PS Happy 500th Bully!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Eddie-torial Anecdote: When Eddie Met Rick
Call this one “Eddie’s Brush with Stuff That Other Bloggers Are Linking to or Writing About.”
There’s been a lot of buzz about Rick Olney of Tightlip Entertainment the past couple of weeks. week. If you need to get up to speed with the whole deal, start here with Comics Worth Reading and follow the links.
Now that you’ve read about the experiences others have had with Mr. Olney, I’m going to tell you mine, which admittedly is pretty minor compared to not getting paid for work you’ve done. I’m basically jumping on the bandwagon here because it’s just so strange to me that something that happened in my life several years ago even slightly mirrors something making waves like this in the comics world today. If nothing else, it just shows that Olney’s history of inappropriate interactions and bizarre behavior goes back further than people may realize.
I’ll warn you that my memory is pretty inexact at times and some of the details are fuzzy. This all happened through snail mail, and I didn’t save any copies of anything. At the time, I just chalked it up to a weird, somewhat disturbing, happening in my life and went on. I certainly wasn’t expecting to sit down and write about it several years later. I may have gotten the contents of some of the letters confused, but I think my recollections are pretty accurate. Consider this your caveat lector.
As best I can recall, based on where I was working at the time, it was maybe 1997-ish or so. Olney had a club called ORCA (Organized Readers of Comics Associated), and ORCA had a listing in Comics Buyers’ Guide. I used to take these spells back when I was a CBG reader where I would sit down and send away for anything free or cheap that was advertised. I had started my journey away from mainstream comics a couple of years prior, and was on the hunt for new stuff to read, like some of the small press and self-published stuff advertised in the CBG classifieds. (Yes, a lot of stuff I got was really lame, but that's also how I discovered Elizabeth Watasin. And it was kind of fun.)
I think you could get ORCA info for free with a SASE, so I wrote a nice letter asking for some more information about the group and sent it away with my very own SASE. In reply, I got a very nice letter from Olney, who explained that ORCA was a chance for folks who loved and read comics to get to know each other. Membership was something like five bucks and among the benefits was a bimonthly newsletter. (I’m pretty sure it was bi-monthly, it might have been quarterly. However, it was supposed to have a regular publishing schedule.) There was also a list of questions about me and my interests in comics that I was to answer and send back to help other members get to know me better.
I decided to take the plunge and sent my five bucks in, along with my answers to the questions. If nothing else, I thought it would be good for some mail. I’ve always loved getting mail, especially in those days before the Internet took over the world and email all but wiped out snail mail (except for bills, unfortnately).
A little while later, I got a package from ORCA with another letter from Olney, some ORCA promo stuff, and the first five or six issues of Astro City, a title I had listed as one of my favorites on the questionnaire. In his letter, Olney welcomed me to ORCA and responded to some of my responses on the questionnaire. I listed writing as an interest, so he wanted to know if I would write for the newsletter. He noted some comic interests we had in common. I had mentioned my growing interest in anime and manga (which had yet to really take off in this country), and he said that was something he’d like to know more about. Then he proceeded to trash one of my favorite creators, Donna Barr, whose name I had mentioned in my responses.
Seems that Barr had made some comment about “fanboys” in an interview somewhere and Olney took issue with the term, which he felt was derogatory. He ripped into Barr, including making a really nasty, inappropriate comment about not wanting to see her in a bikini. He said he hoped that I wasn’t “like her” and kind of implied that, maybe, I shouldn’t really like her work after all.
Looking back, this should have been some kind of red flag to me. That's awfully extreme behavior to display to someone you are in the process of meeting. It wasn't even that Barr had insulted him. it was that he percieved that she had, so he was going to take offense at me for liking her comics. Still, at the time, I thought it was something we could work past. Besides, if he got to know someone who liked her work, and could explain its appeal, maybe he would try it himself.
So in my reply, I thanked him for the comics and offered to write about the anime convention in Atlanta I was getting ready to attend (Anime Weekend Atlanta) for the newsletter, if he wanted. I also told him that I hadn’t seen the Barr comment that had him so incensed, but maybe he was taking it a little too personally. I also pointed out that I thought some of his remarks were way out of line.
At some point in time, it may hve been this letter, I also started asking questions about ORCA. How many members did it have? How spread out were they? Were they going to be getting online, since they weren't at the time? (I don't even think Olney had email at this point, hence the snail mail. I know I had given him my email already.) I also wanted to know why Olney called himself something like "Executive Director" which seemed to be an odd title for the president of a pretty informal comics club. Were there other officers? What did they do? It was more curiosity than anything else. I wanted to get to know more about the group than Olney and his letters.
In his reply, Olney accepted my offer to write the article, then proceeded to insult me for daring to defend Barr and her attitude. Maybe I was “just like” her. Maybe I was “snobby.” Maybe I put people down too. And how would he like it if he referred to me as “alterna-boy” based on my taste in comics? And on and on. He also didn’t answer any of my questions about ORCA or his title.
At this point, I should have just dropped the whole thing and moved on. The only “face” that I was seeing for this group was, well, a little unstable, or at least, highly sensitive. I thought I might have an outlet to write about comics, though, so I decided to not bring the topic up any more and focus on areas where we agreed. I went to AWA and, a couple weeks later, sent in an article about it, including places where people who were interested in anime or manga could find more information.
I got an email reply this time, from someone else in ORCA, with a title like “vice president” or something similar, who thanked me for the contribution and said they’d see if they could use it in the upcoming next issue of the newsletter. He also said that Rick was busy with some personal stuff, so he wouldn't be writing for a while. This was in the fall.
In the spring of the next year, the first issue of the “bi-monthly” newsletter that I received showed up, without my article. “Oh well,” I thought. At the point they published it, my story wasn't timely any more, so they must have just decided not to use it. I wasn't faulting them for that or the erratic schedule, since they were all just fans doing this in their spare time, like me.
And I didn’t hear from ORCA or Olney again for sometime, way more than a year, I believe. No more newsletters. None of the fun contact with other members emerged. Nothing. But at least there were no letters from Olney! In the meantime, I had sold all the Astro City comics Olney sent me and made my five bucks back, and then some. I chalked ORCA up as a minor mistake on my part and went on with my life.
Finally, another newsletter showed up. I knew better than to look for an article I wrote about a convention that happened well over a year before, but I was surprised to see a reminder that I needed to renew my dues. It was apparently way past time to send them another five dollars. So, I took stock. Two “bi-monthly” newsletters in a couple of years or so, combined with a bunch of questions I never got answers to, plus a “director” who had been pretty rude to me in our second or third encounter all added up to “no more money from Eddie.” Besides, the newsletter wasn’t even that good or worthwhile.
Also, I had taken a job at the time with an hour commute out of town. I was part of a van pool that left at 6 in the morning, so I was getting up at 4:30 every day. I was tired all the time and looking to cut some distractions out of my life.
I dropped a short note in the mail that said I didn’t want to be a part of ORCA any more and asked them to please take my address of their mailing list. I didn't go into detail because there really wasn't any sense going into everything. I just made a simple, and I should note, polite request. I figured that would be the end of that.
And I was wrong. I got a letter back from Olney wanting to know why I wasn’t renewing. Didn’t he send me all those great Astro City comics? Wasn't I enjoying being in ORCA? (Uhm, no.) They'd been so good to me. Why didn't I appreciate them? They had all these great plans in the works. If I left now, I'd miss all the fun. Why didn't I like them any more? Olney said they weren’t going to drop me. They’d keep sending me the newsletter so I could see all the fun I was missing. That way, I could re-join whenever I wanted, and Olney was sure I'd do that, just as soon as I saw what a mistake I was making. (Honestly, it was like trying to break things off with some kind of clingy ex-lover.)
I guess I could have let it go, since, despite all the promises, there didn't seem to be anything to ORCA. However, I was starting to feel like I really didn't want my name associated with anything Olney was a part of. His response to my request to be dropped was definitely odd.
I wrote back and repeated my request, stating that I really had no desire to receive anything from ORCA. I didn’t want to be a part of the group. I said I didn’t feel ripped off, since I made my five bucks back selling the Astro City issues, but I was disinclined to send Olney any more money for a group that didn’t seem to be worth it. I pointed out that I had asked questions that were never answered, that the newsletter really wasn’t what it promised to be and reminded him that he had insulted me for liking a creator that he didn’t. In short, I hadn’t had a good experience with them and wanted to end my association.
The next letter from Olney moved beyond odd to freaky. He was very rude, calling me names again for liking Donna Barr. (Sheesh!) He didn't like my attittude. He didn't like me. I was an ingrate and a snob. Then he said he wasn’t going to drop me from the membership, instead he was going to print my letter and address in the next newsletter and encourage “the membership” to laugh at me and send me letters telling me how ridiculous I was.
Up to that point, the whole thing had been a little annoying, but this was almost scary. On the one hand, as near as I could tell, “the membership” was Olney and a couple of friends, but on the other, I was starting to see an escalation in bizarre, antagonistic behavior every time Olney didn’t approve of something I said. Here he was, basically saying that he was going to encourage other people to harass me! The situation was turning really wacko, and I definitely wanted no part of anything he was at all connected with after that.
I wrote back, pointing out that I felt like things were starting to unnecessarily escalate. I told him that his response felt like a threat to me and that I would take appropriate action if he did indeed run my letter without permission and encourage others to harass me. I repeated my request to be removed from the ORCA roster. I put the letter in the mail, totally unsure about what to expect next.
To my surprise, Olney’s next later said that he had talked it over with others (who?), rethought everything, and would honor my request. And that was the last heard from him. This would have been in 1999 or maybe 2000. I know it was before I took my current job, which was in January, 2001. I never heard from him or ORCA again.
In the years since, I would sometimes see a post from Olney in a comment thread or some mention of him or ORCA somewhere online and I would just shake my head. Everytime there was some kind of big announcement about something he was working on, I'd kind of roll my eyes a bit, and feel a little sorry for anyone who ended up working with him.
And then, the disturbing behavior I saw years ago starting becoming very public and growing in scope and character. Meltdowns on boards. Insulting belittling posts. Excessive victim language. Big promises with nothing to back them up. Ignoring requests for details. Looking back I think you cansee the seeds for all this behavior in his interactions with me. Except that the internet gave him a forum and broad exposure for his antics. And, worst of all, he moved from just harrassing and insulting nobody fans like me to defrauding professionals trying to make their livelihoods in comics.
What happened to me back in the day is basically kind of a weird footnote to my life. It’s not necessarily something I would care to repeat, mind you, but it’s small potatoes compared to what others have had to deal with when it comes to Olney. I’m thankful that all of our communications were low tech enough that there was kind of a built in limit to how far things could escalate. When I see him lashing out online, I’m aware of what our interactions could have turned into, given the chance. I'm also glad I never got more involved in anything he was involved in. I 'm also glad that there were no serious financial trasnactions between us.
And there you have it. My Rick Olney story. Not as dramatic or critical as some of the others, but there it is. My thoughts are with those people who are now having to prepare to go to court to get him to honor his commitments. That shouldn't happen to anyone.
There’s been a lot of buzz about Rick Olney of Tightlip Entertainment the past couple of weeks. week. If you need to get up to speed with the whole deal, start here with Comics Worth Reading and follow the links.
Now that you’ve read about the experiences others have had with Mr. Olney, I’m going to tell you mine, which admittedly is pretty minor compared to not getting paid for work you’ve done. I’m basically jumping on the bandwagon here because it’s just so strange to me that something that happened in my life several years ago even slightly mirrors something making waves like this in the comics world today. If nothing else, it just shows that Olney’s history of inappropriate interactions and bizarre behavior goes back further than people may realize.
I’ll warn you that my memory is pretty inexact at times and some of the details are fuzzy. This all happened through snail mail, and I didn’t save any copies of anything. At the time, I just chalked it up to a weird, somewhat disturbing, happening in my life and went on. I certainly wasn’t expecting to sit down and write about it several years later. I may have gotten the contents of some of the letters confused, but I think my recollections are pretty accurate. Consider this your caveat lector.
As best I can recall, based on where I was working at the time, it was maybe 1997-ish or so. Olney had a club called ORCA (Organized Readers of Comics Associated), and ORCA had a listing in Comics Buyers’ Guide. I used to take these spells back when I was a CBG reader where I would sit down and send away for anything free or cheap that was advertised. I had started my journey away from mainstream comics a couple of years prior, and was on the hunt for new stuff to read, like some of the small press and self-published stuff advertised in the CBG classifieds. (Yes, a lot of stuff I got was really lame, but that's also how I discovered Elizabeth Watasin. And it was kind of fun.)
I think you could get ORCA info for free with a SASE, so I wrote a nice letter asking for some more information about the group and sent it away with my very own SASE. In reply, I got a very nice letter from Olney, who explained that ORCA was a chance for folks who loved and read comics to get to know each other. Membership was something like five bucks and among the benefits was a bimonthly newsletter. (I’m pretty sure it was bi-monthly, it might have been quarterly. However, it was supposed to have a regular publishing schedule.) There was also a list of questions about me and my interests in comics that I was to answer and send back to help other members get to know me better.
I decided to take the plunge and sent my five bucks in, along with my answers to the questions. If nothing else, I thought it would be good for some mail. I’ve always loved getting mail, especially in those days before the Internet took over the world and email all but wiped out snail mail (except for bills, unfortnately).
A little while later, I got a package from ORCA with another letter from Olney, some ORCA promo stuff, and the first five or six issues of Astro City, a title I had listed as one of my favorites on the questionnaire. In his letter, Olney welcomed me to ORCA and responded to some of my responses on the questionnaire. I listed writing as an interest, so he wanted to know if I would write for the newsletter. He noted some comic interests we had in common. I had mentioned my growing interest in anime and manga (which had yet to really take off in this country), and he said that was something he’d like to know more about. Then he proceeded to trash one of my favorite creators, Donna Barr, whose name I had mentioned in my responses.
Seems that Barr had made some comment about “fanboys” in an interview somewhere and Olney took issue with the term, which he felt was derogatory. He ripped into Barr, including making a really nasty, inappropriate comment about not wanting to see her in a bikini. He said he hoped that I wasn’t “like her” and kind of implied that, maybe, I shouldn’t really like her work after all.
Looking back, this should have been some kind of red flag to me. That's awfully extreme behavior to display to someone you are in the process of meeting. It wasn't even that Barr had insulted him. it was that he percieved that she had, so he was going to take offense at me for liking her comics. Still, at the time, I thought it was something we could work past. Besides, if he got to know someone who liked her work, and could explain its appeal, maybe he would try it himself.
So in my reply, I thanked him for the comics and offered to write about the anime convention in Atlanta I was getting ready to attend (Anime Weekend Atlanta) for the newsletter, if he wanted. I also told him that I hadn’t seen the Barr comment that had him so incensed, but maybe he was taking it a little too personally. I also pointed out that I thought some of his remarks were way out of line.
At some point in time, it may hve been this letter, I also started asking questions about ORCA. How many members did it have? How spread out were they? Were they going to be getting online, since they weren't at the time? (I don't even think Olney had email at this point, hence the snail mail. I know I had given him my email already.) I also wanted to know why Olney called himself something like "Executive Director" which seemed to be an odd title for the president of a pretty informal comics club. Were there other officers? What did they do? It was more curiosity than anything else. I wanted to get to know more about the group than Olney and his letters.
In his reply, Olney accepted my offer to write the article, then proceeded to insult me for daring to defend Barr and her attitude. Maybe I was “just like” her. Maybe I was “snobby.” Maybe I put people down too. And how would he like it if he referred to me as “alterna-boy” based on my taste in comics? And on and on. He also didn’t answer any of my questions about ORCA or his title.
At this point, I should have just dropped the whole thing and moved on. The only “face” that I was seeing for this group was, well, a little unstable, or at least, highly sensitive. I thought I might have an outlet to write about comics, though, so I decided to not bring the topic up any more and focus on areas where we agreed. I went to AWA and, a couple weeks later, sent in an article about it, including places where people who were interested in anime or manga could find more information.
I got an email reply this time, from someone else in ORCA, with a title like “vice president” or something similar, who thanked me for the contribution and said they’d see if they could use it in the upcoming next issue of the newsletter. He also said that Rick was busy with some personal stuff, so he wouldn't be writing for a while. This was in the fall.
In the spring of the next year, the first issue of the “bi-monthly” newsletter that I received showed up, without my article. “Oh well,” I thought. At the point they published it, my story wasn't timely any more, so they must have just decided not to use it. I wasn't faulting them for that or the erratic schedule, since they were all just fans doing this in their spare time, like me.
And I didn’t hear from ORCA or Olney again for sometime, way more than a year, I believe. No more newsletters. None of the fun contact with other members emerged. Nothing. But at least there were no letters from Olney! In the meantime, I had sold all the Astro City comics Olney sent me and made my five bucks back, and then some. I chalked ORCA up as a minor mistake on my part and went on with my life.
Finally, another newsletter showed up. I knew better than to look for an article I wrote about a convention that happened well over a year before, but I was surprised to see a reminder that I needed to renew my dues. It was apparently way past time to send them another five dollars. So, I took stock. Two “bi-monthly” newsletters in a couple of years or so, combined with a bunch of questions I never got answers to, plus a “director” who had been pretty rude to me in our second or third encounter all added up to “no more money from Eddie.” Besides, the newsletter wasn’t even that good or worthwhile.
Also, I had taken a job at the time with an hour commute out of town. I was part of a van pool that left at 6 in the morning, so I was getting up at 4:30 every day. I was tired all the time and looking to cut some distractions out of my life.
I dropped a short note in the mail that said I didn’t want to be a part of ORCA any more and asked them to please take my address of their mailing list. I didn't go into detail because there really wasn't any sense going into everything. I just made a simple, and I should note, polite request. I figured that would be the end of that.
And I was wrong. I got a letter back from Olney wanting to know why I wasn’t renewing. Didn’t he send me all those great Astro City comics? Wasn't I enjoying being in ORCA? (Uhm, no.) They'd been so good to me. Why didn't I appreciate them? They had all these great plans in the works. If I left now, I'd miss all the fun. Why didn't I like them any more? Olney said they weren’t going to drop me. They’d keep sending me the newsletter so I could see all the fun I was missing. That way, I could re-join whenever I wanted, and Olney was sure I'd do that, just as soon as I saw what a mistake I was making. (Honestly, it was like trying to break things off with some kind of clingy ex-lover.)
I guess I could have let it go, since, despite all the promises, there didn't seem to be anything to ORCA. However, I was starting to feel like I really didn't want my name associated with anything Olney was a part of. His response to my request to be dropped was definitely odd.
I wrote back and repeated my request, stating that I really had no desire to receive anything from ORCA. I didn’t want to be a part of the group. I said I didn’t feel ripped off, since I made my five bucks back selling the Astro City issues, but I was disinclined to send Olney any more money for a group that didn’t seem to be worth it. I pointed out that I had asked questions that were never answered, that the newsletter really wasn’t what it promised to be and reminded him that he had insulted me for liking a creator that he didn’t. In short, I hadn’t had a good experience with them and wanted to end my association.
The next letter from Olney moved beyond odd to freaky. He was very rude, calling me names again for liking Donna Barr. (Sheesh!) He didn't like my attittude. He didn't like me. I was an ingrate and a snob. Then he said he wasn’t going to drop me from the membership, instead he was going to print my letter and address in the next newsletter and encourage “the membership” to laugh at me and send me letters telling me how ridiculous I was.
Up to that point, the whole thing had been a little annoying, but this was almost scary. On the one hand, as near as I could tell, “the membership” was Olney and a couple of friends, but on the other, I was starting to see an escalation in bizarre, antagonistic behavior every time Olney didn’t approve of something I said. Here he was, basically saying that he was going to encourage other people to harass me! The situation was turning really wacko, and I definitely wanted no part of anything he was at all connected with after that.
I wrote back, pointing out that I felt like things were starting to unnecessarily escalate. I told him that his response felt like a threat to me and that I would take appropriate action if he did indeed run my letter without permission and encourage others to harass me. I repeated my request to be removed from the ORCA roster. I put the letter in the mail, totally unsure about what to expect next.
To my surprise, Olney’s next later said that he had talked it over with others (who?), rethought everything, and would honor my request. And that was the last heard from him. This would have been in 1999 or maybe 2000. I know it was before I took my current job, which was in January, 2001. I never heard from him or ORCA again.
In the years since, I would sometimes see a post from Olney in a comment thread or some mention of him or ORCA somewhere online and I would just shake my head. Everytime there was some kind of big announcement about something he was working on, I'd kind of roll my eyes a bit, and feel a little sorry for anyone who ended up working with him.
And then, the disturbing behavior I saw years ago starting becoming very public and growing in scope and character. Meltdowns on boards. Insulting belittling posts. Excessive victim language. Big promises with nothing to back them up. Ignoring requests for details. Looking back I think you cansee the seeds for all this behavior in his interactions with me. Except that the internet gave him a forum and broad exposure for his antics. And, worst of all, he moved from just harrassing and insulting nobody fans like me to defrauding professionals trying to make their livelihoods in comics.
What happened to me back in the day is basically kind of a weird footnote to my life. It’s not necessarily something I would care to repeat, mind you, but it’s small potatoes compared to what others have had to deal with when it comes to Olney. I’m thankful that all of our communications were low tech enough that there was kind of a built in limit to how far things could escalate. When I see him lashing out online, I’m aware of what our interactions could have turned into, given the chance. I'm also glad I never got more involved in anything he was involved in. I 'm also glad that there were no serious financial trasnactions between us.
And there you have it. My Rick Olney story. Not as dramatic or critical as some of the others, but there it is. My thoughts are with those people who are now having to prepare to go to court to get him to honor his commitments. That shouldn't happen to anyone.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Noodling around with some links and thoughts and stuff
I’m discovering that work stress actually makes me want to blog more. Go figure.
I also realized this morning after looking at the number of posts that have been hanging around in Blogger for far too long waiting for me to post them, that what keeps me from blogging isn’t the time or the writing. I do plenty of that. It’s the finishing—the adding links and such—that holds me up. Too many times, I’ll have something finished in Blogger, except for the links, and think “I’ll get back to that part in a little bit.” And never do. Sometimes it sucks to be me.
Anyway, here are a few links and other stuff that have me thinking the kind of thoughts that I want to write about right now.
First up, Lefty’s post today reminded me that I have never said anything publicly about being included in his monthly “Circle of Friends” CD mailings. This is especially rude of me because the November and December CD’s were two of the best CD’s of any kind I listened to all year. The December one has become my official holiday CD, in fact. I shall play it every year when we do our baking and wrapping and stuff. It’s a lot of work to put something like this together—assembling the music, ripping, downloading, burning, labeling, mailing—not to mention the expense of it all, so I’m grateful to Lefty for including me. Thanks, man!
By the way, he says the slots for the Mixed Bag 5 exchange are going fast. Go on. Sign up. You know you want to. It’s a lot of fun! And there are prizes this year!
___________
Over at Progressive Ruin, Mike’s been heralding the end of civilization for 2 years now, but after this latest installment, I’m convinced that that end is right around the corner.
I mean honestly, what else could this:
This:
And this:
All together in the same Previews catalog mean, except for the Apocalypse? Honestly, I don’t think things can sink any further. (Images nicked from Mike, of course.) If you need me, I’ll be in a cave in the mountains, somewhere! Somebody better check on Mike, too. After this installment, I'm afraid his brain may have melted down.
_____________
Last week, I wrote a long piece about the infamous Rick Olney, but have been hesitating on posting it. After all, I’m a nobody with a blog (not a comics professional) and he didn’t screw me over with false promises of payment. I wrote the piece because I thought it was kind of interesting to have something from my past tied into things that were making comics news, but in light of the fact the several people have had their livelihood negatively impacted by his actions, I just didn’t feel right about trying to hop on the wagon with my little tale.
However, this comment at the Beat made me re-think that a bit. I think Olney’s problems were pretty obvious when he was just running comic fan clubs. My interaction with him certainly proved that! Like I said, he didn’t bilk me financially and it was all amateur fan-to-fan interaction, but his behavior certainly was disturbing in the end. I’ll post my story tomorrow. In the meantime, you can click around on some of the links above, if you need to come up to speed on the whole saga.
____________
I really like this post over at Written Worlds for the Roe v Wade anniversary for the succinct distillation of the pro-choice argument.
__________
Fan entitlement. It’s not just for super-hero fans any more.
I really liked Beanworld, too. And, hell, I’d love to see it revived or at least reprinted. But saying this is a bit much, I think:
I don’t think Marder owes us any more Beanworld any more than Sallinger owes us Bride of the Return of Catcher in the Rye. But, from my perspective, he DOES owe us Beanworld fans the courtesy of a formal reiteration of his promise to work on Beanworld for the rest of his life, OR a formal “Fuck Off. I don’t DO that anymore.”
For the record, I don't think Larry Marder owes me shit. Oh, and I love the way the author tries to disguise the whole sense of entitlement with all the talk about Marder not owing anyone any more Beanworld.
_____________
A part of me is thinking it can’t be time to start talking about Free Comic Book Day already. Another part of me is disappointed to see that once again it’s on Derby Day, which will make it hard for local shops to build the kind of buzz that shops in other cities do.* And a part of me is saying, “Lynda Barry and Gottfredson Mickey Mouse? Cool!”
*It’s hard to explain the way this town goes nuts around Kentucky Derby-time to folks who don't live here. Trying out free comics is the last thing on anyone’s mind.
____________
Oh yeah, that comic weblog update thingamajig is back, kind of. It's just in a different place run by a different person.
__________
Finally, a couple of Courier-Journal links (only available for a week after publication). First a review of the Clark-Ely-Hiatt-Lovett extravaganza. I think he over-sells it a bit by calling it the “the better part of three hours.” It was after 7 (like 7:15) when the show started, and they did their finale at 9. They did come back for an encore, but by 9:30 we were outside the auditorium on our way to the parking lot. I guess two-ish hours can be considered the “better part” of three hours, but, please. It was a great show as it was, there’s no need to pump it up like that. Also, apparently there was someone watching TV during the concert. Geez! Concert behavior is getting to be as bad as movie behavior!
___________
Speaking of concerts, just found out that one of my most favorite folksingers, Kate Campbell, is doing a benefit for Habitat for Humanity on Saturday! Todd Snider on Friday and Kate Campbell on Saturday! Bring on the music, 2007!
_________
I’ll shut up now.
I also realized this morning after looking at the number of posts that have been hanging around in Blogger for far too long waiting for me to post them, that what keeps me from blogging isn’t the time or the writing. I do plenty of that. It’s the finishing—the adding links and such—that holds me up. Too many times, I’ll have something finished in Blogger, except for the links, and think “I’ll get back to that part in a little bit.” And never do. Sometimes it sucks to be me.
Anyway, here are a few links and other stuff that have me thinking the kind of thoughts that I want to write about right now.
First up, Lefty’s post today reminded me that I have never said anything publicly about being included in his monthly “Circle of Friends” CD mailings. This is especially rude of me because the November and December CD’s were two of the best CD’s of any kind I listened to all year. The December one has become my official holiday CD, in fact. I shall play it every year when we do our baking and wrapping and stuff. It’s a lot of work to put something like this together—assembling the music, ripping, downloading, burning, labeling, mailing—not to mention the expense of it all, so I’m grateful to Lefty for including me. Thanks, man!
By the way, he says the slots for the Mixed Bag 5 exchange are going fast. Go on. Sign up. You know you want to. It’s a lot of fun! And there are prizes this year!
___________
Over at Progressive Ruin, Mike’s been heralding the end of civilization for 2 years now, but after this latest installment, I’m convinced that that end is right around the corner.
I mean honestly, what else could this:
This:
And this:
All together in the same Previews catalog mean, except for the Apocalypse? Honestly, I don’t think things can sink any further. (Images nicked from Mike, of course.) If you need me, I’ll be in a cave in the mountains, somewhere! Somebody better check on Mike, too. After this installment, I'm afraid his brain may have melted down.
_____________
Last week, I wrote a long piece about the infamous Rick Olney, but have been hesitating on posting it. After all, I’m a nobody with a blog (not a comics professional) and he didn’t screw me over with false promises of payment. I wrote the piece because I thought it was kind of interesting to have something from my past tied into things that were making comics news, but in light of the fact the several people have had their livelihood negatively impacted by his actions, I just didn’t feel right about trying to hop on the wagon with my little tale.
However, this comment at the Beat made me re-think that a bit. I think Olney’s problems were pretty obvious when he was just running comic fan clubs. My interaction with him certainly proved that! Like I said, he didn’t bilk me financially and it was all amateur fan-to-fan interaction, but his behavior certainly was disturbing in the end. I’ll post my story tomorrow. In the meantime, you can click around on some of the links above, if you need to come up to speed on the whole saga.
____________
I really like this post over at Written Worlds for the Roe v Wade anniversary for the succinct distillation of the pro-choice argument.
__________
Fan entitlement. It’s not just for super-hero fans any more.
I really liked Beanworld, too. And, hell, I’d love to see it revived or at least reprinted. But saying this is a bit much, I think:
I don’t think Marder owes us any more Beanworld any more than Sallinger owes us Bride of the Return of Catcher in the Rye. But, from my perspective, he DOES owe us Beanworld fans the courtesy of a formal reiteration of his promise to work on Beanworld for the rest of his life, OR a formal “Fuck Off. I don’t DO that anymore.”
For the record, I don't think Larry Marder owes me shit. Oh, and I love the way the author tries to disguise the whole sense of entitlement with all the talk about Marder not owing anyone any more Beanworld.
_____________
A part of me is thinking it can’t be time to start talking about Free Comic Book Day already. Another part of me is disappointed to see that once again it’s on Derby Day, which will make it hard for local shops to build the kind of buzz that shops in other cities do.* And a part of me is saying, “Lynda Barry and Gottfredson Mickey Mouse? Cool!”
*It’s hard to explain the way this town goes nuts around Kentucky Derby-time to folks who don't live here. Trying out free comics is the last thing on anyone’s mind.
____________
Oh yeah, that comic weblog update thingamajig is back, kind of. It's just in a different place run by a different person.
__________
Finally, a couple of Courier-Journal links (only available for a week after publication). First a review of the Clark-Ely-Hiatt-Lovett extravaganza. I think he over-sells it a bit by calling it the “the better part of three hours.” It was after 7 (like 7:15) when the show started, and they did their finale at 9. They did come back for an encore, but by 9:30 we were outside the auditorium on our way to the parking lot. I guess two-ish hours can be considered the “better part” of three hours, but, please. It was a great show as it was, there’s no need to pump it up like that. Also, apparently there was someone watching TV during the concert. Geez! Concert behavior is getting to be as bad as movie behavior!
___________
Speaking of concerts, just found out that one of my most favorite folksingers, Kate Campbell, is doing a benefit for Habitat for Humanity on Saturday! Todd Snider on Friday and Kate Campbell on Saturday! Bring on the music, 2007!
_________
I’ll shut up now.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Now how about a look around the blogosphere?
Lefty's got a new Mixed Bag CD exchange starting up! Check out the details and sign up, if you're so inclined. I can tell you it's a lot of fun and the music is always interesting. Plus, this time there are prizes!
When Disney-verses collide!
Revealed at last: The secret life of Anthro! (I think he needs one of these T-shirts!)
Send good thoughts to Gordon, please!
When Disney-verses collide!
Revealed at last: The secret life of Anthro! (I think he needs one of these T-shirts!)
Send good thoughts to Gordon, please!
She's Hip! She's Mod! She's Boss!
Bunny #3 (no artist listed)And she's developing a terrible case of wrist strain!
Image courtesy of Eddie's Great Big Pile o' Unread Comics!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Saying this is still timely makes it so, right?
I’m claiming a New Year’s “grace period” for this post. I think I read somewhere that you had the entire month of January to get all your new Year’s sentiment out before you start looking dated, tacky, and disorganized. (Or maybe I’m making it up so that I don’t look as dated, tacky, and disorganized. Whatever.) If it's any consolation, I did write this about three weeks ago. I'm actually really good at writing the posts. It's the actual posting that I seem to find difficult.
Anyway, some wishes: To the loyal handful of you who check in here from time to time looking for that ever elusive new content: thanks for keeping the Eddie-torial faith.
To the even smaller group who’ve made my day with links and comments on that ever-elusive content: thanks for lifting my spirits, usually when I really needed it.
To the “nags” who seem to think it’s their duty to shake me out of the doldrums: y’all need a hobby or something! (Seriously, thanks for at least acting interested in what I might have to say.)
To the “real” bloggers out there who constantly amuse and amaze me with your daily doses of wit, talent, and insight and keep tied to the computer far longer than I should be:please explain to Keith why the laundry and the dishes aren’t done, uhm, thanks for both inspiring and intimidating me.
I want to be you guys when (if) I grow up.
And specifically:
To Roger: I hope that you and your family (especially Lydia) stay safe, happy, and healthy all year long, that you have a better time with bicycles this year, and that you get an office door.
To Chris and Kelly: I hope that this is the year you finally find an effective treatment for Kelly’s pain issues. I also hope that 2007 brings several fresh rounds of CD exchanges and maybe even a cool concert or two for you all. (Oh yeah, and I hope that new computer comes through for you all, pronto!)
To Mike: May 2007 bring you fewer annoying customers and more Swamp Thing comics. (Looks like that last part is already coming true!)
To Gordon: Best of luck with your job search, possible move and other life changes and decisions you’re grappling with. Keith and I are discussing the possibility of a trip to Chicago, so if you do move back there, then maybe we can check out the local comic and ice cream scene again! It was great meeting you this past summer.
To Dorian: I wish you another year of using your power to piss off the misguided, but may you use it only for the good of humanity. I realize that means that some things have to stayed screwed up enough for you to take aim at them, but it’s so much fun to read and watch that I’m being selfish. And best of luck with your new project, too.
To Bully: I hope that your “fun comics” to “not fun comics” ratio is the best it’s ever been in 2007. And, I hope that you’re able to walk away from those comics that are consistently not much fun. Life’s too short to read un-fun comics, you know.
To Greg: I wish you a year free of indie comic creator smack-downs!
Coming up: Some 2006 wrap-ups. (Live and recorded music are already done, but I’m having a lot of trouble with comics.) Plus, looking ahead to the rest of 2007, and some personal notes.
Anyway, some wishes: To the loyal handful of you who check in here from time to time looking for that ever elusive new content: thanks for keeping the Eddie-torial faith.
To the even smaller group who’ve made my day with links and comments on that ever-elusive content: thanks for lifting my spirits, usually when I really needed it.
To the “nags” who seem to think it’s their duty to shake me out of the doldrums: y’all need a hobby or something! (Seriously, thanks for at least acting interested in what I might have to say.)
To the “real” bloggers out there who constantly amuse and amaze me with your daily doses of wit, talent, and insight and keep tied to the computer far longer than I should be:
I want to be you guys when (if) I grow up.
And specifically:
To Roger: I hope that you and your family (especially Lydia) stay safe, happy, and healthy all year long, that you have a better time with bicycles this year, and that you get an office door.
To Chris and Kelly: I hope that this is the year you finally find an effective treatment for Kelly’s pain issues. I also hope that 2007 brings several fresh rounds of CD exchanges and maybe even a cool concert or two for you all. (Oh yeah, and I hope that new computer comes through for you all, pronto!)
To Mike: May 2007 bring you fewer annoying customers and more Swamp Thing comics. (Looks like that last part is already coming true!)
To Gordon: Best of luck with your job search, possible move and other life changes and decisions you’re grappling with. Keith and I are discussing the possibility of a trip to Chicago, so if you do move back there, then maybe we can check out the local comic and ice cream scene again! It was great meeting you this past summer.
To Dorian: I wish you another year of using your power to piss off the misguided, but may you use it only for the good of humanity. I realize that means that some things have to stayed screwed up enough for you to take aim at them, but it’s so much fun to read and watch that I’m being selfish. And best of luck with your new project, too.
To Bully: I hope that your “fun comics” to “not fun comics” ratio is the best it’s ever been in 2007. And, I hope that you’re able to walk away from those comics that are consistently not much fun. Life’s too short to read un-fun comics, you know.
To Greg: I wish you a year free of indie comic creator smack-downs!
Coming up: Some 2006 wrap-ups. (Live and recorded music are already done, but I’m having a lot of trouble with comics.) Plus, looking ahead to the rest of 2007, and some personal notes.
Just Four Guys and Four Guitars
So, we hit the first concert of the year last night, and, based on how good this show was, it's going to be a good year for live music!
Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Hiatt, and Lyle Lovett. Four guys. Four songwriting legends. Four guitars. It doesn't get any better than this.
They sat in a row on the stage and took turns, one after the other, sharing songs. From time to time, one of them would jump in to do some harmony vocals or a guitar solo for one of the others. (One of my only quibbles about the show was that there wasn't more of this kind of interaction.)
Song selection ranged from old classics to newer stuff. Guy Clark did several of my favorites, including the inimitable "Dublin Blues" and "Magdalene," my favorite off his most recent release. Lovett performed a brand new song, whish will be part of his upcoming release. John Hiatt made me really happy with songs from Slow Turning and Crossing Muddy Waters, my two most favorite of his albums. I'm not as familiar with Joe Ely's work, but last night showed me I need to rectify that, pronto!
It was a truly great night of music, even if it came to an end sooner that I would have wanted. With four of them switching off singing duties, there wasn't a need for an intermission, so they played straight through for an hour and a half. This gave them four passes down the line, plus an ensemble finale of Townes Van Zandt's classic "White Freightliner Blues." I would have preferred to have one more pass through the song-sharing before the finale, but I'm just selfish like that.
It was a great start for the 2007 concert calendar! Next up: Todd Snider returns to Louisville.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Belatedness....
Okay, here we go...
For the forseeable future, posting will probably be light to non-existent here. I know I'm not the most regular of bloggers under the best of conditions, but things are coming down at work that are going to be taking a lot of time and energy. I can't say much more than that, except that it's a time of flux and uncertainty right now.
I've got a couple of posts written that are in the editing stages. I hope to be able to post them this weekend. After that, we'll just have to wait and see.
So, as Tosy would say "Until Whenever."
For the forseeable future, posting will probably be light to non-existent here. I know I'm not the most regular of bloggers under the best of conditions, but things are coming down at work that are going to be taking a lot of time and energy. I can't say much more than that, except that it's a time of flux and uncertainty right now.
I've got a couple of posts written that are in the editing stages. I hope to be able to post them this weekend. After that, we'll just have to wait and see.
So, as Tosy would say "Until Whenever."
Friday, January 05, 2007
New Randomness for a New Year
The Tennessee Bird Walk:
Way more about toilet training in Japan than you ever wanted to know.
There's a new Jack Chick tract online!
HAPPY 2007!
Way more about toilet training in Japan than you ever wanted to know.
There's a new Jack Chick tract online!
HAPPY 2007!
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