Archive for Sean

Seven Days in the Life

// March 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Sean

A marvel of modern medicine

A marvel of modern medicine

Seven days ago I had knee surgery. I thought it might be fun to go over my last week with all its ups and downs.

Sunday/Monday
My check-in time was 5:30 am, so bedtime was early Sunday night. Unfortunately, I slept ridiculously bad. The knee was back to throbbing even when I elevated and iced it. I’m sure I only got a few hours of shut eye. Of course, I knew I was in for plenty the rest of the week.

I limped into Carle Foundation Hospital with the two and a half hours away girl by my side. She was wonderful in supporting and helping me. The nurses called my name and away I went. From pre-op to chatting with my surgeon to wheeling into surgery and waking up to some tasty peanuts and M&Ms, I was met with smiling faces, helpful nurses and a feeling I was in good hands.

After my jaunt to the hospital, I really appreciated the two and a half hours away girl taking the time to be with me. Her support before and after surgery was a real benefit and I’m not sure I could have done it all without her with me. I wish she could have stayed longer.

With the last vestiges of the anesthesia still in me and plenty of pain meds, I had the most restful sleep ever.

Tuesday
Woke up, made breakfast (bacon, oatmeal, juice) and relaxed on the couch. I felt way better than I expected. The dressing on my leg and knee allowed me to walk pretty well. My meds were working, but made me incredibly drowsy. I told my boss, who came over with a wonderful card and care package from work, I’d easily be able to come in to work on Thursday.

Not quite.

In the late afternoon, I removed my wrappings and dressing and took my first shower since Sunday. Inspecting the two small incisions, everything looked good. I was just thinking about what I’d make for supper, when my knee started swelling. Very quickly, I went from feeling confident I could return in a few short days to wondering if I would even make it in on Friday.

Immediately, I was laying down, elevating my knee and icing it every 20 minutes off and on. My calf muscles were extremely tight just above the knee and I could do little to relax them. I slept barely a few hours and only because my pain meds would kick in.

Wednesday
Before hump day, I thought there was no way I’d need my crutches. All morning, I couldn’t move without some cane-like support. My range of motion was negligible and I couldn’t put much weight on the leg. All morning I simply laid on the couch while my Dad, who kindly came up to see me, brought me McDonald’s breakfast and ran a few errands for me.

He left around noon and I settled in on resting/elevating/icing my knee. I remember eating a sandwich for lunch and then I was out for the next six hours. My body was trying to catch me up on sleep. I needed it, but I also knew the meds were knocking me out.

I called my boss and said there was no way, I was going to make it on Thursday, but I’d shoot for Friday. That evening I ate a little, watched The Hurt Locker and decided I would see if I could go with Aleve instead of the prescription drugs on Thursday.

Thursday
My goal Thursday was threefold. Continue to rest/elevate/ice my knee and stay off it most of the day, walk down (and back up) my third floor steps without hurting myself and drive to my part-time job and get some work done (and get out of the apartment for a bit).

Amazingly, all my goals were met. Since I came out of surgery, I really didn’t have much in the way of knee pain. Pain and weakness associated with a swollen knee, of course, but everything else was good. The Aleve took the edge off just enough to function, but I continued to be exhausted and run down.

Still, getting out of the apartment after being stuck inside for three days was a good change of scenery. Fresh air will do wonders for you, kids.

Friday
I dutifully headed into my real job bright and shiny at 8 am. I’d been using a single crutch as a cane and that helped steady me as I came through the door. I plowed through about 30 emails and tried to accomplish something in my half-day of work.

After putting a big project to bed, I went home and promptly crashed. I was exhausted. I work in a cubicle and I was just wiped out when I came home at lunchtime. My knee felt better than yesterday which was better than the day before, but my body was still in recovery.

In the evening I had planned on getting my kiddo, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open and canceled on her. I fell asleep on the couch (again) and crawled into my bed early.

Saturday
I had made plans to drive down and see the two and a half hours away girl in the afternoon. Since I didn’t get my daughter, we talked about me coming down a bit earlier. I wasn’t sure I was up for it. I woke up still run down from Friday. A week earlier we had made plans which really couldn’t be called off, so I decided to make the trek.

The weather was just crisp enough to feel good, but not too cold. I leisurely drove down and found myself feeling better. Arriving at my destination, I barely had time to drop my bags and the whole crew (me, her and her kids) were out the door again. Rushing around made me a little tired, but getting out of the apartment was the best medicine. A kiss or two from the two and a half hours away girl certainly helped.

Meeting up with her friends, we visited the Royale Dumpe dinner theater on the Landing in St. Louis and enjoyed the singing, dancing and the PG-13 level of humor. The food wasn’t too bad either. The drinks, on the other hand, were enormous.

Sunday
I was amazed at how my knee went from screaming agony and swollen redness on Tuesday to me walking fairly normal by Sunday. I was still operating at about 85%, but that was a marked improvement from just Friday. The bad part was I developed turf toe from standing awkwardly on the ball of my foot and from walking on the uneven cobblestones of the Landing.

Overall, I don’t think I could have asked for a better post surgery than what I went through. People are still amazed that I’m walking already without a cane or crutches. Honestly, I’m a little surprised myself.

LINKY GOODNESS

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“I’ve covered the NIT. I remember Lou Henson’s final team playing Alabama in front of about 9,000 people at the Assembly Hall. It sucked. No one cared. It’s a crummy booby prize.” — Mark Tupper

COLOPHON

Sean McDevitt thought about taking a royal dump at the Royale Dumpe, but changed his mind.

Just a reminder, you can view this and lots more of my past posts at swimminginchampaign.com. You can also find me at seanmcdevitt.com

Weak in the Knee

// February 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // Sean

Sadly, not my Doctor.

Sadly, not my Doctor.

As an athlete gone soft with age and inactivity, it is no fun to realize that you can’t really do the things you used to be able to do. I mean, I used to run about six miles on a Sunday for fun!

Unfortunately, at some point in 2008-2009, I hurt my knee. I took Aleve or Advil and tried to stay off of it. I probably put some ice on it to ease the pain. Eventually, it would feel better. For a little while.

Inevitably, I would aggravate it somehow and the pain would come back. Sometimes more intense. Sometimes just at a level of annoyance. It was a weak knee, I told myself. Running Cross Country for eight years finally caught up with me.

I had already went to the doctor in 2007 regarding my weak ankle. He did an MRI and found some micro-tears. It wasn’t really worth it to get fixed. I’d just have to be a bit more careful.

So, my exercise regiment was reduced to nothing. I tried swimming, treadmill running and the elliptical, but it just didn’t work for me. To be fair, I might not have given it a fair shot either. I’d like to get in better shape, I really would. It just seems my body was breaking down and exercise wasn’t helping.

Was I just getting old? I don’t particularly feel old. I’m just not as young as I used to be. Still, I had to do something.

As I was contemplating my exercising future last week, I made a mistake of squatting to get something from a cupboard and it really, really hurt getting back up. Nothing snapped. I didn’t lock my knee. I felt fine afterward. Until, the knee started buckling when I’d get up from a sitting position. Then, a week ago Friday, my knee decided to swell and really hurt. I iced it. I took meds. Nothing really worked. On Saturday, I could barely walk. On Sunday, all I did was lay on my couch, elevate my knee and ice it for 20 minutes on and off. Monday through Thursday was an even level of pain. I could walk with a heavy limp, but the Aleve cut the pain reasonably well. I continued to prop my knee up.

Earlier in the week, I had decided I needed to go see an Orthopedic surgeon to find out what I’d done. Maybe I’d get some anti-inflammatory meds and some physical therapy appointments. Alas, no. I was told I had a torn meniscus and he’d have to go in and scope it.

Luckily, I could get in on Monday for the surgery. I’ve never gone under general anesthesia, so I’m a little scared about that, but I shouldn’t worry about it too much. It’s outpatient surgery, so I’ll be home that same day and likely fairly loopy from the pain meds.

They say, I could be up and walking around on Tuesday or Wednesday. I wonder if I’ll be able to run again

Wish me luck.

LINKY GOODNESS

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“According to Don Ambrose, a Rider University professor who studies creative intelligence, incubation is most effective when it involves exposing the mind to entirely novel information rather than just relieving mental pressure. This encourages creative association, the mashing together of seemingly unrelated concepts — a key step in the creative process…. A random scrap of information can trigger just the right conceptual collision. It’s hard to know which scrap might do the trick, but that’s the beauty of social networks — they constantly produce potential sparks, for free.” — Wired’s Brendan Koerner tries to convince you that you are not wasting your time when you mess around on Facebook and Twitter.

COLOPHON

Yes, I’m looking forward to the new Doctor Who with Matt Smith.

Just a reminder, you can view this and lots more of my past posts at swimminginchampaign.com. You can also find me at seanmcdevitt.com

Fooling Yourself

// February 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Sean

Two powerful and attractive men

Two powerful and attractive men

So many people are delusional about how smart, sexy, good looking, interesting, talented, etc. they really are. Just watch any number of preposterous contestants on American Idol who are genuinely shocked and dismayed after the judges have told them they don’t have what it takes.

Gene Simmons has this way of disarming people by saying their name and complimenting them with, “you are a powerful and attractive man/woman.” He understands the innate feeling of being told you are worthy. Of course, he tells himself this all the time. His self-worth doesn’t come from the outside, it comes from the inside. He is supremely confident in his abilities. He thinks himself a powerful and attractive man which helps sell the “Gene Simmons persona.” He has failed innumerable times, but he continues to move forward and, obviously, found a great deal of success.

The crazy thing is trying to decide if you are simply self-confident in your own abilities to do something or delusional. Many successful people say they had no idea what the odds were against them. They simply moved forward toward their goal. Success is perseverance – keep knocking on the door… keep sending proposals, taking auditions, writing spec scripts or composing music. You never know.

The bottom line is not fooling yourself. Are you talented? Can you move large numbers of people with your words, your songs, your paintings or some other creative endeavor? Do you know what you are good at?

I’m about as creative as I make up my mind to be. Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s how one uses the spark of creativity which makes all the difference. I have read any number of books, screenplays, magazines and said I could do better, but I would never lie to myself and say I’m going to be the next J. K. Rowling or Alan Moore. Don’t be ridiculous. I want to be the next me.

Having a great logline for a book or movie proposal is important, but it’s the hard work in actually finishing the novel or the screenplay that separates the wannabe from the doer. I’m a wannabe guitar player. However, I’m a doer when it comes to writing. I’ve already written award winning copy, been published in several magazines, put together my own comic book and hopefully my own collection of essays and short stories later this year.

Mr. Simmons has also said, “Life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself.” I’m not particularly good at fooling myself, but I am confident in what I do. I love writing and I’m pretty good at it. When you do something you love, it isn’t work. It’s play. It’s fun.

Find what you love. Do what you love. It’s the best advice I could ever give.

LINKY GOODNESS

  • Very cool graphic showing the depth of the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the ocean.
  • Dude kicked off a flight because he was too smelly. And you know what? If you reek so bad that more than just the people next to you notice, that’s not at all unreasonable.
  • Behold! The Jeopardy! Archive.
  • Celebrating its 25th anniversary this week: John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club. Fuuuuuuuck, I’m old.
  • I agree with every single one of these Ten Mistakes That Could Ruin Ghostbusters III.
  • Simple Desktops, designed to make your computer beautiful without distraction.
  • A Brief History Of Pretty Much Everything. Explained wordlessly yet eloquently with notebook doodles, probably drawn during class.
  • Transforming the magazine experience with Wired and Adobe
  • Museum of Modern Tweets isn’t so much a museum as it is Odessa Begay’s very funny weekly illustrations of bizarre celebrity tweets.
  • A stunning new survey reveals that more than 40% of Texans do not believe humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time.
  • Movie critic Roger Ebert lost his lower jaw to cancer four years ago. He no longer speaks, but he has plenty to say in this interview.

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“I really hate vaginas. I’m allergic to vagina. But I can’t say I had no idea, because it was a 12-hour shoot, so you kind of get the picture that these women are going to stay naked after, like, five or six hours. But I wasn’t exactly prepared. I had no idea what to say to these girls. Thank God I was hungover.” — Rob Pattinson

COLOPHON

Someday Sean McDevitt will tell you the grand story of meeting Gene Simmons at Wizard World Chicago. It involves acting, a precise knowledge of the layout of the Rosemont Convention Center and intimate knowledge of Jon Sable, Freelance.

What Do You Love?

// February 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, Film, Food & Drink, I ♥, Music, Sean, Tech, Television

You know he's evil cuz he's got a goatee

You know he's evil cuz he's got a goatee

Nothing says love like spending four days with your family and your girlfriend and feeling like it was far too short. I love my family, but I unfortunately don’t get to see them as often as I’d like. While I do get to see the two and a half hours away girl on a more regular basis, it’s never quite enough. Sigh.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and I thought I’d share a few things I love, but leaving out some obvious choices like friends, family and the two and a half hours away girl. What do you love?

KISS
Rock and roll super heroes… is there really anything better? You know, there are people who love KISS and there are people who LOVE KISS. I love the band, but I don’t have a basement dedicated to everything KISS with a pinball machine, a glass case full of pictures, magazines, trading cards, model kits, lunch boxes and who knows what. My collection pretty much is music, movies and books about the band. In fact, I just recently bought the Peter Criss solo album on vinyl the other day.  Still haven’t played yet.

Skyline chili
I have to thank my friend Andy for turning me on to the pleasure of heating up some frozen or canned Skyline chili. This isn’t just your run of the mill, average chili. It’s a spicy, flavorful chilidog topping first and then a bowl style second. I like mine with a handful of oyster crackers and cheddar cheese. I know you wanna try it.

Coffee / Tea
When I started drinking coffee, I’d take it with like five sugars and a ton of creamer. My co-workers at the time called it a milk shake. So, I started drinking it black. A perfectly brewed cup of coffee doesn’t need sugar or creamer. Unfortunately, I rarely come across a great cup of perfectly brewed coffee. I usually just add a few packs or spoonfuls of Splenda to take the bitterness edge off. On the other hand, tea is best with the right combination of heat, tea and sweetener. My favorites lately are Ginger Peach Decaf and Cinnamon Apple Spice.

Sleeping in on Sunday
Only the deeply religious would argue with my belief that everyone should sleep in on Sunday. I don’t go to church and haven’t in quite some time. I don’t need the social aspects nor do I feel the need to fill up some spiritual hole. To each their own, of course.

My Droid Eris
Easily the best phone I’ve ever owned. I have barely scratched the surface of what it can do, but my Eris already has exceeded my crappy Blackberry Storm. Next purchase will likely be an iPhone on the Verizon network, but maybe not. HTC + Google + Verizon Network = WIN.

Apple hardware and software
Working with Windows is a collection of frustration wrapped up in a desperate ringing of the hands. To do any basic work like word processing, email and web browsing a PC is adequate enough. However, if you want to do any other kind of work like photo manipulation, graphic design, layout or website creation, Windows sucks. If you like to build your own workstation with all your own parts and spend the time tweaking everything to your own personal settings, an Apple just isn’t for you. However, if you want a computer that just works like it should, buy an Apple.

Water parks
I think it might have been Walt Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon that turned me on to water parks. There were a few waterslides around my hometown and I did happen to meet the two and a half hours away girl as we were heading to a water park, but giant tube slides and tall speed slides just didn’t exist. Pretty soon, my daughter and I will be heading to Key Lime Cove, an indoor water park in Gurnee.

The Godfather
I have only two movie posters in my apartment, Blade Runner and The Godfather. Both are movies I came to late in life. I tried to watch both, but never truly understood either until I had some experiences of my own and a bit more maturity in my tastes. Of the two, The Godfather is my favorite. The Italian-ness of the family reminded me of my own extended family to a certain degree. Not the mobster part, but the family comes first part.

The Legion of Super Heroes
When I was a kid, my Dad let me go up in the attic and pull out a dozen or so of his comics. He had boxes of comics, all bought for nickels and dimes, of his own money. I was consistently drawn to a group of young heroes from the future who all came from different worlds and had specific super powers. They fought intergalactic bad guys, had relationships, sacrificed themselves for the greater good, had easily one of the largest supporting casts in all of comics and made an enormous impression on me. I’m looking forward to reading the new series coming out later this year.

Mirror Universe/Parallel World Stories
My favorite Star Trek story involves an evil parallel universe where our characters are evil doppelgangers. My favorite comic book story is one where the Justice League meets evil counterparts from a parallel world. There’s just something about taking the heroes we know and love and twisting them, usually by adding an awesome goatee, into bad guys.

So, there you have it… ten things I absolutely love. What about you?

==

LINKY GOODNESS

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“I’m more comfortable in my imagination than I am in actual human discovery. The best days of my life are when I’ve dreamed about a sexual encounter with someone I’ve already been with. When that happens, I cannot lay off myself.” — John Mayer

COLOPHON

Sean McDevitt could really use a working Legion flight ring.

My Favorite Decade 2000-2009

// January 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Comics, DVD, Food & Drink, Music, Sean, Sports, Travel

Me & the 2 1/2 Hrs Away GirlMy life from 1990 to 1999 was a whirlwind blur of grad school, graduation, marriage, new baby, divorce, and a series of not so great career decisions. Aside from the birth of my daughter, I don’t have a lot of personal highlights or fond memories for that time period. Bit sad, really.

As this most recent decade ends, I was suddenly struck by all the personally positive events in my life over the last ten years.  Sure, I lost more hair, endured the sting of failed relationships and changed jobs more often than I’d like to remember, but overall I had some real highlights.

The following is a list of events, choices or “things that happened around me” that were my favorites. It’s a nice microcosm of what was important to me over the last ten years. I wonder how indicative it is for the next ten years?

10.) Moving to Champaign, IL

Easily, the best decision I ever made. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for my hometown, but I could not move forward and still live in Effingham. I may have been comfortable there, but never challenged.  So, I moved in early 2001 to an apartment I still live in and have really never looked back. I made a few friends here, but it’s the town and its institutions I love more than anything – Seven Saints, G-Mart, Assembly Hall, Jim Gould’s, Art Mart, Virginia Theatre, Taste of C-U, The News-Gazette, That’s Rentertainment, Smile Politely, Sholem Pool, Jupiter’s, The Great Impasta, Ebertfest and so much more.

9.) Wizard World Chicago (1999 – 2008)

My personal mini-vacation for many years was attending Wizard World Chicago. It reignited my love for comics in the early years and kept it alive throughout. I have hundreds of great experiences and each con was a unique happening. My bedroom wall is a testament to various years of sketches acquired and books signed. I’m saddened at the decline of the convention into mostly featuring D-List celebrities. I’m hoping the first C2E2 in April will become a new tradition.

8.) My Brother’s Wedding

My wedding was a small affair. It was a rushed, panic-inducing time. I never got the bride in a white wedding dress or much of a reception and I never really thought or cared too much about it. However, being the best man in my brother’s wedding was easily my favorite wedding/reception. He had an extravagant and lovely Christmas wedding eight(!) years ago with a massive reception I never had with great food, happy relatives and a great DJ. I gave a humorous and resounding best man speech, danced like a fool and I’m pretty sure a married woman flirted with me. Still, what I remember most was standing next to my little brother watching him well up as his soon-to-be-wife walked down the aisle.

7.) Voting for Barack Obama

I was not really all that political until George W. Bush. After Katrina and the bogus reasons for going to war, I thought Bush was a ridiculous caricature of incompetency. Several years before his announcement, I felt Obama was a legitimate candidate for the Presidency. The historic weight of my vote didn’t move mountains. Nationally, my state has been solidly blue for many elections and whether or not I voted for the man probably didn’t mean much. Nevertheless, participating in the process was exciting. The results were a mandate and even after a year I’m still pleased Barack Obama is President.

6.) I Purchase my MacBook

I bought two vehicles in the last decade, but by far the best major purchase I made was my MacBook. I was tied for too long to a desktop iMac and this new laptop afforded me the luxury of mobility. I’ve taken my MacBook with me on vacation, to the coffee shop, to the airport, everywhere. It’s not quite yet been usurped by faster and fancier machines. I fully expect my daughter will inherit it as soon as I purchase something new… probably a MacBook Pro.

5.) Illinois Basketball in 2005

This one is a bit of a cheat. I didn’t have anything to do with the team making it all the way to the NCAA Tournament Championship game. I had no personal stake in the team. I didn’t even meet any of the players until years later. At the time, all I did was cheer them on. Living in Champaign-Urbana during their magical run was exciting. The town turned orange and blue and everyone was a basketball fan.  I was lucky enough to have been able to score seats to a few of those early games. I’m not a big sports guy, but since I moved to Champaign University of Illinois basketball is one of my true favs.

4.) KISS Releases Sonic Boom

I never thought I’d ever hear a brand new KISS album of original material again. Having the album debut at number two on the charts (Damn you Michael Bublé appearance on Oprah!) was unbelievable. Having the tracks sound like classic KISS right there between Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun was beyond all hope. My fervent wish is the band decides they had a ton of fun in the studio and go back in and do it again. Even better.

3.) Visiting Grant in Phoenix

Since my friend Grant moved to Phoenix he quietly badgered me into coming out and visiting. For years, I nodded in agreement and then never could find the time. Finally, I afforded myself a week’s vacation and flew from spitting rain in Indianapolis to a pleasant 85 degrees in Phoenix. I spent my time with Grant and his amazing family eating awesome barbecue, swimming in their pool, watching The Hangover and getting ready to drive to San Diego for Comicon. Just writing about it makes me want to get on a plane and do it all over again (except for the driving to San Diego part. I’m sweating just thinking about it.).

2.) The Trip to King’s Island with my Daughter

As my daughter grew up, I decided we needed to take a few mini-vacations. The King’s Island trip was the farthest we’d gone for a weekend trip – about four hours. We arrived way ahead of schedule and couldn’t check into our room. Even though the weather was overcast with spitting rain, we ventured over to an adjacent waterpark and enjoyed ourselves on all the waterslides sans long wait times. The highlight for me was my kiddo facing her fear and jumping into 15 feet of water from a platform about ten feet from the water’s surface. I did it first and then watched her make that jump, break the surface, swim over to me and say, “I wanna do that again!”

1.) The Two and a Half Hours Away Girl

I can’t explain to anyone our relationship. She’s been my “girl” friend, my crush, my “one that got away,” my confidant, my advice giver, my lover, my best friend, my girlfriend and basically a part of my life for over 25 years. I broke down when she called to tell me she was going to try and make it work with the long lost college love of her life and I gradually let her back into my life after that endeavor crashed and burned. Today, it’s as complicated as ever and as simple as can be. I have no idea what the future holds for us.

What will be my highlights in 2020 as I look back on my life? What will be the events and moments that marked my time and my friends and family? I don’t know, but I expect it will be wonderful.

==

LINKY GOODNESS

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“Everything this president sees is a political opportunity, including Haiti, and he will use it to burnish his credentials with minorities in this country and around the world, and to accuse Republicans of having no compassion,” – Rush Limbaugh

How very telling. Rush looks at the devastation of Haiti and sees minorities. The rest of the world sees people. Thank goodness thousands of individuals and companies ignored Rush and pledged money and services. Have you?

COLOPHON

If you like (or don’t like) what I’ve written here or in the past, please let me know. Comments are appreciated.

Why I’m Not a Republican

// December 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs, Sean

I like having political debates. I don’t like having these debates with people who are batshit crazy. I have friends and co-workers who would consider themselves Republicans or conservatives, yet I know I can have an honest debate with them about the merits of, say, preemptive military action or the proper size of the government. We might even agree on a few points such as national security and immigration.

The real problem is I can’t find these rational, level-headed right-wing individuals outside of a few close friends. They are in hiding. The intellectual Republican… the thinking man’s conservative… is no where to be found. The present day GOP is a white southern regional party lead by religious extremists, bigots, conspiracy theorists and other repugnant examples of humanity.

Today’s Republicans are more than just the party of “No.” They are a loud minority vocalizing things only small minded people agree with such as racist agendas, bigotry, homophobia and hatred for all things not white and non-Christian focused. They promote religious fanaticism and are completely anti-science and anti-reality (humans and dinosaurs together… really?).

Republicans support the hate speech of Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. They create anti-government idiocy such as tea parties and the birthers. They are ill-informed of reality… only the spin or the talking points and they can never give details.

Of course, the man in the hopefully figurative cross-hairs of their idiocy is President Obama. They can’t talk about policy. They can only attack in thinly disguised racism and hate. They throw bizarre conspiracy theories out into the wild hoping something will stick or resonate, but all they ever seem to do is shine a spotlight on their own craziness.

I will admit there are some left wing crazies as well. I’m not a big fan of Michael Moore and have only seen bits and pieces of his movies. I think he’s manipulative and skillful in the editing bay. However, I am a fan of Al Franken who I believe entered politics to make a difference and is quite intelligent. I don’t have an opinion of Nancy Pelosi and I think Alan Grayson has a huge career in front of him.

Is there a Republican I can support? Someone who is not beholden to conspiracy theories, is not a racist, anti-science or fanatically religious? Show me. I’ll be waiting. Probably for a very long time.

Hearts, Keys and Puppetry Audiobook

// December 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Performance, Sean, Twitter, Wow

At last, the Twitter book I contributed a few lines to, Hearts, Keys and Puppetry, is available as a free download at the BBC Audiobooks America blog. My lines are at the 7:40 mark of Chapter 1 and at 8:33 of Chapter 9. I almost got the last line of the entire audio book.

I recommend just downloading the nine chapters from the blog and start listening. Sure, the story is a bit like Alice in Wonderland, Oz and Coraline, but this production takes it much further than I thought possible. Katherine Kellgrin is simply amazing as the narrator.

Regardless, it was a neat little project and I’m quite happy to have taken part even if it was in a small way. Below is the release from BBC Audiobooks America:

Hearts, Keys, and Puppetry
By Neil Gaiman and the Twitterverse
Narrated by Katherine Kellgren
“Sam was brushing her hair when the girl in the mirror put down the hairbrush, smiled, and said, “We don’t love you anymore.”
So began the Twitter Audio project, with a dazzling first line penned by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. What followed was an epic tale of imaginary lands, magical objects, haunting melodies, plucky sidekicks, menacing villains and much more. From mystical blue roses to enchanted mirrors to pesky puppets, this classic fable was born from the collective creativity of more than one hundred contributors via the social network Twitter.com in a groundbreaking literary experiment.  Together, virtual strangers crafted a rollicking story of a young girl’s journey with love, forgiveness, and acceptance.
About the Narrator
Katherine Kellgren is an actress of film, television, and theater. She has appeared onstage in London, New York, and Frankfurt. She is a graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Katherine has narrated numerous audiobooks and won various awards including the AudioFile Earphones Award, the Peabody Award and several Audie® Awards. AudioFile calls Katherine Kellgren a marvel with accents and a narrator for which to keep an ear out.
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Copyright © 2009 by BBC Audiobooks America.
Copyright (P) 2009 by BBC Audiobooks America. All rights reserved. Copyright exists on all recordings issued by BBC Audiobooks America. Any unauthorized broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of such recordings in any manner whatsoever, will constitute an infringement of such copyright.
This product is intended for personal use only. Commercial or non-personal use, editing, alteration, copying or redistribution inconsistent with copyright laws is prohibited, whether by digital, electronic or other means.
BBC Audiobooks America is committed to publishing and distributing audiobooks that reflect many different viewpoints on a variety of topics. The opinions expressed in this and other works published by BBC Audiobooks America are solely those of the authors, and not of the company.
Cover design by Natalie Albright

Music by Will Sibilia

Happy Halloween from the Demon

// October 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Sean

It’s all about the gauntlets and the boots. Baby.

Tonight, I will watch The Crow and then KISS: Attack of the Phantom.

Chance Avenue Productions

// September 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Comics, Sean, Wow

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Mine was spent with my daughter. Starting with the half-time show of her high school football game to buying tees for golf practice, I really didn’t do much except hang with her. We made cookies. They were most excellent.

I’ve not been writing lately because I’ve been working behind the scenes on various web projects. The first can now be seen: Chance Avenue Productions.  CAP is the virtual home of myself and Grant Chastain’s projects. It’s basically an easy way to get a hold of us for creative work and a small showcase of some of that work.

Lately, I’ve been focusing on buying server space and trying to get a lightbox or a popup box to work, creating a new contact web form and a bit of non-blog post type writing. All good stuff, but time consuming. I really like how CAP turned out.

More web work is forthcoming regarding this site and a few other things I’ve got planned. Hey, when you’re having fun doing it you can’t really call it work can you?

Fantastic Four

// August 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Sean

This exercise should be as easy as 1-2-3…4! Each topic includes four random items about myself, in no particular order, that you may or may not already know:

Four names that people have called me:
1. Spidey
2. Mac
3. McFly
4. Ryan

Four jobs I have had:
1. Yellow Pages Telephone Sales Consultant
2. Phacoemulsification Unit Operator
3. First base coach
4. Dad

Four movies I would watch more than once:
1. Blade Runner
2. The Godfather
3. Star Wars
4. Star Trek II

Four places I have lived:
1. Champaign, IL
2. Effingham, IL
3. Mattoon, IL
4. Jacksonville, IL

Four places I have been:
1. Space Mountain
2. Santa Monica Pier
3. The Mall of America
4. Your girlfriend’s dreams

Four People who e-mail me (regularly):
1. Grant
2. Mark
3. Angie
4. Some African Prince

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Filet Mignon
2. Diet Rite Cherry Cola
3. My mom’s goulash
4. My grandmother’s chicken and noodles

Four places I’d rather be right now:
1. Sitting on a pile of money the size the Joker burned
2. My parent’s basement circa 1985 on the phone with the two and a half hours away girl
3. In Andy’s apartment circa 1990 listening to old Genesis and drinking
4. Your girlfriend’s dreams

Four things I am looking forward to this year:
1. The new KISS album in October
2. Fighting Illini Basketball
3. The end of Lost
4. The Cardinals winning the World Series

Four TV shows that I watch:
1. Lost
2. Nip/Tuck
3. Leverage
4. One Tree Hill

Four medical issues I’ve faced:
1. Busting my lip open running into the bleachers
2. Putting an unfinished basement spike into my arm
3. Having a stick sever the optic nerve in my right eye
4. My gouty toe and possibly knee

Four people I would like to meet:
1. My grandfather on my Dad’s side
2. The girl of my dreams
3. April Scott
4. Rachel Bilson

Four things I’ve lost:
1. My wedding ring, but I found it.
2. My virginity
3. More than a few jobs
4. My marbles

Four friends I think will try this meme for themselves:
1. Grant
2. Mark
3. Somebody on Facebook
4. You, dear reader

HT: MCF