Happy Belated Birthday

to
delenn99
and
my very best of friends
toddzilla2001!!

Sorry, I was away from the house all day long working or looking for work, so I didn't get a chance to do this yesterday.

2001 Obelisk

Hobbling home from work last night, I had to stop by my uncle's house to pick up a package delivered to me. When I opened it, it was the black obelisk from 2001: A Space Odyssey. All the beasties surrounded it and shook small stones and clubs at it, and I was tempted to do the same until I saw that it was from falkenna, with a note saying that we wouldn't want to lose "The Vampire Relics," now would we?

Actually, it's an external hard drive, a 160 gig storage external hard drive. I'm in awe. I didn't know they came that big. I was happy to have a 2 gig that carries my important docs, which has come in really handy in my job search, let me tell you. So far, I've stored all my music, all my Shriek-related web material (which should make Himself Himself quite happy and relieved), all my 80 trillion pictures and, of course, all my writing.

Of course, I've named it The Obelisk and it will forever carry with it the dramatic theme song of "Also Spracht Zarasthustra."

Thank you, falkenna, for the wonderful b'day gift. It has already taken a huge load off my mind since the computer has been to the doctor twice already this year, and I fear for it's life. At least, now, I won't be worrying that I'll irretrievably lose everything I've painstakingly committed to this electronic wonder, thanks to this new electronic wonder, The Obelisk!

**EDIT** I just finished loading everything that means anything onto the Obelisk and I still have 139 GB of space free on this miraculous phenomenon. Wow. WOW. As Yoda might say: Blessed, I am!

Surrounded by Computers

Yesterday was a very busy day for me. I went to the Employment Security Commission and applied for more jobs. Then I went to this place on Asheville Highway called Personnel Solutions Incorporated on a lead that they were hiring for seasonal work at Sally Foster, a facility about 2 miles from my house. I filled out all the paper work, watched the obligatory video, and went through the general hoo-ha that potential employees have to go through. Once I finally got in to talk to one of the agents, the first thing she asked me was if I had any lead experience. I told her that, if she meant supervisory experience, then no, I didn't, not officially, but I did have a leadership role in the POP department in the Pit and I was the primary trainer in the QA department at same said Pit. She immediately got on the horn with the rep at Sally Foster and set me up an appointment for an interview the next morning. I was to forward my resume to this lady and go to Sally Foster at 9:30 AM for an interview. I got there, talked briefly with a very nice young lady by the name of Jessie, who passed me on to a Sally Foster manager, Frank.

The first words out of his mouth was "You're really over-qualified for this job, but I want to show you what it's all about to see if you might be interested."

I stressed to him that I'd heard before I was over-qualified for various jobs and that's one reason why I hadn't been able to find one, so please don't hold that against me. All I wanted to do was work. So he showed me what I'd be doing. I'd be taking and processing orders into a series of computers and going out on occasion to do quality inspections. He said that the folks on the floor would be in fear of me because of the power I'd be wielding. Very Sithly, that statement. He really didn't ask me much, saying that the resume told him all he needed to know (thanks morriganwind!) and that the job was mine if I wanted it.

Even though it's a mini shift (5-9 PM) and only lasts through December, I told him that I would definitely want it. The pay is $10 an hour. The other two jobs are gonna work with me so I can juggle all three, and PSI told me that they shouldn't have a problem placing me elsewhere in a any clerical position, perhaps permanent, once this project is complete. I start the new job a week from today. So now I once again have three jobs, all within 5 miles from my home. Now, I might not lose the domicile. Not even that, but PSI offers benefits. I'm not sure how long you have to work with them to qualify but, if they're better then Dollar General's I might be able to transfer everything to them and drop the minimum wage job that requires my cleaning up drunk bastards' vomit.

Finally, a job that's more conducive to my skills...

Should I?

I think I may have found an agent that fits my needs. Here are her specs:

Jamie Brenner
Artists and Artisans, 104 W. 29th St. 11th Floor, New York NY 10001. Fax: (212)931-8377. E-mail: jamie@artistsandartisans.com. artistsandartisans.com. Prior to becoming an agent, Ms. Brenner spent the past decade in book publishing. Her experience includes literary publicity (HarperCollins Publishers), book selling (BarnesandNoble.com), and manuscript analysis and book scouting for major film companies (Miramax Films, Davis Entertainment). Specializes in: thrillers, horror, women’s fiction, literary fiction, memoir, and books about pop culture/entertainment. She is happy to read first-time writers. The agency represents a broad spectrum of categories, including most genres of adult fiction and nonfiction. How to contact: All fiction queries must include a brief author’s bio, and the setup or premise for the book. Snail mail queries are acceptable, though manuscripts will be not be returned. E-queries should start have the subject line “Query: (Your Title)”. Does not want to receive: screenplays, photo or children’s books. Responds in 2 weeks to queries; 4 weeks to manuscripts. Terms: Receives 15% commission on domestic sales; 20% commission on foreign sales.

If I did contact her, it would be with just The Chalice, then follow up with the other two portions of The Vampire Relics, The Blood Crown and The Augury of Gideon, which I'd really prefer to do. Three small books under one's belt sounds much better than just one big book that may not have a follow-up at all. I don't know. I'm so torn.

[Poll #1261511]

::deep breath::

The requirements for contacting this agent are a brief author's bio and a set-up or premise for the book you're pitching. Here's what I've got. Please be honest in what needs to be taken out, added, or whatever. This is the closest I've come to actually doing something other than looking so, being very unSith-like, I'm pretty well scared out of my skivvies.

Tracy Angelina Evans has been writing since the age of five, starting with animal characters and illustrated short stories, and eventually graduating to original myths starting in her teens. She became interested in the world of the Vampire at the age of 11 and began studying the role of this fascinating creature in cultures from around the world. This research, combined with her knowledge and experience of world myth and personal myth, gave birth to The Chalice. Ms. Evans is originally from Asheville, North Carolina, but currently resides in Duncan, South Carolina with her aunt, three dogs, five cats, and an iPod.

The Chalice is the first of a potentially three-novel series entitled The Vampire Relics. It focuses on the first of these relics, the chalice, created by one of the original Vampires, Kelat, the Mother of Memory, in an attempt to break the spell cast upon ten of her people that resulted in the creation of Vampires. Thinking the experiment a failure, Kelat discards the cup only to later discover that it has somehow bound all Vampires, both human and the original ten non-human, to its destiny. A renegade Vampire, Cadmus Pariah, has come into possession of the relic and is using it to his own advantage. The story introduces the Vampires, their origins and society, in a series of vignettes associated with the chalice, culminating in a showdown between Kelat and the exiled Cadmus over who will possess and control the chalice and, in turn, all of Vampire-dom. The book is written in a lyrical format often associated with mythic tales, eschewing modern minimalism, and has been very well-received by those who have read excerpts from the manuscript.

Al-a-Day Day 5

So this is what happens when the creator of "The Saga Begins" meets up with the creator of "Ren & Stimpy." I'm not as impressed as I should be, but it's still worth a mention because Al and John K are two of my heroes, so there you go.

Close But No Cigar

I still like Thomas Dolby's song by the same name better. Sorry, but 'tis true.

Agent Pitch #1

Before I lost my nerve, it's done.

::dies::

Season Five Yo

Season Five of therealljidol is gearing up, so you need to run off to join up or just read, because that's the LAW in these here parts. And the LAW is the LAW. So sally forth, now. Go on. Shoo.

"Walking on a wave's chicane, staring as She called my name"

tgirl2 posted a beautiful ELO vid that led me to this one. I'd never seen it before and it's from my favourite ELO album, Eldorado. Jeff Lynne has the most beautiful nose on any one human being. And his eyes...why why WHY must he cover those eyes? What a beautiful song. I love ELO. I always will. I wonder what Barry thinks of them. I must ask him, if I dare.