Waiting for Wednesday, Volume 4, Issue 25

Well, I'm off to the golf course. Not to play, mind you, as that would be a bad idea. No, no, today, I'm heading out to a PGA Pro-Am event to cover Booker T, one of WWE's wrestlers who will be playing in the charity event.

So there will be no trip to the local comics shop today, but that's okay, because I'm looking forward to the golf event, even though it'll be near 100 degrees today with the heat index (whatever that is).

It's funny; all the local news channels are talking about how hot it's gonna be and how summer has arrived and what precautions you can take against the heat. I'm assuming one of those precautions is, "Don't carry camera bags around for 18 holes of gold on a shadeless course."

That's probably an Unwritten Rule of 100-degree days, though.

So, while I'm out there doing my best not to succumb to heatstroke, you enjoy your air-conditioned comic book store. And while you're there, consider picking up a book from Image Comics called Mind the Gap. Issue number two comes out this week, but you should be able to find copies of issue one.

It's the story of a young woman who has mysteriously been attacked and falls into a coma. The first issue introduces her friends and family and does a good job of establishing a mysterious external threat. The dialogue is snappy and it sounds like the way people talk; the art is great and expressive; and most important, the story has me ready for more.

There was a strange shipping glitch to some stores last week, so the bulk of comics shops should be getting their copies of issue two today. Be sure to check it out.

Okay, I'm off on the road. Wish me luck, Exfanders. But, before I go ... what are you Waiting for?

And Then the Weekend Happened ... Kinda

Yep. I forgot to have a post ready for today. And, now that it's 3:30 ... well, you know how it goes. I have a pretty decent excuse this time, though.

I ... did not have a weekend this weekend. Instead, I worked straight through, and got home Monday morning at 2:00 AM. Sound crazy? Sure it does, because it is.

My next couple of weeks are going to be in a similar vein of crazy, and the points Nathaniel brought up the other day about the issues we're having keeping on point here are especially valid.

For the record, I do not want to stop the blog. And, if we can at all manage it, I'd love to keep a daily schedule. Now, you know full well what's coming next, don't ya? For the first time since we started all this, I'm getting the feeling that we may not be able to keep up that pace anymore.

My schedule is always changing, and, honestly, being able to sit down and write a blog post every other day just isn't feasible for the near future. Once I get through these next couple of weeks, maybe things will lighten up, but I just don't think so.

Personally, if the choice is to stop blogging or to blog at a decent rate, when we have time (and something to write about), I'd much rather post up something of substance instead of something fluffy.

Though, to be honest, sometimes fluffy is good.

I really can't imagine not having the blog, so I'm not even going to think about that. For now, Nathaniel and I will try to figure out what we're gonna do. Hang tight, Exfanders. We're working on it! 

Missing Some Gory Details, Part 1

I've been watching a lot of movies lately thanks to Netflix, and I was recently chided by my wife for only liking sci-fi action movies where stuff blows up. This accusation came after watching a string of movies together where our opinions varied drastically--of particular note: Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Terminator.

My wife adores Repo! for its soundtrack and intriguing story. I think rather highly of Terminator for its clever concept and execution. Both feature a fair amount of gore and violence. I can handle most of what Terminator throws at the viewer, but there are a few moments--while cool--that are a little much for me, so I'll usually look away from the screen for a couple of seconds. I am incredibly squeamish where sharp objects and flowing blood are concerned, and especially when a huge component of a story is repossessing people's organs, you can imagine how quickly I walked away from Repo! Everything Is Sharp and Gooey. My wife couldn't wrap her head around how I could like one dark movie where almost everybody dies in a grisly way, and not another dark movie where only some people die in a grisly way.

There's a fundamental difference between what we both find to be too gory to stomach. There's no obvious reason why I can very comfortably go out to a shooting range but can barely handle my own kitchen knife without panicking a little. Some things bother us more than others, and it's not always logical or simple to explain. When I look at Terminator, I see an interesting story peppered with plenty of action, some of which is kinda gross. When I look at Repo!, it's not individual moments of grossness, but a pervasive atmosphere comprised of concepts, images, and even particular words that keep my stomach churning. No matter how interesting the story may have been, I couldn't overcome my involuntary gut reaction to the subject matter.

Such was the case with The Cabin in the Woods:

All my friends: "But it's Joss Whedon!"

Me: "But it's a horror movie!"

(after the film)

All my friends: "Joss Whedon, that was awesome!"
Me: "[bluh.]"

We'll take a closer look later this week; seems I've run out of time to finish this up today.

Sunday Spotlight: Blogger Bluffing

We have been posting a lot of filler on this blog recently. For me, it's been an increased focus on other projects and a number of partially successful attempts to start writing posts shortly before our extended daily deadline. For Alex, it's been work. Not long ago we had The Talk; the one that all collaborative duos need to have at some point during their careers: How strongly do we want to keep doing this?

At the time, I was absolutely fed up with everything technological, and would've been content to simply walk away from the Internet for a good long time (I've mellowed considerably since then). It wouldn't have taken much persuading for me to walk away from the blog--wrap up all the loose ends of posts we still wanted to write and say farewell. Judging from Alex's posts at the time, I assumed he wouldn't have minded taking his mind off of regular posting to focus on work and whatever else he had going.

Evidently, we're still here.

It's clear to me that this blog is not something that either of us truly wants to abandon. It's a forum to geek out, voice opinions, share the cool things that interest us. It's cathartic. It's the best way for the two of us as friends to stay in touch. It's also a routine, and once something's a routine, it's easy to cop out as long as you're still technically checking it off your list.

I've been a bachelor with a sink full of dishes; I know what I'm talking about.

Committing to a daily posting routine is a huge contributing factor in why we're still here. Sticking to a routine keeps the momentum going. The occasional filler post is a small price to pay for ensuring this well-oiled blogging machine keeps running. But...what happens when we start oiling the machine with fluff?

We get really bizarre metaphors, is what.

I wonder sometimes what our readers think about the way we've been posting recently, with all the excuses and apologies and fleeting glimpses at what's going on. I wonder whether they're as antsy as we are to get back to more substantial posts about the fandoms we love, and whether this chapter of the blog's history is one worth keeping up with every day. In the long run, would our readers do better to wait for the Month in Review, where the "real" posts are clearly marked? Should we keep posting every day, even on the days when the posts barely count? Or would we be better off with a sporadic posting schedule, saving up our writing mojo for the days when we can take the time to craft what we most want to write?

I don't have any answers; I'm only posing the questions. For now, we'll keep plugging along as best we can, bluffing our way through daily posting where necessary. And maybe, on days like today, we can post some fluff and make a suitable pillow out of it.

Because that's what we're aiming to make these days with our well-oiled metaphor.