Lights! Camera! Wargames!

A couple of days ago I mailed-in my two submissions for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Literary contest.

My first piece is my short story called Sweet Stakes. It's based on a dream I had where I was a vampire hunter tracking one of the undead. In my dream I found a unique way to paralyze and then dispatch the vampire.

I wrote this last year and received really good feedback, but I didn't make the finalist category. As the story was originally written in First Person, I couldn't figure out how to implement some of the suggestions without breaking the 14 page limit. So I changed it to Second Person just to see what the judges will say.

My second piece is a memoir called Rakkasan Recollections and is about some of the stories my dad told us about his antics during the Korean War and the impression they made on me and my siblings. I wrote this a couple of years ago and submitted it to the Writer's Digest (WD) Literary contest. Unlike the PNWA contest, I received no feedback from WD. I submitted the story as-is because I'm not sure what needs to be fixed. I figure I'll let the judges decide.

I'm also starting another wargaming movie project like my previous made-for-YouTube movies, which are posted here under "Stern Rake Studio Productions." The Historical Miniature Gaming Society-Eastern Chapter (HMGS-E) is interested in developing some short programs to advertise their Historicon 09 convention this coming July.

http://www.hmgs.org/eastcons.htm

The plan is to make as many shows as I can before the convention date. Each movie will be divided into 4-5 episodes of about 2-3 minutes each. They'll be posted about every 2-4 weeks on YouTube.

The movie I'm currently working on, Mayhem in Makassar Strait, is a World War II-Naval Pacific movie. It's based on the Battle of Balikpapan, which was fought on 24 January 1942. I played it out as a solitaire mini-campaign and finished filming a couple of weeks ago. Now comes the long process of adding the special effects--primarily painting some graphic images on each picture and adding music or sound effects.

Here's a link to the historical battle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Balikpapan_(1942)

So for now my World War II Mediterranean Naval Campaign will be in hiatus for several months.

Chillin' with Mindi Abair

A few nights ago my wife and I attended a Mindi Abair concert at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in downtown Seattle.

Mindi Abair, pictured here in one of her promotional photos, is my favorite smooth-jazz musician. (You can find a link to her website under my Music Category). Her previous performances, from 12-14 Feb, were sold out but I managed to make on-line reservations for Sunday night's show (15 Feb).

Jazz Alley's entrance is literally located in an alley off of 6th Ave. What initially struck me about the place was how DARK it was. I practically needed NVG's (night vision goggles) to find my way around! The low-light does however, create a sense of intimacy especially under the mezzanine where we were seated.

We arrived at 6:15 for dinner which gave us over an hour before Mindi's performance. Jazz Alley is an upscale restaurant disguised as a downscale dive. The food was excellent and served in just the right-sized portion. We finished our dinner in plenty of time to spare before the show although dinner was still being served during the performance.

Mindi was introduced to the crowd by my favorite Seattle DJ: Diana Rose of KWJZ (also linked under my TV, News & Radio section).

Diana, who hosts the station's City Lights program, is responsible for getting me hooked on smooth-jazz. When I first moved here I was scrolling through the radio-station frequencies when I came across her warm and throaty voice. I thought "Wow! She sounds nice!" And eventually I realized, "Hey and the music's pretty good too!" So I've been listening to this station for over 10 years now and when I think of smooth-jazz, I think of Seattle.

As a musician, Mindi was fantastic! She's one of those rare performers who sounds as good live, on-stage as she does recorded with the benefit of a recording studio. My wife thinks she sounds better live than recorded. We also made "Jazz Alley history" that night. This was the first time the restaurant was broadcasted live over the internet via Tour TV:

http://tourtv.ning.com/

I was hoping to provide a link so readers can watch, but I guess it was a live-only broadcast. That, or I simply haven't figured out a way to access Tour TV's archives.

I'm still getting use to being a "pajamas media" blogger. In my haste to make the concert, I forgot my camera and the one CD I currently own, A Life Less Ordinary. So I didn't get a chance to take Mindi's picture or get her autograph--even when I stood less than arms-length from her while waiting for my wife.

So if you're in Seattle and like jazz, you can't go wrong with dinner and a show at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. And if Mindi Abair's playing anywhere near you--go. You won't be disappointed.

The evening was a double-5 star event for us: 5-stars for Jazz Alley and 5 for Mindi's performance. And if you're concerned about cost, we figured the dinner and concert cost half as much as a typical stadium concert. Plus Jazz Alley provides a warmer and more personal atmosphere.

Jazz Alley's website:

http://www.jazzalley.com/

Since I can't find the "Live from Jazz Alley" program on Tour TV, here's a consolation prize--a performance of Do You Miss Me? on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZnM85LZ2fc&feature=PlayList&p=B1B467E699B55950&playnext=1&index=54

The Best President of the United States is...

...Calvin Coolidge?

Well, maybe not. I must admit I know very little about our nation's "non-wartime" presidents.

However, after reading the attached article by John Miller, I'm rather impressed with this "quiet professional" president.

So no matter who your favorite president is, have a happy President's Day.






Mark Steyn's comments:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=N2QwOTNlNGRiMGM2OGMwMWQ3OTc4ODM0MjU1ZDM5Mzg=

Which led me to John Miller's comments and article here:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2E1ZGY3ZDE2NmZlM2FhY2IwZjkzYTJiNTliMmM2MmQ=

http://www.reason.com/news/show/30803.html

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today's the day to spend with your one true love--CHOCOLATE!

I mean, with your sweetheart. (And CHOCOLATE).

While we spend the day with our nearest & dearest (and maybe gorging ourselves on CHOCOLATE), scientists made a shocking discovery:

Kissing releases chemicals that reduce stress hormones in the body.

From Yahoo! News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090213/ap_on_sc/sci_romance_unraveled

Well, duh!

You Live in Washington State...

My brother-in-law e-mailed me some comments about Washington State, supposedly from Jeff Foxworthy.

They may not be from the "redneck" comedian, but they are funny--and true!

Pictured here is a publicity photo for Jeff Foxworthy's show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

This is what Jeff Foxworthy had to say about living in Washington

o If someone in a Home Depot store offers youassistance and they don't work there, you live in Washington .

o If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time,you live in Washington .

o If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialedthe wrong number, you live in Washington .

o If you measure distance in hours, you live in Washington .

o If you (and I have) know several people who have hit a deer more thanonce, you live in Washington .

o If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the sameday, you live in Washington .

o If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave bothdoors unlocked, you live in Washington .

o If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzardwithout flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Washington.Oh Hell Yeah!!!!!

o If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over 8 layers ofclothes, you live in Washington .

o If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80, andeveryone is still passing you, you live in Washington .

o If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled withsnow and ice, you live in Washington .

o If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and roadconstruction, you live in Washington .

o If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your WASHINGTON friends, you live or have lived in Washington

Of Ear Worms & Brain Itches...

...Sounds like parasites an intergalactic villain uses to torture his prisoners.

Well, almost.

A "brain itch" is when you can't get a song--especially a bad one--out of your mind. While an "earworm" is the process in which the song bores into your brain. Believe it or not, someone is doing a study on this!

Pictured here are Aly and AJ, two sister-musicians who're also fans of the video games Guitar Hero and Rockband. In the photo shoot, they're displaying signature "girlie guitars" for the game.

And what do these two have to do with Brain Itches? Nothing really. Other than they're more visually appealing than the usual photos of scraggly-looking, drug-addled rockers I found on line.

In case you want to know what the Top 10 Brain Itches are:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/getback/83062/brain-itch-songs/

But be careful! You may develop a Brain Itch!

Book Review for: The Games of War

There are three words that can describe John Bobek's book The Games of War: Good, simple, fun.

John's made a major contribution to the wargarming hobby by writing a book gamers of all ages can use and enjoy.

While the book weighs-in at 271 pages, it contains 39 rule-sets for playing games from Ancients to Modern, with a couple of off-shoots for running sci-fi and fantasy games.

This book is an excellent tool for "converting younglings to the Dark Side."

Seriously, I mean it's great for introducing wargames to adolescents. Each set of rules ranges between 3 to 22 pages in length; with the World War II, Modern and Aerial games being the longest due to the vehicle status charts. Despite the length of the more technical orientated rules, novice wargamers of all ages can quickly grasp the game mechanics and dive right into the action.

Which is why the rules bound in this book also serve well for convention games. Conventions have several periods a day in which to run games within 3-4 hours each period. That's not a lot of time to digest a weighty tome of rules, unless the game session calls for experienced players. But by making games exclusive would be defeating the purpose of introducing newcomers to this exciting hobby. So simpler sets of rules are in order and the rules packed in this book fit the bill.

Nor is this book limited to youngsters and convention goers. The demands of everyday life limit the amount of time gamers can spend with their friends indulging in their favorite hobby. More often than not, players don't have the mental energy to devote to studying war simulations.

We'd rather spend our valuable time playing an enjoyable war game! (Oh, and maybe even learn a thing or two about military history).

John even suggests using these rules as teaching aids in the classroom. (He's a high school teacher himself).

Good Lord! I wish I had a history teacher like this guy! Some of his History Labs include the Battles of Chickamauga and Tarawa. Heck, I would have played the side of the 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn if it meant playing wargames in history class!

You can read glowing reviews about John's book on Amazon.com and Boardgamegeek.com. Like the other reviewers, I give John's book a whole-hearted 5-stars.

The retail cost of the book is $32.95, which at the time of this review, Amazon.com is offering it for $29.95. Either price qualifies the buyer for Amazon's "Super Saver" (ie., free!) shipping, at least in the US.

I only have a couple of recommendations in using this book. First that you mark the places where each separate set of rules start. John suggests using Post-It Notes or sticky-tabs. I'd further recommend making photocopies of the necessary rules to use during game-time. This will be much handier for the game master and players than trying to thumb through the entire book in the heat of table-top battle.

Second, some of the lengthier material, like the tank charts in "Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright" are several pages long, but don't always have the column headings on the top of each page. So you may want to pen & ink-in the necessary column headings to avoid confusion and unnecessary page flipping.

I'm happy to add Games of War to my rules library.

Book Review: Save the Cat!

Thinking about writing a screenplay?

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! may not be "The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need!" as he claims it to be. (Especially, since he's published Save the Cat Goes to the Movies).

However, this book is a fun place to start.

The author discusses all the basics of what you need to write--and publish--a screenplay in Hollywood.

In an easy, breezy style the author emphasizes the importance of the primal, yet formulaic pattern a screenwriter needs to create a truly memorable screeenplay. Before you even begin writing though, you must ask--and be able to answer--what your movie is about in one or two sentences, otherwise known as a "logline."

Once you answer "what's it about?" you have to fit your movie into one of 10 genres. These, however are not labelled in typical fashion, like Romantic Comedy, Action/Adventure, etc. Instead, they're identified as: "Monster in the House" (Alien), "Dude with a Problem" (Die Hard), "Golden Fleece" (The Wizard of Oz) and seven other glib, but accurate titles.

Mr Snyder then breaks down a 110-page script into 15 "beats." That is, plot points that must occur on a specific page or you run the risk of boring the audience. For example, the movie's theme should be stated by page 5, while the "all is lost," or low point for the hero occurs on page 75. By the way: "Save the cat" refers to a scene where just after meeting the hero, he "...does something--like saving a cat--that defines who he is and makes us, the audience, like him" (pg xv).

Throughout the book the author stresses the importance of "primal instincts" to motivate the hero. The most primal forces are: Survival, hunger, sex, protection of loved ones and fear of death. You don't get any more primal than these! What's more is they're universally understood.

Mr. Snyder advocates the use of a storyboard limited to 40 index cards. This along with adhereing to the "Immutable Laws of Screenplay Physics," such as including a "save the cat" scene as previously mentioned; while avoiding anything listed in "What's Wrong with this Picture?" will improve your odds of publishing success.

Even though I'm not in the midst of writing a screenplay, I feel Mr. Snyder's advice can be helpful in any genre. I give this book whole-hearted 5-star rating. It was both informative and entertaining, which is a rare combination, to read.

However not everyone agrees with Mr. Snyder's "last book on screenwriting you'll ever need." According to Amazon.com's Customer Review Section there are: 179 x 5-star ratings, 14 x 4-star ratings, 15 x 3 star ratings, 4 x 2-star ratings and 11 x 1-star ratings.

The readers who gave Save the Cat! less than 5-stars struck me as being the more artistic types. These folks are put-off by Mr. Snyder's adherence highly formulaic and rigid structures. Other complaints include: His derogatory comments about some of their favorite films (Momento in particular) and his haughty tone.

I've never seen Momento, and after attending a lecture on this very subject by the author, I found his tone to be funny.

Some of these folks, though are so upset with him, I wonder if they actually read the book. One reviewer claimed Mr. Snyder was pushing readers to make "cheesy family films." While the author does prefer writing family-friendly screenplays, he's not trying to steer the would-be screenwriter in that direction. His advice is to know all about the films in the genre you like, figure out what works and then write screenplays within that genre.

I do agree with the harsher critics regarding one of Mr. Snyder's successes. All of them panned the author's screenplay Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot!

I saw that film--once.

But then again, Steven Spielberg produced Howard the Duck...

Book Review: The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines

While reading a story, have you ever wondered why some characters clash, while others mesh?

If you're writing a story, are you stuck trying to figure out how your protagonist will interact with those around him?

This book, The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes, can help you sort out complex human interaction.

The trio of authors, Tami D. Cowden, Caro La Fever and Sue Viders; draw heavily on the work of psychiatrist Carl Jung. Based on his theories, the authors and developed 16 archetype personalities--8 male and 8 female--that have showed up repeatedly in stories throughout the ages.

How do they define heroes? A hero may be: a Chief, a Bad Boy, a Best Friend, a Lost Soul, a Charmer, a Professor, a Swashbuckler or a Warrior.

Meanwhile heroines are defined as: a Boss, a Seductress, a Spunky Kid, a Free Spirit, a Librarian, a Waif, a Crusader or a Nurturer.

Each archetype attribute is examined in detail: Their qualities, virtues, flaws, possible backgrounds, their usual style of interaction and the occupations most likely suited for them.

However not every character in fiction fits neatly into these pigeon holes. Some characters remain the same throughout a story (Core Archetype), while others change (Evolving Archetype), or are multi-faceted (Layered Archetype).

Finally these archetypes don't operate in isolation. They interact with other archetypes throughout a story--often generating sparks along the way. The authors compiled an extensive matrix on how these characters view each other; and how they clash, mesh and possibly change their outlook.

The authors provide plenty of examples of each character from film, television and literature. There are side bar notes and examples throughout the book for quick referencing. A dozen films or television programs provides the reader with identifying archetypes, their interactions and how they move the story forward.

I found this book to be very helpful and enjoyed reading the colorful examples of each archetype and their various interactions. This book can provide a solid framework for an author to build complex and compelling characters to populate the pages of their books or screenplays.

According to Amazon.com's Customer Review Section: There are 21 reviews of this book. Of which, there are 18 x 5-star ratings, 2 x 4 star ratings and 1x 3-star rating. The 3-star rater felt the book was too "Jungian." Since I never took a psychology class this was fine by me. And while the 4-star raters liked the book they felt the archetypes were either too obvious or merely "stock characters."

The only pet-peeve I had was the introduction to each chapter is "redundantly academic." That is, each intro is populated with phrases like "First we'll discuss...then we'll discuss...and finally we'll..." A reader can skip such textbook-style wordage and dive right in to the archetype descriptions.

Otherwise, the authors did a fantastic job developing a useful tool to assist other writers hone their craft. I'm glad to have this book in my "Writer's Library" and I give it a full 5-star rating.

"Brains! Brains!..."

Looks like some George Romero/Max Brooks fans had some fun.

One or more hackers decided to change a Texas Department of Transportation road sign.

This is one of those: Yeah it's wrong--but very funny incidents.

FOX News has the complete story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484326,00.html

Happy Lunar New Year!

I spent a year in South Korea and remember some of their holidays.

This is the Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese astrological calendar.

Best wishes to all of you this new year!

Below are some pictures I gleaned from the Seattle Times Photo Gallery. Enjoy!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/living2008659715/?cmpid=2654