![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
Cheer up Skipper Dan, John Lasseter started on the Jungle Cruise ride. Designed and directed by Divya Srinivasan.
Leave a comment
My Friends
Everthing you wanna know, but never asked
15 July 2009 @ 12:44 pm
I am here early. Waiting for 1:00 PM when someone named Tracy says she will meet me at the front door. This is an urban school. Not sure of this work environment is gonna be my style, but it's a job chance. I might not be what they are looking for either. I'm suburban, I'm cracker. We'll just have to see how it goes once I'm in the door. P.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
Current Location: US, Ohio, Hamilton, Cincinnati, Eden Park Dr, 777
15 July 2009 @ 09:32 am
*light bulb*
*gasp*
*smacks fist into palm*
I figured it out!
You know in romance movies, the girl always runs towards the guy, throws herself into his embrace, and he always twirls around with her in his arms. There is a REASON for that!
The man is actually transferring and dispersing the woman's momentum! Otherwise, if the man didn't spin the woman around, the sheer force of her tackle hug would knock him over. So the man is not just being all romantic and fluttery. In reality, he's trying to preserve his backside and his dignity.
Crafty buggers, the lot of you males! =.=;;;
AHA!14 July 2009 @ 12:42 pm
Born along a highway in Frankfurt, KY in July-ish 2002, rescued off road by neighbor at about 6 weeks of age en route on biz trip in Frankfurt on Interstate, brought home and loved and adored by many relatives, friends, neighbors and friends of neighbors. Frequent party-crasher and life there of. Long-term Window date "love" interest to my kitty girl Cheetah.
Gives all new meaning to the song, "Can you Feel the Love Tonight" from Lion King doesn't it?
Survived by kitty bro, Cricket. Preceded in death by Grey Matter, Polly and White Trash. Tragically hit by car 3 days ago. 7 years old. Too young....
Everybody out there, drive carefully, please....and also watch out for where your pets are. It happens so fast. P.
Gives all new meaning to the song, "Can you Feel the Love Tonight" from Lion King doesn't it?
Survived by kitty bro, Cricket. Preceded in death by Grey Matter, Polly and White Trash. Tragically hit by car 3 days ago. 7 years old. Too young....
Everybody out there, drive carefully, please....and also watch out for where your pets are. It happens so fast. P.
Current Location: home, @ my 'puter in the kitchen
Current Mood: sooooo, soooo sad
13 July 2009 @ 05:33 pm
12 July 2009 @ 07:36 pm
posted by Neil
Yesterday I had a breakfast with many librarians, then signed was interviewed in front of a crowd by Roger Sutton from Hornbook, signed for happy librarian-folk for three hours, then napped and went off to dinner with the Newbery Award Committee, the sort of dinner where you have each different course at a different table, and talk to everyone. Then I signed books for them (and for a few stray Printz Committee judges, who crept in).This morning was Dim Sum with Jill Thompson for breakfast (Here is Jill. People always want to know where she got that bag, and she made it herself. I told her she should take orders for them for a ridiculous amount of money.) Then with Elyse Marshall, ace HarperChildren's publicist, to a local studio where I was interviewed for Barnes and Noble, then recorded some paragraphs from Kipling's The Jungle Book, Ray Bradbury's story "Homecoming" and James Thurber's The 13 Clocks. I loved doing them -- B&N will pick one sequence and have it animated and put up online.
Was fascinated by how different the voice of the narrator was in each case -- the voice of the book, and that reminded me that I had not yet answered this, and had meant to:
Neil ~ Thank you for many hours of entertainment, whether I'm reading your works, or you are! My daughter is finding that chapter books are a good thing, and wants me to read them to her. I'm glad to do so, but I'm looking for some suggestions from a masterful book reader (you) to a very coarse book reader (me). How do you keep the character voices straight in your head? I suppose it helps that you know the words particularly well since you wrote them, but any tips or suggestions? Any other pointers for engaging the listener? I know my daughter doesn't mind (she still wants me to read, after all!), but I'd like to be better for her and for me. Thanks and keep up the superb work, both here on the blog and in the offline printed universe! BRIAN
Let's see. Character voices are more or less easy: I sort of cast them in my head as I go. What's the person like? Who do they remind me of?
I'm appalling at doing accents, but not bad at doing people. And mostly you're not even doing impressions, just general brush strokes. How does a person sound? Well, you hold them in your head and generally sound like that.
When dealing with a larger than life story I'll sometimes go for a larger than life cast in my head: In (for example) The 13 Clocks, in my head, when I read it aloud, I tend to cast Marty Feldman as the Golux, and Peter Sellers (doing his Laurence Olivier in Richard the Third impression) as the evil Duke.
It's hard though, in a big book with a lot of characters, some of whom may nip off-stage for seven or eight chapters at a time. Do your best, and have a picture in your head. Borrow from your life. Steal voices shamelessly.
Most important, just do the voices (including the voice of the Book, which may not be your voice exactly, but should be close enough to it that it won't be a strain), and do not be shy. Even at your worst, you're doing better than you would if you didn't do the voices, and kids are a mostly uncritical audience, especially if you do it with confidence.
Read it as if you're telling a story. Read it as if you're interested and you care. And, the biggest and most important one, vary the tune.
I heard a young writer reading some of his own work in public a few weeks ago, and every sentence had exactly the same tune, the sime rising and falling cadences. They all ended on the same note. The beat that ran through the whole passage did not change from first to last. It was hypnotically dull.
Listen to people read who are good at it. BBC Radio 7 and BBC Radio 4 (here's the Radio 4 Readings website)are a great source of an ever-changing series of books and stories, fiction and non-fiction, all read aloud and read aloud well. Listen to the tune, where voices go up or down. Listen to what makes a reader speed up or slow down -- listen to what keeps you interested and where you lose interest. And do it as they do -- change the tune, change the pace, keep interested and it will keep interesting.
But mostly my advice is this: just do it. Enthusiasm and willingness to do it counts for most of it, and you learn by doing it and get better from doing it.
I've been reading in front of audiences now for almost 20 years. I've got significantly better in that time, mostly because I've done it so much. You learn as you go. You get better as you go. Practice makes if not perfect then at least pretty decent.
And that's all.
Except to wish Roz Kaveney happy birthday.
Labels: audio books, reading things aloud
12 July 2009 @ 03:00 pm
Pastor Uth continues the chapter-by-chapter walk through Galatians.
( Three themes around the Gospel )
( Three themes around the Gospel )
11 July 2009 @ 12:42 pm
2 Peter 2:1-10a
Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill, Seattle
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/tri
( Notes here... )
Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill, Seattle
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/tri
( Notes here... )
11 July 2009 @ 06:30 am
posted by Neil
I'm in Chicago right now, for ALA: the annual meeting of the American Library Association. I've been to a couple of them before and have always had a marvellous time -- once, with people like Art Spiegelman and Scott McCloud and Colleen Doran explaining to curious librarians what graphic novels were and why they should have them in their libraries, another time getting to visit New Orleans for the first time Post-Katrina, when I went to two dinners with Poppy Z Brite, and one of them was the first time Poppy's husband, chef Chris DeBarr, ever cooked for me*.When I was in Melbourne, five years ago, Poppy was a guest of honour with me, and somewhere back then it was decided that we would be going to Alinea, a Chicago restaurant of remarkable coolness. The years went by and I was never in Chicago for long, and Katrina happened, and once Poppy went back to New Orleans she did not want to leave, but we knew one day it would happen.
And tonight it did. Poppy flew up from Chicago and took me to dinner. It was expensive, and, I only discovered at the end of the meal, Poppy was paying. (This is a big public thank you.)
The service and friendliness and sense of enjoyment from the Alinea staff was remarkable. I've had, on rare occasions, food that was as good, and, rarely, I've had food that was better, but I do not ever recall any meal that was as much fun to eat. 23 Courses (hmm, very illuminati) of things that melted or popped or squrunched in your mouth in astounding ways.
I think my favourite not-actually-putting-something-in-my-mou
If anyone reading this is at ALA, I'm doing two signings at the HarperCollins booth 2011, one at 1.00pm on Saturday, the other on 9.00am on Monday (which should have some amusement value). Also a panel on Monday at 1:30pm on the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The rest of the time is filled with interviews, receptions, speeches and such.
I'm actually here to receive the Newbery Medal for The Graveyard Book. Which will be presented on Sunday night, and for which I have written (and already recorded) a speech. (Which will be played if I forget how to talk on Sunday night. It's possible.)
And I want to thank Harper Collins for indulging me, and keeping up the free version of The Graveyard Book on the mousecircus website all that time. You can still listen to (or watch) me read The Graveyard Book, chapter by chapter, across America, at http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.asp
(And to answer a sharp-eyed questioner, yes, there are a couple of changes in the latest printing of The Graveyard Book; I fixed an error in astronomy I'd made, and a misspelled foreign word, and fixed some paragraphs in the acknowledgments that were truncated in the original US edition.)
(And that reminds me: yes, I will be at San Diego Comic Con briefly on Friday July 24th, to do a panel with Henry Selick about Coraline, and a one hour signing afterwards. I'll be at the Eisner Awards for a bit that night, then will zoom across town to the Benefit concert that Amanda Palmer and Vermillion Lies are doing for the CBLDF.)
*Chris says people have been asking for "The Mezze of Destruction", the code-phrase that tells him they were sent from this blog, at the Green Goddess, and getting special extras -- restaurant Easter Eggs, as it were, and I have been getting happy messages from people who have eaten there who tried it. And, almost needless to say, lived.
Right. Bed.
10 July 2009 @ 02:50 pm
Scott's Grammy used to fix this, and the tradition continues on.
NOODLES & TOMATO SOUP:
One bag o noodles cooked plus one bottle or big can of tomato soup. Pour it in and stir together. Add a little salt or seasoned salt to taste.
Yummy and so simple. This and a nice tossed salad was our lunch today. Goes nicely with Diet Coke Lime. P.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
Current Location: US, Michigan, Emmet, Channel Rd, 8057
10 July 2009 @ 02:46 pm
Calvin: Man for the Mainline
Reformer's 500th birthday draws out diverse cast of admirers.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/200
Tabletalk Magazine, July edition, All about Calvin
http://issuu.com/ligonier.ministries/do
Reformer's 500th birthday draws out diverse cast of admirers.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/200
Tabletalk Magazine, July edition, All about Calvin
http://issuu.com/ligonier.ministries/do
09 July 2009 @ 11:42 pm
08 July 2009 @ 11:47 pm
posted by Neil
The next blog was meant to be about reading aloud, but I wanted to blog this rather than Twitter it to make sure that everyone had an equal chance:Go and read http://savagecritic.com/ (and you need to read both http://savagecritic.com/2009/07/neil-gai
Short version, I'm doing a signing at Comix Experience on on Sunday, July 19th from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. And because time is limited, it's limited to 100 people. Brian Hibbs decided that the easiest way to pick the 100 people was to presell them copies of the WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER hardback, which will be out then.
Preorders for the book can be taken immediately by visiting Comix Experience at 305 Divisadero St. (at Page) in San Francisco, or by calling 415-863-9258 from 11-7 Monday-to-Saturday, Sundays 12-5, PST.
And my Metamorpho Page with the brilliant Mike Allred is out in Wednesday Comics -- details of what this thing is at: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=arti
10 July 2009 @ 12:09 am
Born in Spain, grew up in the US and currently living in Tokyo for nearly three years now. While not necessarily new to blogging, I've decided to start a livejournal.
My interests are: traveling, science, anime/manga, astronomy, reading, movies, Japanese culture, the paranormal, photography. I consider myself to be a happy, quiet, curious, orderly (some will call perfectionist), optimistic and quite an imaginative person.
Random facts:
- I'm a geek.
- I'm good at memorizing a map but terrible at folding them.
- I absolutely love chocolate and cheese.
- I enjoy walking and thinking, thinking and walking.
- I once ate a pound of yogurt after dinner and ended in the hospital overnight.
- I drink lots and lots of water.
- I'm a huge believer in Karma.
- While quiet, I'm not necessarily shy.
- I enjoy meeting all kinds of people.
If interested in being added, go HERE.
07 July 2009 @ 10:48 pm
07 July 2009 @ 09:04 pm
07 July 2009 @ 07:08 pm
07 July 2009 @ 12:50 pm
I treated my MIL to her very 1st Skinny cinnamon Dulce Latte today. It was a big hit!
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
Current Location: US, Michigan, Emmet, Forest Ln
06 July 2009 @ 07:59 pm
During dinner one day, I was readying the directions, warnings, and general labeling of a package of paper towels. (I'm of the nature to read whatever happens to be in front of me, btw.) Help me understand this. This particular brand of papers towels proclaimed the slogan: "Wipes dry fast!"
Do correct me if I'm wrong, but this strikes me as the most ungrammatical sentence. Below is my logic in deconstructing this slogan.
The subject is missing. Add subject: "Towels wipe dry fast!"
....Direct object is missing... "Dry" is place of the direct object?
So what is wiping dry fast? The towels... As they are wiping, the towels dry fast.
Haha, um, that doesn't make sense.
Wait... "Limpia y seca rapidimente"? At least, they used the Spanish correctly.
*
During another day, I was stocking lovely, scented hygiene products on the shelves. Right beside the space for my product was an after-shower spray for men. Like one of those scented perfumes that is half oil/half smelly. While not noteworthy on its own, the particular flavor of this manly body spray made me do a doubletake.
Ripped Abs. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Ripped Abs scented body spray. My train of thought naturally went down this track.
What exactly do ripped abs smell like?
Wait a minute. Never mind. I don't want to know!
Ripped abs may look nice, but do they smell nice? Moreover, who would want to smell like ripped abs anyway?
And what happens if saggy geek were to smell of ripped abs?
Wrong! Stopping train now.
I concluded that marketers have thoroughly suckered men into buying beauty products.
*
During quite another day, I was busying myself with my morning routine.
While washing my hair, I released the shear annoyance of it all. People the world around every day wash the oil from their hair only to slather more oil on in the form of conditioner. Why not just skip washing hair altogether and simply rinse it out?
Moreover, is it just me, or are more and more people washing themselves with food? Have you noticed the flavors of conditions and shampoos? Strawberries and crème smoothie conditioner? Oatmeal bodywash with butter beads? Pomegranate vanilla soap? Lemon lime deodorants? Americans, instead of eating their breakfast, have turned to bathing in it.
Then, while brushing my teeth, it dawned on my that I was in fact rubbing my teeth with plastic and a mild poison (fluoride). This is supposed to be healthy? Sometimes I wonder if people have teeth problems because of toothpaste and not because of cavities. I do wonder...
*
My finally conclusion of the day has come to me. Only a person with absolutely no life notices this kind of things, or moreover takes the time to right a post about them. Aren't the fruits of summer vacation grand?
Thoroughly Amused06 July 2009 @ 01:07 am
You can't buy these in Cincinnati. They are semi-local from up here. Traverse Bay Wines puts out like 5 or 6 flavors, but this is my fav. A very special vacation treat! P.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
Current Location: United States, Michigan, Emmet County