-- So...
Yours truly has been nominated for best blog/blogger in the Southern Minnesota Scene publication.
I could just say, "Vote for me!" and smile and kiss a baby and move on. But I actually want to tell you why. Sincerely
I'm a writer. Crazy. I know. You never would've figured. But there wasn't a "Best Writer" category in the mix of categories. I'm a passionate author with three books under his belt (not in a dirty way), all released exactly within one year. So, even though there's less than a dozen entries here on my blog, I feel like I'm a good writer, and being recognized regardless would mean the universe to me.
It means that at least one more person would know my name, and that would help.
Enormously.
I care about humanity, and humor, and how funny and sad and dreadful and hopeful this world can be. I'm vulgar, but I care so much it hurts. I laugh and poke fun but I cry more than anyone else you know.
And my words wear the heart on my paper sleeves.
So, that's why you should vote for me, and ask your grandma to vote for me, too.
Also, free nachos and slushies in the cafeteria.
I promise.
Vote Here.
- D
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Good Books & Good Beer #1
-- So, my buddy Kody and I have been reading comic books and graphic novels for a long time. He for a couple of years; me since I was born. Or at least since I can remember. We discuss them, passionately, at length. I wished that we had more people to talk about them with.
I had an idea a few months ago to do a book club, but with a twist: we would only read graphic novels (which Kody and I have accumulated in abundance), and we would only drink good beer.
Thus, Good Beer & Good Books was formed.
I decided, for book club #1, on the Crooked Pint in Apple Valley for the beer, and the first volume of the newest version of Guardians of the Galaxy ("Cosmic Avengers"), by Bendis; to add to the appeal, I set the date on the release day of the film.
It was amazing.
The absolute reason was the people. The guys (and gals) who showed up were intelligent, insightful and willing to share. I wrote up a questionnaire of fifteen questions, some silly, some serious, (one that I answered for you) and we went to town with them while snacking on appetizers and drinking -- of course -- delicious brews (and ciders).
From left: Steve, Gabe, Nick, Dustin, Me & Kody
Highlights:
-- When I asked the question about having the worst one-night-stand, everyone's heads turned instinctively to Steve. Even the people who didn't know him.
-- The quality of conversation was astounding. Some of these guys I see every day; some of them I've only met a handful of times, or once. But everyone held their own, and contributed. This is the Avengers of book clubs.
-- I don't know what it is, but people who obsess, or at least care, about pop culture are so much freer and easier to express themselves, especially amongst peers. ...And they tend to be smarter about it, too.
-- I really hope I did a decent job as moderator. I knew what I wanted to do, and I feel like it was a balanced, very-often surprising conversation. But everyone was respectful, and everyone had their say. Though, if anyone else there was like me, they woke up this morning going, "Damn! I wish I would have said..." Or they were just plain-ass zombie-tired like I was.
Afterwords, we played some bocce on the outdoor court, in absolutely glorious weather.
My team ("The Blue Balls") did lose, but Steve and I put up a valiant, slightly intoxicated effort.
Steve literally threw a ball over the metal fencing. With my credit card on the line.
The Guardians would have approved.
After that, we headed over to the Burnsville Paragon theater (my absolute favorite) and bought out a row (and a half) to watch the film. The VIP seats, with their luxurious leather and ability to allow you to drink MORE beer DURING the film, are worth every damn penny.
Absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried -- seriously, a tree and a raccoon made me cry -- and it was just such a complete night. Chris Pratt naturally thrilled me; Dave Bautista impressed in a way I did not expect (he was one of the rare surprises of the cinematic summer). I can't wait to plan one again (and, no, it won't be a monthly thing -- it's just not as special that way).
Other fun stuff that happened:
-- I actually drew up an original print for all attendees. The elderly woman at FedEx Office accidentally made a TON (but only charged me for the amount I ordered), so I kinda, sorta scammed the theater to distribute them for me (just listen): I asked the kid who was taking tickets if he could give out my prints. I may or may not have told him that I work for Marvel. He said he needed manager approval. When the manager came out and was looking over my drawing (which does feature a raccoon with a large penis), I walked over, introduced myself as a man who works for a "faction of Marvel"... and he approved it. Drawings flew off the shelf, much smiling on our group's behalf commenced. That was just cool.
-- We sang Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way" on the patio of the theater, and being a group of entertainers, we kind of went all out. When we returned inside, the vibe had changed. Turns out, everyone inside was watching us. And they dug it. Like, a lot.
-- The film itself was phenomenal. Through the roof, feeling and fun. I felt like I was watching other, more pretty and talented people outside singing Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way".
-- Please share your thoughts on that super weird reveal at the end of the film. Spoilers be damned. That was just too crazy not to talk about.
All in all, a wonderful time. An absolute blast.
Stay tuned for Good Beer & Good Books... #2!
- D
Oh... and here are the questions if you want to play at home:
G O O D B E E R & G O O D B O O K S # 1
J U L Y 3 1 ST, 2 0 1 4
Welcome, true believers! (That’s a Stan Lee line; odds are, if you’re here, you know that shit.)
Here’s a little questionnaire to get the social juices flowing. Also, that’s what she said.
This will be fun, this will be serious, and hopefully someone sheds tears by the end of the day. (That will probably be me.)
‘Nuff said!
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What character do you relate to and why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the WORST, how terrible is Iron Man’s new costume? (I mean, is that a METAL MUSTACHE?!)
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Is this your first time reading a graphic novel? If so, what did you like and not like about the medium?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Peter Quill’s father is from Spartax; do you believe that there is life – intelligent life – in the universe besides Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. J’Son, an alien king from another planet, has relations with Meredith, knocks her up and then literally leaves the planet. Have you had a worse one-night-stand?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“It’s not crap, mom. I’m reading. This is reading.”
6. Peter stands up for an immigrant girl on the playground, clearly demonstrating his humanity. Have you ever done something similar?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you think that Peter’s father made the right decision by leaving Peter, or is he an ass, as Peter believes?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you think Peter’s father legitimately gives a shit about Peter and the Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Krutak: GREAT or TERRIBLE swear word? (Also, do you roll the r’s? Because I do.)
____________________________________________________________________________
10. As innovation and technology evolve, do you find yourself relating more or less to the comic book and comic film industry?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Iron Man / Tony Stark jets into literal space to escape, to get away from it all. Where is your “space”?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shit gets real now.
“A cauldron of irresponsiblity.”
“A planet of madness.”
“…Given powers ranging from minor significance to intergalactic threat.”
“But you’re right. They’re all creatures. It would seem that is what holds them together. No one else will have them. There is poetry in that.”
12. Is J’Son right about Earth and its people? (And did anyone else notice that this is pretty much how all other wars start, whether fictional or very, very real? Blam.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. If Rocket Raccoon doesn’t say, “Blam. Murdered you,” can we all consider the film a critical and commercial failure?
Yes.
14. Most of the Guardians have TERRIBLE parents. What do you think it says about nature and nurture, genetics and choice?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Are you Groot?
____________________________________________________________________________
I had an idea a few months ago to do a book club, but with a twist: we would only read graphic novels (which Kody and I have accumulated in abundance), and we would only drink good beer.
Thus, Good Beer & Good Books was formed.
I decided, for book club #1, on the Crooked Pint in Apple Valley for the beer, and the first volume of the newest version of Guardians of the Galaxy ("Cosmic Avengers"), by Bendis; to add to the appeal, I set the date on the release day of the film.
It was amazing.
The absolute reason was the people. The guys (and gals) who showed up were intelligent, insightful and willing to share. I wrote up a questionnaire of fifteen questions, some silly, some serious, (one that I answered for you) and we went to town with them while snacking on appetizers and drinking -- of course -- delicious brews (and ciders).
From left: Steve, Gabe, Nick, Dustin, Me & Kody
Highlights:
-- When I asked the question about having the worst one-night-stand, everyone's heads turned instinctively to Steve. Even the people who didn't know him.
-- The quality of conversation was astounding. Some of these guys I see every day; some of them I've only met a handful of times, or once. But everyone held their own, and contributed. This is the Avengers of book clubs.
-- I don't know what it is, but people who obsess, or at least care, about pop culture are so much freer and easier to express themselves, especially amongst peers. ...And they tend to be smarter about it, too.
-- I really hope I did a decent job as moderator. I knew what I wanted to do, and I feel like it was a balanced, very-often surprising conversation. But everyone was respectful, and everyone had their say. Though, if anyone else there was like me, they woke up this morning going, "Damn! I wish I would have said..." Or they were just plain-ass zombie-tired like I was.
Afterwords, we played some bocce on the outdoor court, in absolutely glorious weather.
My team ("The Blue Balls") did lose, but Steve and I put up a valiant, slightly intoxicated effort.
Steve literally threw a ball over the metal fencing. With my credit card on the line.
The Guardians would have approved.
After that, we headed over to the Burnsville Paragon theater (my absolute favorite) and bought out a row (and a half) to watch the film. The VIP seats, with their luxurious leather and ability to allow you to drink MORE beer DURING the film, are worth every damn penny.
Absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried -- seriously, a tree and a raccoon made me cry -- and it was just such a complete night. Chris Pratt naturally thrilled me; Dave Bautista impressed in a way I did not expect (he was one of the rare surprises of the cinematic summer). I can't wait to plan one again (and, no, it won't be a monthly thing -- it's just not as special that way).
Other fun stuff that happened:
-- I actually drew up an original print for all attendees. The elderly woman at FedEx Office accidentally made a TON (but only charged me for the amount I ordered), so I kinda, sorta scammed the theater to distribute them for me (just listen): I asked the kid who was taking tickets if he could give out my prints. I may or may not have told him that I work for Marvel. He said he needed manager approval. When the manager came out and was looking over my drawing (which does feature a raccoon with a large penis), I walked over, introduced myself as a man who works for a "faction of Marvel"... and he approved it. Drawings flew off the shelf, much smiling on our group's behalf commenced. That was just cool.
-- We sang Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way" on the patio of the theater, and being a group of entertainers, we kind of went all out. When we returned inside, the vibe had changed. Turns out, everyone inside was watching us. And they dug it. Like, a lot.
-- The film itself was phenomenal. Through the roof, feeling and fun. I felt like I was watching other, more pretty and talented people outside singing Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way".
-- Please share your thoughts on that super weird reveal at the end of the film. Spoilers be damned. That was just too crazy not to talk about.
All in all, a wonderful time. An absolute blast.
Stay tuned for Good Beer & Good Books... #2!
- D
Oh... and here are the questions if you want to play at home:
G O O D B E E R & G O O D B O O K S # 1
J U L Y 3 1 ST, 2 0 1 4
Welcome, true believers! (That’s a Stan Lee line; odds are, if you’re here, you know that shit.)
Here’s a little questionnaire to get the social juices flowing. Also, that’s what she said.
This will be fun, this will be serious, and hopefully someone sheds tears by the end of the day. (That will probably be me.)
‘Nuff said!
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What character do you relate to and why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the WORST, how terrible is Iron Man’s new costume? (I mean, is that a METAL MUSTACHE?!)
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Is this your first time reading a graphic novel? If so, what did you like and not like about the medium?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Peter Quill’s father is from Spartax; do you believe that there is life – intelligent life – in the universe besides Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. J’Son, an alien king from another planet, has relations with Meredith, knocks her up and then literally leaves the planet. Have you had a worse one-night-stand?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“It’s not crap, mom. I’m reading. This is reading.”
6. Peter stands up for an immigrant girl on the playground, clearly demonstrating his humanity. Have you ever done something similar?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you think that Peter’s father made the right decision by leaving Peter, or is he an ass, as Peter believes?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you think Peter’s father legitimately gives a shit about Peter and the Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Krutak: GREAT or TERRIBLE swear word? (Also, do you roll the r’s? Because I do.)
____________________________________________________________________________
10. As innovation and technology evolve, do you find yourself relating more or less to the comic book and comic film industry?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Iron Man / Tony Stark jets into literal space to escape, to get away from it all. Where is your “space”?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shit gets real now.
“A cauldron of irresponsiblity.”
“A planet of madness.”
“…Given powers ranging from minor significance to intergalactic threat.”
“But you’re right. They’re all creatures. It would seem that is what holds them together. No one else will have them. There is poetry in that.”
12. Is J’Son right about Earth and its people? (And did anyone else notice that this is pretty much how all other wars start, whether fictional or very, very real? Blam.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. If Rocket Raccoon doesn’t say, “Blam. Murdered you,” can we all consider the film a critical and commercial failure?
Yes.
14. Most of the Guardians have TERRIBLE parents. What do you think it says about nature and nurture, genetics and choice?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Are you Groot?
____________________________________________________________________________
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