Independence Day. Absolute cliched-as-hell balderdash as sf but a very fun alien invasion action movie nonetheless.

Alien or Aliens?

Quote by JamesPBear

Hi there! Well, at least I've got a draft of a comp story done. I have no idea how good or bad it is, but I've stored it. Tomorrow or Tuesday I'll have a last look at it, see if it needs some more polishing, and then hit PUBLISH.

I'll warn you all when I do so you can arrange to be out of town…

You and me both, Bear. Wonder who will publish first (you, I am still having ideas for tweaking the story).

Altitude - demographic

Lexicon - ontological

Halloween, though I am generally not a fan of franchised horror. However, the original is possibly my all-time favorite slasher movie so that kind of pulls up the series as a whole.🔪

Space exploration: Crewed or stick to robot probes?

Um, well, I might, maybe, possibly have something written. It's a horror-cryptid story with a faint whiff of kaiju. Absolutely new, not one of the ideas I've been farting around with, though I stole some lines and elements from one of the failed attempts. Needs to go through my usual editing process, but seems promising on first blush. So ignore my rant in Inspirations. Apparently, ranting about my inability to get a story together helped me, well, get a story together.

Yeah, the smoke seems to have passed for now here too. And we might finally get some showers the next 2-3 days, too, ending our dry spell.

To paraphrase Harlan Ellison, a writer whose boots I am not even worthy to lick, I have no story and I must scream. Not for lack of trying but with constant interruptions due to household stuff and a general inability to keep a story together long enough to finish, I might not be entering this comp. I hate it, but I am also not willing to stress myself out about it. This is a leisure activity for me right now and with a fulltime day job and a household to maintain, it simply can't always be top of mind.

Coffee is brewed, a Nicaraguan dark roast. Teas are Assam and Earl Grey Supreme. Iced tea and lemonade are refreshed.

Later.

Pity - pint

Hyenea - eagle

Ah, cute baby birds. I didn't have any nests in visible locations this year so thanks for sharing your twin's babies. It is usually robins with me, though I have doves around.

Hey, thanks Bear. That leaves me more time to get the iced tea and lemonade refreshed and the pop stocked.

Air is clearer here now but, as James said, still pretty dry. Had showers late afternoon yesterday but they were brief and light. Hopefully we get more on Sunday when there's a chance of showers here.

If i wanted to inhale smoke, I'd take up smoking weed or something. This wildfire stuff is getting nuts. A guy on another board posted pics from New Jersey of haze due to the Quebec fires.

But coffee is always here to get that smoky taste out of your mouth. Some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is brewed and ready. Teas are Scottish Breakfast and Lemon. Iced tea and lemonade are a chillin' in da fridge.

Have a nice one! Don't breath too much. 🤣

Martin's novels (I've read the first) but he has to actually finish the series. Sadly, I am thinking this will be another Wheel of Time where someone else has to finish it given Martin's age.

Zombies: The Walking Dead or George Romero's original "Living Dead" trilogy? (Night of the Living Dead, the 1978 Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead)

icicle - leptospirosis (yes, it's a word)

Spit - Stir

Saps - Taps

Oncology - gymnastic

Got bored of current metal or something so kickin' it old school. Today's band du jour is British heavy metal stalwarts Iron Maiden. Founded in 1975 and still at it in 2023.

Ontarians right now (smoke from wildfires)

"Smoke gets in your eyes," goes the old song. Sadly, that's the weather forecast here in Ontario thanks to a spate of wildfires in Northeastern Ontario and Quebec. 🙁

But there's still coffee a brewin' and tea a steepin'. Got some nice Nicaraguan dark roast in the coffee pot. Irish Breakfast and Black Currant teas are also ready. Cold beverage pitchers are washed and refilled.

Later.

(Oh, I am completely at sea on my comp entries now and dealing with some home stuff so whatever I enter is going to be last minute, I think)

Ape is up early. Those cookies look mighty good. We need some rain here so I will eat a couple raindrops and see if that works some kind of magic.

Meanwhile, I have Jamaican Blue Mountain in the coffee pot. Teapots have Sunday Tea and English Breakfast. The pitchers of iced tea and lemonade are washed and refilled.

Have a nice one, folks! I have an out of town meeting today so won't check in again until later in the day.

It's Monday! Are you all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for another thrilling week?!

Groans and sound of things being thrown

Maybe some coffee or tea will "perk" you up.😁

More groans and things being thrown

Coffee du jour is a dark roast from Brazil. Teas are Red Rose and Cream of Earl Grey. There's fresh batches of iced tea and lemonade in the fridge along with sodas.

Later, alligators!

Quote by JamesPBear

Well, so far I'm up to about 400 words – and with a strong suspicion that I'll finish closer to 1,000 words than 10,000!

Well, at least that will make it easier for the judges, right?

Yeah, but how many different stories do you have? Huh?

Okay, that's probably nothing to be proud of. I am just flailing from idea to idea and none of them are sticking. This should be my dream comp and instead I am struggling. Go figure.

Quiet in here. Everyone must be out enjoying the good weather. Well, assuming their weather is as good as mine. Sunny but a bit on the hot side. Got the lawn done this morning before things got too steamy.

Putting on a pot of Nicaraguan medium from Las Chicas for the coffee set. Teas are English Breakfast and Earl Grey. Iced tea and lemonade are mixed up in the fridge. Oh, and I've been busy in the kitchen.

Right now, my number two metal band after Nightwish is German power metal band Blind Guardian. They play fast and heavy with songs based heavily on literature (Tolkien is a favourite). And lead vocalist and lyricist Hansi Kursch packs a terrific metal voice. He's no Pavarotti but he's perfect for power metal, capable of good, lyrical clean vocals mixed with some terrific screams.

Performance is from 2016, but the song is the title cut from their 1995 album Imaginations From the Other Side.

Ape is makin' coffee. Hot weather here, but not too muggy at least. Still, we fired up the AC a couple days ago.

Coffee is a Costa Rican dark roast. Teas are Assam and English Breakfast. Pitchers of iced tea and lemonade are washed and refilled. Soda stock looks good.

Later.

Good evening. Okay, my three-day management course is over so I might get back on track with both the forum and with my comp entry. I've got weird monsters in Toronto Harbour (who are not members of the Ford family) and that's about as far as it's gone.

Kitty Zoomies and a sun cookie.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

Remember Annette Olzon? Briefly with Nightwish, particularly for the album and movie, Imaginaerum.

Oh, do I ever. I've really been loving her recent work. Between The Dark Element, Allen/Olzon, her solo album, and various guest appearances like this one, Anette is really hitting on all cylinders right now. I am actually hoping she's going to shed the "ex-Nightwish" label at some point and just have them as a line on a very long resume. After all, she's now done as many albums with each of The Dark Element and Allen/Olzon as she did with Nightwish.

New Concrete Castles is pretty dark as their stuff goes. Audra as a killer with the guys as her cleanup crew. They do alt-rock and even border on metal at times so it's not totally surprising, but it is kind of new for them.

Slip - Slit

Hey there! It's Mooooooooooooooonday!!! No, I'm not really that perky, just hoping that sounding like it will eventually make me perkier. Bit tired and achy after spending yesterday in the sun assembling a new gas BBQ for the deck at home. I will be scarce the next few days due to a workshop for work so you might be stuck with verb's Costco coffee.

Coffee for today, though, is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Fresh and hot, in the pot. Teas are English Breakfast and Sunday Tea (black tea with Bourbon Vanilla). Iced tea and lemonade are mixed and in the fridge awaiting those who need a cold drink.

So, how's things, Inspirations? Have a good one!