How about them apples!

I'd like to thank all my fans, my family, the Q, and the academy for this great honor!

I need to be more creative!

So I dropped by aunteliz's blog space last night. You can visit by clicking on the links I read. Her site is Process Lover. She has mentioned some of her favorite blogs before but I have never taken the time to do a little surfing. I visited The Daily Mumps.

The Daily Mumps

This is a great website. It is smart and funny with a twist of the insane. I instantly enjoyed reading it and it made me think how I really should pick up my own game. So feel free to check out the Daily Mumps. I highly encourage it.

And a shout out to the Q for winning the Blog of the Day award.

Old Friends - Good Times

So Gyuss came into town this weekend for a visit. Dagromm and I don't have much free time but when an old college buddy comes through town it's kind of like the "get out of jail free" card in monopoly. Whatever is going on in our lives, we are allowed to drop it and hang-out for the duration of Gyuss' visit. Hmmmm, perhaps "get out of jail free" isn't exactly the analogy I was going for, but you get the idea. The Q is always up for a little gaming fun so we could count on him to drive into the metroplex and he did. The big surprise was another old college buddy, hearing that Gyuss was flying in, decided to come up for the weekend as well. For lack of an alias, I'll call him Thrud.

Thrud, Gyuss, Dagromm, and I haven't all been in the same place at the same time in probably seven years, so the weekend approached with much anticipation. With these once-a-decade type gatherings, your eyes can be bigger than your stomach. You want to recreate the old days and do as many of the different activities that you used to do. But more often than not, you can never quite squeeze all the fun out of the weekend and time gets away from you. For some reason, this visit proved to be everything we had hoped it could be... or at least I had hoped it could be. I do think we could fill up ten weekends full of fun if we had it, but I do believe everyone enjoyed themselves and captured a bit of that old magic that has given us such fond memories over the years.



True to form, Q fit right in, as if he was right there with us during our college years. Dagromm made great ribs, and Gyuss brought along a great new game. And the simple fact that Thrud was in the house made the weekend complete. Game playing, trash talking, and junk food eating was the order of the day.



What was truly the biggest surprise to me was that my son (who is turning two years old this September) was a very well behaved boy. My wife works on Saturdays so a large portion of the day was spent with him playing with Dagromm's older kids. I didn't think it was going to go well, since he has historically been very clingy to his parents when he is in a new place. It was not the case. My son was running around the house having a great time, which meant that I was able to hang out and have a great time.

Too bad those gatherings cant' happen more often. I think Blogger has been truly great for us, since it has allowed us to recreate some of that on an ongoing basis. In fact, (if I'm not mistaken) our new blogs may have been the impetus for the visit in the first place. So thank you blogger, thank you very much. Now all we need to do is get Thrud on-line.

Handy Woman

I'm so proud of my wife. Not only was she the one to figure out that we were having trouble with our CD drive, but she also called the manufacture, got a new drive for free, and installed it herself without any help from me! It was so cool to see her tackle the project and feel good about it. Way to go, shuga-bee!

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days where all attention feels like it is on you? Where a confluents of demands hits you all at the same time and you can't manage to do one thing right or meet one stinking deadline or satisfy one single expectation. Today was my day. Uggggghhhhhh! I'm just going to have to get over it. God, just help me through these next few weeks. I hope to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Mixed Emotions

So my department at work had a big event last week. As most who visit this blog know, I am looking at making a change and anticipate it happening in the next two to three months... if all goes well. I'll not go into the awful details as to why I am making this change but it doesn't have anything to do with the clients or the mission of the organization. The organization is a good one and my clients are great as well. In the last 2.5 years I've come to realize that I've done a pretty good job of making important connections in the community. In fact, I feel that I have only just scratched the surface. I really hit my stride at the event last week and it sometimes pains me to think how effective I could be if I could find a way to stick with my current employer. Alas, this is not an option as my instincts for self-preservation rightly over-ride my pride with doing a good job for a bunch of leaders that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground! Alas, I must move on, least the cognitive dissonance between the current leadership and my work style place, me, my family, and my professional career at risk. Still, it doesn't change the fact that I could have really made a big splash in my third year. Oh well.

Villains Part 3 of 3

Level 7: The Mad Genius (Mad Scientist)

The Mad Genius is a malevolent mastermind who delights in the demonstration of his massive intellect. He is often gifted in one or more of the arts and sciences and uses his gift to serve his own evil or selfish purposes. Unlike the Criminal Mastermind, this villain's purpose is not for the simple trinkets of wealth. In many cases they struggle to defy nature or God with their wicked plans. While the Mad Genius is mentally unhinged, the true threat lies in their unusual mental prowess, wrapped inside their twisted mind. The Mad Genius sees everyone as an intellectual inferior and they are all contemptible in his mind. He looks down on everyone around him and cannot abide anyone's achievement other than his own. In fact he will often develop an elaborate scheme to stop anyone that may stand in the way of his objective.



The Mad Scientist fills the ranks of this category with imposing villains like Scorpius from Farscape, The Invisible Man, and Davros from the Doctor Who story Genesis of the Daleks. But the Mad Genius is not always a man of science. Antonio Salieri from the movie Amadeus is arguably a musical genius but becomes obsessed with the destruction of the worlds greatest musical talent: Mozart. On a slightly more ridiculous note, Mr. Body from the movie Clue wields a genius so vast that the movie requires three different endings just to do his wicked scheming justice. In every case, the Mad Genius has twisted his gift into a dark weapon that he intends to use against humanity at any price.

Level 8: The Demigod

The Demigods of villainy are mortal men with extraordinary ability. They border on the mythological and often defy the laws of nature. Their evil is terrifying because they are seemingly an unstoppable force that wields mystical (or technological) ability so vast as to appear god-like to the innocent bystander. These Demigods motivation vary from character to character. Some are bored with their existence and conduct wicked deeds as nothing more than a casual distraction. Others are former villains from another level whose time as long since run out, but they cling to life through their unimaginable power with every action serving to defy their mortality. Some seek power and fortune like their villain brothers, only they operate on a level of power that is unmatched by 99% of the people around them.



It goes without saying that Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars trilogy is the standard bearer of this archetype. His mastery of the darkside of the force is unmatched by all save Vader himself. Vader on the other hand is more of a Wayward Child who has fallen from the path. Another famous movie Demigod is General Zod from Superman II. Like his brethren, he wields near limitless power and crushes lesser beings effortlessly and with complete disregard for human life. In every case, the Demigod likens himself to a god, but still suffers the inevitable hubris which comes with such power. A hubris that eventually is his undoing.

Level 9: The Devil

This charming fiend is the root of all evils and we see his power in all of the previous eight levels of villainy. He is fanatical, monstrous, secretive, bloodthirsty, manipulative, tyrannical, artful, and powerful. But perhaps more than any other villain the Devil is a master of temptation. He gives people what they think they want, luring his victims into a spiraling decent of their own destruction. He can see into the very heart of others, caplitalizing on peoples darkest fears and most carnal desires. Once he has a victim walking the path of darkness he uses them as a pawn in his chess game to power. For it is absolute dominion over all things that the Devil desires and nothing less will suffice.



Few stories use this malevolent force as their villain and even fewer get it right. But there are some examples (both good and bad) that represent that deepest and darkest level of villainy. Saraun from The Lord of the Rings is possibly the best representation in television and film of our Devil archetype. His power is unmatched and his ring represents the greatest temptation any man must face and only the symbol of his power is capable of destroying the mighty demon-god. Another more "campy" version of our Devil is The Lord of Darkness from the film Legend. Outwardly this villain dresses the part and his power is nothing to slouch at either. There are others from the dramatic to the comedic but in every case you know the Devil by the antithesis of his being. He commits his evil deeds because our lies are his truth, our evil his goodness, our vice his virtue. He seeks our destruction because he is anti-life.

I hope you have enjoyed this tribute to the monsters who make our heroes into heroes. For as long as can be remembered mankind has enjoyed the tales of good versus evil. The struggle between man and beast. It is this struggle for redemption, honor, and love that makes our stories worth the journey.

Villains Part 2 of 3

Level 4: The Sociopath

Like the Wayward Child, the Sociopath exists in a similar delusional state that is marked by infantile feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur. The primary difference is that the Sociopath needs no higher purpose to justify his actions. This savage predator enjoys cruelty simply because it is cruel. Their antisocial activity fuels itself because the violence and brutality they inflict on others IS the purpose for their existence. In many cases this villain is nothing more than a Monster villain with personality... and typically a bad personality at that. These bad-guys represent the most bloodthirsty of the bunch. Their pathological nature precludes rational thought and only serves to intensify their base desire to inflict suffering on others.



Most murder mystery villains fall in this category, along with a variety of horror villains and a smattering of action hero antagonists. We find these diabolical men and women in both classic and modern stories. The "Red-Leg" Captain, Terrill from The Outlaw Josey Wales is a perfect example of a low-life killer whose vicious behavior propels the action forward and marks the end of a great showdown between his character and Eastwood's portrayal of Josey Wales. Slightly less talkative but no more menacing is the murderous "Biker" from Raising Arizona. This movie villain is uniquely loathsome for the comedy genre and (as a result) generates a more rich stroy-line for an already great film. Last but not least are the twisted minds of the truly depraved such as the red-neck rapist known only as "Zed" in Pulp Fiction. There is perhaps no scene in Tarantino's film that is filled with more fear and menace than when Wallace and Butch suffer at the hands of Zed. In every case these villains represent a depraved creature, hell bent on destroying our heroes both psychologically and physically.

Level 5: The Criminal Mastermind

Delving even deeper into the levels of villainy we are introduced to one of the more diabolical archetypes in the pantheon. The Criminal Mastermind is as subversive and driven as the Wayward Child and as immune to morality as the demented sociopath. However, this villain is not encumbered with a religious or social dogma, nor is he blinded by mental anguish of psychological debilitation. No, this villain executes his plans with a cold and calculated precision that even your high-school chemistry teacher could appreciate. The criminal mastermind's intellect is vast and he uses this intellect as a weapon more deadly than any magic sword or buzzing-chainsaw. That is not to say that he is above the crude arts of torture and death.



It goes without saying that the famous Lex Luthor falls into this category as well as the cruel cunning of Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Their wickedness uses all the tools in the villain tool box including the threat of physical harm. Where these villains are limited is in the scope of their desires. As the title would suggest, they are not out to remake the world in their own image, nor are they hell bent on mankind's destruction. This villain is usually after a quick buck. The all mighty dollar drives this bad-guy. However, if a new world order or the genocide of mankind is the only way to his prize, they will gladly go there.

Level 6: The Tyrant

The Tyrant is an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or morals. He is an usurper of sovereignty. A ruler who exercises absolute power oppressively or brutally. In some cases the Tyrant can have two sides to his persona: The public philanthropist who is generous and sensitive to the political landscape and then the private demon who is a malevolent threat to all who cross his path. In other cases the Tyrant is an outward dictator from top to bottom, stepping on the necks of his citizens in order to create a utopia of his own design. In either case the Tyrant is a master of suppressing dissent and uses his power to maintain absolute control.



Examples of the Tyrant litter both film and television. One Tyrant that typifies these villains is Emperor Commodus from the award winning film, Gladiator. In many cases (like Commodus) the Tyrant also has a touch of the sociopath in them, only serving to perpetuate their evil deeds. Other memorable tyrants in distinctly different trappings include Prince Humperdink from the Princess Bride, Sheriff Bill Daggett from the film Unforgiven, and last but not least Bill Lumberg from the comedy Office Space. In every case they are a bullying despot who wants power at any price. They attempt to crush their enemies or use them as pawns in order to hold all the power pieces.

Final Installment: Levels 7-9

For Q

Ann Coulter

Keys to Modern Storytelling: Villains Part 1 of 3

The 9 Levels of Villainy

Ever wonder why everyones favorite character is the bad guy? Darth Vader, Montgomery Burns, Dr.Hanniball Lector, Norman Bates - all of these characters and more have made the indelible mark on your psyche that most square jawed heroes cannot. What is it about the man in the black hat that so fascinates us? Is it that we see something of ourselves in these vile characters? Perhaps we pity their depravity or we sympathize with their journey into darkness. Maybe we admire their diabolical genius or their power over others. In any case, there is no question that the villain makes the story. Across all works of modern storytelling, a good villain will transform a bland piece of entertainment into an inspiring work, bordering on Homeric fiction. It has been said that the true measure of a hero is based on the quality of his nemesis. What is the hallmark of a true villain? What do villains have in common? This three part issue will take you deep into the 9 levels of villainy and unlock the secrets behind then characters we love to hate.

Level 1: The Cult

The first level and most innocuous of villain is the cult. This individual or group of individuals operate under the pretext of a great devotion, usually religious and often fanatical in nature. The cult uses secrecy and bully tactics to impose their will on others. The cult is at its most dangerous when they outnumber and isolate the hero. Under these conditions the cult is able to use its best weapon of intimidation to either suppress opposition or eradicate it. The villainy of these characters is often fueled by blind faith and/or cultural ignorance. Ultimately these villains are nothing more than misguided individuals, only doing what they have been taught to do by their leaders, their community, or fellow cult members. In the end the threat of this villain is brushed aside when armed with bravery, intelligence, and a modicum of ingenuity.



Examples of cult villains permeatee both classic and modern film. These fantatics can come in many shapes and sizes - both organized like the Thugee members and their mystical leader in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or they can be a disorganized rabble like the hillbillies from the movie Deliverance. In both cases they represent mankind falling victim to their more sinful impulsess. They are compelled to evil action not because they must, but simply because they want to and have justified their behavior through a flawed and broken belief structure.

Level 2: The Monster

The Monster has been a staple of storytelling for thousands of years. The earliest known Germanic story of Beowulf has the creature known as Grendal. In classic film, Frankenstein's Monster and The Wolf-Man elevated the place of monsters as primary villains. The Monster is typically a mindless (or at best single minded) creature of abnormal form. Often times this villain is considered deformed, "monstrous," or otherwise very imposing in some way. The Monster stalks our hero relentlessly through the story. It uses all of its talents to keep its victims guessing and often racks up a significant body-count before our hero manages to figure out a way of defeating it. The monster can be one of the most frietening of villains because it cannot be reasoned with or conviced to deviate from its present course of action. Unlike the other villains, the Monster is not taking evil action because it is inherently wicked. It does not see right from wrong or good from bad. It acts on instinct because it is "wired" that way.



This villainan device is one that predominates the science fiction and fantasy genre and is often not found in other genres. One very famous exception is the movie Jaws. This giant shark is monstrous in size and relentlessly tracks prey with great cunning. Other monster villains will instantly spring to mind such as the alien in the movie Alien. This is the poster child for the second level of villainy. In science fiction the robot can also be categorized as a monster. The HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, or The Terminator are both single minded entities programmed to carry out their orders. All are driven by an instictive (or programmed) force beyond their control and are relentless in their objective.

Level 3: Wayward Child

As we delve into deeper levels of villainy, we begin to find a greater depth of wickedness. The Wayward Child represents a fantatical ideologue. Unlike the cultist this villain is masked under a veil of educated sophistication or an expensive bank account. These villains almost always entice followers through their assets, be it wealth, power, of a charisma that defies explanation. Most (including their closest followers) are unaware of how deep their fanaticism goes and they believe themselves to have risen above humanity by virtue of their mission. That mission typically is one of single minded purpose that requires death in order to succeed. Ever the utilitarian, the Wayward Child sees his actions as a necessary act in order to realize the vision.



This villain is often confused with the cultist but when used properly can be a far more satisfying antagonist to the storyline. Examples of our "lost children" include Joe Pesche's character in Good Fellas, The Preacher from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and perhaps more notable than any other - Harry Potter's own Lord Voldemort. In many cases they have all "fallen from favor" and walk a dark path in solitude. All of these men follow their own capricious, wanton, or depraved inclinations with complete disregard for everything and everyone around them. They operatete in secrecy until that secrecy is no longer necessary for their protection. At that moment they proudly announce their rebellion as a destiny of purpose.

Next Installment: Levels 4-6

Happy-Worried!

So I had a second interview with two more of my top 3 prospective employer's. The front runner has quickly become the back-burner due to the SUPER slow development of their positions. The other two are almost the exact same on timing with the out of town situation moving more quickly. I have to say that in every case the salary discussions have been on par with what I expected. Nothing huge, considering the fact that most of these jobs would be the equivalent of a lateral move. Don't get me wrong each one would be a slight increase but all-in-all it started looking like I am already in the standard range for someone with my years of experience and level of education. Until now...

I had lunch with one of the local opportunities and I innocently asked about range. He quoted a range that I certainly did not expect. It got me wondering about all these other places and if they were low-balling me. In every case I have had to submit my salary requirements up front. Surprisingly, each place has come back with a range that is only slightly higher than my current situation. As luck would have it I was not asked about my requirements by this latest organization and it is the one that blows the top off of my expectations. Perhaps it is as simple as that. Perhaps the requirement to give your salary expectation/current situation up-front is nothing more than a simply ploy to only offer their candidates the minimum.

Or is there something else going on? I am beginning to worry that this new situation may want a little more than their standard pound of flesh. I'm not in big-business so I don't expect the big paycheck. But I also don't expect the crazy hours, horrible travel, and cut-throat lifestyle that goes along with big-business. I'm in a kinder-gentler profession and historically speaking my compensation has reflected that. For the first time I'm wondering if this potential opportunity will demand more than I am willing to give. I haven't started the formal process yet and I'll have plenty of opportunity to learn about expectations. I will not have to accept something on blind faith... I just really WANT it to be a good situation and I afraid of being disappointed in what the demands of the job would be.