David S. Atkinson's Blog, page 201

What I Imagined The Weather At AWP 2015 Would Be Like

Yesterday I posted a “simulation” of what the crowds were going to be like at https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/��based on the dramatic growth of the previous years. Since I was already screwing around with that (it was a picture of an ant nest), I figured why not continue? Here is a simulation of what I’ve been imagining the weather was going to be like for AWP 2015 given that the conference is being held in Minneapolis in early April:

AWP Simulation

Well, AWP 2015 gets into full swing tomorrow. To celebrate that, I’ve put together this model that simulates what the convention will be like given the rate of growth that has been experienced every year:

Yup, should be fun.

That’s Probably It For The “Twin Peaks” Reboot

I have a lot of friends who were freaking out over the new Twin Peaks reboot. The show is practically religion to a lot of people I know and there is no way of sufficiently conveying how excited they were about this (please don’t tell any of them that I never saw a single episode). However, I bet the entire idea is dead now that David Lynch isn’t going to be a part of it.

I mean, no matter how excited they were…would a��Twin Peaks��without David Lynch be worth anything? I haven’t seen an episode (don’t tell my��Twin Peaks��friends that), but the phenomenon behind the show seemed to be heavily linked to Lynch’s vision. They could get innumerable talented people involved, and I know the show was never Lynch on his own, but without Lynch it just seems doomed to be fan fiction. I’m just betting no one would be happy with a Lynch free��Twin Peaks.

I don’t even know why Showtime would have gotten this started at all if they weren’t prepared to do what it would take to have Lynch on board. It’s not like his terms sound all that unexpected. Either they wanted to make something Lynch and the fans would approve of or they didn’t want to make it at all and shouldn’t have even gotten started. I guess it just sounds like they were only have committed to the idea, being both behind it and not and unable to reconcile those two impulses.

Either way, I’m guessing this is a death sentence for the new show…whether they make it or not. If they make it without Lynch, I’m betting it won’t last long.

You Had One Job!

You had one job!

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/03/watch-price-is-right-model-accidentally-gives-away-a-new-car

Actually, I can’t believe this sort of thing hasn’t happened on��The Price is Right��before.

Is This Red Moon Thing Making Anyone Else Think Of Creedence?

Is this red moon thing (see here if you’re out of the loop) making anyone else think of Credence?

Seriously, it might be cool to see and all, but the Credence thing is about the only reason I’m really interested. Seems like there is always a weird moon going on these days. Super moon, red moon, I’m done with it. I never get to see whatever it is anyway. I just can’t get interested in weird moons anymore.

Evidence I’m Not As Clever As I Wish I Was

I recently received evidence that I’m not as clever as I wish I was.

On the Friday before Easter, someone mentioned to me “at least it’s Friday,” as people often do. I realized that Easter was Sunday and quipped “and it’s a good Friday, too.” I did get a chuckle for this.��However, within an hour or so a completely unrelated person in the same office made the same joke to me. They had not heard my joke.

There was no way to ignore it…I was not as clever as I’d hoped I was.

It was kind of sad. I never thought it was a good joke, but suddenly it was a little less of a “good” Friday. I wish I was more clever.

Big Reveal About Sen. Bob Menendez Corruption Case!

I just heard that the Justice Department has indicted��Sen. Bob Menendez on corruption charges. According to what I read, this is the first time the Justice Department has filed criminal charges against a sitting senator since 2008.

Oh, 2008? That’s seven years ago. I guess this is pretty rare.

Anyway, my big news is that I’ve obtained secret information on the person involved in the sting operation against��Menendez. I don’t think anyone else has this yet, but I’m prepared to share his identity with you now:

I Bet “Archie Meets the Punisher” (or “The Punisher Meets Archie”) Wasn’t As Cool As It Sounds

I mentioned yesterday that I hated Archie but read it anyway (I still believe I was conned into it). While thinking about that, I happened to run across what might very well be the oddest crossover ever:��Archie Meets the Punisher, or The Punisher Meets Archie.

Yes, this was apparently real.

Now, I bet this is nowhere near as cool as it sounds. I never read it, and don’t plan on reading it. I read the Punisher for a while and liked it, but I bet this was pretty watered down in order to not cause the people from Archie to have a fit.

Regardless, given the nature of the two comics, doesn’t this seem like the weirdest crossover ever? If only mixing the two wasn’t so likely to be unsatisfying for fans of either I’d take a look.

Grocery Stores Are Responsible For Archie

Grocery stores are the only reason I have any idea what Archie is. Probably Richie Rich too. I’ve thought about this and I’m firmly convinced that I wouldn’t even know these comics otherwise.

Remember the impulse buy aisles at grocery stores? Candy, magazines, comics and such. Ever present, at least as I remember it, are comics such as��Archie��and��Richie Rich.

Did I like these comics? No, they were garbage as far as I was concerned. The plots were all crap, the art was terrible (due at least in part to the awful printing used), and almost everything had been recycled about a billion times. Even if I’d wanted to read them, I could have probably had it all from one year because it would just be reused in the next.��But…did I pester my parents to buy them? Yes.

I wanted comics. We walked by these ones all the time. As such, I was conned into thinking I wanted them. I them attempted to con my parents, sometimes successfully. I even read them when I got them.

Yet, I still didn’t want them. They were awful. The only reason I got them is because they were in the impulse buy aisle and nothing else better was there.

I firmly believe that the grocery store impulse buy aisle is the only reason I ever read��Archie��and��Richie Rich. If there had been anything decent in that aisle I never would have pesetered my parents to buy either. God knows I never would have gone out of my way to get them. We need grocery store impulse buy aisle reform.

I Don’t Own Emotion, I Rent

Well, the wife and I aren’t property owners anymore for the moment. We’ve closed on the old place we just sold and are leasing until we close on the new place (got to wait until��it’s finished). For a little bit at least, we don’t own emotion. We rent.