Monday, June 30, 2008
Magic Hour
"Oh this is a fast one," she said. When I asked her what she meant, she shot me a look like I just asked where the sun goes at night. "It goes fast." I laughed and went to get another roll of film. She was a quirky one, always seeing drama and beauty in things everyone else ignored. I wished I had eyes like hers. Once I got to the bag, I looked back to ask her if we should shoot color or black and white, but she was gone.
And so was the rocking horse.
At first I couldn't wrap my head around it. There was just nothing there. No spring, no mount, just a sandpit. Did I imagine it there? Did I imagine her? I panicked. Scooped up the gear, her purse, threw it all in the car and started driving. I didn't know where to go, so I stuck to the main road by the meadows. Where do playground rocking horses like to go, I found myself wondering. We were already losing light with the last roll of film, so by then I needed headlights and could barely make out the fence lines.
Three miles from the playground, I found her. She stepped out of a tree line, staggering a little. Once I got her back in the car, I saw that she was covered in brambles and dirt, and scratched up all over. After some considerable silence, I asked her, I can't believe I asked her, why she didn't just turn him around and ride him back.
"He doesn't turn silly," she said, with another one of those looks. "He's just a playground horse."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
POTUS 2048 or Cynicism Gets Old
Meet the President of the United States, circa 2048.
Most social issues had been resolved for the most part. Poverty, privacy rights, racism, marriage rights for all, along with most other social inequities had long dissolved as older generations died off, and their outdated policies with them. With the discovery of the Hephret Scrolls (commonly known as the "Rainbow Scrolls") in 2015, effectively "outing" Jesus as a gay black man, the various Christian churches were forced to confront a profound misreading of their faith. This resulted in the slow but eventual dismantling of prejudices and preconceptions based on race, gender, and sexual identity.
Combined with the anonymous "donation" of universal education that began in 2020, (allowing anyone residing in the country regardless of citizenship a full ride to any school or college) the United States began an intellectual, spiritual and creative Renaissance that continues to this day.
Class struggles, no longer over information and education, meant that the concept of "The American Dream" shifted from amassing wealth, to knowledge and understanding. This new "dream" resulted in a hyper-educated citizenry full of ideas, virtually eliminating pollution and disease and crime within a single generation.
Instead of wealth determining power, the elite of the elite, were simply the brightest and best. The cream of the new American crop, would rise to lead.
Meet the President of the United States, circa 2048.
She's a Conservative Republican.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tales of the Cannibal Queen
Trevor, Howard, Brittany, and the rest of the tribal elders had spoken. It was cordial, Brittany brought a nice plum wine that went well with the late afternoon finger foods. Still, the hut was tense. Clearly they wanted the Queen to be gracious, and weren’t sure how ingratiating they were willing to be to ease her into it. Just as the food and wine had about run dry, the awkward tension was finally broken. The Queen announced that she would vacate her royal hut-chambers that evening. She also promised to support the new King in any way needed. Relief spread across the chamber.
Howard started slow clapping, Trevor joined him, and soon the hut erupted in hoots and cheers and ritual blood dancing. As they left, each in turn thanked her, and told her how happy they were that she wished the tribe to unify once again. She admitted that it was a fair contest, and the needs of the tribe will always come before her own. As Brittany reached the door the Queen made a special effort to thank her for the wine, as well as compliment her breast bone piercings. Brittany thanked the Queen, and left.
The Queen’s eunuch advisor-mate entered the hut soon after. He eyed the plate of finger bones and felt somewhat put out for missing the cocktail party. But the Queen had sent him on an errand, and he had news to deliver. The tribe that sided with her, was fracturing. Most of the numbers would eventually side with the new King, with only a very few staying beside the Queen even if stripped of her title. It was not enough, the Queen knew. Too soon she would be regarded as nothing more than a tribal elder, which in her view was no better than a commoner. She asked her advisor-mate for guidance. What should she do, to ensure the King no victory if there were none for her?
Her eunuch leaned in close, near enough to smell the flesh on her breath, and said simply, “Eat them. Eat them all.”
And the Queen smiled.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Best Laid Plans, part two
I was trying to wrap my brain around him, there was something very unreal, almost cartoonish about what I was seeing.
And then he moved. sort of. Responding to something in the Friday din, he cocked his head suddenly to one side. After holding it there for a few seconds, he suddenly jerked his head the other direction, cocked slightly like he was listening to something. Then again, looking up, looking left, and then settling back facing forward, he focused on his drink. Regarding it as if it didn't exist a moment before, he quickly bobbed his head down and took a sip, quickly returning to his original forward gaze.
Some people tried to start a conversation with him, but he had none of it. It was as if he existed in a reality just slightly sideways to ours. He repeated the cycle a few times, cocking his head quickly to a side, then rediscovering his drink again, then staring off. Then I realized what I was seeing. It was. He was..
sigh.
He was a human chicken.
Best Laid Plans, part one
"Hey Blimpa, can you help me out?" I asked. I told her I had an idea for a drawing for the weekend, and could use some help with it. I wanted to draw a girl on a first date with a retro vintage robot. Or possibly a superheroine and a supervillain. Or possibly either couple sitting awkwardly apart on a couch. Even though I didn't know which way I was going to go with it, she ran with it. She found a friend to help her, gathered props, spent hours doing a photoshoot for me. It is so rare that I am actually prepared for a sketch idea, and she did a great job, so I was psyched. I got to the pub (where I do my best work. ok, all my work), sat down, took a sip of my Newcastle.
And then this guy showed up.
end part one.
