Sunday, January 30, 2022

There are Other Blogs Than These

 I'm only just starting to look at them again but for my five really hard core fans, here are other blogs I've maintained

My Character Blog: Let Me Tell You About My Character

My Political Blog: Eagle As Phoenix

My Opinion/Review Blog: I Have an Opinion of Almost Everything

My Poetry Blog: Codex Americana (This was salvaged from Livejournal with some added poems before I moved to Poetizer)

My Old Family Blog: Shards of a Broken Soul

My New Family Blog: Shards of a United Soul

My Meme Blog: Memes of my Father

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Swamp Castle - Savior Unto the Last Generation


A set of aliens want to say hello to Earth but our media of aliens scares the crap out of them.  So, in a near future dystopia they create a child to be raised by a caregiver posing as humans with amazing abilities that also fights weekly generated monsters.  Things go awry when the child begins to go after other evils besides the monsters however....


Check out this episode!

[Poem] Half a Hundred Years

 by Emmit Other


So fifty times

I have gone around on this Merry Go Round

Astronauts first bounced on the moon

The Vietnam War was still happening

Actual Hippies hadnt traded their values

Still walked the Earth

Before they sold out and bought Mcmanshions

No cellphones

No Wed

Not a Single Luxury

As Prinitive As Can Be

Gilligan was Still Trapped On the Island

All the Beatles were Alive

Nixon got caught

And congress was compotent enough to not let him get away with it

Before Fox News

Before CNN

Before Facebook

Before Microsoft

Before Reusabke Rockets

Before Game of Thrones

Before the Dresden Files

Before Global Warming

Before Equal Rights for Women

Before Stereotypes that are insanely offensive finally started getting corrected

Before the fall of the Berlin Wall

Before the Towers fell

I AM an old man

But I am young at heart

And more than capable of making mischief

Ams setting things on metaphorical fire

And unlike many

I have changed with the times

And look to tomorrow

And believe in the generation of tomorrow

And our responsibility to tomorrow

To agree with the Song

I believe in Yesterday

But I also Believe in Today

And I most believe in tomorrow

And Tomorrow

And Tomorrow

And Tomorrow

Thursday, January 27, 2022

[Play] A Hand Grenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2, Scene 9

 Scene 9

Herald One and Herald Two come on stage


Herald One

All throughout the land, people began to remember the thousands of lives they had lived before.


Herald Two

Lives lost and loves won.


Herald One

Skills gained and promises kept


Herald Two

Wisdom earned and secrets unlocked


Herald One

And so it was that Camelot aged that day


Herald Two

And thus the earned wisdom gained them a martial hand


Herald One

Its true.  Even the lowlist field remembered the last battle fought before the loop was run, a thousand thousand times


Herald Two

Mordreds forces, already harried by Grenademan’s insane devices, became routed


Herald One

And there was much weary rejoining.


Herald Two

And much bittersweet sadness, for all were resolved that this would be the last life they would live


Herald One

And so it was that many lives were changed that day.  Not all, of course.  Some were perfectly content as they were and always had been and always would be.


Herald Two

Never underestimate the capacity of a fool to be such.


Herald One

But for more


Herald Two

For most


Herald One

They awakened in them something new.  Thus the golden age of the West, its time of innocence, the foundation of half the nations of Europe and those that became imprinted on that culture as an ideal, became something more.  Much more.


Herald Two

A golden age of philosophy, science, art, literature, justice, and good governance.  There were still wars and plagues and calumnies but for some


Herald One

Some


Herald Two

There spread in the root of time on many earths a golden age that changed them for the better, and the game board became a foundation of democracy; the worlds changed, the stories changed, and when it was understood that Good does not need to end in tragedy or the unobtainable, betrayal and dust, they changed their thinking


Herald One

Wolves of the pack; to be proactive and fierce in protecting their liberty and freedoms, but protecting their own and nurturing the good of all for their own self interest.


Herald Two

Frank Noble, AKA Grenademan, had undone the curse they did not even know they were under.


Herald One

But his work was not done yet.


Herald Two

One more act for the hero to perform.


Scene 9


Herald One and Herald Two come on stage


Herald One

All throughout the land, people began to remember the thousands of lives they had lived before.


Herald Two

Lives lost and loves won.


Herald One

Skills gained and promises kept


Herald Two

Wisdom earned and secrets unlocked


Herald One

And so it was that Camelot aged that day


Herald Two

And thus the earned wisdom gained them a martial hand


Herald One

Its true.  Even the lowlist field remembered the last battle fought before the loop was run, a thousand thousand times


Herald Two

Mordreds forces, already harried by Grenademan’s insane devices, became routed


Herald One

And there was much weary rejoining.


Herald Two

And much bittersweet sadness, for all were resolved that this would be the last life they would live


Herald One

And so it was that many lives were changed that day.  Not all, of course.  Some were perfectly content as they were and always had been and always would be.


Herald Two

Never underestimate the capacity of a fool to be such.


Herald One

But for more


Herald Two

For most


Herald One

They awakened in them something new.  Thus the golden age of the West, its time of innocence, the foundation of half the nations of Europe and those that became imprinted on that culture as an ideal, became something more.  Much more.


Herald Two

A golden age of philosophy, science, art, literature, justice, and good governance.  There were still wars and plagues and calumnies but for some


Herald One

Some


Herald Two

There spread in the root of time on many earths a golden age that changed them for the better, and the game board became a foundation of democracy; the worlds changed, the stories changed, and when it was understood that Good does not need to end in tragedy or the unobtainable, betrayal and dust, they changed their thinking


Herald One

Wolves of the pack; to be proactive and fierce in protecting their liberty and freedoms, but protecting their own and nurturing the good of all for their own self interest.


Herald Two

Frank Noble, AKA Grenademan, had undone the curse they did not even know they were under.


Herald One

But his work was not done yet.


Herald Two

One more act for the hero to perform.



Tuesday, January 25, 2022

[Play] A Hand Grenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2, Scene 8

 Scene 8


Arthur, Pelinor, Lancelot and Grenademan are in the throne room, with Arthur in his throne, his knights by his side and Grenademan in front of them.


Arthur

So you can see how this looks, Sir Grenademan?


Grenademan

I DO KING ARTHUR.  I WAS ABSTRACTLY AWARE OF THE TALES OF WHAT MORGAN HAD DONE BUT NOT THE SPECIFICS OF HER VILLANY HERE.


Arthur

I will never understand this business of my life being a story elsewhere, but I trust your honor enough to accept it.  The bibble spilled by Morgana seems to back that up.  But what specifically happened when you went with her?


Grenademan

WE TRAVELED TO AN OBELISK AND I BLEW IT UP.


Pelinor

Can you describe this Obelisk?


Grenademan

IT WAS A BLACK OBELISK WITH WRITING ON IT.


Pelinor

And what happened when you made it a former Obelisk?


Grenademan

OBERON WAS LESS THAN PLEASED AND TOOK MORGANA AND MERLIN FOR PUNISHMENT.


Pelinor

I see.  I do not claim to know much of the Fae but this is most troubling.


Arthur

So this was supposed to somehow free us from the cycle of usage by these two beings?


Grenademan

THAT IS CORRECT.


Lancelot

That might be the source of these strange dreams I’m having.


Pelinor

Like what?


Lancelot

Where I fell in love with an ice skater.


Pelinor 

I had that dream


Arthur

What is an ice skater?


Lancelot

Did you have the one about the Taxidermist?


Pelinor

I did! He was amazing


Arthur

What is a Taxidermist?


Lancelot

This would explain the strange dreams that people have been having all over the kingdom


Pelinor

We must put out word immediately and start to write these down so that our memories aren’t lost again.


Arthur

WHAT memories?


Grenademan

THE MEMORIES YOU LOST EACH TIME ORDER AND CHAOS RESET THE LOOP


Arthur

Oh.  (beat) Well then, let it be done!  While we still have time.


(Pelinor and Lancelot speed off)


Saturday, January 22, 2022

Micronation - Chapter 1 - Watson to the Nutjob


Quiessence Prow hires a snarky assistant to take him around the world with his bodyguard and girl Friday, Darla to solve mysteries.  The first chapter is how Watson is hired, how Watson learns that Watson can be an honorific like Ceaser, and how Watson learns that he really really really really wishes he hadn't taken this job.


Check out this episode!

Thursday, January 20, 2022

[Play] A Handgrenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2 Scene 7

 Scene 7 


Two Heralds Show Up


Herald One

And so Merlin and Morgana were cast into a realm of torture for defying Oberon.


Herald Two

And Grenademan returned to Camelot, where he proceeded to teach them of all manner of things involving technology.


Herald One

But there was a worm in the apple.


Herald Two

Rot in the gut.


Herald One

For you see Sir Galahad and Sir Kay went about court whispering of how Grenademan had went off with Morgana


Herald Two

And so doubt began to flow throughout the court about the honor of the so called champion who had helped them find the grail.


Herald One

Arthur and Pelinor and Lancelot fought these rumors of course, vigorously denying that Grenademan was evil, but as Mordred continued ravaging the land, every little loss was turned into a massive one.  


Herald Two

Every victory downplayed as certain doom.


Herald One

Make no mistake, Arthur was winning.


Herald Two

Mordred was on the ropes.


Herald One 

And yet, rumor continued to spread until Arthur felt he had to address the issue directly in front of the entire court.


Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Mommeries - Chapter 32 - A Ray of Light


Josie meets and dates Skip.  Skip meets the family.  They court each other and eventually become common law spouses.


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

[Play] A Hand Grenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2, Scene 6

 Scene 6

(Lights Rise) There is a large obelisk with some writing on it, Morgana and Grenademan stand before it


Morgana

And this lovely phallic object clearly not compensating for something among the greater powers of the universe is the Obelisk of Demarkation.


Grenademan

AND IF WE BLOW THIS UP WE END THEIR CYCLE?


Morgana

Yup.


Grenademan

STAND BACK.


Morgana

Don’t mind if I do.  (Moves away)


Grenademan

TO FIGHT THE FORCES OF EVIL! (Grenademan tosses a grenade and nothing happens except it bounces off the obelisk harmlessly)

(beat)

Huh.  INTERESTING.


Morgana

Order has a habit of preventing things like explosions when he wants.


Grenademan

BUT CHAOS CAN ENHANCE THEM?


Morgana

Well yes, but Chaos is under penalty right now, so Order is stronger than Chaos in this realm.  


Grenademan

AH, BASIC SCIENCE THEN.


Morgana

How in Hades is that Science?


Grenademan

BY REVERSING THE POLARITY OF THE UNIVERSAL CONSTANT OF GRAVITY AND PLANCK'S CONSTANT BY MAKING IT SCALED TO THE BACKGROUND DARK MATTER INTERCHANGED WITH THE MAGNETIC QUANTUM THROMBOTIZER 

(takes off several grenades from his bandolier and does mechanical things with them.  Director may provide a bench and a hammer that Grenademan can hammer on the bench and then turns around holding up a grenade in his hand smiling widely)

CHAOS GRENADE!  


Morgana

That was literally just a literal random splattering of science gibberish, wasn't it?


Grenademan

A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF MAKING A CHAOS GRENADE IS CHAOS.


Morgana

I….guess…that makes sense.  As much as pretty much anything you say or do can be.


Grenademan

STAND BACK!


Morgana

(beat)

I never got any closer after the first time.


Grenademan

TO FIGHT THE FORCES OF EVIL AND ORDER! (tosses Grenade)


There is a mighty explosion and the Obelisk is destroyed.  (The Director may consider making the obelisk inflatable and suddenly deflate in a highly audible fashion.)


Oberon (Voice Over)

WHO DARES DESTROY OBERON’S OBELISK?


Grenademan

IT IS I, GRENADEMAN, HERE WITH MORGANA.


Morgana

Leave me out of this.


Oberon (Voice Over)

THE CHAMPION OF ORDER PROMOTED THIS?


Morgana

Promoted? More like…suggested…vaguely.  Provided information.


OBERON (Voice Over)

BOTH ORDER AND CHAOS ARE IN PENALTY.


Grenademan

AND THUS TRIUMPHS THE FORCES OF GOOD!


Morgana

Fuck.


(Lights Dim, Morgana Screams)


Saturday, January 15, 2022

Swamp Castle - Darwin's Cellphone


I wrote this story back in 2006, and read it and then offering a writing critique; the Spirit of the 20th Century convinces a waiter to steal a priceless fake artifact to accelerate the demise of a corrupt society.


Check out this episode!

Thursday, January 13, 2022

[Play] A Handgrenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2, Scene 5

 Scene 5

Grenademan and Morgana are talking.  Grenademan is drawing plans and equations (this can be done on a chalkboard or unseen by the audience on paper, but if seen by the audience it should be pseudoscientific with actual mathematical symbols and things that look like pure nonsense to an educated mind given that this is superhero science)


Morgana

I must say, I’m impressed.  Chaos has rigged the system to bring a random visitor each cycle, and you aren’t the first to do gunpowder, guns or a septic system but you are…prolific.


Grenademan

THE FORCES OF GOOD MUST NEVER REST.


Morgana

Good and Evil are the lesser sisters of Order and Chaos.


Grenademan

NOTHING CAN BEAT THE FORCES OF GOOD.


Morgana

Just because you have a magic helmet that lets your insanity deny or sometimes impose that insanity on the rest of us doesn’t mean that it works that way for the rest of us.


Grenademan

ITS SIMPLE LOGIC.  GOOD ALWAYS WINS. THEREFORE GOOD MUST BE INDESTRUCTIBLE.


Morgana

And good people besides yourself are indestructible in your experience?


Grenademan

TEMPORARY SETBACKS.


Morgana

(beat) You know, I’m to blame here.  You’re literally insane.  So, I’m gonna go over here and read a book or something.


(Lights Dim)

A trashy romance novel appears in Morgana’s Hands.

(Lights Go Up)


Some time passes and Grenademan continues writing.  Grenademan looks up.


Grenademan

ARE THEY REALLY TRAPPED IN A LOOP?


Morgana

Oh most definitely.


Grenademan

IS THERE A WAY TO BREAK IT?


Morgana

Oh finally.  I was hoping you’d ask.  The rules let me tell you if you ask, but only just. (under her breath) Took you long enough Einstein.  


Grenademan

WHAT?


Morgana

Nothing. Yes, there is a way to break the loop.  You need to destroy an obelisk that marks this Camelot as their playground.  Oberon set it down with the rules so they don’t have to work out new rules from scratch every time.  If you can change the writing there, or remove the Obelisk, then they will move on to other games and let time move freely here.


Grenademan

GOT IT.  DESTROY THE OBELISK OF EVIL.  DO YOU HAVE A MAP?


Morgana

I’m a Sorceress.  We can teleport places.


Grenademan

THEN CAN WE TELEPORT THERE NOW?


Morgana

So glad you asked.  (Snaps fingers)


Tuesday, January 11, 2022

[Play] A Hand Grenade Loose in King Arthur's Court - Act 2, Scene 4

 Arthur, Percival, Lancelot, Grenademan and the Queen all sit around a round table


Percival

Tell me more about this ‘Galliger Gun’ you think will help us Sir Grenademan?


Grenademan

GATLING GUN, AND I BELIEVE WITH TWENTY SKILLED SMITHS, YOUR HELP AND THREE ASSISTANTS WE CAN CREATE THEM AND DEPLOY THEM TO VARIOUS KEY OUTPOSTS THROUGHOUT THE REALM


King Arthur

And you think this will stop Mordred?


Grenademan

I DO.  AS LONG AS WE KEEP MAKING AMMO AND TRAIN PEOPLE ON HOW TO USE THEM, HIS ADVANTAGE OF SURPRISE AND MOBILITY WILL BE ENTIRELY NULLIFIED.


Lancelot

If I hadn’t seen the wonders of your breakable potion bottles, I would never have believed it Sir Grenademan, but I think this just might work.


Percival

How long will it take to make?  


Grenademan

IF I HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE AND MATERIAL I ASK FOR, TWO WEEKS.


Morgana (V.O)

What a wonderful if not doomed idea.


(Lights dim)

Morgana Enters

(Lights Go up)


Grenademan

NEAT.


Arthur, Guinivere and Lancelot

WITCH!


Morgana

I’m glad to see all of you too.  I come with a message from Order.


King Arthur

Who?


Morgana

It’s so amusing that you are manipulated day in and day out and have no idea who is truly in charge.


Lancelot

What do you mean witch?


Morgana

I mean that your entire kingdom, your entire lives, are an ongoing match between two greater beings of Fairie, Order and Chaos, in a loop that has happened hundreds of times and that will happen hundreds of times going forward.  You are a game, and Chaos has cheated, so Order is taking his due penalty on Chaos’s part.


King Arthur

What nonsense is this? Speak plainly.


Moragana

I did speak plainly, your lack of comprehension is not my problem and certainly not Order’s problem.  Here is what you need to know, however, in your limited sphere of comprehension.  Order offers you a boon against Chaos’s interference.  Henceforth, he shall prevent Chaos from doing disruptive things to your efforts to defend yourselves, such as the random transformation into barnyard animals.


King Arthur

That was you?


Morgana

No, that was Chaos.  And his champion, Merlin.


King Arthur

Merlin?  Merlin has betrayed us?


Morgana

My good king, Merlin hasn’t worked for you or Camelot in general for hundreds of cycles, from your perspective he hasnt in thousnads of years.  He works for Order or Chaos.


Grenademan

THIS SOUNDS LIKE SLAVERY TO THE FORCES OF EVIL.


Morgana

(beat) Well, when you put it that way, I imagine it is.  Greater beings toying with lesser is a form of enslavement I suppose, in much the way a 12 year old child might cause problems for an ant farm they shake up every few days.


Grenademan

THEN WE SHALL FIGHT THE FORCES OF EVIL.


Percival

What of the Gatling Guns you were going to give us?


Grenademan

THIS IS THE GREATER EVIL.  HOWEVER, I WILL DICTATE THE PLANS SO YOU CAN CONSTRUCT THEM IN A FEW DAYS.


King Arthur

Surely you cannot mean to seek alliance with this witch?


Grenademan

ONLY UNTIL THE GREATER EVIL IS SMITED.


Morgana

Oh my, this is truly amusing.  Sure, by all means, let’s take on the greater fae power we have no possible chance of defeating.


Grenademan

LET US GET STARTED WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL INSTRUCTION SIR PERCIVAL.