| Rabbits. Cute Rabbits. Cute Pink Rabbits. |
[Nov. 20th, 2007|10:12 pm] |
The countdown has begun; be prepared for the launch of Bunny Two: The book of perpetual bewilderment, ISBN 9780955340369, which is available to preorder from Freak Ash Books NOW (that's right, Now) at a very reasonable £5, two pounds cheaper than the RRP.
Also, you can buy the first Bunny Book for £3, and a new snazzy Bunny Poster for £3 as well; it's all go here in the wonderful world of book publishing.
And it looks fantastic, isn't it just great? |
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| Something Journalism this way comes... |
[Oct. 31st, 2007|05:32 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Why not quixotic, Eh? | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  quixotic | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Trying to compile an 'edition day album' because I'm sad. | ] |
So, it's the thirty first of October. Apparently this day is significant, at least in the costume selling industry. Since I'm not so much in that industry as I'm in the 'desperately looking for projects' business, that doesn't concern me unduly.
Of course, what does concern me is that today is significant for my projects. The Bunny 2 Preorders have been running for a couple of days now and are so far making a reasonable rate of return (acceptable, at least), so I'm generally happy with that.
In addition, today is the day the first full edition of Reading Online News (www.readingnews.org) goes live. Under the careful stewardship of Mr Peter Waters, this should be an interesting edition, especially given that every crisis it seems reasonable to expect to happen has indeed happened; it may not be the best edition ever, but it shows, at the very least, how well the team is able to deal with a crisis (here's hoping that it's well).
Not all fun and games though; my management style is called into question more than just a little bit by the current attrition rate among my editors; a team of eight has exactly two members the same as it did last month; only one of which is in the same job. In addition, the editor of another of my projects has resigned, for reasons I understand; it gives me a choice of either recruiting from a pool of people I have no knowledge of, or of closing down the longest running project I've ever been involved in. This clearly calls for some decision making ability I just don't have.
In addition to my management ability, I have to wonder if my personal skills are also returning to their state of 'sadly lacking' rather than merely 'clumsily inept' as an old friend contacted me the other day, a friend whom I miss greatly, and I seem to have fantastically alienated them once more with what cannot have been three lines of text.
Well done, Sanders. |
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| Something Remnants This Way Comes. |
[Aug. 18th, 2007|07:36 am] |
It is now less than a month until the launch of The Maker's Mark: Remnants, (www.tmm.freakash.net), and thus less than a month until another book had been published by Freak Ash Ltd.
This one is very much a Government of all talents; written by something in the area of ten writers, including the ever popular Mr Anthony Burn, author of The Last Echo (www.freakash.net), Mr Simon Burn, and Mr Jon Garrad; two other Freak Ash regulars.
In addition to all this, the artwork for the book, and for the website (featuring webcomic), is provided by Huw "Lem" Davies, deservedly popular artist whose talents we are lucky to have the use of (he also does that rather funny Bunny webcomic), with the script for ther webcomic being provided by Mr Jeffrey Pagenton, a talented newcomer to the e-stage.
So yes, everything about the book etc. is available at www.tmm.freakash.net, so get on down there and check it out!
That address again: www.tmm.freakash.net |
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| Photos... |
[Jul. 12th, 2007|04:19 pm] |
The Internet is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
The answer, of course, is "yes, obviously Sanders, what are you getting at?"
Well, I'm not entirely sure; I've had the unrivalled pleasure of trying to think of cool and snazzy new ways to use the internet this week, as I've experienced a certain level of boredom between pieces of work and playing Gears of War/F.E.A.R.
So; what's the best place to upload photos on the internet? Well, Facebook appears to be one of the absolute favourites among everyone I know, but I'm growing quite fond (after a mere two hours of use, mind you), of Flickr, Yahoo's photo upload service; it's simple to use and register for, and allows you to quite easily sort and categorise your photos, like mine from Silverstone last weekend.
Having finished the shameless promotion of Yahoo's products, on with the normal purpose of a blog; to talk about something or no real significance.
The next few months are going to be a busy and hectic time for those of us here at Freak Ash Ltd; rolling out advertising campaigns for Conspiracy of Fire, by Michael T. Sanders, Playing with Fire, by Nick Langston-Able, and The Maker's Mark: Remnants--a new short story anthology we're launching on September 15th.
More info to follow on all of this, you lucky, lucky people. |
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| Counting...Not that hard, surely? |
[Jul. 5th, 2007|03:16 am] |
Having nearly finished the tax returns, I go about the amusing task of checking facebook at just gone 3AM--that's just how cool I am.
So, playing 'find random links between people', an amusing little game for people whose hobbies include recreational mathematics and accounting....just me, eh?....I discover that one of my friends from 'elementary school' currently off in foreign climes, has two friends at Uni. Reading--obviously I'm one of them, but who's the other? Could it be someone I know? Some bizarre six degrees of separation type link between us?
So i check it out, only to find that, in fact, the list contains only Michael Sanders. How exactly it managed to count a group containing only me up and decide that it had two members I'm just not sure. Alas, poor internet, you have failed me once more.
On a cheerier note, I'm now in my somewhat snazzier new room, which means I'm much more comfortable when doing work at 3:13AM.
Silver linings, Sanders, Silver linings. |
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| Projects... |
[May. 17th, 2007|04:53 pm] |
Now, I may be one of those obsessive types, who likes to have a million projects on the go at the same time, but there seems to be something dangeorusly wrong with the way everyone else runs things...
...Principally, they have some plan for their life, let's say it corresponds to some
f(w, s, l, e, d, h)
where:
w=Work
s= Sleep
l= Leisure
e= Eating
d= Drinking
h = hobbies
Given this, any project needs to be incorporated into the framework; running it either takes time out of work or hobbies or whatever, and thus there will be no kind of effect, translatory or otherwise, to the formula to take into account the project; regardless of it's importance, meaning that those of us represented by some
g(w, e, p)
where
p= Projects
have to pick up the slack they leave if the project, upon which our function depends extremely heavily, is to continue and thrive.
Grr, Arrgh.
Thought for the day; Workload is homogeneous of degree >1 |
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| Woo |
[May. 1st, 2007|10:53 am] |
hahahahahaha, We have a fourth housemate.
Joining us here in Project City. Home of Projects, the Project Government, and so on. Outside are the project suburbs, complete with small families of middle-class projects who drive around in their sensible family cars...
...and that's when Sanders went insane. Question is, though; where did all this work come from? |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 1st, 2007|10:40 am] |
Well, two weeks ago saw the beginning of the new series of House; this can only mean one thing; that I will be rendered useless for roughly one hour every week. Awesome.
However, inspired by the good Mr P, I will be writing a meme today, to pass the time between coffee appointments. Because I'm just that productive.
What size bed do you have?
Single, annoyingly. Width not so much of a problem as length in this case.
Who's your second mom?
What a strange question; why could I possibly need more than one? Sam's fairly motherly, for much the same reasons as Ro; i think it's the whole female "Don't run too fast" instinct that does it.
Do you have "your chair" or "your spot" on the couch in your house?
I have the dark recesses of my room, in which I'm prone to lurking. And the chair in the living room usually covered in crap is technically mine, insofar as I paid for it.
Which friend's house do you spend the most time at?:
Good question. Do I have friends? Probably Vez's
What was your favorite class in high school?
Economics; good choice on the degree, there.
What are your first memories?
Waking up this morning.
How much did you weigh when you were born?
Not a clue. Didn't think to ask at the time.
Did you use paper bags or a lunch box?
Lunch is for sissys.
What's the last CD you bought?
I buy CD's? Surely that defeats the purpose of iTunes. (answer stolen from Simon)
Do you play your music at harmful decibel levels?
Noise? Bah.
iTunes or Windows Media Player?
itunes; I am a servant of the smaller, lighter of the two corporate giants.
What is the number one characteristic you look for in a guy/girl?
Buggered if I know, can't say I give it much thought.
Do you dress for style or comfort?
Style is something that happens to other people.
Microwave or stove?
AGA
Are you addicted to fizzy drinks?
Well yes, but that's nothing compared to the awesome size of my coffee addiction
When you find a favorite song do you listen to it over and over?
For about two weeks.
Stranded on a desert island... what 3 things would you take with you?
Hmm, tough one. Helicopter, lots of fuel and a sandwich? Too practical?
Should country music die?
I've already called out a hit.
Should the guy make the first move?
Depends if he's playing as Whites or not.
Movie theatre or Blockbuster?
DVDs
Do you like pump tops or flip caps better?
Hmm?
Are you afraid of heights?
I'm afraid of the ground, where fear (f) can be expressed thus;
f = ae'h
where a is some constant >1, and h, obviously, is height.
How about clowns?
What about clowns?
Do you have a credit/debit card?
Some, yes. Um, if by some you mean a lot. They're fun.
How much money do you have in the bank right now?
Some.
If you were alive in the 60s, would you have been a hippie?
Almost certainly not. Diametrically opposed views, et al.
Would you have been obsessed with the Elvis?
Again, probably not.
How about the Beatles?
Woo yeah!
Are lottery tickets a waste of money?
Yes. And a Sin.
Are you cool with "living together"?
"Yes."
Do you use a lot of abbreviations on IM?
N. ASL?
Do blondes really have more fun?
Than who? Me? Probably?
If you could live in another country, what would it be?
New Hampshire Woo. Largely because of president bartlett, but whatever.
Is there too much security everywhere these days?
I can't talk now. They're watching.
Where were you when you heard about the World Trade Towers?
In front of the television.
Does brown belt and black shoes bother you?
I don't get bothered by brownbelts.
Do you follow fashion rules like "no white after labor day"?
I follow fashion rules like "No white." so i guess so.
What bank do you use?
depends what mood I'm in.
Are camera phones worth it?
There's a dire consequences? Is it taking my soul?
Are there too many commercials on TV?
Not on the BBC.
How many times have you moved?
An Infinite number.
What can you see out your bedroom window?
The street. If I ever opened the curtains.
Was O.J. Simpson guilty?
Looks that way.
Do you like crab-meat?
Yes.
Are you lactose intolerant?
Yes, that lactose keeps coming over here, taking our jobs, stealing our women...
Are guys or girls better kissers?
I honestly couldn't tell you.
Was any member of your family a Mason?
I'd tell you, but then I;d have to kill you.
Can you recite the first paragraph of the Gettysburg Address?
Depends on how I'm feeling.
Are your parents proud of you?
Doubtful.
Do you have a universal password?
I have the universal password.
How many numbers do you have in your phone?
Don't know. There are ten numbers on it though, and who could ask for any more than that? |
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| Waiting for Fire... |
[Mar. 20th, 2007|10:31 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | "Oh god oh god we're all going to die." | ] |
| [ | music |
| | (sadly) "Music and Lyrics Soundtrack Album" | ] |
Hurry up and wait is a very artistic saying. It doesn't really make any sense, I don't think, however, it seems to genuinely apply with surprising regularity.
I sit here at the moment, in eager anticipation of my Micro-Economics Exam tomorrow, which could easily spell the end of my enjoyment thus far of University Education, largely because I feel ridiculously unprepared, but mostly because I suspect that this is a genuinely important exam; my previous averages won't stand up to too much of a beating, but my body decided that now was a good time to pack it all in, just when I need to be at the absolute top of my game in every possible way.
On the upside, in terms of the PWF Cover;
This Ends. Tonight. |
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| SEVEN DAYS! |
[Mar. 18th, 2007|09:57 pm] |
In seven days I will be on holiday. It'd be nice to think I've earned it, but I sincerely doubt that I have. In the meantime, have a snippit of melodramatic dialogue.
"What are we to do?" McInnes asked, turning to Robbins, and the young woman's face took on an expression of resolute determination.
"Prepare our swords, staves and shields; the war is about to come to Earley House."
"And when it does?"
"We will stand fast, and pray that a few good men can change the course of history."
Michael Sanders, thinking about the world in trailer since 1986. |
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| They're not really people at all... |
[Mar. 13th, 2007|01:02 am] |
I hear there are people in the world for whom having an Aga in your house is not something to aspire to. Bah, i say. Bah.
Clearly they've never encountered the unbridled joy that is a large metal oven. |
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| Differential Diagnosis, People |
[Nov. 9th, 2006|12:20 am] |
Guess what I've spent much of the past week doing? that's right, watching House. I've got nothing better to do with my time. Or rather, i have plenty of better things to be doing with my time, but I choose this instead.
For the first time in my life, I'm writing a book with actual deadlines. March. I have until march to turn out a full length novel of at least passable quality. In real terms, this works out about at me writing 1000 words a day. Good thing I don't have anything else to do.
But House is calling me!
Such a pretty screen...and how are his eyes so blue??? |
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| The perfect Protagonist: |
[Oct. 29th, 2006|09:54 am] |
I've been giving some thought as to what the perfect character would be this morning.
Suggestions welcome.
The year is 2006.
The place, Freak Ash Books... |
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| Administration. |
[Oct. 27th, 2006|09:24 pm] |
Well, its been a while since my last entry, so what's happened in the interim??
Mostly boring administrative stuff (as part of my role as Freak Ash's boring administrator), but the arrangements are coming on quite nicely for the launch of Conspiracy of Fire, the second book by Freak Ash Books and the project currently taking up the vast majority of my company time.
Nielsen are bothering me this week, as they have yet to get all of our details correct, and it takes forever for us to get orders through from them; hopefully this will improve as time goes on.
That's really all I've got time for, as I have an early shift tomorrow, after which i want to finally get on with ASB and the New Filing System (TM) Of course, this would all be made much easier if I, yannow, had any disposable income left to speak of.
Alas, the call of coffee has reduced me to an empty, penniless human being.
tata, more cheerful blog tomorrow. |
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| The Last Echo |
[Oct. 23rd, 2006|01:11 am] |
Freak Ash Books, a trading name of Freak Ash Ltd (www.freakash.net) has just published its first book, a romantic comedy entitled "The Last Echo" written by Anthony Burn.
Now, I'm not normally the kind of guy to go in for Romantic Comedies (as anyone who's read Conspiracy of Fire will be able to tell you), but this is actually really good; I managed to read it in just two sittings, while busy with various other bits of work. Its a light read, but compelling enough to make you get to the end without any trouble at all, and feel satisfied come the end.
Buy it now from Waterstones or Amazon--please! Read Jeff's blog for more info.
PS: We have the internet back, I feel human again. |
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| And so it begins... |
[Oct. 7th, 2006|10:18 am] |
There is a hole in your mind.
Hard to resist these little B5 moments early in the morning, sorry.
My fees are now paid, so I'm officially a 2nd Year Undergraduate; not massive feat, most people (but not all, it seems), manage it.
What I am rather amused by is that my timetable, which shows between 9AM and 9PM Monday to Sunday, contains exactly eleven spaces; that's eleven hours during which I'm not doing something.
And whoisron hasn't even started working yet.
Oh well, it's all a bit of a laugh, isn't it; I'm still young, right?
Alas, no; my hair is starting to fall out. |
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| We will resume regular programming shortly. |
[Oct. 5th, 2006|08:01 pm] |
I hate distributors, as I hate Hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Oh, and waterstones. They're no fucking bargain, neither.
But everything's good in the world, because tomorrow I'm not working.
Much.
By which I mean; any more than absolutely necessary. |
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| The News in brief. |
[Oct. 2nd, 2006|06:26 pm] |
So, I've been back in Reading for a week and two days now, and what have I achieved?
Well, the internet still doesn't work, but I've sifted through an enormous pile of paperwork and (hopefully) in so doing cut the costs faced by Freak Ash by around, ooh, 1.25%; not a massive feat, but its an important step, I feel, on the path to world domination.
The Reading Assassins Guild is currently being planned and bought together, which, as the Umpire, I probably have had some kind of a hand in.
Editing of Conspiracy of Fire is coming along apace, and the marketing for The Last Echo (Available from Next Tuesday) is beginning proper.
My room has gone from pokey little box with my stuff in it to fully fledged office/living space, lacking only a few of life's essentials before it becomes almighty and impressive (most of these essentials run on, surprise surprise, electricity).
The plans, specifically those of other people, for a new online student newsletter for Reading, have begun and are getting my full support, if not necessarily a lot of my time; this is, of course, because I don't have a lot of my time left available to me, boring sod that I am.
That's about it, I think; myself and Jeff will be blogging more regularly once the internet is working, keeping anyone who cares up to date with Freak Ash based events and happenings, as well as those behind the scenes; enjoy your October. |
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| Mind Control |
[Sep. 7th, 2006|03:01 pm] |
Entlis was tied to a chair in the centre of her quarters, unable to free herself and still groggy from the drugs. A man stepped out of the shadows and approached her.
In the half-light she could make out that he was a tall, muscular man wearing jeans and a t-shirt, in which he seemed uncomfortable, as though he were used to wearing heavier clothing.
"Now, miss Entlis; I need to know the secrets of the Alliance."
"I don't know what you're talking about." she replied with the practiced line.
"I'd love to believe you, really I would, but my last quarry led me to you, and so here I am." He stood in front of her now, his face, marked with chiselled features and a collection of thin scars, was level with her own.
"And you will tell me what I want to know, one way, or the other." He stood back and placed his palm against her forehead, wrapping his thumb and forefinger around her head and squeezed gently.
She felt his presence inside her mind, an unwanted invader ploughing without respect through her thoughts.
Not finished will update later |
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