On the filmographies of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett:

http://www.examiner.com/x-13366-Newark-Classic-Movie-Examiner~y2009m6d25-Death-of-two-icons

First, I wanted to thank everyone who voted. You are all awesome!

Second, a little update: I just had a telephone interview with the selection committee, who are gearing up to pick the Top 50, who will be whittle down to the Top 10 that will get flown out to California for an in-person interview. They really liked the video application I submitted, and they really like my answers and ideas that I shared in the interview.

They're going to list the names of the Top 50 candidates on Wednesday. If I'm among them, I would have to write a 500 word essay on why I'm the best person for the job.

So, moving ahead, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and trying not to get my hopes up. Also, it couldn't hurt to keep voting for me, if you haven't already.

I just applied to a job contest for a winery in California. Part of the application was sending in a video audition, which is now posted on the contest website. I need people to view it and favorite it, which will help me get an interview. Click on "View Videos" and search "Most Recent." The video that says "Robert, Bogota, NJ" is mine.

http://www.areallygoodejob.com/index.aspx

By the way, if any of you have seen "posts" from me with the subject line "On the Run," they're not mine. Somehow when I set up a Loud Twitter, someone else's Loud Twitter got set up to my LJ account. I'm working on getting this resolved.

http://www.examiner.com/x-13366-Newark-Classic-Films-Examiner~y2009m6d12-Alice-GuyBlache-First-Lady-of-Cinema

A little over a week ago I got a gig as writing for the Examiner as their Classic Films writer. They just published my first article for them.

My parents just took our dog to the vet to be put to sleep.

We got Scout 13 years ago, and she was a good little dog. This is also the longest we've ever had a pet, since our first dog died unexpectedly when she was eight. Both pets were sweet, loving dogs.

This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

BACON GUN!!



http://www.thisisfreakingridiculous.com/tifr/2009/4/13/ba-k-47.html

So, who wants to go meet Dan Aykroyd next Saturday at Gary's Wine in Wayne, where he'll be selling and signing bottles of his Crystal Skull Vodka?

http://www.garyswine.com/local/dan_aykroyd_garys_wine.html

Last week, I worked one day at a Web developer -- which I got through a staffing agency -- proofreading web content and making sure all the links were accurate. It was a pretty enjoyable gig, and the people there were very friendly. It went so well, in fact, that they said they want to have me back again soon, which is promising.

I also have an interview tomorrow -- again through a staffing agency -- with the Children's Aid Society. They need a copywriter to write promotional material, and they're interested in me based on my experience writing human interest stories for the newspaper I worked for.

I also applied for a travel magazine to write freelance articles about New Jersey. While they're booked up for their immediate assignments, they're going to keep in mind for other upcoming assigments. I should probably stay on top of these people to make sure they remember in the future.

It's funny how a series of events can lead you to something unexpected and amazing.

Last night we had a power outage on our block, so I decided that I would head over to Borders at the Garden State Plaza a hang out in the cafe with a coffee and a magazine. As I was heading out, the lights came back on, but I figured, "what the hell, I'm already out the door, I might as well go."

When I got to Borders, I grabbed a couple of magazines and claimed a table and went to order a drink. There was someone online already, placing an order, and he looked really familiar; he looked like my best friend from my Starbucks days, Ronnie. But I thought there was no way it could possibly be him. So I walked past him to the register to place my order. As I did so, we both kind of glanced at each other, and did a bit of a double take. For a few seconds, while he was waiting for his order, we were both eyeballing each other and that's when he said, "Rob?" And I knew I had been right.

It was my friend, whom I haven't seen for 10 years. To give you an idea of how long it's been, the last time we had hung out, we went to see "The Phantom Menace" when it was still in theatres. He had just moved in with his girlfriend at the time, and we ended up losing track of each other over years.

We spent the next hour catching up, and I found out that he had gotten married, had a kid and gotten divorced, as well as joined the Army and went to Iraq since I had last seen him.

If the power hadn't gone off, I never would have thought to go to Borders, and I never would have been reunited with my best friend.

We exchanged emails and phone numbers to make sure another 10 years doesn't go by before we see each other again.

To make it the story even more unbelievable, as we were leaving Borders, I saw annoying Denver Rocky Horror guy walking in. I couldn't help thinking, "Aaaaaaaahhhhh, my two worlds converging!"

As most of you know, I lost my job back in April due to downsizing. I've been trying to find employment ever since, but to no avail.

So, if there is anyone out there on my friends list who know of open positions where they work, please let me know, and I'll send over a resume.

I really thought that given my experience and accomplishments I would have found a job much sooner, but I guess the job market is in dire straights right now.

For Christmas, I picked up a book that I've had my eye on for awhile now. It's called "Roads" and was written in 1938 for Weird Tales magazine by pulp writer Seabury Quinn.

The best way to describe it is that it's a Santa Claus origin story, in the style of "Batman Begins" meets "Gladiator." It imagines Santa as starting out as a Germanic gladiator for King Herod who wins his freedom and begins the journey home to "the Northlands." Along the way he encouters Roman soldiers slaughtering Jewish male children under the age of two, and gets all Punisher on their ass, going into what's described as "a Viking fury" and slays (sleighs?) the Roman soldiers, which makes him a wanted man. It also bestows upon him immortality, because one of the families he saves on the road is Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

The story continues, showing how Santa -- referred to here as "Claus" -- goes from warrior to bearer of gifts.

I'm really surprised this hasn't been turned into a movie yet. The action is bloody, graphic and brutal, and would make for a great R-Rated Holiday movie.

So, I'm thinking of submitting that Zombie train story that I wrote on Apri Fool's Day to a Fantasy / Horror Magazine for publication, and I was wondering if anyone had some ideas or criticisms on how I can improve it or punch it up a bit.

I was really sad to hear yesterday that bestselling author Michael Crichton died on Tuesday from cancer. Everyone knows, I think, how passionate I am about writing--and reading--so this news is especially poignant for me, as I credit Crichton and his works for inspiring that passion.

I never really enjoyed reading throughout most of high school, mainly because of the required reading lists that featured classic, but dense, works that made you want to pluck your eyes out with an olive fork. For every "Animal Farm" or "Lord of the Flies," there were books like "The Jungle" or "House of the Seven Gables" that put you right to sleep. As a result, I hated books and I hated reading.

Then, in Junior year, I read--for shits and giggles--"Rising Sun" and "Jurassic Park" back to back, and I realized what was so great about reading. I realized I didn't hate reading, I just hated reading what other people told me I should read. So much history and information was packed into those two novels, that I felt like I had learned something while being entertained--an experience I had never had with reading before. I learned about Japanese culture, computer technology, genetics, biology, all wrapped up in two top-notch thrillers.

From there, I read "Sphere," "Congo," "The Andromeda Strain," "Eaters of the Dead," "The Lost World, and his autobiographical "Travels," which is still one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books by any author.

Not content with just being a novelist, Crichton worked hard to be a Renaissance man, of sorts, who also dabbled in film directing and producing, as well as continuing scholarly pursuits. I always admired his ability to move back and forth so seemlessly from one career to another, and with such success.

While he left behind an impressive body of work, it's always sad to think what projects were left unfinished, unstarted, or barely formed in his imagination.

So, I want to go as the Jack Knight incarnation of Starman for one of my costumes, and I was wondering if anyone had any cheap and easy ideas on how to I could construct a Cosmic Rod.

Also, any ideas on how I could attach a copy of the astrology insignia that he wears on the back of his jacket?

Only in Australia...

With great food comes great responsibility. You won't find that in any comic book, but when it comes to the culinary arts, just because you can combine two flavors doesn't necessarily mean you should.

As I found myself with an overabundance (a bun dance?) of surplus July 4th barbecue goodies, I decided to quench my culinary curiosities and see just how sophisticated I could make my All-American hot dogs and hamburgers, using typical gourmet or seemingly gourmet ingredients and condiments.

Two burgers, two furters, and a whole lot of curiosity -- a recipe for catastrophe...or good eats?

First up, a hot dog topped with honey dijon mustard and capers. The sweetness of the mustard (which also brought the heat) balanced the saltiness of the capers, providing an explosion of sweet and savory for my taste buds. I have dubbed this The Pretentious Fuck-furter, for as much as I would like to kid myself that I was experimenting or being adventurous, really I was just being a pretentious fuck.

Next up, Mango and Peach Salsa on a veggie burger -- a veggie burger marinated in Maggi's Steak Sauce and Sesame Oil. Even without the meat, this burger delivered the goods. It was sweet, it was savory, it made me tear up a little bit as I contemplated by place in the universe -- it inspires that much emotion. All in all, the undisputed champ of the experiment.

The final experiment, or as I like to call it A Furter Too Far, combined the eponymous frank furter with the aforementioned Mango and Peach Salsa. I liken this to surfing the internet while watching TV -- kinda fun, but neither activity really gets full attention. The salsa tasted just fine, and the dog tasted the way a hot dog should, but neither flavor should be brought together again at the risk of tearing a hole in the nexus of the universe.

On a sidenote, it's funny -- and kind of amazing -- how tastes change over time. It took 27 years for me to finally start putting something other than mustard and sauerkraut on my hot dogs. I'm speaking of relish, which, if you suggested that to me before I had entered my late-20s, well, you may as well have told my to put rhinoceros boogers on my frankfurter, since both would have the same lack of appeal.

Now, I'm putting all manner of condiments and sauces on my food, experimenting with different spices and flavorings, and wondering what CAN'T I put Old Bay Seasoning on without fear of permanent physical or psychological damage.

I just created a fiction writing community on LJ, inspired by anthology pulp magazines like "Weird Tales."

Any aspiring writers out there are more than welcome to post any of their weird fiction, in the horror, science fiction, steampunk and adventure genres. This includes short stories, poetry, serialized stories, book and movie reviews, or even plays or comic strips.

Here is the ink: http://community.livejournal.com/lunatic_mind/