Jay McKee out 2-4 weeks with an infected finger?

This means that Mark Eaton is the only normal starting defensemen currently on the Pens roster. We’ve seen great things from Skoula and the guys from WB/S so hopefully more good things are to come. Eaton left practice early today, but we can assume that he’s just taking it easy. God help us all.

Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang practiced today. Letang sported the red, no-contact jersey. We’re getting closer.

“Brooks is progressing along, but not ready for (Thursday) night we think,” Bylsma said. “Both Brooks and Gonchar are moving along in the right direction, so hopefully we get one of those guys back for (Thursday’s) game. It’s possible and we can call someone up if need be.“ (Pens)

It’d be great to see one of them back, but I hope no one is rushing.

I have come to this conclusion:

God hates the Penguins defensemen.

All of that being said, Pens still have a better defense than the Capitals.

Oh yeah. Max Talbot returns tomorrow. That deserves a post of it’s own, but I’m lazy.

posted by: pol

Esta vez McKee le da vueltas -en su aclamado “Guión”, cómo no- al “Imperativo de la Historia”. A lo que impone por el mero hecho de poder existir: digamos que estamos indagando en la conditio sine qua non de la creación de una historia. Y mal que me pese -porque me pesa- todo esto tiene que ver con la ideación. El primer acto creador, el esfuerzo mental primigenio por dar a luz a unos personajes, una situación, unos objetivos, unos hechos… Lo que el autor, como buen angloparlante, reduce a un término mucho más humilde: “diseño”.

The Story Imperative

Of the total creative effort represented in a finished work, 75 percent or more of a writer’s labor goes into designing story. [...]  Who are these characters? What do they want? Why do they want it? How do they go about getting it? What stops them? What are the consequences?

Una cuestión que constituye  una especie de “estreñimiento cósmico”, porque a todos cuesta un esfuerzo grande, muy grande. Pero es natural, habida cuenta del dolor que implica -aparte de su correspondiente gozo- traer al mundo una nueva vida. En resumidas cuentas, que es esencial, pero muy arduo, parir la idea.

posted by: pol

Lo que vendrá a continuación -de rato en rato, sin prisa- son algunas notas que voy tomando de la lectura de “El Guión”, de Robert McKee. Se trata de un manual que constituye, hoy por hoy, la lección más reconocida de escritura dramática para cine y televisión. El autor, uno de los grandes gurús de la materia, cobra millonadas por cada una de sus conferencias. Y si bien su libro puede ser sometido a discusión, como de hecho sucede, no se puede negar que aporta ideas verdaderamente brillantes. Iré dejando algunas de esas perlas: hoy, la primera.

What is story about?

It’s about principles, not rules.

It’s about eternal, universal forms, not formulas.

It’s about archetypes, not stereotypes.

It’s about thoroughness, not shortcuts.

It’s about mastering the art, not second-guessing the marketplace.

It’s about respect, not disdain, for the audience.

It’s about originality, not duplication.

(Esto es un resumen de las primeras 15 páginas del libro: una síntesis bastante acertada de lo que es y no es el “arte de contar historias”).

Quite the amazing performance by the Sharks in their dominant 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. My hatred for the Penguins may only be matched by my hatred for the Detroit Red Wings, and to see the Penguins demolished was beyond gratifying.

Where to start?

I was definitely wrong about Evgeni Nabokov. I don’t know what conditioning regiment this guy is on, but put the entire team on it. Three games in four nights and he comes out with a shutout. He stopped all 27 shots he faced. Wow. Can’t give him enough credit.

San Jose battled for every puck and came out with it most of the time. No one relaxed much — even after gaining a 4-0 advantage going into the third period.

Jamie McGinn scored the first goal from a bank-in off Marc-Andre Fleury’s left pad. You could feel something good was going to happen the whole night.

Joe Pavelski, yes, Joe Pavelski, finally came back to the lineup tonight after being out since the second game of the year. He didn’t disappoint. He put up two points (one goal, one assist) and didn’t have much rust. His assist really should have been a goal; the puck was headed in, but Dany Heatley slammed it home when the puck was about one inch from the goal line. Gotta love Heater!

Dan Boyle owned the ice tonight. It was his. No disputing that. He continuously carried the puck from the defensive zone all the way to the net for scoring chances. It looks like that broken thumb is fully healed, and he’s on a mission to contribute. One of those times coming down the ice, he deked a few Pens and snapped a shot past Fleury.  That was the end of Fleury, who was pulled right after. He allowed three goals on 14 shots.

Pittsburgh mailed it in during the third with some late hits and a few scrums. They became frustrated and tried taking it out on Sharks tough guys. Yea, not a good idea. Jay McKee made a run at Jody Shelley, who wasn’t really looking. The two dropped the gloves and Shelley ended up taking McKee down. Well, you think that would be the end for Shelley. He did his job, and can resume his role in the fourth line. Oh, contraire.

Eric Godard tried his hand at Shelley and Mr. Shelley handed Godard’s derriere to him on a bloodied, silver platter. Jersey jabs and right hooks galore from Shelley. Thank you! Come again!

After Joe Pavelski's original shot, Dany Heatley slams the puck home (From SJSHARKS.com)

Jordan Staal, much to Sharks fans’ amazement, took a few runs and delivered an elbow to Douglas Murray. Staal better watch himself in the parking lot. I may not be a big fan of Murray’s, but to deny his skills in fighting and toughness would be ignorant. Come on now Staal. You can’t bring your peach fuzz to a swedish meatball fight.

I got a little worried when the Sharks weren’t putting more goals in. They seemed to be a bit complacent for a stretch in the third, but it was those scrums that fired them back up. So, that would be the only criticism of the night.

I also saw Logan Couture on the penalty kill unit. Can’t say I’ve seen him on it before, but I like he’s getting more ice time. I read that he did move up a couple lines last game to play with Patrick Marleau and Manny Malhotra. Good to hear. (Malhotra, by the way, scored the fifth goal tonight on a shot through a bunch of traffic.)

Home Power Play

The Sharks ranked last in power play efficiency at home, somewhere around five percent. They netted two goals on the man advantage tonight. The entries and forecheck looked better tonight. Passes were sloppy, however, leading to Penguins clears and breakouts.

Injury Bug

NHL GameCenter Live used Pittsburgh’s feed and all the commentators would talk about is how injuries caused their recent play. Give me a break. Take a look at the Sharks who’ve been playing with five key players missing from their lineup, and they still managed to win six in a row. The Penguins just didn’t show effort tonight and looked awful. It won’t kill you to say that.

Other Notes

Hit-O-Meter: SJ 19  PIT 25; Scott Nichol and Murray both led with three hits a piece.

Sidney Crosby now has just one point in four games against the Sharks. Isn’t that great? San Jose has his number, and the Penguins’ number for that matter.

San Jose lost the faceoff battle. They lead the league in faceoff percentage with 56.8, and for them to lose to 19th-ranked Pittsburgh is surprising.

The Sharks get two days off before facing Nashville on Tuesday. The Sharks will look to extend their point-streak to nine games.

–Ray

I bounced into October with high expectations.  The editor had promised to give an answer “soon” on the Lucky Numbers proposal (and the first draft was finished).  I got some sales of short stories.  This blog had started to pick up some followers.  I had a copy of Innovation Passport in my hands, and I was headed for Atlanta to promote it.  And I got into an online script writing workshop, where I could finally get some real feedback on Warriors.

Since then, I’ve gotten a rejection from the editor.  A sold story needed to be cut by 1000 words.  Warriors was chewed up and spat out.  Don’t get me wrong. Good things happened, too, with a few freelance checks.  But the world seemed to be saying — for fiction at least — have fun writing your 10,000 words a week, but don’t expect to sell anything until you learn to plot, edit yourself and write more clearly.

Warriors has been the locus of most of the pain.  Several attempts at explaining white hat hacking and avatars were dismissed soundly by readers.  In fact, I keep fumbling in my online script workshop — everything from coming off as too critical to getting the syntax wrong when I log my postings.  I’m definitely the problem child there.  If I weren’t paid up to December, I’d probably be invited to leave immediately.  (This could happen anyway if I can’t find a way to connect with the alien culture of Hollywood.)

Obviously, the honeymoon is over for my life as a freelancer, but so what?  As Hammett said to Hellman in Julia, “You can quit now.  It’s not like anyone would miss you.”  I won’t quit, but I’m making mid-course corrections.

For instance, while I haven’t lost my faith in seat-of-the-pants writing, I don’t think a good feeling about the work, even after a cooling down period, is enough of a basis for rewriting.  To respond to that insight, I just immersed myself in Robert McKee’s Story (the book and the workshop), and I am putting in the time making index cards, analyzing scenes and otherwise delighting my left brain.

I have to be careful though.  I spent years doing the index cards and plotting thing and didn’t have the kind of success (or fun) I’m having now.  But it’s time for me to take a chance on adding this discipline back into my process.  Getting the balance right might take some time, but I have confidence I’ll figure this out.  I’ve already used some analysis to rework (for the fourth time) the first pages of Warriors.  They are now posted to my workshop, and I’m hopeful that better structure, along with a curbing of technobabble, will make for a solid start to this piece.  So that’s one lit candle.

As for Lucky Numbers, I’m looking for a second opinion.  And a third.  And a fourth.  And…  Well, before the ax fell, I already had various forms of it entered in eight different contests.  This feels brilliant to me now that my fingers are scorched from the rejection note.  I’ll get feedback in mid-November, and then in the beginning of December.  By then, I should have the perspective to rework the proposal and go after an agent.  So there’s a plan.  (The Charm Offensive is also out in the world of contests, with the first results due on Sunday.)

For my online group, I have a major tactic: Apologize and don’t screw up the same way twice.  It is the Anne of Green Gables approach, and it usually works.  Maybe not with this tough crowd, but who knows?  At the same time, I am hoping the rewrite of Warriors will move me from the “hopeless” category to the “not hopeless” category.  If it doesn’t, I’ll stop submitting it and move away from tech thrillers.  When I submit a romantic comedy I’m working on, I won’t worry about feedback that begins with “Nerd Alert!”

I did manage to cut the 1000 words form the short story, though it was painful.  It may be that the story is better.  I do miss the scenes that are gone, but  — to be truthful — the story still works without those words.  This kind of killing darlings is bloody and painful.  But maybe necessary.

The world is not throwing itself at my feet.  I shouldn’t be surprised.  But rather than running away, I’m sharpening my skills, mending my ways, getting work in front of people, changing my strategy and creating my own reasons for hope.  Watch.  Next week, I’ll have some good news.

Welcome to Boondogglers!

Boondogglers is a full service food company offering over 35 years of food service experience, placing food quality above all else.

Lascassas Quadrangle: Traveling north from Jefferson Pike, located off Dunaway’s Chapel Road to the right of a private driveway. Enclosed with a white fence and well maintained. Can be seen from the Dunaway’s Chapel Road.
Photographed by Madge Anne Florida Patton

WindsongGlass@dtccom.net

Sent to me by Gwen Boyd

gwenboyd2@bellsouth.net

Mable Florida

Daughter of R. B and M. L. Florida

30 Oct 1897

20 Oct 1897

R. B. Florida

(Gwen’s notes: Robert Bethel)

06 Jun 1870

06 Mar 1933

Myrtie McPeak

(Gwen’s notes: Myrtle B. Florida McPeak- daughter of R. B. and Maggie Florida; wife of Hollis Hilton McPeak)

29 May 1912

22 Aug 2002

Hollis H. McPeak

(Gwen’s notes: Hollis Hilton McPeak)

19 Aug 1915

24 Sep 1994

Ralph Parker Jr. 1952

(Gwen’s notes: grandson of Spencer and Lucille McKee)

Charles McKee 1926

(Gwen’s notes: son of Spencer and Lucille McKee)

Lucille McKee

(Gwen’s notes: Maggie Lucille Patterson McKee; wife of Spencer)

18 Apr 1907

25 Nov 1942

Spencer McKee

(Gwen’s notes: Spencer Jackson McKee)

23 Jan 1900

18 Oct 1974

"Pete" Guthrie E. Patterson

(Gwen’s notes: son of W. I. and Viola Patterson)

24 Apr 1928

13 Apr 1995

W. I. Patterson

(Gwen’s notes: William Ishiam Patterson)

08 May 1874

24 Aug 1937

Viola Patterson

(Gwen’s notes: Viola McKee Patterson; 2nd wife of W. I. Patterson)

07 Apr 1892

12 Aug 1932

J. W. Patterson

(Gwen’s notes: John W.)

14 Mar 1843

07 Jan 1902

Mary E. Patterson

(Gwen’s notes:  Mary E. "Mollie"; wife of John W. Patterson)

18 Feb 1851

13 Nov 1927

James A Kellow

(Gwen’s notes: served in WWI; grandson of J. W. and Mary Patterson)

22 Dec 1895

29 Sep 1918

Lessie M. Lester

(Gwen’s notes: Leslie Marvin Lester)

12 Jul 1885

19 Feb 1930

Bessie O. Dunaway

(Gwen’s notes: Bessie Ora; wife of Lessie)

30 Sep 1888

09 Apr 1964

Walter E. Blythe

1904

1986

Nona Mae Blythe

(Gwen’s notes:  Nona Mae Lester Blythe; wife of Walter)

1914

1967

Married 02 Oct 1938

Flora Patterson Dillon

wife of J. L. Dillon

(Gwen’s notes: wife f Josh L. Dillon; daughter of John W. and Mary E. Patterson)

18 Sep 1886

10 Aug 1906

Married

18 Aug 1905

—————————————————————————————————-

24 Aug 1937

Margaret Louella (Maggie) Patterson Florida

Feb 13, 1871

Oct 6, 1955

(Gwen’s notes: daughter of William Ishiam and (1^st wife) Anna Belle Mount Patterson and wife of R. B. Florida)

Webbs Jungle Quadrangle:  1/2 mile NW of Hoover Cemetery on US 41 on south side of Highway near old quarry.
Photographed by Patsy Paterson

2pats2cats@comcast.net

An over view of the cemetery.  This is an endangered cemetery.

little closer view.  Personally if it were me, I wouldn’t have gone any closer.   Thanks to Patsy for being a little braver!

Impossible to make out what it says.

Another view and still can’t read it.  Patsy said, "In the cemetery book are listed two graves. I saw two stones in this cemetery and another mound which had a cross beside it but no stone. One stone I could read with no problem (Willie Brandon McKee) but the other stone I could not. Perhaps the name was on the other side of the stone. It has fallen off the pedestal it was on and is laying down in the grass, weeds, etc. I could not move it."

Willie Brandon McKee

son of J. F. and Ludie McKee

31 Jan 1903

12 Feb 1920

Closer view of Willie Brandon’s stone.

The cemetery book also lists J. F. McKee

23 Mar 1860

01 May 1909

It could be his stone that is pictured above

Lasscassas Quadrangle.  at Dunnaway Chapel 
Photographed by Gwen Boyd

gwenboyd2@bellsouth.net

Willie Elizabeth Hall

(Gwen’s notes have Sallie, but it looks like Willie to me.)

1899

1974

Walter Eliza Hall

1895

1989

The full stone for the two above

William F. Jordan

12 Aug 1849

05 Oct 1940

Martha Hall Jordan

28 Mar 1859

J. Claiborne Harris

1876

1958

Eva J. Harris

1877

1966

Carl Terrell Harris

1949

1949

Mable J. Lester

1892

1936

Earnest C. Lester

(Gwen’s notes say Earnest Clarence)

1888

1946

Anna Jordan McKee

1885

1960

Jesse S. McKee

1880

1933

Howard Donald Jordan

03 Oct 1934

06 Dec 1934

(not in 1974 cemetery book)

Drury Lee Jordan

30 Mar 1939

11 Oct 1943

( not in cemetery book

Agnes Ernestine Fann

08 Feb 1924

27 Sep 1926

Ernest Doak Fann

29 Aug 1903

02 Sep 1945

Robert M. Bass

21 Nov 1908

18 Nov 1981

Maggie Bass Warrick

1881

1944

Charles G. Coursey

06 May 1910

21 May 1981

Lera O. Coursey

18 May 1909

02 Dec 1985

Vadie Hays Harris

1868

1945

Lyman Bucey

07 Apr 1889

06 Feb 1943

James S. Hall

25 Dec 1874

23 Jun 1949

Also known to be buried here:

Andrew Stephen Green Oct 28 1992

Henry Clay Spurlock

20 Mar 1896

22 Aug 1963

(PVT Battery E 20 Field Artillery WWI TN)

Today I did Tiffany and Micah’s engagement photos. We went down to old-town San Juan (my first time), for the shoot.
Tiffany McKee is a model, and one of the winners of the 2009 Wet Seal Model Search and Micah Henson – www.micahhenson.com/ – Singer/song-writer, and the brother of recent American Idol contestant, Mishavonna Henson – www.mishavonnahenson.org

Anyway. As I said before, this was my first time down to old town San Juan, and it DEFINITELY won’t be my last All of the old/abandoned buildings, the train tracks, the brick buildings… It was amazing!

I know you probably want to see some pictures now… But you can’t.
I will try to have some posted by Friday night. Keep checking back here!