Author Archives: Bob Evans

Feeling alright

Despite the Republican insistence on going total ‘dirka dirka jihad‘ as an approach to governance, I am having a pretty decent week.

I’ve had some insights into a secondary character in my novel that I think brings out a more fully realized character and provides a nice bit of motivation for why she does what she does. She also surprised me by being married to another woman. I’ve heard author talk before about that their characters tell them whats what, but that’s not really how I operate. In this case I had started considering the spousal relations for Katarina and I know I did not want the usual power-couple you find in politics. Once i had the broad outlines of the kind of person for her spouse, I let my mind wander through scenes with different spouses and different bits of dialog.  Again and again I kept coming back to the same, off-world Scandinavian blonde. If that’s where my thoughts keep ending up, like some sort of orbit, then that where I need to be.

Also things look up on the job prospect. Right now I am a  temp but I’ve been told that my bosses are very pleased with my work and so I think when the probationary period ends it is likely that I will transition to a full time regular and unionized employee.

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Syria

So it looks like the U.S. has gotten an out on Syria, what with that country an Russia seeming to coming to an agreement that the vile nasty chemical weapons can be passed like a relay baton and this will make everyone happy. Well, no the people being bombed and shot to death but at least they won’t be gassed to death. As everyone know it’s not the destination but the journey that matters. As everyone knows 100,000 people killed in a series of fire bombing mission is honorable warfare, but 100,000 people killed in a single atomic mission is inhumane.

Despite the flippancy above I was strongly against U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war. I have great sympathy for the people suffering on the heel of a monstrous dictator, however I failed to see a compelling national interest. I opposed the War in Iraq and I look back and see all my fears validated in that conflict.

I hope Assad falls. I hope that by some dues ex machina if he should fall a non-extremist government might arise, but man I am not holding my breath on that one.

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Movie review: Europa Report

It is summertime at the movies and that means it is time for an endless parade of big budget spectacles with an average IQ inversely related to their swollen budgets. Europa-Report-posterHollywood’s idea of science-fiction is lots of running, explosions, and the barest framework to hang a plot upon. The movies of summer generally do not fare well upon close inspection, pull on a story thread and the entire plot is subject to unraveling.

This is not the case with the low budget independent film Europa Report. The cast doesn’t have anyone who was paid fifty million dollars to be in the production, the special effects are special in the manner that they don’t look extraordinary. Rather they do what special effects are supposed to do, make a fantastic setting feel real. If you saw the previews you might have the impression that Europa Report is some sort of alien horror film. That is not the case. Continue reading →

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For Sale: Two(2) memberships to LoneStarCon3 The World Science-Fiction Convention of 2013

Due that sudden unemployment of mine, my wife and I have two membership for this years WorldCon that we are not going to be able opt use.
We are willing to sell them for the price we paid for them $180 each. (Currently these memberships are priced at $240 per membership at the convention website.)

Leave me a reply or drop me an email if you are interested.

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My Sister-in-Law

Monday morning Juanita Evans, a member of my family for many many years passed away.

Juanita came to our family when she and my brother Lonny married. He was taken too soon from us in 1980 in a act of senseless gun violence and now they are reunited. My heart goes out to their two children, my nephew and niece, smart, talented people.

Juanita was a kind and loving woman of deep faith and though her life was one that witnessed many periods of darkness, she never lost her ability to smile or bring a smile to others. She will be missed.

I live on the other side of the continent from my family, and artifact of my time in the United States Navy, but distance does not diminish the bond of family. I hope she find peace, and love in the presence of the God she believed in.

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Warner Instant Archive – Review

Anyone who knows me, who has read even a smattering of this blog, knows that I adore movies. In fact one of my earliest memories of life is from a movie that I was playing, I think, upon a drive-in screen. (No, I don’t know the title and that frustrates me.) So when I learned that Warner Brothers Studios had started a new streaming service based around their deep catalog I was excited. Luckily the service came with a free two week trial.
I started two weeks, minus a day, ago and I have watched several films by way of their streaming service. Today I canceled the service and even if I were fully employed I still would have canceled. Continue reading →

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A real test today

I needed to keep the car today as I had a job interview. After dropping my sweetie-wife off at her job I headed home, fighting enormous hunger pains. I’m trying to be very good about the zero sugar and very little carbs requirements of my new diet and the desire for a McMuffin was nearly irresistible. I decided that more normal breakfast,a very modest thing simply would not do, and stopped off at a supermarket to picked up a small steak so I could have steak and eggs for breakfast. (My favorite breakfast meal.)

I didn’t get the steak but I did get sausage and and made a nice sausage omelet. I managed to shop and get home with giving in to those carbs that were ever so testing my WILL save.

The interview went well and now the waiting begins. You would think that as an aspiring author I would be better at waiting, but I am not.

 

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