AI-Generated Story

So this is what I got upon entering dialogue from “The Tick” airing on Amazon Prime.

I went to http://www.talktotransformer.com and entered actual dialogue:

The Tick completion came out…

TICK: In your life you’re always changing.
TICK: Your world, your life; what you’ve become is like a new reality when you’ve entered it.

Kevin: You know “let’s‖go‭ and you know “go‭ and let’s―go―. I have to go. Beyond go Do not pass go.

Kevin: Maybe I changed.
Tick: ‏Can’t tell between different beings?
Tick: No, you know what, this is where it gets really interesting. Just as the universe does different things every time, different beings and cultures have different beliefs on the right thing to do and what “the” same means. The same person holding conflicting viewpoints on the right thing to do and what

Tick: All of an individual’s thoughts in one’s head is irrelevant to you.

Tick: All of an individual’s thoughts in one’s head is irrelevant to you. The only thing that you should care about is the way things go. Or is destiny trying to tell me something?

Your Thoughts

When you do the “You’re on the fence” thing, don’t get angry because you’re just feeling bad, or that you’re scared or upset. It’s probably a combination of both. I think when people get that reaction, they are probably trying to say, ‘This is my opinion, and I don’t like it. I have a right to it, but I’m not going to take it.’

What is wrong with you?

Do you have a brain on fire? I do.

Your thoughts about the weather don’t mean a thing.

Think more than just thinking, you have emotions too, too.

Don’t let yourself think like that.

It is important to be realistic and allow your feelings to show in your actions. Do something, do something.

It does happen to me sometimes to do something that causes anxiety or depression. I think it shows you’re concerned about your feelings because you think ‘I don’t care if I go to work, but I’ll go to the movies if I’m not at home when it gets late.’ But it’s not like that. You’re taking something that is real about your feelings and throwing that

They’re in an impossible situation, I guess.
And that’s why I’m left with an eerie feeling. There are more than just ordinary men and women fighting a desperate war to protect something they can’t understand. A world that they can barely comprehend.
I wish I could understand what makes them so vigilant, why they want to fight, even if they are surrounded by their own strange ideas, beliefs and emotions.
A little something, but no more than that.
In a time when we need so desperately

The Tick (Is This The End?)

“The Tick” series went into hibernation Friday, June 14, when the show’s creator Ben Edlund announced on Twitter, “After much door-knocking we have found no new home for the Tick series in this current market.”

“Please continue to choose love and hope good things,” Edlund tweeted later.

The show aired for two seasons on Amazon Prime and may still be viewed there.

As Amazon Prime won’t bring it out of hibernation, other fans and I asked Netflix to pick “The Tick” up – and profit. The plea was made via a Change.org petition.

Although there may be no season three, critics have high praise for the series.

“The Tick” features an accountant named Arthur searching for his father’s killer – a villain named “The Terror” who is presumed dead. The premise occurs in a backdrop called “The Age of Superheroes.”

While searching for “The Terror,” Arthur meets the superhero “The Tick,” who helps him in his search and initiates Arthur into following “Destiny’s call” as a superhero. The duo encounter superheroes and supervillains along the way to resolving “The Terror” issue.

Season two, they embark on a story arc featuring a new foe called “The Duke,” an agency employing superheroes, a giant lobster “Monster” turned “Momster,” lobster babies – all this while recruiting new superhero friends, encountering fiends and obstacles, and finding the meaning of family.

Awesome, highly-rated subversive humor parodying the superhero genre while tugging heartstrings infuses “The Tick.”

Fans would like to send heartfelt wake-up calls for a series renewal and bring it out of hibernation, preferably in the current format but any option short of none is open to discussion. Continuing the current storyline is preferred.

My ideas – book, graphic novel, movie or script – are illustrated here:

What do you think?

Comments below are welcome and encouraged.

Save “The Tick”

As the previous post noted, I’m part of the #SaveTheTick effort.

It now has a new site:

www.savetheticktv.com

Here’s my letter to various tv execs noted at that site:

I hope to “Tick” you off in a positive way.
Please provide a new home for “The Tick” TV show.
In May, Amazon Prime cancelled the witty comedy sci-fi series after an amazing tightly-written second season centering on the Tick’s heroic exploits with team mate Arthur.
Be warned – “The Tick” grows on you.
Each 30-minute episode compels obsessive viewing, according to viewers.
Such Twitter testimonies may be read at #SaveTheTick and #LunaTickArmy.
Acquiring “The Tick” will boost subscriptions to any streaming service due to these vocal viewers. The skilled writers, deft directors, Emmy-nominated music, imaginative sets (like Dangerboat, Arthur’s Apt., Aegis HQ – you have to see these), and talented actors will draw other subscribers.
In reality, it’s difficult to describe the series. Some scenes are reminiscent of “Batman” (1966) with deadpan delivery of magnificent lines while other parts echo “The Greatest American Hero” (1981) as heroes struggle with new-found powers and their responsibilities. When the title character is in full blue view, expect downright upbeat crime fighting at its best.
“Batman” long ago left prime time and “The Greatest American Hero” didn’t fly well.
The only positive superheroes left are The Tick and Arthur.

Their stories aren’t over. We need more optimistic trailblazing adventures aired.
On Twitter, I’ve tweeted #SaveTheTick the following:
“The Tick,” blue superhero bold, Should see another season sold. For Arthur, friends, and foes as well, Too many tales remain to tell.
Goofy, I know, but there are viewers out there to inspire.
Watch seasons one and two of this delightful superhero saga and you’ll see clever wit and dialogue such as the following: In one scene, Dot says listening to Arthur, The Tick, and the character Overkill is like “being held hostage at a non-sequitur poetry slam.”
My wife prefers another scene – one featuring the character Superion’s voiceover in parody of “Superman” (1978) while flying a screaming E. Morgan Pearl (a journalist critical of Superion) through the sky.
My wife quickly got the joke and enjoyed a lengthy laugh.

Superion (right) flies through the sky towing a terrified hostage
The show’s pending demise prompted articles lamenting its loss.
A Den of Geek article notes “Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman are immensely funny and likeable as the Tick and Arthur, the eternally sweet crime-fighting duo at the show’s core, and Valerie Curry and Scott Speiser hit just the right note of awkward laughs and sexual tension as the newly formed superhero team of Dot and Overkill.”
http://amp.denofgeek.com/us/tv/281568/recent-tv-shows-cancelled-too-soon?__twitter_impression=true
Culturess.com noted “The Tick is prime example of what a superhero show could be.”
https://culturess.com/2019/06/06/the-tick-is-a-prime-example-of-what-a-superhero-show-could-be/
The article, written by Lauren Sisselman, provides more detail about the series and ends by stating:
“The show was funny, honest, and very engrossing. Here’s hoping another studio picks this show up!”
My sentiments exactly.

Artificial Intelligence

I’m part of an effort on Twitter to #SaveTheTick as it’s one of my favorite shows set for demise.

https://www.change.org/p/netflix-save-the-tick?recruited_by_id=49bb1130-8ba2-11e9-8d6d-5fd7272dd5da&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Entered the bold dialogue from “The Tick” into an AI story generator at:

https://talktotransformer.com/

Destiny is on the phone.
It’s a party line, and we’re all invited! The Tick added to that statement, “If not, then come on in!”
And that’s where we left everyone else once a couple of dozen kids started throwing firecrackers near the house.
“Look, I’m not going to pretend to be someone who knows how to keep these things away from kids.” The Tick continued. “But I do like them. I find their interest in the stuff really interesting and, really, I can’t say enough good things about them.”

That story makes sense, in a way.

Series explanation here:

https://thefederalist.com/2019/04/22/amazons-tick-better-superhero-movies-parodying/

Covers

A friend of mine recently made a CD featuring original songs and their covers.

Here’s my entry:

Working in The Coal Mine

And of course Devo

Why Spellsinger Movie?

I saw “Heavy Metal” at the movies three times.                        

That animated feature showed Rock ‘n’ Roll short films that were just plain cool.

Rock remains part of my life that helps me feel good.

Now there’s a move toward making one of my favorite fantasy books featuring Rock into a movie – Spellsinger.

The book poses the question “Can an amateur musician draw the magic from the music before evil forces overcome the worlds he knows?”

Spellsinger as a movie will sell tickets and earn dollars because anything featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll, magic, fighting overwhelming odds, human and anthropomorphic characters with subversive humor and even a patriotic theme will attract both Baby Boomers and rebellious teens.

Think Lord of the Rings – both feature quests into hostile territory – except Spellsinger’s content is a bit lighter and features Rock instead of classical music.

http://spellsingerthemovie.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/what-is-spellsinger-about/

Spellsingers’ characters themselves attract the liberal and conservative, the wise greybeard (a turtle this time out), a young peacenik man pulled from a rite of passage into yet deeper rites of good battling evil, a cowardly thief unsure there may be something in life worth fighting for, a strong woman that would give Scarlett O’Hara a run for her money – if not beat Scarlett senseless for her pettiness and weak dependence on men.

Shrek and other animated movies like it show that subversive sells well – especially when mixed with Rock.

Spellsinger features classic rock, classic themes and classic scenes.

The potential exists to turn it into a successful, money-earning franchise due to the original book’s sequels.

I just want to see it again.

I saw it the first time in my mind when I read the series and am seeing it again as I read back through “Spellsinger.”

Long after the movie’s first run, the film will likely be seen as a showcase for Rock and a turning point in film production.

The technology exists to turn a special book into a special film.

And bring the music-made magic back into the movies.

Positive Movie

Very little to write this week other than my plans for the weekend.
I had to miss a movie premiere and I’m wondering how I got on the list of invites.
The movie was “The Mighty Macs.”
The producer’s “mission statement” seemed attractive but the invitation came at such short notice that after RSVP-ing the invite went to Smita Lal and her husband (see link above) who enjoyed the movie.
Here’s the mission statement from the producer:

The mission of the filmmakers is to make movies that move people in a positive way. We have all seen films that have impacted us and changed the way we think and live. Films like Hoosiers, Rudy, Schindler’s List and many others that have impacted us and even in some cases changed us for the better. It is our hope that when people leave the theater after seeing The Mighty Macs, they leave inspired and impacted in a positive way. If you would like to help us increase the reach and impact of this film, please click on the share button above and tell your friends and family about the opening on October 21st. Encourage them to tell everyone they know and even if they want to buy out the theater for their local sports team or high school. Thank you for your support.

Tim Chambers
Writer, Director and Producer of The Mighty Macs

Spellsinger – Soundtrack Possibilities

Movie soundtracks can make or break those moving pictures.
That’s my belief anyway.
So here we go with another riff on a favorite book.
To understand the possibilities picked during a slow day at work, you must understand the premise behind Alan Dean Foster’s book “Spellsinger.”
This can be found on my last blog entry, but I’m going to Google deeper to see if there’s a synopsis available that I can edit down to prevent giving away too much.

I think I’ll just link to one:

http://www.readingreview.com/fantasy/spellsinger.html

Okay, so that out of the way, we know the book contains references to real songs.
I’m waiting on another copy of the book from Amazon.com because mine has been misplaced through the decades since I’ve read it.
The same mistake will hopefully allow for some of my choices here that are meant to be heavy on guitar and magic.
I know there’s a Johnny Cash song in the book but don’t remember it, but here goes my suggestions for the soundtrack:

Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Rock of Ages – Def Leppard
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – AC / DC
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Walking in Space – Quincy Jones (Guitar solo at 7.25 minutes)
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
Strange Universe – Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush
Be Free – Loggins and Messina
Abracadabra – Steve Miller Band
Daydream – Robin Trower
The Lightning’s Hand – Kansas
The Man on the Silver Mountain – Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow
Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
Green Grass and High Tides – The Outlaws
Stranglehold – Ted Nugent
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Agora – Phil Keaggy
Jessica
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed – Allman Brothers Band
Birds of Fire – Mahavishnu Orchestra
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat – Jeff Beck
Season of the Witch – Donovan
Zap – Eric Johnson (1977 version)
I’m Ok – Styx
Rock and Roll Fantasy – Bad Company

But wait, there’s more:

Breaking the Law
Hell Bent for Leather– Judas Priest
Hopelessly Human – Kansas
Flirtin with Disaster – Molly Hatchet
I Will Follow – U2
Rough Boys – Pete Townsend
I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide – ZZ Top
Girl U Want
Satisfaction – Devo

Feel free to add your selections, correct me and quote songs from the book.

A Favorite Book to Become Movie

A favorite author / adventurer, Alan Dean Foster, recently optioned movie rights to his fantasy novel “Spellsinger” first published in paperback in 1983.
I’m hopeful to see it rendered in a form like that of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”
Amazon.com features this description of the book made available for Kindle this February via publisher Open Road:

Jonathan Thomas Meriweather is a typical college student, interested in girls, music, and an occasional taste of reefer. But when a journey through an interdimensional portal lands him in a world of talking animals and ominous sorcery, he finds he is on a very different trip indeed. Here, when he plays a strange instrument called a duar, peculiar things happen—powerful magic that may be the only way to stop a dark force that threatens his new world—and his old one. Reluctantly, he finds himself teaming up with a semi-senile turtle wizard; a thieving, backstabbing otter; and a bewildered Marxist dragon to rally an army for the war about to come.

Concept pictures for two main characters appear at a fellow WordPress Blog:

Official Announcement from Alan Dean Foster.

Foster deserves the title author / adventurer thanks to his ongoing world travels and competitive powerlifting mentioned in his October update on his website here:

www.alandeanfoster.com

Running in Circles

A realtor's photo captures what the run with Rosie looked like near Hailey.

Maybe Rosie the Rhodesian Ridgeback is in a place where she can appreciate this story of human and animal interaction providing compassionate companionship to all.

In Idaho, we ran together down the road, out past the baseball field up into the foothills filled with sage and short, stubby trees.

We ran up a dusty path through brush toward a small mountain’s top.

She ran joyfully ahead and behind me in a figure eight to keep me safe.

Happy dog passing within reach each time, I’d reach out to brush my hand over her head and back as she ran past.

Peace-filled times long past.

Down in Texas, a long-lost friend died twice on the operating table.

She came back to life and was watched over at home by her guardian, a cat named Rocco.

Instant message excerpts from a few years back testify to Rocco’s character:

ME: And attack cat

HER: well, yeah, Rocco will purr a guy to death!

  actually he would probably just bite

ME: How are you now?

HER: fine.

  yard man is talking to next door guy

and Rocco is meanacingly at the window…lol.

 My boy cat, Rocco, is sensing my attention diversion…not just typing, like his mom does a lot, but true energy pulled away from him….he is acting out…he won’t stop jumping on the desk, patting the keyboard, now he has demanded my lap be his resting spot…funny how the living spirits in our lives are so intuitive. (mmm…”Fooling Yourself” is on now…)

ME: Why must you be such an angry young man?

ME: The cat – angry young man…

HER: HAHAHA

  Good one

  Yes, protective and fierce when he wants to be…

Then, as Rocco’s life neared it’s end a few weeks ago, came this message:

“I just woke up and am about to go back to sleep. Of course it is too late to call…
Saying I would call earlier was a statement I truly meant. And I am sorry to dissappoint you once again. I hope you can find forgiveness in your heart.
Tomorrow, the vet hospital has limited hours, due to Easter weekend, and I’ll only be able to visit Rocco in the morning (Jerry is working; extra overtime will help us with the billing for the baby boy.).
I plan to be home in the afternoon, and I know you have the kids, but maybe we could carve out a bit of time to chat.
It hurts so badly, Sam, knowing he is going to perish soon. My heart is breaking. Sometimes, that sweet spirit was the only reason for me to live; especially early on in my recovery.

Rocco

Rocco’s life has ended.

His companion grieves.

She shared many tales of happiness with her cats and “baby boy” Rocco stands out as the guardian – the giver in a species known more for fickleness.

In my dreams, sometimes Rosie and I still run.

May my friend’s dreams be filled with pleasant adventures with Rocco, her guardian. protector and companion feline, as well.