Billy Wamsley's Posts

Suit up!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 10, 2008 at 8:11pm

I am, and probably always will be, a dog person. That said, I have, by virtue of my sister's cat, come to appreciate the entertainment of cat ownership.

My sister's cat (who, though named "Winston," I insist on calling "Cat," because, let's face it, cat's don't come even if you call the correct name) has won me over.

I love dogs, but they are, if nothing else, predictable. Loving and loyal, but very predictable. I know when I come in the door, the dogs will get very excited that I have returned after being gone for months (though it was just the eight hours I was at work), and will celebrate my homecoming with much affection.

The cat, though standoffish (is that a word?!?), is simply more entertaining.

It stalks through the house, wary of the massive beasts (a Chow and a St. Bernard - yeah, our small dog is over 75 lbs!) that roam the house. It can become fascinated by a cotton ball or a string. And, every once in a while, for no apparent reason, the cat will go up to the Chow, rise up on its hind legs, and proceed to pummel the dog's nose in a very boxing-type of manner. Don't worry - it has no claws on its front paws, so it doesn't hurt the dog... a fact that bewilders the dog even more than the cat.

In fact, I've grown so fascinated by the cat that I've contemplated future cat ownership. Recently, I discovered something on the intertubes that has firmed up that decision.

What did I find? Check this out:

Yeah, that's right - Cat Armor. You can't tell me that isn't cool, 'cuz it is AWESOME!!!

Imagine have a cat decked out in a manner befitting his true nobility! Why, it would be like having your very own living Battle Cat!

It isn't only for the novelty, either. It is necessary, because I also found this:

Yep, gotta keep up with the competition, right?

I'll type at you later.

Trinity (no, not THAT one!)

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 9, 2008 at 9:02pm

In the last few years, there has been a pretty horrible trend of comic books being late. I'm not talking a week late, or even a few weeks late. I can handle that.

I'm talking months late.

Sometimes years.

And, before someone even mentions it, no, there is no way that I think a good looking book justifies it being more than three months late. As a professional, it is not only your job to make the book pretty, but to complete it on time. To paraphrase Keith Giffen, if you can't handle a monthly book, don't take on a monthly book.

Fortunately, the trend seems to be receding. Good thing. I had instituted a pretty staunch rule in my purchasing of comics that allowed for one late issue every six months (late being three weeks or more). Any more than that, I dropped the book.

I've dropped many, many books over the last couple of years.

Anyway, many artists complain that they can't manage to complete 22 pages of comic every month. I respect that, if they don't take a monthly issue on. For example, the current Brave and the Bold series, being drawn by George Perez, is only slated for 10 issues a year. Perez knew the monthly would be impossible, and adjusted accordingly. No problem - we knew ahead of time. Kudos for Mr. Perez understanding his limitations.

But, you wanna know who really has my respect?

Mark Bagley.

Mark Bagley is an anomaly in the industry. It has been said that he can actually draw (and pretty well, I might add) not a single comic a month, not even two comics, but something like two a and a half.

That is about 55 pages a month.

That's huge. How huge? Well, given the original art is done on 11" x 17" art board, if you put all of the pages together, they would stretch over 50 feet long.

Of art.

Every month.

Bagley had an amazing run on Ultimate Spider-Man, doing over a 110 consecutive issues. All on time.

Bagley recently made the move over to DC Comics from Marvel, with rumors of a very high profile project.

Given the recent activity of DC Comics (that is, two consecutive weekly books, 52 and Countdown, each lasting a year), it was pretty easily guessed what Bagley would probably be working on - the next year-long weekly series from DC.

In the last couple of weeks, this teaser image was released, touted as Bagley's first DC work:

The exact details were not released until this weekend. Bagley is indeed working on the new weekly series. The series, entitled Trinity, will focus on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, and starts in June. Bagley will be supplying 12 pages of each issue, with 10 pages of back up story by other artists.

For those of you slow with the math, yeah, that's 48 pages a month (given a four week month).

The great thing about this weekly series, unlike Countdown, is that it will be running parallel to the events in the current DC Universe. That is, it won't be tied in (or "tied down," even) to the events. It is in the DCU, but not really a part of what is going on in the other books.

Which should allow a lot of people to read the book without feeling like they have to pick up a dozen other comics each month just to make sense of everything.

The series is being written by Kurt Busiek, who is a writer I've enjoyed over the last couple of years on Superman.

I'll admit - when I first heard that DC would be doing another weekly series, I wasn't that interested. When I first heard the rumblings about Mark Bagley, I became a little more interested. Now, knowing the writer and the concept of the book, I'm fairly confident that I will want to try this book out.

Besides, I'm just completely amazed by the output of 48 pages a month.

Just amazing.

I'll type at you later.

Vroom!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 8, 2008 at 9:59am

It is amazing how TV and movies can influence us. Our way of thinking, habits, likes and dislikes are all influenced by the pictures on a screen.

For example, I recognized, back in college, that I had been hopelessly influenced by years of Afterschool Specials and movies of the 80's when I discovered that a very specific type of girl appealed to me.

Yes, the influence is often detrimental, but sometimes it is relatively benign. With the benign in mind, I offer this week's five.

My Five Favorite Cars Directly Influenced by the Entertainment Industry

Car the First - The 1957 Ford Thunderbird from Vega$

They just don't get much prettier than that, do they? When I was a little kid, there was no one - and I mean, no one - as cool as Dan Tanna. Watching him drive around Las Vegas in this car made a major impression on me. 57 Chevy? Bah! Give me the Thunderbird!

Car the Second - The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle from The Love Bug

Ah, yes - Herbie, the little car that ignited my love of the Beetle. I've probably got about a dozen books about the Volkswagen Beetle, and it all started with The Love Bug. Even though it would make absolutely no sense for me to own one now, I still want one. And, I would love to paint it to match Herbie, because the racing stripe is just awesome.

Car the Third - The 1977 Firebird Esprit from The Rockford Files

Actually, on the show, they updated each year with the current year model of this car, but the 1977 is the one I found that had the best picture. I loved The Rockford Files, and this beautiful gold car certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the show. It also is the beginning of a wonderful trend...

Car the Fourth - The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit

Major confession - I'm a huge Burt Reynolds fan. Not so much the current stuff, but the Bandit films (not the third - blech!) and Stroker Ace and Hooper... man, you could put those on a loop and I'd just watch them over and over. My love of the late, great Trans Am was cemented with the Bandit films. Totally impractical, too expensive to insure, and yet, I want one.

Car the Fifth - The 1982 Pontiac Firebird from Knight Rider

C'mon! You knew K.I.T.T. was going to be on this list! I watched this show with such devotion! I had all the toys, I had t-shirts... and, yeah, the thought of the new Knight Rider being a Shelby Mustang makes my heart hurt just a little. (Although, the recent announcement that Val Kilmer is going to be voicing the Knight Industries Three Thousand has me intrigued. The previous voice, Will Arnett, bowed out due to a conflict with his contracted voice-over work in GM commercials.) I'll probably still watch the new show, but I'll forever know that K.I.T.T. would never really be anything as boxy as a Mustang. He'll always be a sleek, black Trans Am.

Hmm... three Trans Ams out of five favorites. I guess the only thing left to say is, HEY, PONTIAC, BRING BACK THE TRANS AM!!!

Type at you later.

Baby steps.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 7, 2008 at 8:02am

I have to admit, I'm very pleased with what this blog has been doing for me.

For me?

Yeah. I mean, I think it is great that I have some regular readers, and I'm really glad that you are enjoying it. In all honesty, that is secondary.

A while back, I got into the habit of not following through. It was a bad time in my life, and I let things slide. One day, I woke up and realized that the scales of "unfinished" and "accomplished" were horribly off balance toward the "unfinished" side. Life had knocked me down, and I stayed down.

I tried to return to my previous ways, but was completely out of practice. Granted, I was aiming too high right out of the gate, taking on huge projects in hopes that the mere scale might force me to move forward.

Yeah... didn't work.

So, toward the end of last year, I started thinking about how I could change my ways, to re-embrace my accomplishing (is that a word?!?) ways.

Everything was baby steps, and none too steady at that. After a stuttering and sputtering start, I started to feel like I was getting my footing. There was much prayer in this, so don't think it was just me pulling myself up by my bootstraps.

By December, I felt it was time to start thinking about a bigger step. I decided to create the Christmas card that I had thought about making a year earlier. When I finished it (even managed to do it before Christmas), I wanted to do something bigger.

I guess that's the result of actually doing things... wanting to do more.

I had, at that point, been woefully neglectful of my blog. I decided that would be another good place to start, especially with the coming new year.

Then, the idea of including a daily sketch came into my head. It would force me to draw at least a little each day. I decided to include that.

Here we are, a little over a month later, and I'm still chugging along. Some days have been harder than others, but each day I finish at least the blog, I feel I've done something. Plus, again, I've been adding things. Steps toward a healthier life have already started and a renewed passion for getting my webcomic off the ground are just a couple of the new things I'm doing.

I'm not finished... not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, there is a huge, massive thing that I want to do beyond all of these other things that is still waiting in the wings for me. I'm not ready for it just yet... but I'm so much closer than I have been in years. The time will come. To everything there is a season, after all.

For the moment, I'm happy to thank God for how far He has brought me in such a short time, and I ask for prayers that I will continue to be faithful.

I'll type at you later.

The Ache.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 6, 2008 at 10:52am

There is no way to adequately describe some things to people that have never experienced them.

I wish I could. I wish I could make people understand the glorious feeling of being in the Spirit, to feel that closeness to God in prayer, in worship. I wish I could explain what songs like Geoff Moore's Only a Fool do to me.

Therein squats the toad, huh?

I think, though, that I wish I could describe the ache more than anything. That feeling in the depths of the heart for the lost.

I get the feeling that if I could put the right words to it, maybe even those that are lost could understand why we, as followers of Christ, feel so compelled to share with them of His love and grace, of His gift to us - His very life that we might be forgiven and have a personal relationship with God.

But, I can't adequately do it. The closest I can come is heartbreak, and even that doesn't come close to the same feeling.

I truly believe this ache is a gift of God to us. A small portion of the way that He feels about his lost creation. I say "small" because I can become overwhelmed to tears with just the thought of one particular individual... I can't imagine feeling that way for all the lost of the world at once.

The ache is a precious thing, though we don't always treat it as such. We push it down, try not to think about it. We forget about the lost in our own self-centered worlds. We let the influences of the world overcome a desire to share the gospel; influences that tell us the time is inappropriate, or the message is offensive.

God, help us not to listen to the world in matters this important.

I thank God for the ache that reminds me that the precious gift of God that has saved my soul is still there for others.

I'll type at you later.

(A request - my favorite Transformer, Optimus Prime.)

Didn't happen.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 5, 2008 at 4:36pm

Okay, I blew it big time. You know the album I was supposed to be listening to all this past week, so I could review it for today? Lose This Life, from Tait?

Yeah.

Didn't happen.

I kept putting it off, and by Sunday, I realized I hadn't listened to it even once.

Sure, I could have listened to it on Sunday and Monday, given a quick review... but that would not have been right. I wouldn't be giving it the same chance that I've been giving everything up until now.

So, no review for today. That will happen one week from today.

Which begs the question, what about today?

Well, let's call it "Time Out Tuesday," for the break from the regularly scheduled topic.

I suppose that random thoughts will do for today.

I saw about the last minute of the Super Bowl on Sunday. Just in time to see the upset. I'm not into football at all, but since the Super Bowl is usually such a blowout, it might've been nice to see this one all the way through.

I did see the ad for Iron Man... online, about four hours after the game ended. Absolutely amazing. I can't wait to see this film.

Speaking of, Iron Man is going to have some sort of crossover with the new Incredible Hulk film. Since both films are being made by Marvel, they can do that, and establish that both films take place in the same "universe." And, it certainly sets up a possible future Avengers film.

On the subject of the Hulk, I found a list on the internet that tells every reason that David Banner "Hulked" out in the old TV show (which I loved). Here it is. My favorites? 's 3, 24, 47, and 50. Man, I miss that show.

I'm still dealing with time issues. Never enough of it. I'm getting a little better, though. It is weird - its been a while since I was busy. I mean, really busy, to the point of just not being able to squeeze things in. I'm adapting.

I know I'm probably not in the majority, but I'm loving the Writer's strike. I find I'm watching very little TV, and what I am watching, I'm doing more passively - drawing or something else while it plays in the background.

I'm really beginning to enjoy the seemingly permanent scent of chlorine on my skin. Weird, huh?

I've decided to give Spider-Girl another try. Several times, I've picked up Spider-Girl comics, just because the fans are so amazingly devoted (saving it from cancellation on multiple occassions). I haven't been able to really get into it, but I thought, since I'm taking a break from Spider-Man for a while, I'll try it again.

Along with my regular blog, I am participating in an online reading club called the Steve Austin Book Club. We look at one main book each month, and the participants post things in the downtime. Check it out.

It seems that J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter from DC Comics, may be the next character to take the not-so-permanent dirt nap in the upcoming Final Crisis. Of course. He's one of the characters that was part of the Justice League International that I enjoyed so much. To tell the truth, since they've messed with the character so much over the last couple of years, it may not be that big a loss. It just amazes me that DC didn't take advantage of the changes of the character that were established in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. It really made the character better by taking away some of his powers (his list of powers was basically everything Superman could do, plus a lot more).

The Watchmen movie is coming. I love the comic book series so much that I dread this. I can't help it. I just find The Watchmen to be the finest use of the comic book medium, and to see it shoe-horned into a 2 hour film? My hopes are not high.

I've seen the preview for the new parody film Superhero Movie. I hate that it looks pretty good, because I know it will stink. Yet, I will eventually see it. Ugh.

Will Smith will be playing a superhero in the upcoming Hancock. The preview looked pretty good, but I'll have to wait for more on this one.

Hmm... I think that'll do for now.

I'll type at you later, folks.

On the Edge...

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 4, 2008 at 12:14pm

People often talk about opportunity in terms of doors.

You know - when God closes one door, he opens another, opportunity knocks (presumably on a door), that sorta deal.

Alexander Graham Bell even elaborated on the traditional idea when he said:

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.

Of course, there is also:

When God closes a door, look for a window.

... which actually seems like an effort to get around God's will, as does the far more extreme:

When God closes a door, grab an axe!

I think of opportunity in a slightly different way. Thanks, in part, to Star Trek.

There is a classic episode of Star Trek from the original series titled City on the Edge of Forever. I won't go into the episode too much, but, if you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It might be the best episode of the entire series.

Anyway, in the episode, the crew comes in contact with the Guardian of Forever.

The Guardian is like a giant gateway through which history can be viewed. It shows various images (through the glory of stock footage) of the Revolutionary War, Ancient Rome, etc., etc., etc.

Well, in the episode, Dr. McCoy is a little out of his mind, and as these images are passing, he leaps into them, travelling back to the past (the 1930's).

I love this image.
In the episode, Kirk and Spock follow, and eventually bring him back. But, that doesn't really have anything to do with what I'm talking about.

The Guardian is what I want to talk about. When the Guardian is displayed different images of history, I kind of thought of that as a better idea of opportunity than a static room or hallway with opening and closing doors.

I prefer to think of us standing at a gateway like that, with various opportunities passing in front of us. Only, we have no control at all over the things in the gate. The opportunities present themselves, some passing by quickly, some lingering, but all finite.

In the gate, we would see little things - the chance to help a friend move, the chance to give to a special missions offering, the chance to make a call to someone we haven't talked to in a while. We would also see big things - the chance to teach a Sunday School Class, the chance to witness to a lost friend, the chance to enter a full time vocation in ministry.

But, we don't wait in silence. We also hear the loving voice of our God, as in the first part of Isaiah 6, verse 8:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And, we stand there, at that gateway, and watch the opportunities pass by.

Or, we make the leap.

That's what they literally did in Star Trek, and what we, figuratively do in real life. Kirk leaped in to get McCoy back. We take the leap of faith, jumping at the chance to serve the Lord.

That leap is the response, also from Isaiah 6, verse 8:

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Here's hoping that we all have the courage to make that leap toward each of the opportunities that God puts before us.

Type at you later.

(A request - Green Lantern playing baseball. Yep. It takes all kinds.)

Bust a Cap!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 3, 2008 at 9:07am

I have to admit, I just don't get it.

And, by "it," I'm talking about the uproar over the fact that the new Captain America carries a sidearm.

Maybe you haven't heard, but this seems to be the focus of a great portion of any news story about the new Captain America.

"Cap's back - and he's packing heat!"

Yeah? Really? I just don't see the big deal. The current comics have emphasized Captain America more as a soldier and a agent of the government than most of the time in the past. The "swashbuckling" Captain America of the 80's (which I loved dearly) isn't the direction the writer has chosen for the current book. It doesn't mean that it isn't good - it is - just that it is different.

The new individual (not giving any spoilers, in case you don't know) wearing the costume also doesn't have the advantage of the Super Soldier Serum that Steve Rogers had. That serum made Steve Rogers the pinnacle of humanity - faster and stronger than anyone without super powers has ever been before.

(Yeah, I fall in line with the folks that insist that Captain America doesn't really have "super powers." We can argue about it, but my feelings are basically that Steve Rogers, through the Super Soldier procedure, merely became the realization of the potential of humanity - the possible. When I think of "super powers," I think of the impossible.)

And, Captain America with a gun is not without precedence. I mean, after all, he was a soldier in WWII.

And, even after WWII, Captain America has occassionally used a firearm.

Mind you, I don't want Captain America to be a character like the Punisher, doling out hot-leaded vengeance to the world. That would be bad. Very, very bad.

Looking at Captain America in the context of the current storyline, the gun makes sense. Did Steve Rogers carry a gun, even in the recent storylines? No. But, then, this isn't Steve Rogers.

It just seems much ado about nothing to me.

Type at you later.

(A request - Captain America Vs. the Joker.)

Brother can you spare a dime?

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 2, 2008 at 4:23pm

I should have recognized it.

Earlier this week, I was telling a friend about how cheap I was getting off with my comic book order for January (for books coming out in March). I have, in the past couple of months, dropped several titles, but I was still amazed to find that my order was only going to be about half of what it usually is.

Merely the calm before the storm, I was soon to find out.

Which, as I stated before, I should have recognized. See, the comic book industry is pretty predictable. There are a couple of times a year that major events and special books are usually printed.

March is not one of those times. But, April? On the cusp of summer, with the major comic book film releases beginning to emerge in May and huge summer events starting their kick-offs in time for the summer convention season?

Huge.

Big McLargehuge.

I just made my initial run through for the February comic order, and, wow.

Anyone wanna buy my kidney?

I guess, though, I should feel lucky. I mean, the fact that there is a lot of good stuff out there is nice. There have been times in the past when I just haven't wanted much of what's out there.

So, I guess I'll just pull my belt a little tighter this month. I can handle that.

Anyone know where I can sell some plasma?

Type at you later.

(A request - Speedy, Green Arrow's sidekick.)

Ribit!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on February 1, 2008 at 5:20pm

I was watching TV the other morning, and someone said a phrase that I have always loved, but never hear anymore. Then I started thinking about the phrase, and others like it. And, it inspired this quick list for today.

Five Amphibian Related Phrases That I Enjoy

Phrase the First - I'm feeling as fine as frog's hair!

I don't even know why I like this phrase. Of course, the idea is that fine is being used in two ways here - the feeling and the idea of being thin and delicate. Frogs, just in case you were wondering, do NOT have hair (hey, I'm sure someone out there doesn't know), so the idea is that their hair would be as fine as you could get, and, thus, you couldn't feel any better.

Phrase the Second - You can't tell by looking at a frog how high he will jump.

A variation on "You can't judge a book by it's cover," I always liked the undertone that there is a possibility of greatness in a less than obvious package. Plus, everytime I say it in my head, I picture Mark Twain saying it, even though it doesn't really have anything to do with The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

Phrase the Third - Therein squats the toad!

I love this expression, but no one ever uses it, and I got sick and tired of explaining it. I use another phrase (Ay, there's the rub from Hamlet) a lot, and it means the essentially the same thing, which is, "that's the problem." If everyone could do me a favor and start using this phrase again, I would really appreciate it. (By the way, this is the one that inspired the list!)

Phrase the Fourth - Leap if you feel froggy.

Or, the variant If you feel froggy, then leap. It is a challenge that my mother actually used to use on us. We'd threaten to do something stupid as kids, and she'd just stare us down and say it. I have actually used this a lot when dealing with kids, either in a youth ministry setting, teaching, or even when I was working with problem teens. It caught them off guard, since they aren't familiar with it, yet they knew I was dead serious - take your shot, if you think you can.

Phrase the Fifth - Fully Rely On God (F.R.O.G.)

Okay, so this one doesn't technically use an amphibian in the phrase itself, but I've liked this acronym from the first time I ever heard it. Plus, we used to have a shower curtain that had various frogs on it, and one looked like he was praying, so I was always reminded of it. A nice, strong image to remind me of a lesson I need to make sure I'm using in my life.

Alright, that's it for now. Type at you later!

Swimming!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 31, 2008 at 9:45am

If you've been reading my blog this week, then you know that I started an effort toward a healthier life this week.

I was being completely honest when I said my first day was good, that I felt it was a good start. But, where is the fun in just that? In the words of Paul Harvey, here is "the rest of the story..."

I arrived at home, after work on Monday morning at about 7:20 a.m. Knowing I would have to be up by 11:25 a.m., I greeted the dogs, I got undressed, brushed my teeth, watched about 15 minutes of TV and was in bed at about 8:15 a.m.
10 seconds after I closed my eyes (or so it seemed at the time), I woke to the screaming of my alarm, fumbled toward it, thought a few less than pleasant thoughts about it, and got up. Sorta.

By "sorta," I mean that I stumbled toward the door to my bedroom and down the stair half asleep, nearly stepping on the cat, who, only because of his constant skittishness, darted out of the way before becoming a feline pancake.

I made my way to the couch, and, you guessed it, went to sleep sitting up.
I got a valuable 13 minutes of extra sleep, and made my way to the bathroom. There, through closed eyes, I used the facilities by sonar (guys, you know what I'm saying) while my eyes were still closed with the refusal to accept that I was intending to stay up.

I headed back to the living room, contemplating another glorious 13 minutes of sleep, but decided to get dressed instead. I pulled on a T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, and wet down my hair to comb it (here is something only a very few of you will understand - I had JFK hair).

Fully dressed and hair combed, I grabbed my beach towel and trunks, and headed for the car.

I arrived at the YMCA shortly after noon. It is at this point that it dawns on me - I don't think I've been swimming since I was in college. I'm not sure why the thought struck at that exact moment, but it would certainly explain things later.

After scanning my oh-so-cool photo membership card (in which I'm wearing a fedora, because I had not combed my hair very well that day and was unaware that any photo-taking would happen), I made my way into the building, and was hit by another thought - I haven't been to the YMCA, other than to pay for my membership, since I was in high school for a youth group lock-in.

Not a big deal. I mean, I'm a "guy," right? My birthright was a God-given perfect sense of direction.

Well, after stumbling around the building, interrupting two basketball games, some weightlifters, and a pilates class, I stumbled onto... the tennis courts.

The worker at the desk there asked if I needed help. Yes, I cried, I'm completely lost, and alone, and afraid, and I want my mommy, and I want to go home.

Oh, no, wait... that is just what I was thinking. As a "guy" though, I couldn't say that. Instead, I said that I had merely never been back that far since I got a membership, and I was just seeing what was there.

Which wasn't really a lie. I mean, it was the first time I had been back that far since purchasing my membership, and I was wondering what was back there... hoping it was the pool.

Anyway, I turned with my "guy-ness" still intact, and headed back the other direction.

I came upon a door that said "Locker Rooms," and figured it was worth a shot. Bingo! Joy! Elation! I found that once inside, there was a door on the other side, clearly labeled "Pool".

And you thought I should've asked for directions. Hah!

So, I change into my trunks and head to the pool. I pick an empty lane and enter the delightfully lukewarm water. I glance at the clock to check the time, and I start to swim.

I don't know if it was the second or third stroke in that my body decided that I had lost my mind. I'm thinking the second. Anyway, it was clearly reminding me that I had not been swimming in a long, long time, and, despite remembering what to do, it did not wish to actually do it.

I pressed on. By the second lap, my legs were using desperate measures to try to stop me, threatening to cramp with each stroke. Not being one to bow to the whims of my own legs, I refused to stop.

After about 15 minutes or so, my body had resigned itself to the continued torture.

It was at that point that I realized I should probably take it easy for my first day. Instead of the planned 45 minutes to an hour, I'd only do 30 minutes.

At about the 30 minute mark, I thought, hey, I can do one more lap, just for good measure.

That lap was pretty good. So, I thought, why not another?

You've heard the expression about the straw that broke the camel's back? How about the one about the lap that drowned the moron?

I don't know if it was the fact that I had silently promised my body that the previous lap would be the last or what, but I struggled like a man having a fit.

When I finally made it to the end, I knew that was it. I would drown if I tried another.

I made my way over to the ladder. The first step was no problem. The rest? I can't describe the agony.

As I forced myself out of the pool, there were moments I thought I was going to collapse. I think it was only my fear of being mistaken for a beached whale and being pushed back into the water that kept me going.

With Herculean effort I made my way back to the locker room. I stripped off the wet trunks and, summoning up every ounce of strength I had, I got dressed.

I did manage to meet one goal in that locker room - I did not break into tears.

I made my way slowly out to my car, actually having to lift my legs into the car once I was inside. I drove home and sat in front of my house for a long, long time before going in.

I stayed up another couple of hours, just so I wouldn't stiffen up to the point of immobility. Through the grace of God and the glory of Aleve, I made it through the day.

Oh, I hurt. I hurt in ways I had forgotten I could. but I made it.

The next day, there was no way I could try the swimming again, so I decided the Monday-Wednesday-Friday would work well for at least the first week.

On Wednesday, I went again. I actually matched the amount that I did for that first day.

And, guess what?

It was still a horribly painful experience.

But... not quite a horrible. Not quite as painful.

I told people that I'd keep up the same pace until I no longer wanted to die after the swimming. That would be my indicator that I needed to add more, until I found my new threshold of wanting to die.

Onward and upward!

Type at you later.

A Solitary Place

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 30, 2008 at 9:47am

Today, I want to talk about going to a solitary place.

It is sometimes easy to forget how important private time with the Lord really is. We get busy with our daily commitments, be they work, family, or even church activities, and we feel like we can barely hold on.

There is nothing inherently wrong with these things. On the contrary, they are important responsibilities.

The problem is that so many of these are things for others. Again, there is nothing wrong with doing for others, but there comes a point where we have to realize that we need refreshing ourselves.

That's where the solitary place comes in.

Whether literal or not, a quiet time with God is not only recommended, it is essential to being able to continue His work.

Essential? Yes.

In Mark 1:29-34, we see where Jesus and his disciples went to the home of Simon and Andrew, and found that Simon's mother-in-law was ill. Jesus healed her.

Word must have spread quick, because by that evening, the entire town had gathered at the door, bringing the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus for healing.

The entire town.

Can you imagine? And, this was after Jesus had already spent the day teaching in the synagogue. It likely made for a very long night.

After a day like that, what did Jesus do?

Mark 1:35 -

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Jesus needed private time with his Father, a chance for spiritual recharging.

And, if Jesus needed it, how much more is that opportunity needed by us?

I don't know how long Jesus had in those private moments, but it wasn't long before his disciples hunted him down, to tell him that everyone was looking for him. Jesus got up and returned to his ministry.

We also need to have private time with the Lord when the opportunity comes. Or, sometimes, we have to get up very, very early and make the time.

The effort to get that renewal, though, is well worth it when compared to the chance of burning out.

Type at you later.

(A request - Amanda Waller.)

Chris Tomlin - Arriving

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 29, 2008 at 10:49am

Arriving was released in 2004, and was Chris Tomlin's third studio album.

I thought about just copping out with this review this time. It would be easy. I was going to start with that first line, the image of the album cover, and then immediately follow it with:

It is great!

On further reflection, though, I decided peopl might want a little more than just that.

That said, it won't be a terribly long review, because there wasn't much about this album I didn't like.

Since I brought up "things I didn't like," let's start there. Actually, it isn't even a "don't like" situation. It is more of a "not quite as good as the rest" situation.
The song Your Grace is Enough, while not bad, is unremarkable, and kinda got lost as I was listening to the album.

That's it. That's the lackluster from this album.

On to the good stuff!

First, let me just say, it was entirely refreshing to hear a worship album with so many Biblically-based, strong lyrics. Many of the songs could probably be used to lead into Bible studies about the Scriptures they highlight.

Second, the worship music on the album is fantastic. Indescribable is an amazing song, instantly setting the tone of worship. Holy is the Lord is another fantastic song that hits the perfect tones of worship. And, the chorus of The Way I Was Made is such a dead-on reflection of a prayer that I know I've prayed a thousand times that I can't help but relate to it.

Although the lyrics of All Bow Down reflect a worship origin, I found it to be more of a traditional contemporary Christian sound, with a great driving beat.

While I enjoyed the songs that seem to be intended for a more public worship, it was the more intimate songs on the album that really drew me in.

Unfailing Love is a flat out beautiful song, and the personal nature of the lyrics reflect on the glorious mystery of God's love for us. You Do All Things Well, the "fastest" paced of the intimate songs, is very reflective, and has, perhaps, the strongest lyrical imagery on the whole album. Mighty is the Power of the Cross is so heartfelt that it seems almost too personal... not in a bad way, but almost as if we are hearing another's prayer of thanks to God.

My favorite song on the whole album, though, has to be On Our Side. With its great lyrics and the fantastic Gospel choir back-up, it just blew me away.

Like I said - the album is great. What else can I say? I give it a 9 out of 10, and hope to have time to listen to it even more.

As for next time, I'll be listening to Lose this Life from Tait.

As always, if you have a suggestion of something you think I should be listening to, let me know.

Type at you later!

Bilbo Baggins was a Hobbit, not a Habit.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 28, 2008 at 10:50am

Since today is my inaugural day of steps toward becoming healthier, I figured it would be a good day to talk about habits.

Aristotle said:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

I've been on the elusive search for a magic number. What number? The number of times you need to repeat a behavior before it becomes ingrained into you... before it becomes a habit.

Experts in physical fitness talk about how good habits don't really form for at least three months. I find that number a little high, and a lot disheartening. I don't think I have the will to keep up that kind of devotion without habit kicking in for a quarter of a year.

Back when I was in the fourth grade and studying for the spelling bee (yes, studying... please don't make me talk about that dark time in my life), I remember hearing that if you wrote a word 60 times, you would have the spelling memorized. So, maybe doing something 60 times is the key.

A lot of people hold to the one month/30 day rule - if you do something for 30 days, it becomes a habit. This has been picked up by a lot of self-help books, that promise 30 days to this and 30 days to that. Frankly, that by itself causes me to doubt that number.

There is a reasonably well known idea that that it takes the 21 days for the human mind to adjust to a major life change. Some have adapted that idea to implement life changes, performing behaviors for 21 consecutive days, and finding that after that period of time, it is actually more difficult to not do the behavior than to do the behavior.

I'm kinda hoping that the 21 day thing is correct. Actually, if we are talking about real hope, I'm hoping that habit kicks in after three days and the whole thing just becomes second nature to me.

Of course, I know that isn't likely.

My biggest hindrance will be that I'll only be heading to the pool Monday through Friday each week, which means that the 21 days will not be consecutive, so I can probably factor in a longer adjustment period than I'd hope for.
But, in the immortal words of Mary Poppins (who, I know, did not originate the quote, but I'm too lazy to seek the source), "Well begun is half done."

Here's to a good start, eh?

Type at you later.

(Quick update - First day of swimming is in. It was good. I'm tired, I'm sure to be sore, but I feel good about it. I may have to start out with three days a week instead of the five I had intended, and work up to five, but I won't know that for sure until tomorrow. That's when I'll know if I can move. Yep, wish I was joking... but I'm not. Still, feels like a good start so far!)

(Another request - The Scarlet Spider.)

Like a fish.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 27, 2008 at 10:39am

Starting tomorrow, I get to do one of my least favorite things in the world - revise my sleep schedule.

Every once in a while, I get the joy of this task, wherein I ruin my life for two weeks or so until I get used to it. Though that might prove difficult, this time, because my daily sleep is about to be broken up into two less-than-satisfying increments.

I already do this every Sunday. In order to make it to church and also to work that night, I stay up Saturday evening until four in the morning, and then I get up at eight in the morning to get ready for church. Then, about three in the afternoon, I take a three or four hour "nap," so I won't die at work.

Now, in an effort to become a little healthier, I'm about to make this a near daily type of thing.

I will be starting to come home from work, Monday through Friday, going to bed by 8 a.m., getting up about 11:30 a.m. At that point, I will get dressed, head down the the local YMCA and swim for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then, I will come home and (hopefully) go back to bed for another three and a half hours.

Sounds like fun, huh?

Why that time of day? It is the time that the Y has for open lane swimming that I can get to. They have early morning times available... but due to working the midnights, I can't make them.

Yep, I'm going to be hating life for a while, but I'll eventually grow used it. Of course, I say the same thing about working midnights, and that hasn't happened in the six years I've been doing that.

I want to do it, though. I want to be healthier, and I really enjoy swimming. And, let's face it, in Michigan, in the winter, there are a lot of activities that are just about impossible. Running, jogging, walking - sure, you can do those, if you enjoy sub-zero temperatures, trudging through the snow, or sliding on the ice.

(Man, I hate the ice. I've already taken one major spill this winter. I usually average two to three each year. Ugh.)

Of course, by the end of this week, I may have given up on the whole thing for the preciousness of uninterrupted sleep, but I'm hoping that's not the case. So far, I've been doing a pretty good job with keeping up with things I've set out to do this year - this blog being ample evidence of that.

Maybe I can continue that trend.

Type at you later.

(A request - The Riddler.)

Mine!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 26, 2008 at 1:33pm

I am not entering the Who Wants to Create a Super-Heroine? contest that was announced on Newsarama a while back.

I only found out about it about a week ago, and, even though I have until January 31st to enter a brief one paragraph synopsis of my super-heroine, for a chance to become one of ten semi-finalists in the contest, I'm not doing it.

Why?

Fear I would win. See, I have a concept, one which I think is pretty strong. One of the ten best of all that are entered? I don't know. What I do know is that this idea would be perfect for one of the supporting cast of the Crimson Scarab, and if, by some miracle, I managed to win the contest, I'd be kicking myself for giving the character up. Well, actually "shared ownership" with an artist.

Either way, the chances of being able to use it in a no-profit webcomic would be greatly compromised.

I'm coming to realize, for better or worse, that I'm becoming very possesive of the characters I've created for my strip (still shooting for April, by the way). And, as such, when I come up with a good idea, I'm eager to find a way to adapt it to my characters.

I frankly can't figure out how Stan Lee or Siegel and Shuster or Bob Kane could ever tolerate seeing others play with their creations. I suppose that they knew that they were working for a company, so they had no choice... but, still.

Actually, that's where I notice the difference. What difference? The difference between comic strip creators and comic book creators. Comic strip creators tend to stay with their creations permnently. Comic book creators? Not so much.

Sure, there are a few (Robert Kirkman and Erik Larsen spring to mind), and the number increases with the smaller the company that produces the comics, but there is still a tendency to allow others to play in your sandbox.

Maybe someday I'll be okay with letting go. For now, I think it is just an aspect of "strip-preservation" - I know how tough this is, and I want to give my strip every advantage toward a long existence.

Type at you later.

Money, money, money... money!

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 25, 2008 at 4:03pm

Woo hoo! Thanks to the promise what will be yet another ineffective means of jump starting the economy, the most recent economic stimulus package promises that I'll have an extra Six Hundred Bucks of fully taxable income (hey... wait a minute...) in my hot little hand in the next year!

At a watershed moment like this, it is natural to think about how I will spend my newfound riches. What is not natural is thinking about how I'm not going to spend my newfound riches... and, thanks to a quick perusal of eBay, I've come up with five examples.

Five Things I Will Not Be Buying With My Big Ol' Government Check

Item the First - A 19th Century Italian Puppet Head

Mmm, aw yeah, baby! Look at that. That's 7 inches of treasure, right there, I tell ya. Despite my personal history of collecting various heads through high school (uh... yeah, I did... mostly glass, one gorilla, and a delightful tissue box cover I named Sandra Dee), paying $600 for a wooden puppet head just seems a little much to me. Don't let that stop you, though... if you are really into creepy wooden puppet heads.

Item the Second - A 1996 GMC Jimmy...

...in a slightly less than "new" condition. Can you believe what a steal this little gem is?!? And, don't spread it around, but I hear it only has 240,000 miles on it. It's like it was just rolled off the lot! Everyone knows a Jimmy isn't really broken in until you hit the 400,000 mile mark. Despite this, I'll be passing.

Item the Third - A Flying Saucer Store Prop...

...with Alien!

You know, I'm glad they felt the need to put "Store Prop" in the listing. Otherwise, I might have thought this was an actual flying saucer. Okay, honestly... this is kinda cool. I mean, can you imagine installing this on the ceiling in your living room? No? Just me? Oh. Well, anyway, this is actually a bit of a bargain at $599.99. You would have an entire cent leftover! The cost and the burden of transporting this item did it in, though. Maybe I'll make a version of it out of paper mache, though...

Item the Fourth - An Indonesian Rickshaw

Woo, doggies! Now we're talkin'. This isn't just a purchase, it is an investment in a future! Who wouldn't want to drag people around in this baby? And, on a day like today, where the thermometer hasn't hit double digits, I bet people would be clamoring for the chance to tour our frozen city in a nice, open-air vehicle that moves at the speed of... man. Oh, wait... shipping is $250.00. Aw, shucks. Guess that rules my new career.

Item the Fifth - A Wetsuit Worn by Dan Akroyd in Caddyshack II

Wow. Just... wow. Words cannot express the joy that welled up in me at this find. I mean, this isn't just some piece of clothing from any old movie... this is wardrobe from that cinematic masterpiece Caddyshack II! Lauded by none as a film that surpassed the original, we have the opportunity to own a piece of film history. Dan Akroyd, aping (badly) Bill Murray's brilliant performance from the original film, actually wore this wetsuit! It's remaining stink will help remind you of the stink that this film left in theaters around the country. And, it is another bargain, at a mere $599.95. Which means I'd have a nasty old wetsuit and a nickel when all was said and done. Hmm. Tempting, but no.

Looks like I'll just use the money to pay off some bills.

Type at you later.

I'm pretty sure it was a sign of the coming apocalypse.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 24, 2008 at 3:04pm

The Pistons played an early game last night.

I declare that first so that you can understand what happened.

The game started shortly after 7 p.m., and by 9:30 p.m., the Pistons had defeated the 76ers.

I like the games that start early, because, going into work each night about 11 p.m., I like to be able to see the end of the games. Anytime the Pistons play someone on the west coast, the games start later, and there is a pretty good chance I'm going to miss the the last quarter of those games. So, I'm not complaining that the game ended early. Early is good.

Unfortunately, by ending that early, I was left channel surfing for something to fill in that half hour before Law & Order came on. (An hour and a half before work, with getting ready, I'm not exactly going to accomplish much else before going in, you know?)

And I landed on Fox. Fox, the Denny's restaurant of the airwaves. You don't plan to go there, you just end up there when there is no other choice.

(Of course, that is a generality. Fox does have House and 24. And another 12 hours of unwatchable programming each week.)

As I was saying, I landed on Fox. What I witnessed there was dumbfounding. It was a game show... I guess... called The Moment of Truth. This... show had been on for a half hour already, so it took me a moment to see what was happening.

Apparently, seemingly normal people chose to go on this show, where they were interviewed while hooked to a lie detector beforehand, and they then had to answer questions based on that interview in front of their friends, family, employers, and the entire viewing audience. Questions that ranged from personal, to uncomfortable, to kinda criminal. And all they have to do is answer honestly to win the cash.

It isn't even a game show. I mean, there are no questions the contestants DON'T know the answer to. All they have to do is admit horrible things about themselves. Horrible, life-ruining types of things.

For cash.

And not even a lot of it (as if that would somehow make it better).

Here is the kicker, though - if they answer dishonestly in front of everyone, they lose all the money and the entire world knows that they were lying about their denial anyway.

The one contestant I saw was a personal trainer and was asked if he ever touched a female client more than necessary. And he had to answer this in front of his wife. He denied it and the voice-over declared his answer false. He lost all his precious money, his wife stared daggers at him, and he gets to try to go back to his job with clients assuming he molests women.

Yeah, that was worth it.

Seriously, who would sign up for this? What kind of person is that desperate for cash, or the chance to be on TV, that they would subject themselves to this public humiliation?

I don't get it. I just don't get it.

I'm never going to watch this horrible display of greed and idiocy again. Talk about your lowest common denominator TV. Sheesh.

I'll type at you later.

I'm tired.

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 23, 2008 at 3:56pm

Today, I feel weary.

And heavy-laden.

And, I need rest.

It is just the wear of the day to day, you know? The daily grind can do that.

It is the kind of day that I just want to crawl into bed and wrap the comforter around me and sleep for a month.

Yet, I know that is not what I need.

The rest that I seek will not come from mere sleep. I need more.

I need a touch from the Lord.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Not the traditional idea of rest, at least in worldly terms. Something better, though.

Because, folks, I could go to my bed, I could crawl under the comforter, I could sleep for as long as my body would let me, and I *might* get at least some physical renewal (although I doubt even that), but when I get up, the same issues, the same stresses, the same problems will be waiting for me.

The rest offered by the Lord here is true refreshment and revitalization. The promise that He will see us through all of the problems we face, that He is right there beside us to lean on. Any problem we face can seem much less ominous knowing that God is there to help us through.

There is still work to do. There is still a yoke, still a burden, but it is different than those things that the world puts on us. The world drags us down, but the work of the Lord revitalizes us.

It is a joy to be able to serve, to share in the blessing that God gives. If you've ever been on a retreat with a youth group, you can understand. Yes, it is a lot of work, and it can be hard... but, the rewards, the opportunity to be around as God moves in a situation, stirs a heart... its the best spiritual battery recharge you'll ever find.

So, once again, I remind myself to shake off the things of this world, strap on the yoke, and move forward... already feeling better for it.

Type at you later.

Jars of Clay - Who We Are Instead

Posted by Billy Wamsley on January 22, 2008 at 8:30am

Who We Are Instead is the sixth album released by Jars of Clay. The album has a whopping 13 songs (11 originals and two covers), and features Ashley Cleveland on two songs.

There appear to be two camps for this album - those that love the complex, introspective music with powerful lyrics, and those that hate the plodding and moodiness of this album.

Where do I land? Well, not nearly as polarized, I'm afraid.

First, let me just say this - the music itself is incredible. It runs the gamut from bluegrass to contemporary, hitting just about everything in between. The experimentation with instruments, for the most part, is exciting and welcome.

The songs themselves... well, the first word that springs to mind for most of these is "melancholy." It is a very moody kind of album, and, if you are in that certain mindset, I'm sure there are levels of complexity within the lyrics to be mined thoroughly.

Me? I'll admit it... some of the album just brought me down.

There are some real highlights on the album. Amazing Grace, which is not the well known hymn, is just a fantastic song. The first of two songs to feature Ashley Cleveland (as background vocals), the music is punctuated by the use of an organ, and features strong lyrics.

Another solid tune is Faith Enough, which features some of the strongest, deepest lyrics on the album. I got more and more out of this song with each subsequent playing.

At the risk of sounding pedestrian, I really do like Show Your Love, which I would say is the closest of a more "traditional" Jars of Clay song. It isn't a particularly complex song, just one I enjoy. The fact that it is the most mainstream type of song on the album doesn't change that for me.

The faster paced I'm In The Way was a welcome inclusion on an album that is generally slow and reflective. It has an absolutely fantastic drum beat that makes this a favorite on the album for me, a former percussionist.

Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet, one of the two covers on the album, is set to an almost Waltz beat. There is an inviting quirkiness to the music itself, and the repeated words take on a reflective mantra that can be quite powerful if you simply focus on them.

But, all of those songs serve as preamble to the "wow" song of the album - Jealous Kind. Just a thoroughly powerful song in tone and word, everything clicked. I could listen to this song over and over, and never grow tired of it.

Only Alive, while a strong song lyrically and musically, suffers mainly due to the wrong voice singing it. Dan Haseltine does a passable job, but this song would obviously be benefitted with the voice of, say, a Johnny Cash giving it the strength it needs.

The lowest point of the entire album is the song Trouble Is. A song so blatantly influenced by Man of Constant Sorrow from the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, invites criticism if for no other reason than it simply does not measure up to that song. Well, that and the bluegrass music with the drum machine slammed underneath.

As for the rest of the album, I found two major problems. First, it was unremarkable. Second, it was uneven, probably due to the experimentation with so many styles, or maybe the ill-fitting voice for the songs on the album.

This one is tough. Where the album excelled, it blew me away. Where it didn't, it really, really didn't. Making the album a 13 song album was a mistake, as the album probably could have been stellar with the weeding out of two or three songs. As it is, with the extra songs, it detracts from the whole. On the 1 to 10 scale, I'm giving it a 6.5.

So, what's on tap in my Sansa for the next week? How about a little Chris Tomlin, and his album, Arriving?

As always, if you have a suggestion of something you think I should be listening to, let me know.

Type at you later!