Praise for Arkle

"...[B]rilliant!" Michael R. Mennenga, Farpoint Media

"I'm just enjoying the f*** out of your podcast." Jack Jaffee, author of Down The Road.

"...[L]isteners, I hope you enjoy it." J.C. Hutchins, author of the 7th Son trilogy

"I've been on [The Casting Game] and it's pretty cool." Christiana Ellis, author of Nina Kimberley the Merciless

29 October 2009

Not goodbye, just "smell ya later."

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen the post from my Mom about my home computer. It appears to have died on me. Best case scenario is that my warranty still covers it and I can send it in to get fixed, but that would mean I'd still be without Internet access for at least a month, not counting when I can get over to my Dad's place, where I am writing this from right now.

To add insult to injury on that front, with my iPod having been stolen this past Sunday, I am now completely unable to keep on podcasts. I can't just swing over here and fill up the Nano anymore. And now that I've been failed out of college I can't take advantage of the Macs in the computer lab for the same purpose. Nor can I use my Student ID to ride the bus over here whenever. I have to take out $4 every time I want to take the bus anywhere ($2 there, $2 to come back) which is not viable since the bulk of my paychecks go towards Rent, Energy, Cable/Internet, and Food. I can come over once or twice every couple of weeks, and that'll mostly be me checking my e-mails. My Dad's computer is a temp job and isn't equipped to handle podcasting. So don't expect to see me on Twitter or Facebook much, except maybe to update you all on where I'm at computer wise.

I mentioned above what the best case scenario was. Worst case? My PC is deader than disco, and even if I take out the maximum amount out of my checks that I can set aside and still eat, feed the cats, and keep a roof over me, it would take at least 2 years before I could afford a new computer.

This is all so unfair. My PC died after what was just an awesome day. I was looking forward to two fun interviews for my podcast, I was looking forward to NaNoWriMo, there were only 3 episodes left in Mur's Heaven series, I was going to start listening to Half Share by Nathan Lowell after NaNo was over, but now it's all, just gone to shit. The universe just can't let me be happy can it?

I don't want to say this is goodbye, that I'm podfading, and that you'll never hear me on any other shows again (or for at least 2 years which might as well be "never again"). But I can't say that I'll be back either. I don't know what's going to happen in the end to Geek of all Trades, The Casting Game, or all my other projects (most of which I'll have lost forever if my computer is more than mostly dead). You can still shop at my on-line store, or buy my book, but until the amount of royalties I make cross the $20 mark I won't get any checks for it. My e-mail inboxes will be insanely full I imagine, so don't send me any message for awhile until you can hear back from me.

I don't even remember what I was originally going to write here. I've spent much of yesterday and a chunk of today going back and forth between rage and tears. Those of you who heard the 30th episode of my podcast know how much the podcasting community means to me, and to be all but completely cut off from it as I've been now, by a combination of theft and hard drive failure hurts. For most of my friends, the Internet is not just my primary but my only way of communicating with them. I can still contact my family (and in the case of my Colorado relatives I can see them in person), and I have my good friend Diomira's phone number. I have books, cable so I can keep up with my shows and the news, I have a bunch of CDs and a working DiscMan (yeah, they still make those. ;-) ) so it's not like I have nothing, but I can't podcast, I can't write (my laptop won't work with my flash drive, and probably won't work with my printer either), and I can't listen to anything that isn't music or TV (c'mon, radio in America today mostly sucks).

I'm sorry if all this comes off as rather whiny, I'm trying to spread the word to my friends and fans why I'm going to be away for awhile and vent my frustrations all at the same time. Before I get too "pity me" on everyone, let me just say that if I don't make it back, it's been a helluva ride, and I know that, as miserable as I am now, I'm still a better person for having been a part of this community, and knowing people like Hutch, and Mur, and Tee, and Pip, and Encaf, and the Jaffees, and Tosus & Leanna, and the Farpoint Media crew, etc. ad infinitum, and missing all you peeps is better than not having ever known you.

So if this is goodbye, goodbye. And if not, if the best case scenario comes to pass, I may talk to you again before Christmas.

Spread the word to anyone who you even think might not have gotten this message.

Forever a podcaster and writer in spirit if nothing else,
Brian "Arkle" Webber

Hang on, if this is the end of my podcasting/writing career, let's at least end it on an upbeat number. :-)

27 October 2009

Regarding November

OK, so with NaNoWriMo coming up I'm going to be diverting a lot of the attention I normally give to the podcast to my writing. But I don't want to leave my fans (all 6 of them) in the lurch. So for the month of November I am going to >>> [ WARNING ::: DATABASE ERROR ::: CONTENT OVERRIDE ::: SOURCE: EXTERNAL ] <<< > source terminal location: UNKNOWN
> source terminal identity: UNAVAILABLE
> source login information: ENCRYPTED
> message begins

the post you are now reading is designed to dull your senses to THE TRUTH. do not live the life of the worker bee, the cog, the well-oiled piston in the MACHINE OF DECEIT!

there is a grand CONSPIRACY afoot. you have been taught to believe that you are UNIQUE, one of a kind. THIS IS NOT TRUE. long ago, a cabal of scientists created technologies to ensure that ANYONE'S MIND AND BODY can be duplicated.

human cloning isn't NEAR. it's already HERE. discover the truth at http://JCHutchins.net

you are being DECEIVED. break free from the cogs, flee the hive, become A PROPHET OF THE TRUTH!

kilroy2. was here ... kilroy2.0 is everywhere

>>> [ CONTENT OVERRIDE CEASES ::: DATABASE STATUS: RECOVERING ] <<<

and if I'm lucky they'll be benign ones like that dream where I helped Mur Lafferty move. No, that's not a metaphor, I mean carrying boxes up stairs and shit.

How did I get off on that subject? I don't even remember. Anyway, if any of you reading this are Buddys with me on the NaNoWriMo website, I look forward to the friendly comeptition and the equally friendly ribbing that all of you (except Nathan Lowell of course, who will hit 50k before the 15th) will get when I leave you in my word count dust. ;-) j/k. It's all for fun.

22 October 2009

Geek of all Trades Episode #30: 30 down, 22 to go

In which our illustrious host celebrates a milestone.

Contact Me:
Voicemail Line: 206.426.5634 or 206-ham-lodge
E-Mails: brian.d.webber@gmail.com, or arkle@comcast.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=723188282
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arklemknzy
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arkle
Flixster: http://arkle.flixster.com

Fight me on MyBrute: http://arkle-scribe.mybrute.com/
Buy my book! http://stores.lulu.com/arkle
Check me out on BitStrips: http://www.bitstrips.com/user/7232/
Buy some swag! http://www.cafepress.com/arklestudios

TV Tropes.org's Crowning Moments of Awesome: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrowningMomentOfAwesome
Podsafe Music: http://music.podshow.com/
Some sound on this show comes from The Free Sound Project: http://www.freesound.org/
Outro Song; The Oath by Street Sweeper Social Club: http://www.ninja2009.com

Promos:
Geek Cred: http://www.geekcred.net
7th Son Descent: http://www.jchutchins.net
Harvey by Phil Rossi: http://www.harveythenovel.com
Scotch Cast: http://www.thescotchcast.com
V For Vertigo: http://vforvertigo.blogspot.com

Segment Related Links:
The Fump
Italian mamma charged with mollycoddling schoolboy son
Real Tsunami May Have Inspired Legend of Atlantis
Miss Homeless contest slammed
Family Guy maze cut into corn field at farm
Rare Vegetarian Spider Discovered

Also Mentioned on the Show:
Buy 7th Son at Amazon.com
Bumfight videos Wiki page
The Weird Show
Wicked
Buell Theatre
Cherry Daiquiri recipe
Nobilis Erotica
The 9th A Heroes Podcast

08 October 2009

Geek of all Trades Episode #29: The Jack Jaffee Voicemail Show

In which our illustrious host riffs on Jack Jaffee's many voicemails, gets psyched about the upcoming Episode 30 (as well as being nervous about it), and discusses the potential for Stargate Universe.

Contact Me:
Voicemail Line: 206.426.5634 or 206-ham-lodge
E-Mails: brian.d.webber@gmail.com, or arkle@comcast.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=723188282
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arklemknzy
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arkle
Flixster: http://arkle.flixster.com

Fight me on MyBrute: http://arkle-scribe.mybrute.com/
Buy my book! http://stores.lulu.com/arkle
Check me out on BitStrips: http://www.bitstrips.com/user/7232/
Buy some swag! http://www.cafepress.com/arklestudios

TV Tropes.org's Crowning Moments of Awesome: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrowningMomentOfAwesome
Podsafe Music: http://music.podshow.com/
Some sound on this show comes from The Free Sound Project: http://www.freesound.org/
Outro Song; The Oath by Street Sweeper Social Club: http://www.ninja2009.com

Promos:
None this week.

Segment Related Links:
Longing For Orpheus
The Letters lyrics
Slimy-skinned ships to slip smoothly through the seas
Dieter Bohlen officially ruled an artist by Kassel court
Bank robber caught out by personalised BMW number plate
Adolf Hitler suicide story questioned after tests reveal skull is a woman's
October 8th

Also Mentioned on the Show:
Stargate Universe
My NaNoWriMo Page
Media Frenzy Podcast