Jonathan - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I'm an outdoor type who spends a lot of time indoors... typing! Working as a cog in the Government machine by day, I assume my true self out of hours to write mediocre fiction. Judge for yourselves at my other site - wordartisan
Although I'm primarily a Word Artisan, I like to think I have some small skills as a photographer, too. My videography, however, leaves much to be desired. As you can see.
I'm reasonably fit, though I'm thicker in the middle than I used to be. Damn you, ageing process! I have a single tattoo, keep my hair short, and have given up lying as a waste of time. I'm uncomplicated but not simple.
My dress sense is poor, but I'm a pretty good conversationalist. Try me on anything from mythology to comic books. I'm a good cook within certain parameters, and am pushing those boundaries all the time.

My Interests

I write a lot. I read a lot. Mostly speculative fiction.
I'm active in amateur theatre. I've been Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Hines in The Pajama Game and Harold in The Full Monty among others.
I like to get out into the wilderness when I can. Biggest achievement here was walking the Kokoda Track in 2004.

I'd like to meet:

For professional reasons, I'd like to network with a publisher who likes my books, or a producer who likes my scripts.
Socially, I'd like to meet people who like deep philosophical discussions and jokes about bodily functions. I believe you can never have too many friends. Well, unless it's your turn to buy the next round.
In all cases, I like to meet people who have opinions, but don't force them on others; can express emotion without being a slave to it; and are open to pushing the boundaries of their own experience - and mine!

Music:

Classically trained as a trombone player, I haven't picked up the instrument since 1998. I get all my music participation from singing on stage. For listening, I tend towards rock 'n' roll. I just love songs with "shoobie-doo-wah" vocals (eg: One Fine Day - The Chiffons).

Movies:

My favourite (which says a lot about me) is Cloak and Dagger. Bet you've never heard of it.

Television:

I choose not to own a television. But if I did, I'd be watching Battlestar Galactica. Heroes looks pretty good, too.

Books:

I grew up with science fiction. Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke. Heroic fiction is another favourite - David Gemmell, Stephen Donaldson, Raymond E. Feist. But at the top of the list is Guy Gavriel Kay, with works like The Lions of Al-Rassan.

My Blog

the end

In 1992, I started collecting comics. Those were golden days. DC was revamping their heroes for a new generation. Batman was replaced. Superman was killed. Wonder Woman was replaced and then killed. ...
Posted by Jonathan on Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:33:00 PST

2006-07 in review

This is just a blog index for the previous financial year. It's as exciting as it sounds. But it does mean that you won't have to flip back through pages to find that favourite story, if you have one...
Posted by Jonathan on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:57:00 PST

motorcycling in the wet

There are many good things about riding a motorcycle. The cost of fuel is minimal compared to cars. I never have to pay for parking, and it's usually right next to the door. You can cheat the traffic ...
Posted by Jonathan on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:56:00 PST

bureaucracy - Australia vs New Zealand

First, the Australians...* Hello - births, deaths and marriages. Is it possible to get a re-issued original of my wedding certificate? Certainly, we can get you a copy of that. No, I don't want a copy...
Posted by Jonathan on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 01:53:00 PST

the audition process

Is there anybody who actually enjoys the audition process? Today I auditioned for the Mel Brooks musical The Producers. As a musical, the three elements of audition are music, acting and dance. It d...
Posted by Jonathan on Sun, 27 May 2007 04:49:00 PST

suddenly popular

After a couple of years in the same job, I've decided it's time to move on. I'm doing essentially the same work as when I began, and I'd be pretty slow if I hadn't figured out how to do it by now. Plu...
Posted by Jonathan on Fri, 25 May 2007 12:37:00 PST

could it get any better?

My life is pretty good at the minute. My income still doesn't quite meet the expenditure-plus-desired-savings level that I'd like, but it's okay. Some of the good stuff.... I'm in love with a wonderfu...
Posted by Jonathan on Tue, 15 May 2007 01:26:00 PST

the long cast

I can't tell if I'm a genius or a moron. We'll get to that in a minute. The casting process for Phoenix Rising is complete. This is the emerging artists program that is staging two one-act play...
Posted by Jonathan on Sun, 13 May 2007 01:33:00 PST

rutting

It's very easy to fall into a rut. Stability is greatly to be desired. I love my routine. It makes me feel safe. Stability is great for maintaining a level of comfort. But you won't grow beyond the b...
Posted by Jonathan on Mon, 07 May 2007 05:37:00 PST

conversational shorthand

I'll get to the subject of the blog in a minute. First I have to introduce the characters. Last night, I met Miss November for the first time. I knew from her profile that she was an intelligent, pret...
Posted by Jonathan on Wed, 02 May 2007 03:52:00 PST