Wil Wheaton is, well, cool

Unemployment FTW

Don't cry for me, I'm not without income. But I am without schedule, sadly something I was really, oddly, addicted to. It'll be 1:45 and I try to tell myself I need to eat, but I don't know what to eat and spend the next 20 minutes and realize I need to go to the shower and pick up my elder son son from school (my life is now governed by half-hours - half-hour to shower, half-hour to get kid, half-hour to eat, etc).

The job I was really hoping to get was given to some other... someone. Um, yeah. Fuck it.

Did I mention I blew a tire, my battery decided to fuck off and my tires, in some sort of odd mutiny - one of my few consistent comrades, BAT BOY, is even giving up on me - decided to enhance my daily fatigue -by getting out of alignment or balance or whatever makes him shimmy and shake and swerve across the freeway. Now, that I realized the damn guy's out of warranty. Maybe it's his lack of bathing got him, BB, on edge.

Today I watched the end of Donkey Punch, a fair thriller, though it was tough to hear what they were saying in subdued tones late at night with their Leeds accent (and only got to watch the last half hour with the sound up). Then watched, in stops and starts (those half-hours again), what may be the best film I've seen in... years: The Orphanage. It's like a remake of Poltergeist without copping to the remake fuckery and actually one-upping the original. I called them out, then nearly cried, then nearly cried, then was haunted by then film the rest of the day.

As far as what I'm doing? I've revamped the Rubbersquare site, spent much time understanding script structure to where I can finally understand it (and watch The Orphanage and absolutely love it and recommend it and recognize the script structure (and Poltergeist-ness of it), and am rewriting Detox and making sure the new script follows it (which oddly they both already do to a large extent). There's the Detox novelization and a really exciting Mother's Day gift which just emerged today and got me more excited than I've been in weeks.

Rubbershop Opens

To create a centralized location for Rubbersquare merchandise (as well as that of others who have a relationship with Rubbersquare), Rubbersquare has opened the online retail outlet Rubbershop. The site, located at shop.rubbersquare.com, pulls merchandise from specialty vendors, such as POD-based Lulu.com, as well as Rubbershop exclusives like Donnie and Maree t-shirts and autographed merchandise.

New site is LIVE

The newly revamped Rubbersquare site is now live. Go ahead, check it out (opens in a new window).

Some of the cool stuff you'll find are information about all of Rubbersquare's projects, like "The Bet" and Detox. There's also the music video for "Hallway" and the short film "Foreplay" - both of which you can watch on the site. There's a news section which connects to the brand-new Rubbersquare News Blog with an option to subscribe. And links to the Rubbersquare network, including this blog, Rubbershop and Rubberforum.

Now that the hard part of designing it is done, it should be easy to add new content and keep the news current.

Why are you still reading? Go check it out.

I re-redid the Rubbersquare site

Yes, I'm a bit... insane, bored, pick your own adjective. Just don't share. But I completely revamped the revamped Rubbersquare site. Why? Because I want something a bit lighter. And I figured out how to get a text feed into Flash whilst keeping the formatting. No, it's not a live update from the soon to be awesome Rubbersquare blog - different from the rubberblog in that the Rubbersquare blog will be press releases, verses the random rants of my head on rubberblog... but anyway. The new BETA site is live at rubbersquare/beta and would appreciate feedback if you are so willing.

Some things to keep in mind, though, are that at this juncture, only the "The Bet" and "Suffer" buttons will produce content. But like the previous revamp, the "Hallway" and "Foreplay" buttons will eventually, before the wide release, give you what you're looking for. I decided to emphasize revenue-generating links first. Call me arrogant. Call me unemployed. Blah. Also, the news feed is temporarily feeding from random "see if it works" content, but will - eventually - feed from the very newly created Rubbersquare news blog. I am retrofitting that beast as we/I speak.

In the meantime, let me know what you think. Fail, win, etc. I am thick-skinned and can take (and actually hope for) criticism.

Suffer Published

Rubbersquare is proud to announce the publication of Suffer - Collected Works by Michael Dunn.

Whether the setting is a desolate apartment building, the set of a porno or an everyday high school, it’s still a world from the imagination of Michael Dunn. His characters, often struggling to survive even an ordinary life, are thrust into unusually grim situations which test their ability to adapt.

The short stories and poems included in this anthology are dark and disturbing, but – at times – funny and insightful.

The 288-page book is available in hardcover format for $39.50.

Sneak Peek

Get a sneak peek look at the in-progress, revamped Rubbersquare site at http://www.rubbersquare.com/beta

Just a taste of what's coming, it's all still in flux, little tweaks, little bugs, and possibly a revamp of the revamp. Nothing is set in stonepixels. SO, your feedback is very much appreciated. Sound off!