Music on right side bar…

| msnyder1970

Take Note, there will be samples of electronic music i am editing now and again on the right side of my page there is a media player that will slowly grow into multiple tracks. From 2003-2007 I made music as a means of therapeutic creative output. I’ve decided to try my hand at that again. Future pieces will contain more samples of either music or other kinds of sounds made into music. There are two tracks loaded for now under The 27th Angel. If perchance you are interested give a listen. 🙂

Something Old Sunday #42 (The Degg Fin Trilogy Part One: Life is a false reality (1987)…

| msnyder1970

Something Old Sunday is nearing it’s end so I thought I would conclude it with a trilogy of short films. The First two parts go hand in hand but the final film is a bit different from what I had originally planned.

Life is a false reality was conceived, filmed and acted by a group of my friends one Saturday afternoon in early June of 1987. Yeah, we were all inexperienced HS students that had a dream of making a film and we did. This film was shot in order and edited in camera on a very bulky giant VHS video camera. I directed and starred as nerd Ronald Backenbaum.

If I couldn’t study art my second choice was film making. Sadly at the time my art/grades weren’t good enough to get me into Kutztown University so I settled on Radio/Tv & Film Production at Northampton Community College in the Summer of 1988. In a script writing class in 1990 I wrote the third part of this trilogy called One Too Many Smiley Faces (It had an LGBT Twist), this film never got made, and I have no clue what happened to the script.

The Second film to be showcased in a week is the retched awful puts Ed Wood to shame film called Bitchin’ the Ultimate in Heavy (1991) (I had a thing for long titles LOL) made with some family & friends, one of which that could actually act (I played a stoner & a chick in this film about a guy that turns into a pickle monster)

The Final Film Remembering Ronald (1999) was an actual attempt at making a legit short film. All the actors except my Mom playing the reporter, My Dad playing Pete Picadilly and My friend Doug reprising his role of Degg Fin auditioned for this Improvisational film. That played in a local film festival.

But first, the film that started it all:

LIFE IS A FALSE REALITY (1987)

Liebster Award Winner…

| msnyder1970

I was nominated for a Liebster award by The Magpie Fancier whose blog is quite new from the rather small amount of followers. I recently started following them, they have a knack with the written word and are worth checking out. *Note though they aren’t a blog about Birds.*

kind of a funny award but I guess my blog is still “new” even though it’s two years old. I am not one to bombard anyone with these awards, most people think they are fluff and don’t participate. I just like answering the questions. Technically you’re supposed 11 people, if anyone remotely cares, consider yourself an award winner 😁 as well.

  1. Would you rather be too hot or too cold? I much rather be comfortable. I experienced both too hot and two cold within a two week period at our apartment in an unseasonably hot than cold late May.
  2. What is your favorite quality about yourself? I have very strong work ethics for someone that has hated what they do for a living for over two decades (I don’t mean as an artist, sadly my art has never paid my bills).
  3. What is the strangest dream you’ve ever had? I once had a two part dream as a kid called The Mummy Pin dream, initially I dreamt I was helping to install a new bedroom window when this mummy appeared, I woke up screaming than went to sleep with my Mom and the dream continued and I was chased by the same mummy with a giant pair of garden shears with my name written on them. I also once dreamt of two people fucking, this dream was the only time I dreamt in black and white, as the guy pulled out his dick remained inside her vagina and black ooze poured out of the front of him.
  4. If you were marooned on a desert island and could choose one book to bring with you, what would it be? (Don’t you dare say “How To Build A Boat”) Mad Libs, at least every day it could be a different story, I’d never grow bored.
  5. Is there one book you think everyone should read, and why? The Gashley Crumb Tinies by Edward Gorey, it’s a clever childrens book clearly written for the adult that would never want to be a parent. A ghastly humorous poetic book about children and their unfortunate demise through use of the alphabet.
  6. What is the most important quality, in your opinion, in others? integrity, something our idiot in charge surely lacks.
  7. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? pizza with mushrooms and onions. From 100’s of joints, all styles of sauce and crusts.
  8. What is your happiest memory? May 4th, 2013. The day I looked into Jessica’s eyes and said “I do.”
  9. First pet? weirdly my first pet was a frog named stretch.
  10. Have you ever had your heart broken? Yeah multiple times.
  11. Do you believe in love at first sight? Naw, each woman I ever dated, I needed to really get to know.

Frightening Fridays: The Sacrifice (loosely based on a true story**)…

| msnyder1970

The Tarot card. This was my friend Ronit’s medium of choice to display her psychic ability. I’ve always had an interest in the occult/new wave religions. Always looking up books on the topic at the library or going to the local occult shop & new age book store.

Then I met Ronit. She was a client of mine through an arts transaction we made when I was a speaker at the Second Sunday Salon (a Local Arts Venue). I was very curious when she showed me her ancient deck of ornate cards. I had my fortunes read in the past, one person was vague and the other who drew my aura told me things about my late Mother that there is no way they could’ve known. Ronit was the same when she read for me.

One day she asked if I would be interested in trying the cards. She handed me the deck and as I shuffled I looked up and saw what I would call the angel of death hovering over her head. I refused and handed the cards back to her. She asked me what was wrong and I just said I wasn’t that interested.

One day Ronit told me about this place north of us called Columcile Megalith Park. It is a meditation retreat rooted in Gaelic history. We decide to take a trip there. It’s a beautiful park with a lot of stone formations. We find a cave like structure and go inside. There is a rock structure that almost looks like a sacrificial alter.

Ronit asks me to take a photo of her lying on the alter. I tell her it’s probably not a good idea. This is is probably a sacred area and we should just let it be, but she insists and takes out a pocket knife. Here she says, handing me the knife, hold it like you are sacrificing me and snap my photo. I reluctantly comply. As I snap the photo, the room gets cold, the wind has picked up outside and the skies have gotten dark. I tell Ronit that I knew it wasn’t a good idea to stage that photo. As we head to my car a very large branch from the tree we are standing under falls a few feet in front of us. Had we been any closer it could have been far more tragic.

I chuckle to myself and turn to Ronit and say “That was a close one huh.” Ronit turns to look at me and her eyes are blank and hallow. The Specter has returned. I stand there petrified. He cradles her body and they both disintegrate into thin air.

I haven’t ever gone back to that park, I tell Dr. Martin. Dr. Martin just asks me to take my med’s and retire to my room here at Martins Psychiatric Clinic.

** Everything that happened is true except for the very end, no one died **