Crap Confessions

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    Janet Thomas-Riley     Edit Contact    3/12/2012

    To: SusanHolmes-Holleran@hotmail.com

Suzie;

I caught Christopher up late in bed last night. His lamp was on when I passed, and when I went in he was reading those comic books. Without thinking, I just went off on him, unfortunately. I don't mean to bite his head off like that, but I feel like I can't protect him. I know you understand. 

His father doesn't get it at all, even though I told him several times. It's not like, I'm not one of those moms that will just flip out cause he's on Nintendo. I mean that's fine, but it's fine for me to know what he's playing too and people just don't get it. He's not eighteen, he's not even twelve, these are important years for him and he needs supervision. I refuse to put up, or explain myself to people when it comes to what my son does. I mean, are you kidding?

I don't take that crap from his dad, so you better believe that no one else is getting away with it either. Chris is not like other kids, and I'm not going to have him jumping into fights or jumping off ledges trying to fly, and yes, he will absolutely do that. If he's in science class you have to watch him close, or he will mix up chemicals to try and drink them. Whenever we pass a creek and there's garbage in it, he'll try to sneak off so he can go and wade through it.

I've talked to Bruce about getting him some help, but it's like he's too proud to care about his son. With him it's either A or B, and if Chris isn't a lunatic, he's going through some phase. It's like I can't talk sense to him anymore, and honestly I'm starting to lose it myself. We've been married for almost ten years, and I really cant tell you the last time I felt happy about it.

I'm scared Sue. I'm really, really scared. I've been spending time with Chris, just to take my mind off things, but I saw those books and now I'm scared of something else. Before I threw them away I flipped through one, and of course there's Jack Saturn, staring right back at me. It was just like a bad dream.

I know you don't keep up with Anomalies, but you can trust me when I say there are better role models. It's not like Joey is, his real name's Joey, sorry. It's not like he's a bad guy at all, but I wouldn't wish his life on my worst enemy. Drama Co. would love to put a bullet in his brain, and he can't stay in one place long, before he has to leave. His entire family's in that relocation program, and none of them are living with the names that they were born with.

Is that the kind of life you'd want for your kids? Is that the price you have to pay to be some flashy hero? I know I should be grateful that those people are around, and I'm not one of those haters but I want nothing to do with them. I swear to God, if I lose my son because of that garbage

I'm taking him to see someone and that's the end of it. I won't even bother discussing it until I have to. Hopefully they can start seeing Chris while his dad's still working. I'll let you know how it goes.

Low Tech Living

Author's Notes #3; 

I'm sure you've heard about the latest and greatest: the iPhone 6. You've likely also heard about the Moto G, and the Galaxy Note 4, and the Optimus V...

Okay, you problem haven't heard about that last one.

The LG Optimus V was released in 2010. It has a 3 1/2 inch touchscreen, capable of a whopping 320 x 480 resolution. While scouring the internet, with blazing 3G speed, it uses 160 MB of internal memory (that's right, megabytes). It also runs on Android 2.2, which was considered ancient tech in 2012. This is the same phone I've used for over two years, and I'm using it now, to write these words.

Surprise! It's amazing when you realize, that you can accomplish a lot, with less than you think. This puppy gets me onto Facebook, YouTube, Google and Twitter, but the OS is so old, that for all but Twitter, I have to connect via the Internet Browser. The phone can't run the updated apps. As far as gaming, you can get a good round of Tetris in, but that's about it.

Maybe you're the type of person that would shy away, from showing this phone. Well, I whip it out with any excuse. I don't want to be one of those guys that lives with his Mom, but has a $600.00 smartphone, and I don't mind showing that I've had to compromise. I'd say that the Optimus V is "The Everyman's phone", but that's bs; most guys would buy something flashier, to keep from being embarrassed. I'd like to stick them with the flip phone, that I had three years ago.

As you can probably tell by this point, I enjoy poking fun at myself; it keeps me from getting too serious, and too wrapped up in other's expectations. As with all things however, the end is nigh. I've put the emphasis on frugality and functionality for years, but even I have to eventually change with the times.

I'm holding on though. I've still got a case of CDs in my truck, and a five-disc DVD player sits in my living room. In the guest room, in all it's glory, is an Atari 2600; a heavy-sixer I bought two years ago. If you go into the kitchen, you'll see an old Dell computer, running Windows XP with 18 gigabytes of memory and one full gig of space! (It's amazing.)

Honestly, that's the first thing to go. Of all the gizmos in my arsenal, it's beginning to show its age. The Dell runs Chrome, relatively well, but the audio from video clips is choppy, so I'm forced to use Windows 8, in order to enjoy YouTube. Ultimately however, it simply doesn't have enough memory, to support what I'll be doing over the next two years.

I've got some big things in mind. If you've been following me on Twitter, you know a little bit about my plans, but I'll update each blog accordingly, as things come to fruition. The first step is to build a PC, which will cost me just under five hundred dollars. That's excellent, considering that a pre-built rig, with a similar capacity, would cost me two grand or more.

A good camera is next, to shoot hi-res images and high quality video. After I get my hands on those toys, well, you'll see, but I've set my sights on a good drawing tablet. I want to be able to get up, and quickly draw a comic book page, strip or panel, directly into the computer.

Speaking of comics, my goal is to have the "Smash n' Crash" concept ready to print, in about a year's time. That should seem like plenty to you, but know that there's a lot of research to be done, and that's something that even the latest tech can't rush. It isn't about the goal however, it's about the journey. If the road to the end isn't fun, who cares about the finish line?

So as I develop Chris and Sam, and Digit and Totem, and Nos and Grudge (coming soon), the fiction will continue. The art will also resume shortly, and the quality there will improve. Given dated technology, with upgrades on the horizon, and in lieu of video that's months away, from being produced, I'm still an entire channel's worth of content. 

So get tuned in, to my way of thinking.

@ChannelSeals - 2/15

Regarding what you missed.‏

From: "Charles Whitner", <c.whitner@losangelesschools.edu>

To: "Janet Thomas", <j.thomasriley@rileyartprints.com>                                      

                                                                                                                                                  Dec 2, 13 10:15 am

                                                                                                                                      

Ms. Thomas;

I was disappointed that you were unable to attend the last conference. It seems that, between you and your ex-husband, you are more receptive to my ideas. At this point, I don't believe that punishment is sufficient, to curb your son's behavior. I'm also afraid that, the troubles he has at school are somewhat rewarded, when you are forced to sit with Bruce in my office.

Christopher is very smart. He resents the fact that you two are divorced, and he looks for any opportunity to bring you together again. In the interests of full disclosure though Janet, I'm sure that isn't his only motivation. Like many other children, Chris idolizes the vigilantes he's seen.

If you recall, the last incident we discussed involved a pushing match, between three other children. As I said before, we are well aware of the Toll brothers' disciplinary issues and I promise we're not ignoring them, but when a child sees a case of bullying, he should tell an adult not get involved. Marcia Toll was not pleased to know, that her sons were attacked with a push broom. It took a considerable effort, to convince her not to pursue legal action.

In regards to what you missed, apparently Chris saw that some boys were spraying graffiti, on the old Porter's Hospital building. When they ignored your son's protests, he grabbed a nearby garden hose and soaked them. The two young men hopped onto their bikes, to chase after Chris on his, but that ride turned out to be very dangerous. Thanks to the local shop owners, and one of our drivers, I can tell you that Chris rode down two flights of steps, and even into traffic, to escape onto school grounds.

The resulting traffic jam took some minutes to sort out, but I thank heaven it wasn't a lot worse. At the beginnings of our talks, I had wished to save your son from delinquency court, but if this continues I really do fear for his life. If you want my honest opinion, I don't think that taking away his bicycle will do near enough. A more drastic approach is necessary.

If you would allow us to transfer him, not just to another school but to another state, that may very well shock him out of it. Please note my reasoning, before jumping to any decision here. With a move of this nature, we can be assured that you and Bruce can't accidentally enforce, what we're trying to curb. It would also mean that, not only would his friends be unable to cheer him on, he would miss all of this attention and that's a very important factor to this.

I believe, that in one full year afterward, we would receive a child ready to heed us again. We would also have a lasting tool for punishment, that he knows we are willing to use. I am, as always, open to other ideas. Let me assure you though Janet, that I have racked my brain on the matter, and I truly believe this is the best course of action.

Eagerly awaiting your correspondence;

C. Whitner;

Charles Whitner
Acting Superintendent of Public Schools;
Los Angeles United School District

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom" - G.W. Carver

The Totem Archive: 02-13

From The Buffalo, NY Feature Article! (Vs. Random and Rad!Cal)

The Buffalo Scroll

Sunday February 24, 2013

Planned Randomness: Totem in Western NY
by Chuck Wallace

Some reporters catch a lucky break, and turn that fortune into a career. Jon Sentra is an example of this. He was a court reporter that tried to cover politics, and though that never gained traction, a chance encounter with the U.S.Angels made him a household name. "Sentra Central" is one of the highest-rated TV programs today.

There's also another kind of reporter to consider: a grinder. That's guys like Roland Williams, Sly Jacobs, Jane Lieber, and myself. We're the ones in the trenches and back alleys. We're the ones committed to the craft. We're the ones that know, that success has nothing to do with luck.

You pick your path and you stick with it. Then when that fails, you get up tomorrow and do it again. There are plenty of people that have heard of that concept, but I've found that very few understand. Phillip Cole is one of those few.

Phil, or Totem to you and me, has never wanted to be anything other than a hero. As a teenager, he was one of the boys tested with the Shift Stone, a Seneca artifact of great magical power. Phil was deemed a master of the stone, and when the trials were completed, he was also said to be the bravest and most noble of the hopefuls. Unfortunately, the responsibility of bearing the stone does not come with much financial reward.

So, he was a mail carrier. He was a pizza delivery boy. He was a trucker. He took any job that allowed him to keep moving around, while keeping a watchful eye on the lands he was given to protect. Eventually, he landed a job as a police officer.

That didn't last long though. "I tried to get off the graveyard shift dozens of times", he said. "It's tough being a cop all night, then running around in another costume all morning, only to find that Rogues learn your hours of operation, real fast. Then, when I finally got on mornings, something would happen and I couldn't do as much, because I couldn't strip off the blues and reveal who I was."

Both that job, and his secret identity are things of the past. Today, Totem has his own website, partially run by a few of his fans. Along with tales of his exploits and his background information, there's icons on each page, that allow the generous to donate and support him. It's his only source of income.

"I do okay", he said. "I'm not jumping into a Hummer anytime soon, but I can travel a bit, pay for hotels and meals... Plus a lot of people around here know me, and restaurants typically won't charge me anything. The community's great."

It's that community, the Buffalo Niagara region, that has earned Totem's trust and continued service. In return, they know the name of the man they're giving money to.

"That was step one", he said. "There's no way it would've worked, if I had stayed anonymous",

And lucky for me, he did not. I've followed Totem for seventy-five days now. Within that time he's dodged me constantly, and I lost him on three separate occasions. If it wasn't for him doing away with the mask years ago, I don't think I'd have caught him. When I finally did though, he was annoyed.

According to him, it's unsafe for me to tag along. There's frequent run-ins with armed robbers, gang members and the occasional Anomaly. I told him that I accepted the risk. I told him that what I do is who I am and that there's no "Plan B" for me, ever.

He didn't like it, but he saw my eyes and the resolution in them. He nodded and we moved on to other topics. If you're wondering ladies, he's still available; a personal life is hard for a hero on the road. As far as likes and dislikes, he's pro TV but anti-sitcom. Fiction in general, is not one of his interests.

" I like reality TV, of any kind. I want to watch the day through the eyes of ordinary people. That fascinates me. So yeah, I watch 'Pickers', this show on fishing... whatever I can get at the motel I'm at, and hey, if it's 'Housewives'... I'll watch that too."

He laughed but I knew he was serious. During our meal he excused himself, to go to the bathroom. It took me twenty more minutes to realize, that he had left the diner instead. I thought he stuck me with the bill, but true to form, the waitress said the food was on the house.

After that, his trail was completely cold. A week later, I followed a squad of police cars, headed to the Federal Bank on Delaware Avenue. Buffalo's a big enough city that, there's a significant Anomaly Response Team on the force. Even so, the would-be robbers were Random and Radical (or Rad!Cal), Type 2B Anomalies.

To say that the Rogues were formidable, would be an understatement. Radical, the punk one, is able to change his body's density, to become as hard as stone or as immaterial as a ghost. Random, the more goth of the pair, is a teleporter. You can imagine how difficult it is to hold on to these two young men; not that the Police didn't try.

Gas is the most standard tactic and the first out of the rule book; so the authorities sent three canisters over to them. In response, Radical jumped, twisted upside-down, and spun his legs like helicopter blades. Since he's able to change his density, he can delay the effects of gravity and he was spinning fast enough, to disperse the gas. A young cop, high-strung and nervous, fired three times with his nine millimeter.

Random teleported away. Radical just shrugged and let the slugs pass through him. The bullets struck the facade of the Federal Building and passed through the wall, endangering those inside. Before the Lieutenant in charge could reprimand the trigger-happy officer, another voice boomed over the crowd.

"Don't shoot!"

It was Totem, high up on a nearby roof. His hand was on the Shift Stone tied around his neck, and it glowed with a white light. That same energy sprouted and formed wings behind him, which helped him descend to the ground. The cops holstered their weapons and backed off.

Radical smirked. Random said, "I got this loser", and he disappeared, behind a flash of violet light.

More flashes followed, some in front of Totem and some behind, but he was eating cheap shots from almost every direction. Falling to his knees, he grabbed the Stone and a blue energy surrounded him, shielding him from the barrage. When he struck back, the length of his arm was extended by that blue light, and the end of that magical form was the fist of the Gorilla.

Random laughed and ported this way and that. Phil set him up, just like most anyone would. Feinting one way, he waited for Random to pull his trick and then he tagged him at the end of it. The blow was heard by all, and the teleporter was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Radical was not pleased. He jumped towards Phillip then sunk like a stone, changing his position in the air and driving the hero to the ground. Rad was essentially a bouncing ball. He'd leap off of one squad car then another, and then off of a wall, so his attacks were hard to adjust to.

Every time he was in grabbing range he'd sink in the air, to avoid the counterattack, or he'd go ghost and let them pass through. Either way, Totem couldn't get a thing to land and Random was starting to stir. If the two of them attacked him together, it was all but over. We were all cheering for him, but the situation was dire.

Grasping the stone with both hands, Phil concentrated. This time, the aura that surrounded him was gold, and the speed of the Cheetah came with it. As Radical somersaulted away, Totem pursued him with inhuman haste, and sharp claws of golden light. The Rogue avoided the blows, or let them pass through him in time, but I suppose that Radical's tank was on 'E'.

You could see the strain on his face. You could see beads of sweat and the desperation. He let another swipe rip through him, but he winced at the end and it was clear to all of us watching, that the game was up. Rad backed off and tried to jump away, but Totem closed in and pounced.

They collided in the air, and then they came down hard. At the end of it, Phil had Radical pinned. Across from them, Random was shaking his head and gathering himself. He didn't look aware of what was going on, and before he made enough effort to stand, a clear mask was placed over his mouth and nose. I heard a hiss as knobs were being turned, and Random fell back into dreamland.

The Response Team had finally woken up. Within seconds, Rad!Cal was also subdued, and the two of them were dragged to a nearby van. They were, no doubt, en route to the Detention Center in New Jersey. That facility has numerous solutions for Anomaly Corrections, gas being just one of them.

Totem was quickly surrounded with grateful cops. He shook their hands, and nodded and smiled. He told them that no, they were the real heroes, and as cliche as that is it sounded earnest. While he was distracted by them, I pulled out my tape recorder and tried to excuse and pardon myself closer.

Phillip quickly said his goodbyes, while moving in the opposite direction. Before I could catch up, his aura flashed white, and the wings of the Eagle carried him skyward. I ran to my car, an '84 Dodge, and fired it up. He was out of sight by the time I hit the road, but I gunned it, and spotted him in the clouds.

Of course it was in vein, but so was his bid to get away. I'll follow every cop car, watch every ambulance, listen to every broadcast and keep my ear to the street. Totem's role as a hero is more than just his job, it's his passion; I saw that it as soon as I met him. 

Well, I have a passion too, and it's telling you all about people like him.

"Digit" - Author's Notes #2

From my brain to your eyes; that's the gift of drawing. Being able to communicate with images, is a great tool to have. "A picture's worth a thousand words", and all that.

When it comes to character design, artists go through hundreds of variations before picking one. Here, I wanted to record my initial thoughts, on what Digit "might" look like. There'll be a couple dozen more, at least, before I'm done. Some of those drawings will be posted, the rest will be scrapped (like this one, probably), or shelved.

Regarding who the girl is, I'll say that she is connected to the comic's main villain, and we'll leave it at that, for now.

-B. A Seals

Posted: April 25, 2009

Kimberly Gray-Davis
2985 Sweet Home Rd.
Amherst, NY 14228

Lakeisha Morris
3459 Otter Drive
Atlanta, GA 30130

Hey Keisha;

Just checkin in on you girl. I hate to keep bringing this up, but... That's a lie, no I don't. You need to get e-mail now! Drop whatever you doing, stop reading this, and go to Google or Yahoo or something, and get you an account. Just do it! The letters gonna be there when you get back.

But I know you won't. You are so stubborn, I swear! Listen, you don't even need a computer. You got that iPhone Darrell bought you in your purse, I know it. Just pull it out and use it.

No, it doesn't cost anything, and no, you WILL NOT stop getting mail from the post office!

Seriously... You need to do that because, if collections gets bad, and you need another job, they gonna expect that they can get back to you, on the email account you don't have. Okay? Just put that address you get in your next letter and I'll use that.

Anyways, like I said, checkin in.

It looks like me and Rob's gonna make it out here. He got his third property now, another duplex, and we got some college kids on one side, and this couple on the other. We do have to get on the boys sometimes, about the noise, but other than that? They pay they rent, they clean, and they ain't on that stuff, you know what I'm saying? They ain't on it.

Speakin a kids, Sammy's five. And I'll be forty-five before he turns six. Girl, I know Marquita was a pain, but you don't understand, okay? No way does your girl compare to this.

He's hyper all day, every day. He don't sit still not one moment, and if you let his hand go in the mall, you'll be yelling and screaming, and runnin the hundred yard dash tryin to get him. If there's any little bike anywhere, he's on it, even if it ain't paid for, and he go so doggone fast it gives me a heart attack. So I grab him offa this, and offa that, and then he's twirling around like a hoola hoop, and swinging his bear.

Once me and Rob took him to Target. We thought we was smart, by taking that bear away, but that wasn't enough. His dad let him loose in the toy aisle, and he got that light sword thing, from Star Trek or whatever. Now right away, I don't want him with that, but no, Rob likes it. He thinks that, cause it's styrofoam, the boy can't hurt anything.

Yeah right. I was looking at this one set for Christmas. It was like, little porcelain gingerbread houses and snowmen and things like that. Well, Sammy decided he was gonna twirl again, and before we could stop him, everything went flying off the shelf. So I got out the way, y'know?

You know how I do it. But Rob? You know how big my husband is, right? You know how I can't get him nothing, less it's from 'Big and Tall' right? Well, this negro is Neo in the Matrix! Girl... I'm tellin you. I never, never seen no one bend back like that.

But yeah.... Sam? Little Sammy is no joke, I'm telling you right now.

Another thing is, he wants to pitch a fit in the barber seat. Every time. It got so bad his grand dad won't cut him no more. I talked to Rob, and he's like, "Forget it, just let it grow".

I said, "What do you mean, forget it? We can't not cut his hair!"

But that was it. He was done, and I knew he was done. So here I am, on break after a half hour session of whining and crying, while I tried to twist up my son's huge afro. He doesn't like it, and it's not worth the effort, cause I don't want him to look like no girl. I don't know how dreads are supposed to grow, but we're gonna find out, 'cause I can't think of nothing else.

Alright, Daddy's home, so I'm sealing this up. Bye Keish. Get that email, Keish! If you.don't, I'm coming down to Georgia and tanning that behind. I'm serious.

Fwd: Deterra's "History of The Anomaly"

From; "Evelyn Summers", <eve.summers@aed.whitehouse.gov>                                                

To: "Bill Garrett, PhD", <gw.garrett@sos.research.com.>                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Mar16

        1:35 pm 

Hey, Bill;

The following transcript is from an attachment that was sent via email, to Laughton University Online. The piece was generously provided, by Professor Stanley Ulbricht, from their history department. Now, before you say anything, I know this isn't an example of Computer Science. I offer it only to illustrate, Ms. Lacroix-Deterra's maturity, and her mastery of the facts. I'll remind you again, that Digit (that's what they call her) is a fifteen year-old grad student, that completed her college curriculum a year ago. I see no reason, why someone of her talents, wouldn't be of at least some use, to you and your crew.

I'm not suggesting that you take her aboard. (I understand that two children may be one too many) I just think that, as a consultant, she could assist with S.O.S. security issues, and that her expertise may come in handy against hacks, or any web-based threats.

We will meet and discuss at the usual time. The 'Concerns and POI' document, will be passed on then as well.

-Eve.

Evelyn Summers
Managing Director
Anomaly and Extraterrestrial affairs Department Washington, DC

---------------------------------------------------Forwarded Message------------------------------------
From: <stan-ulbricht@laughtonU.net>
Date: Mar 5, 2014 12:03 pm
Subject: Deterra's "History of the Anomaly"
To: <eve.summers@aed.whitehouse.gov>

-Text copy of attachment (essay assignment) -Stan.

            

            History of The Anomaly 

                 

            by Gina Lacroix-Deterra

           12/28/13

In order to get Anomalies, and to see that whole picture clearly, you have to get their connections to the alien races. So basically, the start of the Anomaly dates back to prehistory, and the Egyptians. Extraterrestrials ran that civilization for years, and after their deaths, pharoahs that claimed to be connected to them, ruled uncontested. It's pretty well now known, that their subjects had mistaken the aliens, for gods.

Thousands of years later, the Norse made the same mistake. But by that time, the race we call 'The Lenix' had command; and their shapeshifting gifts, made their deification by the people, more understandable. After the deaths of Freyr and Baldr, and finally Odin, alien rule of human life ended, and we started to think after a while, that we were the only intelligent life forms around. Then, in 1857, we got corrected again.

Twenty-four shots, from Mars hit the Earth, that year. What landed, turned out to be canisters full of 'Chennki', another race of aliens. The Martians were advanced enough, at that time that, they could've easily become our conquerors for good. Luckily though, a few of us had come down with the flu, and that virus destroyed the invaders, before we even had a chance to rebel.

We wound up dodging slavery again, near the end of World War II. When the Axis powers were losing fast, Hitler and Co. got some major help from the 'Emorlon', a race of energy beings. These Emorlon like to walk around, in hollow bodies, pretending to be us, but the vast majority of them hate our guts. Historians think that their plans, even today, are to use racial and religious differences, to divide and conquer humanity.

Back then, two things got in the way. One was the result of 'The Chennki Strike', or the Martian invasion. The 'red weed' they left, most of it died like they did, but some of that plant was saved, and looked at, and studied. Geneticists found, that they could use the plant properties to tinker with DNA, and come up with all sorts of stuff. While messing with plant, and animal and human genes, scientists created, what would be called, the first Anomalies.

According to the Stern-Workman dictionary, an anomaly (definition 4a) is, "a physical being, often humanoid, whose abilities and/or existence, defies evolution by natural selection". The group that defied the Axis, the 'Super-Americans', had two such people: Venture, and Liberty Jane. Despite this, the Super-Americans would not have been able to defeat the Emorlons, if it wasn't for the help of yet another alien, a Lenix called 'The Matriarch'. With her help, the Allied forces were able to defeat the Axis, and banish the hordes of Emorlons, from the globe.

Today, we are no longer under the threat, of alien imperialism. But constant contact with other life forms, has changed the course of humanity. Approximately 0.00001% of the earth's population, are registered Anomalies, and some of their powers not only defy evolution, but science itself.

Some Anomalies are "test tube babies". These are descendants of the "Red Weed Project", of the 1930s. Some people come into contact with alien artifacts, in Egypt or Norway or Sweden, and they become Anomalies, as a result. Others are a mix of races, when alien/human offspring beat the odds, and become viable.

Whatever the case, there are two basic types of Anomalies. Type 1 is the "Hero class", a generally benevolent group of vigilantes. Type 2 are "Rogues", that want to serve their gangs, or just themselves. Whether Type 1 or 2, Anomalies are both loved, and hated by the general public. They are also responsible for 65%, of the major property damage cases, in the United States.