The Random Crap Thread 2: It Hits the Fan.
- Thread starter North_Ranger
- Start date
Not too long ago, I learned that Dad was diagnosed with cancer. They found it from a routine x-ray when he was complaining about back problems. He's only getting one dose of radiation to help mitigate it, but otherwise, he's not doing any more treatment for it. He's 89 years ago and he decided he doesn't want to go through with the treatments.
It's been hard, of course. I don't think it's still fully processed for me. One of my sisters said she'd like to see Dad make it to this Christmas. Until she said that, I didn't realize it could potentially hit him that hard or that fast.
A few weeks ago, during the finales of the Nova Scotia Open, they did a short interview and celebration for dad and his achievements. He won literally HUNDREDS of tournaments in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. His nickname was apparently The King of Clay. My family is basically synonymous with tennis in the Maritimes.
I went down with my girlfriend for that celebration. While there, I heard countless stories about my dad from anyone I talked to. And that's when I learned of "The Six."
Apparently, back around the 60s or 70s, there were six tennis players who dominated the Atlantic Canada tennis scene. My dad, his brother, and four other people. They even all had codenames. Dad was "Gramps." There was "Lids," "Flea," "Chucker," and "Rang" (short for orangutan because they apparently had long arms). They toured together, slept in tennis clubhouses, and played the hell out of tennis.
Since learning about The Six, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. I thought "Man, this would make for a great book." I thought about it more today while on a long bike ride and I realized "Man, this would make for a great GRAPHIC NOVEL." I realized "the six" could be a little meta and I could do exclusively six-panel pages. I also realized "Huh, it'd be a bit odd, but a tennis court design ALMOST works as a comic panel layout." I just googled that link and blew my own mind realizing a tennis court design, if looking at it as a panel layout...makes six panels. THIS WAS MEANT TO BE.
Now I can't get the idea out of my head. It could be like a biography or documentary in comic form (similar to Box Brown's work, like his Andre the Giant biography). I don't know much about the other five, but I'm sure they have enough stories to fill a book. I don't know if it'd be self-aggrandizing, but I picture myself to bookend the whole thing: doing a one or two page introduction, a tiny bit about myself and why I'm doing it, and then again for the conclusion. I'm picturing the first page with me talking to the camera, with the last panel saying "And then I learned about..." and boom. You turn the page to a two-page spread of THE SIX.
I thought it'd be funny for a panel somewhere that I mention that I became a nerd instead of a tennis player. And then show a one-panel flashback of a young Nick, nearly in tears, getting yelled at by my dad off-panel "Get your racket back. GET YOUR RACKET BACK!" I already picture the word balloon with sharp edges like you'd see in a comic of someone yelling.
I'd have to get all the right permissions and everything, of course. My sister knew a lot of these people and I think even played with them. I know she played and won some mixed doubles with Dad. But she would have some great personal insights on these people. Fortunately, most of them are still alive, except one. "Chucker" passed away to cancer a few years ago. But even more fortunately, they all live in Halifax.
I talked to Dad about this tonight. He gave his blessing. He's also willing to help me get in touch with the remaining Six. He believes they'd all give their blessing. My sister and I have made plans to talk about it tomorrow night.
I'll...need to find an artist. I know a couple of artists, like @Zappit or perhaps Sam Owen or Darren Vogt whose cartoonist style might be right in line with what I'm picturing. On the other hand, this feels like a project where I need local talent. An artist in Atlantic Canada, to give it that personal Atlantic Canadian touch. I'm not sure.
As you can see from everything I already wrote, I'm really feeling energized about this idea. I haven't felt this energized for a creative project in a long time.
It's been hard, of course. I don't think it's still fully processed for me. One of my sisters said she'd like to see Dad make it to this Christmas. Until she said that, I didn't realize it could potentially hit him that hard or that fast.
A few weeks ago, during the finales of the Nova Scotia Open, they did a short interview and celebration for dad and his achievements. He won literally HUNDREDS of tournaments in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. His nickname was apparently The King of Clay. My family is basically synonymous with tennis in the Maritimes.
I went down with my girlfriend for that celebration. While there, I heard countless stories about my dad from anyone I talked to. And that's when I learned of "The Six."
Apparently, back around the 60s or 70s, there were six tennis players who dominated the Atlantic Canada tennis scene. My dad, his brother, and four other people. They even all had codenames. Dad was "Gramps." There was "Lids," "Flea," "Chucker," and "Rang" (short for orangutan because they apparently had long arms). They toured together, slept in tennis clubhouses, and played the hell out of tennis.
Since learning about The Six, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. I thought "Man, this would make for a great book." I thought about it more today while on a long bike ride and I realized "Man, this would make for a great GRAPHIC NOVEL." I realized "the six" could be a little meta and I could do exclusively six-panel pages. I also realized "Huh, it'd be a bit odd, but a tennis court design ALMOST works as a comic panel layout." I just googled that link and blew my own mind realizing a tennis court design, if looking at it as a panel layout...makes six panels. THIS WAS MEANT TO BE.
Now I can't get the idea out of my head. It could be like a biography or documentary in comic form (similar to Box Brown's work, like his Andre the Giant biography). I don't know much about the other five, but I'm sure they have enough stories to fill a book. I don't know if it'd be self-aggrandizing, but I picture myself to bookend the whole thing: doing a one or two page introduction, a tiny bit about myself and why I'm doing it, and then again for the conclusion. I'm picturing the first page with me talking to the camera, with the last panel saying "And then I learned about..." and boom. You turn the page to a two-page spread of THE SIX.
I thought it'd be funny for a panel somewhere that I mention that I became a nerd instead of a tennis player. And then show a one-panel flashback of a young Nick, nearly in tears, getting yelled at by my dad off-panel "Get your racket back. GET YOUR RACKET BACK!" I already picture the word balloon with sharp edges like you'd see in a comic of someone yelling.
I'd have to get all the right permissions and everything, of course. My sister knew a lot of these people and I think even played with them. I know she played and won some mixed doubles with Dad. But she would have some great personal insights on these people. Fortunately, most of them are still alive, except one. "Chucker" passed away to cancer a few years ago. But even more fortunately, they all live in Halifax.
I talked to Dad about this tonight. He gave his blessing. He's also willing to help me get in touch with the remaining Six. He believes they'd all give their blessing. My sister and I have made plans to talk about it tomorrow night.
I'll...need to find an artist. I know a couple of artists, like @Zappit or perhaps Sam Owen or Darren Vogt whose cartoonist style might be right in line with what I'm picturing. On the other hand, this feels like a project where I need local talent. An artist in Atlantic Canada, to give it that personal Atlantic Canadian touch. I'm not sure.
As you can see from everything I already wrote, I'm really feeling energized about this idea. I haven't felt this energized for a creative project in a long time.
I will buy this if you do it. So do it.
This sounds great!
It's also SCV, so some leeway is allowed.
GasBandit
Staff member
One of my early formative memories was trying to explain what "don't cut him no slack" means to a 4 year old who didn't understand this lyric, and realizing I didn't understand how one would "cut slack" on a rope in a literal sense because the etymology of the slang is like 3 layers of meta deep, and that was too hard for 8 year old me to formulate into coherent verbiage.When the evil Shredder attacks,
These turtle boys don't cut him no slack!
"It means they don't go easy on him."
"How does that mean that? What is slack?"
"Slack is making a rope less tight"
"But if you cut a rope, it can't be tight at all."
Me:
What Does Cut Me Some Slack Mean? - Writing Explained
Give me some slack meaning. What is the meaning of give me some slack? Learn this English idiom along with other words and phrases at Writing Explained. Cut me a slack; cut some slack.
writingexplained.org
Definition of CUT
to penetrate with or as if with an edged instrument; to hurt the feelings of; to strike sharply with a cutting effect… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com
Which I'm sure is related to "cutting in" with dancing, or "cutting in line" or other places where "cut" has a meaning of yielding to another
GasBandit
Staff member
I've most often heard it being "cut" as in "give" or "allocate for me from an existing pool" (Cut me some bacon).
I know what it is NOW. The point was... in 1987, 8 year old me with no internet access would have no way of knowing the barrel stave version nor been able to google it. And 1987 me can't come forward in time to read your replies to this thread
I know what it is NOW. The point was... in 1987, 8 year old me with no internet access would have no way of knowing the barrel stave version nor been able to google it. And 1987 me can't come forward in time to read your replies to this thread
pshaw...we're just putting this here for when time machines are invented, and you can send the info back to your childhood self and alter the past/present/futureI've most often heard it being "cut" as in "give" or "allocate for me from an existing pool" (Cut me some bacon).
I know what it is NOW. The point was... in 1987, 8 year old me with no internet access would have no way of knowing the barrel stave version nor been able to google it. And 1987 me can't come forward in time to read your replies to this thread
Yes, THAT'S what we should be doing it we ever get time machines.
figmentPez
Staff member
At least we know where the idiom comes from when we're talking about cutting slack. There are phrases we use in English that don't have a known source.
For example: "By hook or by crook", no one knows for certain where it came from. That link says it comes from commoners taking from royal forests, but this source says it comes from a thief's tools.
"Whole nine yards" which might be related to "dressed to the nines" or "on cloud nine" or a lot of other things, but no one really knows.
For example: "By hook or by crook", no one knows for certain where it came from. That link says it comes from commoners taking from royal forests, but this source says it comes from a thief's tools.
"Whole nine yards" which might be related to "dressed to the nines" or "on cloud nine" or a lot of other things, but no one really knows.
That's just age of sail propaganda put out by EIC sympathizers!What Does Cut Me Some Slack Mean? - Writing Explained
Give me some slack meaning. What is the meaning of give me some slack? Learn this English idiom along with other words and phrases at Writing Explained. Cut me a slack; cut some slack.writingexplained.org
Definition of CUT
to penetrate with or as if with an edged instrument; to hurt the feelings of; to strike sharply with a cutting effect… See the full definition
Which I'm sure is related to "cutting in" with dancing, or "cutting in line" or other places where "cut" has a meaning of yielding to another
GasBandit
Staff member
There's construction going on outside our apartment building, they're building a new office block. Originally no one could plausibly see inside our apartment from outside our windows, but after the office block is completed, conceivably someone working in one of the offices will be able to see into our apartment just by looking out their window.
Now, since Taiwan has a really hot climate, I am in the habit of going around in various states of undress while at home. During the hot months, I usually run around in nothing but my boxers, and going naked has also been an option at times. (You know how I sometimes joke that I'm working pantsless or naked when I'm working remotely? Yeah, not joking.)
So now that the office block is nearing completion, my wife asked me, "Don't you think you should get out of the habit of going around naked now? Aren't you worried someone might see you, which could suck for you?"
And I replied, "Why? If someone sees me naked, they will have gotten the far worse end of the deal."
Now, since Taiwan has a really hot climate, I am in the habit of going around in various states of undress while at home. During the hot months, I usually run around in nothing but my boxers, and going naked has also been an option at times. (You know how I sometimes joke that I'm working pantsless or naked when I'm working remotely? Yeah, not joking.)
So now that the office block is nearing completion, my wife asked me, "Don't you think you should get out of the habit of going around naked now? Aren't you worried someone might see you, which could suck for you?"
And I replied, "Why? If someone sees me naked, they will have gotten the far worse end of the deal."
It’s a phone hostage situation!!
The Cams are coming…..
Ladies and gentlemen, everyone else, please gather round, as an occasion has taken place that comes but once in the lifetime of us, mere mortals.
The number of cycles by which the life of @Dave is measured - "years" perhaps, but not as we know them - has grown.
Join me, once and all, in wishing him a happy day of remembrance of his first appearance in this realm. The birth of a Great Old One, indeed.
The number of cycles by which the life of @Dave is measured - "years" perhaps, but not as we know them - has grown.
Join me, once and all, in wishing him a happy day of remembrance of his first appearance in this realm. The birth of a Great Old One, indeed.
IA! IA!