Monday, May 25, 2015

Metal Band Name Generator, Muse Party Blogfest, Bee Shortage, Movie Review, and New Releases

Today I am visiting Tyrean Martinson and discussing writing influences. And there's trivia!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Blood, Boobs, and Carnage Blogfest!

Heavy Metal Band Name Generator

In need of a metal band name or just a good laugh? Check out Heavy Metal Band Name Generator – one press of the button randomly generates a suitable metal name.
So far, my favorite has been Boob Holocaust.

Movie Review

Probably seeing Tomorrowland today, so will post review next week. In the meantime…

White House Down
Directed by Roland Emmerich, the story is ridiculous and very unrealistic. It’s full of gaping plot holes.
However, the leads are very likeable and manage to pull some entertainment out of the flick.
Watch if you’re really bored.


New Releases

Fixation by J. L. Campbell
Find on Amazon and Smashwords

A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford
A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.
Find it here: Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Goodreads

Ten Zany Birds by Sherry Ellis
Find it on Amazon


Bees in Danger by Jo

Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate mentioned a shocking report she had read on honey bees and how they were declining in numbers. A report featured on IFLScience described how in recent decades honey bee numbers in the US had declined by 60%. This is shocking in itself but the latest report by the Bee Informed Partnership together with the Apiary Inspectors of America, which surveyed over 6,000 apiarists, indicates that there has been a further loss of 42% of honey bee colonies in the United States. Some of this has been caused by the destructive varroa mite, a lot of the problem is related to toxic chemicals used by humans, but some is totally unexplainable. While the bulk of the cereal crops (which are wind pollinated) would survive, many fruit and vegetable crops would disappear. Australia has been protected from pests like the varroa by their very strict quarantine laws but, even if they end up with the only healthy honey bee population, that won't save the world's food crops. We need the honey bee. If it dies out, we are in serious danger of dying out too. Visit the blog of Helen Venn for more information.

The Muse Party Blogfest

Hosted by Sarah Foster.

I don’t really have a muse, so I decided to bring along one of my characters instead.

Who is your muse (or character)? Tell us a little bit about him/her and why you brought them. I’m bringing Athee from my Cassa series. She’s beautiful, strong-willed, outgoing, and will offset the fact I’m not really a party guy.

What are you guys wearing? Dressing up or keeping it casual? I’m always dashing in a tux and I hope she’s wearing something low cut.

It's a potluck! Did you bring something yummy? She would bring a traditional Tgren dish with all the trimmings and I would bring a traditional snarky guy dish of Hot Tamales and Gummy Worms over rice.

Open bar! What are you both drinking (booze or otherwise)? I’m drinking whatever makes me not care about the awkward words coming out of my mouth.

Wallflowers or social butterflies? I’m the wallflower of the two.

What song(s) will you and your muse sing for karaoke? She opts for a traditional Tgren song and I opt for Cowboys From Hell by Pantera.

What's your favorite party game? Whatever gets my date naked the fastest. (Hey, you asked!)

Which one of you is more likely to end up dancing on a table top? Definitely Athee. I will be sleeping under the table at that point.

Has your muse been a good date and would you ever hang out with them again? Excellent date… reminds me a lot of my wife!


What heavy metal band names did you get? Seen White House Down? Picking up some new books? Have you seen a decrease in bees in your area? And what would your muse or character be like at a party?

Don’t forget to visit Tyrean Martinson!

And happy Memorial Day.


151 comments:

Misha Gerrick said...

... Could it be? Am I really the first person to post?!

Your answers about the muse party made me laugh out loud. :-)

Misha Gerrick said...

IT'S TRUE! I finally made the coveted first comment!

Sorry. I'll leave now. ;-)

Blogoratti said...

Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

Rhonda Albom said...

My band name is MotorcycleMasters - not really me at all. I am not bored enough to see White House Down. I love that you mentioned your wife in the same sentence as a good date.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I enjoyed your post at Tyrean's. And I'll be curious to hear what you think of Tomorrowland. It sounds good. Have a great holiday!

kaykuala said...

It gets frightening to be thinking that the honey bees population is declining. The world cannot be without honey. Nick Wilford's book on a novella and short stories should be an inspiration for others for a start.

Hank

Nick Wilford said...

Your post at Tyrean's was fun, even though I didn't get any answers!

Scary stuff about the bees. They're more necessary to our survival than most realise.

Thanks for the shout out!

Jo said...

Thanks for posting about the honey bees for me Alex. I would like to spread the word as much as possible. Kayakula mentioned the shortage of honey, that is the least of the problems. I heard on the radio, one in four of the items we eat are pollinated by bees. NO BEES NO HUMANS

Lauren Farrow said...

Happy Memorial Day, Alex!
I love that there is a band name generator. My band name is IronBach, ha, ha.... I like that nod to classic music.... but in an Iron Man sorta way ;-)

Wait, is that a real dish? Hot Tamales and Gummy Worms over rice?
No offense, but it sounds... well...

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Have a great day, please let us know on the film Tomorrowland... I am prepping for a full day at the day job, good times.

Jeremy

CA Heaven said...

Pantera at the karaoke sounds like a good idea, but I think karaoke as such is not a good idea.

Cold As Heaven

Stephanie Faris said...

Happy Memorial Day to you, too! Nick's hanging out on my blog today. I have a feeling visitorship will be down, but it'll jump back up tomorrow, once the holiday is over!

A Beer for the Shower said...

Apparently our metal band name is WolfHole. I'm gonna pass!

One of my friends keeps bees as a hobby, and it's easy enough (and cool enough) that I'd like to try it myself at some point. Honey fresh from the comb is amazing. Plus, they're actually pretty friendly creatures, at least compared to the wasp. I think a lot of people get them mixed up and in turn treat bees as pests. They are definitely not.

Tamara Narayan said...

We don't hire a chemical company to keep our lawn perfect like our neighbors in hopes of giving the bees a little place to hang out. I have seen some of the big, fuzzy ones buzzy about, boring holes into the trellis. The smaller honey bees are more rare.

I'm doing the Muse Party too today, even though neither one of us are party people. We're just hanging out in a corner arguing.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Don't think I ever saw White House Down. Now, after your review, I don't really want/need to. :)

Will head over to Tyrean's....

Arlee Bird said...

My wife and I saw White House Down. It was full of holes, silly, not especially realistic in concept, but we enjoyed the film. It was the kind of escapist fun that we like on a Friday night.

I've been hearing about this problem with the bees for the past few years. I don't know if it started in So. California, but it's been happening around here for quite some time. It's kind of scary, but we still manage to keep honey in our cupboards and it doesn't seem to have gotten unaffordable. I hope they find a solution for the sake of produce availability.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Wrote By Rote

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Misha, you made it first!

Rhonda, that's a funny name.

Natalie, I will let you know!

Nick, you're welcome!

Jo, you're welcome, and that is scary.

Lauren, funny name! And yeah, the dish does sound gross.

Bummer, Jeremy.

Brandon and Bryan, that's an awesome name. Bees aren't pests at all. And if you start raising them, that might make for a great blog post.

Tamara, that made me chuckle.

Madeline, just skip it.

DL Kennedy said...

Looking forward to your review on Tomorrowland. Enjoy.

Been thinking alot about the loss of honey bees. So many threats against them. Recently read an article about giant killer Asian Hornets. Scary.

Sarah Foster said...

I guess we'll have to have a round of strip poker! But I think that may freak out a lot of the wallflowers...
Thanks for coming to my party, Alex!!

TS Hendrik said...

I liked White House Down as I don't feel it was meant to be taken seriously. As a deadpan farce, it's hilarious. My word, some of the lines they had to deliver with a straight face...fantastic.

Pat Hatt said...

That is a lot of bees being lost. My band name came up Devil's Panther, the cat can live with that lol. Never watched White House Down, watched Olympus has fallen though, figured it was the same thing.

lol so naked twister for her?

Shell Flower said...

Hahaha. That muse party sounds pretty rockin'. The honey bee problem is really scary. I've heard about it a lot, but didn't realize the population had declined so fast. Maybe I should be glad my son is so happy in Australia, even though it's so far away. Some great new books out today!

Chrys Fey said...

Athee sounds like a cool, tough character. For her sake, I hope she's not wearing something too revealing. I don't trust that Clyde (Tamara's muse). ;P

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, it was mindless fun all right.

DL, those hornets are scary.

Sarah, it would freak me out if I started losing!

TS, very true!

Pat, wicked cool name! And same thing - Olympus was a little better.

Chrys, I don't trust Clyde either.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats to all the authors! And what a fun party with you and Athee. I'm the geek that is in bed by ten! I'm heading over to Tyrean's now. :)

cleemckenzie said...

I'll be at Tyrean's soon and will be giving Nick a shout out on other social media today. So much going on and still haven't packed my bags for my virtual or real trip. :-)

I've made extra effort this year to have everything in my garden that will attract bees: tons of rosmary, borage, poppies have helped. My garden's buzzing with them. Let's hope we can turn this around.

mshatch said...

Gummy worms over rice? I think I might be sick...

Fun names in the generator, Undergound Ball isn't too bad...:)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I was the Rockettards.

An open bar would be dangerous.

J.H. Moncrieff said...

Glad to see someone else brought a character instead of a muse! Does anyone actually have a muse?

Love the snarky-guy dish! Have you ever made it for real?

It's devastating about the honey bees. I'd love to do whatever I can to help.

Holy Ghost Writer said...

Glorious Stalkers? Not sure that is a great bad name.

Charles Gramlich said...

I named my imaginary Hair Metal Band, Putryd Bytch

Unknown said...

So I go to the Metal Band Name Generator, push the button and I get "Anal Penis". As disgusting as that is, I bet somewhere, some band is using that name.

My flower gardens are pollinator garden. I also converted my lawn to clover to provide the bees with a food source. Three years ago when I went into the gardens I'd have bees buzzing all round me. Each year there are fewer and fewer. Not anymore. Each year there are fewer. This year is is alarming. I've half a field of spring Phlox that should be covered in bees. There are none. Not one honey bee.

Along with the honey bee, agricultural pesticides are killing off the Monarch Butterfly. I've Five butterfly bushes and near to one thousand Cosmo's that I grow specifically to provide them with fuel on their long journey back to Mexico. Last year I had only three Monarchs in my yard. The Monarch is now in peril.

This greatly upsets me as we are commanded to be stewards of God's creation, yet we are destroying it. I don't use pesticides of any kind and the insect population in my yard manages itself. It's not hard, just leave nature alone and your plants will be healthy.

Rant over.


EEGiorgi said...

Happy memorial day, Alex. I saw Tomorrowland yesterday, looking forward to your review. Guess where they shot the futuristic scenes? In Valencia, in the Ciudad de la Ciencia, futuristic architecture by Santiago Calatrava (I only know because I lived there 2 years, LOL).

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I did see White House Down. Once was enough. I'm picking up Nick's book. We have so many bees but they're not honey bees. I've heard about the disaster.
I'd be sleeping under the table instead of dancing on it too.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Unfortunately, I have seen White House Down and I agree with your thoughts.
My muse would be dancing all night long. :)
And, I got Underground Hair for a band name. :P

Thanks for guesting at my blog today, Alex!

Jennifer Hawes said...

We have plenty of bees here. No shortage. They love me. Anyway, My character at a party would be pulling pranks, of course. Happy Memorial Day!

Anonymous said...

Love the dish you'd bring to the party. I'd be under the table too, but writing while my muse kept the attention off me. If you start snoring, I'll just kick you. ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Christine, that's me as well.

Lee, rosemary attracts them? I'll tell my wife.

Marcy, that's almost normal.

JH, I really don't think I could eat it...

Charles, funny!

Anne, I bet there is a band called that. And yes, we are to be stewards of God's creatures. We don't use pesticides on anything either.

EE, that's cool!

Tyrean, thanks for hosting me!

Karen Lange said...

Enjoyed the post at Tyrean's! Happy Memorial Day!

Nilanjana Bose said...

Athee seems like a classy and fun person to hang out with, and Boob Holocaust would make for an epic blogfest title too :)

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

I've never been into heavy metal, but I had fun playing with the name generator.

Life & Faith in Caneyhead.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

You're funny, Alex. I want to hear you sing Cowboys from Hell, and I'll pass on the Hot Tamales and Gummy Worms over rice.

Have a meaningful Memorial Day.

Yolanda Renée said...

Did not know the Honey Bee population was that far gone. I hope the world is doing something to save them.

Nice interview gummy worms and rice? no thanks! Does sound like a hot date though - so was it scribble or chess that got her clothes of the quickest?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nilanjana, you're right - it would be an epic blogfest!

Robyn, bring earplugs.

Yolanda, spin the bottle.

Birgit said...

My heavy metal band is Cum Thorn...for some reason I feel i need to take a shower. I know about the honey bees and thought it was mainly the mite but not all the rest. I wish more would be done. It's funny that this could mean a huge change in the world as we know it yet we don't hear about it much in the news at all

Andrew Leon said...

I have not and will not see White House Down. My younger son saw it and said it was the dumbest thing he'd ever seen. When a middle schooler says something like that is dumb, I can't take the risk.

dolorah said...

A tux, really?! I suppose next you'll be sporting a cowboy hat. Did you play guitar while singing?

Athee sounds gorgeous, of course, but I've a feeling I'll be skipping your food offerings, lol.

I saw Whitehouse Down. It was fun enough, lots of eye candy. And destruction. Cool. Boob holocaust, so appropriate.

Have a good week Alex.

The Happy Whisk said...

Hope you're having a great weekend. Yes, I picked up several new books-real books- for our staycation. All nonfiction.

bookworm said...

My band name was Spitvarg. I kind of like that. And yes, bees have declined in my area (upstate New York) it is pretty scary, actually. Much for so than the band name Spitvarg. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com visiting from the Road Trip.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Enjoy your Memorial Day, Alex. How about SPASTIC COLON for A Heavy Metal Band? I liked the Gerard Butler version of the White House takeover better. :-)

Anonymous said...

Seriously Alex-I played the Random Band Name Generator and the first name I get is TurboFart. LOL.

Saw Pantera (with Anthrax) live YEARS ago at a club in NYC. Uh-mazing. My first and only heavy metal concert. It was filled beyond capacity; I'm surprised FDNY didn't roll in.

It was so intense, the walls were 'sweating'. The guy I was dating at the time kept throwing himself into the mosh pit over and over, while I stood against the sweaty wall trying not to be trampled. Awesome nonetheless.

I know all about the bee shortage and as I commented recently to GMD, I've already signed a petition against Monsanto because they make some of the most toxic products in the market.

Unknown said...

I love that bee avatar...I might pinch it because it gives a great message. I laughed out loud at your answers to the musefest - so the party you like best is the one that gets your date naked fastest - heeeee.

Annalisa Crawford said...

My heavy metal band name is Burn My Thorn - pretty cool.

Loved your answer to the party game question :-) I completely forgot about this blog hop, I meant to go back and sign up. It looks like a lot of fun.

Sandra Cox said...

I've heard that about bees being on the decline.
Happy Memorial Day, Alex.

Al Penwasser said...

I like Jamie Foxx so, plot holes notwithstanding, I bet I'd like that movie.

XmasDolly said...

Happy Memorial day to you too! Thank you for stopping by, and I do really love your reviews. Jamie Fox is very talented, but he's never given his just dues.

Huntress said...

uh, I hate to be the worm in the apple, but I think (to paraphrase Mark Twain) the report of the demise of the honeybee is greatly exaggerated.

They are everywhere here in the Midwest.

I'll do a little more research before accepting the decline of the honeybees.

Samantha Bryant said...

I brought a confident character, too. With our amazing characters around, maybe no one will notice us sitting against the wall and just watching.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

It's sad that the honey bees are dying out. I hope scientist or whoever finds a way to restore their numbers. I like honey. :)

Elephant's Child said...

Hi. Nice post.
Boob Holocaust? Plastic surgeon's dream. Or nightmare.
I too would be skulking in the corners or under the table - unless I could borrow someone else's muse.

Anonymous said...

That's scary about the bees. My band name choices were Act of Vomit and Iron Panther. I think I'd take the Panther. Congrats to all the new releases! Happy Memorial Day!

J E Oneil said...

Roland Emmerich can't do anything not ridiculous, but they're usually entertaining.

I heard that a lot of the bees are being killed off by pesticides, but that's something big farming corporations don't like so they ignore it...

Blue Grumpster said...

Ridiculous and very unrealistic... Well, at least Emmerich is consistent.

Truedessa said...

Happy Memorial Day! I have been wanting to see TomorrowLand, but haven't done so as of yet. Please let me know what you think?

Toi Thomas said...

My band name is "Ugly Wolf," and since I don't need it, anyone who'd like it may take it...That was fun.
It's really a shame about the bees. I've been telling people about this for years, but people just don't seem to care. Eveyone wants to save the whales, but not the bees.
Haven't seen White House Down yet, but it's on my list. Good for a day off with nothing to do.
I don't think my muse would be very good at a party; she bearly talks to me and has a bit of a temper.

Tara Tyler said...

oh my - Athee is quite the party animal, you two compliment each other - as i'm sure you and your wife do! ever roleplay with her? hmm!

and i look forward to your review of tomorrowland... i'm curious!

Rachel Pattinson said...

Athee sounds like a lot of fun! Isn't it weird how our muses always seem to be the opposite of ourselves? Or at least, that's what I'm picking up from this blogfest! Love the idea of a heavy metal band name generator, I'm off to try it out now!

Lisa said...

Ha ha, I love how in one sentence you'll play anything that gets your date's clothes off the fastest, and in the next you're saying your date reminds you of your wife! She is amazing and I loved getting to meet her face to face at this crazy wonderful party! Lisa @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Birgit, you got a sick one.

Donna, I don't do hats I'm afraid.

Alana, Spitvarg is hilarious.

Roland, that one might be a real band. And yes, Olympus was better.

Eva, I've seen Anthrax, but not Pantera - you were so lucky! I don't do mosh pits either.

Susan, and preferably there is no one else at the party...

Annalisa, good one!

Al, it's dumb fun.

Carol, good to hear they are declining there.

Samantha, exactly!

Elephant - hilarious!!!

Iron Panther is a good one, Lori.

Blue, very true!

Truedessa, all right way to pass the afternoon.

Toi, she might make the party interesting...

Tara, only in D&D...

Lisa said...

Thanks also, for your nod to Memorial Day... Lisa @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

Leovi said...

Athee wonderful !! You could fall in love with it !!

Liz A. said...

Lightning 666.

I did see White House Down. It's a great movie to knit to.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I snorted a little at your band name. Mine is Decapitated Aaaaaargh! lol

I'm looking forward to Tomorrowland.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I'm BeastialityLord. :) That made me smile tonight, thanks!

I've heard a lot about the plight of the honeybees lately. Sounds like a growing problem.

AJ Lauer said...

You WOULD bring tamales to the party!

Denise Covey said...

No matter how ridiculous the plot, I loved White House Down. No accounting for taste, eh?

Yes, Australia has been exporting truckloads of bees to the US, Russia and wherever the bees are dying out fast. Those bees of ours end up catching the diseases which killed the original bee colonies in these countries. My husband's family have always had bee keeping as a hobby, and bee keepers are continually fighting the Agriculture Department to stop imports of honey products from overseas. Yes, our strict quarantine laws are annoying when you want to fill a suitcase with French unpasteurised cheese of foie gras, and no doubt Johnny Depp'ts unquarantined dogs got world headlines, but why shouldn't we keep Australia clean? At least our fruit and veges will be pollinated into the future and we help the rest of the world on this.

Denise :-)

mail4rosey said...

Fellas really are dashing in their tuxes. ;) We haven't seen a decrease of bees here. We get a set of them every year, same time. Big fat Bumble Bees. :)

Maurice Mitchell said...

She sounds like a fun date Alex! The decline in bees is causing an increase in a secondary market. Loaning pollenating bees to farmers. It's interesting how a demand in one market leads to a rise in another.

Helena said...

Why do movies like White House Down get made? Extremely expensive production yet they couldn't address the plot holes.

Sigh. Hollywood!

Carrie-Anne said...

I've heard a lot of hype about disappearing bees, though a lot of it seems to be coming from the anti-GMO crowd, who have a clear agenda to push. If bees really are declining, it's not because of GMO farming, which the entire scientific community supports as safe.

Since I'm an animal-lover, every Memorial Day and Veterans' Day I like to remind people about all the brave service personnel of the non-human variety. There have been so many animal heroes in all the branches of the military—dogs, horses, pigeons, donkeys, camels, even a few cats.

Empty Nest Insider said...

It is sad about the honey bee shortage. A 10 year-old girl created BeeSweet Lemonade which is made with honey, and pitched it on Shark Tank. One of the sharks invested in her company which donates a portion of their profits to saving honey bees. It was very impressive how this young girl came up with the idea, and I hope more companies are working on ways to save the honey bees. Alex, it's great how you always speak so lovingly about your wife. Congrats to all the authors!

Julie

Michelle Wallace said...

Hope you had a relaxing day yesterday, Alex!
I never knew that about the bees. I love my honey.
Congrats to all authors on their new releases.
Off to Tyrean's place to check out the interview-----

RaveAir said...

White house down wasn't bad... but it was far from the good eighter.

I'd like to share you a very special, funny SW EP7 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mNq1l5ZZ7U

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Liz, that's funny!

Lynda, great name. Tomorrowland was all right.

Elizabeth, that might be a real band name!

Denise, you've already been overrun by rabbits, so I don't blame Australia for being strict with imports.

Helena, good question!

Carrie-Anne, very true about the animals.

Julie, that was one smart ten year old.

Thanks, Zoltan - I will go watch.

Sandra Cox said...

I didn't know there was such a thing as a heavy metal band generator. I kinda like Avenging Turnip:)

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I don't have much interest in seeing Tomorrowland or White House Down, but I got really excited to see production stills for The Martian. Now that's a movie that I'll get out to see. Loved the book!

Unknown said...

I loved White House Down, but I'm good at suspending my disbelief and there was a good looking man in a vest running about in it! :)

As for the bees. I've known we can't live without them since the 2007 animation film The Bee Movie (which was also great!). It was explained in that kids film that if they all died out then humans would die out because there would be no crops for the animals to eat and the animals would die and we wouldn't have fruit and veg or meat, so no food at all. I love bees (scary wasps are a different matter!) I'd love to keep a bee hive in my garden but it's not big enough and I don't think my dog would appreciate it when he stuck his nose in ;)

Patricia Stoltey said...

I just read the novel "The Bees" by Laline Paull -- the story is amazing and makes the whole issue of dying honey bees feel real. Paull may do more good with this novel than all the scientific reports put together.

Jennifer Lane said...

Haven't seen White House Down but I saw a similar movie Olympus Has Fallen and enjoyed it. Hope you had a great holiday weekend!

Unknown said...

I have heard this about bees and it makes me so sad...I found a bumble bee in my laundry room the other day and I let it outside...I never kill bugs (if I can help it!) and I'm super excited for all the ninja news :)

Tonja Drecker said...

I got Dust Maximus - not horribly exciting. Yay, to all the new releases! My husband started bee-keeping and just got his beehive going 2-3 weeks ago. He's been stung a few times too already, but I'll tell him it's for a good cause ;)

Melissa said...

'Boob Holocaust' LOL
You gotta love name generators.

Yay Nick! :D

S. L. Hennessy said...

Boob Holocaust is pretty good, but I think I like Avenging Turnip the best. And you have to appreciate a strong-willed lady muse.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I am super concerned about bees disappearing. They do so much more than make yummy honey. All of my adult life, I've wanted to beekeep, but have not. Bees fascinate me. I'm never frightened of them, however, Millie recently had an allergic reaction to one she bit apart.

Cathrina Constantine said...

I'd seen White House Down and your review is right on!!! Heading over the Tyrean's.

Hart Johnson said...

Boob Holocaust is an AWESOME name! And I lay a fair amount of that bee death at the feet of GMOs and "insect resistant plants". I may sound like I need a foil cap but I believe big agri has a vested interest in eliminating our natural means of producing food... then they'd have the monopoly.

Cherie Reich said...

I may not care much for bugs, but I don't want honeybees to disappear. It's rather alarming so many have died, especially since we don't always know the reason behind their deaths. Someone needs to build robot bees that do the same thing, just in case.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

I've heard about the loss of bees and hope the population can rebound.

Jay Noel said...

I don't personify inspiration into a muse-like being, although sometimes, I name my cars. That's about as weird as I get.
I have most definitely seen a decease in bees around the Midwest over the last several years. Lots of wasps and hornets, though. Unfortunately.

Johanna Garth said...

Hey you genius of promotion. Even in my self-imposed blogging hiatus I stopped to wonder...What are the Kargrandes?

Libby said...

There was a show that kept asking about bees, I forget which one though. I hope the little bugs make it.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Well, I don't have a band, but it was fun to get a name anyway. It's Baron of Highness!

XmasDolly said...

You probably won't read this because I am soooooooooo at the bottom of the list. Wow over 100 comments how ever do you do it??? I should be so lucky to get that many comments. It's the way you write I'm sure. Pictorial writing is an art in my book, and just to do it as a second nature is phenomenal. I loved your review and the idea for your Muse party is fabulous.. I don't think it's funny at all. I think it's rather cool. Thanks for sharing.

Cherie Colyer said...

I didn't mind White House down. Of course, I did watch it one night when I had nothing else going on. Sort of falls in your suggestion. =)

And I've heard about the declining bees before. Makes me not mind them buzzing around me when I'm pulling weeds from the garden.

X said...

Pantera - what an interesting choice of karaoke. Ha.
Anal Leather Jacket, my band name is...well, I will probably sell some albums. The crowd may be a little scary at my concerts though.

H. R. Sinclair said...

ooo, I'm a wallflower too!

Susan Kane said...

Skip Tomorrowland.

Powdered Toast Man said...

I have been hoarding bees for the past 3 years in a giant warehouse. It is part of my world domination plan. I haven't worked out all the details yet.

I got 2 metal bands names I thought were good enough to share:

Bony Turd

Drowning in Pussy

Liza said...

Fun answers to the Muse blogfest. I missed that one, but I don' have a clue who my muse is, so perhaps that's best. Hope you are having a good week, Alex.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Dianne, I haven't read it yet.

Rebecca, you're right - no bees, no food for us and the animals.

Jennifer, Olympus was a better movie.

Beth, I don't kill them either.

T, that's very cool.

Teresa, hope she doesn't attack any more bees.

Hart, you might be on to something.

Cherie, someone should!

Jay, I don't either, which is why I went with a character instead.

Johanna, that's good!

Marie, I read your comment! How do I do it? I'm dedicated to my blogger friends.

X, that would make for a scary crowd.

Susan, too late!

PTM, you evil fiend. And awesome names.

Vanessa Morgan said...

I saw White House Down almost a year ago. It's really entertaining.

Ava Quinn said...

Yeah, the plight of the honey bee is extremely alarming. I've been tracking the information for several years. All this cleanliness that people are striving for demands harsher and harsher chemicals. Many people don't know that form of bacteria is used in the sewer water cleansing process. With all the anti bacterial rage going on, I wonder if that will affect water cleanliness. So many environmental issues that don't seem to get any media. Thanks for bringing up this one!

~Ava- the undercover science geek.

Liesel K. Hill said...

Yeah Boob Holocaust is pretty awesome, lol. I pretty much heard the same about White House Down from everyone who saw it, which is why I never planned to. Love that Memorial Day pic. So beautiful! :D

SpacerGuy said...

Amazing statistics about our bee friends declining. We'll be living a scary movie if they vanish forever. I'll be tuning in for your Tomorrowland review, fortunately I haven't seen White House down LOL.

Liz Blocker said...

LOL, I dunno, I kind of like the Avenging Turnips :)

Your date sounds like fun! I'd like to be at a party with Athee.

Michael Abayomi said...

Spot on with your review of White House Down. You've got to be "really" bored to sit through it.

Julie Flanders said...

I'd be the wallflower at the party too. Nice to learn more about Athee. :)

Heather M. Gardner said...

Are you trying to kill me? Boob Holocaust?!

I had a Wrath of Khan moment! I spit my coffee at theeeee laptop!

I just clicked that generator button 30 times! My favorites are DickMonster and Underground Turd!

And this line from your blogfest answers: I’m drinking whatever makes me not care about the awkward words coming out of my mouth.

I'm dyin' over here!

Going to see the new minion movie at the drive-in I think. Looks hilarious. Will this count as a foreign film?

Heather

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

My dad used to raise honey bees. I remember stepping on one by accident while barefoot, and my foot swelled up so much that I couldn't walk on it for a few days. I hope they can find a way to save the honey bee. It sounds like a problem that all of us have an interest in.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ava the science geek, you're welcome! And good to hear from you.

Spacerguy, I need to write my review of Tomorrowland before I forget the film entirely...

Heather! Glad I could make you laugh. Dick Monster - now that is funny. I think we got ours switched. (Not that you want a Boob Holocaust.) And I'd say it counts as a foreign film.

Jeffrey Scott said...

I'm glad I'm not the only writer without a specific muse. I'd probably do like you and bring along a character from one of my stories. Erick, one of my most often used character, is also an aspiring writer and to be honest, I consider myself to be his muse.

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Oh my, the heavy metal name I generated was, "Enormous Bears." Ironic if you see today's post on dcrelief. Not interested in "white house down". I've still got to look at Nick's work. Love Sherry Ellis. With the bees, supposedly Monsanto has also affected them with chemicals. We've had an increase in bees this year. Cute interview with The Muse Party Blogfest. Off to see Tyrean now!

M Pax said...

There are several movies I hope to see this summer. Depends on whether I have to keep giving all my money to the vet.

Athee sounds like fun to hang with. Glad she reminds you of the wife. :)

Karen Peterson said...

I didn't love Tomorrowland. Didn't hate it, but definitely thought it could have been better.

Mason T. Matchak said...

Somehow, the metal name generator gave me "Helpless Romantics", which doesn't seem very metal at all. "Butcherface" was good, though.

And I remember seeing a preview for White House Down and thinking it sounded cliched and ridiculous just from those few minutes. I'm glad I was right. >_<

Unknown said...

I've seen White House Down and I did enjoy it. Although it was almost a carbon copy of Die Hard.

Anonymous said...

We need those bees.

I have all three of those new releases. I look forward to reading them.

Funny band names.

Elizabeth said...

I've heard about the bees dying off and those numbers are scary. We need nature's pollinators to stick around.

I'm not really a party person either and I am definitely a wallflower if anyone manages to drag me to one.

My band name is Helpless Knot :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Your answers for the muse party are so similar to what I would have said. Nice to see all my close blog buddies's books featured on your blog.

Leovi said...

I like the name that has generated CHAOSBUB!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeffrey, reversed muse, huh?

Dixie, that is ironic.

Mary, I'm sorry.

Karen, that's about how I felt.

Mason, Butcherface is good!

Elizabeth, funny!

Trisha said...

My first metal band name from that generator is: Baron of Highness.

klahanie said...

Hey Alex,

Yep, here I am, beyond fashionably late!

Just perusing your links. One moment, please...okay, done and thanks.

Yay to yet another blogfest! Athee may be a social butterfly, but I reckon you aren't exactly a wallflower.

Cowboys from Hell. Good choice.

Hope you and your loved ones had a peaceful, reflective Memorial Day, good sir.

Gary

Mark Koopmans said...

I've been hearing about the loss of the bees for years... It does sound scary!

PS: Hope all is well (and I'm good, honest :)

Bevimus said...

A friend of mine recommended White House Down- she said it was hysterical! Heifer International does a lot of great work trying to use bees as a business-development tool in impoverished nations (not that that helps us here, but anything we can is something!) And what a fun Romp with Athee- she sounds like that kind-of lady I want to have around!

Kern Windwraith said...

Our poor beleaguered bees--pretty terrifying to think of where this could lead. You'd think it would be far more of an international priority than it appears to be.

My Heavy Metal band name is "Flying Angst." It's disturbing how apt that is right now. :)

Unknown said...

Funny names for the Metal generator thing!

Congrats to Joy, Nick, and Sherry on their releases!

I've seen "White House Down." I couldn't believe how bad it was.

I've heard about the honey bee deaths. It's been going on for years and I don't think people will take it seriously until there are food shortages, like no one will believe in global warming until the water reaches their chin.

Have a great weekend, Alex!

Kathryn Thornton said...

I talked about the bees in my A to Z of things about to become or are extinct. I see one just sitting in my drive way every day. (not the same one mind you) and it is so sad. I have no idea how to help and sadly it doesn't seem like anyone does either.

So many topics; how do you find the time? Nick's book looks great.

Joanne said...

I saw White House Down. Any flick with Channing in a tank top is fine by me. Plot? What plot?
I like George Clooney, so might see Tomorrowland. Just not thrilled by the openings this week either - San Andreas - hmmm. Looks cheesy.
Aloha - reviews have been more like Sayonara.
Enjoy the weekend

Anonymous said...

Heavy Metal Band name generator?? I am so there.

Catherine Stine said...

Athee sounds like a hoot! Fun to have a virtual party girl to hang out with.

Deniz Bevan said...

Aww, I missed the blood, boobs, and carnage blogfest! But that metal name generator sounds like fun.
I've been reading here and there about bees. It's very scary. We should all plant bee friendly plants in our gardens and balcony pots!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I had no idea that bees were endangered. They're H U G E in Bucerias. The biggest I've ever seen. Too busy looking for pollen to worry about me, thank goodness.

Unknown said...

Apparently my next band will be called "MotherSnake". Such fun :)

Unknown said...

Apparently my next band will be called "MotherSnake". Such fun :)

TBM said...

Naked party games. Good to know that ahead of time. maybe twenty years ago.

TBM said...

Home. What a wonderful answer. Enjoy your holiday.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Gary, I am no party animal. Care to sing Cowboys from Hell with me?

Kern, that's funny!

Lexa, sorry you watched it.

Kat, I just make time.

Joanne, it does look cheesy.

Sarah, that's cool.

Anonymous said...

*gigglesnort* I got Hitman Panther. I don't think I'd listen to that band, haha
I'm not sure how I watched White House Down.. I think maybe Netflix? But anyway, I thought it was OK. The leads were amusing together and the action was cool. You know, if you just want fighting and explosions just cause :)
Bees are so important. I'm scared if they die out :( They've got such a bad rep when it's the damned wasps that we need to be freaked out about. And kill. Evil buttholes >:(

XmasDolly said...

With your tunes here you could join our Monday's Music Moves Me today being as our theme is a Freebie today! I have one of your friends that plays with us every week... A Daft Scotts Lass - Your last tune there it's a remake of Peter Gabriel's tune by Ozzy Osbourne I never heard that version. Please join us and share your tunes! Thanks.

Blue Grumpster said...

Emmerich's middle names are ridiculous and plot hole. Plus he always wants to blow up landmarks. Now, why is that?