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BeckerBlogBeckerBlogBlog of Becker Drane, main character of The Seems book series featuring the adventures of a Fixer and his desperate Mission to save The World. Articles
Go Big Brown!
2008-06-07 19:24:00 I know most people aren't into horse racing, and I'm usually not either, but since my Dad is a Triple Crown freak, I've kind of become one two. It's been thirty years since the last time a horse won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes in a row, and Dad says that the 1978 Belmont, when Affirmed nosed out Alydar to win the Triple Crown (the last time a horse did it) was the greatest sporting event he ever saw. That's kind of ancient history to me, but he totally got me sucked into the thing a few years ago when Smarty Jones almost did it, and now I'm hooked. Even started reading the Black Stallion series, which is kind of embarrassing but if you actually read the books, they're awesome. Anyhow, if you really want to know why I'm so into what's about to happen later today, when Big Brown goes for the big prize, is that I was watching ESPN Classic one night, and this Sports Century episode about Secreteriat came on. I dare you not to cry... Part I Part II
A Leave of Absence
2008-05-22 19:34:00 Some of you might know my friend, Briefer #356 – Simly Frye. He assisted me on “The Glitch in Sleep” and is a very fine Briefer indeed (although being a little bit of a geek.) A lot of people write to me and ask, “What’s up with Simly? And, “Do you think he’ll ever make it to Fixer?” Well, we know it’s an uphill battle because he’s a Seemsian and Seemsians don’t have a 7th Sense, but Simly did have a bit of breakthrough while chasing after that nasty Glitch, and is doing everything he can to keep the momentum going... However, I was just informed that Briefer Frye has decided to take a leave of absence. He called it a “leave of presence” in his B-Mail because he said he is going on a “soul-searching pilgrimage” to channel his “inner Fixer.” I’m not sure what this means or where it means he’s going, but I reckon it will be something very Simly-esque. I admire his determination because many Seemsians would never even think of rising above B... More About: Leave
Knee Deep
2008-05-20 21:29:00 Just wanted to give out a shout-out to my good friend Connell Hutkin (1/2 of the famous ‘Hutkin Boyz’ gang of Highland Park) who somehow managed to break his knee in a rock climbing accident. It should be mentioned that said knee was broken at an indoor rock climbing facility designed for children under the age of 8 yrs, and occurred from a height of approx. 2 feet. Authorities are unsure how The Con Man actually broke his knee given this situation, but onlookers say it was very creative. His knee is now bionic (ie…metal) and he will have trouble going through airport security for the rest of his life. The good news, however, is that come winter – he will be hobbled and much less powerful in the annual snowball fight. With his gimp knee, he will be rendered helpless and trounced repeatedly by myself and others in the neighborhood – only to be left buried in an igloo and need to be rescued by his mom. But seriously, everybody please send your wishes to C. Hutkin via me... More About: Deep
Say It Ain't So
2008-05-17 18:04:00 Got bored Friday night, everyone asleep, and with Grant Theft Auto IV officially banned from the Drane household (forcing me to sneak over to Connell's house tomorrow morning at 10 AM sharp), went on a YouTube binge of my old favorite band, Weezer. Honestly, love just about all their videos, especially Spike Jonze's "The Sweater Song"...but something kept pulling me back to this classic... Still love their sound, but definitely miss the original lineup. Hope you enjoy...
Congratulations!
2008-05-14 21:44:00 Just want to take a moment to congratulate our around the corner neighbors on Walter Ave., John Hulme and Jennifer Altman, on the birth of their daughter, Madeline Altman Hulme. I watch their four year old son Jack from time to time, and though I can tell he's a little freaked out to have a screaming little creature moving into the house, at least he's not outright hostile (like I supposedly was when the still screaming little creature known as Benjamin moved unnannounced into 12 Grant Avenue and began stealing all my toys (and parental attention)). Mom and baby doing great, too, so hopefully she's another source of babysitting income for someone whose other job pays a lot in meaning/making a difference points (not to mention Seems Credit) but zilcho in good old American $. More About: Congratulations
Be Careful What You Ask For
2008-05-12 04:44:00 Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about whether it was cool to “check up on” on a certain girl from Caledon, Ontario, Canada via my Blinker or the internet. Here's a couple of my favorites... Blake47 from Montecito said: “Not cool, BD. Don’t be a Stalker.” JuliePep from Brooklyn said: “Why don’t you just call her on the phone? If you don’t make your move, someone else will.” And SuperSoul from Oregon wrote: “This is a complex ethical dilemma.” (Thanks a lot, dude.) Well, I just want to say that I may have a contact in The Seems who is going to provide me with some more information regarding this situation and I am seriously considering circumventing (or at least bending) The Golden Rule and sending her an email or a letter. The problem is, if I get flagged for a Violation, that could be the end of my job as a Fixer. I could even get unremembered of The Seems entirely. Also, I have to think about the human toll. I don’t want to freak J... More About: Careful
Summer
2008-05-09 17:36:00 We had to do poetry for English class at school, and here was my submission. Mrs. Wolfson gave me a B... “Summer ” When the days are long and it gets much funner. When the Corner Confectionary is crowded with people sitting on the street and eating two scoops, it’s really no bummer. When the birds are chirping and they wake you up early in the morning but you don’t mind because you want to become a runner. When there’s barbeques and the smell of charcoal in the air and you go to the beach and you’re tan and relaxed and you come home and watch “Dumb and Dumber.” When school is a thing of the past and the future and your little brother clogs up the toilet so you have to call the plumber. In my book, that’s called Summer. By Becker Drane.
I am finally Iron Man...
2008-05-09 06:31:00 It was pretty cool, Robert Downey, Jr was awesome and all that, but he needs a better villain next time. My Dad says they should've gone with the Mandarin, but he seems a little offensive in this day and age. Come to think of it, who is Iron Man 's archenemy anyway? Titanium Man? The Crimson Dynamo? See what I mean? Getting pumped for the Dark Knight, though... More About: Finally
I am not Iron Man...
2008-05-02 18:53:00 Chud fell asleep at 10. Let's see how it goes tonight... More About: Iron Man , Iron
I Am Iron Man!
2008-05-01 19:08:00 My Mom says just this once, I can go to the 12:01 AM opening show at Loews -- IF I promise not to you know what about it when she wakes me at 7AM to got to school tomorrow, and IF Mrs. Chudnick and not her is responsible for picking me and Chudnick and Connell and Crozier up at 2:30 AM. Chud swears Mrs. Chud is in, and since there's still two seats left in the back of her Suburban, there's only one question left on the table: Who's in? More About: Iron Man , Iron
The Annual Case Worker's Dinner
2008-04-29 17:55:00 Last night I went to a very cool event. About a month ago I got invited to be an honorary ?Maitre? D? at The Annual Case Worker?s Dinner . The Annual Case Worker?s Dinner is this one time per year event (duh), at which all the Case Workers from the Big Building are honored. It takes place in the Atrium of The Big Building (with an hors d?ouevres hour on the roof!), and there's an amazing buffet and guest speakers. All the Case Workers are there (so there is tons of security) and everyone wears black tie and come with a date ? and it?s just a big celebration. As you know, Case Workers in The Seems are majorly important because they are the maestro?s behind helping people on their twisty paths and nudging them in the right direction. You have to be able to juggle many people?s lives in your head and think like 18 Moves ahead (more than in chess!) about how multiple paths, Twists of Fate, Strokes of L.U.C.K., and ordinary everyday events will play out! Each year, a handful of peop...
Orange Can
2008-04-24 03:51:00 To all the people who emailed me about that sweet but untitled Orange Can tune on Mission Mix #9, I finally got the goods. The song's called "So Bright 2," and as soon as we reboot the Fixer Jukebox in a couple of weeks, I'll do my best to get it on the rotation. But if you can't wait that long or wanna here more, check out the band at their website: http://www.myspace.com/orangecanuk First got turned onto them by my buddy Seth Rockman's brother Matt, the late night DJ at 97.9 WVHP, Highland Park High School's student radio station. Matt (and his show "Tightrope" -- 1-4 AM, Thursdays) also clued me into the Beta Band, Grand National, Gomez, and the Secret Machines, amongst others, and even though it's hard to stay up sometimes, I never miss a show. As they say here in HP, not everyone listens to "Tightrope"...just the right people. Hopefully it'll be streaming across the world before too long, but in the meantime, take another listen to Orange Can. "Fortified" is al...
Best Sellers
2008-04-23 21:34:00 Some people asked me to post the best-seller list of books in The Seems, so here it is! (As reported by ?The Daily Plan? ? the leading newspaper in The Seems.) As of this week (hardcover): #10. ?Gnomenclature: The Complete Compendium of Jinxville,? by McGill C. Mudge. #9. ?Profiles in Courage: The ten greatest Fixers of all-time" by Wilamonus Frye. #8. ?A Not So Brief History of Time,? by Permin Neverlethe. #7. ?Ripple Effect!? by Rom Klansy. #6. ?World Movers: A Seemsian Family?s Story of Life in The World,? by John and Mary Beth Brennis (with Kyle and Erin). #5. ?The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep,? by John Hulme and Michael Wexler #4. ?The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown (Personally thought it was one of the worst written books I've ever read, but have to admit, couldn't put it down). #3. ?Happiness Doesn?t Grow on Trees: Turning Your Job Into a Joy,? by Dominic Dozenski with Sarah Musten. #2. ?Radical!: The Inside Story of The Works of Mind, Body, & S... More About: Sellers
Guns N' Moses
2008-04-20 18:44:00 I promise this is my last Israel blog, but I just wanted to say one last thing. One of the freakiest parts of Israel that you don?t see in other parts of The World is that there are like guns all over the place. And not just little guns. Like one day we stopped for gas in our IFR Tourbus and there was an Israeli girl who was like 17, wearing shorts, sandals, a white T-shirt and an Uzi (that?s a kind of gun)?strapped over her shoulder. In fact, the strap was embroidered like it was a guitar. People always look at me in The Seems and then at my Badge and say, ?How old are you?? like it?s weird for a 13 year old to be a Fixer, but in Israel you can go into the army at like 17. And EVERYONE who lives there has to go in for at least two years. Even in some of the state parks we stopped at, the kids would be hiking and the teachers would be following behind carrying machine guns. It was weird, but not to them. I guess people also think it?s weird that someone my age can carry Fix... More About: Guns , Moses
Gamia
2008-04-19 17:51:00 BTW -- after The Field Trip was over, I stayed an extra day in Israel after checking in with my Me-2, to make sure that everything was ok back at home. My Me-2 was kind of bummed because of the announcement (by the Toolshed) that the new Me-3? was starting beta testing and in a couple years, the Me-2 might get retired. Tools often get retired when new ones are made and the Me-3 would be just like the Me-2 except it has real blood, more realistic hair, and can stay world-bound without a battery recharge for an entire year. (Me-2?s need to plug in about once a week.) So anyway, I stayed an extra day to check out some of the sights and I went to this place called ?Gamla.? (These are the pictures.) As you can see, it?s like an ancient city on top of a mountain. It?s way up there because the Jews back then were hiding from the Romans, but the Romans eventually found them. But instead of getting captured, 9000 Jews jumped off the cliff of the city! It?s kind of a sad story b...
The Holy Land
2008-04-19 04:11:00 I recently had the opportunity to join the latest class of Candidates on the annual Field Trip ? which this year was to Israel. (In case you didn?t know, Fixer Blaque always takes the Candidates on a Field Trip once during Training, just so they can see the intricacies of The Plan and The World in action.) Israel is pretty cool because the entire country was designed by one of the leading architecture firms in The Seems ? Mind, Body, & Soll, LLC. They?re the same ones who designed The Big Building, Machu Pichu, Stonehenge, and a few other natural wonders of The World. Israel is unique, though, because they have cities, beaches, and the desert. By far the highlight was getting a chance to swim in the Dead Sea. Some people say the Dead Sea is an example of a mistake by the Department of Public Works or Department of Nature, because they dumped too much salt into the water and now you can?t sink! It?s true ? you go in the water and you can float on your back and read a newspap... More About: Land , Holy Land , Holy
Popcorn Lung
2008-04-13 16:50:00 As someone with a Blog, I felt it was my moral responsibility to pass on the article below. Guess I?ll be switching back to Pepperidge Farm Goldfish! (Lightly Salted flavor. The other ones are gross.) ========================================= = "Popcorn Lung" Patient Ate Two Bags A Day (CBS/AP) Wayne Watson loved microwave popcorn so much he would eat at least two bags each night, breathing in the steam from the just-opened package, until doctors told him it may have made him sick. Watson, whose case of "popcorn lung" is the sole reported case of the disease in a non-factory worker, said he is convinced his heavy consumption of popcorn caused his health problems. "You know, it's one of those things that you kind of shake your head and say, how can anybody eat that much popcorn? But it was about two bags a day every day for about ten years," Watson told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Popcorn flavoring contains the chemical diacetyl, which has been linked to lung damage in facto...
It's Too Late To Be A Rockstar
2008-04-10 21:35:00 I?m not a music expert or anything, but they had an open mic night the other night at Chapter One ? the coffee shop in Highland Park? and this local guy named Michael Wexler played. He?s a writer that lives in Highland Park and we?re pretty good pals from the coffeeshop scene. I told him about my Blog and he asked if I could put up a link for people who might want to buy his EP, ?It?s Too Late to be a Rock Star.? So here it is... http://theseems.com/its-too-late-be-rock- star-ep If you like music, check it out. He has a new album coming out in a couple months called ?For The Fun? and there?s a song on there based on The Memory Bank! Happy Listening, BD. More About: Rockstar
March Madness Part III
2008-04-06 05:44:00 My bracket is toast. Thanks for nothing Heels, and what the heck is a Jayhawk anyway? At least I know Memphis is gonna win it all... More About: March Madness , Part , March , Madness
Magic Hour
2008-04-05 15:34:00 They say that it?s all about the love of ?the bean.? That?s coffee. Coffee can be a very good thing and a very bad thing, depending on how you use it. It?s really good for staying up if you have to study for a test. But it can be bad if you?re trying to sleep. It?s also very important to have a good coffee shop to hang out in. In Highland Park, we have Chapter One and PJ?s and there?s a Starbucks over the bridge in New Brunswick. But the best Coffee Shop in the world ? excuse me ? The Seems, is ?Magic Hour .? Magic Hour is located in The Department of Time ? in Time Square to be exact ? and is very popular. People from all Departments come there to hang out because of the ambience, the cast of characters who are regulars there ? and the amazing coffee. (I prefer the Fair Trade Seems Roast. Or the Big Building Latte.) There is also this one girl who works there during the day. I think her name is ?Mellow.? And she IS mellow. And really pretty. Sometimes I?ll go there on ...
March Madness Part II
2008-03-31 16:30:00 I really don?t think it?s a good idea to gamble on sports. But if, for some reason, you were in an NCAA college basketball ?pool? like me, this would be a big weekend. The Final Four is on Saturday ? which means the last four teams left in a tournament that started with 64 play against each other. Usually, the way it works is that everyone puts in a dollar or so, picks the whole tournament, and the person with the most right picks at the end wins all the dollars. You see, it just so happens that a ?friend? of mine picked all 4 teams in the Final Four and has a chance to win all the dollars. Now this friend will be watching over the weekend and is rooting for UNC (University of North Carolina) and UCLA to make it to the finals and for UNC to win the whole thing. I have to admit (only to you), that since this ?friend? of mine is a *very* good friend, I was sort of thinking of calling in a favor with a Case Worker I know at the Big Building. I was thinking that if a certain playe... More About: March Madness , Part , March , Madness
March Madness
2008-03-23 18:09:00 Normally, I would've personally made sure that the Agents of L.U.C.K stayed away from all games involving the hated Duke Blue Devils, but it wasn't even worth the effort this year. They just weren't that good. As for my brackets? Thanks to Drake and USC, they're pretty much toast. Go Xavier. More About: March Madness , March , Madness
Spring Forward Part 2 of 2
2008-03-18 23:32:00 So, after studying the accuracy of Punxsutawney Phil I decided to make a personal phone call to Georgie, a Weatherman whom I know and I am pleased to announce that I have gotten this whole Spring thing sorted out! Georgie actually owed me a favor from this thing that happened one time in a Rain Tower in The Department of Weather when I was a Briefer. Anyway, the big news is that I called in a favor and Spring will be arriving in exactly ten days! It?s good to have friends in high places. So, enjoy this last bit of cold! Soon it will be all Spring flowers (and hopefully not too many Spring showers.) Or else, heads will roll! The only problem with this whole Spring thing is that I have to go visit my relatives in Cape Cod this summer and I am dreading that like the plague. I will be locked in the car with my Mom, Dad, and Benjamin (me and him in the back) and we will have to listen to my Dad?s awful ?Lake Wobegon Stories? CD?s and play city, state, river. Ugh. Oh well. I gues... More About: Part , Forward
Spring Forward?
2008-03-17 14:44:00 From what I?ve heard, Punxsutawney Phil (aka the groundhog that tells the weather) predicted six more weeks of Winter on Feb 2. But it?s almost been that long and it?s still pretty cold. Therefore, I am trying to get to the bottom of what?s going on. I figure it either has something to do with Punxsutawney Phil becoming senile or there might be a problem in the Department/s of Weather and/or Nature. As a Fixer, I have to keep a close eye on these types of things. Hence, I went to groundhog.org and found out some important facts which I think you should really know? ? Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors. ? How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course! ? How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years! ? Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil tak... More About: Spring , Forward
All Apologies
2008-03-15 17:14:00 To all the thousands of people who sent me email, etc?asking if everything was ok or if I was in the hospital or if I had been kidnapped by the Mother of All Glitches or if I was lost in the In-Between, thank you for your flowers and best wishes!! Some of you may have noticed that it?s been awhile since I posted a Blog, but everything is actually okay. The truth was, I was away at the annual All-Fixer Retreat ? a two week sabbatical in The Seems where we discuss new or current threats, get shown all the new Tools from the Toolshed, do team building exercises and just basically hang out. It was really fun (except for the night when Greg The Journeyman drank too much Inspiration and started challenging everybody to arm-wrestling. Casey Lake beat him and I think it insulted his manhood because he went berserk and tried to knock down a pine tree with his hands. But that?s another story?) So, I am back home now and getting a full update from my Me-2 about what I missed (I?ve banned Me...
Mission Mix #8
More articles from this author:2008-02-22 17:32:00 This one served me well on my last Mission to Lost & Found. The Remote Gremlin and the Sock Goblin were crossing the line again, so to speak, and it was up to me to get them to return some of their ill-gotten booty. It was pretty standard stuff, which left me plent of time to take the Scenic Route through the In-Between...and #8 made for a nice soundtrack. Most of the tunes I downloaded after listening to them on Radio Paradise, but a few are local acts which I hope you'll enjoy. Listen and try to imagine what it would be like to shoot like a cannonball between two different worlds... MISSION MIX #8 1. Family and Friends by The Roadside Graves 2. I Feel It All by Feist 3. White Daisy Passing by Rocky Votolato 4. Keep You Happy by Tift Merritt 5. Cheap Thrills (100% Proof Mix) by New Kingdom (Parental Guidance suggested) 6. Imitosis by Andrew Bird 7. House of Cards by Radiohead 8. Society by Eddie Vedder 9. Getaway by Stereophonics 10. This really cool track by a great Br... 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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