Broad Channel Day Camp

Homecoming

I returned to the grand reopening of Broad Channel Day Camp in Queens, New York as a 31-year old man. My wife also signed up. (I went to Broad Channel from 1984-1990 as a kid).

The camp was completely redone, and everyone was grown up. There was a new petting zoo, and many unusual animals were there, such as the Luck Dragon from The Never Ending Story.

The counselors were running the ship now, as the Old Guard has died, I guess. Neil, who was running a Help Desk, had no idea what "class" I had to go to or what my schedule was. I was very nervous and afraid to be late.

Everything was NOT organized. Many campers were frustrated, although my wife was fine, and took pictures of the fantastic creatures.

Neil started to SHOUT and YELL at the campers (now in their 30's). I was aghast how poor the customer service was, and wanted my money back.

Working in Hawaii; World Cup

I was sent to work at some beach in Hawaii. The person in charge of the resort lived in a houseboat right where the ocean met the shore.

The resort was dumpy -- old wooden bridges and ladders connected to tall trees, dirty sand, and a few people there who enjoyed being where there weren't major crowds. Scientists were there, performing experiments.

The person in charge spoke Portuguese; we chatted for a little bit.

There were new visitors at one point. They spoke Spanish. I chatted with them -- they wanted to Fed Ex something, and I showed them how to do it.

I later found out the person in charge was quitting. I inquired about the job.

Somehow, this led to being at a bookstore, where I saw I had written a book about counting as a form of therapy. My wife had written a similar book about countdowns.

***

I was playing for an international soccer team during the World Cup. We played against Germany. I played the first half. I wasn't great, but I showed a lot of hustle. I held my own. Germany eventually won.

Pelican Tickle Landing

There were these two birds, a pelican and a seagull, on a rowboat, surrounded by fins. It was nighttime, and the sea was choppy. There was a beach and pier nearby, along with a million-dollar mansion purchased on a green hill.

The seagull was injured, and unable to fly. The pelican, voiced by Mark Hamill, explained that sometimes the worst situations are not as bad as they appear. They started rowing, and it turned out the fins were Manatees pointing their back fin in the air.

The pelican decided to carry the seagull to the beach once they got close enough. The seagull, voiced by Steve Martin, was confused. "Why didn't we just go to the docks?"

"Because I preferred a tickle beach landing," replied the pelican.

The walked the rest of the way to the house.

Later on, there was a behind-the-scenes where the actors were talking about working together. Apparently, they knew each other, and had worked on a sitcom together. Steve was some sort of mentor to Mark ... it was a believable alternate reality.

***

In another dream, this tall older lady from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the manager of an office where Arnie and I worked. We were wrapping up for the day -- I was trying to get something finished before leaving.

The manager kept yelling at some people down the hall to be quiet, that they were making too much noise. She did this several times.

We were in the process of shutting down the lights when the two guys she had been yelling at busted in. They were both carrying hand tools and feigned civility to the manager.

We turned the lights back on.

One of them approached where Arnie and I were, and started to unscrew the hinges off a door. The other started working on some bolts on a desk.

I intervened, and the guy undoing the door hit me over the head with a silver wrench with a blue handle.

I rewind the dream, and attacked him with a sharp metal lid, slashing this way and that. He tried to attack, but I blocked his moves.

House Party

My wife and I woke up in the dark. I asked her for the time, and she responded "1:71". I told her that it was impossible, and my watch illuminated 3:30. I was frustrated because we both thought it was time to get up, but it was still dark.

So we got up, and hundreds of people are out our house, being messy, walking in and out, and waiting for us to host them.

It was shocking.

99% of the people were strangers. I was under the impression these people were co-workers, former high school classmates, and neighbors.

I did recognize Ramalani, who spoke like Abas. He was wearing a yellow and turquoise Speedo and bathrobe. He was acting like a gay Cuban, and every out of character.

A former Boyd Anderson high school classmate named Anne Martin made fun of my bald head. I felt exposed with my clothes in the living room.

Belle and I made our way into a room and was Tashman Technologies' CEO in a plexi-glass cage, a la Hannibal Lecter. CEO was enraged because he was "locked up like an animal". I observed and assured him that he was safe.

More strangers came in, and Belle and I were trying to figure out how to entertain them. A giant auditorium appeared in our house. We sat next to each other, trying to sleep, with pillows and blankets. Then she walked away to help someone. An old Latin couple were using her pillow and blanket when I came back (even though I had never left). I was too shy to tell them it wasn't theirs.

Everyone felt entitled to our home and the party. No one knew that I was supposed to be the leader. So I sat back and listened and observed. One man, a craigslister, said that he didn't like the music being played for intermission on the movie screen. Another white dude said that he was getting antsy, and he had read about this party on the Internet. I wanted them OUT and thought of ways to get them out.

I felt helpless without control, and distressed that I was unable to entertain the guests or to get them OUT.

The First Enneagram Novel

I realized this morning that Damian and I had broken new ground when we wrote this book ... this is the first novel that uses the concepts in the Enneagram as an integral part of the story.

The Animalgram, which is a fictionalized version of the Enneagram, is discovered and used to by Joshua and Nehal to inspire (and trick) the world towards enlightenment.

Anyway, for all you Enneagram fans -- if you want to read a story that acknowledges the existence of the truth we all know and love, please take the time and read our book. You'll be glad you did.

Besides -- if you read that book in public, like at Starbucks, you'll get a lot of stares because of the controversial cover. That's always fun.

Ants in the pants

4.17.2008

There was this contest at a dinner party to see who could get the most ant bites on their bodies. A friend poured some ant food on my shorts, saying that would help me win the contest. He also encouraged me to sit in a certain chair, since it, too, had been sprinkled with ant food. I sat there and waited -- nothing happened.

We ended up going into Queens afterwards, and parking behind the Sears on Queens Blvd. There used to be an Alexander's there. The parking lot had been converted from black-top to dirt, with patches of grass and weeds, in order to be more environmentally friendly. "They had a beautiful black-top parking lot, and they converted to this? I thought they were building a parking garage. This doesn't make any sense."

I attempted to wipe the ant food from my pants. An ant had found it's way on to my arm, leaving a bloody bite mark. I started to feel bites on my legs. I took off my clothes to get rid of the ants. No one seemed to notice.

Nearby, a television showed two people who died while in the act of sexual intercourse due to ant bites. "You never know -- if someone has an allergy to ant bites, this could happen," stated the expert on television.

Apparently, they were recording themselves -- the guy started stumbling around the room, complaining that yesterday the same thing happened at work. "They said I was damaged goods!" he yelled. "Now it's happening again."

"If only he had gone to the hospital," stated the expert.

I looked on my shoulder -- there was a huge purple welt. It was swollen, puffy, and elliptical. It almost looked like a dark purple stone attached to my shoulder.

Synopsis: Behind the Velvet Mask

Written by: Tony Vahl

Edited by: Tony Vahl

Date: 4/16/2008

Plot:

A third-person perspective tale that explores what Cy may have seen behind the Velvet Mask, as well as an Enneagram-based discussion on universes.

Creator Comments:

"I think the concept of the Nine being the driving forces behind existence is one that could explain the nature of our reality. It certainly is an interesting concept if you're an Enneagram enthusiast.

"I'm glad I can continue to incorporate the Enneagram into Dream Seeker stories. We started that with Return of Joshua, with the Animalgram, and have really built on that solid foundation."

Characters:

Cy
Lily
The Nine
Eight
One

Trivia:

Behind the Velvet Mask continues the concept the Nine, which was introduced in the story In the Beginning.

Synopsis: In the Beginning...

Written by: Tony Vahl

Edited by: Tony Vahl

Date: 4/12/2007

Plot:

A story that discusses the nature of the Dream Seeker universe being based on Enneagram personality type eight. When a universe ends and another is born, the next personality type on the paths of aggression, withdrawal, or compliance becomes the dominant type of that universe.


Creator Comments:

"For all of you who are Enneagram fans, and even for those seeking ultimate truth -- I think this story really sums up the underpinnings of our reality, as well as the Dream Seeker universe."


Characters:

The Nine -- first appearance
Ma Yuan
Eight


Trivia:

Damian and Tony are huge proponents of the Enneagram, as evidenced by their Enneagram information on their main website, dailyskew.com.

The writing style for the story is partially inspired by the Bible.

Synopsis: Ma Yuan vs. The Realtre

"Ma Yuan vs. The Realtre"

---

Written by:	Tony Vahl
Edited by:	Tony Vahl
Date:	1/19/2008

Plot

While playing golf at Augusta National with a multi-bilionaire computer exec, the Realtre is attacked by Ma Yuan, the Killer of Icons.

With one word, the Realtre causes Ma Yuan to disappear. He nonchalantly returns to playing golf.

Creators' Comments

"This was the first story where Ma Yuan appears to have a weakness.

"I wanted to show the Realtre being a step ahead. After what happened in Return of Joshua, the Realtre was determined to be aware of any strange happenings. In the case of the time-travelling Ma Yuan, he was aware of his presence for years.

"Plus, I think this story returns the Realtre to his former level of arrogance and power, and there's nothing wrong with that!"

Character Appearances

The Realtre

Ma Yuan

Unnamed Billionaire computer exec

Trivia

Tony chose Steve Jobs as his model for the unnamed billionaire.

Synopsis: Cycles

"Cycles"

---

Written by:	Tony Vahl
Edited by:	Tony Vahl
Date:	2/21/2008

Plot

Dace Senoit is taking some time off on the West Coast of Florida, on the recommendation of his friend, the Traveller. Alone with his thoughts, he decides to take a relaxing walk beside the Caloosahatchee river. There, beneath an over-arching bridge, the Killer of Icons appeared.

In a one-panel confrontration, Dace sees into the eyes of Ma Yuan and sees the four D&D gamers who have manifested this ancient being. With one spoken word, Dace causes the Killer of Icons to dissipate, replaced by the four young adults.

Creators' Comments

Tony: "I'm glad Ma Yuan has a weakness ... an Achilles heel. He might be able to kill off the lesser Icons, but it's going to take some work to get Dace, or the Realtor!

"Seriously, Ma Yuan was a little too powerful prior to this and the Realtor tale. Now it feels more mythological in nature, which is appropriate for Ma Yuan, considering his historic and D&D roots."

Memorable Quotes

"Cindy ... you've got some explaining to do." -- Dace Senoit

Character Appearances

Dace Senoit

Cindy

Chris

Mark

Al

Ma Yuan, the Killer of Icons

Trivia

Tony wrote this story for Damian as a birthday gift.

Tony once wrote another short story titled "Cycles" that was not a Dream Seeker tale.

American Idol Season II

Making my return to American Idol, I actually finished as a top TWO vote getter! Ryan Seacrest sure was very surprised and enthusiastic, especially since last time I sucked.

Granted, I still didn't have a voice, but I actually won this popularity contest. I felt great that America appreciated me.

I was in the MAIN EVENT final against Ramalini's wife, MiamiCoolMom. I wondered if Ramalani was torn between who would win this contest- for about a nanosecond. I knew he wanted his wife to win, but I also knew he wanted it to be competitive, so she could try her best and earn her victory. I also knew the same went for me.

So MiamiCoolMom became a PlayStation2 CGI and began to sing with the background being grassy hills, blue sky, and a meadow.

I was nervous while she was singing, especially since I HAVE NO VOICE, and was somehow voted by the masses to win.

Anyhow, I woke up.

The Googstapo Strikes Again

Well, the anti-matter wave struck dsu.dailyskew.com today. I noticed after I had signed up for a PPP opportunity ... I saw the page rank was at zero. I refreshed, and it was still zero.

I went ahead and wrote the ad anyway, even though it said the minimum page rank was 1. For whatever reason, PPP had listed the opportunity for me, despite the anti-matter wave.

When I went to select my blog to submit my post, I noticed my blog was not available in the pull-down menu.

Okay....

***

I hadn't quite reached issue 100 of Amazing Spiderman. I was up to issue 75, and still have issue 82 or 83 on order.

***

I had hoped I had missed the three-month passing of the anti-matter wave. My timing sucked.

***

On behalf of my wife and two little children, I would like to thank Google for teaching me the error of my ways. I'll be sure to renounce PPP and Smorty on my way to room 101.

NO. Seriously. We don't need gas money.

children%20living%20on%20bubbles.mp3

I'll just use my solar-powered dream machine, and FLOAT to work. My children will live on ... bubbles, and my wife and I will continue, ever stoically, living on a prayer.


***

I'm glad Google has protected their shareholders from the evils of PayPerPost blog advertising.

And, god knows, I hate getting a bunch of blogs when I'm searching for De La Hoya vs. Mayweather info.

God forbid I get an opinion on a website like Ashop.com by someone who was paid to review it and write about it. Please. Deliver us from such evils, oh might Godgle.

***

I will continue to defend thee, oh Mighty One. I will speak of thy simplicity, and bask in thy search results. Forgive us our sins, for we are mere greedy liliputians, with small minds and small wallets ... unable to comprehend the enormity of thy task. Thy profits are beyond our imaginings ... thy wisdom beyond our blog's ability to grasp. Please forgive us, that we may find favor once again in thine eyes. Please, father Godgle, I beg thee ... show mercy on thy servant. Have pity, for my page rank has been brought low. I am in sack cloth and ashes, prostrate before you. Boost my page rank. Please, Father Godgle. I am zero without thee.

Cannot thine ears hear my clicks? Cannot thine eyes see my penance?

Forgive thy wayward son. Please, Father Godgle.

Thank you, Father Godgle, for thy consideration. Thy mercies are overflowing ... free spreadsheets and word processors fill my screen. Thy calendar sustains me. Thy news reader informs me. Thy widgets and gadgets ... they comfort me.

Though I walk through the valley of page rank zero, I shall fear no evil. Thy search and images, they support me. Thy maps, they guide me.

4/6/08 dream redux

More from that fantastic dream:

I was hanging out with a guy who used to host an interview show -- a Merv Griffin-type.

Next door was a family of Tibetan Buddhists -- one of the teenage sons has been possessed by something, and is planning on killing me and Merv. This particular part has been a recurring dream for me.

Anyway, we discover that the teenager is possessed by an Alien, and this Alien can transform the teenager from human to Alien form at will.

The Teenager/Alien was determined to get us alone at home at night.

I remember discussing the situation outside, on the street where I grew up ... I explained that I didn't trust the kid. We decided to leave him and go to a party. They Teenager/Alien's brother did the same thing a few moments before, driving off without him.

We went to a celebrity party. There was an old gentleman there that we struck up a conversation with -- he had a silver face and toupee. Maybe it was Destro, accepting an award that night.

I was digitally filming the proceedings. We went to a bedroom. Along the way, the Merv Griffin-type told me we were about to meet a 70's classic pop singer who Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera had copied. We go in; she was laying on the bed, covered by a white sheet, watching T.V -- ala Marilyn Monroe, except she was a red head. Merv interviewed her for a few moments.

4/6/08 -- Charlton Heston Dream

More anecdotal proof of a higher power:

I saw a clip from that Planet of the Apes remake that had been cut out of the movie. It showed that the reason they were traveling through space was because of a broken up message that someone had recorded unto an old LP. The LP was on the ship, on a record player. It accidentally started playing, and we the audience could hear Ripley from the Alien movie, talking about something and later yelling.

Next, we see Charlton Heston, backed into a corner, carrying a huge flame thrower/gun. The Alien was about to enter the room. Heston sees the shadow of the beast and fires his flame thrower. He sees the reaction of the Alien and says, "So ... you don't like fire." He smiles. The alien jumps into the room, and Heston blasts him with flames and bullets, while laughing in only the way he could laugh.

Godspeed, Mr. Heston.

Silver Surfer and John Ritter

11/28/02

I was in a place that looked vaguely like Coral Gables or Flushing, Queens ... lots of trees and woods ... this guy with a sniper rifle was there ... John Ritter and I took the sniper down. The Silver Surfer (in his Norrin Radd human form, for all you comic book purists) was there as well. The three of us interrogated the sniper to find out where he had planted some explosives. The sniper was honored to meet the Silver Surfer in person (I guess he was a fan?), and was surprised by the Surfer's friendly personality.

***

In another dream, I was with my buddy M.D.. He was filming a Spiderman spoof in a North Miami music store called Space. They were selling clearance equipment they had purchased from Mars (which had closed), as well as new merchandise.

Toby Maguire and Willem Dafoe showed up, along with Damian. M.D. had talked the actors into doing his low budget film.

There were some special effects (Dafoe morphed into the Green Goblin, taunted Toby, and then flew off on his Goblin rider).

Sailboat Stunt

11/21/2002

I was watching this team put a sailboat on top of a building in Manhattan. The team was quite daring -- using crazy acrobats while positioning the sailboat with a crane. At the end of it, the crowd below applauded. Some of us were at the top of the building -- we thanked the leader of the team, who had taken off his jersey to reveal a Superman shirt underneath.

Later on, I was reading an article about the T.V. show Angel. The writer claimed it was a zany show, and that is was "the weirdest show on television." That line was printed beneath a picture of Angel and two other guys standing behind him, dancing and wearing big white fluffy angel wings. The picture was taken in a dance studio, with mirrors.

Can De La Hoya get revenge?

It's clear to me that Oscar De La Hoya was robbed last May 5th when he lost a 12-round decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. He was the aggressor in an even fight, and he should have been rewarded for his efforts.

The result was ironic for me, as the last major boxing match I watched was De La Hoya/Trinidad -- in that fight, De La Hoya gave the fight away in the last few rounds, presumably thinking he had the points lead after dominating the early action. De La Hoya had clearly learned his lesson from way back then, but it didn't pay off!

I've read several rumors about a rematch this September, and where it might be held. I hope it will be a big venue, as getting Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. tickets is sure to be a huge challenge.

There's talk of the fight being held at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on either September 13th or 20th. That would be a pretty good outdoor venue for making sure the maximum number of people get Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. tickets, since that stadium can hold 27,000 people, and there's sure to be a lot of demand.

My favorite location that is rumored is Dodgers Stadium. I think holding such a mega-rematch at Chavez Ravine would be perfect. It would hearken back to the era when great matches happened on the east coast at Yankees Stadium and the Polo Grounds -- I can just imagine those warm summer nights, Joe Louis defeating Billy Conn, or Jack Dempsey getting knocked through the ropes into the laps of reporters.

I hope the promoters go for this. It'll make more Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. tickets available, and it'll give boxing another boost, as the sport tries to reclaim its former greatness.

Dreams from this week

1. I dreamt that I was hanging out at J-bird's house. We had some kind of disagreement, and it felt really uncomfortable being there. I was trying to smooth things over, but he was silent. He kept walking in and out of the room. The wives were sitting on the couch, chatting. I was standing next to a chair, watching and participating.
   
2. I dreamt I was sent to Delray Beach for a training seminar. People I knew from around the country showed up. The training was held at a hotel -- they had rented out a huge ballroom and set up chairs like an auditorium. I was glad the seminar was within driving distance of my home ... that way, my family could join me for the week.
3. Real life/waking world: My son woke up after a nightmare. He told us that he dreamt that a green monster was inside his brain. That reminded me of a memorable nightmare I had when I was his age, of a pink octopus roaming the street where I grew up, chasing me as I ran inside my parents house.
   

Synopsis -- Shadowfall

Plot

"Shadowfall" is a story that is told from different perspectives: we see Billy Anguish, dreaming about his unrequited love for Marisol while listening to his iPod, Shadow Gentleman in a state of sleeplessness, Damiac-12 revelling in his impending victory of Shadow Gentleman, Malcolm King and Devil Dude battling on South Beach, and knight.sprite planning on becoming Shadow Gentleman's sidekick.

By the end, Shadow Gentleman is broken, defeated, and on his way to the hospital. Miami's lone superhero is out of commission. The city is unprotected.

Creators' Comments

Tony says:

"I love telling stories from each character's perspective. These characters are all so interesting and different -- different levels of healthiness, different ages, different perspectives ... I love being in that zone, creating a story.

"I tend to be minimalistic in my approach to details, such as locations and clothes. I want the story to drive the reader, and let the reader's imagination fill in the gap."

Memorable Quotes

"I have these cool spider robots I've been working on for a science contest"- knight.sprite

Character Appearances

Billy Anguish (Greg Berkowitz)

Shadow Gentleman

knight.sprite

Damiac-12

Dr. Merlin

Malcolm King

Devil Dude

Trivia

If you email knight.sprite@gmail.com, you might get a response!

PPP's Newest Postie!

After months of prodding from a fellow blogger, I've finally decided to take the plunge and join payperpost!

This fellow blogger, who is also my good friend Damian, kept telling me about the great opportunities PPP offers bloggers to earn money while blogging on the web. I noticed that Damian had tons more content on his blog after signing up ... so, clearly PPP motivated him to write more great stuff. After years of feeling discouraged about earning money on the web, seeing his reaction to PPP was inspiring.

The thing that finally got me to sign up was the opportunity to earn extra gas money -- with the crazy prices at the pumps these days pushing $4.00 per gallon, I need all the help I can get. I am grateful that PPP provides a service where bloggers like me can earn money by writing reviews. It's a great concept! I love the internet!

As soon as my blog was approved, I was thrilled to see all the opportunities ... PPP will definitely be keeping me busy over the next few weeks.

Plus, I think this will motivate me to have more great Dream Seeker content on this blog!

If you're a blogger like me and you just want to earn some extra cash for gas, you have to check out payperpost.