This is the John Ottman who scored X2: X-Men United:

This is the John Ottman who scored Astro Boy:

This is the John Ottman who scored Jack the Giant Slayer:

Now, feast your ears on the John Ottman who scored X-Men: Days of Future Past:

Depressing, no? And this score is actually getting a longer release for the film's 'Rogue Cut'. Fucking body snatchers.

James Horner (1953-2015)

I know I said no more obituary posts, but as a film music lover, I hope I can be allowed this exception.

No matter what one could say about him (his appropriation of the work of other composers, his whole cloth recycling of his melodies, the danger motif), one cannot deny that James Horner was an incredibly skilled composer and craftsman whose work could excite you, bring you joy or move you to tears.

Of course, he will be missed.

I'm truly amazed. Next week, not only do I have potentially interesting specialty releases from three soundtrack labels to look forward to, but also, next week sees the announcement of this year's schedule for San Diego Comic-Con. I will not be posting a July long story like I have the last few years. I think I've done all I can do in that regard. I will, though, be going back to offering my commentary on various events.

I'm already focusing on two other writing projects of substance that I have to finish by the end of July, so I don't have time to write about dicking around at SDCC...and that's if I can muster enough energy to get them done. I can only hope.

Went on a little scavenger hunt today. Within two rooms (my current bedroom and the den/office that used to be my room), I was trying to locate four items:

• my new health insurance card (for my impending doctor's appointment)
• a nail file that I use for a pencil sharpener
• two "Batman" comics that I misplaced during the move
• the track listings I'd made for the score to Outbreak

Making the task that much harder are a) I couldn't remember exactly where they were and b) we have a shitton of stuff in the house, the two rooms included. My folks don't seem to want to get rid of it and I have a fair amount of stuff accrued myself.

Apparently, I'd set aside the health insurance card some time ago, figuring that I'd need to go to the doctor, sooner or later. One item down.

I'd somewhat remembered that I put the nail file on my dresser, but there was a bunch of crap on top of it. I cleared it away and, lo and behold, there it was. (Before I figured this out, I pulled my dresser out. If I had a dollar for every time something fell behind that damn thing in my life...) Two items down.

I just about tore apart the old room searching for the track listings. Given that it's a slip of paper and I've accrued a bunch of them for track listings and potential ones, it was damn near impossible. The room was pretty cluttered, so I did a bit of tidying up. It's still cluttered, but more navigatible and less disgustingly hideous to look at than it was this morning and that's what matters, right? I found it not far from my desk. Three items down.

As for the comics...I imagine I could just rebuy them for super cheap at this point, but still, it's the principle. How I hate when you can never find something right when you need it.

Thanks to print-bingo.com, I've made up a bunch of cards for Svengoolie bingo. So far, none of the sound bites have yielded five-in-a-row. Maybe, next week.

On Saturday, I went to get a haircut. How nice it ended up looking does not excuse the fact that the barber behind it crossed a number of lines. I'd heard that he was something of a user, but I was willing to ignore that; how many artists are clean and sober? What I mean is that it started with him coughing into his hand and shaving me with the hand he coughed in...then he put his fingers from the selfsame hand in my mouth. (And I'm still not sure why he was taking pictures with his phone inbetween cutting.)

On Sunday, I went to church. Not very objectionable, but then came the end of service. Apparently, instead of dismissing the congregation, that was the time for prayer...and I was ready to go. Was there really no time in the middle of service for this?

Today, I went to my job. The first half went pretty smoothly. I even managed to make a sale. I went for some lunch, then I came back. A neverending parade of people asking inscrutable question upon inscrutable question. If I wasn't serious about finding a new job before, I sure as fuck am now.

What do these incidents have in common? Well, does anyone really envision this as a life for themselves when they're growing up? Does anyone really think while they wait for the school bus, 'I want to be orally violated by a closet case junkie, then go to a job that I barely understand and live in constant fear of?'

This is not living. This is barely survival. I'm truly sick of it.