Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head

The Ultimate in Geek Chic

2012-01-29T12:51:00.003-05:00

If you want to totally geekify your living space you can't do any better than Tony Alleyne at 24th Century Design.

Check out his kitchen:

Via Boing Boing

Will the Blogger App Save Me?

2012-01-17T20:05:00.001-05:00

Among the reasons my blogging died an ignoble death in 2011 was not having internet access on my computer at home at night. No, I don't blog while on the clock at work. Call me old-fashioned. Navigating the blogger website from my Droid was awkward at best and the email posting option always feels weird. But perhaps this app I just discovered will be the tickets.

I can even add pictures! I know you're as excited as I am...

Guest Back in Time Review: Basic Instinct (1992)

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

by Izzy Woods

This movie was meant to shock you and wasn’tfor the faint hearted. From the opening scene where a woman murders her loverwith planned precision, you know you’re going on a roller coaster ride thatwill be more than a little uncomfortable.

Behind the Scenes of 'That Scene'

Looking back over history now, the one scenethat has taken up 99% of the talk over this movie isn’t even agreed upon by thetwo people involved. Director Paul Verhoeven said that actress Sharon Stone wasready for the scene where she would cross her legs, giving her interviewers andthe audience of millions opportunity to wonder if she was wearing anyunderwear. She wasn’t, but this must be the most replayed frame by frame scene.Some still aren’t sure after a dozen viewings.

Though there’s no doubt that it has placed herin the vaults of must-see movies, Sharon Stone tells a different story. Shesaid she didn’t know anything about the director’s choice of how to play thescene until it was too late. Ms Stone said she didn’t mind the nude scenes inthe movie, but was disturbed by the murders, not just because of the numbers ofmurders, but the way people were killed, as though voyeurs were watching.

The crew confirmed that body doubles not usedfor the many nude scenes. That didn't ruin Ms Stone’s reputation as sheappeared to lose her clothing regularly throughout the movie, a fact not loston her new found male and female fans.

Interestingly, Michael Douglas and SharonStone were nowhere near the top of the list to play the leads for the movie,but after seeing the screenplay, most well known names of the day refused tosign on.

Lesbian Controversy

This brings us to the argument over whetherthe movie portrayed lesbians as evil killers or just killers who happened to belesbian. Lesbian and gay activists tried to disrupt during shooting of the filmin San Francisco and enthusiastically demonstrated wherever the film opened intheaters.

Paul Verhoeven had to back down and revert tothe original screenplay as he tried to make the portrayal of the actresses everdarker. Writer Joe Eszterhas had a collection ofhits under his belt when he was contracted to write Basic Instinct. Thewriter was paid $3 million. The director removed him but then didn’t agree withthe second writer (over the explicitness) so they went back to the originalEszterhas version.

The Story

To center on the controversy is wrong. Themovie is quite brilliant. The writer slaved over every word and none are out ofplace. The movie may require a second viewing just to check who did commit themurders. It’s easy to miss the clues and though it appears to show the audiencewho was guilty, it isn’t actually confirmed, so it could be open tointerpretation.

The movie tells the story of a writer and akiller. The killer acts out the murders from the writer’s back catalogue. Thewriter is so manipulative that the detective investigating her falls for hernot knowing if she is in fact, the murderer. Not only does she keep thedetectives on a leash, but the audience too.

The sex scenes are quite graphic, erotic formany, leaving nothing to the imagination. Writers are taught to show and nottell their story. It feels as though the audience is in there with thecopulating couple.

Box Office Success

The movie was an outstanding success. It tookalmost $400 million at the box office (this is around twenty years ago) andbecame one of the top DVD sellers of the decade. Interestingly, as Sharon Stonewas new to top salaries, her half a million dollar check was just a small partof the $50 million budget, but this movie alone quadrupled her salaryovernight, giving her plenty of capital for going on World Cruises on vacation.

A Disappointing Sequel

You had to wait 14 years for Basic Instinct 2, whichreally wasn’t worth the wait. Only Sharon Stone returned from the first movieand she hadn’t lost anything in the intervening years. The movie didn’t getgood reviews, although if you can get through to a third viewing, it will growon you. However, there is no doubt that it cannot match the heights gained bythe original, which stands inhistory as one of the great movies to see.

Don't Want No Motherfcking Elves on My Motherfcking Shelves (or Trees)

2011-12-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

At first thought I might write a post to argue with Jen's, but then watched this video and, well, she's right.

Back in Time Review: Waynes World (1992)

2011-08-15T21:07:00.001-05:00

It's probably because I'm of a certain age, but I have Wayne's World codified into my brain. We turned it on tonight and even though we haven't watched it in five to ten years we still use upwards of 90% of the dialog in our conversations. (Quite often I have to keep myself from using asking "Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and played a girl bunny?" at inappropriate times. Although when that would be appropriate I'm not sure, but there are at least people who expect me to ask it periodically.)

My favorite sub-plot is Glen, the manager of the donut shop who always seems on the edge of a psychotic breakdown (which edge of it you're never quite sure).

Glenn: I'd never done a crazy thing in my life before that night. Why is it, that if a man kills another man in battle it's called heroic; yet if he kills a man in the heat of passion, it's called murder?

The movie is also filled with dorky fun references to 70s and 80s pop culture, like a complete reenactment of the "Laverne and Shirley" TV show opener. And a Gremlin (the car, not the movie creature). Plus lots of rock, including the best Bohemian Rhapsody scene ever, at least the best one to not include Freddie Mercury.

And remember: I love you, man. No, I mean I really, really love you, man. (Just say thank you.)

The Commander's Rating: Five out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Silly and quotable script, although it's possible you had to "be there" in 1992 to really enjoy it like we do. But to me the scenes with "If you think you have to spew," "No Stairway," and "We're not worthy" would be funny to anyone.
Cons: Corny, if you don't like that. And 90s rocker hair.
Recommendation: Goofy fun, excellent for a late night. And these days there is a pretty good risk you'll just go ahead and start your own Wayne's World type show, even easier now in the age of the internet than with the local cable broadcasts from the movie.

Tonight by Allie Goertz

2011-08-08T09:24:00.002-05:00

What a great Dungeons and Dragons tribute song by Allie Goertz, it's like Lisa Loeb meets the Dead Gentlemen. We can only assume she plays a Bard.

via @MattStaggs and Kotaku

What If Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Commercials?

2011-07-31T20:33:00.000-05:00

Something I've noticed over the years is that I'm very happy that the world isn't like it is in commercials. You'd think that they would want to show us everything we WANTED, but when I watch most commercials my inner-Sue yells, "DO.NOT.WANT!" Why? Well, here are the top three offenders from the land of ads...

Men Are Idiots and Women Are Shrews
Have you noticed this? Every commercial with two adults of opposite sex, especially if they are represented as being married, has this dynamic. For fun I try to imagine the roles reversed and then I am teleported to the 50s.

Children Only Come in Two Versions: Annoying Smart-Asses and Cute Idiots
Seriously, those are my only two choices for progeny? An eye-rolling, tart-mouthed punk or an angel with the I.Q. of a turnip? No wonder I haven't had kids yet.

Pets Are the Only Ones Who Really Love You, But You Will Probably Screw Something Up and Kill Them
Pets are usually represented as sweet, smart, and wonderful. But the undertones of almost all the ads is that you are currently doing something wrong, or about to do something wrong, that will take away Fido and Fluffy's love forever.

He Only Eats Wookie Cookies

2011-04-21T17:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to @ZacharyLevi for the pic.

(Click on image to see larger on TwitPic site.)

Favorite Book of 2010: Immortal

2011-04-13T07:00:00.112-05:00

Immortal
by Gene Doucette
Genre: questionable

When Gene Doucette said he was taking Adam on a 2011 Blog Tour I knew I had to sign up. As I mentioned on my writing blog, my accidental new avocation includes "book reviewer" and that means that my reading habits have been bumped up from voracious to almost incomprehensible (since not even I'm sure how many books I read last year). But my favorite book of 2010, and really even the decade 2001-2010, was far and away Immortal.

Reading is a very personal thing, so you are now wondering if you will also like this book. To quote Sean from Psych, "Are you a fan of delicious flavor?" Alright, that was still a subjective answer. So let me tell you what it is and what it's not, then give you a taste of that delicious (to me) flavor.

Part of what Immortal is... is difficult to describe. It is a first-person account of the recent happenings for an immortal man and since the action takes place in our current world the best genre description would be contemporary fantasy. The main character, Adam, has pretty much been around forever, at least since before the creation of language, and we spend the story inside his head. It is an important caveat to note that at times the book can be rude, crude, and salty so you are forewarned that it may offend your delicate sensibilities, if you have any. The book has elements of mystery, thriller, and urban fantasy but doesn't fit in any of those boxes. It has vampires but fortunately none of them are sparkly. Adam is the ultimate cynic because he really has been through it all and some readers have interpreted this mean that Adam is a bit of an ass, but I don't think he is. We could all only hope to be half as upbeat and forgiving after thousands of years of exposure to humankind. He has lived through various periods of slavery, the Inquisition, and the Dark Ages.

So what is it not? It is definitely not a romance, at least not in the classic Jane Austen style. There are relationships, sex, and romantic yearning but not combined in a way that would make the typical romance reader at all happy. It is also not a simple book, for all that it is fast-paced and thrilling. I love books that make me think and this one definitely does. It is not a book you should expect to read casually because it is engrossing and will make you lose sleep since the stakes are very high and you never know what might happen next.

Among my favorite parts of the book is simply Adam's voice, exemplified by this passage early in the book:

I'm a pretty sad example of what one should do with eternal life. I've never reached any higher level of consciousness, I don't have access to any great truths, and I've never borne witness to the divine or transcendent. Some of this is just bad luck. Like working in the fishing industry in Galilee and never once running into Jesus. But in my defense there were an awful lot of people back then claiming to be the son of God; I probably wouldn't have been able to pick him out of the crowd. And since I don't believe there is a God, I doubt we would have gotten along all that well anyway.

The underlying message of the book is both heartening and disturbing. People are people. Thousands of years of living will give you some perspective but it won't alter your underlying humanity (provided you started with some). It won't make you all-knowing or all-wise. So in many ways the underlying philosophy beckons me in the way that existentialism always did. We're here, it's now, and that's ok. Well, except for the part where Adam is being hunted by an international cabal and running up against vampires, demons, and other supernatural creatures. I don't remember Camus having anything like that.

Back in Time A to Z: House (1986)

2011-04-09T11:00:00.026-05:00

You may have picked up already that I love me some comedic horror and this is probably my favorite of all horror comedy movies. Maybe because it was one of the first ones I saw. Maybe because it has a ton of 80s TV stars. Maybe because hubs and I still quote it.

The main character (played by William Katt of Greatest American Hero fame) is an author still grieving the loss of his son, the divorce from his wife, and the death of his aunt from whom he just inherited a giant, and creepy, Victorian house. Throw in a few Vietnam flashbacks from his service in the war and you get a plot where we wonder whether he is really seeing the supernatural or just completely losing his grip on reality. Expect a few suspense moments and plenty of over-the-top gore and thrills similar to Peter Jackson's Dead Alive.

Back in Time A to Z: Ghost Ship (2002)

2011-04-08T11:00:00.014-05:00

We rented this the same night we did Below. What a night. While Below was all subtle creepy scare, Ghost Ship started right off with some gory action. Then it delivered a creepy yet action-packed adventure following a treasure-hunting crew trying to recover an old cruise-ship that had been adrift in the Atlantic for decades.

I don't think I'll be giving anything away when I say BAD THINGS HAPPEN. A chest of gold and a dead girl get involved and you just know that THAT isn't going to go well. Definitely recommended for a dark and stormy night with a bowl of popcorn.

Back in Time A to Z: Frequency (2000)

2011-04-07T09:00:00.006-05:00

This is a fabulous gem of a movie if you haven't seen it. Jim Caviezel plays John Sullivan, a disgruntled cop living in the house where he grew up. One night he gets out his father's old short-wave radio and ends up talking to another short-wave radio operator...who identifies himself as Frank Sullivan. The same name as John's long-dead firefighter father. Against probability it seems an electric disturbance has allowed them to talk across time. What follows is an exercise in the dangers of changing the past. I won't say more because I don't want to ruin it for you. Let's just say that if you can willingly suspend your disbelief (talking across time) it is a very enjoyable thriller that contemplates the importance of family and the factors of chance.

Back in Time A to Z: Enchanted (2007)

2011-04-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Although more recent than most of my "Back In Time Reviews," I couldn't pass up a quick word about this movie for the letter E. In some ways Disney was lampooning themselves with Enchanted. The premise is, "Let's take a fairytale girl with no worries, who believes in true love and can talk to animals - then let's drop her in dirty, gritty reality and into the arms of a cynic." Well, go check out that quote at the top left of the page. (For for RSS readers, it's "Most cynics are really crushed romantics: they've been hurt, they're sensitive, and their cynicism is a shell that's protecting this tiny, dear part in them that's still alive." ~ Jeff Bridges)

So while Robert (Patrick Dempsey) is teaching Giselle (Amy Adams) about "reality," she is in turn nursing that tiny, dear part of him that he thought he had lost. Thus while partly a lampoon, it is also the most meta Disney movie ever. It's Disney demonstrating that they *get* what Disney films do for their audience. And because they get it they include a rockin' musical number in Central Park. What's not to like?

Back in Time A to Z: Deliver Us From Eva (2003)

2011-04-05T11:00:00.020-05:00

This is one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies with one of my all-time favorite actresses (Gabrielle Union). If I had been born first instead of last I'm sure I would have *been* Eva. The IMDB summary says "Eva Dandridge is a very uptight young woman who constantly meddles in the affairs of her sisters and their husbands." That is putting it quite mildly.

Eva is so meddlesome that she is driving her sisters' men (one husband, one fiance) over the edge and they know they need to find a way to distract her. Her sisters don't quite understand how dysfunctional her influence is because she practically raised them and they think of her as just being herself. Sweet, funny movie that will resonate with anyone from a dysfunctional family - which I assume is pretty much everyone.

You can watch it on Amazon Instant right now for $2.99

Back in Time A to Z: Captain Ron (1992)

2011-04-04T09:00:00.023-05:00

Oh goodness gracious do we love this movie, mostly because on one of our sailing trips in the Bahamas we met a man almost exactly like the Captain Ron of the title. And yes, someone had left him in charge of a boat.

This is definitely a movie where you need to disengage your brain, but it is a lot of fun. Martin Short is endearing as middle-aged Martin Harvey, desperate to make his family connect. After inheriting a sailboat he jumps on the opportunity to have the family sail it to a boat broker in Miami. Since the Harvey's don't really know how to sail, they end up hiring Captain Ron, played by Kurt Russell. Goofball comedy ensues.

An excellent pick to watch before a beach or sailing vacation. Then no matter what happens you can say, "Well at least we didn't have [event from movie] happen to us!"

Back in Time A to Z: Below (2002)

2011-04-02T18:48:00.001-05:00

This might be the best little horror movie that you've never seen. It's very subtle but sooooo creepy. To start with we have one of the ultimate (and fairly much untapped) environments for a haunting - a submarine. The time period is World War II and the sub has taken on survivors from a sinking ship. But not everything is what it seems...

We were surprised that we didn't see the actor who played Wally again for awhile because he was very entertaining and engaging... and then we all saw him everywhere. (Yes, you'll have to watch to find out who it is.) Rent it tonight!

Back in Time A to Z: Aliens (1986)

2011-04-02T16:55:00.001-05:00

Chick Flick

To meet the deadline for the April A to Z Blog Challenge these will be micro-Back in Time Reviews where I will do short write-ups of favorite movies. Some of them may come back for full reviews later.

Aliens is one of my all-time favorite chick flicks. Why do I say that? You can keep your Sex in the City, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the kind of woman I can relate to. Because while Ripley has her issues, she kicks some serious butt and takes a whole list of names. All while trying to tell people not to be idiots.

Alien Butt Prime for Kicking

In case you're not familiar with the series, the first movie is Alien - a creepy horror flick set in space that had the now-famous slogan "In Space No One Can Hear You Scream." Ripley lived through that harrowing experience only to come back in this sequel with people wanting her to return to the planet where they found the nasty critters in the first place. Although she'd prefer to avoid the whole thing she knows that she can't. So off she goes to face her fears with a whole ship full of Space Marines. That sounds safe, right? I don't want to ruin the movie for you if you haven't already seen it but, um, things happen.

Start Raining on My Parade (Goal Achievement Strategies)

2011-04-02T09:00:00.028-05:00

In my Life Away From Keyboard (LAFK) one of my greatest interests is the area of personal leadership, which is a quick way of covering the areas of goals, achievement, personal growth, etc. From my first reading of How to Win Friends and Influence People at the age of 15 I was hooked and looking for more books with advice on how to improve your life. A lot of those books focus on creating positive visualizations in order to achieve peak performance so I was quite startled when the PsyBlog posted an article this week on 11 Goal Hacks: How to Achieve Anything and it advised being more negative.

Negative? I spent years learning NOT to be negative. But I'm willing to try anything at least once, especially in this particular area, so I will be actively looking for ways to rain on my own parade and see how it works for goal achievement and attainment.

I'll start now by admitting to myself that maybe five people will read this post and no one will comment on it. Do I feel more motivated to achieve my blogging goals now? Not really...

Don't Miss the Immortal Blog Tour!

2011-04-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

Gene Doucette kicked off his April Blog Tour for his book Immortal today (no foolin!). I loved his book so much that I signed up for three stops on the tour (on three of my blogs) starting this Sunday.

On April 3rd the blog Writing Insight will have a Feature Article on Gene and Immortal. He was a Blooming Author back in July 2010 and we want to report to our readers on his excellent reviews and other publishing news.

On April 13th this blog will have a write up about why Immortal was my favorite book of 2010.

On April 23rd one of my characters will have a chat with Gene's character Adam from Immortal and that will be posted on my blog by Sue London.

Enjoy the blog tour! And don't forget to buy the book - a sequel is coming out soon!

Sue Gets Around

2011-04-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Didn't feel like putting it in the map format, but noticed that I've been to a few new states since I posted the original list back in 2005.

bold blue the states I've been to before, bold red the NEW states I've been to since 2005, underline the states I've lived in and italicize the state I'm in now, and highlight states I definitely want to go to. Tell me if I should add your state to my goals list - and why!

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

5e D&D: What About the Children?

2011-04-01T09:33:00.001-05:00

Fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons, released today (http://www.dnd5.com/), proves that if I had been born a few decades later I never would have been a gamer. Honestly, it makes me question whether I want to bring children into this world. Sure, we could play classic D&D at home but when would they begin to be exposed to this travesty? Kindergarten? First grade? Attending gaming conventions would be straight off the list because you never know when a stray comment in an elevator or on the convention floor would trigger curiosity. And what if our son or daughter became a 5e gamer? We wouldn't be able to allow them in the house. It would be terrible for something like that to tear a family apart.

Back in Time Review: Cutthroat Island (1995)

2011-03-28T07:00:00.090-05:00

It really bothers me that Cutthroat Island is considered one of the biggest box office flops of all time because it has the same sensibilities as Pirates of the Caribbean. Was it a box office failure because the main character was a strong woman? Was it just because it didn't have the same Disney brand and backing that POTC did? Does it really all come down to Johnny Depp being wacky? In my mind the Morning Star and Black Pearl are sailing the Caribbean seas together with a very similar sense of place and goofy, witty banter.

In Cutthroat Island we are following the story of Morgan Adams, a pirate captain played by Geena Davis, as she and her crew adventure to find a treasure hidden by her grandfather. The map to the treasure is in three pieces. Morgan inherited the first piece from her father but her pirate uncles hold the other two. As you might expect in a pirating family, trust runs low and double-crossing runs high. Morgan purchases a slave, the educated con-man William Shaw (played by Matthew Modine), to help interpret part of her map that seems to be in Latin.

Since I think that this is an eminently quotable movie and IMDB does a poor job of highlighting that, a few of my favorites:

Shaw, during their escape through the streets of Port Royal: A ship! I find myself being fired upon by an entire ship!

Morgan, watching Shaw's swordplay: Very pretty, Mr. Shaw.
Shaw: Thank you, ma'am! I had the good fortune to study with a Grand Master in Vienna.
Morgan: Now, stop diddling and kill the man.
Shaw: Kill him? Bless me, we never got to that.
Morgan pushes his elbow so that the sword runs through the man.
Shaw: I see.

Morgan, while Shaw is digging a bullet from her hip: Clumsy squab. I was supposed to torture you!

Morgan, upon proof of Shaw's duplicity: Since you lie so easily and since you are so shallow, I shall lie you in a shallow grave.

The Commander's Rating: Five out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Piratical hijinks. Geena Davis at her toughest (she's one of the few actresses I take seriously when she throws a punch). The good-looking Matthew Modine (much like Val Kilmer, he has a variety of looks). A likable cast of pirate side-kicks on the Morning Star: Mr. Glasspoole, Mr. Blair, Bowen. And the always entertaining Trotter (we still call out "Trotter" in the house sporadically).
Cons: Corny puns and jokes. Some of the dialog is stilted. Some logic flaws, the kind that are typical for action movies. Frank Langella was a bit too over the top, mostly scripting issues not his acting.
Recommendation: We think this is a fantastic movie for when you are hanging out on the weekend or on vacation. It is family friendly and goofy fun. We actually played our VHS tape until it broke, have played the dvd endlessly, and look forward to getting the Blu-ray soon.

Shower Songs: Sue Sings "Crazy"

2011-03-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

Spent the first part of the my work-at-home lunch hour singing to the pets and realized I could share it with you. This is my first adventure with GarageBand and it could probably be better with some autotune, correct timing, a different singer, etc. Yes, I'm trying to say it sucks but in the spirit of the modern age I'm sharing it anyway.

Crazy

You can also get the far superior Patsy Cline version (MP3 download).

I own this album. And I love it. Don't judge me.

Funny Women of Twitter

2011-03-15T07:00:00.003-05:00

When Kristina Martin (@quickmissive) asked if I'd like to do a guest post (A Very Serious Thing) over at her blog Ten Minute Missive I jumped at the chance to work with her. Kristina is a funny lady and March is women's history month, so I thought what could be better than to write about the history of funny women? Make sure to head over there and check it out.

This companion post is an attempt to collect a list of women who are funny right now in that great big improv room known as Twitter. Not trusting that I would know all the funny women (who could?) I crowd sourced to compose the list. Please add more in comments and I will update the list. You can also follow them on my twitter list Funny Women of Twitter.

Funny Women of Twitter (alphabetical by first name)

Aisha Tyler - actress and stand-up comedian (website)
Caissie St. Onge - tv jokes writer (tumblr)
Jackie Kashian - stand-up comedian, creator of the Dork Forest (website)
Jenny Johnson - tv news producer and twitter humorist (witstream)
Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) - writer (website)
Jill Morris - writer and stand-up comedian (tumblr)
Kristina Martin - writer and stand-up comedian
Laura - humorist (tumblr)
Linda Grimes - writer (blog)
Lizz Winstead - political satirist and co-creator of the Daily Show (website)
Sarah Silverman - actress and comedian

Back in Time Review: Fight Club (1999)

2011-03-14T07:00:00.065-05:00

How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?

The first rule of Fight Club is "don't talk about Fight Club," so I'll assume that Brad Pitt or Ed Norton will come to beat me up promptly after this review posts. In case you haven't seen this movie I'll try to avoid any spoilers because, well, discovering the plot is at least half the fun of the movie.

As I already said, the movie stars Edward Norton (the "good" guy) and Brad Pitt (the "bad" boy), plus Helena Bonham Carter and Meatloaf. The write-up on IMDB says, "A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion." (Apparently IMDB is also willing to flaunt in the face of the first rule.)

We didn't see this movie in the theater and honestly I was a bit skeptical about renting it because it was so popular. See, that's the way I roll - diametrically against the flow of mass popularity. But within the first ten minutes I knew this was one of the times that the masses were absolutely right. It's a bit too violent for us (which is saying something), but overall a great, intense, intelligent movie.

As a caveat, I did have a friend read the book before seeing the movie and, as usual, that greatly diminished the enjoyment of the movie. Hollywood changes things on you. So if you're planning to both watch the movie and read the book - either watch the movie first, or be prepared to be disappointed about the things that changed. (I can understand wanting to get all the twists and turns in the book first, but that means the movie will probably always be in second place for you.)

The Commander's Rating: Four out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Well executed movie with drama, action, and some interesting twists and turns.
Cons: It could be a little more violent than you like.
Recommendation: If you haven't seen it before make sure you can devote your full attention to it the first time around. If you have seen it before then you know that you'd like to pop it back in the player and see it again. Because, seriously, this one is never getting old.

Thanks to @jeffekennedy for suggesting a review of Fight Club. The movie is available on dvd, 2-disc Collector's Edition dvd, and bluray. You can also get the book on Amazon.com.

Duck, Duck, Goose (and Destiny): Animal Wisdom

2011-03-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

Do you ever see an unusual animal, or see an animal at an unusual time or place, and think to yourself, "This is significant"? That is the heart of interpreting the spiritual wisdom of the natural world. One of the most well-known books on the topic is Animal Speak by Ted Andrews (photo left). Sometimes it even seems like the Universe is trying desperately to communicate with us, such as when we see the same animal over and over in unusual circumstances.

A handy online resource for interpreting a variety of animals is Animal Totems on Lin's Domain. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you find a list of over 100 animals with links to individual pages explaining their spiritual significance. Since they were featured in the blog post title aren't you curious about the energies of duck and goose?

Duck
Emotional Comfort and Protection
Ducks are connected to feminine energies, the astral plane and emotions through their connection with water. Ducks remind us to drink deeply from the waters of life. Find comfort in your element and with those of like mind and spirit. Ducks teach you how to maneuver through the waters of life with grace and comfort. Psychologist and therapists often have Ducks as a totem, assisting them to help others move through emotional tangles.

Goose
Communication and Imprinting Your Life Path
A Goose totem reflects a stimulation of childhood thrills and the belief in stories and legends. The stories we loved as children often reflect our life quest. Think about the stories that affected you the most and see what in them you took into your adult life. The Goose also helps in communication, especially with the written word. It is also a symbol of fertility and marital fidelity. Goose people have an innate belief that there is just one special person for each one.... Their honking call speaks of the fulfilled promises that great quests bring.

How do you discover *your* animal totem? Ted Andrews has some exercises in Animal Speak to coach you through the process. You can try meditation or opening yourself up to being observant. Sometimes you only need to realize that you are drawn to a particular animal and have been collecting, doodling, or otherwise expressing an interest in it. Some animals are with us forever, for instance my husband has a steady relationship to both Wolf and Hawk, while others show up just long enough to help us out, such as my temporary interests in Flamingo and Squirrel (technically Scrat).

Because of my ebb and flow of interest in specific animals I can vouch for their healing and inspirational qualities. A few years ago my life was out of control - I was angry all the time, exhausted, and feeling desperate. I noticed that my interest in otters had been growing. Thanks to the Virginia Living Museum logo I had both a hat and a jacket with the otter prominently displayed so it kept that interest at the forefront of my mind. Who can resist a cute hot-pink hat with a playful otter on it? Not me. Fortunately I put two and two together, looked up the message of otter, and promptly embraced it as my (at least for now) totem. Recovery wasn't immediate but over the last two years I have gently and steadily improved. What was otter's message?

Otter
Joy, Primal Feminine Energy
Otters awaken curiosity. They remind us that everything is interesting if we look at it from the right angle. The Otter totem is connected to the primal feminine energies of life: the elements of both Earth and Water are present in Otter medicine. With an Otter totem, you must remember the beauty of a balanced female side, creating a space for others to enter our lives without preconceptions or suspicions. Otter teaches that balanced female energy is not catty or jealous, but it is sisterhood and sharing with others. Otter expresses joy for others. Remember that all of us, both men and women, have a feminine side. If an Otter has entered your life, it may be time to find some play time in your life, to awaken your inner child. Allow events to unfold naturally in your life. Be careful not to hang on the material things in your life that bind you or become a burden. Become Otter and move gently into the river of life.

What animal speaks to you?

Writing Insight Back Online!

2011-03-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

Happy to report that sister blog Writing Insight is back online today! All of the interviews that were formerly housed here on TTGSiMH have been migrated over and a new interview was posted. Go on over and celebrate some excellent writers at various stages in their craft!

Today's interview is with J. M. Kelley, author of Drew in Blue, a contemporary romance about a thirty-six year old loner unexpectedly saddled with the task of raising a baby while trying to sort out his mess of a life. Kelley says, "Drew in Blue came from a desire to see a male character who is ultimately likable, but has his flaws. I'm fascinated with the male perspective, and wanted to show a man who isn't perfect, but underneath, he has a good heart. Drew does dumb things, he says the wrong thing at times, but his heart is in the right place."

G'Day Bruce!

2011-03-05T16:56:00.001-05:00

Right There in Nebraska

2011-03-01T07:00:00.024-05:00

My twitter buddy @pafford almost convinced me to move to Nebraska with this cute little song by The String Beans (video and lyrics below). It's from their album Oodles of Noodles (Amazon has the solo MP3 for 99 cents).

RIGHT HERE IN NEBRASKA
Smack in the middle of our great nation,
Is a state which requires some explanation,
To east and west coasters who’ll come up and ask ya,
“Is there anything of interest in the state of Nebraska?”
La... la...dee... da... right here in Nebraska! And there’s more...

It’s true we don’t have mountains covered in snow,
But we do have the world’s biggest live chicken show.
We’re the makers of Spam... we invented Kool Aid,
And this is where the first Rueben sandwich was made.
La... la...dee... da... right here in Nebraska! And there’s more...

Our insect... the honeybee, our bird... the meadow lark,
The strobe light, our invention, works best in the dark.
As governments go, we’re a freak of nature,
Cause we have the only one-house state legislature.
La... la...dee... da... only in Nebraska! And there’s more...

On Arbor Day, when you plant a tree,
Remember that it started in Nebraska City,
We were once called a desert, but that name didn’t take.
Since we have the country’s largest underground lake.
La... la...dee... da... right under Nebraska! And there’s more...

We have the world’s largest forest, all planted by hand,
And more miles of rivers than any state in the land.
The College World Series calls Omaha home,
And this is where the buffalo used to roam.
Until we shot them... right here in Nebraska! And there’s more...

We were the first state to finish our I-80 section,
And the first to pit two women in a gubernatorial election.
We invented 9-1-1 emergency communication,
And we’re the top producer of center pivot irrigation,
La... la...dee... da... right here in Nebraska! And there’s more...

Our woolly mammoth fossil is the largest ever found,
And our monumental “Car Henge” is bound to astound.
We have a few museums that you could call “odd,”
Dedicated to fur trading, roller skates, and sod.
La... la...dee... da... right here in Nebraska! And there’s more...

We built the world’s largest porch swing, indoor desert and rain forest,
And anyone who visits is sure to adore us...
So pack up the kiddies, the pets and the wife,
And see why Nebraska is called “the good life.”

Back in Time Reviews: Mortal Kombat (1995)

2011-02-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

If you're of a certain age you spent a lot of time in arcades "back in the day," and one of the games you played was Mortal Kombat. You loved it so much that Hollywood decided you'd love a movie about it, too.

Yeah, not so much.

It's not a BAD movie...well, maybe it is. But along with its badness there is a certain quirky likability. It's the dorky, sweet cousin you wouldn't want to live with but is fun to visit.

How do they turn a violent fighting game into a feature length movie? With a contrived situation, of course. The IMDB short description: "Three unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world." (Cue the cheesy, intense music. Then scream "MORTAL KOMBAT!")

Fortunately there's plenty of action, some clever lines, and enough beefcake/cheesecake for the casual movie watcher to stay entertained. Most of the special effects look dated but in some ways that just adds to its dorky charm (similar to Voyages of Sinbad). We consider it a guilty pleasure like the empty calories of a chocolate bar.

The Commander's Rating: Three out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Mindless action flick (if that's your mood). Wacky humor. Talisa Soto. Robin Shou. The best exercise soundtrack this side of "Jock Jams."
Cons: Christopher Lambert (Seriously? He's the ancient Japanese god of thunder and lightening?) Dorkiness.
Recommendation: A fun watch when you don't have anything better to do - like wash the cat, do some laundry, watch some paint dry... Ok, it's better than that. It's fun when you're in the right mood.

Do I Know Who I Am?

2011-02-26T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Johari Window is a method of assessing personality awareness.

Arena

(known to self and others)

witty

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

clever, friendly, intelligent, kind, modest, responsive, sympathetic

Façade

(known only to self)

helpful, loving, searching, sentimental, tense

Unknown

(known to nobody)

able, accepting, adaptable, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, giving, happy, idealistic, independent, ingenious, introverted, knowledgeable, logical, mature, nervous, observant, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, relaxed, religious, self-assertive, self-conscious, sensible, shy, silly, spontaneous, trustworthy, warm, wise

Dominant Traits

100% of people think that CmdrSue is friendly
100% of people agree that CmdrSue is witty

All Percentages

able (0%) accepting (0%) adaptable (0%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (0%) caring (0%) cheerful (0%) clever (50%) complex (0%) confident (0%) dependable (0%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (100%) giving (0%) happy (0%) helpful (0%) idealistic (0%) independent (0%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (50%) introverted (0%) kind (50%) knowledgeable (0%) logical (0%) loving (0%) mature (0%) modest (50%) nervous (0%) observant (0%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (0%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (50%) searching (0%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (50%) tense (0%) trustworthy (0%) warm (0%) wise (0%) witty (100%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 15.12.2010, using data from 2 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view CmdrSue's full data.

Learn more about the Johari Window with Perspectives on the self in communication: the cognition continuum and the Johari Window. (Special Issue: Advanced Technology.): An article from: Technical Communication.

Back in Time Reviews: Keeping the Faith (2000)

2011-02-21T07:00:00.061-05:00

Do you have a movie that you totally love but it feels like no one else you know feels the same way? One of those movies, for me, is "Keeping the Faith." Hubs likes it but I *LOVE* it. Starring Edward Norton, Ben Stiller, and Jenna Elfman, and directed by Edward Norton, any well-boiled-down synopsis starts to sound like a joke: "A priest, a rabbi, and a blonde walk into a bar..." Well, ok, actually it starts with the priest going into the bar, but you see where I'm going here.

The center of the conflict is a love triangle. Father Brian and Rabbi Jake have been best friends forever, but back in middle school they had a third musketeer, the athletic, aggressive Anna Riley (not just a blonde, but a Mick - the joke just keeps going) who had to move away when they were all young teens. Now she's back in town and looking to reconnect with her former best friends. Romantic sparks start to fly.

What makes this movie work is Norton's gentle touch as the director. Although the humor could be outrageous it is done in a sweet, teasing way rather than over the top. Although many of the topics are rife with emotional conflict (family pressures, betrayal, deciding whether to leave the priesthood) they are navigated with an integrity that honors the underlying issue without wallowing in melodrama over it.

Sweet, sweet movie.

The Commander's Rating: Five out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Gentle humor. Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, and Milos Forman in supporting roles. Enough "best guy friends" scenes (basketball, etc.) to keep men from categorically hating it as a chick flick.
Cons: It might be subtle to the point of bland, depending on your tastes. Guessing not everyone will roll on the floor laughing over the Rabbi trading cards the way I did.
Recommendation: Excellent for girl's night, for any man with emotional depth, or to snuggle with your significant other if they are up for a romantic comedy that includes a priest.

Back in Time Reviews: Galaxy Quest (1999)

2010-12-13T07:00:00.085-05:00

"Articles on sci-fi films should focus on the deep philosophical roots of the work, not the creepy sexualized fan culture it inspires." ~ Fake AP Stylebook

The great thing about Galaxy Quest is that it's a geek tv show inside a geek movie all covered over with a fondant of satire. The basic concept is that a short-run 80s science fiction TV show called "Galaxy Quest" is living a half-life in the convention circuit, like Star Trek in the 70s and Battlestar Galactica in the 90s. (Yes, feel free to cite other examples in the comments: Lost in Space, etc.) There is the friction among the cast members that you would expect in such a situation - inequality of their star power, the serious actor who feels this has ruined their career (think Alec Guiness), the co-stars who seem trapped in this life and sort of aimless. The twist comes in when the lead actor Jason Nesmith (a la Bill Shatner) who played Commander Taggert on the show (a la Captain Kirk) tells his co-stars that he has actually been on an alien ship - and that the aliens believe they are really the characters from the show. Without giving too much away we can just say "hilarity ensues." Sort of a modern geekling Comedy of Errors.

When I consider the impact of movies one of the metrics is "quoting." Do I still quote this movie 11 years later? Oh, heck yes. Pretty much every character has a line worth repeating at some point. You will find yourself teasing your friends in tense moments with Guy's, "Did you guys ever WATCH the show?" Frustrations at work will be met with Gwen's voice in your head saying, "Look! I have one job on this lousy ship, it's *stupid*, but I'm gonna do it! Okay?"

One of my other metrics for a movie is the number of high profile actors. As you may have noticed often there is an INVERSE relationship between the number of 'stars' and the quality of a movie. Somehow Galaxy Quest manages to defeat this curse. Which stars am I talking about? Probably some of your favorites. Tim Allen (voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley from Alien), Alan Rickman (Snape in Harry Potter), Tony Shalhoub (Monk from the TV show Monk), Sam Rockwell (Zaphod Beeblebrox in the latest Hitchhiker's Guide - not his best role, but one of his sci-fi ones), Daryl Mitchell (Dexter on The John Larroquette Show), Enrico Colantoni (Eliot from Just Shoot Me!), Patrick Breen (Reggie from MIB), Missi Pyle (Mrs. Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and Justin Long (pretty much every movie that's come out for 10 years, also the Mac in Mac vs. PC ads). And that was just listing one thing from each actor's resume. I could write a whole page on Alan Rickman alone (or, as Kevin Smith calls him, Hans-f'ing-Gruber).

So, in summary - hilarious geekgasm of a movie. Highly recommended.

The Commander's Rating: Five out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Every last little bit of it. Concept, script, actors - it's all brilliant.
Cons: If you aren't a geek you won't get it. If you haven't been to a science fiction convention you won't get parts of it.
Recommendation: If you're a geek and haven't seen this, GET ON IT. If you're not a geek but know a geek, watch it to understand them a little better through the power of humor. If you're not a geek and don't know a geek, well, you're probably not reading this blog.

Fillin' Out a Job Application Playlist

2010-12-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

Think good thoughts for me. This is what the random iPod gave me for a playlist (first ten).

One Week - Barenaked Ladies
All For You - Sister Hazel
Thank You - Dido
Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb
Hands - Jewel
The Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz*
Underneath Your Clothes - Shakira
It's All Coming Back to Me Now - Celine Dion
Music - Madonna

Special note on Jason - I've worked with his mom. Having grown up with musicians for brothers and lingering on the edges of the "music scene" for most of my life I smiled indulgently when she told me how great his music was. Well, we can see how that worked out. Good on ya, Jason, for making your mama proud.

Grilled Cheesus

2010-10-10T07:05:00.002-05:00

This week on Twitter for a brief shining moment "Grilled Cheesus" became the top topic. Some of my favorite tweets are below.

Denial of Cheesus:
"I can't accept Grilled Cheesus as my Lord and Savior. It's not that I'm an Atheist, I'm just lactose intolerant." Not Gary Busey (@GaryJBusey)

Praising Cheesus:
"My life is complete. @TillamookCheese is following me. Praise the Grilled Cheesus for this miracle!" M. S Vich (@MischaVich)

Being Forsaken by Cheesus:
"I tried to make a Grilled Cheesus, but alas, the sandwich has forsaken me and instead I had a V8."

Michael Allen (@chaoticbuddhist)

God's Total Quality Management Questionnaire

2010-10-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

4. What factors were relevant in your decision to acquire a Deity?
Please check all that apply.

___ Indoctrinated by parents
___ Needed a reason to live
___ Indoctrinated by society
___ Needed focus on whom to despise
___ Imaginary friend grew up
___ Graduated from the tooth fairy
___ Hate to think for myself
___ Wanted to meet girls/boys
___ Fear of death
___ Wanted to piss off parents
___ Needed a day away from work
___ Desperate need for certainty
___ Like organ music
___ Need to feel morally superior
___ Thought Jerry Falwell was cool
___ My shrubbery caught fire and told me to do it

Check out all of God's Total Quality Management Questionnaire.

Happiness

2010-10-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder why we are so bad at predicting what will make us happy? Maybe you don't have this problem. In fact, I hope you don't. Since I've recently read a book on the topic (Stumbling on Happiness) it seems there are quite a few of us, though.

The biggest shame is that what makes me happy now are things I never would have predicted. Why is that a shame? Well, because I couldn't plan ahead for it - I was busy investing myself in other things. If you had told 16-year-old me tonight's happy evening would be spent listening to my husband singing folk songs while I sipped hot cocoa and the dog slept on my feet I would have thought you were mental. My vision then of what I thought would make me happy was completely different (ok, there might have been cocoa and a dog). First off, I was never one to dream of marriage or domestic bliss. It wouldn't have made my top 100 list of concerns back then, yet it has nearly dominated my life since meeting my romantic, energetic, outrageously intelligent husband when I was 17. Second, I had never heard of folk bands like Brother's Four and The Kingston Trio, music that he had grown up with while I was fed rock, blues, and R&B. So I wasn't even capable of correctly envisioning tonight's entertainment or imagining why I would enjoy it.

Because of tonight's deep happiness I have developed a formula: your attention span / (predisposition + something unexpected). In tonight's example there are multiple pieces to my predisposition that fit in: love of music, a tendency to be quiet and contemplative (thus enjoying a "night in"), and a desire to see the people I love being happy. The something unexpected comes from both enjoying what I call "living in each other's pockets" (being in constant company with one another), and from him sharing something I didn't know before meeting him. Seriously, I don't think that things I can come up with on my own ever delight me as deeply as things I gain from others. Lastly is the first part of the equation. The importance of attention span has taken me the longest to learn. As a child I was blessed with that contemplative nature and not many responsibilities so I had attention span to spare, but starting in my late teens I was constantly on the go - too much to do and no time to do it. Come to find, if you don't have the energy to be present you can't be happy. Probably the most important point of Stumbling on Happiness is that happiness needs to be enjoyed when it's here.

While I've been typing up my reflections my husband, unaware of the direction of my thoughts and pleased that I have "indulged" him in being able to perform some of his favorite music, has tried to make it up to me with one of "our" songs that served as the first dance at our wedding, "What a Wonderful World." What a wonderful world indeed.

I hope that your day has some measure of the happiness that I've enjoyed tonight.

Book Review: Immortal

2010-09-27T16:52:00.001-05:00

Immortal is probably the modern (and historical) fantasy you've been seeking

By the end of the first chapter I was fairly convinced that Gene Doucette had found this manuscript between seats on the subway because it had clearly been written as a collaboration by some of my favorite authors while they were sharing a bottle of whiskey. He has the wit of Douglas Adams, the sarcasm of Jim Butcher, the droll plotting of Spider Robinson, and the sly twists of Neil Gaiman, just to mention a few. But don't think that this means he seems imitative because he doesn't. "Immortal" was clever, fascinating, and endlessly entertaining.

I'm tempted to quote all the clever parts (which I highlighted because they were that good) but will let you discover them for yourself. As an example, one of my favorite bits from the first chapter: "I was suicidal for two solid centuries once. That was during the early part of what they now call the Dark Ages, in medieval Europe. Suicidal tendencies were de rigueur at the time, and I’m nothing if not trendy."

If there is a God, which is something that main character Adam sincerely doubts, then Mr. Doucette will write a series and get a TV show.

GoodReads links:

Immortal by Gene Doucette

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

Reminder for Author Interviews

2010-08-27T11:37:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it, the author interview series "FreshVoices" and "Blooming Authors" have migrated over to their very own blog at Writing Insight. Didn't want you to miss out on the fun.

Beards

2010-08-14T18:18:00.000-05:00

So... beards. What do they say about the character of a man?

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

2010-08-14T12:03:00.002-05:00

We all know the Wil Wheaton #GenCon story: He came. He saw. He took some dice.

And because of our Mission he got a Dragon Chow dice bag! He picked the caffeine molecule one, and got one of GeekSoap's D20 dice for his collection.

If you're not familiar with Wil, here are some of his books:

I Touched Wil Wheaton

2010-08-06T21:44:00.000-05:00

Now that Wil Wheaton has instituted a "no touching" policy for cons (go to this post and scroll down) and therefore stories of actually touching him will go to an all-time low, I want to brag about the fact that *I* have touched him before. Well, alright, it was more of a glancing blow and a quick check to make sure we were both still standing upright, and it happened years and years ago, but I think it counts. Doesn't it?

Ok, so let me set the scene. It was the early 90s on a weekend before Halloween. My brother was a bartender at a local hotel that was throwing a party and said we should come by. My boyfriend (now husband) and I aren't really party people but we like to go out and see what's going on before being geeks and going home to spend the rest of the night reading or gaming. We were lingering on the edges, meaning pretty much hanging out the hallways between the lobby and restaurant, trying to decide whether we wanted to wait to see if more of the costume contestants were going to show up because some of them were pretty good. We knew that some actors were staying at the hotel as part of a film that was in town, but we weren't sure which ones and sort of assumed they would be laying low when there were so many people around.

Well, it turns out lingering in hallways can be a somewhat dangerous hobby when young men with access to caffeinated sodas are roaming them. The only warning was some chaotic laughter that rose above the din of the party right before a pack turned the corner with their water guns. Oh yes, a thundering herd of young Hollywood stars hopped up on sugar, caffeine, and freedom - and armed with super soakers if I remember correctly. (I'm assuming sugar and caffeine, it may have just been youthful enthusiasm.) Wil Wheaton came around closest to the corner, almost on top of where I was standing, and did that oh-my-God-I'm-about-to-run-over-you dodge while I flattened up against the wall. Although we both rolled pretty well on our dex checks the Giant DM in the Sky decided that with the turn, momentum, and proximity we couldn't completely escape contact.

A shoulder bump, hey-are-you-okay-pause, and then he was gone.

If only we'd known we should have invited him over to play D&D. Princess Sidra of Redmond really could have used some extra help right then, too.

Mission: Dragon Chow Dice Bag for @WilW

2010-08-03T21:39:00.004-05:00

About seven hours ago Wil Wheaton tweeted "I'd like to test the theory that you can't have too many dice. If I see you at #GenCon, would you give me one gaming die?" Don't know about you but my first thought was, "Dude, you are going to end up with a LOT of dice."

Then it hit me. I just happen to know one of the best dice bag makers around and she will have HER dice bags at the G33Kmade booth at GenCon. Let's commit to getting at least one of @GeekyLyndsay's awesome Dragon Chow Dice Bags into Wil Wheaton's hands before the end of GenCon!

We need to get you kids together:

Wil "Batman" Wheaton

Dragon Chow Dice Bag

Seriously.

Dragon Chow Dice Bag

Wil "Happy Face" Wheaton (Clown Sweater)

I'm Freakin' Fascinating

2010-08-02T19:20:00.001-05:00

Denise Brody wrote a great, but what I consider ill named, article. I say this because I'm EXTREMELY glad I read it, but almost didn't because the title was a turn off for those of us already on Twitter have a writing-good-time: "Twitter Does Not Sell Books. This 5-Point Plan Does."

But please, do go read it. You'll be glad you did. And then you'll also understand the title to this post.

My Life in Comics

2010-08-02T07:13:00.000-05:00

Did you hear? I was interviewed by ComicBooked.com! Check out A (Not So) Silent Interview with Sue London wherein it is revealed what Superhero I'm married to.

And in case you missed it, I've been interviewed before. Keep up with my interview series on this page.

Bloggerversary: 7 Years Old

2010-08-01T07:00:00.016-05:00

I traveled back in time 24 hours just to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Thoughts. Don't worry, it was great for racking up the frequent flyer miles anyway. For those of you who have been with us this whole time - well, wow. Thank you so much! For those who are new - thanks for joining in, we hope it's fun and you stay with us for awhile.

To infinity and beyond!! Or, er, never give up, never surrender! Oh, uh, I mean... that frood really knows where his towel is! So let's go where no one has gone before and, um, stuff like that. Have I really been doing this for seven years? That's like 49 in dog years. That's a long time. You'd think I'd be better at it...

Send Sue to Celebration V

2010-07-30T13:12:00.005-05:00

Hey, it's worth a try. Anybody want to chip in to get this geek to Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando?

Or buy stuff through the Thoughts Amazon Shop to help out:

More Free Books! Promise by Kristie Cook

2010-07-25T16:36:00.000-05:00

Confessions of a Bookaholic is giving away a signed copy of Promise by Kristie Cook + bookmarks! Enter here: http://bit.ly/clHmX2

You can also read our interview with Kristie on Writing Insight.

Or buy a copy from Amazon:

How To Find Jesus In An Emergency

2010-07-20T13:34:00.004-05:00

Do you remember when the Worst-Case Survival Handbook was big and it was funny because, well, it kinda wasn't trying to be funny? Problem solved. With The OTHER Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: A Parody it really IS supposed to be funny. Let's try a sample:

How to Find Jesus

Finding Jesus can be critically important in an emergency. The key is knowing where to look.

1. Don't Panic Many people, after realizing they have lost Jesus, become panicky. This can be very dangerous. Instead, take a few deep breaths, relax, and think: where was the last place you had Jesus? Go there.

2. Look Around Be thorough. Did you look behind the couch? He might be there. Don't just glance around the room, either. Lift things up. He might be in the clothing hamper, for instance. Check there. He's probably right where you left Him.

Tuesday 2/10/11 Update: Now on Kindle (10th Anniversary Edition with new content)! Order here or check out Gene's new page about it.

Back in Time Review: Sneakers (1992)

2010-07-19T16:42:00.005-05:00

Unbelievably, we missed this one when it came through the theater. I say its unbelievable because, in the first place, look at the cast: Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, etc. Second, it was basically a spy mystery movie which is always entertaining. And third, we used to see just about everything and I love Robert Redford and SERIOUSLY HOW IN THE HECK DID WE MISS THIS? Fortunately, a cousin came for a visit and recommended it. Just one of the many reasons why family is important.

Our hero Marty, portrayed by Robert Redford, is a bit of a rebel. He's always stayed a few steps ahead of the law - even working as a security consultant - but this time he has gotten into a bit more trouble than he expected. Can he, along with his ragtag group of security freelancers (plus his ex-girlfriend), stay far enough ahead of the bad guys to avert an international disaster?

The Commander's Rating: Five out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: The cast, as mentioned above, which also included an earnest version of River Phoenix and an entertaining cameo by James Earl Jones. Plus David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell, Ben Kingsley, and Stephen Tobolowsky. (Seriously, there are so many great actors that I've probably overlooked someone.) The film also has a great sense of humor, mostly manifested as those quips and eccentricities of a tight-knit group.
Cons: That they didn't turn this into a fun series or at least do a sequel.
Recommendation: An excellent movie for watching with friends because it is all about the friend vibe. Well, and international espionage. But if you have a group of friends like mine that's sort of the same vibe. An excellent follow-up movie if you want to make a day of it is Spy Game, where Redford really is a spy.

I've Been Cursed

2010-07-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Lucky, lucky, lucky me -- I won an autographed hardback copy of Jeremy C. Shipp's "Cursed" (featured at left) and it came in the mail today! Although I promised myself that I wouldn't start to read it on a work night I'm... staying up and reading it on a work night.

Synchronicity and Internet LOLZ

2010-07-13T09:36:00.001-05:00

One of the things that entertains me is coincidence. When I was a cashier I always liked it when the total came to the same number as the current time. And one of the cool things about Twitter is that it is a nest of synchronicities. Every few days two or three tweeps will tweet about the same topic around the same time without realizing it - usually people who don't even follow each other so they have no idea. But today's was, for me, the funniest yet. Received at the same minute:

"Who needs an alarm clock when you have a cat that wakes you up at 6 every morning." ~ @INTP73

"morning kids.....off for an early morning run...thinking of taking the cat with me and accidentally feeding it to a deer" ~ @WhyIsDaddyCryin

Two people, two cats, one early morning, shared irritation, and very different ways of expressing it.

No cats were harmed in the creation of this post.

Astro Profiles... with Kissing and Stuff

2010-07-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

ARIES - The Aggressive
Outgoing. Lovable. Spontaneous. Not one to mess with. Funny.. Excellent kisser EXTREMELY adorable. Loves relationships, and family is very important to an aries. Aries are known for being generous and giving. Addictive. Loud. Always has the need to be ‘Right’. Aries will argue to prove their point for hours and hours. Aries are some of the most wonderful people in the world...

TAURUS - The Tramp
Aggressive. Loves being in long relationships. Likes to give a good fight. Fight for what they want. Can be annoying at times, but for the love of attention. Extremely outgoing. Loves to help people in times of need. Good kisser. Good personality. Stubborn. A caring person. They can be self centered and if they want something they will do anything to get it. They love to sleep and can be lazy. One of a kind. Not one to mess with. Are the most attractive people on earth!

GEMINI - The Twin
Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners. Very Good at confusing people… Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you out. Geminis will not take any crap from anyone. Geminis like to tell people what they should do and get offended easily. They are great at losing things and are forgetful. Geminis can be very sarcastic and childish at times and are very nosey. Trustworthy. Always happy. VERY Loud. Talkative. Outgoing. VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE.

CANCER - The Beauty
MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high appeal. A Cancer’s Love is one of a kind.. Very romantic.. Most caring person you will ever meet in your life. Entirely creative Person, most are artists and insane, respectfully speaking. They perfected sex and do it often. Extremely random. An Ultimate Freak. Extremely funny and is usually the life of the party. Most Cancers will take you under their wing and into their hearts where you will remain forever. Cancers make love with a passion beyond compare. Spontaneous. Not a Fighter, But will kick your ass good if it comes down to it. Someone you should hold on to!

LEO - The Lion
Great talker. Attractive and passionate. Laid back. Usually happy but when unhappy tend to be grouchy and childish. A Leo’s problem becomes everyone’s problem. Most Leos are very predictable and tend to be monotonous. Knows how to have fun.. Is really good at almost anything. Great kisser. Very predictable. Outgoing. Down to earth. Addictive. Attractive. Loud. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Not one to mess with. Rare to find. Good when found.

VIRGO - The One that Waits
Dominant in relationships. Someone loves them right now. Always wants the last word.. Caring. Smart. Loud. Loyal. Easy to talk to. Everything you ever wanted. Easy to please. A pushover. Loves to gamble and take chances. Needs to have the last say in everything.. They think they know everything and usually do. Respectful to others but you will quickly lose their respect if you do something untrustworthy towards them and never regain respect. They do not forgive and never forget. The one and only.

LIBRA - The Lame One
Nice to everyone they meet. Their love is one of a kind. Silly, funny and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! However, not the kind of person you want to mess with…you might end up crying. Libras can cause as much havoc as they can prevent. Faithful friends to the end. Can hold a grudge for years. Libras are someone you want on your side. Usually great at sports and are extreme sports fanatics. Very creative. A hopeless romantic.

SCORPIO - The Addict
EXTREMELY adorable. Loves to joke. Very Good sense of humor. Will try almost anything once. Loves to be pampered. Energetic. Predictable. GREAT kisser. Always get what they want... Attractive. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Loves to party but at times to the extreme. Loves the smell and feel of money and is good at making it but just as good at spending it! Very protective over loved ones. HARD workers. Can be a good friend but if is disrespected by a friend, the friendship will end. Romantic. Caring...

SAGITTARIUS - The Promiscuous One
Spontaneous. High appeal. Rare to find. Great when found.. Loves being in long relationships. So much love to give. A loner most of the time. Loses patience easily and will not take crap. If in a bad mood stay FAR away. Gets offended easily and remembers the offense forever. Loves deeply but at times will not show it, feels it is a sign of weakness. Has many fears but will not show it. VERY private person. Defends loved ones with all their abilities. Can be childish often. Not one to mess with. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing in bed..!!! Not the kind of person you want to mess with- you might end up crying.

CAPRICORN - The Passionate Lover
Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Grouchy at times and annoying to some. Lazy and love to take it easy. But when they find a job or something they like to do they put their all into it. Proud, understanding and sweet. Irresistible. Loves being in long relationships. Great talker. Always gets what he or she wants. Cool. Loves to win against other signs especially Gemini’s in sports. Likes to cook but would rather go out to eat at good restaurants. Extremely fun. Loves to joke. Smart.

AQUARIUS - Does It In The Water
Trustworthy. Attractive. Great kisser. One of a kind, loves being in long-term relationships. Can be clumsy at times but tries hard. Will take on any project. Proud of themselves in whatever they do. Messy and unorganized. Procrastinators. Great lovers, when they’re not sleeping. Extreme thinkers. Loves their pets usually more than their family. Can be VERY irritating to others when they try to explain or tell a story. Unpredictable. Will exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter but will Knock your lights out...

PISCES - The Partner for Life
Caring and kind. Smart. Likes to be the center of attention. Very organized. High appeal to opposite sex. Likes to have the last word. Good to find, but hard to keep. Passionate, wonderful lovers. Fun to be around. Too trusting at times and gets hurt easily. VERY caring. They always try to do the right thing and sometimes gets the short end of the stick. They sometimes get used by others and get hurt because of their trusting. Extremely weird but in a good way. Good sense of humor!!! Thoughtful. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet. Good friend to other but needs to be choosy on who they allow their friends to be.

Fresh Voices: Interview with Lydia Ondrusek

2010-06-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

You can check out Lydia's interview here http://tinyurl.com/wi-littlefluffycat because Fresh Voices has moved to a blog dedicated to writer/publishing interviews: Writing Insight. If you follow these interviews on Google Reader you may want to follow the new blog.

Blooming Authors: Aaron Polson

2010-06-03T21:37:00.000-05:00

Do you like horror? How does the phrase "steampunk zombies" strike you? Go check out the Blooming Authors interview with Aaron Polson on Writing Insight. Then go buy some of his books as soon as you can!

Fresh Voices: Interview with Bethany Harper

2010-05-28T07:00:00.057-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I want to be able to walk into Barnes & Noble/Hastings/Borders/Whatever and be able to buy my own book.

2. Why do you write?

I write because it's fun. I enjoy watching words spill across the screen, the sounds of keys clicking. I like the way pen feels when it meets paper. I love the chunking sound of a typewriter. The part I love the most is leaving Oklahoma, leaving my living room (or my
bedroom or school or wherever my body happens to be) and going somewhere else.

3. Your writing style is sweetly gothic. It reminds me of whispering in the dark with my sister, or making up ghost stories with my friends. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I have never really worked on a specific voice as much as I've worked on being consistent and clear. The work published on my blog (so far) has been stuff I've done quickly, with no editing, so it's probably as close to my natural voice as you can get.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I love Stephen King. I find the characters he writes fascinating, and I love how all of his books seem to exist in the same universe-characters mentioned in one off that were the stars of other stories. I also owe him a debt of companionship, as I do to everyone I read.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

One of my many crafts is crochet. I've been doing it as long as I've been writing. I've never been sophisticated with my crochet, but building something stitch by stitch, row by row, and having something completed and recognizable at the end is wonderfully satisfying.

I feel the same way about writing. Sentences start with letters and words, stringing the sentences together makes paragraphs. Before you know it you've gone through a gallon of tea and there's this story. It needs some work (doesn't it always?), but the shape is there, the form.

It's the difference between buying a handmade blanket and making the blanket. Some people love handmade blankets, love the way they feel, but don't possess the talent (or the drive to learn the talent) to make them. Some people see a handmade blanket and want to do it. I'm the latter.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I crochet and sew as well, and doing that (one or the other) for a living would be nifty.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Plums!

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Stephen King's On Writing became something of a Bible of Writing to me, and there's a quote in there about criticism that I try to keep to heart. "If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that's all." It's especially worth remembering in the age of the Internet, where the trolls breed and lurk. They will deliberately be cruel, and they will hurt you. Write anyway.

Bethany Harper is short, has pink hair, lives in Oklahoma, and has a house full of animals-- 3 cats, 2 dogs, 3 gerbils. She's been voted 'most likely to turn into a crazy cat lady' at work. She crochets, sews, writes, program, games, reads, and spends the rest of her time working, going to school, or sleeping. You can find her online at Twitter (@MartianBethany) or on her blog.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Blooming Author: Ashley M. Christman!

2010-05-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to
become the person you believe you were meant to be.” ~ George Sheehan

Ashley M. Christman is an urban fantasy writer whose book, The Witching
Hour, will be available from Lyrical Press November, 2010.

Tell us about The Witching Hour. What is it about and where will it be available?

Here’s the blurb:
Lucky Sands is anything but. His wife is cheating on him, his job sucks, and when she walks out on him and dies in a car crash, the only thing he can think of is drowning himself in cheap booze and cheaper sex. But when he finds his childhood friend Tuesday Peters working in a brothel, his luck
takes a steep downward dive after he finds out her twin sister is dead...and that Wednesday's death was no accident. Together Lucky and Tuesday embark on a search for answers, plagued by spirits and deities alike. Every clue along their path points not just to the truth of Wednesday's murder, but to divine machinations that prove everything Lucky knows about life to be wrong--and
prove there's no such thing as luck. Only fate...and the madness of the gods.

The Witching Hour will be available November 22, 2010 in ebook version at the Lyrical Press Website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, Fictionwise, Sony, Mobipocket, etc. We still don’t know about a print run yet, if it goes to print, the answer will be wherever books are sold.

What were your inspirations for The Witching Hour? What sorts of thing inspire you as a writer in general?

For The Witching Hour, I was inspired mostly because of my extensive research and knowledge of various pantheons and mythology. My inspiration in general can come from a number of places. It can come from a piece of music—I find that classical pieces inspire me the most, or a conversation
with someone. Sometimes, I’ll see a picture or think of a location and a character’s voice will come to me. That’s when I know that I have to write (my characters have a way of screaming in my head until I release them by writing their story).

What is your writing process? How do you approach a story, do you start with outlines or something else?
A process would mean there is some method to my madness ~laughs~. My process is a simple one. If I’m in front of my computer, I’ll just start typing, see where the voice in my head (yes, I am referring to my muse. I have enough problems without other voices) takes me. Once I have an idea, I’ll usually write a crude working pitch. Its three lines that tell me who are the main characters, what’s going on, what’s the problem. From there I create a very basic outline. I have to say that my outlines are usually only chapter outlines. Now that I am working on more complex plots, I have a board where I pin up my plot points, characters, etc…so I remember to fill in all the holes.

Where did you work when writing The Witching Hour? Do you think it was the optimal writing environment for you?

I literally wrote everywhere. I would write in my cubicle, the car, the coffee shop. Anytime I had any downtime I was writing. I’m finding that doesn’t work for me anymore—at least for revisions. I now make quiet time where I set up candles, incense and a can of Red Bull (as you can see in
one of the pictures on my site) on my dining room table and work there. Now that we’re moving to the upper Midwest from the lovely western coast (I am going to miss the sunlight) one of the priorities was a room of my own. I find that the quiet time with the atmosphere helps me focus better, and thus
craft better tales.

So to answer the question, the environment I used initially for The Witching Hour, not optimal for me. I found that I really do need a room of my own and that is something that every writer needs to discover on their own. On a side note, I still have a fantasy of me being a broody writer with a cup of
coffee in a chic Parisian café. I can dream, right?

Tell us about your "story of getting published." How long did you submit before you were accepted? How did it feel to get accepted?

Goodness. That’s a long story, do you have all night. ~Chuckles~. I literally submitted hundreds of times between the five-six manuscripts I submitted prior to getting the yes. It was a long process. When I was subbing The Witching Hours, I had gotten a lot of personalized rejections rather than forms with the whole “we like it, but…”. I think those hurt the most, although I couldn’t help but find humor in one that basically said, “we like it, don’t change a thing, but we won’t publish it because the
heroine starts off as a prostitute”. I was like, people start off doing a lot of things, but it doesn’t define them.

When I finally got my golden ticket, the magical letter that every subbing writer hopes to get, I was ecstatic, excited, elated, more words that begin with “e” ~laughs~. It was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. It felt like I had done something right or maybe just gotten really lucky. I read
the letter several times. I kept waiting for a second one to come my way saying “sorry we made a mistake”. I don’t think there are really any words to describe the range of emotions I went through. When I finally signed the contract, I still couldn’t believe it. It didn’t really sink in that this was happening until I saw my name on my publisher’s website as one of their authors and my books title there as well.

What are the publicity plans you have coming up?
I am planning a virtual book tour and some readings at the moment. I also will be doing signed bookplates, so anyone that buys the book and wants a book plate can request one. Promotion is an on-going thing and as I come up with ideas, I add it to my marketing plan. And of course, the best type of publicity is to write another book.

$#*! My Dad Says Preview

2010-05-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

Buy the book on Amazon.com:

Getting Ready for 5/25

2010-05-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Thank goodness that this year I realized that Towel Day was coming! Don't you hate it when you find out around noon that the one day you ABSOLUTELY need to know where your towel is you left it at home? Yeah, I hate that.

But now we find out that 5/25 is ALSO Geek Pride Day. And the anniversary of the opening of Star Wars. Considering I've often been on my way to Star Wars Weekends around this time we'll just pretend that I've de facto been celebrating those geek holidays.

But to get us ready for what 5/25 means to all us geeks, let's review:

The Geek Pride Day Manifesto

Rights:

The right to be even geekier.
The right to not leave your house.
The right to not have a significant other and to be a virgin.
The right to not like football or any other sport.
The right to associate with other nerds.
The right to have few friends (or none at all).
The right to have all the geeky friends that you want.
The right to not be "in-style."
The right to be overweight and have poor eyesight.
The right to show off your geekiness.
The right to take over the world.

Responsibilities:

Be a geek, no matter what.
Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
Save any and all geeky things you have.
Do everything you can to show off your geeky stuff as though it were a "museum of geekiness."
Don't be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
Don't waste your time on anything not related to geekdom.
Befriend any person or persons bearing any physical similarities to comic book or sci-fi figures.
Try to take over the world!

Source: Wikipedia Geek Pride Day

And for 5/25? Oh, what to wear, what to wear...

Other Options:
Zombie Protest Tee (XL)
Enough Social Interaction Tee (Medium)

Search Amazon.com for thinkgeek

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kerry Schafer

2010-05-21T07:00:00.026-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate writing goal? The pat answer is that I want to sell enough successful books to be able to quit my day job. I want to travel around with my wonderful partner, and write in fabulous hotels with the ocean outside my balcony. Honestly, as much as I daydream about this, and would love to have a fairy tale life, it's not my ultimate goal. My ultimate writing goal is to write a book that I, myself, consider brilliant, and that gets respect from my fellow writers. This may not be a book that the publishing world loves, and it may not be the sort of book that climbs the charts. But, feeling that I had achieved that goal would mean more to me than money or fame. I think. On Monday mornings I'd just take some money and fame.

2. Why do you write?

The answer to that question is - it depends. Some days I write because I love it and it's an escape from reality. Some days I write only because I'm too stubborn to leave something unfinished once I've started it. I do know that if I don't write I get snarly and all tangled up inside. There were some years in my life when I didn't write, and I regret them. I think if you're born with the itch to write and the ability to do so, you'd better do what you were meant to do, or there will be trouble for you later. Psychological trouble, I mean, which can happen when you block something integral to your being.

3. Your writing style is edgy but also has a feeling of wonder. Have you
worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

My voice has just developed over the years as a natural extension of myself. My personality is this way - I have a side that is cynical and sharp, and another side that is always looking for magic and wishing there were fairies hiding in the woods. When I write, sometimes there is magic, and sometimes there is gritty cynical reality. I love it when I find both.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

That is the sort of question I always have trouble with. How can I have a favorite when there are so many that I love for different reasons?
When I was a child I read and re-read everything by Louisa May Alcott, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder to the point of memorization. I never felt like I quite fit in with my friends and schoolmates, and the likes of Anne Shirley and Joe March were my companions and role models.

I had a Dickens phase that started late in high school, and I read every novel he wrote, most of them repeatedly, except for the Mystery of Edwin Druid. I didn't want to read something that wasn't finished. I still haven't read it.

As a child I devoured anything about King Arthur, and I've always loved good fantasy. C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, Guy Gavriel Kay, and more recently Terry Pratchett are among my favorites, but let's not forget Douglas Adams.

I could go on at length. I also adore good thrillers and mysteries, especially if they have a protagonist I can really connect with. I'm in love with Jonathan Kellerman's marvelous Alex Delaware and Martha Grimes' Richard Jury.

And now I feel guilty, because there are so many others I love who I haven't mentioned. I'm sure you begin to see my problem - I just can't pick a favorite.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I remember the first time I wrote something that made somebody cry, and the feeling of wonder that something I'd put on paper could do this. I also remember the time I wrote an essay that made a whole roomful of people angry and caused a big argument. By the time things settled down my hands were shaking, but there was this amazing feeling of power, that I had somehow accomplished this fuss by the act of putting words together on paper. It is an amazing feeling to be able to create an emotional response, to maybe make somebody think or feel something new. There is nothing like the feeling of totally losing yourself in the words for awhile, of creating something that wasn't there before.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at
a different career, what would you choose?

I already have a different career. I'm not sure whether it chose me, or I choose it, but at this point I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm a mental health professional, and I work in crisis services. One part of my job is to serve as a DMHP, (Designated Mental Health Professional) which means that in the state of Washington I am entrusted with the responsibility of making the decision whether someone who is mentally ill should be involuntarily sent to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. It's a job that shares certain things with writing. It is often difficult. The solution to a problem is often to be found only by creative thinking and stepping outside of the box. But it is also necessary and it is important.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I can't pick a couple of favorite authors and you want me to pick one word for my writing? How about this: Mine. I think I have a strong voice that is unique to me.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

My best writing advice has, like everything else, come from an eclectic variety of sources. One of the earliest bits I remember, and perhaps the most important, was from a book on writing by Madeleine L'Engle, Walking On Water. I haven't read it in years, but the gist of it was that everybody has a story to tell. The great writers are rivers, but even those of us who are just little streams have a job to do and had better do it. Then there was this wonderful professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, from whom I was privileged to take an English class. Her name was Joan Rothstein Vandergriff, and among many other things she taught me to never settle for the easy version. My favorite writing book is The Right to Write, by Julia Cameron.

Kerry Schafer spends more time in jail than the average law abiding citizen. Fortunately this has everything to do with her job, and little to do with her morality. She inhabits an acreage of trees and grass and rocks which she shares with four males - one of the adult variety, and three of the adolescent species. It is safe to assume that she seldom gets her hands on the TV remote. Pets include the domesticated component: two cats, a dog, and a rescued fish (not kidding), and the regularly fed but not tame birds, deer and wild turkeys. Kerry carves out writing time wherever it fits. She has completed two novels and has one that is undergoing what she fervently hopes is the last round of revisions. In the background, lurking and not happy about it, are a number of others in various stages of completion. You can find her on Twitter as @uppington, or at her blog, All Things Good and Other Stuff.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

The First Mate is a Monkey

2010-05-20T15:55:00.001-05:00

Need the lyrics? Posted those here.

Random Playlist

2010-05-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Been forever since I've done this. What's spinning up on the iTunes...

Goin' Nowhere - Chris Isaak
River - Natalie Merchant
Save Me - k.d. lang
200 More Miles - Cowboy Junkies
New Beginning - Tracy Chapman

That's niiiiiice...

Fresh Voices: Interview with Adrien-Luc Sanders

2010-05-07T07:00:00.017-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?
Wow, you'd think this would be the easiest one to answer. I used to be able to glibly trip off, "To be a full-time writer!" Well, now I'm a full-time business writer (and fiction editor), but that was never really my goal. And although I'd love to be a published YA fiction writer, I don't think that would satisfy the goal either--as any published writer can tell you it's not exactly a profitable full-time job. Plus while it would be nice to be published...I think what would bring me the most satisfaction is to finish every story I've got brewing in my head. I have so many ideas that the hardest part for me is following through on all of them, but I think if I looked back in 50 years I'd be more satisfied with finishing two dozen stories than publishing just one. So that's my goal: to follow through on all my unfinished stories, while striving to improve my writing skills with each one. If one happens to get published it's a nice bonus, but considering the odds in the publishing industry I'd like to think my goal is more attainable. Does that mean I'm going to stop trying to get published? Heck no. But finishing the work is more important.

2. Why do you write?
I write because I enjoy the emotional reaction that good storytelling evokes--and because I'm too impatient to draw. I used to think I'd be a graphic artist, even tried putting together a comic, but I draw very, very slowly. In the time it takes me to draw one multi-page scene I can write five chapters, and frankly I'm a better writer than artist. So I write, hoping that when I share these stories they'll draw a strong reaction from the reader. I love to imagine stories and situations that evoke emotions and tangible response, whether it's a startled burst of laughter, the soft hitch of a heartbroken breath, or the white-straining knuckles of adrenaline and excitement. If I succeed in conveying that to a reader, in drawing that from them, then I'm happy.

3. Your writing style is elegant. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?
My writing? Elegant? Since I've never tried for elegance, I guess you could say it's natural--though it feels like hubris to claim something like that. I do struggle to progress my writing and improve overall, though I'm seeking more lean, effective prose that's concise while still remaining evocative. I think my style has grown from a complex combination of factors: the variety of things I read as a child (including the encyclopedia), the broader range of things I continue to read in my adult life, critiques from friend and professionals, my life experiences with various storytelling styles from different languages and cultures, and the influences of various English instructors starting at the grade level and moving through college. It's as natural as any process of evolution could be, but I wouldn't say it's self-generated, if that makes sense.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?
Oh dear - how much space do I have here, again? I love so many authors in so many genres, but for the sake of brevity I'll pick just three. Four? Five? Okay, three.

Diane Duane: Her Young Wizards series is one of my childhood favorites, and one of those that still stands the test of time even when reading from an adult perspective. Her prose practically effervesces; there's a joy in her writing that sweeps you up and carries you along. You can tell she loves her stories, her worlds, and her characters, and her wordcraft is beautiful: clean, yet so vivid and compelling. There's a breathless wonder there that captures the imagination of youth without dumbing down the story in the slightest.

C.S. Friedman: Her dark portrayals of antiheros and the gray area between good and evil are amazing. While her writing can be a bit heavier, she delivers descriptions that border on the tactile, rhythm and sound combining for something lush and decadent that makes her books a thrill to read. Her worlds are well-crafted, just familiar enough to be comfortable while alien enough to intrigue, with unique spins on old tropes that reinvent them as new. I love her dialogue, her characterization--even when I hate the characters. I hate them as people with traits I despise, not as poorly-fleshed-out characters. They're very real, and even when I loathe them I love them.

And now I can't pick between Julian May, Charles de Lint, and Richard Adams. Er. Problem. Well...Julian May is one who uses the English language beautifully, creating intelligent yet immersive prose in complex science fiction worlds that provide dramatic tension without venturing into space opera (though I do love a good space opera). Charles de Lint's stories of the Animal People and the world beneath the world we know have always pulled at my part-Native heartstrings; and he creates a very strong mythic voice that combines ethnic mysticism and folklore with gritty urban realism. He grabs your heart and holds it in Jack Daw's beak, or Coyote's trickster jaws. As for Richard Adams...while many might groan to find him on the required reading list for school, I enjoy the intricacies of his world-building and cultures. Maia in particular has an exotic flavor that combines political intrigue with diverse cultures to create a colorful and powerful world.

That was three, right? ~shifty eyes~ Oh, hush, I'm allowed to break a self-imposed limit. Stop looking at me like that.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?
The glamorous image of me as a long-haired Bohemian boy, sitting out on my balcony with my laptop, a cigarette, and a martini, pondering word choice while studying the glittering lights of the city below. Um. No? It doesn't work that way? What? That's never going to happen and I'm out of my mind? Oh. Okay. Well, for a more realistic answer: it's sure as heck not the money or the work hours. I sleep so little that it's becoming a running joke on Twitter. I can't easily say what's so compelling about this, which is kind of pathetic for someone who's supposed to have a talent for words. I think the only way I can explain it is this: writing is the only thing I do in my life where the frustration makes me happy. I could be stomping around the house at 3 a.m., snarling about how this stupid sentence just won't work or the blasted character isn't developed enough...but despite the eyestrain, raging headache, and exhaustion, I'm in my element and wouldn't want to do anything else. That's what makes it so attractive. It's a job and a life where even the difficulties are enjoyable, and you don't find that in many other places. But ask a professional athlete why they keep pushing themselves, why they keep running or lifting or whatever even when their bodies scream and their lungs threaten to burst; they'll tell you because even the pain is part of the joy of it. For me it's the same with writing and the writer's life.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?
Nanoscience. My interest in nanotechnology originally rose from reading science fiction, which led me to get into computer engineering in college...which led me back to writing. If it came full-circle again, I'd definitely go back into computing--even if nanoscience is venturing more into biology than technology these days.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?
Here we run into that hubris issue again. I don't know if it's really possible for me to objectively describe my own writing, and would feel arrogant choosing a word with a positive connotation. If I had to settle on one, though...I'd say "primitive." Take that in whatever context you will.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?
My freshman university English professor said, "Learn the rules, then break them the best way you know how." I think that applies not just to writing, but to everything. Learn the foundations; learn the right way to do things, so you have a solid base to stand on as you explore ways to break the rules and create something better than pure convention. When you have a strong grasp of the tenets of good writing, you'll know how to bend those laws to your will in ways that are unique, innovative, and compelling without crossing that fine line into disaster.

I'm still working on that part, but I'll let you know if I ever get there.

Adrien-Luc Sanders is a New Orleans transplant currently living in Chicago with one man and one cat, who both make enough mess for two. Or two dozen. A freelance writer and editor, Adrien works for companies such as Lyrical Press and About.com, while harboring daydreams of publishing YA fiction that brings ethnic and LGBT characters into the mainstream spotlight. He finds his own name entirely pretentious, has a secret love of romance novels, freaks out every time he finds another grey hair, and tries to convince himself that 1. they're silver, and 2. going grey at 30 makes a writer look "distinguished." (Really. Let him have his illusions.) He pretends to be professional on his blog, while acting like a total cynical spaz on Twitter. As he's writing this, his cat is trying to chew off his toes.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Say Hello to the Winchester Boys

2010-05-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

After listening to @MireyahWolfe rave about "Supernatural" I had to check it out myself and now *I'm* addicted.

So I'm encouraging you to check it out (this link should be an Amazon Video on Demand).

Health Care Reform: The Morning After by Barbara O'Brien

2010-04-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

Many politicians and pundits warned us that the health care reform (HCR) legislation that just became law will destroy America. Government bureaucrats will take over health care decisions, we were told. The old and infirm would be hauled away by death panels. Everything about the way we receive our medical care will change, and change drastically, they said.

Medicare recipients have been frightened by stories that their benefits will be cut. Middle-age people are worried they will lose their jobs when the law’s dreaded regulations, or taxes, or maybe regulations with taxes, would destroy their employers’ businesses.

The truth is, very little will change for most people. If you were insured by employee benefits before HCR, you will be insured by exactly the same policy in exactly the same way after HCR. You will have access to the same doctors on the same terms. “Government bureaucrats” will no more be involved in your health care than they were before.

And the same is true of Medicare, which of course is a government program, although many of the people who opposed the HCR bill don’t seem to know that.

Here are the “cataclysmic” changes to health care that are now in effect, or which will go into effect within the next six months for people who are already in group insurance plans:

The law says you can’t lose your insurance coverage because you get sick. Before, in many states, if you were stricken with a severe illness such as mesothelioma cancer that would be expensive to treat, your insurer could use just about any excuse to cancel your coverage. That is over.
HCR has ended lifetime limits on coverage. As long as you are receiving medical care, your insurer pays the bills.
Your children can be covered on your existing policy until they are 26 years old.
In six months, insurers cannot refuse to insure people under the age of 19 because of “pre-existing conditions.” This provision will go into effect for everyone in 2014.

And if you are on Medicare, you will be asked to struggle with the following:

You get a free annual checkup.
The co-pays and deductibles on many preventive care services are eliminated.
If you are in the Medicare D “doughnut hole,” you will get a $250 rebate check in a few weeks. The hole itself will be closed gradually and will be gone by 2020.

But what about all those terrible regulations and taxes that are about to drive businesses out of business? Um, there really isn’t much to report. Oh, wait, here’s one — a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps will go into effect July 1. That’s about it.

However, beginning this year a tax credit will be available for some small businesses to help provide insurance coverage for employees.

Soon the politicians and pundits will start trying to frighten you about the provisions that will go into effect after this year. I assure you they are about as scary as the provisions that go into effect this year, but I will discuss them in a follow-up post.

— Barbara O’Brien

Fresh Voices: Interview with Mireyah Wolfe

2010-04-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate, long term, die-with-a-smile-on-my-face goal is to write stories people love to read—stories that make people go “Oh gosh, I wish I’d written this!” because those are the stories I love to read. My current goal at the moment is just to finish writing a story!

2. Why do you write?

I’d have to say that I write first for my own enjoyment, second for my own sanity, third for the people who poke at me to do it, and last for the possibility of being published, making the NYT Bestseller List and making a bucket load of cash. (Hey, a girl can dream, okay?)

3. Your writing is spunky and sassy. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Judging by some of my *cough* early attempts at writing, I’d have to say that it’s both natural and that I’ve worked at it. I’ve been writing since I was nine, so everything I did at the start of this was very rough—especially my Voice. I like to think I’ve gotten into a rhythm over the past few years, but I imagine I’ll only get better with age.

I think my parents definitely influenced how my voice has progressed—I was not a witty child, honestly, but when my parents started homeschooling me, my own personality really began emerging, and with it, my Voice. (I may be less witty than I like to think, but we’re going to say that I am. *wink*)

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I’d say that my favorite authors are Rob Thurman, Karen Marie Moning, and Laurell K. Hamilton. All three of them have very distinct styles—strong, sarcastic, powerful voices, but they’re very similar in that their books are first person POV, and that their characters are alternately strong and vulnerable in regards to the secondary/supporting characters.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Oh, it has got to be the ability to sit in a chair with mussed hair, grungy PJs, tapping at a keyboard, playing on Twitter and calling it “work.”

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

Hm. I actually have thought about this in those moments when I want nothing to do with writing. I’d open a small bookstore, help the local schools with their texts, the local library with supplying books…things like that. Or I’d work for a library. (And, obviously, I’d have to be the SuperHero “The Librarian” at night. Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No! It’s the Librarian! Come to snatch all your overdue books away!)

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Emotional. Regardless of what I’m writing, it has to be filled with emotion or it’s not genuine.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

The best writing advice I’ve ever gotten was from a friend of mine, SM Blooding, which was immediately backed up by Maureen Johnson in her video “Dare to Suck.”

You are allowed, you are expected, you are required to suck. And that’s okay.

Trust me, that makes it a lot easier when I’m writing and I think, “Oh my god, that’s TERRIBLE.” Because then I can say, “Hey! That sucks! Awesome!”

Positive reinforcement is amazing.

Mireyah Wolfe is the kind of person who gets shocked by a joke phone buzzer, then follows the owner around to do it again. (Four times.) She is a stay-at-home student, library lurker, addicted tweeter and prolific blogger. Her genre of preference is Urban Fantasy with dashes of other genres for good measure. Dean Winchester is her muse. Mireyah can be found at her Blog, Twitter, or her Facebook. (Be warned: Although she tries to keep everything “Safe for Work,” things do have an occasional tendency to get a bit R-rated.)

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Flow, Ebb, Struggle, Repeat

2010-04-19T16:48:00.002-05:00

Life works in cycles.
At least it does for me.
Over the course of the last few weeks I have been barraged, inundated, assaulted, buried, and deluged with an overabundance of....well...everything.
Some of that has been unquestionably good stuff like catching a standing room only concert of Green River Ordinance and Lifehouse, finding a gorgeous dress on sale, and singing with my son,our own lyrics to Michael Jackson songs in the car. But it also has involved unpleasant assorted varieties of dealing with disrespectful educators, mountains of work projects, and resisting the urge to throttle certain people who do not have the good sense to recognize the proper time for righteous indignation. (Get a spine! Take a stand! Stop reasoning away the unreasonable! If there's repeated evidence that requires a call to action, wait and see is the WRONG approach!)

Regardless of the 'goodness' or 'badness' of the busy-ness, it has left me drained. Big drained. I don't mean "Calgon-take-me-away" drained, I mean like "it's-a-good-thing-I-don't-have-a-heart-condition-because-I'd-be-done-for" drained.

I spent a few days trying to deny the drain. But, I recognized it lurking in the shadows. Then, it inched forward where I recognized it in my impatience. Rather than heed that warning, I found myself clinging to snarky remarks and hateful rapid fire response. Even though I wanted to be nice and I wanted to smooth things over, I kept roughing them up. It was as though I'd become possessed by a demon puppet-master and I had no choice but to be a bitch.

Definitely time for a de-compress. But how when that usually requires some sort of plan or activity? I didn't want activity and what I wanted even LESS was being glued to a computer as I had been for WEEKS. I usually enjoy the time, especially for writing.

I found myself totally dreading the idea of even LOOKING at my PC not even for writing. WRITING? Ugh. No plotting or wordsmithing or character development or stringing together coherent thoughts. Ick.

Thus, by the weekend, I decided to distance myself from my technological appendage. It was a lovely, much needed respite. I didn't do a lot. In fact, Sunday was dedicated to magazine-leafing, Netflix, and channel surfing. My brain got a reboot.

Now I find myself slightly more re-charged and ready to resume again...hopefully with a better attitude.

Back to flow.

Are You Thinking 'Bout Somthin'?

2010-04-18T14:44:00.000-05:00

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Fresh Voices: Interview with Liz Borino

2010-04-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

http://writewords.typepad.com/write-words/"we do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - E.E. Cummings

Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Voices. We are delighted to share with you the thoughtful and thought-provoking voice of Liz Borino.

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

More than anything I want to publish novels, and perhaps non-fiction books, that reach and influence a lot of people. In my deepest heart I long to see my name on bestseller lists; (New York Times, please). But that’s not what I’d base success on. I’ll base my success on how many people’s lives I've touched and views my words have changed. All that being said I would like to be able to support my family with my writing.

2. Why do you write?

I write because I got too old for imaginary friends. Seriously, when you’re five you can get away with walking around and talking to yourself, not so when you 15 or…23. So, I had to do something with all the stories that were/are constantly running through my head. I guess the short answer is I write because it sustains me. It keeps me sane, while at the same time not letting the world know how crazy I really am.

3. Your writing is very thoughtful and sincere. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Given those two choices I’d say it’s natural for me. I like my readers to feel like they’re having a conversation with me. On the topic of conversation, I’m big into dialogue because I feel it’s the best way to understand characters. The books I remember reading most, The Outsiders, Little Women, A Home at the End of the World, to name a few, it was never the gripping story that held me fast and made me want to turn to the next page. It was the identification with the characters. That’s what I always want to convey with my writing. I want these characters to be your friends, just like they’re mine.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

My favorite authors are Michael Cunningham, S.E. Hinton, Victor Hugo, and William Goldman, just to name a few. S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders and I always looked up to her because she did that at age 14. This encouraged me to write despite my youth. I read Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World once a year. Hugo wrote Les Miserable, I saw that play when I was nine and finished the book when I was 12. I like Louisa May Alcott, but I can’t read any of her books while I’ve got a work in progress because I start to adapt her language use, not great for today’s reader! But I hold almost all authors in the highest regard. They all have something to contribute to the literary world.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

The excitement of telling stories for a living, the opportunity to alter people’s perception of a situation or even their lives, to give readers an escape when the world becomes too much, there are so many true answers here.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I’d want to be a motivational speaker. I might do that as well, but people get messages more easily if they’re told in stories. That’s why I want to be a writer.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Multidimensional.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Steven King said something to the effect of “Treat writing like a job. Don’t wait for inspiration to write. Just sit down and write.”

Liz Borino is a passionate writer who is finishing a degree at Hofstra University and then looking for somewhere warm to migrate where she can change the world, one word at a time. You can find her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/lizb1987. She would love to hear from all of you there and has been featured on http://www.positivelypresent.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-the-face-of-rejection.html. Soon her own blog will go live.

5/7/10 Update: The blog is live!

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Fresh Voices: Interview with Caitlin Whitaker

2010-04-09T07:00:00.019-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate goal is to get published, make billions, and have all my movies made into blockbuster movies with Colin Farrell as the romantic lead. I'd also like to buy an island in the South Pacific and hire a team of nannies and maids to do everything for me so I can take really long naps on 500,000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

You know something funny? I've never really thought about an ultimate goal; it's always just been one step at a time. The first step was to write a chapter. And another. I finished a book, finished it again (and again), and then started another one. My goal right now is to find representation with a good agent and then go from there.

2. Why do you write?

I write because I love to. It's the most obvious answer but it's the purest, simplest way to say it. I was this wildly imaginative kid who made everything into an adventure, which probably drove my parents up the wall. My little brother and I used to lay in the back of the family's rusty Ford Pinto (sad but true) and pretend we were in a submarine studying deep sea creatures (other cars). Honestly, we're lucky to be alive. Big old 18-wheelers were sharks and we'd pretend to shoot at them with harpoon guns. Amazingly, we were never run off the road by disgruntled truckers.

Putting all my crazy ideas on paper not only keeps me sane but feeds my soul. I love the sound of typing and the way the screen looks when it's filled with words. It's all very OCD, really. As cool as it would be to sell a million copies of each book and end up on the NYT Bestseller List, those things aren't motivating factors for me. My life is spectacular and writing is something I'll do forever, even if it never amounts to anything but a bunch of used up memory on my hard drive.

3. Your writing reminds me of a happy cowgirl - enough sass to be fun but she still has her boots on in case someone needs a whuppin'. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I have no idea what that means. Honestly. In fact, I'm kind of freaked out by the whole whuppin' idea. As far as my voice goes, it's pretty darn natural for me. In WILL & MAGGIE, a love story about a 17 year old girl, I let myself be a little more descriptive and dreamy. I wanted the book to have an easy, hypnotic feel to really bring the reader into her first love experience. Justin, the teenage guy on the run in REM, is faster and edgier. As much as I love rhapsodizing about stupid things (purple prose is a weakness of mine), Justin wouldn't notice half the crap Maggie would in the same situation.

What you read on my blog is a lot like having a conversation with me. I talk too much, ramble, and love to laugh at myself. Whatever I'm writing at the time will have a small influence on my blog posts, of course. It's kind of like being an actor; I tend to hang onto some of my protagonsists characteristics even when I'm writing something other than the actual manuscript.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I grew up on Stephen King. In junior high, I devoured the uncut version of THE STAND and was morbidly obsessed with planning my strategy to survive the end of the world. I read THE SHINING and PET SEMETARY and was utterly disgusted by the film versions (where the heck was the exploding boiler? Huh? HUH?). His characters are unbelievably real-- like you might actually bump into them on the street someday. I totally relate to characters with psychiatric issues. I finally sold my bookcase-filling hardcover collection on ebay when I got married and space was limited. I'm still kicking myself over that.

Other favorites of mine are Anne Rice, Wilson Rawls, Scott O'Dell, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.K. Rowling, Shannon Hale, J.R.R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer, Margaret Stohl, and Kami Garcia. Even authors who will probably never be nominated for a Newberry Award can be amazing story tellers, and that's what it's really all about for me.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

This has to be a trick question. I've always imagined the life of a writer to be a quiet one; sipping tea by a window and tapping away at a keyboard for hours on end. For me, I grab moments during the day when I can; perched at my breakfast bar on the laptop with kids hanging on my pants with complaints, snack requests, and dirty diapers. I've actually had love scenes interrupted by puking children and fights over video games. Some of my best writing happens late at night when I get the kids in bed and my fifteenth latte of the day finally kicks in. I have to peel myself away from the computer and force myself to go to bed sometimes. If this is the life of a writer, I am not attracted to it at all. I'd much rather have the life of a twenty-something hotel heiress, thank you.

I am excited about the concept of book tours, however. I love to travel and wouldn't mind taking a break from the kids once in a while.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

There were two other things I wanted to be when I was growing up (author has always been number one): forensic detective and pastry chef. Decay and maggots make me throw up and zombies are my single biggest fear (seriously), so I leaned more toward pastry chef. I was all set to go to culinary school when I met my husband at eighteen and everything went awry. Writing involves far fewer calories, however, so it's all good.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Pink. Next question please.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Write for yourself. It may sound terribly selfish, but it's what works for me. I never intended to be a YA author, but my characters all seem to be around eighteen years old and I like sexual tension better than graphic encounters. I do drop the F-bomb in my first novel, but it would totally compromise the integrity of the scene to leave it out (you'll see when it's published). Anyway, I write what I want to read and it keeps it natural. Forcing my work to conform to a genre or a target audience would tick off the rebel in me and then things would get really nasty. Mama no likey.

Oh yeah, and Stephen King's ON WRITING. All of it. Seriously.

Caitlin Whitaker is an escapist mom raising five hooligans in rural Tennessee. She is married to a hot Marine, has a mad crush on Adam Lambert, drinks too much Diet Coke, and is allergic to house cleaning. Her first book, WILL & MAGGIE, is currently being considered by several literary agents while she plugs away at her second and writes mad notes on several others. You can follow her on Twitter; http://twitter.com/Saycaity (warning; she's a rapid tweeter) and keep tabs on her progress by reading her blog; www.saycaity.blogspot.com.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

TJ on Twitter

2010-03-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Thos_Jefferson: No, I dare say he's not. RT @TylerFlorence Sure its great to have the government so involved in my life . Thomas Jefferson is weeping today.
Thos_Jefferson: Fake Thomas Jefferson quotes are filling up the Twitterverse today. Check those about which you're unsure at http://wiki.monticello.org/
CmdrSue: @Thos_Jefferson you tell him, TJ! Need me to bite any of them? (Yes, I am your lapdog.)
Thos_Jefferson: @cmdrsue I prefer to consider you, my friend, not as a lapdog but a fellow warrior in the twilight struggle to defend the spirit of '76.
Thos_Jefferson: @cmdrsue That being said, the answer is yes. And you can start by taking a snap @glennbeck.

Fresh Voices: Interview with Quinn Katherman

2010-03-19T07:00:00.012-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

Whenever I hear the word “goal” I think of soccer. I hate soccer, all that running up and down the field while kicking a ball—what’s the point? To get the ball past the goalie and score? Stupid.

I don’t like keeping score when it comes to my writing.

My only goal is to write. Write and write and write some more. Every day.

2. Why do you write?

Well since my modeling career never took off, American Idol rejected me, and then Steve Jobs beat me to the punch on the innovative technology front, I just decided it was time to settle for something that would put food on the table. Let’s just say if wealth were measured in Ramen Noodles, I’d be rich.

Writing is an escape for me, I write to be free from the claustrophobia of daily routines. My passion for writing comes from knowing what it feels like to read a book or story and find bits of yourself on every page, as if the author wrote the book for you. I like making people laugh and that’s what I try to focus on in my writing because I want to break the perception that female writers aren’t funny by encouraging other women to exercise their funny bones.

3. Your writing is quirky and fun. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Oh, stop! I’m blushing! But yes, it’s true, I am naturally this hilarious and amazing, or “quirky and fun”—whatever you want to call it. (Good thing I’m also humble.)

As a greeting card writer, I spend most of my days writing fart jokes and birthday puns, which inevitably contribute to my voice. I also come from a crazy family that I love, but things haven’t always been easy. I have found that humor fills emotional voids like concrete, whereas ice cream tends to melt (of course, ice cream is still my food of choice whenever I decide to eat my feelings rather than write them).

I’m still developing my voice; I like to think of it as being in the training bra phase. Good writing requires a debilitating amount of honesty and a level of self-awareness you can’t escape. These things take a lifetime to develop and I think the most powerful voices out there are the ones that never stop evolving.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I like sentence writers. As you read their work each sentence makes you pause and marvel at the sheer genius of the composition, the artistic combination of words that couldn’t be placed in any other order and retain the same meaning. I had a teacher who called it “pondering the physicality of words,” which makes it sound like word porn and I’m totally into that.

Listing all of my favorite authors is nearly impossible, so I will narrow it down for the sake of my attention span, or lack thereof: Sam Lipsyte, Gary Lutz, Virginia Woolf, George Saunders, Sylvia Plath, Amy Hempel, Deb Olin Unferth.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Absolutely nothing. Do you think I’m a sadist? There’s nothing attractive about the life of a writer, unless you excel at self-loathing, lying and already hate almost everything, which I do. I think the best part about being a writer is knowing that as long as you have a pen and paper, you can survive. It’s tangible, portable, physical and emotional.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

A ninja.

No, wait—a unicorn!

NO! A gourmet chef…

Ugh, never mind. Do you have one of those career aptitude tests I can take?

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I’m going to oversell myself here and call it “trenchant.”

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

The one phrase that always comes to mind first is, “writers write.” It seems obvious, until you’re a writer that’s not writing.

I had another professor who was also an accomplished writer, and after class he used to say, “Well, it’s time for me to get back to my people,” referring to his characters in a story he was working on. Now when I write fiction, I strive to create the kind of characters that I want to come back to, characters that need me to finish their story so badly that leaving them alone for too long makes me feel guilty—I want my characters to be strong enough to make me miss them.

Quinn Katherman is a greeting card writer for American Greetings and lives in Kansas City. She is from Richmond, Virginia and attended The University of Kansas where she received a BA in Creative Writing and a BA in Communication Studies. Quinn has a blog, which you can find here, or you can get the condensed version by following her on Twitter or subscribing to her feed. Writing in third person makes Quinn uncomfortable, but she generally likes anything that makes her sound important. Quinn also likes unicorns, eating other people’s food (especially if it comes with a note that says “Do Not Eat”), the smell of new office supplies and drinking beer outside because that makes her feel outdoorsy.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice

Introducing The Two O'Clock Zone

2010-03-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

A big thanks to Jeph Jacques, who went from good to great and demonstrated that there's nothing to it but to do it. Hopefully it means that if I keep at it I will begin to Suck Less.

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kristy Colley

2010-03-12T07:00:00.070-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

    I’ve always had this picture of Future Kristy (she’s cuter, by the way), sitting in her writing room, looking out the large glass windows into the forest, and spending day after day creating stories. I make small goals to help me achieve this vision (such as promising the Universe I’ll dye a strip of hair purple in July if I get an agent), but I wouldn’t say there is one Holy Grail of writing I’d like to find. I want that room, that freedom, those floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
   Simple put? I want to write novels full time. I think it’s safe to say that becoming a published author is in that mix somewhere.
   I read Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog often, follow her Twitter and Facebook feeds, and think, “I want to be the mad woman in the forest!” I want to get excited about Skyping with a class in Ohio or Tennessee or New Mexico about my book. I want to know I am opening imaginations, letting people ask questions, and letting them feel things they haven’t before. So, apparently, I want to be Laurie Halse Anderson. Who knew?

2. Why do you write?

As much as I always loved to read, writing makes sense as a hobby and profession for me. I love books, but I never confined myself to stories already told. In addition, I find myself like many writers: hearing voices in my head. (Good thing my husband is experienced working with mentally ill adults…) I think much like an artist feels compulsion to decorate a blank canvas, I have the compulsion to fill an empty page.
I’ve always been “inside my head.” I spend a lot of time there. While I’m okay in crowds, a good public speaker, etc., I’m introverted by nature. And because I spend so much time up there (er, in my head, I mean, not the clouds), stories matriculate naturally. Some people might walk past something mundane and never think of it again. I find it fun to create entire stories and probabilities around them. In fact, I once wrote an entire story about a door. And you know what? It was pretty awesome! And I’m a fan of awesome.

3. Your writing is very witty. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I think it’s funny you use the word ‘witty’. It’s almost been my trademark. Most of my stories probably aren’t so different, they’re only told differently. By nature, I use humor as a shield. If you met my dad you would understand. (Although my mom is a bit of a question mark, too).
I think when I first began writing, I wanted to be taken seriously, and that certainly translated into my writing. It was too stiff. Once I gave myself permission to have more fun, the writing wasn’t as stilted, and the characters blossomed in my mind. I don’t believe it was something I had to work toward so much as something I have to remember to allow.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

   I love talking about other authors!
   As I stated before, I’m a huge proponent of Laurie Halse Anderson. I have honestly had dreams about meeting this woman. In one dream, she was even my mother. (Think that’s weird? Tip of the iceberg…) Not only do I admire her beautiful writing, but I admire her as a person. I love that she tackles these big issues in her books. They are relatable, touching, and stick with you days after. They’re the kind of books you have to run around asking if anyone else has read them because you must discuss! And as I said before, if you read her blog, you feel as though you get to know her. She’s always kind, even on politics and the multiple attacks against her books in schools, and very fair-minded. I respect her more than any author I’ve read or personally know
   The first book of Maureen Johnson’s I ever read was Devilish. Now, if you’ve read it, you know the MC, Jane, is a fantastic protagonist. I think reading her was the first thing that made me realize that it’s okay to give more humor to my writing. That it was often more fun to have a witty MC than to have a respected one. And they even sometimes go together.
   In addition to this, I love many YA authors – Carrie Ryan, whose prose is so elegant it’s easy to forget she’s writing about zombies, or Suzanne Collins, who is so alluring and chilling, even in the same passage. But I can’t forget Jane Austen. Is that cliché? Oh well, cast me in with the lot of them. I’m an Austen fan. Persuasion makes me swoon, and Pride and Prejudice feeds my need to read. (Clearly I’m not a poet. You can thank me later.)

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I know many authors don’t like the business side of things, but I’m the opposite. In fact, sometimes I daydream about being an agent. *GASP* I’m also a masochist.
Not only do I love creating these worlds and people and problems and solutions, falalala, but I love making it more than flowery words and daydreams of cupcakes. I want to make my stories the best they can be, sleepless nights and all. And again, I want that room with the glass windows. I’m not afraid of hard work, but I sure do hope it makes me happy when I do it.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I’d keep it all in the family. I’d still make my way in the world of literature. If I couldn’t be a writer, I think I’d want to make that dream come true for others. As I’ve always loved the editing side of things, I could see myself hopping on one of two trains (both fast moving): The Agent Train, or The Editor Train. The real question is: If Agent Train leaves Submissions platform and 8:03 going 49 mph and…okay never mind. I don’t like math.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Yowza. No, that’s not my word. Just…an exclamation of having to make this decision. 
Perhaps that word would be Honest. No matter what I’m writing, I want it to be authentic. I want those secondary characters to pop in your mind like you’ve seen them before, you just know it. I want that protagonist to have a face and motive so clear, you’d think she was stalking you while you read. I want my villain to be so possible in real life that it gives you shivers down your legs. Most importantly, I want the message to feel real. There’s nothing worse than having a great story, great premise, and destroying it with dialogue and relationships and emotions that just don’t fit. I don’t want anyone to fault me for writing an unbelievable character. Even if what I’m writing is crap, at least it’ll be really honest crap.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

I’ve received so much writing advice that I think I hear the little synapses of my brain screaming at me to stop. Much of it’s helpful, but they’re just weaves in a tapestry. There are volumes out there filled with excellent writing advice, and much of it is good.
Not to sound arrogant (although I’m sure I will), but what helps me most is myself. If something isn’t working, doesn’t feel right, sound right, or is plain confusing…I give it time. I try to trust myself. There are days when I want to throw in the towel and say to my manuscript, “Forget it! I’m the only one committed to this relationship!” There are days when I lust after other manuscripts and wonder why mine isn’t as awesome as that. The fact is that I let myself experience these things. If you try to push away the natural feelings that come with writing, they will get worse. This isn’t to say that I don’t wallow or complain. Ask Jen Stayrook. She’s one of my best friends and a critique partner, so there’s a whole lot of honesty going on there. But the fears and insecurities and worries will pass. Trust yourself as a writer. I try to let myself experiment, fail, and succeed in my writing. It’s okay to take risks and come out with a piece of junk. It gets better. If you keep at it.

About Kristy:

I grew up in a tiny town in rural Missouri, and I think I’ll probably always be that Midwest girl deep down. I’ll always want to dig my feet in the mud and walk around barefoot and pick apples in September. I’ve lived in Utah for about six years with a short stint in England. Oh, my husband is one of those Hot British Men that Stephanie Perkins is always talking about.

As stated earlier, I’m a huge fan of anything awesome, and Sue London is certainly in that category. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, or on my blog. At my blog, I aim to please, so if I’m not on target, please adjust your target. (I also have a wonky sense of humor).

Feel free to check out my current work in progress, a YA high fantasy called SINNERS. A rough Chapter One is posted, along with a description, and links to other novels in, around, or under my belt.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jen "The Amazing" Stayrook

2010-03-05T07:00:00.037-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I'd love to respond with something profound and say that I enjoy the feel of writing, I write because I can and I don't care if I never get published, blah blah something intellectual blah blah world peace...but I can't. That's not me.

Don't get me wrong, I love writing, but when I first started writing I thought if I said I wanted to get published, it made me seem like less of a writer. I thought it meant I wasn't in it for the act of writing and I only wanted to be famous or make money. (Which less face it, that's not true.) But if I'm being honest with myself, I DO want to be published, despite all those negative feelings I harbored for the thought. I shouldn't be ashamed to want to be published. No writer should. I want to see my name in print. I want people to read my work and enjoy it. I want to write everyday for the rest of my life and then write some more, from the grave. (If that doesn't hit the bestseller lists, I don't know what will!)

It's hard to say what my goals may be in the future as they change so often for me. Right now, my goal is finish my novel. Getting published would be the best thing, but I'm sure later on down the line I would want to win awards and sell so many books, etc etc. But for right now, I'll settle on my ultimate writing goal as finishing and publishing 5 books. That's a nice lofty goal.

2. Why do you write?

Writing has been the only constant in my life, but we have a Ross and Rachel kind of relationship. I even cheated on writing several times while we were on a break. But when I shunned my writing, cast it aside because I thought it wasn't good enough, it was still there when I came back 4 years later. Then I got knocked up with my writing love child....my novel. (These Friends references doing anything for you?)

I thought I couldn't have a future with writing, but now I realize that isn't the least bit true.

I write now because if I didn't I think I would go clinically insane. But I suppose writers are part of the insane, aren't we? We hear voices of "characters" in our heads. We listen to them, write them down. Sometimes we give into their whims and other times we fight back with the argument that it is best for the story. We love our characters and our stories like they are our children. I think that has a hint of crazy to it. If I didn't write, the characters in my head would literally drive me to insanity. It's an urge, an instinct for me to write. I have to have some sort of creative outlet for my brain, be it writing, drawing, playing the piano, anything, and if I don't I'm absolutely miserable mentally. If I don't write, it really starts to affect my health. True story.

I write because of the way I feel when I read a really good book. And that's what I want to give someone with my writing. Books have changed my life and if I can write something that really touches a person, that really relates to the core of who they are, then I think I'm pretty damn satisfied with myself.

3. Your writing is what I would describe as "brainy and passionate." Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I'm not quite sure anyone has used those two words in the context of my writing before, but thank you! I'm an incredibly romantic person, but I can't say that I have really worked to achieve this voice. It's just who I am. Despite the funny exterior, those who know me really well, know that I am much more quiet and gentle than I let on. I try to see the beauty in everything. My writing is just a byproduct of that outlook on life.

I didn't have the best upbringing, so when I was free to do as I pleased, I felt like I needed to make the best of things. Why hold back? That same thought process is used for my writing. Why hide the things we really feel, especially if we know it's how others must be feeling as well? The best writing, I think, is the kind that speaks to a reader's heart.

I know this is all a very roundabout way to answer the question. I haven't tried to perfect the voice. I let it come to me. Oddly enough, I think I find my influence not in writing but in other arts, mostly music. I think that music can create such emotions in a person that you have no choice but to act as it dictates to you. When I want to write a particularly emotional scene, I choose my music accordingly. The same goes for dark scenes, scary scenes, happy scenes, etc.

But more importantly, when it comes to finding a voice, I think it's best to write what you want to read. Don't worry about what is popular, or what other writers are doing. Do what comes natural.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I don't really like the term "favorite" because I have so many authors that I like to read. "I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens." Instead I think I'll list off a few of the more influential authors and what qualities make me enjoy them as a reader.

Jane Austen is a classic for me and I always have to use her as an influence for my writing. I mean come on, the woman who brought Darcy and Elizabeth to life deserves a big shout out in my book. But if I'm being honest, it was Pearl S. Buck that got me into reading. The Good Earth truly changed my perspective on what a good book could be, what it could do for a person. I admire JK Rowling for the ease of her writing. It's natural and real. The same goes for Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy. There's a beauty in the darkness of her writing. She's not afraid to show all. Even if it makes you cringe. Susan Kay, author of Phantom, wrote the first book I literally could not put down. It was the first time I finished a 500 page book in under 12 hours. If I had to pick an author to imitate, she would be it. Even Shakespeare has given me a taste for the romantic and dramatic side of things. Gregory Maguire has a fantastic mind. He can shape well-known stories and fairy tales and warp them into something more real. Well, that and he gave the world Wicked the musical.

I think everything that I have read comes into play for me as a writer. For all writers really. Even if it's a book I hated, it has still influenced how I write. It teaches me to recognize certain styles that maybe aren't as effective for what I need to best present my story.

I also like authors who can create memorable minor characters. I think the plot is driven by the characters with the cameos and if an author is great at incorporating them into the story, it makes the book significantly better, more well-rounded.

I love writers who are able to make me believe what I am reading; writers with conviction. Paulo Coehlo is an incredibly simple writer, but it's so beautiful that it's hard not to fall in love with every word. The Alchemist was actually book that changed my outlook on writing. I attribute reading it to my change in heart about writing novels. When I put the book down, an easy two days after I started reading it, I decided at that moment, I wanted to pursue being a writer.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Changing people. Helping people. Building characters that you can see with your eyes and worlds that are full of magic and truth. I love it all. Really great books leave impressions on you that last a lifetime. Sometimes they can dictate how you feel about things, how you act, even if you don't know it. The chances of becoming a successful writer are slim. Despite my romantic ideals, I am realistic enough to know how tough the industry can be. But I'm okay with that. I'm okay with struggling to get by as long as I know I'm doing something I love. That's what pulls me in. I'm sure that with my educational background I could have a decent career and not have to worry about money. But of the options available to me, I would prefer to do the thing I love.

A year into my MA program, I sat down and tried to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I tried to imagine what I would be doing in 10 years. None of the jobs I envisioned would have made me happy. Writing is the only thing I can see myself doing for the rest of my life and because of that, it was really the only choice.

Being able to do something you love is a gift, so that is what attracts me to writing. It's not easy. Actually, I don't mind the writing process at all. It's time consuming. It's mentally exhausting. And sure, editing my novel right now isn't the most fun I've ever had with a red pen, but that pales in comparison to the horrified looks I get from people when I tell them I want to be a writer. But I just use that as motivation for writing more, writing better.

By the way, I'm also a psychic, that's how I know these things about the future and magic...

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

This is actually a really tough question for me because as many of my friends can tell you, my interests are extremely varied. Part of me wants to choose music as an option because I adore playing the piano and if I knew I'd be good at it, I'd love to play a piece of music that gives a listener chills. You know, playing one of those fantastic key changes that Hans Zimmer does so well. Actually, despite my earlier bit about varied interests, I think I'm just going to choose playing the piano professionally. I thought about rambling on about art and graphic design but I've changed my mind, playing piano it is. Quick! Someone call James Horner and see if he needs a piano player for his next soundtrack!

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I think you've already chosen the word I would have used: Passionate. I write with my heart. There's really no other way for me.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

While I do agree that "write what you know" is probably the best advice ever given for writing (and "write what you want to read" is up there as well), there's another piece of advice that MADE me write.

"If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but writing, then you should be a writer."

Okay okay, I think the real quote is from Sister Act 2 and it refers to singing, but still! It's a good piece of advice. It's how I knew I wanted to be writer. How I knew I COULD be a writer. I still wake up each morning with two thoughts in my head: "What can I write about today?" and "I need coffee."

Push all those rules aside about writing and just write. If you want to be a writer, then be a damn writer. Don't let anyone's pessimism get in your way.

About Jen:
I'm in my final year of graduate school, getting my MA in Art History at American University. I currently reside in Washington, DC and loathe traveling around the city. I'm a professional daydreamer and lover of all things chocolate. I enjoy violent video games in the wee hours of the night and cuddling on the couch with my husband and dog while watching sappy movies.

You can check out my blog at www.jenstayrook.com. Feel free to also follow me on Twitter: @JentheAmazing. For a sample of my writing you can read a scene from Spring of Innocents here: http://www.jenstayrook.com/?p=241

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

2010-03-03T07:00:00.061-05:00

To turn about the Dorothy Parker quote: There are some sequels that are not to be looked forward to, but to be yearned with great force. For me, that's the kind of yearning that has accompanied waiting for Lisa Mangum's new book The Golden Spiral (hitting the shelves May 10). Lisa is a member of what I call the New YA-YA Sisterhood, the league of young adult (YA) writers that have flooded the market since Stephenie Meyer's success.

As with all things, the results of the New YA-YA Sisterhood are mixed: some are good and some are bad. But in my book Lisa is excellent. If you haven't read her first book, The Hourglass Door, then get to it. You can read Chapter One online here. Scooper did a good review of The Hourglass Door last March and points out that the start may seem a little slow but that all of the information is important for the story. (However, if you're like me and read works from all centuries then the easy rhythm of the opening won't bother you.)

It's hard to talk about The Hourglass Door without giving away something that it is more fun to discover for yourself when reading it, so I won't go into the details. In some ways it's the typical teen story: girl is angsty, girl meets boy, boy has issues, girl and boy grow closer together while facing the challenges of the story. Oh, and there's a band, like at the Brass on Buffy. But the characters are engaging and there are enough unique plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.

It doesn't look like Lisa has been updating her websites lately other than Facebook (deadlines??) but when she gets back to them you can see her at:
http://www.lisamangum.com/
http://leosdungeon.com/

Irish American Heritage Center

2010-03-03T06:00:00.008-05:00

It's time to continue the celebration of March being Irish-American Heritage/History Month! Even though I grew up in the Deep South people have often told me that I sound like I'm from Chicago and I've found that one of the cool things about Chicago is that they have the Irish American Heritage Center.

The Center boasts a 658-seat theatre, library, museum, art gallery, authentic Irish pub, dance practice studios, meeting rooms and banquet rooms for parties. The building is wheelchair-accessible. We provide a broad selection of quality educational programs in traditional Irish music, dance, theatre, film, literature, language, Irish customs and more.

So the next time you are in the Windy City go by the Center and raise a pint down at the pub, dance a few jigs, and generally have a grand old time celebrating the Irish-American heritage for me.

Cue the Commander in Chief Music

2010-03-03T05:26:00.000-05:00

You Are President of the US

You are a determined, strong person. You want to lead the whole country in the right direction.

You reach for the top and never look back. You believe that you were born to achieve great things.

Unlike most people, you are rarely plagued by self doubt. You know what needs to be done, and you like to make tough decisions.

You feel like someone needs to step up and take responsibility. And it may as well be you!

What Popular Career Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Hello? Is This Bob Newhart?

2010-03-02T07:00:00.010-05:00

"The only difference between Bob Newhart on stage and Bob Newhart offstage – is that there is no stage." ~ David Hyde Pierce

To continue the "March is Irish American History Month" theme we looked up the Wiki page of Irish-American comedians figuring there would be more than a few of the silver-tongued devils to feature here. The one that immediately leapt off the page was 1961 Grammy-award winner for Best Comedy Performance, Best New Artist, and Album of the Year: Bob Newhart.

In case the title to this post didn't strike you as funny we'll do a little history on Bob's humor. (You don't mind if we call you Bob, do you Mr. Newhart? No, no we didn't think so.) He has built a fifty year career on being a straight man... even when there was no one else there for him to be the foil against. They always say that it's really the straight man of the two who is actually the funnier one ("they" includes people like Jerry Lewis talking about Dean Martin). That being said, Bob Newhart is apparently SO funny that the other half of his comedy team is just the absurdity of the world at large. In his early work he played out this "solo straight man" by using the simple prop of a telephone where he would carry on one-sided conversations. You may remember that this style worked its way into both The Bob Newhart Show (1972-78, Emmy-nominated) and Newhart (1982-90, Emmy-nominated), but wasn't as out of context on sitcoms as watching one-sided phone calls being performed by a comedian on a stage.

So what's Bob been up to lately? You might have noticed that he played Will Farrell's adoptive elf father in Elf (2003) and that he's also playing Judson in the Librarian series of TV movies (2004-). Check out the Bob Newhart page at Stuff That Gets Stuck in Our Store.

Back in Time Reviews: Thunderheart (1992)

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Certainly you have some movies in your life that are "those movies." You know, the ones that you return to time and again because they hit the sweet spot where they both resonate with you as well as being identified with a particular time in your life. For us Thunderheart is on that list.

Set against a sweeping background of the South Dakota badlands and the questionable federal involvement in Native American communities, the story is really about FBI Agent Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer) coming to terms with himself. He just happens to do it in the middle of a very complex mystery where death is on the line and with Native officer Crow Horse (Graham Greene) snapping at his heels while providing snarky commentary. Although the writer John Fusco doesn't have the Native cred of, say, Sherman Alexie (Smoke Signals) he does an honest day's work of researching and writing about a controversial subject. (And technically with his Italian heritage Fusco is at least as Native American as the "Keep America Beautiful" actor.)

The Commander's Rating: Four out of five Vulcan salutes.
Pros: Graham Greene, Sheila Tousey, and the good-looking version of Val Kilmer. Sam Shepard does a great job, too.
Cons: The plot does some harsh things to likable characters. And you'll spend the rest of your life wondering why the talented Sheila Tousey (Maggie Eagle Bear) didn't get more leading roles.
Recommendation: A great flick for a casual evening at home with loved ones and a bowl of popcorn. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll wonder about the truth of the underlying plot. (AFTER you watch the movie come back and check out the guy who plays Jimmy Looks-Twice, the real ARM, and what happened in South Dakota.)

March is Irish-American Heritage Month!

2010-03-01T00:01:00.006-05:00

Wash up the taters and steam up the cabbage, March is Irish-American Heritage Month! And if you don't know how proud Sue London is of her Irish Heritage that you just haven't been paying attention.

The family story goes that five Irish brothers landed in New York. There was a bar fight and two of the brothers were put on a train going West by the authorities. My family sprouts from one of those brothers.

Tell us your Irish-American story in the comments!

Cheese(y) Films

2010-02-28T07:00:00.090-05:00

Twitter is a fantastic place to witness and participate in phenomenal flocks of wit. Recently a challenge was to pun on film titles using cheese. What could be better for God and Cheese Day? Some of what we found to be the funniest.

#cheesefilms
azurite1 Dirty Havarti
Widgett: Quesoblanco
ALH009 The Three Asiagos
JohnGushue East of Edam
ALH009 The Secret Life of Brie
ObeliskToucher A Night To Camembert
pjwaldron Blue Velveeta
ShirtNinja Muenster's Inc.
DominikH The Stilton of the Lambs
DougMcBride: Prov Alone
pjwaldron Out on a Limburger
Scottums The Mozzarella Candidate
DominikH Brie to Terabithia
Widgett My Favorite Gruyere
Widgett Goudafella
jenifersf Saturday Night Chevre
misseuph Waiting For Gouda
Widgett The Gods Must Be Käse
meeshiefeet White Cheddar Can't Jump
jugglingscarves Gorgonzilla
BadAstronomer: The Kraft
BadAstronomer: Going My Whey (double feature with Oh, Gouda)
jugglingscarves Gouda Will Hunting
Jules0512 American cheese in London
GreatRedDragon Shmear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Guest Post: The New Personality Self Portrait (Corin from www.infpblog.com)

2010-02-27T07:00:00.058-05:00

It's so exciting! Today we have a guest post by Corin from www.infpblog.com @infpblog. If you haven't had a chance to read his blog about living as (or living with) an INFP please go check it out.

The New Personality Self Portrait
by Corin

I love the Myers-Briggs. I think it's a behavioral preference test not a personality test. On the Myers-Briggs, I'm an INFP which basically says I'm idealistic. However, the letters INFP can't tell anyone what I'm idealistic about. The MBTI doesn't determine values, interests, priorities or what kind of movies I like. For that, I prefer the New Personality Self-Portrait by John M. Oldham and Lois B. Morris

What is the Personality Self-Portrait

The PSP test consists of 107 questions with Yes-No-Maybe answers. You answer Yes if the entire question is true. You answer No if none of it is true. You answer maybe if the question is partly true or if the answer is true sometimes and not others.

For example, one of the questions is: "I typically get into very intense relationships, and I usually find my feelings about the other person change from one extreme to another. Sometimes I almost worship, and other times I can't stand, the person I'm involved with." If it's all true, you answer Yes. If you get into intense relationships but don't move from extremes then it's a Maybe.

The Personality Self-Portrait is based off the Official Book of Crazy, otherwise known as the DSM-IV, The Diagnostic Statistics Manual. Psychologists use the manual to diagnose various psychological disorders. According the DSM-IV, there are 14 personality disorders. The Personality Self-Portrait posits the existence of 14 orders for each disorder, 14 personality styles that are not so excessive as to be categorized as a disorder.

The Personality Styles are:

Vigilant, Solitary, Idiosyncratic, Adventurous, Mercurial, Dramatic, Self-Confident, Sensitive, Devoted, Conscientious, Leisurely, Aggressive, Self-sacrificing, Serious

A personality is not one style. The test score is a line graph of how a person is in every style. Most people have 2 or 3 styles that are the highest, 2 or 3 that are the lowest and everything else is mid-range. Occasionally, I've encountered people with one Style that is very dominant, though I haven't seen that many out of the 100 or so tests I've interpreted.

Unlike the Myers-Briggs which types a person into 16 behavioral preferences, the PSP has 52,623,240,685,682,700 possible combinations.

What My Scores Mean

I'll give a brief overview of my scores.

I interpret the test by looking at the highest and lowest scores. My highest are Idiosyncratic and Adventurous. Adventurous means I take risks. When I was younger, it use to be physical risks, usually involving sports with high chances of injury. Now the risks are more personal like career and self-development. Idiosyncratic tells you that instead of normal risky activities like skiing. I took more unconventional risks which translated as rock climbing and martial arts. These days my unconventional risks involve business ideas.

My lowest styles are Dramatic and Serious. They are exactly like they sounds. I don't take life too seriously and since I'm zero in the Dramatic, I don't make things out to be bigger than they are to add drama to my life. I don't mind my life "boring". I think life is interesting enough without complicating it by reading too much into people and situations.

When looking at the middle scores, the most important thing I note is what has changed and what remains the same. I've always been low on the Vigilant. I let people into my life easily. I share details about my life. I don't make them jump through hoops to prove they're trustworthy like highly Vigilant people.

My Self-Confident has gone up which is to be expected as you get older if you set goals and accomplished them. My Conscientious has gone down because now that I have kids, Work isn't a priority. My Devoted has gone up. That's due to kids also. Highly Devoted people dedicate
their life to those close to them. Your life is their life. When it was just my wife and me, I was supportive but not doting. We had completely separate goals for our lives as well as goals together. Now that we have kids, my life has become much more about them so my Devoted has gone up.

What's interesting to me is that my Solitary has gone up. Before kids, I went out a lot. Now I limit it to once a week. Since the children are a constant whenever they're awake, I like to spend more of my time alone after everyone is in bed.

What the PSP Can Tell You

The Personality Self-Portrait measures things the Myers-Briggs doesn't. If you're high on the Devoted, stay away from people who are highly Aggressive or they'll take advantage of you and any relationship will be one way.

If you're highly Conscientious and low Solitary, make sure your job lets you work with people. If you're high Leisurely and high Self-Confident and low Conscientious, find yourself a sugar
mommy/daddy. If you're high Idiosyncratic and low Sensitive, stay away from high Vigilant people who will box in your free-spirit by wanting to know your whereabouts every second of the day.

I've interpreted around 100 PSP tests in the last 15 years trying to correlate scores with the Myers- Briggs. What I find is that the PSP gives me personality, while the MBTI gives me the default behaviors inside that personality. The Personality Self-Portrait has some holes because it doesn't explain the why. Why am I high Adventurous and not high Leisurely? I know the answer. For anyone else to know requires a conversation not a test.

Tests tell you What, but the Whys make people unique. There's no Yes-No-Maybe test that will tell you a person's Whys.

Fresh Voices: Interview with Sarah Allen

2010-02-26T07:00:00.004-05:00

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My first goal is to be published, but I feel like that’s only the beginning. I think it would be amazing to win all kinds of awards, make the New York Times best seller list, etc. As far-fetched and idealistic as that sounds, I think every writer wants that for themselves. I love hearing what people have to think about my work, so having any kind of following to communicate with would be amazing. I also am interested in working with all kinds of genres, so although I will mostly be working in novel form, I’ve been sending out poetry, short stories and essays, and the plan for my next big project is screenplay. In the future I may even try lyrics. But, you know, first things first…I need to actually finish my book for it to be published.

2. Why do you write?

I feel like if I didn’t write, I wouldn’t be me. It seems so natural that writing is what I do. Great art has a huge impact on me, and I would love to work and hone my craft enough to be able to influence someone in the same way.

3. Your blog writing has an effervescence to it. Have you worked to achieve
that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Thank you very much! I definitely have to say that if my writing as any effervescence to it, it is just the way I write. That word so accurately describes the way I am and my outlook on life that I don’t think I would be able to take it out of my writing. If I got it from anywhere, I got it from my mother; she is one of the most passionate, lively, interested people I know.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

This question is impossible to answer completely, of course, but here are a few writers who I think have directly influenced my writing style.

Connie Willis: I have never written any speculative fiction, as of yet, but Connie Willis’ personable, human, somewhat humorous tone is one that I enjoy immensely and try to use in a lot of my work. If you haven’t read her book ‘Bellwether’, you’re missing out.

Jane Austen: I don’t think I match her so much in tone as in interest and story. I don’t usually write grand, sweeping plots, so much as intimate stories about relationships. Like Jane.

Ernest Hemingway: I really like Hemingway’s distant, journalistic style. I think my style may be a little more personal than his, but his almost apathetic tone is really effective at least for me, and has definitely pulled me in that direction. Which I think is a good thing, considering I have a tendency towards over-sentimentality.

Neil Simon: I have been involved in theater my whole life, and the majority of the good monologues I’ve used for auditions, classes, etc, have come from him. I think we are very similar in story and tone, and when I write script, he is my inspiration.

Other writers that I love: Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, Billy Collins, W.B. Yeats, Stephen King, C. S. Lewis, Charles Dickens.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I love talking about literature, so I think conferences, lectures, readings, etc., would be something I would enjoy very much. I love travelling, so I would enjoy doing book tours. I love online social networking, and that can be very effective as a book marketing strategy. As for writing itself, the process can be frustrating, but overall it is incredibly rewarding.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at
a different career, what would you choose?

Acting. Definitely. After writing a New York Times best-seller, my next chimerical dream is to win an Academy Award. Having said that, as much as I love theater, I still feel like writing is intrinsically part of my life, and what I am meant to do.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that
word be?

Chimerical. Effervescently.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

My high school creative writing teacher used to tell us that whereas in real estate the key is ‘location, location, location,’ the key for writing is ‘details, details, details.’ I am always trying to bring my writing out of the abstract and into the concrete, and it makes such a positive difference. Detail can most definitely be the difference between good and great writing.

About Sarah:

I’m a senior at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, majoring in English. I’m a Mormon. I am obsessed with movies, theater, and television and like almost nothing more than brilliant acting. If I’m not reading or writing, I’m watching or acting and I would rather spend the weekend watching movies with good friends and good food then going to a party. My favorite kind of dog is a cavalier king charles spaniel. I like rain better than sun and I own all eleven seasons of Frasier.

In closing, what's a good example of your writing that you would like
to share with us?

First off, here’s a link to my creative writing blog which I post to frequently. I write about the writing process and things that creatively inspire me, and any comments and ideas would be wonderful. Also, I had a poem published in Inscape, BYU’s literary magazine, called Pet Diaries and a 100 word flash fiction story called Diamonds Are that I got to read on the BYU “Word of Mouth” podcast. I am also very active on Twitter.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Your Week in Soogle 2/25/10

2010-02-25T20:23:00.002-05:00

Nothing is more entertaining to us than finding out how people get here. There has been a sudden uptick of searches for "stuck thoughts" and today someone got here from New York using the exact phrase "thoughts that get stuck in my head." Ha!

The phrases "Which way did he go, George?" (Looney Toons) and "Ghost Hunters Fan Fiction" continue to be popular. With that strong convergence of cartoons and hauntings you'd expect we'd get far more hits for Scooby Doo. WHERE ARE YOU, SCOOBY DOO? There, hopefully that will help.

Rounding out the top searches and highlighting our nerdy, intellectual side were the numerous searches for "philosophy jokes," "origami statistics," and "creativity quotient" that landed here this week.

And last but not least, the anonymous viewer who spent five minutes reading about Colbert Fan Fiction? Come on, man, leave a comment or something!

Commander Sue Writes!

2010-02-24T17:15:00.001-05:00

Usually if I have something to say about my own writing I say it over at by Sue London. If you follow that link you'll see that I, uh, usually don't have a lot to say. But I got a request to hear about my writing (thanks Corin!) and like any artist can't pass up the opportunity. This is a sample from a book that I started back in the late 90s. It was submitted for work-shopping at Viable Paradise in 2007 and even though they asked for more it ultimately didn't make it. Yes, everyone say a collective "awwwww." But of all the characters I've written so far it is George that I love the most. He is driven and noble and sweetly tragic. Since you don't have a book cover to judge it by, or a back of the book synopsis to read, let me set it up for you.

The world has barely recovered from the Information Wars of 2018 and for the last twenty years the 'interactive virtual reality' or vweb has been slowly developed as a playground for scientists and scholars. Now that the vweb is almost within reach of the public the World Congress is becoming concerned and the more conservative members want the vweb shut down until its potential hazards are better understood. The central and nearly messianic figure of vweb development is George Day, founder of Virtuality. While George is facing the Congressional inquiries he thinks their threat is the worst thing that can happen to his world. Then Virtuality users start dying, and a review of their programs proves that they were murdered. George has to stop the murderous hacker who has devised a way to travel the byways of Virtuality, while keeping the World Congress from pulling the plug on the only reality he can live in.

   George opened the Washington Post to section A, page 12 and folded it back with a satisfying crinkle. He rustled it again to enjoy the noise. Halfway down the page he found the article he was looking for under Cora Perez’s byline. The corner of his mouth quirked at the title she had chosen, “It’s a Brand New Day”.
   Looking at George Day, it could be said that there is nothing extraordinary about him. Medium build. Medium complexion. Medium hair. Looks that belie any ethnic identification. He’s a little shy, but when his enthusiasm overtakes him his eyes sparkle with humor and he gestures eloquently with his hands. Nothing extraordinary. Except that George has a degenerative disease and has been bed-ridden since the age of twelve. He is in ‘Virtuality’ and I am interviewing him through a videoconference...
   A gentle knock on his office door made George look up from the paper. “Yes?"
   Mbutu stuck his head in. “It’s been off the press, what, five minutes? We’re already getting calls. The president of MiCorp is on line two to congratulate you, if you want to take it.” Mbutu’s trademark smile was even broader than usual. He and George just sort of stared at each other for a moment.
   “This is going to change things, isn’t it?” George asked with a mystified smile.
   “Yeah, I think so.”
   “Did you ever think that we would end up here?”
   “Not in a million years,” he said with a laugh. Shaking his head he added, “Not in two million.”
   While the office door drifted closed behind Mbutu, George picked up line two.
Sample continued at my fiction site.

Thanks for checking out my fiction! It gives me a little fuzzy "Squee!" inside to know that you read this far. (If you skipped down here to the bottom just don't tell me.)

U.S.S. Stephen Colbert

2010-02-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

Why only honor Stephen Colbert now? This honors him in the (possible) future.

That ship is totally getting written into the U.S.S. Bob stories!

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jeremy Warach

2010-02-19T07:00:00.053-05:00

"we do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - E.E. Cummings

Welcome to the first in our series of interviews with unpublished authors, Fresh Voices. It is fitting that Jeremy is the first writer featured since reading his vignettes were the thing that convinced us that we really NEEDED to do this series. We're sure that you will love Jeremy's voice as much as we do. You will find links to his fiction at the bottom of the interview.

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I have to say that I don't really know what my ultimate goal would be. Or perhaps I have a number of goals. For now, I would love to see a print journal publish one of my stories. Eventually, I would hope to have a novel published which is actually read and enjoyed by people. But first I would have to finish a novel. (Finish writing one, that is. I've finished reading two or three throughout my life.)

2. Why do you write?

I think I write because I've always had a voice in my head telling me, "That's something you can do." I don't listen to everything that the voices in my head tell me, but that's one of the things that have seemed pretty reasonable.

3. Your writing has a lot of atmosphere. Have you worked to achieve that or is it just a natural style for you?

The things that I've put up on my blog site (warach.com) are basically exercises. Throughout my life, I've started and abandoned many stories that I got stuck on (I have even written forty thousand words of a novel which I orphaned when I ran out of steam and enthusiasm for the story).

Starting and giving up on stories was very disheartening. But I found that I often had these little scenes or settings or just phrases pop into my head which sounded like they would be fun to write, so not very long ago, I decided that I would write them out just as isolated fragments of stories. No context, no character development, very little plot, and certainly no climax or conclusion: just vignettes. The intention was to simply set a scene descriptively. I also like giving them little cliffhanger-type endings, intentionally leaving the reader asking "but what happened next?" or "why did that happen?"

The decision to write these vignettes is what has kept me interested in writing. And in a way, they have propelled me further. An online friend who is a published author (Elissa Stein, coauthor of "Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation", see flowthebook.com) read my pieces and asked me to collaborate with her on a series of children's fiction books. Having a collaborator waiting for me to finish a piece of work was what gave me the incentive to actually muscle through and finish the initial draft of the story. And the rewarding feeling of finishing that initial draft is what gave me the impetus to continue writing. I have now completed a few more stories that I've submitted here and there for consideration.

Another encouraging person was Cristina Deptula from Synchronized Chaos (synchchaos.com, an interdisciplinary artist's webzine), who published one of my vignettes at http://bit.ly/bEvOzE. Having someone like my work enough to actually ask me if she could publish it was very gratifying.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I always have a problem with the word "favorite". In whatever realm being considered (authors, movies, music, food), I always have multiple favorites, and my favorites change over time or depending on my mood.

When I was younger, I was heavily into science fiction (I'm a nerd and proud of it). I devoured most of Isaac Asimov's novels, as well as many of those by Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Vernor Vinge, Poul Anderson, Larry Niven. I also love Tolkien, although I'm not a hardcore fantasy reader.

Later I read a few of the classics, like Dostoevsky and Moby Dick. (I can still remember a conversation with someone who asked me, "Why are you reading Moby Dick?" My answer of "Because it's a classic so I wanted to see how good it was" just confused her.)

In recent years, I've been reading more historical fiction and what I guess would be called "literary fiction". Umberto Eco, Iain Pears, David Liss, Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Most recently, Carlos Ruiz Zafón has just blown me away with the way he strings words together (at least in translation – I don't read him in the original Spanish).

I also enjoy reading science fact. I can get completely drawn in by a book on evolution or cosmology or quantum physics. Seriously.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I don't know that I'm attracted to the life of a writer. Toiling for hours, days, weeks, months on a piece of work that people may dislike, or worse, completely ignore, certainly doesn't sound very attractive.

It is the end product that attracts me. Having a finished piece of work (as finished as a piece of writing ever is), published by someone who believes in it, read by people who enjoy it. That's what I look forward to.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

That's easy: musician. I've dabbled in music throughout most of my life, and I played in a few bands over the last several years, but I am at best mediocre at it. And I learned that being in a band is work, as well as being drama-filled. Once it stops being fun, I see no reason to continue with it. But if I knew I could make a good living at it and be happy with the situation, that would be a dream job.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I hope that an accurately descriptive term for my writing is "anti-soporific".

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

I've read a lot of good advice about writing. Some of the best advice even completely contradicted some of the other best advice ("Use outlines" versus "Don't use outlines". "Be very descriptive" versus "Be very plain". "Don't use parentheticals" versus "No, really, don't ever use them".)

What I've distilled out of all of that, for myself, would be something along the lines of: To be a writer, you must read (and you must read like a writer). To be a writer, you must write. Every day, even if it's just two sentences. I try not to edit very much as I'm going along. Editing while writing was one of the things that used to get me into a paralysis and prevent me from making any progress.

"Write what you know about." I didn't take this to heart for a long time. Since I was heavily into science-fiction for many years, my first (and second and third) attempts at writing were in that genre. But one thing about science-fiction readers is that they're sticklers. You have to get the science right. Even if it's science that you're making up, your stuff has to at least be feasible and consistent. If you're going to defy the known laws of physics, you'd better have a good rationalization for how and why that works.

When I tried writing sci-fi, I got bogged down in the details and distracted, endeavoring to make everything work, and the writing just wouldn't happen. ("How fast would a space station have to rotate to provide the same gravity as on the surface of the Earth?" Turns out that someone actually posted a calculator on their website to figure that out for you.)

Fiction which takes place in a different time or location has the same problem. If your main character is a silversmith in 1500's Spain, then you'd better know what it's like to be a silversmith in 1500's Spain.

So I decided to write in the (more or less) present, about situations which don't require any specialized knowledge. I did that with my vignettes and with the other stories I've recently written. They're just stories about people (whom I hope are interesting) doing things (which I hope are interesting).

About Jeremy:
I live on Long Island with my wife Abby and two children. By day, I am in the computer programming field, and in the evening, I squeeze my brain, hoping that something interesting will pop out.

You can read some of my things on my blog site at http://warach.com. One of the vignettes I happen to like is "Frost", which can be found at http://bit.ly/cjjVd0

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Pre-Orders Available for Stiefvater's Linger

2010-02-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog

Twitter Funnies

2010-02-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

jimgaffigan Never said about a tatoo, "This will come in real handy 20 yrs from now."
cmdrsue @jimgaffigan Then obviously you've never gotten a tattoo with instructions on how to file for social security and medicare.

There Was Life Before Cliff Huxtable

2010-02-16T07:00:00.007-05:00

The Cosby Show was great. Apparently it was so great that it made some people forget that Bill Cosby had about twenty years of brilliance, fame, and success before it came along. At least that's what I have to figure after getting an email from the Huffington Post titled "The Twenty Most Influential Black Comedians in America" that purported to celebrate black comedians for Black History Month but listed Cosby's influence in the 80s. Sorry, Bill, but in their book the eight Grammys (six for best comedy album) and four Emmys that you picked up BEFORE The Cosby Show just don't matter to them. If you link to the article, which is now called The 21 Most Influential Black Comedians (don't know who got a last minute add) you will see that there is no attempt at getting any historical perspective on the struggles and contributions of black comedians. It was a "Hey, it's Black History Month, get a bunch of pictures and quotes and throw them together for people to vote on" sort of approach. Interestingly, the quote they use for Cosby is one of the racier things I've ever seen him say.
So Bill, this thing in 1965 where you started a six-year domination of Grammy awards for Best Comedy Performance? They don't so much care about that.

And why isn't 1970's "Sports" on Amazon?

In a way it's easy to see how Cosby's accomplishments can be overlooked. It's because he managed to make it all look so damn easy. But it wasn't easy, he just made it look that way with his innate charm and class, so you could say that he's the Sidney Poitier of comedians. And you want to talk influence?

Jerry Seinfeld states in the inner sleeve of his album I'm Telling You for the Last Time that [Bill Cosby's Grammy Award winning Why Is There Air?] was the first comedy album he ever listened to, and that it subsequently helped inspire him to become a stand-up comedian. Seinfeld was finally able to meet Cosby in person in 2002.

So not only did he break ground as a black comedian, he inspired a Jewish kid to go on to become one of the most famous (and rich) comedians of all time. And the Cos influences me, too. As I've said before, Bill Cosby is one of the comedians whose bits work their way into my daily speech. Whenever a TV character is about to walk into a situation they shouldn't my husband and I say, "Tonto! Don't go in to town!" And the recent snowpocalypse inspired a lot of snowballs and shouting of "I'll get you Junior Barnes!"

So, in case no one else has done it, let me say it here and now. Thank you, Bill Cosby, for all the contributions you have made to comedy, comedians, and the laughs in my daily life. I never go to the dentist without thinking about you. I never wave people around my car without thinking about you. And I certainly never have chocolate cake (especially for breakfast) without thinking about you. You make all these annoying or mundane moments in life more bearable because now we can laugh about them.

For some of Cosby's award-winning humor (or dvds of I Spy and The Cosby Show) go to our Cos section of Stuff That Gets Stuck in My Store.

Tested Out as Writer Positive

2010-02-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

I am:

Ursula K. LeGuin

Perhaps the most admired writing talent in the science fiction field.

Which science fiction writer are you?

Back in Time Reviews: The Cutting Edge (1992)

2010-02-15T07:00:00.142-05:00

With the Winter Olympics upon us it seemed like the right time to share one of our favorite little movies: The Cutting Edge. Since it came out in 1992 it's probably older than many of this year's competing athletes... and perhaps hasn't aged as well. But if you enjoy campy, funny little romantic sports movies then Kate and Doug's story might just be the ticket for you.

The tag lines "The King of the Rink is about to meet America's Ice Queen" and alternate "The Ultimate Love/Skate Relationship" are good demonstrations of exactly how campy the movie is willing to be. But when you get past that you discover a genuinely funny little gem that focuses on two competitors who, disappointed at the 1988 Olympics, team up to compete in 1992. The twist is that Doug Dorsey is a blue-collar hockey player while Kate Moseley is a blue-blooded second generation Olympic figure skater. Easily anticipated friction ensues.

I'm sure there's nothing I do that you'd find exciting. I don't open beer bottles with my toes, I don't sit around and count what's left of my teeth, hey, I don't even enjoy a good tractor pull. It's been a limited existence, but I've gotten used to it. ~ Kate

The movie relies on Moira Kelly, as Kate, being able to balance an acid tongue with ingenue vulnerability, confidence with anxiety. Kate is actually one of my favorite heroines because of Kelly's ability to pull that balance off and it has left me wishing that Kelly had been cast as a lead in more movies.

To play against Kate's volatile personality the adorable Doug, played by D.B. Sweeney, only seems to have the two speeds of mellow and angry. With the fussy, pushy Kate of course being able to tip him over into anger a bit more often than would naturally be the case.

If it was forty below and that button meant the difference between a long satisfying life and a cold horrible death from hypothermia, I still wouldn't give you the satisfaction! ~ Doug, after Kate nags him to button the top button of his skating outfit

The Commander's Rating: Four out of five Vulcan salutes. (Admittedly it's a sentimental favorite.)
Pros: Humor, sports-related humor, quotable lines.
Cons: Some seriously 90s hair and clothes, moments of campy humor, moments of even-more-predictable-than-usual plot points.
Recommendation: Fun movie to watch with your sweetie or any friends who really, really like ice skating. A good option to feel Winter-Olympic-y without having to watch Curling.

Notes on sequels: There were two sequels and neither had the heart that the first one did.

Dairy Gods

2010-02-14T19:30:00.002-05:00

Some days you don't go looking for the blog post, it comes to you. No, it's not cheese, but Promised Land Dairy makes the best chocolate milk EVER and I fully support any connection they claim to have to the Almighty because such incredible milk must have a divine source. For instance, one day when checking out the grocery store clerk saw my bottle and we were talking about how awesome the Midnight Chocolate Milk is when the manager leaned in to say, "We didn't get the normal shipment of it last Tuesday. There were some *very* upset customers!" To which I actually responded, with a tone of some relief, "Well, thank God it's here now!" Since when does chocolate milk incite that kind of cultist passion?

But this week I reached into the grocery refrigerator to find that the day I both hoped and feared had come. Promised Land chocolate milk was in a plastic bottle. In some ways it was something to hope for. When you lug around a giant glass bottle you live in fear of dropping it. And I'd already ended up with a huge stockpile of old bottles because it seems a crime to throw such lovely dairy bottles away. They serve as nice vases for handfuls of wildflowers or to display beach glass in the window. But with over 20 of them piled in the back of the cabinet my husband had already said enough was enough.

On the other hand, there is the adjustment issue. It just doesn't TASTE as good in plastic as it does in glass. There is also a different "feel" to the bottle. If this were the first bottle of Promised Land chocolate milk I'd had I tend to doubt that I would've been as avid a fan.And last but not least, if my research back in college still holds true, there are only two things that are 100% recyclable - metal and glass. We recycle a lot of plastic but unless things have changed there is waste in the process.

So I'll go back to contemplating the divine in a bottle of chocolate milk, be it glass or plastic, and leave you to decide whether you're going to try to track down the One True Chocolate Milk in your own town.

2/15/2010 Update:
Within two hours of posting this we got a Google search hit on the topic so I emailed the Promised Land Dairy to ask if they had a press release or a statement about the change to plastic bottles that they would like to share. They sent me a copy the following letter in less than one business day. You have to love these people. And their explanation is a pretty reasonable one.

January 15, 2010

To Our Valued Customers:

Beginning this month, we will be converting to a new custom made PET quart bottle that will have the same high quality visual impact, rigidity, and recycling ability as out current single serve and half gallon PET bottles, which are of course BPA free. And perhaps most importantly, they will help continue to keep the same flavor and freshness you have come to expect with Promised Land products.

We are taking this step for a number of reasons. As the cost of glass continues to rise due to petroleum and raw material increases, we must look at alternative means of keeping our pricing in line so our outstanding products can continue to be available at a reasonable price in today’s competitive market. Secondly, the decrease in the weight of our new quarts will be another step we are taking toward reducing fuel consumption in shipping and thus greater packaging sustainability, which is a goal of many environmentally concerned vendors today. For our long-term development as a company, it will also allow us to carry our healthy and all natural products through an extensive US distribution network now available to us as a part of the National Dairy family.

We are making a substantial investment in order to create the custom molds to produce this new quart bottle. We believe however, in the long run, it will provide a return to our customers and our environment in many ways, as well as help to expand our unique all Jersey cow milk and outstanding line of flavors to a growing number of customers seeking healthy all natural milk.

Thank you for your support as customers of All Natural Promised Land Dairy.

Sincerely,
G.K. [full name removed by TTGSiMH to protect privacy]
General Sales Manager

Resources for Fresh Voices

2010-02-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

This list will continue to grow as we find more resources. Feel free to recommend more resources in the comments.

Crit Partners Match Service on Ning

Nominations for Fresh Voices

2010-02-12T23:14:00.001-05:00

We are always looking for new talent to feature in our Fresh Voices interview series. Fresh Voices are published every Friday. You can nominate yourself or another writer for Fresh Voices by emailing cmdrsue@gmail.com or posting a comment here. All nominees will be subject to the Rules if they are selected for publication.

The benefits of publication as a Fresh Voice include admiration from other unpublished authors, promotion by Sue London as she drops your name (and interview link) at various blogs around the interwebs, and access to the freakishly high Google ranking of Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head (we still haven't figured that one out, we think someone at Google must be a fan).

Rules for Fresh Voices

2010-02-12T22:57:00.002-05:00

The weekly Fresh Voices post will feature an unpublished author, including an interview and a link to some of their writing. If you're reading this because you have been recommended to be featured as a Fresh Voice then congratulations! We couldn't be more excited than to be featuring your writing. If you are just curious about Fresh Writers then stay tuned for the Friday features or email cmdrsue@gmail.com for more details or to nominate someone.

But as Grandpa said when the boys got to Santa Carla: Rules! We've got some rules around here. These rules may be updated periodically based on lessons learned so please read them again before you participate as a Fresh Voice even if you have read them before.

Unpublished: The first criteria is that a Fresh Voice must be unpublished. But what does that even mean anymore? For our purposes please use the following definition of unpublished for nominating yourself or others: not published by a major publishing house, nor by a magazine with significant circulation (over 100,000), nor through self-publication with over 1,000 units in sales. Fair enough? Meanwhile, preference will be given to talented writers with no publication experience at all, excluding publication to their own website or blog.
Nice Matters: In its darkest moments this blog has maybe a PG-rating and most of the time we're more G-rated than a Disney film. If you are invited to be profiled as a Fresh Voice please avoid using vulgar language or it will be bleeped before publication. You are free to link to any of your own writing that you want to, but it would also be polite to warn our readers if the linked item is racy or NSFW (not safe for work). This rule also applies to anyone who wants to comment on a Fresh Voices post. Be nice or be deleted.
Pay It Forward: Becoming a Fresh Voice means joining a group with other aspiring writers and we can all use support from each other. In practical terms this means that you will commit to promoting the link for future Fresh Voices at least once on Fridays - through a tweet, blog post, Facebook update, whatever. An easy link to remember is http://tinyurl.com/fvfriday - that way you don't have to find the new Fresh Voice link. This way we can create a snowball and some exposure. Exposure may lead to interest, and interest may lead to someone coming along and reading YOUR interview and wanting to know more. It's just a big circle of happy.
There Will Be More Rules: Having spent many years as a bureaucrat I can tell you that this rule will keep getting bumped down because there will always have to be more rules. Because as the Bureaucratic Rule from the Notorious ADB goes: There's a reason, there's ALWAYS a reason... (Usually it's someone taking advantage and thus messing it up for everyone else.)

Thanks for your time and we look forward to featuring lots of Fresh Voices!

Notes: Updated on 4/18/10 to include new rule #3 Pay it Forward.

Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Day of the Week

2010-02-11T21:42:00.001-05:00

Does this blog post look a little familiar? Yes, it's time for a change to our lineup. Like so many things lately, this is coming a bit late to be considered a "New Year" change; but better late than never I always say. There are changes to Monday, Tuesday, and Friday while the rest of the week stays pretty much the same. The change I'm most excited about are the plans for Friday (yes, this is the requisite teaser to scroll down). Feedback is always appropriate so make comments.

MONDAY IS MOVIE DAY: Do you know what we do all weekend? Watch movies (and tv shows) that's what, so on Monday we'll be ready to tell you all about it. There will be old stuff, new stuff, borrowed stuff, and blue stuff. (Ok, we're a G-rated blog, it won't be very blue. Unless Stitch or the Genie from Aladdin count.)

TUESDAY IS COMEDY DAY: Do you love the comedy like we do? Just a few minutes ago we tromped out in the cold while reciting Steve Martin's bit about kitty handcuffs. Come by on Tuesdays to check out a funny video or song. Or if you can't remember a particular comedian or bit then maybe we can help you out.

WEDNESDAY IS WRITING DAY: It's still all about writing! Fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, writers' blog roundups, and updates on our writing pursuits. Come sit at our round table, have some coffee or tea, and do your best Dorothy Parker impersonation.

THURSDAY IS TOYS DAY: A day for all sorts of geek interests like internet games, new toys from ThinkGeek, updates on the D&D campaign... that sort of thing. Also reports on other bloggers who have posted fun things on their blogs (so drop me a tweet, email, or comment when you have something good).

FRIDAY IS FRESH VOICES DAY: Extending the writing theme into another day where we will post interviews with aspiring authors under the theory "it is that which is nurtured that grows." Feel free to recommend Fresh Voices to be posted on the Twitter List or featured on the Thoughts.

SATURDAY IS POP DAY: Pop psychology (yes, we will try to contain all of the personality tests and pop psych ruminations on a day when you're not likely to come by, isn't that kind of us?), pop culture, and sometimes soda pop. If you like all this stuff as much as we do then come by and let's entertain each other.

SUNDAY IS GOD AND CHEESE DAY: We will explore deep thoughts on philosophy, spirituality, or if nothing else occurs to us - cheese, in a bit of an homage (fromage?) to G.K. Chesterton.

Weird of the Week: Snowpocalypse!

2010-02-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

Living in the Mid-Atlantic region, we've been seeing the term Snowpocalypse flying around like a blizzard. Urban Dictionary has an excellent definition:

A weather condition in which the amount of fallen snow, while not really such a big deal, wreaks havoc on a city, effectively shutting it down and leaving its citizens stunned and unable to see any sign of hope or a return to normalcy. It's perceived much like the aftermath of a nuclear event, but really... it's just freakin' snow!!

In cases of a Snowpocalypse it is really the panicked reaction of said citizens and NOT the actual snow that makes the situation worthy of the title. People simply aren't used to it, lose their heads and blame the city for the weather.

Here's hoping that you and yours are safe this Snowpocalypse (a.k.a., Super Bowl Superstorm) weekend.

Sound, Light, and Titanium Are Toys, Too

2010-02-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

When it comes to Toys and Fun it's hard to beat ThinkGeek. Some of my favorite things this week:

Dick Tracy wishes he had this bluetooth watch that displays who's calling your cellphone.
A keyboard made out of light. Do you hear me? A KEYBOARD MADE OUT OF LIGHT.
A titanium spork in case you get that promotion to rule Heck. I've heard that Phil is moving on (but, hey, you didn't hear it from me).

You can keep up with the latest ThinkGeeky toys by following ThinkGeekSpam on Twitter.

Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head

The Ultimate in Geek Chic

Will the Blogger App Save Me?

Guest Back in Time Review: Basic Instinct (1992)

Don't Want No Motherf*cking Elves on My Motherf*cking Shelves (or Trees)

Back in Time Review: Waynes World (1992)

Tonight by Allie Goertz

What If Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from Commercials?

He Only Eats Wookie Cookies

Favorite Book of 2010: Immortal

Back in Time A to Z: House (1986)

Back in Time A to Z: Ghost Ship (2002)

Back in Time A to Z: Frequency (2000)

Back in Time A to Z: Enchanted (2007)

Back in Time A to Z: Deliver Us From Eva (2003)

Back in Time A to Z: Captain Ron (1992)

Back in Time A to Z: Below (2002)

Back in Time A to Z: Aliens (1986)

Start Raining on My Parade (Goal Achievement Strategies)

Don't Miss the Immortal Blog Tour!

Sue Gets Around

5e D&D: What About the Children?

Back in Time Review: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Shower Songs: Sue Sings "Crazy"

Funny Women of Twitter

Back in Time Review: Fight Club (1999)

Duck, Duck, Goose (and Destiny): Animal Wisdom

Writing Insight Back Online!

G'Day Bruce!

Right There in Nebraska

Back in Time Reviews: Mortal Kombat (1995)

Do I Know Who I Am?

Arena

Blind Spot

Façade

Unknown

Dominant Traits

All Percentages

Back in Time Reviews: Keeping the Faith (2000)

Back in Time Reviews: Galaxy Quest (1999)

Fillin' Out a Job Application Playlist

Grilled Cheesus

God's Total Quality Management Questionnaire

Happiness

Book Review: Immortal

Reminder for Author Interviews

Beards

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

I Touched Wil Wheaton

Mission: Dragon Chow Dice Bag for @WilW

I'm Freakin' Fascinating

My Life in Comics

Bloggerversary: 7 Years Old

Send Sue to Celebration V

More Free Books! Promise by Kristie Cook

How To Find Jesus In An Emergency

Back in Time Review: Sneakers (1992)

I've Been Cursed

Synchronicity and Internet LOLZ

Astro Profiles... with Kissing and Stuff

Fresh Voices: Interview with Lydia Ondrusek

Blooming Authors: Aaron Polson

Fresh Voices: Interview with Bethany Harper

Blooming Author: Ashley M. Christman!

$#*! My Dad Says Preview

Getting Ready for 5/25

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kerry Schafer

The First Mate is a Monkey

Random Playlist

Fresh Voices: Interview with Adrien-Luc Sanders

Say Hello to the Winchester Boys

Health Care Reform: The Morning After by Barbara O'Brien

Fresh Voices: Interview with Mireyah Wolfe

Flow, Ebb, Struggle, Repeat

Are You Thinking 'Bout Somthin'?

Fresh Voices: Interview with Liz Borino

Fresh Voices: Interview with Caitlin Whitaker

TJ on Twitter

Fresh Voices: Interview with Quinn Katherman

Introducing The Two O'Clock Zone

Don't Want No Motherfcking Elves on My Motherfcking Shelves (or Trees)