pamphiliawrites

I can't remember how long it's been since I've taken the time to post.   Ugh! And even though I had last week off, it was frought with a nasty cold, one that Munchkin shared. EEK.  So writing has again taken a back seat to the everyday grind. 

But DH and I have escaped to see a few movies.  The first, Paranormal Activity, was very similar to The Blair Witch Project of so long ago.  There were a few good moments that made me jump, especially the scene where someone is yanked out of bed by their foot.  Yes, foot.  That made me make sure my feet were well bundled in bed the next night.

The Fourth Kind was much more interesting.  It does have the same set up, you know, the THIS IS REAL set up.  But here the director used "original" footage side by side his "movie" footage, creating an eerie effect that made me, and I'm sure many others, wonder what if?  Plus, the aliens are actually more chilling in this movie than the demonic force in PA.  Who knew that aliens can possess human people?  And these are not friendly aliens.  They are more horrifying than their cinematic comrades.   The story left me chilled and reminded me of The Mothman Prophecies, which I read just a few months ago for research.  Disturbing. 

As for books, I tried reading The Lost Symbol, but gave up after a few weeks of plodding through it.  Actually, I gave it to my aunt who was very excited to read it.  Instead, I picked up Blatty's Elsewhere, which smacks of Hell House, but is engaging.  Thank God.  It has been so long since I've read something that made me want to stay up late at night! 

Of course, being distracted by work, husband, and munchkin, as well as worrying about flu, family, other fun things would dry up anyone's muse.  I've leaned the pricelessness in meaningless distraction.

Hee hee hee.....

Tuesday, October 20th is a national day of writing. NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English, persuaded the senate to declare the day officially for writers.  Check out NCTE.org for fun details about authors who will be speaking on that day, as well as the online gallery for all writers.  Happy Writing!

Last night I had my second migraine in a week, remnants of a hellish September.  When I checked my prescription I realized that my usual ninety-day supply was reduced to a one month supply for ninety days, I called my prescription mail program to see what was going on.  They told me the best they could do would be for me to get a new script and mail it in, which takes about two weeks.  Then they suggested that they transfer my script to a local pharmacy and they could fill it right away. 

So that's what I did, only to be told by my Shoprite pharmacist that I'd have to wait thirty days and the mail order company had screwed up.  He advised me to call back. 

Now I was pissed.  Did I take the last pill to provide relief and risk running out? 

I called the mail company back.  This time they offered to have a "clinician" read the script to make sure there were no errors.   They explained that my doctor, despite writing this script three times before, put the quantity as 9, instead of 18.  So they were only able to send me 6 tablets since the drug doesn't come in sets of 3. 

"But I paid for 9?  Where are the other 3?" I asked.  I was told that I wasn't getting them.

I told them this wasn't acceptable.  Then three different people from the mail order company got on the line, the "clinician", a pharmacist, and a customer service rep.  Insert joke here.    The pharmacist, who we'll call F, said that he now understood my problem.

Sure.  Has he ever had a migraine?  Not only is the pain nearly unbearable, especially with a fourteen-month old whose molars are breaking through, your vision can get blurry, as mine was.  I was afraid to drive!

Then he offered to call Benecard, my prescription plan.  The first call was made 6:02 my time.  He got back on and said they closed 5:00 CT.  Then he told me I could pay out of pocket for the script.  Yeah sure.....NFW!  Then he told me I could call Benecard the next day.  With Munchkin screaming in the background, I made it clear that this was not good enough.  I told him to get me Benecard's CS hours.  Five minutes later I got to speak with Miss S, as F called her. 

Thank God!  FInally, I person who is able to solve a problem.  My very expensive health plan was starting to pay off.  I had been on the phone for an hour already, trying to get dinner ready for Munchkin.  Within twenty minutes, Miss S had called my pharmacy, overrode the ninety-day wait, and apologized that the script wouldn't be ready until Monday morning. 

I promptly thanked her for her efficiency, popped my last pill unafraid that I would be doubly screwed at work next week.

The entire ordeal took one and a half hours. 

Yeesh!  And I'm a state employee with "good", actually great healthcare coverage.  I feel sorry for those who have none. 

Something needs to change.  It was clear that because of my coverage the mail order company was quite willing to help me, and only after they realized what coverage I have.  American healthcare is all about the haves and the have nots.  Yet the haves pay for the emergency room visits the have nots make.

Yeesh.

TEN MOANS.....
1.  I can't believe school starts on Tuesday....worse I'm not really ready and not really sure that I will be ready.  Forgive me truly..Adverb Police!
2.  Munchkin was in "school" for four days before his nose ran greenth and yelloweth..... UGH!
3.  Zumba...my new favorite craze!  Learning how to move my hips to fast hip hop Spanish beats!
4.  You know you need to lose weight when you run into someone you haven't seen in a while and they pat your belly like your still pregnant.  Ohhh I'm so ashamed!
5.  Foot still hurts like hell....surgery may be on the horizon.
6.  To flu shot or not to flu shot and which or both to do? 
7.  I'm soooooooo sick of the swine flu propaganda machine.  Every day a new warning, or new anecdote about someone dying.
8.  Even more horrific....that house of horrors in California and the kidnapped young girl.  Why the hell didn't someone do something sooner?
9.  Just wanna curl up and watch THE THING.
10.  Miss talkin' to my buds this week.  It was too crazy and went too fast!

The other day a friend emailed me to ask why I don't have any pics up on Facebook.  I replied that I don't like to have my picture taken...never have and probably never will....but also in my profession, I'd rather keep my image under wraps.  My avatar is a proverbial burka.  It allows me the freedom to communicate with friends and evade those I don't want to talk to.  It also keeps my personal life a bit more private than it might otherwise be.

Truthfully, it amazes me how many people put pics of themselves up on Facebook, Myspace, the net in general.  There are so many stories out there of employers Googling perspective employees and finding things that make them cringe.  Children should also refrain from posting, despite the fact that more middle schoolers are sending nude pics of themselves with a sex-text to solicit a date, or a relationship.  Kids pics on the net are candy for sick (&(*&(*&.  Yet, not too many people think of this.  And what if you are a victim of abuse and will do anything to keep your abuser unaware of your activities or your residence?  The worst case about this scenario is any one with a credit card can pay $10.00 or more to find out everything about you on the net, including residence, salary, car, social security number, trouble with the law......and it goes on.

Has the net actually disintegrated the lines between our public and private selves?  Are there that many people who are so naive that they think what's out there is only for their friend's eyes?  Ugh.....Maybe too many of us have forgotten the need for a division between the public sphere and the private circle.  And perhaps we all forget that once you put it on the net, any one can access it.  Anyone....for whatever reason they want.

Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert will be thirty miles away and while I intended to go, the day slipped away from me.  I checked out the venue and discovered it's a "TICKET ONLY" event, something not mentioned on the postcard I received from Kevin's fan club.  After calling the venue, I discover that I can still go, but those who purchased the latest book at their store get to have their stuff signed first.

So, do I go and risk standing out in the heat until I might get in before Kevin and Brian leave?  Do I really want to make an effort, including making myself look just a bit presentable, to just have my books signed?  It would be different if there was a panel, or if I was sure they would answer questions.  Then there is the parking issue in Princeton.  Do I really want to deal with that?  Of course, does DH really want to be home with little dude and put him to bed?  He's getting five new teeth, including molars and is MISERABLE!

Then there is the reality.  I still have a crapload of work to complete for my grad class.  There is a ton of S()&*(& to do for school.  I am still coordinating a writing contest, and did I mention that my crit group is meeting next week and I'm not prepared at all?  Plus, the house is a mess, and I was hoping to get in a little pilates, despite the newest report in TIME that exercise doesn't help you lose weight....what's up with that?

UGH!
 
What would you do?

Okay, so I've been merely glimpsing the news lately, while diverting Munchkin from household dangers, such as eating cat puke.  Don't ask.  But two snipits are stuck in my head.

The first is Sarah Palin's "We eat, therefore we hunt."  Oh please, can't we just go away?  Ever hear of vegetarianism?

The second is Katie Curric's "Beer Summit" headline mentioned tonight, complete with which type of beer each will be drinking at the "summit."  Give me a break...this is a summit?  This is news?  No, racism didn't go away overnight when Obama became President.  If anything, it seems to be highlited. 

Ugh.

So....what newsworthy snipits are stuck in your head?

 Can you guess who gave it to him? Hee hee hee.... I wonder what the repercussions of inviting such a deity into my home will be.....

The thunder is retreating under the yellow evening sky.  I'm sitting on our blacony rocking with my feet perched on an ancient pillow to protect my heels from plastic wicker marks.  I feel sad.

MJ's sudden passing has affected so many; the light seems a little dimmer today.  I remember my mom playing Thriller over and over on a turntable, sometimes followed by Donna Summer, or Sade.  My then best friend sat with me as we were mesmerized by the video for the title song, which was a bit scary to my youthful gaze.  I remember swaying to a song I know as Why at an eighth grade dance. 

It seems odd to me that so many are painfully affected by his sudden death.  MJ hasn't been in the news recently, not even on MTV, which seems to have forgotten how to play music videos.  Brittany Spears eclipsed him for a long time.  Madonna has speckled the black and white pulpy print.  But no MJ.

So why do so many collectively mourn the self-proclaimed King of Pop?  Maybe it's because we are mourning our lost childhood.  MJ symbolized childish memories for me.  I can define certain moments based upon which song was playing on the turntable in the background.  I didn't know him.  I don't think that many did.  But his music did punctuate many lives, whether you liked it or not.  In the end, it seems he fulfilled his purpose as a tragic, tormented artist.

Which brings me to The Book Thief.  Annually I teach a Holocaust novel because I believe it's important that we don't forget.  This year it was the last unit my class and I had, ending with a viewing of The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, a Hallmark film.  Somewhere along the way a colleague lent me The Book Thief.  At first I was reluctant to get involved with a heavy-hearted tome.  But a closer look revealed that Markus Zusak is a different type of writer, one who deftly blends poetry and prose.  After the first ten pages I met Death, the narrator, whose muted personification was compelling.  Then there was Leisel, Rudy, Rosa, Hans, and Max.  It's a story about humanity in the time of death where the worst meets the best in a bittersweet sugary tale of loss, love, and luck.  Okay..so it is considered a literary work, read it anyway.  If genre writers would, or could, write a well as Zusak, we'd hear a lot more about them.

By the way, we aren't doing too poorly.  On a recent New York Times best sellers list three or four were what can be considered genre books.  But I promise you that Zusak writes much better than Meyer, or Harris.

The bloodsuckers are emerging from the between the trees' damp leaves.  It's time to go before they gift me with more swollen red welts.

Happy Friday!

So if you change your name's spelling, is that like dying your hair to signify a change in identity?  I was wandering about the www tonight and discovered that as of July 7, the Sci Fi Channel will no longer exist.  Instead, we will have SYFY?  As if our culture needed to learn yet another twisted spelling that advertisers create in the name of "artisitic licence".  Ugh!

I guess that big question is if there will really be a difference?  In my own humble opinion, the last month or so has sucked.  Okay, let's make that the last six months or so.  Once BSG went off the air, I turned off channel 66 (at least for me).  Warehouse 13 looks intriguing, but what happened to that show last year that featured that chick from SG?  (I think her name is Amanda Tappin).  And what about the Dresden Files?  I liked that one too.   Ghost Hunters is only fun the first time you watch...it's my favorite cheese. Some like Rock of Love.  I like GH.  LOL!

Eureka I could do without.  Same with that cheesey vampire series on Friday nights.  I never got into Doctor Who. And then there are all those ridiculous movies about bugs, dinosaurs, demons...you know that ones!  Sprinkled in is wrestling? Since when is wrestling speculative fiction?  Cheese-yes. 

So I guess I'll have to wait and see if changing the spelling really makes a difference! ROFLOL!

Happy viewing!

So I've been taking in a few flicks. First up Caprica.  Okay, so I'm a BSG junkie so I had to see this and I wasn't disappointed.  It was just enough of a teaser to whet my appetite for the series starting in 2010.  Centered around the age-old debate of monotheism and polytheism, Caprica starts off with a trip to a funky nightclub, somewhat reminiscent of Limelight in NYC except that it is a teenage virtual reality construct.  From there, a trio of spoiled teen geniuses venture off away from their folks only to be destroyed in an act of terrorism.

Two famillies grieve for their daughters.  One accepts the Gods' fate (happens to have the last name of Adams...get it?).  The other turns to technology to play god and downloads human memory into a supreme cybornetic fighting machine...can you guess what this turns out to be?

Despite plot foibles and some flat acting, Caprica was engaging.  Any BSG fan should check it out, even for just S&Gs.

The second flick was The Death of A Ghost Hunter.  Okay, so this one has that Blair Witch feel, but begins with that questionable opening premise that it is based on a true story.  Despite being an indy film, it was engaging with one of the most horrific stories about religion gone awry I have seen in a while. There are even a few moments of hiding behing a pillow and squeezing a significant other's hand.  It was a decent horror flick, one of the better ones I have seen in a while.  It actually gave me the creeps.

Overall, a successful movie weekend, especially since DH and I so so little in the theatres.  Let me know what you think of either if you get to see them!

It amazes me that so many people have the time to blog here and manage a Facebook and Myspace site.  UGH! I don't even have the time to write! Yet, I jumped onto Facebook to find someone and had to create a profile, which led to a few friends.  Mind you, I use this blog's moniker for a variety of reasons, and a fictional pic, rather than my own.  Does everyone not mind having their mug posted all over the net?  Anyhow, because of my new allegience, I'm shutting down my MySpace page, which I honestly haven't looked at in nearly six months.  And who knows how long I'll keep up with Facebook.  I'd rather blog, or better yet, write.

Friday, amid the chaos of taking care of a sick kid on my own (DH was out of state for a funeral) the weirdest thing happened.  I tried to nuke a bit of pasta for Munchkin when the micro sparked.  Shocked, I shut it off and jumped back.  After a few seconds, I took the plastic plate with ten elbows out of the micro and transferred the elbows to a sheet of paper towel.  Wouldn't you know....the pasta sparked again?!!!??!!

Terrified, I called DH who swore he would check it out when he got home.  Meanwhile, I had to use the micro later to heat up dinner, cook some popcorn, try my luck.  Nothing else sparked.    Horrified that I may have fed my Munchkin metal pasta, I chucked the box of elbows and the rest that sat cooked in my fridge. 

Anyone else hear of such an oddity?  Was it a freak of nature?  Evidence of the bad MOJO that has haunted me all week?

Love to know...

10.  You can't remember the last market you submitted to.
9.  You sit and stare at a blank screen for a LONG while until something comes to mind.
8.  You have no idea that the market you considered your "dream publication" has gone under.
7.  Your fingers twitch when you are near a keyboard.
6.  You promise to write after you clean, then you clean some more.
5.  You can't find your flashdrive.
4.  You can't recall the last time you completed a project.
3.  You can't spell the easiest of words, like address.
2.  You keep saying "maybe tomorrow".
1.  You can't silent the incessant voices in your head.

A friend of mine recommended The Skinny BItch, which I thought was just another diet book.  Instead it seemed more like a "scare you so bad you don't want to eat" book.  The authors, former models, recite mantra from other authors, like the Diamonds (food combining anyone?) to advocate the benefits of going green and vegan. 

Some of the really scary stuff was the chapter on meat and how the US treats livestock before they slaughter it.  The descriptions are horrid and the anecdotes about extra hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, and feca matter that ends up in the meat was enough to make me sick.  Of course there is a chapter on the evils of aspartame, which might just make me give up my diet coke.  And then there is the chapter on hydrogenated oils, and other preservatives.

Needless to say, I felt compelled to buy organic fruits and veggies at the super market this week. Upon finishing the book, I felt like the US government is purposely drugging us to keep us moving the economic food machine forward.  And of course, the drugs make us sick, which helps to fuel health care.

Anyone out there here any news about our supposedly contaminated food?  Love to hear from you! Bon Appetite!

Now I understand just how fubar the crisis is.  DH and I were planning on moving a year ago, which is why we bought into one of those fancy ARMs.  Of course, things changed, and we recently decided to refinance into a fixed rate mortgage just in case.  One never knows what is going to happen to the economy, our jobs, our lives these days.

So after indicating our wishes to our mortgage company, we were offered a fabulous interest rate and were on our merry way, so we thought.  When our home appraised for less than expected, the rules changed.  The mortgage company tried to force our hand into paying the closing costs up front because they knew we had the funds.  I kept telling them we wanted our nest egg intact.   Then they said the original deal was void because of the appraisal.  So I asked them what they could do.  They reworked the numbers then deternined that the new loan, which included rolling closing costs into the loan, would probably be denied because there was little benefit to us. 

So I explained again that what we wanted was a fixed loan, not the ARM.  "But it doesn't expire until 2012."   I couldn't believe it.  It seemed like they were trying to persuade us to stay with our original loan to make more money.  Don't they make enough already?  Here DH and I are trying to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and the company doesn't want to help us. 

And we are the lucky ones.  Two jobs.  Good credit.  Savings.  Yeesh...what do people do who really need to renegotiate their loans!  It's scandalous!  And hwo much money do we tax payers give these institutions?!?!?!

Elizabeth Bear, yes THE ELIZABETH BEAR, will be at the Garden State Horror Writers' meeting this Saturday at noon.  We meet at the Monmouth County Library on Symmes Road in Manalapan.  Come join us!

 

It’s Back!

 THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL GARDEN STATE HORROR WRITERS
SHORT STORY CONTEST

Let your imagination run wild, but please, no more than 3,500 words.

First prize is $100 and The Graversen Award; second prize is $50 and third prize $25. Each eligible entry will be critiqued by up to three published writers and/or editors.

RULES:

1.      Entries can be Horror ~ Science Fiction ~ Fantasy ~ Mystery ~ Suspense ~ Thriller.

2.      Word limit: Up to 3,500 words.

3.      Entry fee is $10 per story ($5 for GSHW members). Check or money order payable to GSHW (non-US authors, send only US Money Orders or checks drawn on a US bank). Include your name or story title on the memo portion of the check or money order.

Send payment (check or money order) to GSHW Writing Contest, c/o J. Persson, 1710 Tanglewood Court, Helmetta, NJ 08828.

* Payment must be received before your entry will be judged.

4.      E-mail submissions only to GSHWCONTEST2009@GMAIL.COM Email Submission Format: Story file must be sent as an attached RTF (Rich Text Format) -- no exceptions! Use STANDARD MANUSCRIPT FORMAT.    Title page MUST include:
Name
Mailing address and phone number
e-mail address
Title of story and word count

5.      Entries must be unpublished and not accepted by any publisher at time of contest submission.

6.      You may enter as many times as you like, but must pay the entry fee for each submission.

7.      The subject of the email must be "GSHW Contest Submission" The body of your email must contain the following:

Name
Mailing address and phone number
e-mail address
Title of story and word count
File name for the attached story

Note: Disregarding any of the above guidelines WILL disqualify your entry.  No exceptions!

Contest opens APRIL 15, 2009 and closes JUNE 30, 2009.

Score sheets and critiques will be e-mailed at the end of the contest.

Winners will be announced at the GSHW 2009 October meeting. Winners unable to attend the meeting will receive their prizes by mail. Decision of the judges is final. Entries are assigned to the judges solely by the contest committee at random -- no requests, no exceptions.

The Garden State Horror Writers is a group dedicated to helping writers perfect their skills. It meets the second Saturday of each month at the Monmouth County Library on Symmes Drive, off Route 9. Business meetings begin at 11 a.m. and guest speakers at noon. Guests, new members and press are always welcome. For information, go to www.GSHW.NET

 

 

 

It appears that Wubba brought home a friend on Friday, the rotavirus.  I started puking 6:30 Monday morning, and DH came home later crying with nausea.  Wubba, AKA Munchkin, came home early too on Monday, after puking twice at daycare.  So today, I took him to the Ped because the mommy alarm was whining.  Turns out that he doesn't have the rotavirus, after all he just finished his set of three vaccines for it ten days ago, but he does have a bad ear infection, which is frustrating because there were no signs.  Everyone told me to look for pulling on the ears, but he didn't do that.  Ugh.  So we are trying out our first round of antibiotics, which I got for free at Shoprite.

Yes, I said free! Apparently Shoprite is giving away antibiotics until March 28th.  How cool is that!  So if you're sick, which I hope you're not, and you need an antibiotic.....go to Shoprite. 

Anyway...I love Mardi Gras.  I usually buy some sinful food to eat tonight and watch a movie to indulge.  The movie will happen, but the food probably won't...unless I want to pay for it later.  SO grab your beer, beads and babes, and party for me!

My sister-in-law was visiting this weekend and raving about the Twilight series.  I found it oddly disturbing that an older (not much older than myself.....quickly approaching the fourth decade)  intelligent woman found the books to be "some of the best ever", especially since she is a King reader.  When asked for my opinion, I had no problem declaring that I thought they were rubbish, and SK did too.  Probably not a good way to get along with an in-law. 

Today I pondered on the "why": why do so many find these books to be so great?  Is it a commentary on the poor state of literacy of this country? Or does it comment on the fact that so many women seek love from the wrong people? Hell,, just look at Rhianna.  Ugh!  Maybe the books satisfy the need to fantasize? 

Currently, I am reading The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, and I admit, I slip into the story the way one slips between fine satin, not sateen, sheets.  So I started to think about why I felt the attraction to this book, a piece of "literary fiction" that I tend to pick infrequently.  The story is ripe with sexual tension as described by a fifteen-year-old boy, and the background of post WWII is compelling, yet....

That's when it hit me. Both authors have found a knack for describing the human element with flair.  Schlink hits the proverbial human psychology on the head, and Meyer's description of human interaction reveals characters that are completely sentient and self-aware.   So is this what is missing in so much of today's genre literature?  Have authors forgotten how to describe the finer intricacies of human interaction and critical thinking? 

I'd love to know your thoughts.  Do you know of any genre writers that have mastered describing the finer points of human emotion?