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!
- Mood:
melancholy
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!
- Mood:
amused
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!
- Mood:
exanimate
- Mood:
cranky
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...
- Mood:
shocked
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.
- Mood: cranky
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!
- Mood:
sick
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?!?!?!
- Mood: pissed off
- Mood: excited
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
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!
- Mood: sick
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?
- Mood:
curious
- Mood: ecstatic
Saturday the GSHW meeting was cancelled due to the impending weather and the national winter weather advisory, which bummed me out. I was looking for a free mommy day. Now I know some people griped that there was no such weather, but I can attest that yes, snow fell in NJ.
Little guy woke up with yellow gunk oozine from his eye. I called the pediatrician knowing very well that he would need drops before he could return to "school" and I wanted to go to work on Monday. The pediatrician's receptionist said to bring him right in because they were closing early. It didn't look too bad, so I said sure.
After spending some time plugging the little guy into his seat and cleaning off the car, I pulled out of our parking lot at a crawl It didn't seem too bad, so I sped up to fifteen miles per hour before I hit the turn that exits our develpment. That's when I hit it: BLACK ICE, covered in a white blanket. I panicked, hit the breaks and crashed the front right tire into the curb. I didn't make it to the pediatrician.
Instead, I ended up calling for a tow truck.
The pediatrician called back and said sorry for my dumb luck. He did prescribe the meds over the phone, for which I was grateful.
Even though the car looked like it didn't have too much damage, we dumped nearly a thousand into it before it was fixed today. It will never be the same, which saddens me.
To make things more interesting, I woke up on Sunday coughing up green gook and went to an emergency medi-center. Two hours later, I left with scripts for heady drugs to treat a sinus infection AND bronchitis. I didn't make it to work on Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday. My sick days are dwindling rapidly.
To make things even more exciting, the new dishwasher we had installed was prepped to wash its first load on Sunday night when DH discovered that it has a problem and needs a Sears tech.
UGH! So here I am, sick, with a sick little guy, a broken dishwasher, and a bruised car. Anybody have any unique ideas on how to dispell this negative mojo! LOL
Hope your weekend was better than mine!
- Mood: crappy
But I can't follow suit. First off, it is obvious that Mrs. Meyer has never read a horror novel or seen a horror movie as she has so proclaimed. Twilight is a romance that just happens to have a few horror tropes. The writing is alright, better than some, not than others, and I will give Mrs. Meyer a few kudos on her descriptions of human interaction. It is obvious that she understands people and their subtleties. However, the plot is not just far fetched, but flawed.
And this is NOT a book for young readers. Okay...so there aren't any curse words or explicit sex scenes. But sixteen-year-old Bella does sleep with seventeen-year-old Edward, who had been a vampire for nearly a hundred years. And the father is down the hall. SLEEP, albeit in the same bed, not sex. Worse, Bella ditches her father for Edward in an effort to protect herself and her father in the most ridiculous ludicrous teenage tiff.
What bothers me the most about the book is the audience's reaction to it. Many young girls, and older women profess their love for this fictional vampire that looks like Ghost Buster's Stay Puff Marshmallow Man next to Dracula. Some of my young student readers become quite heated when I point out the fact that Edward is attracted to Bella because she "smells" yummy to him. It's like a recovering alcoholic that has to hang out in a bar to smell the stale beer smell, or a drug addict that needs to be "near" Sudafed just to remember what it was like to doze out. Edward is a killer, who is attempting to refrain from what it most natural to him, killing humans. Many have called him a vegetarian because Edward only kills animals and not human beings. DON"T ASK...I know what a vegetarian is.
What kind of message does Twilight give young girls? That you can be some geeky clutz like Bella who still gets the hottest guy because you smell yummy? Look up pheramones! And doesn't it matter that this one guy is a killer who continually reminds you how much danger you are in? Should young girls be getting this message that it is okay to love one who is violent enough to hurt you? My young readers remind me that Bella TRUSTS Edward. And I tell them that they are too young to truly understand trust.
Today many young readers are merely consuming books the way we consume McDonald's or Burger King. Fast Food is now Fast Read, which is dangerous. They aren't questioning the truths burried in the text. They are consumed by the shiny wrapping and the promise of love. Are young girls today that needy? That desperate? Have their self-esteems been so battered already that the only way they will feel whole is to love someone who could hurt them?
UGH!
So please....horror writers.....put the horrific back into vampire. We need to remember the horror of draining blood to gain power, not the pretty pictures presented by the Twilight vampire stars.
And all you Twilight fans.......you have been duped. You are reading a HORROR book. That's what vampires are...horrific.
- Mood: pissed off
- Mood:
artistic
Yes, it's true. I've had the stomach flu...since SUNDAY! EEEEKKKKS. Worse, or worst, Munchkin's first Christmas was spent at home without the usual holiday fanfare: no trip to see Santa, listen to carrols in church, or kisses from Great Grandma. I was devasted, but thanks to N., decided to do my best to look at the bright side of things. So here is the list of why it might be a good thing to pay homage to a porcelain god on Christmas.
10. If there's something you forgot to pick up, or wrap, you can always remind folks that you've been in a fetal position for the past several days.
9. There is no rushing to grandmother's, aunt's, sister's whatever.....things actual slow to a Munchkin's crawl.
8. There is no need to cook.
7. There is no need to make extra grocery trips and fight last minute crowds.
6. You get to open Christmas gifts in bed.
5. You get to lay down and enjoy them. DEAD SPACE rocks!
4. You may just have your own personal Santa to wait on you head and foot, and tummy too!
3. You get to check out what's on tv without guilt that you should be reading, writing, grading, whatever.... Orange County Housewives is quite amusing! We also bonded with BOND.
2. You're not tempted by sweet treats or other holiday eats!
1. The scale actually goes down, instead of up!
Hope you all had a good one! I know, that I did despite being stuck in my own fetal position (mostly on the bathroom floor, mostly).
- Mood: chipper
So despite using copious amounts of Lysol spray, hand cleanser, and wipes, I have a stomach bug. And so does Munchkin. He's been pretty sick with his first fever and cold since Friday, but now he's throwing up too. There is nothing worse than cleaning up his throw-up and diarrhea when I'm nauseous too.
Ugh....it brings a whole new meaning to "horror".
So tomorrow I'm staying home, which is the smartest thing to do, and keeping him home away from daycare germs. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually get a chance to sleep, or write? Ooohhh that would be a Christmas present to myself!
Best wishes for a happy (and healthy) holiday season!
J.
- Mood: sick
Even though we've been in RI for Turkey Day, I caught glimpses on the news of a problem with the US infant formulas. You might remember that thousands of infants were sick earlier this year in China from contaminated formula. Well, the US found that the big three manufacturers of infant formula have "trace" levels of melamine and its derivitives, which can cause kidney stones, or shut-down. Our FDA has changed the accepted level of melamine in infant formulas this week, raising the "accepted" level. Some say that this was done without any scientific evidence. This was the same problem that made so many pets sick last year too.
So if you use formula, like we do...CHECK IT OUT. I looked on the internet for Nestle's Goodstart and discovered that the milk based formula (Supreme ARA DHA) has been contaminated. We just happened to switch Munchkin to soy earlier this week in desparation to heal his eczema. Apparently the soy formula is okay. Some have speculated that the milk formula has been contaminated because of what was fed to the cows, so you might want to think about the milk and milk products you ingest daily.
Personnally, I'm disgusted with our government. Not nearly enough information about the contamination has been broadcasted. It took me a while to track down the formula we used and a toll-free number I could call. Why this story hasn't been fully exposed just reeks of the desire to protect the companies who make formula first, putting our infants second. SICK.
So, if you know someone....please spread the word.
- Mood: pissed off
1. It seems that our country is finally ready for a change, or at least someone who promises to deliver change,.
2. John McCain's concession speech was eloquent and gracious....too bad his audience wasn't.
3. There's something odd when my grandmother is hopeful about Obama, but my aunts and uncles aren't.
4. I think it's too early for the news to make the claim that Palin will be the Republican's salvation in 2012. Yeesh.....
5. Obama ran a brillant compaign...using technology to reach the youth and appearing as a celebrity served him well.
6. If the economy hadn't tanked in the last couple of months, what would the outcome have been?
7. I'm excited that so many people are excited, but I'm concerned with the media's coverage today that focussed on race. Yes it's important that Obama will be the first African American President, but all this talk about race makes me uneasy. Before yesterday, I felt I was voting for the best candidate, not the Black candidate. We need to put on our color-blinders and get to work on fixing our mess. If we get sucked into the race debate, then we haven't learned anything at all.
8. Why the hell do we have to speculate when he'll be assassinated?
9. Who picked out Michele Obama's dress? Yeeeks! And what was with the red and black, aren't we red, white, and blue?
10. Before we discuss how great Obama is, let's see what he does. We seem to forget that he is only one among many politicians and all the politicians need to work together to create change. Plus there are those who stand in close proximity to Obama whose pasts are questionable. And how much change did Obama create as a senator? He is a glib speaker with great charisma who remains calm and optimistic in the face of adversity. But don't forget, one of his first words in last night's speach was responsibility, so for all those who think that "their man" in the "house" will help them out, think twice. He's made a lot of promises. Let's watch and see how he stands and delivers.
- Mood:
contemplative
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pamphiliawrites- J. Monell
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