| Really have just about had it with 2009.... |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|08:56 pm] |
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| | home | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | O and A replay XM 202 | ] |
The fecies fairy has put in overtime this year and I am getting tired of everyone continuing to be hit by it.
I swear I need to find a range that will allow folks of all skill levels to shoot and put together a silly Saturday before the end of the year.
Why?
I think we are past 2009 being fired. I think we need to line it up agianst the wall and shoot it.
Put together targets bearing the date and send a large amount of ammo down range towards it.
Could be very cathartic, I think.
Philly peeps, anyone interested?
YIS,
WRI
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| Happy Hannukah! |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|05:17 pm] |
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Joy to all who celebrate the holiday. |
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| to be barefoot on the driveway as they wave and ride away and to run inside and curse the open door |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|08:16 pm] |
Oh the things we do for kids and animals. Out in the backyard with the flashlight in the 24-degree night, throwing the ball for the dog so he can have his supper after.
One of the nice things about having Chaz Villette in my head is that his stress response is to cook. Not only am I becoming a better baker, but I get to eat his cooking. (Some of my characters are a little possessive of my headspace. Ahem.)
So tonight I made whole wheat chocolate cherry muffins (with black cocoa) (which needed more sugar, I think)
And a key lime pie.
Come over. Help eat.
...all right, time to head upstairs to pay attention to the cats and get some work done on Grail. Since I got 2K on "The Unicorn Evils" this morning and afternoon.
Now the burning question? Tea or beer?
...tea, I think. I know, I'm a failure as a bad influence sometimes. |
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| Goodies! Or How Zoe Bribes You To Love Her Still |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|05:09 pm] |
So I haven't written anything in a while. I finished The Royal Treatment and simply went offline mentally. It's work, trust me, I know this. My schedule is insane and I'm - to quote a friend - eithering napping, sleeping or working. And when I'm at work? I'm thinking about napping. Okay, I'm thinking about writing.
Then I get home and Twitter glitters at me and I start IMing James (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) eroticjames ) or Cassidy (cass1969 ) or Emily (emily83176)....I've said it once and I'll say it again: I have no discipline. Nada.
Because of this (and the horribly gulity feeling one gets when one knows others have Expectations) I present you with a snip from the most pressing WiPs on hand. I've yanked random pieces from them and I hope you enjoy it. Comments are very welcome :)
( The Royal Treatment (NSFW) )
* * * *
( Pinned (Het, NSFW) )
* * * *
( Project Asher (SFW) ) |
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| Men with Brooms pilot |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|07:58 pm] |
The original film was filmed in part at a local curling club my best friend's family curls at and it's closed this week to flm a pilot of a mini-series called Men With Brooms.
I googled but couldn't see anything. Anyone know more? |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|07:56 pm] |
reyl and I played penguins and pickles board game with the princesses tonight. Its like Apples to Apples, but geared to those who cannot read a lot yet. The first round went really well, much delight and laughing. The second round was competitive-explosive and aborted by the parents who weren't sure what the hell happened.
Now us "grown-ups" are eating pumpkin pie while the girls are banished to the yard to uh play-test Lydia's new snow suit.
I got her a new suit, and some more of my Christmas shopping done today.
I spent last evening and most of the day with finalcut999. When he whispered that we are 'alone' I didn't have the heart to tell him the dry-wall mudder guy was in the basement. We haven't been alone in a long time. Between being sick, and school PD days and me traveling...there hasn't been a lot of dates.
I am trying to figure out if I am going to go to BJJ after my PT appointment. Right now I want to just stick head in sand and stay home. I'm not sure it is a level of BJJ that I can take.
There are no books on Picasso in the three book stores I went to. Maybe he doesn't exist. |
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| Our Doomed Future |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|04:55 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  cynical | ] |
"Landscaping overgrows, walls develop mildew, ceilings cave in—a building can be shut down, but that doesn’t make it go away. Brian Ulrich’s photographs of closed-down malls and big-box retail stores reveal the potential ghost towns lying inside successful shopping complexes all across America." Ghosts of Shopping Past |
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| This Can’t Be Right |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|07:55 pm] |
I had an unnerving thought this morning.
I was in a tangle of spaziness, trying to get things accomplished (morning is not pretty for me), and was getting annoyed with myself. My lovely wife said “I love you” in the way that means “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” I was going to say “You’re in a pretty small group, then”, but didn’t want to sound melodramatic, so I thought to myself, “Don’t be ridiculous. For instance, there’s…”
And I could not think of a single name.
My family? Not so much. Previous relationships? Don’t have any. Random folk? No.
As far as I can tell, there is literally one person in the world who loves me, or who ever has. That can’t be right – but I can’t disprove it either.
And that, even though it doesn’t surprise me, is unnerving. |
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| House Approves Financial Regulation |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|06:54 pm] |
I was pleased by this news. I don't think it goes far enough, but it's a step in the right direction.
House Approves Sweeping Regulatory Reform Package
Brady Dennis, The Washington Post: "More than a year after the near-collapse of Wall Street plunged the economy into crisis, the House on Friday approved the most sweeping overhaul of the nation's financial regulatory system since the Great Depression.... The 223 to 202 vote, largely along party lines, marked a milestone in the Obama administration's efforts to rein in the abuses that contributed to the current crisis and to revamp the current patchwork of regulators to prevent similar failures in the future. The president has called financial reform one of his top priorities, alongside health care and climate change." |
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| Start your weekend right |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|05:47 pm] |
With links! From yours truly.
- Canadian Science-Fiction writer Peter Watts shanghaied at customs - This is just plain embarrassing. There is absolutely no excuse for what happened to this man, no matter who or what you believe. In short, “Hugo-award-nominated science fiction author Dr. Peter Watts is in serious legal trouble after he was beaten, pepper-sprayed and imprisoned by American border guards at a Canada U.S. border crossing December 8. This is a call to friends, fans and colleagues to help.”
- There’s still time to save Amanda Feral - Swing by Mark Henry’s place (click ye the link) for rules, regulations, and the kind of mayhem we’ve all come to expect from Mr. Henry. Likewise, as a heads up, you can order his books through University Book Store - just like mine. Details and instructions available at that same link.
- Caitlin Kittredge is live at Bitten by Books - And she’s giving away a copy of Boneshaker to a lucky reader/commenter. Also, you should swing by just because she’s fun - and because her new book just came out, and it’s awesome.
- Kyle Cassidy is also giving away Boneshaker - As part of a flash fiction contest he’s running through midnight Sunday. Go check it out! Even if you don’t want the book, read through the comments for fun stuff featuring his kitty Roswell and many steampunky adventures in brief.
[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.] |
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| Agent Appreciation Day: With Gratitude to "Literaticat" |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|08:33 pm] |
 I'm late to the party, but someone has declared today Agent Appreciation Day. Since I think it's always a great idea to celebrate people who do great work, I'm sneaking in a quick post about my literary agent, Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (She's literaticat here on LJ and on Twitter, where she talks a lot about books and says wise things about the industry.)
For blog readers outside the world of publishing, a literary agent is someone who negotiates much of the business part of writing for authors -- the book deals and contracts and any other film or foreign rights that grow out of something an author has written. Some agents, like Jennifer, also offer editorial advice to help get an author's manuscript in the best possible shape before it's submitted to editors. Agents help authors to shape their careers and generally act as advocates for writers and their work.
Given all that, I'm so very glad that Jennifer is in my corner. For starters, she's sold six books for me in the two years we've worked together. But beyond that, Jenn is one of the smartest, funniest people I know and works harder than anyone I've ever met. She is a great communicator with an unflappable positive attitude, and she's a tireless advocate for her clients. She cheers for our books both before and after they've sold. And she loves books just as much as I do.
Thanks, Jenn, for all that you do! |
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| the weather can close the world within its hand. |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|07:21 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | music | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  calm | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Iron & Wine - Belated Promise Ring | ] |
Here. Because I have chocolate cherry muffins and really good broccoli/tofu stir fry (is there anything that does not rock when you put garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil on it?) and I can't send those through the internets, have something else wonderful.
It's almost enough to make me wish I had this falling in love thing figured out. Which, given harsh experience, is saying a lot. |
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| First Page Friday: Eight Days Ablaze |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|06:17 pm] |
Lawyer Adina barJonas loves Hanukkah. And her papa gives the best gifts. This year, it’s the VirtualClone Box, for “a fully integrated sensory experience”. Adina uses it to argue law, meet her heroes and thoroughly indulge herself with some very sexy men over the eight nights of the holiday.
But Papa and Uncle David have their own agenda, and Adina finds that by enjoying her new toy she has played right into their hands.
( Read more... ) |
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| Under The Steel Gray Sky |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|04:03 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
~It's been raining here for the last day or so, very quiet, calm, and peaceful. I'm enjoying all that. The various crises and alarums have abated for the nonce. I'm enjoying that, as well.
And I remain somewhat 'on guard', not out of worry that 'something will sneak up upon me' – I know that is inevitable – but more in regard to my own complacency.
The temptation to become a Mountain Top Saint and eschew the cares of the world is very seductive. And those chaps do have their place in the scheme of things, but I am not one of them. My Fate is Engagement.
So days like these, full of soft rain from under the steel gray sky, I soak them up and do my best to enjoy The Moment. I know not when it shall come again and need their calmness to rejuvenate me.
And so it is.... |
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| Smoke: Ivan Turgenev |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|06:49 pm] |
A story of Russians set in Europe, this novel touched upon political themes and theories, most of which, I admit, were lost on me. Still, the writing was clear and the descriptions compelling. Having no first-hand knowledge of parks or hotels or train stations in the region, I felt comfortable delving into the scenery as set by Turgenev. The love story is quite predictable, but no less, or only slightly less, enjoyable because of it. The characters are simple and somewhat mysterious. I would have preferred to have been given a more concrete insight into the inner workings of quite a few of them. Still, this novel holds up well, and is an interesting study of love and passion. It stood to reaffirm notions I already held, however, rather than forge any new ground. Having not read Dostoevsky yet, I cannot comment on any philosophical rift that occurred with this book as its catalyst. As far as Russian literature goes, I truly enjoy Turgenev, although he still hasn’t dazzled me in comparison to the stark simplicity of, say, Bunin.
xposted to bibliophily |
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