Thursday, March 29, 2007
Balding Billionaires?
Donald Trump could be bald by Sunday. At least if he loses the bet he made. He has a 'wrestler' in the WWE's battle of the billionaires and the loser has to shave his head. Then again, it's not really all that big of a leap for him, all he has to do is take off that toupee.
Back In Time
I just saw this quote on one of the forums I frequent:
Now, nevermind that I am a HUGE fan of the 'Little House' series both in book and television--I grew up watching the Ingalls family and their 'homestead' trials and tribulations. Of course, back then it wasn't considered a homestead in the modernday sense of the term, but a farm. Today, a farm is a big corporation, or huge family and hired labor endeavor that makes what the Ingalls had a small time hobby farm of today--a homestead. Nevermind all that though, the idea encompased in her quote is a belief I and many hold to heart today. I don't know exactly when she said the above, but I do know that Mrs. Wilder passed away at the ripe age of 90 in 1957, so it had to be before that... thinking back of what life was like in the 50's you have to only imagine what Laura Ingalls Wilder would say about today's technologically paced world.
They say 'you can't go home again', maybe you can't 'go back' either. I don't think it really would be possible for the world as a whole to 'go back' to the simpler way of life, but I know that I enjoy trying as hard as I can to do it myself...and I know the happiness of which she speaks.
I believe we would be happier to
have a personal revolution in our
individual lives and go back to simpler
living and more direct thinking.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder
Now, nevermind that I am a HUGE fan of the 'Little House' series both in book and television--I grew up watching the Ingalls family and their 'homestead' trials and tribulations. Of course, back then it wasn't considered a homestead in the modernday sense of the term, but a farm. Today, a farm is a big corporation, or huge family and hired labor endeavor that makes what the Ingalls had a small time hobby farm of today--a homestead. Nevermind all that though, the idea encompased in her quote is a belief I and many hold to heart today. I don't know exactly when she said the above, but I do know that Mrs. Wilder passed away at the ripe age of 90 in 1957, so it had to be before that... thinking back of what life was like in the 50's you have to only imagine what Laura Ingalls Wilder would say about today's technologically paced world.
They say 'you can't go home again', maybe you can't 'go back' either. I don't think it really would be possible for the world as a whole to 'go back' to the simpler way of life, but I know that I enjoy trying as hard as I can to do it myself...and I know the happiness of which she speaks.
Dragons and Magic
Here's a great new DVD movie for you if you love medievel type movies, if you think fantasy is great, if you think a dragon is a beautiful creature, if magic thrills you... you'll love Eragon. We watched it last night. The movie was wonderful although I would have prefered a more solid ending rather than the obvious lead in for a sequel.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Legally Stoned
Prescription drug addiction is probably one of the most common yet least treated form of substance abuse. I didn't even know how common it was until one time I had a prescription for Vicodine because of pre-surgery gallbladder problems and my son commented that I could get about six bucks a pill on the street for those. Of course my first concern was how he knew that. My second was to be sure I hid the pills very well. I don't normally have that type of stuff around so usually I don't have to worry about it, but it just shocked me at the time. Just like with anything else, once you become 'aware' of something you start to see it more and more in the news, or hear about it around you. It was always there but you just don't see it. At least that's the way it seems to be for me. After Bobby made that 'passing comment' I started hearing more and more about that type of drug abuse. How much easier it would be for someone to develope an addiction to prescription drugs, and how much harder it would be to 'catch' someone with that problem. Unlike pot, or other hard drugs, in most cases prescription drugs are legal, unless you're taking them and don't have the prescription for it. So how do you stop someone from taking a drug legally prescribed for them? Or even know if it is a problem? If you have concerns about anyone in your life you should seek counseling to determine if their usage of prescription drugs is out of hand. It's just as deadly as illegal drugs, just much harder to detect.
Is This Crazy?
When my kids grew up and moved out of the house, my husband and I wasted no time in converting their bedrooms into offices for each of us. No empty nest syndrome here, and no revolving doors either. They're flying, so they can make their way in the world on their own.
Sometimes though it gets really funny. Our offices are right next to each other, so communication shouldn't be an issue, but last night my husband emailed me from his office and asked if I wanted to go out to eat. I answered him... via email. We had a several email conversation when we were both less than twenty feet apart. LOL Brought back memories of a long time ago when we had what was the first internet connection in our old house. There wasn't much to the Internet back then. Just chat rooms and email. He'd be in one room of the house on his computer and I'd be in another and we'd play 'hide and seek' in the various chat rooms. I think other people in those rooms used to think we were nuts. They weren't 'in' on the game.
Sometimes though it gets really funny. Our offices are right next to each other, so communication shouldn't be an issue, but last night my husband emailed me from his office and asked if I wanted to go out to eat. I answered him... via email. We had a several email conversation when we were both less than twenty feet apart. LOL Brought back memories of a long time ago when we had what was the first internet connection in our old house. There wasn't much to the Internet back then. Just chat rooms and email. He'd be in one room of the house on his computer and I'd be in another and we'd play 'hide and seek' in the various chat rooms. I think other people in those rooms used to think we were nuts. They weren't 'in' on the game.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Take The Bull By The Horns
Do you ever feel like you need an extra dose of energy? Wish you had the energy your kids have? (Oh boy I do. Or my grandkids. Just watching them makes me tired.) Sometimes I'd just like to replace the coffee I drink in hopes of a little charge. Red Bull has bullet speed energy and can give you that extra boost to get through a tough meeting, or a long day. For me, a long line of sleepless nights on mare, or goat, stare leaves me exhausted the morning after. I seriously need something like this to get me through the long weeks of little sleep. It will also stimulate your metabolism. Something I desperately need. It's not really my food intake, it's a very slow and sluggish metabolism especially now as I'm nearing the age where I have none at all. Shake off fatigue and shake up your brain power. Take life on with a clear head by taking the bull by the horns and 'live life at bullet speed'.
Questions and Answers--Going Back In Time
I just found this Yahoo page and it's fun. You can read and answer questions from famous people, and everyday people alike. Questions like the Obama one below, or this one from an everyday person that is: How can we establish an on-line portal sponsoring a Global Forum dealing with Energy and Environmental Issues?
The only problem with these types of questions is there's no real answer. They sound astute, but really they're silly. Talk, talk, talk... what's needed is action. Homesteaders have a good handle on environmental issues and how to solve them, but it's unlikely that those solutions will happen on a global scale in our lifetime baring true social and/or economic collapse. I don't even see how we can go 'back to the simple life' in a real full world sense. Too much of our lives is dependant on machines and big business. Oh sure, a select few of us would be okay. It would be hard but we'd survive... but how would the millions upon millions sandwiched into big cities survive with no food resources or electricity or gas? It would be devestating. Even something as simply complex as automobiles, trucks, and other fuel driven vehicles could not be taken out of the equation without causing total havoc.
Electric cars, alternative fuels... they all sound like positive moves forward, but in the end, they are simply a means to a different end. No one sixty or so years ago would have thought of the damage gasoline driven machines would create, but here we are. There's really only one biologically safe 'engine' and that's animal driven. As much as I am a homesteader, I have a difficult time envisioning the world actually replacing automobiles, buses, trains, etc with horses and wagons anytime in the near future.
I wonder what futuristic visionaries like Jules Verne, or Arthur Clark would have seen if they'd stopped looking at the future through scientific advances eyes and saw the pollution and smog and considered going backwards instead?
The only problem with these types of questions is there's no real answer. They sound astute, but really they're silly. Talk, talk, talk... what's needed is action. Homesteaders have a good handle on environmental issues and how to solve them, but it's unlikely that those solutions will happen on a global scale in our lifetime baring true social and/or economic collapse. I don't even see how we can go 'back to the simple life' in a real full world sense. Too much of our lives is dependant on machines and big business. Oh sure, a select few of us would be okay. It would be hard but we'd survive... but how would the millions upon millions sandwiched into big cities survive with no food resources or electricity or gas? It would be devestating. Even something as simply complex as automobiles, trucks, and other fuel driven vehicles could not be taken out of the equation without causing total havoc.
Electric cars, alternative fuels... they all sound like positive moves forward, but in the end, they are simply a means to a different end. No one sixty or so years ago would have thought of the damage gasoline driven machines would create, but here we are. There's really only one biologically safe 'engine' and that's animal driven. As much as I am a homesteader, I have a difficult time envisioning the world actually replacing automobiles, buses, trains, etc with horses and wagons anytime in the near future.
I wonder what futuristic visionaries like Jules Verne, or Arthur Clark would have seen if they'd stopped looking at the future through scientific advances eyes and saw the pollution and smog and considered going backwards instead?
Big and Beautiful
Clothes shopping is hard for me. It's hard because I have large... um.... attributes. Finding clothes that are proportionate to my frame can be a challenge at the best...more often frustrating. Hopefully that's about to end. There's a new garment size being created now for women with average bodies that sport above average... attributes. Styles for busty women with cup sizes from D to G in attractive styles and affordable prices.
LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.
A Losing Battle
Young congressman from Illinois and presidential hopeful Barack Obama wants us to answer the question: How can we engage more people in the democratic process?
I'm guessing he means how do we compell folks to get out and vote. Perhaps by making it seem like it makes a difference. Although some elections end up being decided by the 'mass majority', most of the times it's decided by electoral college votes. That's silly. It should always come down to actual votes period. I think it really comes down to a more everyday level though. Big government is pretty much disconnected from what real everyday people think and want... even need. They're all for protecting the conglomerates that can afford high priced lobbyists. Heck, I guess those big companies do need protecting, but so does the average 'Joe'. A great many laws are passed for 'the common good' that if you actually polled real individuals you'd probably find the overwhelming majority of them think they're stupid at the least, and infringing on their personal rights more often than not.
That's my answer Mr. Obama. More people don't get involved because they don't feel that the government really stands for them. And they rarely feel like their vote really makes a difference anyway either. Add that to the fact that most times picking a candidate for office is usually like chosing the 'lesser of two evils'--who cares if your voice does count. Either way it's a losing battle.
I'm guessing he means how do we compell folks to get out and vote. Perhaps by making it seem like it makes a difference. Although some elections end up being decided by the 'mass majority', most of the times it's decided by electoral college votes. That's silly. It should always come down to actual votes period. I think it really comes down to a more everyday level though. Big government is pretty much disconnected from what real everyday people think and want... even need. They're all for protecting the conglomerates that can afford high priced lobbyists. Heck, I guess those big companies do need protecting, but so does the average 'Joe'. A great many laws are passed for 'the common good' that if you actually polled real individuals you'd probably find the overwhelming majority of them think they're stupid at the least, and infringing on their personal rights more often than not.
That's my answer Mr. Obama. More people don't get involved because they don't feel that the government really stands for them. And they rarely feel like their vote really makes a difference anyway either. Add that to the fact that most times picking a candidate for office is usually like chosing the 'lesser of two evils'--who cares if your voice does count. Either way it's a losing battle.
Lost In My Own Space
The weather is beautiful outside and I'm not even going to complain that it seems like we went from winter to summer and bypassed spring altogether. It does make coming in for lunch and relaxing a bit more enjoyable though just to get out of the heat for a bit. I sat down and watched 'Lost In Space' on HBO while I ate lunch today. I love that movie. It's just a redux of the old series, but fun. It's corny too and vastly improbable like many space movies of its kind, but the 'sappy' yet heart-tugging premise of a father's love that isn't always understood by a child is compelling enough to overcome all the sappy retroness of the movies theme.
Fiscal Responsibility
Any small business owner knows that the most important aspect of their business is the income, and outflow of money. Keeping track of expenses and income can be daunting for those that don't have advanced degrees in accounting though. Thankfully there are programs out there designed to help companies of all sizes with their financial tracking needs. Budgeting Software that is easy to use yet complex enough to give you a detailed idea of how things look in various manners from pie charts to get a quick glance of how your expenses measure up against your income, to minute details of each transaction, right down to putting each exchange in their appropriate catagories for tax information is the measure of a quality financial program. Prophix Solutions has a fantastic program that is used by several publishing companies to track their fiscal health. Whether you're a big publishing company, or a single writer--it's vital to know where your money is and how it's being used to your best benefit, and a program like this can do just that for you.
More toys
Hubby came home today and brought me a new toy. Don't you just love new toys? I do. My computer desk is full of 'toys' from external hard drives to DVD burners etc... I've never tried remote mouses though. He's used one for his laptop for awhile now and it's nice when I do things on that. I just never really got around to getting one for my desktop computer. Well he brought me one home today. I don't know why for sure. It's not my birthday. He just does things like that every now and then. So I have a cool new wireless mouse that works great. Boy is it sensitive though. I have to really get used to the play on it.
Monday, March 26, 2007
The Pen Is Mightier...
When you're a writer you can never have too many pens. But pens make fantastic marketing tools too. I've used inscribed pens for book promotions, website promotion, and also for my ranch promotions. It's simple and everyone likes pens. Just think about how often you've 'lost' a pen on your desk only to find it two desks over at work, or in your neighbor's purse when they pull out a pen. It's not intentional, it just seems to happen so why not let it happen in your favor. Next time the co-worker across the aisle mysteriously happens to abscond with your pen they'll have your promotion with them too. It's a win-win situation for very little cost per item. Shakespere once wrote 'the pen is mightier than the sword'... and it makes a great piece of promo too!
Music To My Ears
I finally figured out something that has been bugging me for over a year. I have a massive collection of music on my old computer. It was compiled over the course of about six years but when I got my new computer I was stymied in how to get the songs transfered to the new machine. I have a USB flash drive, but it won't work on my old computer because it's windows 98SE and it doesn't work with versions of Windows lower than XP. My old computer does not have a CD burner. That's the big killer. It has a CD drive to read, but I can't copy the songs onto CD's from it. It has a 3.5 disk drive but 3.5 disks are too small to carry even one song on them. Songs are huge files... which killed another attempt to email each individual song to myself. None of my email carriers would send/recieve such huge files. All the downloads had come from legitimate sources (just wanted to say that so everyone was clear on that issue) but the download programs used to purchase the songs were no help in sending them. They would have let me burn the songs to CD... but again not possible. So I was stuck...
Just recently I made a deal to trade my old computer for something I wanted. The person receiving the computer needed it, and it was a very aggreeable on all sides transaction. I have about three weeks before the trade will take place to get all my 'crap' off the old computer and the songs weren't even in my mind. I had all those files to get off that while I 'could' use the 3.5 drive for that since my new computer has not only a CD drive, a CD burner, a DVD burner it also has a 3.5--but that would take forever.
Bob (my husband) came up with an idea. I have an external 160 gig hard drive. Why not hook that up to the old computer (it does work on 98SE) and download everything then hook it back up to my new computer. Viola everything would be there... and yep--EVEN THE SONGS!
I'm in seventh heaven now. All those songs I thought I'd never get to listen to again without repurchasing hundreds of dollars worth of disks or downloads is mine to enjoy once more. Where there's a will--there just may be a way.
Just recently I made a deal to trade my old computer for something I wanted. The person receiving the computer needed it, and it was a very aggreeable on all sides transaction. I have about three weeks before the trade will take place to get all my 'crap' off the old computer and the songs weren't even in my mind. I had all those files to get off that while I 'could' use the 3.5 drive for that since my new computer has not only a CD drive, a CD burner, a DVD burner it also has a 3.5--but that would take forever.
Bob (my husband) came up with an idea. I have an external 160 gig hard drive. Why not hook that up to the old computer (it does work on 98SE) and download everything then hook it back up to my new computer. Viola everything would be there... and yep--EVEN THE SONGS!
I'm in seventh heaven now. All those songs I thought I'd never get to listen to again without repurchasing hundreds of dollars worth of disks or downloads is mine to enjoy once more. Where there's a will--there just may be a way.
Natural Dieting
If you've ever given any thought to using a dietary aide for weight loss like I have you have probably investigated many products. Some are really scary. Some are obvious fads, and the 'jury is still out' on some of them as to their long term effects. To be sure many have been found to carry serious consequences whether they were effective or not as a weight loss aide. Hoodia is the all-natural diet craze that while riding the tide of 'new' popularity actually has a great deal of merit and I really think will stay the course. Unlike the pharmecuical cocktails that have caused so much trouble in the past, the herbal ingredients in Hoodia products would be hard pressed to cause harm, and yet they have gotten rave reviews from users as to their effectiveness. Hey, if Liz Taylor, Oprah, and Bette Middler have had success with it, anyone can!
Casino Royale
Another unusual ending for a movie was 'Casino Royale' the new James Bond movie. While, as usual, this Bond flick didn't fail in it's twists and turns, and keeping you guessing right up to the end, it wasn't even the switch at the end that was a stunner it was how it ended. Top that with it is the 'pre-quel' to the series where you get to see Bond's very first assignment and joining the ranks of double 'O's' and you have a really enjoyable, fast paced movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Sly Wins Again
Hubby and I watched 'Rocky Balboa' last night. Of course we had to see it since we'd seen all the previous 'Rocky' movies, but there was the apprehension of just how effective Sylvester Stallone would be as a powerhouse boxer since he's... well getting older is probably the nicest way to put it. Let me tell you, he might be, but there's one Stallion that is ageing pretty darned well. You can see it in his face and even then you could say he's aging pretty gracefully, but the body... wow. He bulked up for the roll just like he always has, but in the past you could compare his frame to a well-muscled stallion--now... that man is built like a bull! What a powerhouse still. I sure wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley and have him get mad at me.
I laughed too at the special feature part where he was sparing with the professional boxer they had play his opponent in the movie who didn't like getting hit. Sly was like "he's a professional boxer who doesn't like getting hit, and here I am saying 'hit me'".
Beyond the physicallity of the aging Stallone, the Rocky movie didn't fail to provide that 'feel good' movie feeling. There's just something about a Rocky movie that makes you want to stand up and cheer.
I also loved the premise in the movie that Rocky uses when talking to his son--it's not the blows life throws you, but how well you can take them and keep moving forward. That reminds me so much of a saying I've used when talking to my children about the trials and tribulations of life: It's not the punches life throws that determines your character, but how you roll with the blows.
We enjoyed it very much. Good job, Sly.
I laughed too at the special feature part where he was sparing with the professional boxer they had play his opponent in the movie who didn't like getting hit. Sly was like "he's a professional boxer who doesn't like getting hit, and here I am saying 'hit me'".
Beyond the physicallity of the aging Stallone, the Rocky movie didn't fail to provide that 'feel good' movie feeling. There's just something about a Rocky movie that makes you want to stand up and cheer.
I also loved the premise in the movie that Rocky uses when talking to his son--it's not the blows life throws you, but how well you can take them and keep moving forward. That reminds me so much of a saying I've used when talking to my children about the trials and tribulations of life: It's not the punches life throws that determines your character, but how you roll with the blows.
We enjoyed it very much. Good job, Sly.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Style on The Outside
Living out in the country you have two options when it comes to outdoor landscaping--bare minimum (ie: nothing at all, leave it all to the wilds and rugged look--some may call it the junkyard/hillbilly look), or go for upscale high-end farm where you are sure to find the fanciest bred livestock just because the entry and drive look like they cost a million bucks.
We strive for the inbetween. Looking nice, and classy. While we're sure not to ever look like we spent a million on landscaping and decorations, we want it to look nice.
Whether you're going for the 'million-dollar' look, or just nice and well-kept, having decorative numbers and signage on your house, and/or mailbox adds a nice touch to your property. A simple house marker can make the difference between shabby and stylish. You can even go wild and get a planter mailbox... I love that idea. That would look perfect at the foot of our driveway!
We strive for the inbetween. Looking nice, and classy. While we're sure not to ever look like we spent a million on landscaping and decorations, we want it to look nice.
Whether you're going for the 'million-dollar' look, or just nice and well-kept, having decorative numbers and signage on your house, and/or mailbox adds a nice touch to your property. A simple house marker can make the difference between shabby and stylish. You can even go wild and get a planter mailbox... I love that idea. That would look perfect at the foot of our driveway!
Got Cranked
We saw 'Crank' the other night and was it ever wild! I'd pretty much expected it to be. Just about anything with Jason Statam is going to move at a fast and crazy pace--what I didn't expect from a chase/mob/hitman type movie was humor. I love humor in a movie even if it's 'serious'. It gives the movie a human touch. Even more what I didn't expect was the ending...
...no I won't say what it was, but talk about unusual--turned it right into a romance and then some.
...no I won't say what it was, but talk about unusual--turned it right into a romance and then some.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Capo's Mistress -- A novel of Organized Crime, and Love
Richard Harris (not the actor) has a wonderful new book about to be released. 'The Capo's Mistress' is a delightful mystery/suspense/romance set in the deserts of the Las Vegas countryside, and the bright lights of the city. Quite a combination for any book, but this one pulls it off. There's a certain machismo in Mr. Harris' viewpoint that is refreshingly enlightening in the world of romance. Check out the excerpt from 'Mike's First Night':
But then she crawled up on top of me looking for more and there was none. I was like a fighter I used to watch at the Olympic in L.A., a young Irish kid who would bless himself when the bell rang for the first round and run from his corner throwing punches from all angles at his opponent. Sometimes he knocked the other kid out but if that didn’t happen there was nothing left for the second round. He had punched himself out. I was in a ten rounder, at least, and I was hanging on for my life. It was humiliating, or at least ironic, that what I had dreamed of all day was on top of me and my poor spent gladiator, moving up and down in sexual frenzy, and I couldn’t do anything about it. She didn’t seem to care, which was a blessing. She would rest awhile, and I would think she was finished, but then she would moan and start up again. I tried to count the number, got up to at least eight, and longed to get back into the game, but my side had retired from the field. I cursed the gladiator under my breath for fleeing the battle, the dirty little coward. She finally seemed to be satisfied but every now and then she would shudder and move up and down briefly on her cowardly opponent, rubbing in the complete and total victory she had achieved over him.
Sometimes her shudders would start her off again and I would increase the count by one, sometimes not. This was her way of cooling down, like walking a thoroughbred racehorse, until she fell asleep, still on top of me.
End of Excerpt.
Better yet, check out the unusual and refreshing style of marketing Mr. Harris employs. Get a free audio download of The Capo's Mistress by Richard Harris on his website before the Amazon.com release on April 27th. Don't miss out on this try before you buy deal. That has to be the epitome of finding new ways to market so you don't get stale. It's interesting though and if enough people start talking up the book before its release, they're apt to cause quite an interest for the product once it hits the store. Good going Rich, that's the way to do it.
Another super idea for getting interest going for the story is the background on the places in the book that Richard has on his blog. Get the feel for Las Vegas and all of the spots highlighted in the book like Yellowstone National Park, and Virginia City, Vermont as well as the various clubs and the strip itself--all of which Mr. Harris visited and investigated while he wrote the book.
Not only is the book a gem, the author's cleaver marketing plans are diamonds as well. Get your audio MP3 copy today and find out for yourself what a delightful story 'The Capo's Mistress' really is.
But then she crawled up on top of me looking for more and there was none. I was like a fighter I used to watch at the Olympic in L.A., a young Irish kid who would bless himself when the bell rang for the first round and run from his corner throwing punches from all angles at his opponent. Sometimes he knocked the other kid out but if that didn’t happen there was nothing left for the second round. He had punched himself out. I was in a ten rounder, at least, and I was hanging on for my life. It was humiliating, or at least ironic, that what I had dreamed of all day was on top of me and my poor spent gladiator, moving up and down in sexual frenzy, and I couldn’t do anything about it. She didn’t seem to care, which was a blessing. She would rest awhile, and I would think she was finished, but then she would moan and start up again. I tried to count the number, got up to at least eight, and longed to get back into the game, but my side had retired from the field. I cursed the gladiator under my breath for fleeing the battle, the dirty little coward. She finally seemed to be satisfied but every now and then she would shudder and move up and down briefly on her cowardly opponent, rubbing in the complete and total victory she had achieved over him.
Sometimes her shudders would start her off again and I would increase the count by one, sometimes not. This was her way of cooling down, like walking a thoroughbred racehorse, until she fell asleep, still on top of me.
End of Excerpt.
Better yet, check out the unusual and refreshing style of marketing Mr. Harris employs. Get a free audio download of The Capo's Mistress by Richard Harris on his website before the Amazon.com release on April 27th. Don't miss out on this try before you buy deal. That has to be the epitome of finding new ways to market so you don't get stale. It's interesting though and if enough people start talking up the book before its release, they're apt to cause quite an interest for the product once it hits the store. Good going Rich, that's the way to do it.
Another super idea for getting interest going for the story is the background on the places in the book that Richard has on his blog. Get the feel for Las Vegas and all of the spots highlighted in the book like Yellowstone National Park, and Virginia City, Vermont as well as the various clubs and the strip itself--all of which Mr. Harris visited and investigated while he wrote the book.
Not only is the book a gem, the author's cleaver marketing plans are diamonds as well. Get your audio MP3 copy today and find out for yourself what a delightful story 'The Capo's Mistress' really is.
Use Your Imagination
Finding new and imaginative ways to market your work is daunting. Everything's been done. You've done it so you know. The routine begins to flag and enthusiasm dwindles to remote control stuffing of envelopes and clicking send on mass emails. Guess what? That's when you have to pound your head on the desk and come up with something fresh because if you're bored with your campaign, your audience probably will be too. Writers are blessed with an overactive imagination--now's the time to kick that into high gear.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Water To Go
During the winter I drink lots of coffee, and even soda, but in the summer I prefer to have a bottle of water wherever I go. The drawback is I don't like 'outside' water sources. I don't mean like water from a stream, although that would count too, but I mean even a fountain, or restaurant. The only alternative would be to buy bottled water but the prices for those are rediculous in my opinion. So what do I do when I run out of water from home in my water bottle? Suffer...
Until my husband found a cool new 'tool'. He found a water bottle filter. Just fill up the bottle with water from anywhere and put the filter cap on and viola--as good as any store bought water anywhere, and even better than the water from home. I even use these when I fill bottles at home now too.
Until my husband found a cool new 'tool'. He found a water bottle filter. Just fill up the bottle with water from anywhere and put the filter cap on and viola--as good as any store bought water anywhere, and even better than the water from home. I even use these when I fill bottles at home now too.
Do Angels Smile?
Have you ever wondered if angels smile? There was a time I would have said -- I can’t answer that. If they do, they’ve never smiled on me. Fate, it seems, has a cruel sense of humor. Twisted really. Fate’s never smiled on me either. Spit was more like it. I don’t know if I believe in heaven, or hell, but I do believe in fate, and it’s no circumstance either. Fate is a bitch, pure and simple. Feminine through and through.
Lately though I'd have to say -- yes. Angels do smile, and fate can be kind. She's been good to me these past couple of months. Perhaps it's timing. Perhaps it's simple 'dumb luck', but I prefer to think that maybe we are just too impatient wanting things to work out when they weren't meant to be... when the time is right, angels smile, and everything falls into place.
Lately though I'd have to say -- yes. Angels do smile, and fate can be kind. She's been good to me these past couple of months. Perhaps it's timing. Perhaps it's simple 'dumb luck', but I prefer to think that maybe we are just too impatient wanting things to work out when they weren't meant to be... when the time is right, angels smile, and everything falls into place.
Looking Towards The South
I'm always on the look out for places that will make a nice place to live since we are seriously considering making one final move and retiring somewhere other than the Illinois areas we've lived in all our lives. The south definately has major incentives--the biggest being the warmth. I want to live someplace where water doesn't freeze. Face it, I'm never going to be totally without animals, but the chores in the frozen North in the winter can be... well less than relaxing.
Here's a place that looks like a wonderful place to live. Cary, North Carolina was vote the 2006 best place to live in the South in Money magazine. Find great values and information about Cary NC Real Estate at listwise. I love the fact that Cary is an agricultural town too. The place we decide on will have to incorporate the rural atmosphere we've come to know and love.
Here's a place that looks like a wonderful place to live. Cary, North Carolina was vote the 2006 best place to live in the South in Money magazine. Find great values and information about Cary NC Real Estate at listwise. I love the fact that Cary is an agricultural town too. The place we decide on will have to incorporate the rural atmosphere we've come to know and love.
Corporate Gestures - short story
Tall and broad shouldered, Mike stood beside the waiting car that hummed anxiously, awaiting its passenger, ready to be on the move.
“Mr. Dumont, your appointment is for eleven.” The young attaché fidgeted with his briefcase, flooded with notes, and files, as looked at the ground rather than make eye contact with her boss who didn’t take kindly to reminders, especially those chastising him for tardiness.
“We’re waiting!” he growled, but his fingers beat an angry rhythm on the roof of the large black automobile. His mood didn’t lighten, nor did his deep brown eyes show much in the line of relief when a tall, blonde strolled calmly through the doors of the luxurious hotel and up to the open door of the waiting machine. “What the devil took so long?” Mike demanded to know as he swung the door shut without even a glance to the small, brunette still standing on the sidewalk beside the car. As an afterthought he rolled the window down part way and practically screamed into the morning air. “Are you getting in or do we leave without you?”
Karen jumped and dived into the front seat of the car as its driver smiled knowingly at her. It gave her some comfort to know that she was not the only lackey that her boss bestowed his graciousness upon.
“I just never know what to do. If I tell him he’s late or needs to be somewhere, he practically jumps down my throat. If I don’t tell him, and he’s late and gets a dressing down from a suit behind a desk, I loose my job.” She wasn’t even looking at Derek who was steering the car out into the late morning New York traffic, she was looking down in to her upturned palms that were still shaking and fighting the tears that always followed the sharp words from her boss. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” Her following remark wasn’t much more than a mumbled whisper but she felt Derek’s hand touch hers and had to fight the emotional outbreak even harder. If ‘he’ caught her crying, he’d take her to task even more.
They pulled up alongside an indefinably tall building that housed Mega Record’s New York offices, and Karen found herself left behind once again as Mike jumped from the car and bolted to the doors before anyone could see him and register his identity. The tall, blonde accompanying him however, was still seated behind her in the car, applying an even thicker coat of red paint to her pouty lips.
Karen turned and smiled bravely, thinking about making some form of small talk with the woman who accompanied her boss, but found her gaze met with a glare that would melt a glacier, and definitely made her turn back to the front of the car without comment.
“How long is he gonna be here?” The shrill, irritating voice from the rear screeched to the front of the car. Karen looked at Derek and smiled, shrugged her shoulders as if answering the voice in the back and remained mute. “Well? Are you going to do your job? How long is he gonna be here?” The voice demanded once again.
“I’m not really sure, ma’am. These things take time and he could be here for several hours. Is there someplace we can take you in the meantime?” Karen knew full well that she should report upstairs to the meeting where her boss was now ensconced, but found herself hoping that this shrill, viper in the back would want to be taken somewhere, anywhere, giving her an excuse to have left, at least momentarily.
Those were the orders, as she knew them. To see to Miz Thing’s every need while she was here with him. Karen wasn’t really sure which was worse, but at least she didn’t feel the emotional destruction when the witch in the back of the car yelled at her. She didn’t care for the over-done beauty with the bleach bottle hair and chalkboard voice. The problem with her boss yelling at her is she wanted so badly to be the assistant he wanted, but never seemed to be able to fulfill his desires in that area.
“Take me to Bloomies.”
That reply hardly came as a surprise to Karen, in fact, she had almost ordered Derek to head in that direction before the words were out of her leggy charge’s mouth. Once in the store however, Karen was shocked to watch how, with devilish glee, the ice queen charged about grabbing every item in site and tossing them to the nearest available clerk, shouting orders at them like they were trained puppies awaiting her command, and then, had the unbearable audacity to look over at her and demand that she charge Mike’s account with the purchases.
“But. Excuse me ma’am, but I haven’t cleared this with him.” Karen felt herself beginning to stutter once again, not fearing the glare or the screech of the woman in front of her, but the glare and momentous roar that would surely accompany her boss’ reaction to this demand. And, she knew full well that Miss-way-to-much-lipstick, wouldn’t hear a word about it, just her, she would have to listen as Mike demanded to know why she had allowed this to happen and why and if she had any brains at all in her thick skull.
“Take me back to the hotel; and I expect to see these packages there within the hour.” Blonde hair flew as the woman who had issued the order swung around, bumping into Karen and knocking her into a nearby counter. “Get outta my way you little… little… nothing.”
Karen winced, not at the words which we not to unusual coming from her employer’s women, but from the sharp pain in her side where the edge of the counter had caught her in her off-balance stumble.
“Yes ma’am.” With resignation Karen sighed and handed over the corporate credit card to the clerk behind the counter who was busy fighting the pile of purchases that were heaped upon the top of the counter by the register.
Karen breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled up in front of the regally appointed Hyatt, turning she began to ask if there were anything further that was needed, but found herself facing an empty seat as the door swung shut and her ride walked briskly to the door of the hotel.
“What a relief.”
Derek nodded but remained silent as he drove back in the direction of Mega Record’s headquarters. Not for long, she thought, now she had to deal with the really difficult one.
“She did what?”
Karen’s eye’s squeezed shut, trying to block out the image of her boss pacing the floor of the empty office where the meeting had only just recently adjourned. She waited for the anger, the yells, the in-your-face barrage.
Nothing.
She opened her eyes slowly to find the liquid brown eyes that millions of women the world over screamed for staring directly at her, and he was smiling.
“Why are you always so… tense?” He knew that wasn’t exactly the word he was looking for, but it worked for now. “I’m that bad, huh?” He didn’t really need an answer to that. He knew he was. He reached out to wipe the wisps of hair that had fallen across her eyes, and she ducked…. “Wow! I didn’t think I was that bad. Come on, you know I would never hurt you.” He smiled and pulled her over to him and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry that Camile was so hard on you, she is a handful sometimes.” He looked down to see if she was relaxing at all, her body was still tense in his arms. He was used to that though, most women were overcome and tense when he first held them, he was used to it and knew how to deal with it… but that was the one plus to women like Carmen, they were not in the least overwhelmed by him, they were to busy being overwhelmed by themselves. On the other hand, there were women like Karen, soft, sweet, un-assuming, they looked at him like a god and there were benefits to that too, really nice benefits. He smiled and shook her gently. “Loosen up, girl, you’re gonna break right in two in a second.”
Karen looked up and her lips trembled, this was just too much. In the six months since she had first come to work for this man, this was the first time he had so much as touched her, now here she was in his arms. When she had interviewed for the job, she vehemently denied any crazy fan-ship, or overwhelming desire to be madly in love with Michael Dumont the entertainer.
It hadn’t been true, but it had been necessary, she would never have gotten past the first interview with the anonymous employment company if she had admitted any fanaticism, definitely not a good thing for someone working so closely with the star himself. To top it off, during the last few months, in spite of the angry words and the occasionally harsh attitude, she definitely found herself attracted to the man in front of her. Not the entertainer…the man. Now, she stood there, in his arms, and she felt weak in the knees and unable to respond. Where was this supposed to go? What would happen to her job if she responded the way her body told her to--begged her to.
Mike walked over to the large, over-stuffed chair opposite his desk and pulled her along. Sitting down, he pulled her down on top of him and hugged her. She was warm, and smelled faintly of an inexpensive perfume, but it was a pleasant fresh smell. He ran his fingers through her hair that fell back across her shoulders and looked into her timid eyes. “Are you okay?” He felt her shake slightly, he was pushing the limits here… Visions of possible lawsuits ran through his mind… sexual harassment. He breathed in deep and reached up to kiss her. Okay, too late to take it slow, his mind raced with how to avoid any ramifications of this action, but his body kept going in the other direction, ignoring his minds plea to stop before he lost control and became yet another headline on the worlds news page.
Then it happened. He felt her relax, join into the kiss, her hand move to his chest, settling there to feel the beat of his heart beneath the smooth cotton shirt. Without stopping the kiss, he caressed her. He moved his hand up the smooth nylon of her stockings and up to the edge of her skirt. Again, she tensed beneath his touch. Slow, his mind screamed, again his hands had a different agenda than his mind and his fingers slid beneath the heavy material of the very tailored, neat, business cut skirt, sliding up to the apex of her thighs, feeling the warmth.
He could feel his own excitement and was pretty sure that from her vantage point on his lap, she could too, then he felt her hand move slowly, unsure, questioning, down towards his waist. He was hitting home now, and he moved his hand from her thighs to her hand and helped her with her indecision. He undid the buckle at his waist and she popped the button on his trousers. Suddenly her laughter pealed out and broke the moment and for an instant he thought it might all be over.
“This is not funny!” he admonished as he picked her up and sat her down on the edge of his desk. This time her eyes met his with a devilish glare, her hair framing her features softly. He pushed back the jacket from her shoulders and ran his hands over her silk covered shoulders, feeling the outline of the straps beneath it, she was sexier than any woman he had ever seen right at that second and he felt he might explode with the excitement of the vision in front of him before he even had the chance to examine the situation further.
As his hands ran down her sides, she moved hers up to the buttons on her shirt and slowly undid each one. Mike watched with hungry anticipation then reached out to touch her, and slide his hands around her hugging her closely, feeling her breath on his neck, he pushed her down onto the desk top, feeling his own excitement no long containable, he pushed up her skirt, as more articles of clothing fell to the floor, she giggled at the absurdity of the situation.
“You really need to stop laughing, you’re giving me a complex.” But with that final exclamation, he pushed himself into her and she groaned, her back arching on the brown oak desktop.
Karen reached up, pulled his shoulders closer to her and kissed him hungrily… The hell with employment, it’s highly over-rated anyway she thought as his body tensed for the next thrust. He moved into her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling herself closer to his thrusting hips, and ran her hands down his chest, brushing away the beads of sweat that were beginning to form. At the peak of climax they grabbed onto each other and he kissed her, thrusting his hungry tongue into her and she felt like he would swallow her whole as his body rocked with the explosive orgasm.
Sitting up on the desk, her legs still wrapped around his waist as he pushed himself back off the desk and smiled at her. She looked at him, suddenly shy again, unsure now of her position, never mind that physically she still had her legs around him, that he was still more than partially undressed in front of her, and that her clothes were definitely not in traditional business position. “I’ll never be able to look at this desk again with the same attitude.” She whispered and smiled, hoping he would respond in a positive manner. As her legs released him from their grip, he bent and retrieved her panties and stockings that had been flung to the floor, handed them to her. Then he smiled, and its warmth lit the room and her fears began to subside.
“I’d like you to take a memo, please.” He walked around to the chair behind his desk and sat down, his hands clasped in front of him confidently waiting for her to prepare herself to take his dictation.
He must be kidding, she suddenly felt like a twilight zone participant, take a memo. Just like that? She hurriedly grabbed a pad from the desktop and a pen from the drawer in front of him. She thought she saw the beginnings of a smile on his face as she hustled in an attempt to prepare for his coming words. Sitting on the straight-backed chair opposite him that she always used, it seemed impossible to believe that the desk in front of her had only moments before held them in a passionate embrace. “Okay…. Ready when you are.”
“Okay, now, write this down. I love you.” He stood and walked around the desk and grabbed her again. She giggled and the pad fell to the floor as she flung her arms around his neck and sighed with relief. The complications of the world around them and the people in it would wait, now there was nothing but the tenderness of their embrace and the comfort of his love.
“Mr. Dumont, your appointment is for eleven.” The young attaché fidgeted with his briefcase, flooded with notes, and files, as looked at the ground rather than make eye contact with her boss who didn’t take kindly to reminders, especially those chastising him for tardiness.
“We’re waiting!” he growled, but his fingers beat an angry rhythm on the roof of the large black automobile. His mood didn’t lighten, nor did his deep brown eyes show much in the line of relief when a tall, blonde strolled calmly through the doors of the luxurious hotel and up to the open door of the waiting machine. “What the devil took so long?” Mike demanded to know as he swung the door shut without even a glance to the small, brunette still standing on the sidewalk beside the car. As an afterthought he rolled the window down part way and practically screamed into the morning air. “Are you getting in or do we leave without you?”
Karen jumped and dived into the front seat of the car as its driver smiled knowingly at her. It gave her some comfort to know that she was not the only lackey that her boss bestowed his graciousness upon.
“I just never know what to do. If I tell him he’s late or needs to be somewhere, he practically jumps down my throat. If I don’t tell him, and he’s late and gets a dressing down from a suit behind a desk, I loose my job.” She wasn’t even looking at Derek who was steering the car out into the late morning New York traffic, she was looking down in to her upturned palms that were still shaking and fighting the tears that always followed the sharp words from her boss. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” Her following remark wasn’t much more than a mumbled whisper but she felt Derek’s hand touch hers and had to fight the emotional outbreak even harder. If ‘he’ caught her crying, he’d take her to task even more.
They pulled up alongside an indefinably tall building that housed Mega Record’s New York offices, and Karen found herself left behind once again as Mike jumped from the car and bolted to the doors before anyone could see him and register his identity. The tall, blonde accompanying him however, was still seated behind her in the car, applying an even thicker coat of red paint to her pouty lips.
Karen turned and smiled bravely, thinking about making some form of small talk with the woman who accompanied her boss, but found her gaze met with a glare that would melt a glacier, and definitely made her turn back to the front of the car without comment.
“How long is he gonna be here?” The shrill, irritating voice from the rear screeched to the front of the car. Karen looked at Derek and smiled, shrugged her shoulders as if answering the voice in the back and remained mute. “Well? Are you going to do your job? How long is he gonna be here?” The voice demanded once again.
“I’m not really sure, ma’am. These things take time and he could be here for several hours. Is there someplace we can take you in the meantime?” Karen knew full well that she should report upstairs to the meeting where her boss was now ensconced, but found herself hoping that this shrill, viper in the back would want to be taken somewhere, anywhere, giving her an excuse to have left, at least momentarily.
Those were the orders, as she knew them. To see to Miz Thing’s every need while she was here with him. Karen wasn’t really sure which was worse, but at least she didn’t feel the emotional destruction when the witch in the back of the car yelled at her. She didn’t care for the over-done beauty with the bleach bottle hair and chalkboard voice. The problem with her boss yelling at her is she wanted so badly to be the assistant he wanted, but never seemed to be able to fulfill his desires in that area.
“Take me to Bloomies.”
That reply hardly came as a surprise to Karen, in fact, she had almost ordered Derek to head in that direction before the words were out of her leggy charge’s mouth. Once in the store however, Karen was shocked to watch how, with devilish glee, the ice queen charged about grabbing every item in site and tossing them to the nearest available clerk, shouting orders at them like they were trained puppies awaiting her command, and then, had the unbearable audacity to look over at her and demand that she charge Mike’s account with the purchases.
“But. Excuse me ma’am, but I haven’t cleared this with him.” Karen felt herself beginning to stutter once again, not fearing the glare or the screech of the woman in front of her, but the glare and momentous roar that would surely accompany her boss’ reaction to this demand. And, she knew full well that Miss-way-to-much-lipstick, wouldn’t hear a word about it, just her, she would have to listen as Mike demanded to know why she had allowed this to happen and why and if she had any brains at all in her thick skull.
“Take me back to the hotel; and I expect to see these packages there within the hour.” Blonde hair flew as the woman who had issued the order swung around, bumping into Karen and knocking her into a nearby counter. “Get outta my way you little… little… nothing.”
Karen winced, not at the words which we not to unusual coming from her employer’s women, but from the sharp pain in her side where the edge of the counter had caught her in her off-balance stumble.
“Yes ma’am.” With resignation Karen sighed and handed over the corporate credit card to the clerk behind the counter who was busy fighting the pile of purchases that were heaped upon the top of the counter by the register.
Karen breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled up in front of the regally appointed Hyatt, turning she began to ask if there were anything further that was needed, but found herself facing an empty seat as the door swung shut and her ride walked briskly to the door of the hotel.
“What a relief.”
Derek nodded but remained silent as he drove back in the direction of Mega Record’s headquarters. Not for long, she thought, now she had to deal with the really difficult one.
“She did what?”
Karen’s eye’s squeezed shut, trying to block out the image of her boss pacing the floor of the empty office where the meeting had only just recently adjourned. She waited for the anger, the yells, the in-your-face barrage.
Nothing.
She opened her eyes slowly to find the liquid brown eyes that millions of women the world over screamed for staring directly at her, and he was smiling.
“Why are you always so… tense?” He knew that wasn’t exactly the word he was looking for, but it worked for now. “I’m that bad, huh?” He didn’t really need an answer to that. He knew he was. He reached out to wipe the wisps of hair that had fallen across her eyes, and she ducked…. “Wow! I didn’t think I was that bad. Come on, you know I would never hurt you.” He smiled and pulled her over to him and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry that Camile was so hard on you, she is a handful sometimes.” He looked down to see if she was relaxing at all, her body was still tense in his arms. He was used to that though, most women were overcome and tense when he first held them, he was used to it and knew how to deal with it… but that was the one plus to women like Carmen, they were not in the least overwhelmed by him, they were to busy being overwhelmed by themselves. On the other hand, there were women like Karen, soft, sweet, un-assuming, they looked at him like a god and there were benefits to that too, really nice benefits. He smiled and shook her gently. “Loosen up, girl, you’re gonna break right in two in a second.”
Karen looked up and her lips trembled, this was just too much. In the six months since she had first come to work for this man, this was the first time he had so much as touched her, now here she was in his arms. When she had interviewed for the job, she vehemently denied any crazy fan-ship, or overwhelming desire to be madly in love with Michael Dumont the entertainer.
It hadn’t been true, but it had been necessary, she would never have gotten past the first interview with the anonymous employment company if she had admitted any fanaticism, definitely not a good thing for someone working so closely with the star himself. To top it off, during the last few months, in spite of the angry words and the occasionally harsh attitude, she definitely found herself attracted to the man in front of her. Not the entertainer…the man. Now, she stood there, in his arms, and she felt weak in the knees and unable to respond. Where was this supposed to go? What would happen to her job if she responded the way her body told her to--begged her to.
Mike walked over to the large, over-stuffed chair opposite his desk and pulled her along. Sitting down, he pulled her down on top of him and hugged her. She was warm, and smelled faintly of an inexpensive perfume, but it was a pleasant fresh smell. He ran his fingers through her hair that fell back across her shoulders and looked into her timid eyes. “Are you okay?” He felt her shake slightly, he was pushing the limits here… Visions of possible lawsuits ran through his mind… sexual harassment. He breathed in deep and reached up to kiss her. Okay, too late to take it slow, his mind raced with how to avoid any ramifications of this action, but his body kept going in the other direction, ignoring his minds plea to stop before he lost control and became yet another headline on the worlds news page.
Then it happened. He felt her relax, join into the kiss, her hand move to his chest, settling there to feel the beat of his heart beneath the smooth cotton shirt. Without stopping the kiss, he caressed her. He moved his hand up the smooth nylon of her stockings and up to the edge of her skirt. Again, she tensed beneath his touch. Slow, his mind screamed, again his hands had a different agenda than his mind and his fingers slid beneath the heavy material of the very tailored, neat, business cut skirt, sliding up to the apex of her thighs, feeling the warmth.
He could feel his own excitement and was pretty sure that from her vantage point on his lap, she could too, then he felt her hand move slowly, unsure, questioning, down towards his waist. He was hitting home now, and he moved his hand from her thighs to her hand and helped her with her indecision. He undid the buckle at his waist and she popped the button on his trousers. Suddenly her laughter pealed out and broke the moment and for an instant he thought it might all be over.
“This is not funny!” he admonished as he picked her up and sat her down on the edge of his desk. This time her eyes met his with a devilish glare, her hair framing her features softly. He pushed back the jacket from her shoulders and ran his hands over her silk covered shoulders, feeling the outline of the straps beneath it, she was sexier than any woman he had ever seen right at that second and he felt he might explode with the excitement of the vision in front of him before he even had the chance to examine the situation further.
As his hands ran down her sides, she moved hers up to the buttons on her shirt and slowly undid each one. Mike watched with hungry anticipation then reached out to touch her, and slide his hands around her hugging her closely, feeling her breath on his neck, he pushed her down onto the desk top, feeling his own excitement no long containable, he pushed up her skirt, as more articles of clothing fell to the floor, she giggled at the absurdity of the situation.
“You really need to stop laughing, you’re giving me a complex.” But with that final exclamation, he pushed himself into her and she groaned, her back arching on the brown oak desktop.
Karen reached up, pulled his shoulders closer to her and kissed him hungrily… The hell with employment, it’s highly over-rated anyway she thought as his body tensed for the next thrust. He moved into her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling herself closer to his thrusting hips, and ran her hands down his chest, brushing away the beads of sweat that were beginning to form. At the peak of climax they grabbed onto each other and he kissed her, thrusting his hungry tongue into her and she felt like he would swallow her whole as his body rocked with the explosive orgasm.
Sitting up on the desk, her legs still wrapped around his waist as he pushed himself back off the desk and smiled at her. She looked at him, suddenly shy again, unsure now of her position, never mind that physically she still had her legs around him, that he was still more than partially undressed in front of her, and that her clothes were definitely not in traditional business position. “I’ll never be able to look at this desk again with the same attitude.” She whispered and smiled, hoping he would respond in a positive manner. As her legs released him from their grip, he bent and retrieved her panties and stockings that had been flung to the floor, handed them to her. Then he smiled, and its warmth lit the room and her fears began to subside.
“I’d like you to take a memo, please.” He walked around to the chair behind his desk and sat down, his hands clasped in front of him confidently waiting for her to prepare herself to take his dictation.
He must be kidding, she suddenly felt like a twilight zone participant, take a memo. Just like that? She hurriedly grabbed a pad from the desktop and a pen from the drawer in front of him. She thought she saw the beginnings of a smile on his face as she hustled in an attempt to prepare for his coming words. Sitting on the straight-backed chair opposite him that she always used, it seemed impossible to believe that the desk in front of her had only moments before held them in a passionate embrace. “Okay…. Ready when you are.”
“Okay, now, write this down. I love you.” He stood and walked around the desk and grabbed her again. She giggled and the pad fell to the floor as she flung her arms around his neck and sighed with relief. The complications of the world around them and the people in it would wait, now there was nothing but the tenderness of their embrace and the comfort of his love.
Finding The Perfect Spot
Looking for a new home can be scary, especially if it entails moving to a whole new city...or state. Finding search sites created to take the sting out of moving to a new place and finding just the right property makes the entire experience much more enjoyable, and even less freightening. If you're thinking of the great state of Nevade, or the sparkling town of Las Vegas, check out Las Vegas Real Estate for the best information you can find on the area, homes, and what to expect. Get FAQs about buying a home, home purchase tax advice. All kinds of great info to make the business of looking for a new place to live more enjoyable.
A Grandmother's Soul
I found this on my old computer as I was cleaning it out and getting it ready to trade to someone. The words are from 2001, but they hold true even today.
Being new to the prospect of ‘grandmother-hood’, I’m still working on developing my ‘soul’ for the job. In fact, I’m not even fully indoctrinated as yet. My first grandchild is still in the creation.
So where does the ‘grandmother’s soul’ begin? For me, it began when my beautiful but tumultuous seventeen-year-old daughter approached me one evening at bedtime. That just happens to be her favorite communication time. Perhaps I’m more affable when I’m comfy in my pajamas and snuggled up under the comforter than I am when I’m fully dressed and at my desk. This particular chat was to hold the statement that would forever alter my ‘mother’s soul’. Creating a new world and a changed perspective on life. The words that came haltingly out of her mouth, I think I’m pregnant. Held a full five minutes of shock.
When asked what brought her to that conclusion without any formal testing, I was dutifully informed that she was ‘late’. When I asked, ‘how late’, being further informed… two months, clinched the deal pretty solidly. A quick trip to the doctor confirmed all suspicions and the new life inside the life I created, began a new journey for me as well.
As a writer, I have many readers, some of which I speak to quite frequently as I spend most of my days on-line. Many of these readers are very young and I take great pride in helping them in their lives, being a part of their lives, and the fact that in a few cases, it was my writing that developed a love of reading in them.
One young woman, a fifteen-year-old who reads all my work with great fervor, asked me when I happily informed her that I was to be a grandmother, how I felt about it. She asked if I didn’t yell and scream as she was sure her parents would, even going so far as to say, if that ever happened to her, her father would kick her out of the house. Believe me, I’m sure those thoughts and worries crossed my daughter’s mind as well.
When I told her that I didn’t ‘hit the roof’ and that I was happy even though, of course, I would have preferred different circumstances, she was quite stunned. I asked her what good it would do if I were to be angry with my daughter for her ‘surprise’ (I refuse to call this beautiful new addition an accident). She couldn’t answer that. When I told her that I adored my daughter regardless of any mistakes she makes in her life, she cried.
That’s when it occurred to me that we spend far too much time putting unnecessary pressures on our children. Sometimes we forget that we were children once ourselves. We made all the same mistakes. Perhaps we came through them without consequences. Maybe we didn’t but are just so determined to have them be protected from the same consequences that we try too hard. Actually, even as a thirty-something adult, I still make plenty of mistakes. I sure hope the people in my life that love me will not hold them against me, and know that I’m a good person, worthy of love in spite of my human errors.
So this is where I find myself, developing my grandmother’s soul and holding on to the most precious gift in my life, my children. No matter where they take me along the path of life, so long as we walk together I know it will be a good trip.
Being new to the prospect of ‘grandmother-hood’, I’m still working on developing my ‘soul’ for the job. In fact, I’m not even fully indoctrinated as yet. My first grandchild is still in the creation.
So where does the ‘grandmother’s soul’ begin? For me, it began when my beautiful but tumultuous seventeen-year-old daughter approached me one evening at bedtime. That just happens to be her favorite communication time. Perhaps I’m more affable when I’m comfy in my pajamas and snuggled up under the comforter than I am when I’m fully dressed and at my desk. This particular chat was to hold the statement that would forever alter my ‘mother’s soul’. Creating a new world and a changed perspective on life. The words that came haltingly out of her mouth, I think I’m pregnant. Held a full five minutes of shock.
When asked what brought her to that conclusion without any formal testing, I was dutifully informed that she was ‘late’. When I asked, ‘how late’, being further informed… two months, clinched the deal pretty solidly. A quick trip to the doctor confirmed all suspicions and the new life inside the life I created, began a new journey for me as well.
As a writer, I have many readers, some of which I speak to quite frequently as I spend most of my days on-line. Many of these readers are very young and I take great pride in helping them in their lives, being a part of their lives, and the fact that in a few cases, it was my writing that developed a love of reading in them.
One young woman, a fifteen-year-old who reads all my work with great fervor, asked me when I happily informed her that I was to be a grandmother, how I felt about it. She asked if I didn’t yell and scream as she was sure her parents would, even going so far as to say, if that ever happened to her, her father would kick her out of the house. Believe me, I’m sure those thoughts and worries crossed my daughter’s mind as well.
When I told her that I didn’t ‘hit the roof’ and that I was happy even though, of course, I would have preferred different circumstances, she was quite stunned. I asked her what good it would do if I were to be angry with my daughter for her ‘surprise’ (I refuse to call this beautiful new addition an accident). She couldn’t answer that. When I told her that I adored my daughter regardless of any mistakes she makes in her life, she cried.
That’s when it occurred to me that we spend far too much time putting unnecessary pressures on our children. Sometimes we forget that we were children once ourselves. We made all the same mistakes. Perhaps we came through them without consequences. Maybe we didn’t but are just so determined to have them be protected from the same consequences that we try too hard. Actually, even as a thirty-something adult, I still make plenty of mistakes. I sure hope the people in my life that love me will not hold them against me, and know that I’m a good person, worthy of love in spite of my human errors.
So this is where I find myself, developing my grandmother’s soul and holding on to the most precious gift in my life, my children. No matter where they take me along the path of life, so long as we walk together I know it will be a good trip.
Keep Your Computer Up And Running At Its Best
Computers are great and probably the main insturment for writers. An office for a writer can be anywhere from the kitchen table, to the corner of a living room, to a spare bedroom (usually better since you're not constantly distracted by family traffic), but a computer is as much constant not as a typewriter and reams of paper were in days past. Computers can last a long time too, in spite of their seemingly quick outdatedness. It seems like the moment you walk out of the store with your brand new computer--it's ancient. A computer memory upgrade is one way to keep your computer useful for a long time. After all, it's speed, and memory that really makes/or breaks the systems we use and determines if they will give us a long and useful life. Of course, it would be nice if they'd slow down on the 'new' operating systems a bit.
Time Is Not On My Side At The Moment
I haven't had a whole lot of time to spend on the computer, or to blog lately, and boy I do appologize for that. I haven't even had a lot of time to cruise around and read some of my favorite blogs, and I miss that. Things should settle down a lot next week. Right now I have two sets of kids (goat kids!) to feed and both sets are on different schedules due to their ages. Next week that evens out and they will all be on the same schedule. Whew. What a relief, right now it feels like I'm never quite done feeding something.
Friday, March 16, 2007
I'm having a premonition
The movie trailers for Sandra Bullock's new movie 'Premonition' looked like it would be a really good movie full of twists and turns, but the early reports from movie goers is much less opptomistic. Some say they laughed through the entire thing--it's not a comedy. Some say the ending left them feeling let down. Most seem to feel it's so unrealistic that the premonition should have been to not release it in the first place. Sad... I like Sandra Bullock.
Keeping Up With The Family
Don't forget to check in on Itty Bitty Hooves for all the updates on Annie, Amber, and the new girls Amelia and Angel... PLUS see pics of our massive new Boer buck Mickey who will be coming to Illinois next month with three of his daughters to add to our group. Mickey is the poster boy for the rap song 'I like big butts'. We like him for sure.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Never Underestimate The Power of The LINK
I've heard lots of writers who have been in the business a long time say they wouldn't write articles, or stories, anymore just for the link. They want some form of pay to go along with it.
I understand that concept fully. At this point in my writing I feel that way more often than not as well, and usually get it. However, in the past, when I was first starting out, I wrote LOTS of articles for free in exchange for the links. I usually aimed for high-traffic sites when doing it, and it got me lots of exposure I wouldn't have received on my own. I'll still do it occassionally. Even when I get paid for an article or story I prefer to get a link at the end, or in the byline. There are places now though that won't do both. If they pay you they won't direct traffic off their site while doing it. I can understand that. Or they'll give you a general 'about the author' page if they host a number of your articles where they will put a link to your site, but not put it on the actual article. So there are valid reasons for accepting occassional non-paying but heavy traffic assignments since you will always get a direct link right with the article/story.
Remember... traffic is the key to sales. Never underestimate the value of that link, even if you don't get paid in cash, you'll get paid in exposure and that can be worth more than gold.
I understand that concept fully. At this point in my writing I feel that way more often than not as well, and usually get it. However, in the past, when I was first starting out, I wrote LOTS of articles for free in exchange for the links. I usually aimed for high-traffic sites when doing it, and it got me lots of exposure I wouldn't have received on my own. I'll still do it occassionally. Even when I get paid for an article or story I prefer to get a link at the end, or in the byline. There are places now though that won't do both. If they pay you they won't direct traffic off their site while doing it. I can understand that. Or they'll give you a general 'about the author' page if they host a number of your articles where they will put a link to your site, but not put it on the actual article. So there are valid reasons for accepting occassional non-paying but heavy traffic assignments since you will always get a direct link right with the article/story.
Remember... traffic is the key to sales. Never underestimate the value of that link, even if you don't get paid in cash, you'll get paid in exposure and that can be worth more than gold.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Lead In For Women
Inchicks.com is a great new place for woman to share links to their sites on the Internet. Authors can get great visability on this site for their work, websites and blogs and have it reach a wide variety of woman from all walks and interests that might not find your work elsewhere. It's one of those things you have to look for in order to expand your marketing.
Catering to a nitch market is great, but it will only get you so far. You have to spread out to the masses and that can be difficult, and in some cases very expensive. Using sites like Inchicks helps a lot because you cut out a lot of the risk by getting rid of the high costs of commercial advertising, and it targets the Internet market we're looking for anyway. Most of our readers are going to be women, so why not take advantage of a site geared toward marketing to women?
Sign up is free and there are dozens of catagories to choose from to post your blurb about your website, or product. Check it out. It sure can't hurt. Every link is a possible lead and points to you.
Catering to a nitch market is great, but it will only get you so far. You have to spread out to the masses and that can be difficult, and in some cases very expensive. Using sites like Inchicks helps a lot because you cut out a lot of the risk by getting rid of the high costs of commercial advertising, and it targets the Internet market we're looking for anyway. Most of our readers are going to be women, so why not take advantage of a site geared toward marketing to women?
Sign up is free and there are dozens of catagories to choose from to post your blurb about your website, or product. Check it out. It sure can't hurt. Every link is a possible lead and points to you.
LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.
New Articles Published on AC
As you might have noticed on the sidebar content, my two articles I was waiting on at AC (Yep Liz-Associated Content) were published today! They were both reprints of articles I'd written for my previous website and had on my blog but they still paid well for them. One got about half of what the other did only because I didn't have a picture accompanying it. They like pictures. Of course, the pics have to be original in order to avoid copyright infringment so it can be difficult sometimes. Most of my articles have had some for of pic with them and they've sold well.
The Sound Of Advertising
Here's a funky twist that will show just how sneaky some advertisers can be. Watching tv the other night I happened to hear a commercial (usually I tune them out) and it was for a major bank credit card (I won't name them) and the pitch was, save your money, for every purchase they'd round it up to the next dollar and deposit the change into your savings account.
Now at first that sounds like a good deal. Sort of like putting the change you get from the store into a jar. You know how fast that can add up. It really does, so their idea of putting the 'change' into your savings sounds like a similar thing and a great idea. Go for it! Get that card!
Wait... think about it for a second. It takes a minute...
You're going to charge that extra 50 cents or whatever and put it in a savings account that will earn maybe 3% if you're lucky BUT... you're paying the charge card for it anywhere from 18 to 21%!!!!!
They sure make it sound like a good deal though.
Now at first that sounds like a good deal. Sort of like putting the change you get from the store into a jar. You know how fast that can add up. It really does, so their idea of putting the 'change' into your savings sounds like a similar thing and a great idea. Go for it! Get that card!
Wait... think about it for a second. It takes a minute...
You're going to charge that extra 50 cents or whatever and put it in a savings account that will earn maybe 3% if you're lucky BUT... you're paying the charge card for it anywhere from 18 to 21%!!!!!
They sure make it sound like a good deal though.
The Best Things In Life May Not Be Free After All
I was reading yesterday about how the music industry is trying once again to crack down on pirated songs on the internet. What gets me is that the audience they're targeting really has no reason to 'steal' the songs.
Thousands of college students got a rude awakening in their email boxes recently when the RIAA sent them a letter saying pay up (in the area of three GRAND) or be sued for stealing songs off the internet. Can you imagine getting that call from your college student? 'Hey Mom, I need three grand.' Yeah right. Well they have to pay it. The thing is places like Napster and others have been giving students songs for FREE. Totally legit, totally legal, totally free--there are a few catches. The songs have to remain on the students computer (no downloading to ipods, or burning to CD) and they only can have them until they are finished with school. If the student wants to keep the collection after leaving school they have to pay for them.
So because of those restrictions students (in general, not all of course) are choosing to steal the songs rather than abide by those rules.
Give me a break. What spoiled attitudes do we reflect in this society? It's the same thing for writers. People don't want to pay for reading work, they expect it free. There has to be a stop to it. I want to say we have to do something to make the work more valuable in people's minds. The free atmosphere of the internet has hurt in a lot of ways with that. I mean even I when I need information on something immediately turn to the internet rather than going to the library or the book store. Just about everything can be found online. Still--I'm not at all opposed to buying books that I want to read. So perhaps it's not the internet atmosphere after all...
We have to stop teaching our young people that the world owes them. That things should be free. That they don't have to pay for something if they can figure out a way to steal it.
Thousands of college students got a rude awakening in their email boxes recently when the RIAA sent them a letter saying pay up (in the area of three GRAND) or be sued for stealing songs off the internet. Can you imagine getting that call from your college student? 'Hey Mom, I need three grand.' Yeah right. Well they have to pay it. The thing is places like Napster and others have been giving students songs for FREE. Totally legit, totally legal, totally free--there are a few catches. The songs have to remain on the students computer (no downloading to ipods, or burning to CD) and they only can have them until they are finished with school. If the student wants to keep the collection after leaving school they have to pay for them.
So because of those restrictions students (in general, not all of course) are choosing to steal the songs rather than abide by those rules.
Give me a break. What spoiled attitudes do we reflect in this society? It's the same thing for writers. People don't want to pay for reading work, they expect it free. There has to be a stop to it. I want to say we have to do something to make the work more valuable in people's minds. The free atmosphere of the internet has hurt in a lot of ways with that. I mean even I when I need information on something immediately turn to the internet rather than going to the library or the book store. Just about everything can be found online. Still--I'm not at all opposed to buying books that I want to read. So perhaps it's not the internet atmosphere after all...
We have to stop teaching our young people that the world owes them. That things should be free. That they don't have to pay for something if they can figure out a way to steal it.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
A little bit of this... A little bit of that
So much has been happening in the last few days that I've barely had time to get online. Yesterday it didn't help that hubby was home and trying to pay bills online and couldn't stay connected on the house line. For some reason every time the phone rings it boots him off. It's not supposed to, but it does, so... being the nice wife that I am I logged off and let him use it--all afternoon. ARGH He's such a great guy though, and seeing as how he does pay the bills... I guess it's a wise move.
Still waiting on hearing back on the two articles I submitted last week to AC. Should hear from them tomorrow or Saturday. It's always nerve wracking not knowing what a payment is going to be. I like the magazines and zines that you can submit to that tell you up front exactly what each piece will be worth, but AC is great too, and so far has been quite fair.
On the home front I bought a new addition last night to the farm. A big 375 pound boer buck to breed my girls to next fall. He won't be coming home until April (we're picking him up on the 18th). I'll post pictures then unless his current owner manages to send me a few by mail. She doesn't have regular internet, only web-tv so uploading pics isn't possible (I guess anyway, don't know much about web-tv). I'm looking forward to getting him though.
Still waiting on hearing back on the two articles I submitted last week to AC. Should hear from them tomorrow or Saturday. It's always nerve wracking not knowing what a payment is going to be. I like the magazines and zines that you can submit to that tell you up front exactly what each piece will be worth, but AC is great too, and so far has been quite fair.
On the home front I bought a new addition last night to the farm. A big 375 pound boer buck to breed my girls to next fall. He won't be coming home until April (we're picking him up on the 18th). I'll post pictures then unless his current owner manages to send me a few by mail. She doesn't have regular internet, only web-tv so uploading pics isn't possible (I guess anyway, don't know much about web-tv). I'm looking forward to getting him though.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Cabin Fever
I'm getting a bad case of cabin fever, and I'm not even stuck inside. The weather has been so bitter here lately. You'd think that would mean I'd have a lot of time to work on my writing being stuck inside, but what it means is I'm stuck taking longer and longer doing my outside chores and have so little time to write it's driving me insane.
I used to think winters were my most productive times for writing since I have so much more to do in the warmer weather with the animals, but I've found in practice that it just isn't true. I get a lot more writing done in the warmer months because even though I'm doing more, the chores move faster, and the daylight lasts longer.
I can't wait for spring! It's supposed to be in the high 40's by the weekend here. It can't get here fast enough for me.
I used to think winters were my most productive times for writing since I have so much more to do in the warmer weather with the animals, but I've found in practice that it just isn't true. I get a lot more writing done in the warmer months because even though I'm doing more, the chores move faster, and the daylight lasts longer.
I can't wait for spring! It's supposed to be in the high 40's by the weekend here. It can't get here fast enough for me.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Making Your Mark
Branding is such an important part of advertising whether it's for your books, or your home-based business, or for a corporate mega-chain. It's important that people identify with the 'company' not necessarily the product only unless the company is so specialized that it only sells one product. For writers it's important for people to identify with YOU not the one book you happen to be recently plugging--unless you feel you will never write/publish another. It's a common mistake I see often enough when writer's market their work, they market a single title alone. Think broader when you create your flyers, bookmarks, and even ad blurbs for online use--create a slogan that covers your style, not one book's theme and use that in your campaigning. Get people use to hearing your name. It's your name you want them looking for over and over, not the title to just one book.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The Automotive Advantage For Women
Cars are one of those necessities of life that continue to, and probably always will mystify me. I'm the key in ignition, foot on accelerator, I don't care how it works as long as it works type of people. I reckon most women are... and a lot of men even though they may not want to admit it. Face it, nowdays cars are very, very complicated pieces of machinery. Stepping into the 'way back' machine and looking under the hood of a car, say, pre-70's and you'd get an entirely different picture. Cars were simpler then. Repairing cars was a much simpler process that most folks if they had the time and desire could probably accomplish, at least on a basic level. Not so easily anymore. Looking under the hood of modern cars is like looking at a maze of hoses, and wires hooked to whirling pieces of metal, or computer chip driven parts.
Car buying is a more complicated process now than it was in days past too. There are many more types of cars to decide on which is best, price ranges that go from as much as many people make in a year to as much as I spent on my house--and with those prices--ways to finance them that are almost as varied as a typical house mortgage can be.
Weeding your way through the jungle of car purchasing, and upkeep can be difficult when you have a lot of time, but if you're a busy career woman, or a busy mom with kids that keep you hopping from morning to night, you just might not have the time to know all there is to know to make the best decisions in regards to your transportation. If that's the case, and I know it is with most women, check out 'Automotive Advice for Women by Women'. In today's complicated world of automotive ownership it's nice to get all the help you can get.
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Sky High
I happened to catch a viewing of the movie 'Sky High' with Kurt Russell last night on HBO. That was one of the I'd wanted to see it, but missed it movies that I was thrilled to see being shown. It was cute, funny, and carried a nice message to boot. One of those wholesome family movies that I like to watch. I love movies of all types but movies like 'Sky High' are a nice relief from the sex driven, blastem up movies that are common fare (although as with any superhero movie, there was enough of the bam/pow/omph stuff going on too--just in a cute way).
'Sky High' is the story of the son of two superpowers that is just starting his first year at 'Sky High' the exclusive school for the kids of superheros. His mom and pop are the super heros of superheros--the Commander and Flight something or other so he has big shoes to fill, but he doesn't have any powers--a fact he's kept hidden from dear old dad until now.
I won't tell you the rest just on the off chance you haven't seen the movie yet, or is one of those movies you 'passed' on because it looked to corny... is it corny? Yeah, sure, but in a good way.
One of the really cool 'cameo' appearances is the Linda Carter character. She's the principle of 'Sky High' (you might remember her as Wonder Woman in the 70's) at the end she walks out of detention and says something along the lines of 'I can't do everything, I'm not Wonder Woman'. That was just one of the really cute laughs aimed at those of us who grew up in the 70's with shows like WW.
If by chance you haven't seen 'Sky High', or thought it beneath you to take the time to watch it, give it a second thought. It's a really cute movie that just might leave you with a smile on your face.
'Sky High' is the story of the son of two superpowers that is just starting his first year at 'Sky High' the exclusive school for the kids of superheros. His mom and pop are the super heros of superheros--the Commander and Flight something or other so he has big shoes to fill, but he doesn't have any powers--a fact he's kept hidden from dear old dad until now.
I won't tell you the rest just on the off chance you haven't seen the movie yet, or is one of those movies you 'passed' on because it looked to corny... is it corny? Yeah, sure, but in a good way.
One of the really cool 'cameo' appearances is the Linda Carter character. She's the principle of 'Sky High' (you might remember her as Wonder Woman in the 70's) at the end she walks out of detention and says something along the lines of 'I can't do everything, I'm not Wonder Woman'. That was just one of the really cute laughs aimed at those of us who grew up in the 70's with shows like WW.
If by chance you haven't seen 'Sky High', or thought it beneath you to take the time to watch it, give it a second thought. It's a really cute movie that just might leave you with a smile on your face.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
D.C. Douglas--the voice
There have been some stars in the past that have gotten their really big breaks first by being 'a voice'. Take James Earl Jones for instance. He had success prior to Star Wars, but after Darth Vadar he was instantly recognizable for 'the voice'.
Well D. C. Douglas is just such a star now. GEICO's 'voice' of the announcer in the GEICO spots along with such big names as Little Richard, and Don LaFontaine. Visit My Voice Over Guy to learn more about this interesting voice behind the camera and what he's done, and where he's going from here. Actually the comments on the site are hilarious, as well as instantly recognizable voice wise. DC is witty as all get out and each page will make you laugh with its intro comment.
DC Douglas has a lot of credits to his name besides the GEICO commercials. Voice apperances on such stations as CNN, CourtTV, he also had a part in the really wonderful movie 'Sister's Keeper', he's been on series such as '24', 'Strong Medicine', and 'LasVegas'--truly a busy beaver that's really going to get a boost from the exposure of the commercials.
Move over James.
See DC on 'Charmed' Wednesday March 7th on 5 pm TNT, or in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody Thursday, March 8th (two times 7:30pm, and 11pm) on the DISN channel.
Well D. C. Douglas is just such a star now. GEICO's 'voice' of the announcer in the GEICO spots along with such big names as Little Richard, and Don LaFontaine. Visit My Voice Over Guy to learn more about this interesting voice behind the camera and what he's done, and where he's going from here. Actually the comments on the site are hilarious, as well as instantly recognizable voice wise. DC is witty as all get out and each page will make you laugh with its intro comment.
DC Douglas has a lot of credits to his name besides the GEICO commercials. Voice apperances on such stations as CNN, CourtTV, he also had a part in the really wonderful movie 'Sister's Keeper', he's been on series such as '24', 'Strong Medicine', and 'LasVegas'--truly a busy beaver that's really going to get a boost from the exposure of the commercials.
Move over James.
See DC on 'Charmed' Wednesday March 7th on 5 pm TNT, or in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody Thursday, March 8th (two times 7:30pm, and 11pm) on the DISN channel.
LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.
Wild Hogs Couldn't Stop Me
Well the movie 'Wild Hogs' is getting raked over the coals by most movie goers and reviewers. I have to admit it's one of those movies (as judged by the commercials) that seems like most of the funny one-liners are being used to make it seem like the funniest thing on earth for at least 30 seconds. I still want to see it, and will... having a very warped sense of humor helps sometimes and where others find comedy movies lame I at least can enjoy it for what it is... it's not supposed to be rocket science. I mean if you go into a movie about 4 middle aged yuppies turned 'Hells Angels' for the weekend and expect to discover the mysteries of life you're bound to be disappointed. Some say it's a stupid movie... well duh, it's supposed to be.
We'll see if I have the same opinion when I get to see it. Fortunately for me, who rarely goes to the theater--it should be out on DVD soon.
We'll see if I have the same opinion when I get to see it. Fortunately for me, who rarely goes to the theater--it should be out on DVD soon.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Music To Work By
What are you listening to? I find I go in spurts. Some days I can't seem to write without the music blasting, and some days I just like it quiet in the house. I also go in spurts when it comes to the types of music I listen to. Some days it's all country, some days all big bang type classical, or opera, some days classic rock... one thing I just can't really seem to get into as a whole is rap. I like a few songs, but overall it just isn't music to me. What are your favorite types of music, and do you like to have it playing while you work, or do you find yourself needing the solitude of silence as you type?
Today for me it's the good old classics... rock that is. Led Zeppelin is playing on my computer right now.
There's a lady who knows, all that gliters is gold, and she's buying the stairway to heaven...
I'm still not sure if those are the right words... is she buying it or climbing it? haha almost 40 years and I'm still not sure.
Today for me it's the good old classics... rock that is. Led Zeppelin is playing on my computer right now.
There's a lady who knows, all that gliters is gold, and she's buying the stairway to heaven...
I'm still not sure if those are the right words... is she buying it or climbing it? haha almost 40 years and I'm still not sure.
Love Sucks...Part III
The final part of my erotic short story 'Love Sucks' is up now at ED. Check it out and see what becomes of Jonah, Drew, and Nicolai.
I'm sad to see this story come to an end. I'm busy working on the sequel, however. Hopefully it will be finished in time for the next edition of ED.
I'm sad to see this story come to an end. I'm busy working on the sequel, however. Hopefully it will be finished in time for the next edition of ED.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
A Funny Spot For The Day
I always enjoy Paperback writer's blog but today's column had me rolling on my office floor with tears of laughter trailing down my cheeks. Her mixture of famous authors and their genre types re-writing slogans for famous companies is enough to make any bad day brigher--not that mine was bad at all to begin with.
Read First
Usually that's my motto. If a movie was based on a book I want to read the book first for two reasons, first, movies by nature are a whole lot shorter and most of the story has to be cut out to conform to the time limitations, second I get more enjoyment out of a movie because I feel like I have some first hand information that anyone who hadn't read the book might not know. Sometimes it even helps to understand the plot a little better. Things that might seem shady, or even seem like stupid actions because there wasn't time to explain why they happened in an hour and a half might make perfect sense if you'd read the book.
One of the big things that drove that idea home for me was the fact that I had grown up loving the tv series 'Little House On The Prairie', but even though I'd loved reading from a very young age, I'd never read the Little House series. I grew up cherishing the stories and characters that comprised that series, but when I finally had the opprotunity to sit down and read the books it took a lot of enjoyment of the series away because things were so different. If I'd read it in reverse I could have accepted the libralities taken (is that a word?) but in reverse I was so shocked that I felt somewhat cheated.
There is a flip side reason to support the read first theory, although it might backfire into a don't even bother with the movie. I saw the movie 'The DiVinci Code' before I read the book. I really liked the movie. Not becasue of all the hoopla surrounding the 'truth' of the story, I just liked it. It was along the lines of 'National Treasure' another favorite movie. However, I hadn't read the book even though it was being hearlded high and low as such a fantastic story. After the movie I just had to get the book... boy was I disappointed. The book dragged and wasn't very well written in my opinion. I think the only reason it did as well as it did was the controversy surrounding the reality of the story idea. If I'd read that book first I would have never bothered with the movie... and I would have missed a movie I ultimately liked.
One of the big things that drove that idea home for me was the fact that I had grown up loving the tv series 'Little House On The Prairie', but even though I'd loved reading from a very young age, I'd never read the Little House series. I grew up cherishing the stories and characters that comprised that series, but when I finally had the opprotunity to sit down and read the books it took a lot of enjoyment of the series away because things were so different. If I'd read it in reverse I could have accepted the libralities taken (is that a word?) but in reverse I was so shocked that I felt somewhat cheated.
There is a flip side reason to support the read first theory, although it might backfire into a don't even bother with the movie. I saw the movie 'The DiVinci Code' before I read the book. I really liked the movie. Not becasue of all the hoopla surrounding the 'truth' of the story, I just liked it. It was along the lines of 'National Treasure' another favorite movie. However, I hadn't read the book even though it was being hearlded high and low as such a fantastic story. After the movie I just had to get the book... boy was I disappointed. The book dragged and wasn't very well written in my opinion. I think the only reason it did as well as it did was the controversy surrounding the reality of the story idea. If I'd read that book first I would have never bothered with the movie... and I would have missed a movie I ultimately liked.
Amber
Okay, I didn't get it up online yesterday because I didn't even get online yesterday. So much to do, so little time. Here's a picture of Annie's new friend. We have officially decided her name is Amber because she has beautiful Amber eyes and the coloring on her head that would be red is more of an Amber color.
Yep, she's curled up under my desk. You can't see it, but Annie is laying right next to her. It's only been a day and the two are thick as theives already.
Yep, she's curled up under my desk. You can't see it, but Annie is laying right next to her. It's only been a day and the two are thick as theives already.
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