Many people work in jobs or careers -- and I differentiate between the two -- that simply require them to arrive at work at a certain time, perform certain tasks, and then leave at the end of the established work day. While these jobs are important and vital to the economy and a certain standard of life maintained in many industrialized cultures, most of them do not carry with them a greater responsibility to the public at large. However, there are many careers where more than normal honesty is required. The public must be able to trust that the person performing the tasks is not only skilled and qualified, but committed to the duties and obligations that they have accepted for the greater good.
While there are some examples -- such as doctors who vow to do no harm -- that might leap readily to mind for many people, there are others that we must also trust to do their jobs to the best of their ability in order to insure that the country continues to be a safe and productive environment. For example, we turn our children over to teachers in the public school system for several hours a day. In doing so, the teachers must be committed not only to providing the next generation with the best education available, but also to looking after their psyches and physical well-being. We trust, when we hand our children over, that they will not deliberately seek to harm our children or devalue the education that they receive. Those who break this trust are severely punished. We trust the individuals who design our roadways and bridges to make them not only functional, but also strong and secure so that our driving experiences will be as safe as it possibly can be. We trust the individuals assigned to monitor the use of radioactive materials to respond appropriately to any reported misuse of such material in order to prevent harm or panic among the public. The people who choose to pursue these careers are obligated to the public to perform their tasks to the best of their ability. It is there responsibility and their duty.
What then about the writer? What is our responsibility and duty? What purpose do we serve in society?
Aristotle taught that poets, the word used for writers in ancient Greece, were obligated to provide a catharsis from excessive emotion. By so doing, poets helped maintain stability and balance in society by preventing any unnecessary build-up of harsh, negative feelings among the populace. We were to keep the pressure cooker from cooking over.
Having read far and wide, I've observed another role, besides simple entertainment or information exchange, which writers of the past have often performed: They open the door for people to think about the tough issues of the day. They provide the initial 'what if' or 'why' about things that need to be changed in society. Mark Twain's Pudd'n Head Wilson, for example, opens the door for a discussion about nature vs. nurture and whether or not race or environment really affects a person's behavior and character. This was a startling notion in the post-Civil War United States, but it opened the door for real people to see beyond racial stereotypes.
Thinking about the role of the writer in society and my responsibilities and obligations as a writer has been on my mind a lot lately. I look around me, I read the news, I watch gas and food prices soar while all around me people are being forced to work for less and less, I stand outside and I can feel events moving and swirling around me and I know that everyone does not see the bad times that are coming like I do. As a writer, do I have a duty to try to tell them, so they can be prepared? Should I try to open their eyes so they are not caught unprepared? As a writer, what duty do I have to society? What role do I fulfill in the human community? What's my purpose?
28 April 2008
In Today's News: Should Writers Be Readers?
Reading too much, my brother explained in his English-teacherly way, is a disaster for a writer. To immerse yourself in literature - particularly those of your contemporaries - makes your work derivative at worst, and unoriginal at best. To keep your voice pure, he suggested, you must retreat, Kasper Hauser-like, only to emerge later with a voice as clear as God intended. It was an argument that almost culminated in our first exchange of blows since 1994.
"Should Writers Be Readers?" by Stuart Evers. Guardian Unlimited. 25APR08.
"Should Writers Be Readers?" by Stuart Evers. Guardian Unlimited. 25APR08.
24 April 2008
In Today's News: BookMooch
"This is meant to be a noncommercial business, with no ads and no fees. We're just trying to do something fun and huge--like be the biggest bookstore on the planet," said Buckman, who sits on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and European equivalent, the Open Rights Group. "It seems to me we should be able to trade more books than Amazon sells."
Free BookMooch service puts novel spin on books
Free BookMooch service puts novel spin on books
17 April 2008
Obesity, Stereotypes, & Prejudice
As I write this, I’m watching shows about people and weight loss. The first show focused on people who are truly obese, people whose health and ability to just live, even move, are affected by their weight. These are people who are desperate, who are willing to risk their lives with such drastic procedures as stomach reduction surgery in order to lose weight.
The second show featured other people, some who are truly obese, others who are obsessed with their weight because they wrestle -- and must make their weight class, even if it is not their natural size -- or because they compete in beauty pageants and must somehow appear to be the current cultural-ideal in a two-piece bathing suit.
From both shows, a few things were clear. One, America is obsessed with appearance and size. Two, they are willing to take some pretty drastic measures to achieve whatever personal weight loss goal they have. Three, treating someone differently because of their weight is one of the last forms of acceptable prejudice in this country.
In every show, a stranger publicly insulted everyone who did not have a “standard” appearance or weight. Sometimes, the overweight individual was even engaging in exercise when they were insulted. In one case, a teenager was walking his dog and strangers down the street called him “lard ass” and “fat ass.” Walking is a great form of aerobic exercise. It helps increase metabolism and stamina and burn calories. Yet, the individual could not engage in this simple, healthy activity without being verbally abused. All because he did not already possess an ideal form or figure. In another instance, a woman who was about to engage in a strenuous and healthy weight loss and workout routine was at a restaurant, talking about it with her family and friends, when a couple of young men at a nearby table overhead her and felt the need to make rude comments about “fat camp.” I assure you, the man who made the bulk of the rude comments was not an Adonis.
Yet, the woman who was planning to lose weight was planning to do it the healthy way. Despite being the heaviest person on the second show, she was probably one of the healthier individuals, as far as her relationship with food went, than the other two. She lost nearly forty pounds through diet and exercise, by watching what types of foods she ate and by working out with a personal trainer. The other two people focused on the show -- the wrestler and the beauty pageant contestant -- starved themselves in order to make what they felt was their ideal weight. This, despite the people who cared for them, begging them to lose weight the “right” way, by watching the types of foods they ate, eating regularly, and working out.
Thing is, I know what it is to be judged strictly by my weight. I know what it is to be riding a bicycle, go through an intersection, and be told to “move my fat ass” because someone on a motorcycle was waiting for his turn to go through the intersection and I was not able to pedal as fast as the car that went through at the same time in the same direction as me. I know what it’s like to be made to feel that I shouldn’t exercise, or engage in any physical activity, until after I lost weight. Fortunately, I no longer have that attitude and I am now more active, healthier, and happier.
Yet, even before I started exercising and losing weight and gaining muscle tone, I was a complete individual. I was intelligent, was not a glutton, had no abnormal obsession with food, enjoyed certain physical activities, and had a sexual appetite. Popular media would have people believe that none of these things were true about any overweight individual.
As writers, I think we need to be aware of stereotypes. No. We need to be more than aware. We need to be fully conscious of them. Our characters, all of our characters, should be fully developed individuals. When they’re not, we need to be fully conscious of what we are saying and demonstrating about our own beliefs and about society’s. What myths are we, as writers, perpetuating, what harm might it inadvertently cause, and who might be hurt by it? We should not allow any myths or stereotypes to enter our work without first thinking about their origins and their impact on our readers.
We can change people’s perceptions and how they respond to and treat others.
The second show featured other people, some who are truly obese, others who are obsessed with their weight because they wrestle -- and must make their weight class, even if it is not their natural size -- or because they compete in beauty pageants and must somehow appear to be the current cultural-ideal in a two-piece bathing suit.
From both shows, a few things were clear. One, America is obsessed with appearance and size. Two, they are willing to take some pretty drastic measures to achieve whatever personal weight loss goal they have. Three, treating someone differently because of their weight is one of the last forms of acceptable prejudice in this country.
In every show, a stranger publicly insulted everyone who did not have a “standard” appearance or weight. Sometimes, the overweight individual was even engaging in exercise when they were insulted. In one case, a teenager was walking his dog and strangers down the street called him “lard ass” and “fat ass.” Walking is a great form of aerobic exercise. It helps increase metabolism and stamina and burn calories. Yet, the individual could not engage in this simple, healthy activity without being verbally abused. All because he did not already possess an ideal form or figure. In another instance, a woman who was about to engage in a strenuous and healthy weight loss and workout routine was at a restaurant, talking about it with her family and friends, when a couple of young men at a nearby table overhead her and felt the need to make rude comments about “fat camp.” I assure you, the man who made the bulk of the rude comments was not an Adonis.
Yet, the woman who was planning to lose weight was planning to do it the healthy way. Despite being the heaviest person on the second show, she was probably one of the healthier individuals, as far as her relationship with food went, than the other two. She lost nearly forty pounds through diet and exercise, by watching what types of foods she ate and by working out with a personal trainer. The other two people focused on the show -- the wrestler and the beauty pageant contestant -- starved themselves in order to make what they felt was their ideal weight. This, despite the people who cared for them, begging them to lose weight the “right” way, by watching the types of foods they ate, eating regularly, and working out.
Thing is, I know what it is to be judged strictly by my weight. I know what it is to be riding a bicycle, go through an intersection, and be told to “move my fat ass” because someone on a motorcycle was waiting for his turn to go through the intersection and I was not able to pedal as fast as the car that went through at the same time in the same direction as me. I know what it’s like to be made to feel that I shouldn’t exercise, or engage in any physical activity, until after I lost weight. Fortunately, I no longer have that attitude and I am now more active, healthier, and happier.
Yet, even before I started exercising and losing weight and gaining muscle tone, I was a complete individual. I was intelligent, was not a glutton, had no abnormal obsession with food, enjoyed certain physical activities, and had a sexual appetite. Popular media would have people believe that none of these things were true about any overweight individual.
As writers, I think we need to be aware of stereotypes. No. We need to be more than aware. We need to be fully conscious of them. Our characters, all of our characters, should be fully developed individuals. When they’re not, we need to be fully conscious of what we are saying and demonstrating about our own beliefs and about society’s. What myths are we, as writers, perpetuating, what harm might it inadvertently cause, and who might be hurt by it? We should not allow any myths or stereotypes to enter our work without first thinking about their origins and their impact on our readers.
We can change people’s perceptions and how they respond to and treat others.
14 April 2008
Amazon, Take II
There is a great deal of monopoly-like behavior that is making me grit my teeth lately. There is, of course, the MSN-Yahoo potential merger that would give MSN even greater control of online communication than they already possess and limit the choices for individual users. MSN already has enough access to our lives without further growing their presence. Then there is the deal with Amazon and BookSurge.
While Amazon is claiming that their move to consolidate printing of POD titles through the Amazon-owned BookSurge is all about serving the customer, that excuse is too transparent and flimsy to be displayed in public. What Amazon’s poorly disguised goal appears to be is monopolizing the POD and small press publishing market by leveraging its powerful online presence in order to undercut BookSurge’s competitor Lightning Source.
Publishers who refused this “deal” will reportedly have the buy button removed from their Amazon listings. If they want to sell through Amazon, they will be required to pre-print five copies to store in Amazon’s warehouse and sign up for Amazon’s Affiliate program, which would mean they would have to pay both a percentage of sales and an annual fee to Amazon.
The Author’s Guild is reportedly looking into antitrust laws to address this issue.
However, attempting to strong arm small presses and POD publishers is apparently not enough for Amazon. They have now issued a statement that if a publisher sells a book at a deeper discount on the publisher’s website than is offered on Amazon, they will pay the publisher 50% of the publisher’s discounted price rather than on the price sold at Amazon. This would mean if a title was offered for $15 on the publisher’s website and $20 on Amazon, Amazon’s bean counters would only pay the publisher $7.50 rather than the $10 they contractually owed.
Apparently, no one’s ever explained to Amazon’s executives the phrase “getting too big for [their] britches.” Maybe someone should?
On the plus side, PublishAmerica has refused to cave to Amazon’s demands and their books are now no longer available for purchase directly through Amazon. Maybe Amazon’s strong arm tactics will finally put the United States’ scammiest publisher out of business?
Regardless, this is going to be an interesting year in publishing.
I’m going to remove the Amazon search feature from The Commune. While I do that, here’s a few extra links for your reading pleasure:
Amazon faces anti p.o.d. surge, theBookSeller.com, 09APR08
New publishing policy at Amazon angers authors, Seattlepi.com, 09APR08
Inquiries Concerning Amazon.com's "Print on Demand" Policy, Washington Attorney General's Public Notice, 08APR08
While Amazon is claiming that their move to consolidate printing of POD titles through the Amazon-owned BookSurge is all about serving the customer, that excuse is too transparent and flimsy to be displayed in public. What Amazon’s poorly disguised goal appears to be is monopolizing the POD and small press publishing market by leveraging its powerful online presence in order to undercut BookSurge’s competitor Lightning Source.
Publishers who refused this “deal” will reportedly have the buy button removed from their Amazon listings. If they want to sell through Amazon, they will be required to pre-print five copies to store in Amazon’s warehouse and sign up for Amazon’s Affiliate program, which would mean they would have to pay both a percentage of sales and an annual fee to Amazon.
The Author’s Guild is reportedly looking into antitrust laws to address this issue.
However, attempting to strong arm small presses and POD publishers is apparently not enough for Amazon. They have now issued a statement that if a publisher sells a book at a deeper discount on the publisher’s website than is offered on Amazon, they will pay the publisher 50% of the publisher’s discounted price rather than on the price sold at Amazon. This would mean if a title was offered for $15 on the publisher’s website and $20 on Amazon, Amazon’s bean counters would only pay the publisher $7.50 rather than the $10 they contractually owed.
Apparently, no one’s ever explained to Amazon’s executives the phrase “getting too big for [their] britches.” Maybe someone should?
On the plus side, PublishAmerica has refused to cave to Amazon’s demands and their books are now no longer available for purchase directly through Amazon. Maybe Amazon’s strong arm tactics will finally put the United States’ scammiest publisher out of business?
Regardless, this is going to be an interesting year in publishing.
I’m going to remove the Amazon search feature from The Commune. While I do that, here’s a few extra links for your reading pleasure:
Amazon faces anti p.o.d. surge, theBookSeller.com, 09APR08
New publishing policy at Amazon angers authors, Seattlepi.com, 09APR08
Inquiries Concerning Amazon.com's "Print on Demand" Policy, Washington Attorney General's Public Notice, 08APR08
10 April 2008
For the love of a cell phone...
For the last several weeks, my greatest, most sincere desire has been to drop off the grid. People who know me outside the virtual plane have commented how I need to take a break, maybe shift gears, recharge, and gain perspective. My mother even recently offered to take me shopping, just to give me a day off. I turned her down, but I told her, the one thing I really, truly wanted, was to find a cheap hotel, with clean sheets, a clean shower, no internet access, let no one know where I was, and just spend a couple of days there. She sympathized, but it didn’t go beyond that.
Every so often I get this way. Being constantly connected -- the cell phone, the internet, e-mail -- people wanting me to be places, needing things from me, just wanting to spend time with me -- it gets to me. Wears me down. I have to go some place, or go no place, just close the blinds, and spend time with me, alone with the voices and thoughts in my own head. However, as things often happen, when I get like this is, the universe often conspires to remind me how good and nice it is to be so connected.
Several years ago, after my father died and before 9/11, my mother flew out to visit my brother. When she returned, I went to the airport, a little over an hour to an hour and a half trip one way, to pick her up. Along the way, about fifty miles from my house and about thirty from hers, my car started overheating. I let it cool down and doubled-back to her house, where I exchanged my car for hers, which I fortunately had a key for, and started out again. By the time this was accomplished -- I had also taken the time to use the bathroom and check her flight status online -- I was running late to pick her up. I found myself on the interstate, about thirty minutes from the airport, thinking, “For the love of a cell phone…”
At this point, neither my mother nor I had purchased a cell phone. This was in 2000. Cell phones were common, but it still wasn’t completely unheard of for someone not to have one. Only Sprint offered anything resembling a nationwide plan, which wasn’t really nationwide, there were no rollover minutes, no calling circles, and no family plans. People had not yet started abandoning their landlines for cell phones. Cell phones were still supplemental, a convenience, not a necessity.
Later, I learned that about the same time I was thinking, “For the love of a cell phone…” my mother was having the same thought. She was in the airport. I was not there. She had no idea where I was, and her mother’s imagination started working overtime. Logic and reason won out and she realized that she could not go looking for me. That I knew exactly where she was, but she had no idea where I was.
We did eventually reconnect, I rescued her from the airport, and shortly thereafter, we both purchased cell phones, just for those little, “where are you” and other roadside emergencies.
A few, very short years later, I had already grown tired of always being connected, always being able to be reached. Therefore, while driving to my brother’s for my nephew’s first birthday, I turned my cell phone off. I figured anyone trying to reach me could go to voicemail. I wanted to enjoy the road and the drive the way I used to, just me, the road, and my thoughts, alone together. Along the way, a couple people I knew did try to call. Someone who had even been driving and seen and recognized me along the road had even called. They all went to voicemail. As I crossed my second state line, I did relent and turned the phone on long enough to call my mother and check on her flights, and to call my brother in order to let him know my progress and estimated time arrival, and then I turned the phone back off and tossed it back in the passenger seat. That is, until a few more miles down the road, when I got off at a rest stop and, halfway up the ramp, the car suddenly convulsed and died, leaving me to drift to the shoulder. When I got out to figure out what was wrong, antifreeze was leaking out onto the ground. So not good. Fortunately, because I had the cell phone, I was able to call people, let them know what had happened, where I was, and arrange for assistance. I was very glad for technology at that moment. I was happy to be “on the grid,” as it were.
Fast forward to this week, and me desperately wishing I could just “go away” for a couple of days. On Monday, I had to make a quick run to campus. On the way home, I blew a tire. No big. Although I was, once again, on the interstate, I was no more than seven miles from home when it happened. I put on the spare and started back on my way. I didn’t make it the full seven miles before the spare blew, too. Not my day for tires, apparently. However, this time, I was only about three miles from town and about a mile from my mother’s companion’s house. With trusty cell phone, I called them, let them know what had happened, and that I was in need of assistance. They were at the grocery in the somewhat larger town north of us at the time. As I walked away from my car, to the companion’s house to sit on the front porch and wait for them, I was also able to call That Barb Person to whine and later, once I was comfortably on the front porch with my feet up, watching the horses graze in the pasture on the adjoining property, I also left a message regarding the event I was supposed to attend that evening to let them know not to expect me. The person in charge called me back a short time later to make certain I wasn't still stranded somewhere. Throughout the evening, my mother and I exchanged several phone calls, coordinating everything from repairs to dinner.
Once again, I was reminded that being connected, being on the grid, is not such a bad, horrible thing. It has its definite advantages. Used properly, as a tool, technology really can help make the world a better, more unified, and somewhat safer place.
Every so often I get this way. Being constantly connected -- the cell phone, the internet, e-mail -- people wanting me to be places, needing things from me, just wanting to spend time with me -- it gets to me. Wears me down. I have to go some place, or go no place, just close the blinds, and spend time with me, alone with the voices and thoughts in my own head. However, as things often happen, when I get like this is, the universe often conspires to remind me how good and nice it is to be so connected.
Several years ago, after my father died and before 9/11, my mother flew out to visit my brother. When she returned, I went to the airport, a little over an hour to an hour and a half trip one way, to pick her up. Along the way, about fifty miles from my house and about thirty from hers, my car started overheating. I let it cool down and doubled-back to her house, where I exchanged my car for hers, which I fortunately had a key for, and started out again. By the time this was accomplished -- I had also taken the time to use the bathroom and check her flight status online -- I was running late to pick her up. I found myself on the interstate, about thirty minutes from the airport, thinking, “For the love of a cell phone…”
At this point, neither my mother nor I had purchased a cell phone. This was in 2000. Cell phones were common, but it still wasn’t completely unheard of for someone not to have one. Only Sprint offered anything resembling a nationwide plan, which wasn’t really nationwide, there were no rollover minutes, no calling circles, and no family plans. People had not yet started abandoning their landlines for cell phones. Cell phones were still supplemental, a convenience, not a necessity.
Later, I learned that about the same time I was thinking, “For the love of a cell phone…” my mother was having the same thought. She was in the airport. I was not there. She had no idea where I was, and her mother’s imagination started working overtime. Logic and reason won out and she realized that she could not go looking for me. That I knew exactly where she was, but she had no idea where I was.
We did eventually reconnect, I rescued her from the airport, and shortly thereafter, we both purchased cell phones, just for those little, “where are you” and other roadside emergencies.
A few, very short years later, I had already grown tired of always being connected, always being able to be reached. Therefore, while driving to my brother’s for my nephew’s first birthday, I turned my cell phone off. I figured anyone trying to reach me could go to voicemail. I wanted to enjoy the road and the drive the way I used to, just me, the road, and my thoughts, alone together. Along the way, a couple people I knew did try to call. Someone who had even been driving and seen and recognized me along the road had even called. They all went to voicemail. As I crossed my second state line, I did relent and turned the phone on long enough to call my mother and check on her flights, and to call my brother in order to let him know my progress and estimated time arrival, and then I turned the phone back off and tossed it back in the passenger seat. That is, until a few more miles down the road, when I got off at a rest stop and, halfway up the ramp, the car suddenly convulsed and died, leaving me to drift to the shoulder. When I got out to figure out what was wrong, antifreeze was leaking out onto the ground. So not good. Fortunately, because I had the cell phone, I was able to call people, let them know what had happened, where I was, and arrange for assistance. I was very glad for technology at that moment. I was happy to be “on the grid,” as it were.
Fast forward to this week, and me desperately wishing I could just “go away” for a couple of days. On Monday, I had to make a quick run to campus. On the way home, I blew a tire. No big. Although I was, once again, on the interstate, I was no more than seven miles from home when it happened. I put on the spare and started back on my way. I didn’t make it the full seven miles before the spare blew, too. Not my day for tires, apparently. However, this time, I was only about three miles from town and about a mile from my mother’s companion’s house. With trusty cell phone, I called them, let them know what had happened, and that I was in need of assistance. They were at the grocery in the somewhat larger town north of us at the time. As I walked away from my car, to the companion’s house to sit on the front porch and wait for them, I was also able to call That Barb Person to whine and later, once I was comfortably on the front porch with my feet up, watching the horses graze in the pasture on the adjoining property, I also left a message regarding the event I was supposed to attend that evening to let them know not to expect me. The person in charge called me back a short time later to make certain I wasn't still stranded somewhere. Throughout the evening, my mother and I exchanged several phone calls, coordinating everything from repairs to dinner.
Once again, I was reminded that being connected, being on the grid, is not such a bad, horrible thing. It has its definite advantages. Used properly, as a tool, technology really can help make the world a better, more unified, and somewhat safer place.
09 April 2008
In Today's News: Microsoft Said to be Talking With News Corporation About Joint Yahoo Bid
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is in talks with Microsoft about joining in its contested bid for Yahoo, according to people involved in the discussions. The combination, which would join Yahoo, Microsoft’s MSN and News Corporation’s MySpace, would create a behemoth that would upend the Internet landscape.
"Microsoft Said to Be Talking With News Corporation About Joint Yahoo Bid" by Andrew Ross Sorkin and Miguel Helft, The New York Times, 10APR08.
"Microsoft Said to Be Talking With News Corporation About Joint Yahoo Bid" by Andrew Ross Sorkin and Miguel Helft, The New York Times, 10APR08.
In Today's News: Write for Happiness or Cash?
No-frills, no-advance publishing is the latest symptom of an age-old writerly dilemma. Should you write for happiness, or for cash?
"Writing, the no-money game" by Jean Hannah Edelstein, Guardian Unlimited, 08APR08
"Writing, the no-money game" by Jean Hannah Edelstein, Guardian Unlimited, 08APR08
07 April 2008
Review: Frost Byte
Most of you probably already know that Kristine Williams has started a side business designing keyboards using stones and other unexpected materials. She sent me one called Frost Byte to beta test. She's not getting it back. I really enjoy typing with it. I've hooked it up to my office computer on-campus and use it there, exclusively. As I've mentioned previously, the interesting thing about these keyboards, apart from the obvious artistic merits, is that they end up being ergonomic. Using them requires me to hold my hands and wrists in a more healthy posture.
People who have seen Frost Byte have also commented that the keys are not marked. I'm a touch typist, so had no problems with the basic keys. For the number keys, I discovered that the stone for the number 6, is a slightly different shape than the other keys present, so it serves as a reference. My main problem was deciphering which of the six keys off to the side were PG DOWN, PG UP, INS, DEL, HOME, and END, as the order and placement of these keys varies from keyboard to keyboard. However, through trial and error, I've figured it out and use those keys mostly with confidence now. No other keys have given me any trouble. I do truly enjoy the feel of the stones under my fingertips. Using Frost Byte took no more getting accustomed to than any other keyboard -- I've always found every keyboard is somewhat unique and has a brief learning curve until it becomes comfortable. Much to my surprise, the keys do not show fingerprints. After nearly a month of use, I fully expected the blue keys to have become smudged and cloudy from hand oils and other grime, but they haven't. I did get a drop of soda on one of the keys the other day and had to clean it off before I could continue working. It showed up far more than it would have on a normal keyboard. But that's just me.
These pictures were taking by Kristine prior to shipping.
Please keep in mind that she still needs used keyboards in order to make these works of art and she's willing to trade rock pendants in order to keep old but still functional keyboards out of the landfill.
05 April 2008
Charlton Heston, 84, Dies
Just the other night, I was flipping through late night television and came across a rerun of the 1968 version of Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston as Taylor, the astronaut, stranded on an earth he does not recognize. This evening, I learn that Charlton Heston, who brought so many characters to life, has died.
Whose Turn is it to Watch Lori?
Gah. That’s today’s answer to life, the universe, and everything. Not forty-two. Gah. Trust me on this.
It’s been a long month. Maybe two long months. I don’t know. I’ve lost track. Whose turn is it to be my official timekeeper anyway? One of these days, I’m going to have enough money to hire an assistant. Part of their job description will be functioning as my internal clock. Of course, they will be external. Having an internal personal assistant just sounds messy and counter-productive.
Just to give everyone a rundown of where I’m at with some of the projects I mention here (because I know you all care immensely):
• The Alchemist Review has been sent to the printer. We received the galleys back on Monday. I’ve gone through them. Marked a few mistakes -- primarily spacing and issues with the right margin -- and given them to my Assistant Editor to glance at. We take them back to the printer tomorrow, at which point it’s off my desk until the copies are delivered to my greedy little hands. I’m nervous, excited, and relieved. It’s time to focus on other things.
• A couple of weeks ago I received Frost Byte, not from the winter that would not end, but from Kristine. She sent me one of the keyboards she has been building to beta test. The model I received is called Frost Byte and consists of blue and white glass stones. They are smooth and cool to the fingers. The design is such that although it’s a standard designed keyboard, it requires me to hold my hands slightly off the keyboard, making my posture more ergonomic. Since I’d been battling a pinched nerve in my left hand recently, this is a good thing. I took some time off over Spring Break -- okay, it was because I had the flu -- and the nerve seems to have healed. Frost Byte is helping prevent the injury from recurring. I love the fact that the keyboard is not only functional, but it also enhances the look of my desk. It always gets comments from people coming into my office for the first time.
• I’m currently stalking a professor. I need information and I believe he is the best person to contact, yet every time I show up during his office hours, he’s not there. (I have learned through my sources that he has been having medical tests and health issues, so I cannot fault him for this.)
• On the submission/rejection front, I’ve received the requisite rejection from Donald Maass. (Go me!) I’ve received rejections on other projects since the last time I gave a run-down of my submissions/rejections, but I’d have to look at my database to see what they were. You’ll just have to trust me that I’ve submitted and rejected stuff.
• Much other stuff is going on to. I’ll probably bore you with it eventually.
Now, that’s enough about me. Everyone should go read Soccer Mom’s story in Coyote Wild. It’s good and definitely worth the storytime break.
It’s been a long month. Maybe two long months. I don’t know. I’ve lost track. Whose turn is it to be my official timekeeper anyway? One of these days, I’m going to have enough money to hire an assistant. Part of their job description will be functioning as my internal clock. Of course, they will be external. Having an internal personal assistant just sounds messy and counter-productive.
Just to give everyone a rundown of where I’m at with some of the projects I mention here (because I know you all care immensely):
• The Alchemist Review has been sent to the printer. We received the galleys back on Monday. I’ve gone through them. Marked a few mistakes -- primarily spacing and issues with the right margin -- and given them to my Assistant Editor to glance at. We take them back to the printer tomorrow, at which point it’s off my desk until the copies are delivered to my greedy little hands. I’m nervous, excited, and relieved. It’s time to focus on other things.
• A couple of weeks ago I received Frost Byte, not from the winter that would not end, but from Kristine. She sent me one of the keyboards she has been building to beta test. The model I received is called Frost Byte and consists of blue and white glass stones. They are smooth and cool to the fingers. The design is such that although it’s a standard designed keyboard, it requires me to hold my hands slightly off the keyboard, making my posture more ergonomic. Since I’d been battling a pinched nerve in my left hand recently, this is a good thing. I took some time off over Spring Break -- okay, it was because I had the flu -- and the nerve seems to have healed. Frost Byte is helping prevent the injury from recurring. I love the fact that the keyboard is not only functional, but it also enhances the look of my desk. It always gets comments from people coming into my office for the first time.
• I’m currently stalking a professor. I need information and I believe he is the best person to contact, yet every time I show up during his office hours, he’s not there. (I have learned through my sources that he has been having medical tests and health issues, so I cannot fault him for this.)
• On the submission/rejection front, I’ve received the requisite rejection from Donald Maass. (Go me!) I’ve received rejections on other projects since the last time I gave a run-down of my submissions/rejections, but I’d have to look at my database to see what they were. You’ll just have to trust me that I’ve submitted and rejected stuff.
• Much other stuff is going on to. I’ll probably bore you with it eventually.
Now, that’s enough about me. Everyone should go read Soccer Mom’s story in Coyote Wild. It’s good and definitely worth the storytime break.
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