A Pink American Writes

Indefinte hiatus...

2011-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Seems like old news if you 'follow' this blog. Haven't posted anything for nearly two months.

Sometimes life, good and bad, gets in the way.

When there's something new on the writing front I'll be sure to share.

Until then...

Peace

A Pink American

Querying...again

2011-05-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

Just finished my latest batch of queries. Only one familiar name on the list from the last time I queried...two years ago.

I seriously hope this MS makes some folks tingle with delight, but for those who don't connect, I'm sorry.

I imagine their slush piles as miles high every day for those folk and I've just added another pebble.

2011 is Varuna's year.  It has to be.

Peace

A Pink American

ABNA out...again...

2011-05-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ever the perennial bridesmaid of the ABNA competition, I'm on my own to figure out this crazy path to publication.

That's cool.

Thankfully I had a fully fleshed out 'Plan B' this year which is underway as I query agents.

Glad to see I haven't attempted to query anyone for nearly two years, so I'll hit all those old names with this manuscript.

Moving on to a general YA piece for the next year or so while I see how Varuna plays out.

 Of course I could go back to writing about my favorite fantasy tween/teen at a moment's notice because I did make the effort o plan out all five books in the series. Even drafted two of them. That was before all of this reworking so I pretty much have to start from scratch with those.

As for the other YA piece, that's going to require actual, factual research based in the early half of the 70's. That'll be a good change of pace foe me, I think.

Peace

A Pink American

PS Sorry this isn't a more thrilling entry...baby woke me up at 5am this morning and we're still going.

Back to ABNA Quarterfinals...

2011-03-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Wanted this to be out in the cyber-sphere.

They finally posted our excerpts for reading and reviewing.

I've greatly reworked my manuscript since last contest and think 'this is it'.

So I now present the link:

Varuna Kannon and the Caluminar's Cave (2011 ABNA Quarterfinalist) 

Thank you very much.

Peace,

A Pink American

Have baby, will travel..NYC...Day 7-9

2011-03-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Though finally home now, there were a few more choice lessons to be had from our time in New York.

Day 7: The zoo at Central Park.

Lesson 1: The movie Madagascar grossly misrepresented what the Central Park Zoo experience would be like. Just about the only thing that looked familiar was the Delacorte clock.

That said, young toddlers can greatly enjoy the Tisch Children's portion of the zoo.

Lesson 2: No matter how diligent you are in your week of preparation to get your little one to go to bed well the night you plan to go out...they won't. Man. Little dude did so well every night except the night I was putting him to bed where I wasn't in my jammies already. He knew. He KNEW. Once he has out, however, he didn't stir until we returned.

Lesson 3: Baby will always, ALWAYS (not matter if you're at home or on vacation or whatever) sense that you've JUST gone to sleep after having a good time out and rouse himself so as to rouse you and then sleep in spurts for the rest of the night.

Day 8: Heading north to the Bar Mitzvah

Despite this being a rather uneventful day I had one lesson.

Lesson 1 (and only): As young as 14mos, you're child can and will be an angel with anyone who is not you. My little man has a great disposition with me, but I'm still his parent so he has to push. He was out with my friend for the afternoon and evening while we were out. She took him to a birthday party and it appears he was extremely charming and well behaved and only ate healthy the whole time.

Sigh....that's the sound of Mommy pride.

(Oh, and a repeat of lesson 3 from the day before once we got back from the Bar Mitzvah)

Day 9: Heading home

Lesson 1: On the day you really, REALLY need the baby to take his morning nap, he won't. Or he'll try to fall asleep five minutes before you need to leave. Then he won't sleep in the car either. Or he'll fall asleep five minutes before you arrive.

It was ugly while in transit. Yet, despite sleep deprivation, he was VERY good mannered while we visited people.

Lesson 2: If you pack TWO changes of clothing in your carry-on bag, it's likely you're dooming yourself to needing them.

Looking back I don't recall any signs of an impending stomach bug, but shortly after checking our luggage, baby barfed after trying to swallow a whole grape. We managed to get things cleaned up and boarded the plane.

Baby slept through 90% of the flight and woke 30 minutes prior to landing with just enough time to have a small snack and then barf all over Mommy.

Fun.

Despite all that, he was tired but in good spirits.

All told, this will go down as a successful trip. We were busy every day and baby was as flexible as he could be given his age and the time zone shift.

Number one thing I take away from this: I'd rather pay for the extra seat in coach, than fly First Class with a baby (or even on my own). It just didn't make sense.

Peace,

A Pink American

Have baby, will travel..NYC...Days 5-6

2011-03-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

While day six has been fairly tame, day five nearly warranted it's own post, but I was too distracted yesterday night to get it done.

Day 5...we were VERY busy with a planned 1hr15m train ride north to Brewster to visit friends for two hours and then 1hr15m back.

Lesson 1: Trains aren't nearly as distracting for a 14mo old as you think or hope. Especially when that baby is tired and doesn't want to sleep because there's just enough distraction to keep him stimulated...in a bad way.

Lesson 2: Back in the city...just because you're pushing a stroller toward the sidewalk don't expect people to clear the way to the curb cut. Especially if those people happen to be sporty-casual dressed, stopped in the street and tipping back a few swigs from a pint bottle. Yeah, seriously.

Lesson 3: Maybe you SHOULD let your baby watch a little TV before coming to NYC for the first time. Little man is so over-stimulated when we're out it's like giving him baby cocaine each time we step out the door. And man, he crashes hard when we get back.

Lesson 4: Don't expect people to exercise common sense when it's raining. If three people want to walk side-by-side, each carrying an umbrella that could cover all three of them, then that makes perfect sense...perfectly crazy sense.

Lesson 5: It's quite easy to come up with tourist slogans for NYC just from walking around all day. For example: When breathing regular air isn't enough--second hand smoke. Come visit New York.

I've 'smoked' more cigarettes in the last 5 days than I have in the last ten years. That means so has my baby :(

Day 6...We were on the trains again today, but only for 45m each way. That timing worked out a little better except now baby was cool with napping on the train, but didn't start until 10m before we arrived back at Grand Central.

Lesson 1: While walking the streets of NYC, people seriously couldn't be more hostile to a person pushing a stroller than if it were Satan taking his baby for a walk. BUT linger near some stairs and suddenly folks want to help. That's true for doors too, but only 30% of the time.

Lesson 2: When taking a stroller into an elevator don't parallel park at the back where people can wedge in to either end of the stroller. Though it would seem to make sense to move two inches to one side so the lady with a stroller who needs to get off the elevator can, apparently not everyone got that memo. I actually said, "Um could one of you move a little please?" I am not lying when I say that the man at one end and the young woman at the other basically each glowered at me and NEITHER budged. Ridiculous.

Lesson 3: When the front desk says they can break bills for quarters so you can use their laundry facility be prepared to wait five minutes as the desk clerk has to leave the desk to some mystery spot somewhere else where they keep the quarters. Really? Can't keep the quarters at the front desk?

Okay, now I sound like I'm cribbing, but I'm not peeved. More than not I'm amused by these things because they make me chuckle and shake my head.

Gone (for now) are the days of easy, breezy travel where your mind can check out as soon as you check in to your hotel.

Sigh.

Peace

A Pink American

Have baby, will travel..NYC...Day 4

2011-03-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today warranted it's very own blog post.

Plans for the day were simple: eat, go to childrens museum, come back to hotel, eat, nap, go out for coffee, walk around, come back to hotel, eat, bathe and sleep.

For the most part, that was how the day went.

That is, of course, with the exception of a couple of unhappy traveling-with-baby lessons.

Lesson 1: Even when baby can't reach his shoe (because he's in a front pack), his mental powers are sooo strong, he can will it to leap from his foot. We'd just entered the subway on the way back from the museum, and were enjoying a snack, when I looked down and saw only sock.

Thankfully I voiced my distress aloud and someone had noticed a single baby shoe laying on the ground near the turnstiles. Sure enough it was ours.

I think from now on I'll hold onto his feet or just keep shoes off all together when we're on the go and he's not walking...which is mostly.

I also thought how every time I saw a single baby shoe before I had a baby I'd think "How the heck did they not notice the shoe was gone??"

Oh they did. Three hours later.

Speaking of careless parents, let's see lesson two...

Lesson 2: No matter how much baby WANTS to be next to the windowed-door of the subway car, resist. OR at the very least, when folks are getting on and off the subway move out of arms-reach from the door.

Okay, this is hard to admit but...

Wait, a little back story.

I've seen kids (babies through preteens and beyond) get their fingers shut in doors of all kinds. I would think two things normally. 1) Marvel at how rubbery their bones are so as not to break. 2) Wonder how their parents could be such bad parents to let that happen.

Okay, nobody 'let's' that happen, sometimes it just does.

Like today when we were by the door and as folks were about to board I moved out of the way.

Baby's sticky hand clung to the glass and in went his finger, between the rubbery jams.

Baby did not cry or respond, but as I struggled to pull the door back, all the people who were otherwise 'tuned out' on the train suddenly became alert and active and helped to free his hand.

One lady even let him later hold her iced-coffee cup.

I wanted to say more than the 'Thanks' I doled out, but after one or two rounds I knew it was time to pay my price...the looks and thoughts of others labeling me as careless parent.

Sigh.

I'm just glad baby was unharmed by this event and I'm reminded of the extra stress I signed up for by becoming a parent.

Lesson 3: if you let the baby push the 'buttons' once, then you're letting him push them ALWAYS. Every elevator we come across now elicits a 'buh-buh' and pointing fingers at the buttons. After the above-mentioned finger entrapment issue, I really indulged him just to be sure his fingers were okay.

They were.

That said, at every elevator (and you know there are a LOT in NYC) he wants to have access to push the buttons and it's no one's fault but my own for setting up that expectation.

Randomness of the day:

Dear Random Pedestrian, If you feel the urgent need to open your pint of hooch for an early afternoon sip WHILE you are standing IN the street, PLEASE at least be courteous not to do so in front of the curb-cut when a stroller is coming by.

Dear Wheelchair-bound guy, I'm not trying to be rude or rub my 'walking' ability in your face when I have to maneuver around you with a baby stroller. So sarcastically pointing out that I can walk doesn't really help the matter. (But I had to laugh a little on the inside because this type of encounter can only be possible in New York).

Dear Well-Dressed Business Man, Instead of mimicking the physical motion of the quick-wristed flier hander outer guy AFTER you've passed him, take one of his fliers. He'd appreciate it. However, if you're mimicking the motion because you'd like that job, I'm sure there are street corners and stacks of papers with your name on them.

That's it for today.

Peace

A Pink American

ABNA Top 250 for YA...

2011-03-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

It's happened again, folks. My manuscript (well at least the pitch and excerpt) have moved my submission forward to the quaterfinals stage of the now 4th annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.

Though this seems like a 'been there, done that' kind of thing, I'm still just as as excited as the first time because this year's version of Varuna Kannon and the Caluminar's Cave is the best it's ever been or will be (without professional editing eyes perusing it).

Shortly, a place page will go live over at Amazon that will allow folks to read and review VKCC if they should wish.

Naturally, I'll post that when it becomes available.

ABNA yay!

By the way, here are the two reviews offered by the Vine reviewers (unedited in any way...left typos intact). They say less is more, so I'm glad they were generally positive and to the point. I have a feeling, given their brevity, I was on the middle or tail end of their reviewing duties.:

ABNA Expert Reviewer #1

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

The ability to draw the reader into the fantasy world of the Guardian.
That two young girlfriends are in this borderline world and discussing with a parent gives this one a different approach that is appealing.

What aspect needs the most work?

The bridge being devolped between the worlds should be consistent. There reason for selection and the timing should collude seamlessly from first page to last, and back to first. In other words, if read again, the reader could see the reasons clearly for what is taking place on the page.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

This really doesn't appeal to me. It looks like a woman's kind of story. I'am sure men a plenty will people the pages, but the point of view is not my preference.

ABNA Expert Reviewer #2

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

This really hooked me and with the popularity of anything a bit paranormal in YA fiction plus the strength of the plot and pacing will have teen and adult readers wanting mores.

What aspect needs the most work?

More details of exactly who the guardians are early on

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

See th first paragraph. I think this author really has something here.

Peace

A Pink American

Have baby, will travel...Days 1-3

2011-03-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Or as I'd like to call it: "Don't fly first class with an infant and other lessons learned from a week-long trip to the Big Apple."

I toyed with the idea of putting this on my review blog, but this isn't as much a review of things as a reflection.

A reflection that is best told day by day as the trip progresses...

Day 1: Fly time...

Due to an interesting combination of circumstances, it worked out to cost the same for us to fly First Class (FC) on Alaska Air (purchasing a full fare and using a $99 companion ticket AND taking advantage of baby as a lap infant) as would to buy three coach tickets.

And for those of you who say "Hey, you're baby is under two, why buy a ticket." Yeah, go on ONE flight with a mobile child over 6 mos and you'll find out.

That said we figured the extra space, perks, whatever, would make SO MUCH sense especially with a baby.

WRONG.

First: Baby likes his own seat to stand in. Two extra wide seats doesn't = standing room for baby. Also, when baby stands, he likes to look at the people on the plane. Because FC is partitioned off, baby can only see a fancy piece of material. Not for the making of a happy, distracted baby.

Second: Babies wear diapers right up till two and beyond (well most here in the States) so you may want a changing surface. Guess where the one changing table is on the plane? Oh, if you have a baby you don't have to guess. It's not in the FC bathroom.

Now that was interesting adventure. Baby and I trekked back for the change and while in the lavatory I heard a thump against the door and an exclamation of "Oh!"...then something that sounded like a lock. I tried the door. Sure enough, we were locked in.

If you're trapped in an airplane bathroom with a 14mo old while someone is passed out in the aisle on the other side of the door, here are some activity options:

a) Water play: The sink is perfect for little hands. Don't let it fill up too much or you'll find the splashing mess is too 'exciting'. Go ahead and through a little foaming hand soap in for bubbles fun.

b) Magic toilet: since baby will rip seat covers from the holder anyway, let him toss them into the toilet, close the lid, hit the button and then...viola!...magic, the cover is gone.

c) Practice cleaning up: baby will love shredding paper towels and throwing them in the trash bin...just watch out that he doesn't pull them right out again.

Third: Free DigiPlayers...no big extra because 14mo olds generally don't watch TV and even if they do it's only for a very short time and ONLY shows they know.

Fourth: NICE food...this only matters if you aren't in the last row to have your order taken or the bakery basket offered to. Literally they need to have two food items available for 16 people who paid at least TRIPLE price for these seats. I'm not into wasting food, but if everyone wants cinnamon French toast, then you better have 16 servings to offer.

Oh, and if the woman with a 14mo old wants the French toast and you have to come back later and tell her that, oops, you're out of it, don't, for the love of God, say, "I bet you wanted that too, didn't you?" even as an after thought.

Bottom line: I'd rather pay for the extra seat for baby, rent the DigiPlayer, and buy all my food a la carte as I know I'll save a considerable sum of money YET have all my airplane travel with baby desires met.

Day 1 (con't): Hotel check-in.

Oh lordy. Spending a week in a hotel with a little one who is potentially teething and has a very specific set of loved foods that one can't easily find at any fast food (or regular food) dive makes one desire a kitchenette. Okay, and a suite with one door, but there's a sanity price point.

We're working the Starwood program these days and I was finally going to get it to pay off buy cashing in some points.

When prepping the reservation online, I ran into limitations, so I contacted a call-center person. They said that the hotel I was looking at was O-K, but a better one had recently opened and all the rooms had kitchenettes. DING, DING, DING!

I booked a 'studio', though there's some lingering debate as to whether the word 'suite' was attached to the original description. Regardless, I at least expected a room that was large enough to accommodate a crib. And why would I expect that? Because the call-center person said it would. Then I called the hotel itself and the front-desk staff also said it would. AND, hubby stayed at this hotel for work (in a standard room) and he said that one would barely fit, so the studio had to be big enough.

WRONG.

An hour of wrangling once we checked in and SAW the room landed us up five more stories to an 'accessible' room which, by law, has to be bigger.

Okay, the room was bigger and we're still in it as I write this, but I have to say I don't know who this is exactly accessible for since nearly all the kitchen items, the thermostat, the ironing board and more are all out of reaching of even the tallest wheel-chaired bound person.

This point doesn't affect us, but I understand a little more the basis for the complaints lodged by those seeking accessible accommodations and finding details like these so grossly ignored.

Day 2

Out and about in the City...

I've lived in the New York before...three years in Westchester as a nanny (one of those boys is the reason why we're here actually) and many, many weekends in NYC itself.

There were lots of things I randomly thought then and haven't thought about much since then, but those thoughts started coming back yesterday.

Spitting: babies in strollers are at the perfect height for spittle trajectory. Made me want to bust out with weather shield early.

Cigarettes: babies in strollers are at the perfect height for being ashed on. A kindly soul who was raspily asking my baby if he had a license to drive his stroller ashed moments later and I'll be darned if it wasn't too close for comfort.

Strollers: I'm soooooooo glad I didn't cave to the travel ease of an umbrella stroller. Sure our City Mini (okay, maybe I should put this on the review blog too) is a tad wide and kind of a tank, but it's providing great peace of mind.

Misc gear issues: mittens on strings that run through coat sleeves get caught in the slats of park benches...hats should not be easily removable if the weather is cold...and neither should shoes...having the stroller and the Ergo AND the monkey leash is NOT overkill...leg warmers are a great shoe alternative while baby is in stroller.

On a final note for that day: we had our first ever female cabbie. She was old and Caucasian and she said we'd always remember her because no matter how good or bad "You always remember your first!"

Day 3

Hotel room entertainment: with a 14mo old, it's not the TV, but rather it's the window that overlooks the street and cars (aka "Gah-Gah"). It's also the digital hotel safe that baby can't open, but routinely beeps at him for his failed efforts. It's also the open bathroom door, which opens into a world of mischief that begins with a roll of toilet paper and may end with an overturned trashcan of diapers.

BTW, when traveling with baby, always have a safety/JIC pack which includes plug covers and Post-its (to cover bright digital displays).

FAO Schwartz: for any child visiting NYC, this seems like a no-brainer. As in every child will love a visit. True, but be prepared when things you're not expecting to entertain your toddler, well, do. And for the living love of all things, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go into this store if you're in a rush. Go in to waste time and waste time you happily will.

Mashed sweet potatoes: for you, the reader, it's likely some other food, but for me it's the sweet potatoes. My little guy is a good eater of a variety of foods, but he has comfort staples when he's out of sorts...like when he's teething or traveling...or both.

These foods include spiced yogurt, veggie booty, grapes or blueberries, Earth's Best cereal bars AND mashed sweet potatoes.

When we arrived, I made a point of trekking nearly 20 blocks south to a Whole Foods KNOWING it would have all that I was seeking.

It did...except for sweet potatoes. I usually get the frozen cubed kind to make life easier, but the only frozen kind they had was french-fried. I was seriously shocked.

Okay, no biggie, I could be flexible. I figured he would be fine with the other foods and some Mac 'n Cheese and turkey dogs.

WRONG.

After eating modestly for the first 48hours here and refusing M'nC at lunch AND later dinner, I knew it was time to take drastic measures.

At first I typed in 'Gourmet' hoping one of the nearby delis might have mashed sweet potatoes. We started walking north and one place after the other had NOTHING.

In a desperate moment I simply typed into my phone's Google maps "Sweet Potatoes". The nearest listing was B. Smith's restaurant 1.5 blocks away from our standing place, so we went.

"Do you have mashed sweet potatoes?" I asked upon walking into this fine-dining establishment.

The host kindly took out the menu and glanced down it. "Yep." He pointed. "Sweet potato mash."

"Thank god! I'll take two. It's the only thing my baby will eat right now."

And that's how I ended up with two quart-sized containers of sweet potato mash, which is VERY good by the way.

Baby ate that and yogurt (and part of a later dumped-out bag of veggie booty) and is now happily sleeping for his 4th straight hour of the night.

So, as this trip continues, so will the baby travel lessons.

I'm sure I had some other things cross my mind over the last 60hours, but it's all kind of clouding over now.

Peace

A Pink American

Are men boys in Grown Up clothing?

2011-03-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Listening to this author on KUOW right now and am fascinated by the discussion.

I'm a woman and a wife and a mother and I know all the cliches out there about men. Look, there is NOTHING I've thought about my own 'man' that I haven't heard from nearly every other woman I know.

It's easy to bag on guys for being 'boys' or whatever you want to think of them. Makes for a good laugh with your girlfriends and makes you feel a little less crazy knowing that others share your experiences in some form.

What I like about this woman's approach is how it looks at how men have lost the obviousness of their way with the rise of women exercising the right to find their own ways.

FOREVER, men and women have held prescribed social roles under the penalty of poverty, ostracism or even death.

The thing is, many women really hated this prescription. Some, like myself, love the ability to take time out of my career life to be a stay-at-home-mom. But I enjoy that it's my CHOICE.

I suspect in some ways men really hated these prescriptions as well because of the pressure to succeed amongst one's peers in the work arena.

But, when it came to the role of man and woman together, men got off pretty easy.

Sure, they deal(t) with crazy bosses, long work hours, horrid commutes, office politics, but that's all relegated to the work sphere. That wouldn't change much whether women had rights or not.

In the home sphere, however, men were reared to expect not to have to do cooking or cleaning or much of their own self maintenance. Nor did they have to give much thought to child rearing. That was all the woman's domain.

That's why when women were like "Hey, do I have to cook and clean FOR YOU and raise your kids or can I do all that by and for myself?" the Western Man's tether was cut.

Men still deal with all the same BS of work life, but home life...love life...that's become a completely different game.

Each woman is different. Some may want careers, some may not.

Now a man has to decide what kind of gal he REALLY wants to go for rather than be told "Son, this is how things are so just fill in the pieces and you'll be fine."

And our society hasn't really kept pace with preparing many of these men for making these decisions.

Why? We (for the most part) still don't think it's valuable for men to be introspective so they aren't always clear about the complexity of their needs or desires. Because it's STILL considered important in the workplace, men (and more and more women) are taught to look out for 'number one', be unwilling to sacrifice one's own personal gains for the benefit of the 'group' and be wholly focused on some narrow and truly abstract definition of success that's largely based in the ability to consume services and goods that make one 'feel' happy and successful.

This really isn't just a man's problem anymore, but it remains their problem more than one for the ladies.

I do consider the 'rise of woman' a crisis maker for men, but it's not so much the woman's fault.

If women are able to take control of their own fates, feelings and family dreams, then so can men.

Neither sex is impotent to being able to achieve their goals, but neither sex should rely so heavily on the fading prescription of societal forces to guide that decision for them.

Bottom line:

Guys, if you want to pay the way, find a woman amenable to that. AND get yourself educated and find a VERY good paying career path.

Guys, if you want to split the bill, find a woman amenable to that. Still educate yourself and be able to support yourself, but be sure the lady you hitch your wagon to is equally self sufficient.

Guys, if you want to raise the babies, find a woman amenable to that. STILL educate yourselves, but don't get bent out of shape pursuing single-minded career goals that would come into conflict with being a  stay at home dad.

All of us needs to prepare ourselves to be the best kind of partner we're capable of being if we're looking to go down the partnership and/or family making path.

So go forth and be truly happy above all else because no amount of convincing yourself you 'ought' to do this thing or that because 'society' tells you to will bring happiness where it won't otherwise naturally occur. And try not to find it at the determent of others. Please.

Peace

A Pink American

Future rejectionist in training...

2011-02-28T22:44:00.000-08:00

Had to share this here.

I think this baby's parents are in the publishing industry and are training her to ENJOY destroying the dreams of aspiring writers.

Of course, when she's old enough to actually do that job, paper will be obsolete.

Nonetheless, this is precious. 

Enjoy.

Peace

A Pink American

Well I'll be ABNA'd...

2011-02-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Fates are smiling upon me once more as my pitch got me through to the next round.

Now I get the Vine reviews for this reworked opus of mine.

Okay, maybe it's not my opus, but it feels like it nowadays.

Fingers crossed that if I also get to the PW round there will be NO mention of Harry Potter comparisons.

Of course, plenty of other things have come out in the last four years to compare my MS too.

I can only hope that the character work stands out.

If nothing else, this gives me further confidence in my pitch/query/synopsis skills, which are going to come in handy as soon as I kick into overdrive on the next step of my to-get-my-book-published plan.

Peace

A Pink American

All the renewed single ladies, all the renewed single ladies...

2011-02-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to my ladies who are in the process of embracing their renewed singleton status...

I was flipping through this last Sunday's Parade Magazine (yeah, you know that funny little insert many never read beyond the open Q and A section) and skimmed through the article on longevity .

This wasn't one of those typical articles about eating well, no indeed.

Rather it was a mythbusting article about things you THINK are supposed to be good for you, but really may not be.

Six myths were considered including: marriage, relaxing, worrying, education, socializing, and athleticism.

Surprises? Yes and no.

However, it was the first myth to be 'busted' that drew in my attention.

As someone with education in psychology and sociology, I'm VERY aware of the factoid that when who divorce are almost always the worse off for it, particularly in a financial sense.

The stats at one point said a woman who was financially dependent on her husband SHOULD expect her financial quality of life to diminish up to 75% once out on her own...even if she does find work (that's when the glass ceiling and $.76 to a $1 value for work gender factor kicks in).

This is one of many reasons given that women, even in bad marriages, might choose to stay rather than divorce.

Another thing we've often heard is people who are married live longer.

So in addition to giving up financial security, women give up years on their lives...or do they?

That was the first myth busted in the Parade article.

It's really men that benefit from the steadiness of marriage.

But you all know that.

What's more interesting is that women who divorce and never remarry do just fine...and in most cases, usually live longer lives than their steadily married counterparts or those who divorce then remarry.

Now, all my renewed single ladies, go read the rest of that article to find out what else you can do to make the most of those extra years of not just life, but of LIVING!

Peace,

A Pink American

I am Number What?

2011-02-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

Oh right, number four.

I try not to rely too heavily on Rotten Tomatoes to guide my attitude toward movies (after all I loved 'The Love Guru' (15%) and laughed my way through the ridiculous train-wreck which was '2012' (39%)), so I proceeded with watching 'I Am Number Four' (27%) with cautious optimism.

Okay, can I first say that the advertising for this movie is HUGELY unrepresentative. This is NOT a sci-fi action film with romantic overtones.

It is a coming of age, puppy love movie, with sci-fi/action overtones...aimed at boys.

Okay, that said, I admit I enjoyed the movie.

I like puppy love.

I thought the story was sweet, simple and straightforward.

Oh, yes, lot's of comparison flew around in my mind to Twilight, Superman, you name it, but in the end, while it may be the 'same story', the new characters were interesting to me.

After watching the movie, I heard it was 'based' on a book.

Cool.

More research for my endeavors as a YA author.

I read the highest rated reviews on Amazon and thought perhaps I should try the Kindle sample first.

Soooooo glad I did.

First, let me note that the release date for this book was AUGUST 2010. Meanwhile, the release date for this movie two days ago.

There is NO way THIS movie was based on THAT book. In fact, I'd have to agree with some of those reviewers who speculate the book was written as an afterthought.

Back to the Kindle sample.

I was extremely disappointed in what I read. And I don't think this is a case of books and movies are different from one another.

The book was soulless.

At least the movie had character...or at least characters that were interesting enough to carry the story.

Almost always I'm hugely disappointment in the book to movie transition, but this may have been one of those rare times the book's story benefited.

And why? Probably because this story wasn't meant to be in book form.

Yes, I know I'm basing my opinion on only four chapters, but those chapters cover the same material as the intro scenes to the movie and are about a thousand times less interesting on every level.

Even 'Four's' delivery of thought lines comes across better in the movie, which I have to say is almost never the case in these matters, IMHO.

All told, I do think the Rotten Tomatoes pro-critic community gave this movie a bad rap (and I also feel that way about 'The Love Guru').

Further, I'm disheartened by the lack of quality writing in the book on which this movie was 'based'.

Regardless if the movie idea came first, whoever the editor was for this book should have stuck a couple of electric prods in the beginning and amped up the vitality.

Novelizing stage directions doesn't make for a good read.

We'll see what they do with the next number in this series.

Peace

A Pink American

A little levity a la Facebook...

2011-02-17T11:36:00.001-08:00

Normally I completely ignore the ads on Facebook, but I couldn't ignore this one...

Seriously? Isn't there some kind of program out there they can use to stop this kind of photo pairing with their ad copy?

Peace

A Pink American

Successfully shamed...

2011-02-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

The blog did its job.

So much for the once a week plan.

But I'm here now and that's all that counts.

Varuna Kannon is now officially part of the running for the ABNA 2011 title of supreme being.

We'll see how that goes.

Currently slogging on a synopsis. I'd forgotten how hateful this task was.

Actually (warning, tangent alert) I was listening to KUOW today and one report was on how folks trying to stay relevant after losing their jobs have to market, market, market themselves. Have to make the connections, have to know what they're selling (themselves), have to know how to highlight all their pros and speculate future success of a company based on the skills they bring with them.

In so many ways it reminded me of the querying process.

At writer's group last night, we had a laugh over the fact we were all so far behind in self-promotion. Some of us have blogs to promote ourselves, but are we blogging/tweeting/whatever to promote our blogs? And if so, have we already established a wide potential customer pool before bringing our book to the publisher? No? Why not?

When one of my group members suggested that if she could sell 5-7k books on her own, then a publisher would likely pick her up, I had to hard swallow.

Somewhere at some point on some blog where an author who'd reached 'bestselling' status said they'd give the rest of us insight as to what that meant, she noted that a 5-7k print run was the 'recoup the cost' run, and not much more than that made it to bestseller.

I may be actually misparaphrasing her...my memory keeps trying to tell me as little as 5k sold can make your book a best seller.

Whatever. The point is, the 'publisher' isn't providing much of a service anymore if you have to bring 5k sold with you.

Unless your name has 'sales appeal', you're likely to get published and left to publicize your baby on your own...but the publisher/printer will still take a hefty cut, thank you very much.

Why would I share any of the profits at that point when I, the author, have done all the creative work and then all the business work?

That's kind of a rhetorical question.

All this points to just how in flux this industry is. Four years ago eBooks 'weren't going to make it'...ta-da...they are.

Now,self-publishing doesn't have the stigma it used to (vanity is so 2007). In fact, it's a better vetting mechanism than agents!

Sorry agents.

It's an ever curious evolution I'm witnessing.

Wonder where it will be when I finally break on through...

Peace
A Pink American

Things I should have blogged about this month....

2011-01-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Let me see...

The death and resurrection of customer service:

I grew up in a family of salespeople. When they didn't get their fix at work, they'd come home and try hard to sell each other on political opinions, life views and more. I guess that still happens.

Recently, the meteoric rise of Groupon got me thinking about small business owners in my family.

My lovely aunt owns a jewelry store in Carlsbad, CA, and she mentioned they were going to sign up with Groupon.

I wondered if my dad, who owns a Crown Trophy store in Boulder, had thought of using this service.

I shot off a one line email about it and he returned an essay.

Oh yeah, he'd thought about them. Tried to sign up last fall. He spent a half hour on the phone basically pleading with the salesgirl (for she HAD to be under 25) to let him GIVE Groupon his business.

In case you didn't know, Groupon mostly aims at a young professional female demographic. That means lot's of frilly services, eating out, and some 'things', but things that the ladies would like.

Back to my dad. They were going to offer a personalized ornament for the holidays. That sounded like a good plan.

But NO, the Groupon salesgirl told my dad in no uncertain terms (and with pretty much these words) that he was wasting her time. That because Groupon was the hottest thing out there, she had businesses lined up for days and she wouldn't consider offering his wares.

As a lifelong saleperson himself, Dad was incensed by her attitude, but what could he do? Nothing.

I don't know if I can really boycott Groupon for the behavior of one ill-mannered salesgirl, but something tells me they should use some of that multi-billion dollar valuation to raise capital to pay for some customer skills training.

They me be hot now, but they aren't doing anything new and someone else will come up with something better before long.

Customer needs to be resurrected.

ABNA 2011:

YES! It's that time of year again. With NaNoWrimo just two months behind me, I've cleaned up my MS once more and am submitting. 2011 is my year! I know it!

In case ABNA doesn't work out:

I have other plans.

This is the year I'm committed to querying. Hold me to it people. If I can't get someone to pick up Varuna Kannon(and her possible series) by the time my little guy turns TWO, then I may have to consider a different writing path.

To show my commitment to publication (or at least getting representation), I will again attend the Western Washington SCBWI conference with my sweet, sweet friend The Angsty Writer Megan Bostic. AND I'm popping for the manuscript consultation.

Also, I plan on entering this version of my MS in at least ONE other writing contest than ABNA.

No hard feelings, ABNA, but I need to broaden my pool.

General Writing:

I'm surrounded by talented, caring, literary folk who I adore, and I just wanted to say that. Some are in person friends, many are online, but all are wonderful. :)

Motherhood:

Seems to suit me.

I love my little man and he loves me and we love each other for loving each other.

And we both love the daddy too!

I'm finding a very happy balance between all things domestic, mothering, writing and yoga.

Maybe I'll squeeze some more gardening in this year.

And paint a picture.

And quilt.

Okay, just kidding about the last one.

Politics:

Had that on my mind a lot, but have since blocked it out due to some related trauma that occurred in the last month or so.

Doing much better now and curious to see how the national debt is reigned in.

~~~~~

So, that about rounds out what I should have blogged about this last month. Will try to make this a weekly habit for the next couple of months.

I think I can do that.

I think.

Peace

A Pink American

Happy belated b-day to me...

2011-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Now in the 35-50 age group.

Does that make me young or old?

I suppose it makes me young because I'm in the beginning of that age group.

That's a nice way to think about it :)

Peace

A Pink American

Ode to the shopping gods...

2010-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

But this is mostly about Amazon.

First I'll get the non-Amazon stuff out of the way.

First: Khol's cash.

The tag line: "It's like getting paid to shop!"

Except it's NOT. Sure you get 'money' back, but it can only be used at Khol's, and only for a few days at that. Plus, invariably you'll end up buying more than the 'cash' you've 'earned' shopping.

Once again, you end up being the one paying to shop.

To be sure, this is a step up in cleverness from the 'Here's coupons for your next visit' approach at checkout.

FYI, those discounts would have been handy five seconds ago!

I understand where retailers are coming from. They REALLY want to control our shopping habits/urges/splurges by getting us to more regularly come into the store and overspend. They need dependable receivables, I get it.

That said, they don't seem to give a thought to what's actually convenient to the customer.

I have stacks (okay, they're recycled now) of outdated 20%-off coupons from Babies R' Us because they were only good for 2-5 days RIGHT after I've come to stock up on diapers, food, whatever.

Seriously, BrU, know YOUR customers! No one wants to come back for diapers two days after buying diapers!

Speaking of buying for baby, I've created a lovely segway to my next topic: AMAZON.

Reader, you may say, "Girl, don't do it. Don't bite the hand that feeds you Vine and fuels your annual ABNA hopes."

But I can't help it.

Ammy IS the double-edged sword.

Diapers.com...

As in, Ammy bought it. Why? Because they're not stupid. Nobody spends money worse than a drunken sailor except for first-time parents of a newborn.

The first three months often left me and my hubby in a panic for something I swore I wouldn't get and suddenly needed NOW (that's how BrU got our patronage). Anything that could wait for 2 days, we went straight to Diapers.com because dragging a young baby out of the house to buy diapers, wipes, ANYTHING...sucks.

Yeah, I said it.

So, Ammy's gamble is they will now have a better prediction mechanism for people who'll shop online AND what types of things they generally get (renewables, disposables, organics, conventional, etc.).

The better to target you with, my dear.

If they can reliably send attention-grabbing emails to you and get you to buy the stuff in it because they know you better than you know yourself...they win.

My personal complaint about all this is: I already shop like a drunken sailor at Ammy and based on my purchasing patterns, I'm hugely surprised by things I get emails about.

Forget those emails, I happen to be part of their Vine program and though it has been long speculated their targeted newsletters aren't based on spending habits...I think I can now confirm that.

Why did I get that electronic mouse trap offered to me?

I've simply reached the point where I've blocked, turned off unsubscribed, recycle flyers without opening/reading because I'm done being told what to do by the shopping gods.

(Except I still happily participate in Vine...hey, if I took the mousetrap, it would be free anyway.)

If I wanted my life under someone else's scrutiny and control that much, there are certain family members I might reside with. Or, I would have never left home. Or, I'd do something to land in jail. Or, I'd become a politician.

Point is, I want to be as free as possible (lol) to make my choices with only a smidgen of help (I check out the Sunday ads and Daily/Weekly goldbox specials) but that's it.

On a final note about the shopping 'gods'...Amazon is running an insane contest where they're giving away 10 $10k Mastercard giftcards (hope they'll be usable given their Wikileaks dilemma...but that's another story...lol) to ONE winner based on 10-weeks of using a new Universal Wish List tool Ammy's developed.

I've entered each week because it's free and doesn't take much time. However, the time I do waste due to this contest is when I scroll down to the forums to read the thread titles.

Most start out like grade school theme papers or the little scraps of prayer papers people shove into some holy nook somewhere.

"If I won $100k, this is how I'd spend it..." I did that project in the 6th grade. I still have the list! Five-hundred Cabbage Patch Kids among other things.

OR

"First to God, then the rest..." Okay, these kind of headings feel more like they're laying their prayers at Ammy's feet rather than God's. Like somehow Ammy will sift through all the entries and pick 'the one' that is most compelling.

I do hope someine in need wins, that'd be a wonderful conclusion to this crazy contest.

But people listen up: praying to/through Amazon isn't going to get those prayers answered.

The shopping gods are hungry and want sacrifices of your money and not much of anything else.

Peace
A Pink American

ABNA 2011...

2010-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

OMG...

It's that time again.

ABNA

And though I swear off entering this contest each year the way I swear off drinking after an evening with one too many glasses of wine, a few days (or a year) of 'sobriety' always changes my mind.

I now have about 2 months to finish this rewrite and edit the heck out of my baby (and I don't mean my baby, but my MS).

This will be my fourth year entering and my fourth incarnation of this book.

I seriously don't think I have it in me to do anything more to the story than I am doing now.

Next year will be Chic-lit for sure if Varuna can't make this time around.

That said, let that the thrill of hoping begin!

Peace

A Pink American

NaNo na-na-nana...

2010-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

As I said over on Facebook:
"I did it, I did it!"
I shout to the crowd
Succeeding at NaNo
Makes me feel proud

Sadly, no one has mentioned the reference from which this little rhyme is derived. Then again, most people reading it probably aren't into books for the under-5 crowd.

So, yes, I wrote 50,062 NEW words for the month of November. And though it was technically a 'rewrite' it was no less challenging to pull off, especially when you throw a 9mo old, a week-plus trip into the mix AND NaNoTaskMistress duties into the mix.

I was cracking the whip for 29 others, though I'm not entirely sure how helpful I was to most of them.

On rewriting... They say that's what all writing is anyways.

I truly thought I'd be able to lift whole scenes from my original MS, but whenever I tried I realized two things:

1) The nature of the story's plot line and elements had changed soooo much, the scenes, as-is, didn't work...

2) Characters, though intimately familiar to me, were reacting to the story differently from page one. By page 150, when I did want to use an established scene, I had to rewrite it all anyway because each of the characters spoke differently and behaved differently.

It was kind of weird.

It made my original MS seem so immature.

Yet it was sooo much more mature this time last year compared to the year before. Reminds me of every birthday up to 26 or so, when I'd review the last year and see how radically my life situation had changed and how stupid I was the year before compared to now. Then I thought about how I thought that every year and wondered how stupid I'd consider myself next year.

I've pretty much stopped doing that now, thankfully.

I'm pleased as punch about my commitment to my writing without neglecting my child, husband or home.

Do I hear ABNA 2011 calling?? This is going to be Una's year, I feel it!

Also, it would be nice to post some of the witty/funny/insightful blog posts I've jotted down this last month but couldn't commit the time to writing.

All I've got to say now is...the Pink American WRITER is back!

Peace

A Pink American

Political stuff and what wins my vote...

2010-10-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I said stuff, because that's pretty much what it feels like.

Today, I'll sit and actually READ through my voter's pamphlet before I make my voting decision.

But will I be swayed by the other pieces of the political landscape??

Hmmm...

ADVERTISING:

Thanks to the Supreme Court,people who really care about their issues could spend a ridiculous amount of money on political advocating and hating this campaign season. In fact, they care sooooo much about their representative's impacts on EMS, education, taxes, services, you name it, that across the country they're willing to drop $2billion dollars (you can listen to more about money and politics here or here).

If you care that much about something, just use that $2 billion to fix some of the issues yourself. Why buy someone else's ability to solve your problems?

I'm not impressed you'd waste so much of your personal money on filling my recycling bin with your often misleading flyers.

You don't win my vote.

STUMPING:

For weeks I've seen this image outside of my local Post Office. When I walk by I try to think how this connection is drawn?

One day, an older woman was talking to the faithful LaRouche supporter who stood in the blowing wind and sprinkling rain.

She said, "It took us eight years to get done everything we got done, and took him only twenty-two months to destroy everything."

I felt my hair stand up. Literally.

Okay, this isn't an Obama love-fest here, but I HATE seeing short/narrow mindedness in action.

What is the deal with Obama-is-Hitler image anyway? The only rationale I come up for that is somehow LaRouche has decided the social and economic circumstances in this country that led to Obama's victory were in some way similar to those of post-WWI Germany. The economic devastation of proposed WWI reparations crippled Germany and left the populace ripe for a popular uprising by a charismatic leader.

IF this were a valid comparison, then the LaRouche supporter's sympathizer wouldn't be seeing eye to eye with him because then she'd have to accept that her guy did damage equivalent to post-WWI in order to usher in the charismatic new leader.

Yes, faulty reasoning and logic abound here (even my guess, I'm sure). But is it right to simply say: Obama is a socialist so he's Hitler?

I saw many GW Bush is Hitler posters during his tenure, but it wasn't because people thought he was a socialist.

I'd like to see some more creative political analogies, but I suppose if they tried to be more creative fewer people would understand what they were saying.

If you want my vote, then appeal to my higher order of thinking, and that won't happen using some tired comparisons.

RALLIES:

Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor freedom rally draws an estimated 47,000...

Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity and Stephen Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive draw over 200,000...

This isn't about winners and losers, it's about the power of media. People on both sides of the aisle think these men are the truth-speakers for their teams.

I don't know how much of the truth comes from any of these mouths, but the fact that they are able to whip up such intense emotions demonstrates just how hungry we are as a nation for a political system and government that works and works well.

I'm one of those hungry people.

TAXES:

People, you cannot have taxes slashed AND keep the government programs you like.

So don't be so darn outraged when you say NO to prop-whatever then crime rates go up or school dropout rates go up or road conditions suck or the wait to get your driver's license is two times longer or your Social Security case worker doesn't get back to you within a week because his/her caseload as tripled or whatever.

Check out the definition of cause and effect.

I know how I vote can have effect on the things I care about and think are worth keeping or axing for my family and my country. So scaring me or wooing me with tax cuts is pointless. I understand there's only one money pie out there and the only thing I'm really concerned about is HOW MUCH of that pie is being eaten by non-US mouths (ie international debt holders).

PLAYING THE GAME:

In the end, when I think of politics I think of the scene from 'A Beautiful Mind' when Russell Crowe's John Nash is in the bar and realizes (as per game theory) if all players work seperately try to maximize their own reward then the payout that each participant is less than if they work together.

Yeah, it's a crazy idea that we as a nation could work together for any reason other than defending ourselves against and alien attack.

So when I vote today, I'll think about what's best for 'us' as a whole and cross my fingers that it doesn't take an alien attack to get the rest of my fellow Americans to hopefully do the same.

I guess you could say, the prospect of an alien attack is the biggest factor in my voting behavior.

Peace

A Pink American

Is Todd Parr the only one with a clue?

2010-10-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I ranted about handing your under-three-year old electronic devices, BUT I do make an exception.

When you use the device WITH them.

This means sitting with them as you touch the cow picture together and say "What does the cow say?" and it moos.

It's like the modern See-and-Say that way.

Though, unlike with the See-and-Say, I still wouldn't leave my baby alone with a $400 iPad.

Another thing I like doing with e-Devices is reading books.

I've read plenty of books for myself, but I was recently trying to find picture books for my baby so as to have a couple with me at all times, even when I don't have a physical book with me.

And, with smart phones in the house, an iPad and a gen-one Kindle, the one book I buy at the Kindle store can be shared among all the devices, so that's extra handy.

Well, I went to look for books and found exactly ONE that met my needs.

Funny Faces, by Todd Parr.

I was surprised that between the Kindle store and the iBooks store (which had NOTHING), this was the only option. Not that I don't like Todd Parr's work, it's great, but is his publisher the only one with half a marketing brain?

I may be sticking my foot in my mouth here, but I'd like to see more eBooks for babies. Picture books that Mommy and Daddy can read through with baby when they're on the road and forgot their trusted copy of Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar or whatever.

Sure, it's not the same experience as the board book (and if I was in this business, I'd sell the eBook and board book as a bundled package for a few dollars more than the board book alone, but a few dollars less than the two separately), BUT it introduces technology to very young children in an interactive and appropriate way.

I still DO NOT advocate leaving children under 3 to their own devices with eDevices, but I'm a realist about the need to teach them techno-responsibility in this day and age of all things digital/electronic/plugged in, etc.

And under no circumstances is reading to or with your child bad...even if it's from your phone.

Peace
A Pink American

Is this the definition of insanity?

2010-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

+
Being a SAHM to a baby

Yes.

I am planning on participating in NaNoWrimo this year.

If for no other reason than to force my hand into writing EVERY blessed day during November.

I need this.

Varuna Kannon needs it. She's bored with where her story's at.

I'm open to the possibility that I won't hit the 5ok mark, BUT if I do and manage not to neglect my child or husband, then I'll deserve something far awesomer than a winner's badge.

But I'll take that because even though I'm doing a rewrite, I'll still consider it a win this time around.

Peace
A Pink American

I say Nay to the iPhone...

2010-10-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

...for the under three crowd.

If the boob can't distract a baby from the iPhone, then NOTHING can

(btw, I don't own an iPhone so don't think this is me)

I was reading the NY times this Sunday and happened across this article:

Toddlers’ Favorite Toy: The iPhone

Was I surprised by the title? Not really.

I have a 4 year old niece and a 5 year old cousin (both girls) who are pros at using iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Each pretty much managed mastery from about 3 years of age. Because they're family I let it slide (sort of) that they're such mistresses of this technology. Thankfully they each still prefer human contact over i-Anything.

But there are kids who seem all too eager to trade the affections of their adults for time with 'a screen'. And by kid, I mean diaper wearing, toddling around baby type.

Now that I'm a parent, I get to voice an opinion that as an ex-nanny, ex-educator, ex-tutor, ex-a-lot-of-things-to-do-with-kids-roles didn't have enough street cred before.

Moms and dads, get real.

In this article, there are parents who go on about how smart their child is becoming from the games they play ALONE with these devices.

Um, babies and toddlers are programmed to mimic, to near perfection, what they see around them...it's how they learn, it's how they fit in, it's how they ensure their survival. All those cute smiles and coos they throw back at you aren't simply for their entertainment or yours. It's like biological insurance built in so they get fed, changed, snuggled with.

So, to say a child is exceptional because they are learning sponges and somehow demonstrate that, TOTALLY misses the point. Short of some seriously significant developmental issue, ALL babies have the same learning potential from day one. Of course that gets directed one way or the other based on the environment they're born into, but that's another can of very fat worms.

When a parent decides to hand over a $400 toy to their baby (yeah, think on that) so they can buy themselves a few minutes of time, well, that's exactly what they're doing.

Buying time.

The parent isn't educating in any sense of the word.

Maybe, MAYBE if you played with the phone with the baby that might count, but then again if you wanted to interact with your baby, would you use a $400 prop to do so? No way, you'd use cardboard boxes, plastic blocks, a hand puppet...you get my drift.

In this day and age of too-fast-for-fire-to-catch-it go, go, go, always plugged in, can't ignore the inbox chime or forget to set the DVR or whatever else catches your EMF fancy, time feels like the #1 thing nobody has enough of.

So, yeah, I totally get wanting to borrow a little bit from your baby.

Oh, I really get it (cue the violin) because I'm going on month nine with an average of six broken hours of sleep a night and about 5-10% privacy time during the day, so I know all about wanting to take some me-time.

But when I'm going to take that time, I'm honest with myself about it.

I don't hand over not-made-for-baby's-brains toy and say, "But look, it's educational. This really isn't about me."

Yes, yes it is...especially if your baby is under three.

Do you and your baby a favor and set down all EMF emitting devices. Open up that big swinging thing on the front of your house (i.e. the door) and step outside for five minutes. You might find offering your baby some undivided attention for a few minutes will do wonders when addressing the reasons you might feel compelled to hand over your phone.

Just a thought.

Peace,
A Pink American

PS My baby's napping right now, so I have this me-time to waste on this EMF emitting device. Thank you.

Vogue, The September Issue...

2010-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

...and my issue with it.

I have to preface by saying I'd been watching the documentary, The September Issue, when I felt the overwhelming urge to have the most recent September issue.

Of course, that was September 29th or something like that, so I went to trusty eBay and ordered a packaged copy.

While waiting for it to arrive, I indulged in generally repressed fantasies of being a fashionista. I used to care about this stuff way more when I was in college (and at my fattest) then I do now.

Oh, and whenever I'm in New York I tend to buy at least one thing I think is too silly to wear when I get home, but KNEW 'I'd use it everyday' because I was inhaling the shopping opiate which is Manhattan.

Once the magazine arrived, I quickly tore out all the perfume pages (hate those things) and got to reading.

Well, looking is more like it.

Five bizillion pages of ads leading up to some rather interesting written pieces (non-fashion and fashion related).

I started forming a top ten list in my head of the things I took issue with with this issue but I only got to 7. So here goes:

1) Fashion photography hasn't changed much in my lifetime. All the women either look like hangers or vixens or expressionless dolls. Here's a clue, you could pay mannequins much less, especially the half dozen folks who used...

2) Kate Moss. She so doesn't add anything to the products appeal especially when she's the featured model for so many different brands in one magazine. Overkill.

3) Most of what I see in this magazine that I could ever conceivably wear is either purse or jewelry or shoe, and I'm left to feel bad about myself for that fact.

4) Speaking of shoes, it is NOT necessary nor a good idea to put heels on every kind of shoe ever made.

This shoe wasn't meant to have a 4 inch heel!

5) Opened-toed boots...boots that cover my whole foot and leg up to my thigh don't need open toes. It's misleading as far as wearability goes AND it's clearly a conspiracy with pedicurists and toenail polish manufacturers.

6) Encouraging pregnant women to be so fashionable that they should wear skin-tight jeans and stiletto, platform heels? Come on...don't pregnant woman go through enough that they don't need this ADDED pressure to look slutty hot while 9mos pregnant. What fetish organization is running maternity fashion?

7) Are you really saying wearing a live lion cub is in fashion?

8) (this is where I ran out of steam)...

Bottom line, I still like looking at the pretty stuff. I do like the creativity of many of the spreads and not all things fashion make me recoil.

However, knowing that the vast majority of women:
A) Don't in ANY way look or have the ability to look like the women in this magazine

and

B) Don't have nor have the legal opportunity to acquire the funds for the cool stuff (ads for Payless, Kmart and Target don't make me feel better about my fashion self in this mag)

I still pretty much turn my nose up to high fashion.

Yeah, yeah I know some designer's choice of Cerulean three years ago made its way to my bargain bin sweater, but you say that as if I'm actually supposed to care.

Peace
A Pink American

On Anti-colonial views...

2010-09-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

When I heard about the bru-ha-ha over the anti-colonial views instilled in President Obama by his father (a la Dinesh D’Souza and Newt Gingrich), my skin literally crawled.

For anyone who reads this post, I'd LOVE to hear from you if you think this is the same approach political pundits should take when my OWN son reaches the age for running for public office (should he choose to).

I mean seriously, his father is a naturalized US citizen now, but he was raised in India. And his parents were directly affected by Partition. Will this assumedly rub off on my son?

And speaking of anti-colonial (ahem) can we say "American REVOLUTIONARY war"?

Wasn't this country CREATED on the ultimate anti-colonial stance?

Okay, sorry to the religiotti out there who'll read this, but....JESUS CHRIST, people, can I ask you to give this a rest?

Seriously, I think this is what Jesus WOULD do if he came down and personally addressed the insanity of this newest anti-Obama sentiment.

Seriously.

Peace

A Pink American

Guaranteed best seller...

2010-09-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Though it's been years since I lived in New York, I still get the NY Times delivered to my doorstep.

Friday through Sunday is about all I can handle without the guilt of not reading most of the paper.

Last Friday an article on the front page stood out:

Pentagon Plan: Buying Books to Keep Secrets

The first paragraph verbatim:

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are negotiating to buy and destroy all 10,000 copies of the first printing of an Afghan war memoir they say contains intelligence secrets, according to two people familiar wit the dispute.

Let me begin by saying 'wit' is an actual typo in the article and not my doing.

I always find these things cosmically ironic when the topic is writing.

Second,you mean to say I only needed to have and be willing to reveal national security secrets in order to guarantee my book was a best seller??

(In the US selling between 5,000-10,000 copies in your first print run is considered best seller status, btw.)

Third, I don't know that I'd personally pay to read this book, so why are pennies of my tax dollars (okay, since I'm a SAHM, my hubby's tax dollars) going to purchase a book against my will?

Using public money to buy books the public doesn't want to read is practically the polar opposite of censorship and book burning...even if the aim is to censor and burn this book.

Bottom line, next week I plan on joining special forces for some local top secret government type work, then the following week I begin my tell-all memoir.

Of course, when I go to print, I'll recommend my publisher do a first run of at least 25,000-30,000 copies.

We might as well do more than break even for costs.

Peace

A Pink American

Dusting off the cobwebs...

2010-09-08T21:54:00.001-07:00

And tapping the mic...is anyone still listening out there?

After months of having nothing but baby on the brain and a longing desire to write, I think I'm at a point where I can strike a balance.

Sure, I could string together all the comments and pictures I've posted on Facebook for the last 7 months and get a pretty cute little story, but I need to focus on some hardcore creative noveling.

But which way to go?

I've been obsessing over whether to choose the glorious revamp I have outlined for Varuna Kannon (yes, I said it) OR the rewriting/finishing of my humorous chic-lit piece.

Both have such huge potential.

In my opinion at least.

When I attended an all day retreat with my writer's group back in June (I think it was) I presented them the chic-lit work.

One critter commented that the piece was SOOO different from the YA work it was like two different authors wrote them.

I asked, "What should I do if I was offered a publishing deal for both right now?"

"Pen name," he said.

"To which one?"

"The chic-lit."

I'll grant chic-lit is not his reading material of choice, but all in all I took this conversation as a mighty compliment.

Ah, but which to focus my precious spare energy on?

I suppose it doesn't really matter so long as I, you know, write.

Peace,

A Pink American

iHeart my iPad...

2010-06-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

This isn't about loving Apple, though.

I do not consider myself a tech junkie...that's my husband's job. He's more like a sommelier, however, in the sense he understands the many fine nuances of all things tech gadget while I say things like: "So how's the iPad not like a giant iPod Touch."

To that, he rolls his eyes.

But when I recently got it stuck in my head that having an iPad would improve my odds of writing more than Amazon reviews and Facebook updates, he took the initiative.

Sure, I was prepared to wait until Christmas/my birthday to get one, but he's watched how I've been struggling with not finding any meaningful time to write for months.

So, he comes home the other day with a card featuring Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night and I was like: "Surprise trip to Paris?"

But no...my surprise was an iPad waaaaaaay early.

Already I'm warming up to the possibilities.

And while I greatly appreciate this awesome new tool to help me sneak in writing any which way I can...I'm even more appreciative that my husband took the lead on this matter, responded to my angst and did something wonderfully sweet to show he genuinely supports my creative efforts and,of course, loves me.

Peace,

A Pink American

#5 Bird Poop Good Luck...

2010-06-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

...And because I'm lazy, I'm going to post a link to this person's blog entry from July of 2007.

I haven't gone about verifying any of what they list, but if they did a bunch of Googling, then it's go to be legit :)

Bird Poop Good Luck, The Myth

Of course, I like to think of it as a superstition more than a myth.

An aside, we recently purchased a new car and I poop you not, when we woke the next morning there was bird dookie on the passenger side wing mirror AND on the windshield.

Double luck in my book.

Peace

A Pink American

Ah, Writing Contests...

2010-06-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I wrote for the shear pleasure of it.

Often turning to pen and paper (or the clickity clack of the keyboard) when I needed creative or emotional release.

Now, with less and less time to literally and mentally dedicate to writing I find myself mostly relying on humorous Facebook updates or Amazon reviews to 'count' toward my daily writing totals.

Sad, I know.

The one caveat to this: writing contests.

There is something both appealing and addicting about these things. I guess you could say they make me feel the same way as I do when I buy a scratch lotto ticket.

With a little bit of effort, I could get a very big reward.

Of course writing a novel is no small effort, nor is the revising of it. I'm not trying to skimp on creative quality here.

But the effort that goes into trying to find representation and ultimately get published...well, that's a lot.

When I think of the odds in going the traditional route I feel like I do when I try for Megamillions: 1 in a gazillion.

But with a writing contest, well, my odds are 1 in whatever number the entry cap is.

That's somehow more attainable.

So whenever a contest is announced, despite my keyboard collecting literary dust for a month or more, I jump on my MS for some spur of the moment tweaks so I can make the submission deadline.

Somehow giving my work just this much attention keeps it from atrophying in my mind, but feels like a super lazy way of trying to reach my goal.

Yeah, who wouldn't like to hit the jackpot? But I don't want to sit back and bank on contesting only to be disappointed by what's really my lack of effort rather than my lack of luck.

Peace

A Pink American

At this rate, I'll never...

2010-05-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

...Finish any of my writing projects.

Of course I'm in the rewrite stages (as ever), but as it's said no story is ever done...well, you know.

I've been giving myself a hard time about NOT writing at all, but then I realize as per Facebook and baby journaling, I do write everyday. When I say or think of something clever I try to immortalize it in FB or write it down in one of my various tossed about writing pads.

More importantly, I think I'm resisting 'finishing' either project because I'm torn about which one is 'me'.

It's like the time my friends encouraged me to place a personal ad on Craigslist YEARS ago (hey, it's how I met my husband), but I had to write TWO postings that equally represented me BUT were different. One, the granola girl, the other, the wild child.

Both were true, but how can I ever choose only one over the other?

My current dilemma: YA fantasy versus humorous Women's fiction. Both equal escapism, so at least that's in common.

After seeing the recently posted finalists on ABNA year three, I realize neither of these paths will likely ever win me that contest. I just write the 'wrong' genre for Penguin, I guess.

I'm still a tad hung up on the fact the PW reviewer used words like 'enjoyable' , 'entertaining' and that my use of first person enhanced character development. These mean I'm at least good at writing, right?

Now I seriously need to be dedicated in carving out the time to use these mad writing skills of mine and 'finish' something.

Okay, my rambling vent for the night is complete.

Thanks for listening.

Peace

A Pink American

And the PW reviewer says...

2010-05-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite bits:

~...worthy attempt at Young Adult fantasy.

~...an entertaining read...

~Una’s first person narration increases character development, but as enjoyable as the story is...

Okay, now let's put these into context:

An entirely familiar storyline (Harry Potter) hampers an otherwise worthy attempt at Young Adult fantasy. Varuna Kannon (Una to her friends) discovers on her 14th birthday that she is a Guardian, an individual with magical powers that control and protect the environment. Angry at her parents and uncomfortable with her new station in life, she begrudgingly packs her belongings and joins her best friend, Reed, on a ship, to complete their first year of Guardian training. The night of the departure, the ship is attacked, and Una’s parents are presumed dead. Gossip abounds that the evil Malovious, a banished Guardian, is behind the attack. While learning magical lessons in controlling Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit, Una must deal with the loss of her parents, a snotty fellow student named Lilith who is determined to make her life unbearable, and the rumor that one of her classmates may be the foretold Paladin, a Guardian with the power to stop Malovious once and for all. While an entertaining read, this is a highly predictable and recognizable plot. Una’s first person narration increases character development, but as enjoyable as the story is, it lacks originality.

Sigh.

Actually, my skin barely prickled as I read this. The HP reference was a given by this time around, so I was simply focusing on the other bits.

I LOVE that the PW reviewer appeared to have read the whole MS, enjoyed it, and didn't screw up any of the details they included in the review.

That was nice :)

Bottom line for me after three ABNA attempts with this MS, I will shop it around until the end of this year, but I'm done with revising it.

(Okay, maybe a teeny tiny more tweeking in the first chapter, but that's it!!!)

I may have to put Una on ice for a while until Harry Potter feels more distant.

About a decade ought to do it.

I have to remind myself that I started down this road as a way to improve my skills as writer because what I REALLY wanted to write was adult fiction, and most likely humorous Chic-lit stuff, but not too fluffy.

That's what I did for my NaNo project last year and it felt like I was inhaling air with much more oxygen in it than when I wrote Varuna.

I still have a soft spot for Varuna, but only time will tell if she was more than a three year exercise in becoming a better writer.

Peace

A Pink American

I'm ABNA out...

2010-04-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

And you won't see me shed a tear over it.

After three years of making it a decent ABNA distance, I simply can't hope that this contest will take my MS all the way.

I've go plans for Varuna. She'll go on to see another day.

And while I shop her around, I'll work on my side Chick-Lit project from NaNoWrimo 2009.

Now, if that book is polished enough for ABNA 2011...well you might just see me back as an General Fiction writer for adults.

Peace

A Pink American

ABNA Expert Reviews...

2010-04-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

The expert reviewers for Amazon's ABNA contest come from their Vine program. These folks review tens of products (especially TONS of books) for Amazon with the sole reimbursement of being able to keep the product.

In keeping with full disclosure, I happen to be a Vine reviewer, but I rarely participate in the forums. I do not know who reviewed my work nor will I likely ever.

I'd like to believe no nepotism was at play, but there are others who are certain there was.

Whatever.

While the reviewers do strongly influence who makes it to this round, they do not choose the winners.

All that said, I was pleased with my complete reviews. As I said before, I'm over having the kicked-in-the-gut reaction to any mention of Harry Potter. I seriously loved those books and many other YA fantasies as a kid and an adult and I seriously love my book.

I think there's room for Varuna on the bookshelves.

ABNA Expert Reviewer #1

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
If the author does not get too heavy handed with political overtones this has the potential to be quite a winner. The story is quite lucid and well told.

I also have an appreciation for the level of creativity exhibited by the author. It appears that she is going to create a alter-universe where her characters will reside.

What aspect needs the most work?
Not really an area that needs work, but I do hope that the story does not tread too closely to Harry Potter. Obviously within the confines of this excerpt Harry Potter is a comparison that is all too natural. I just hope that the author can maintain an independent voice and tell a different type of story. I am confident that the author will maintain the proper balance!

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
The author may hate the comparison, but this sounds like, "Harry Potter and His Adventures with Greenpeace." Not that this is a bad thing - but you can definitely see the environmental undertones being built early into the novel. This is a very strong entry in the ABNA.

ABNA Expert Reviewer #2

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
This excerpt is full of adventure. Varuna is reluctant to go away for training, but ultimately likable. The training that Varuna will be doing, and the powers she has are very enjoyable to read about. The "Boulay" transaction was well-thought out and strongly captures the reader's interest. This excerpt as a whole is very intriguing.

What aspect needs the most work?
The prologue and the connection to Varuna and Reed's dreams is still a little confusing at this point. What are Guardians of the Elements, and what do they do? The "ordes" and several other references seem reminiscent of Harry Potter. Sometimes Varuna's voice is so opinionated in her narrative that the thing she is talking about cannot be clearly understood (especially if they are other-wordly things). What are Reed's powers? What's Varuna's regular life like?

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
Varuna and her friend Reed are leaving on a year long trip to train as "Guardians of the Elements". But they can't stop dreaming about pirates... On Varuna's fourteenth birthday her parent's revealed to her that she has powers and that she'll be sent away to train how to control them. There are different planes in the world of this story: the Amaranthine and Evanescent. The "Boulay" system is fascinating. This story has a great setting(s). The reader needs to be more orientated into Varuna's unusual world...

Thanks to my reviewers, whoever you are :)

Peace

A Pink American

Varuna Kannon and The Caluminar's Cave at ABNA 2010

Poetry appreciation day...

2010-03-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

I love listening to Writer's Almanac presented by Garrison Keillor.

Today he read a poem that meant more to me than I was ready to expect.

To My Son's Girlfriend

by Michael Milburn

I'm tempted to ask
what you see in him.
Although you probably
see the good that I see
I wonder if you realize
how much he is my handiwork,
or which of the qualities
you daydream about in class
are the ones that I take pride in,
his cordiality, for example,
or love of silliness.

It's uncomfortable for me
to think of anyone else
loving him the way I do,
possessing him in a way
that only his mother and I
have ever possessed him,
and I can't deny being jealous,
not so much reluctant
to share or relinquish him
as resolved to remind you
that he's been around
longer than your love,
under construction if you will,
and that each cute trait
or whatever occurs to you
when you hear his name
I feel proprietary about,
like a woodworker
who makes a table
intending to sell it
but prays that no buyer
will recognize its worth.

"To My Son's Girlfriend" by Michael Milburn, from Drive By Heart. © Word Press, 2009.

It's available on Amazon here:

Peace

A Pink American

Noting the obvious...

2010-03-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so agents, etc., generally say in their chatter "Don't mention you placed in the ABNA contest because there are hundreds of finalists and the contest doesn't mean much to us."

That was the message since cycle one. It carried on in cycle two. We'll see if it does so in cycle three.

Over in the ABNA-related forums someone noted this:

Jarucia has made it through with the same manuscript all three years, so obviously it's good. Why doesn't a publisher pick her up???!!!

Yeah, why hasn't anyone.

Okay, maybe ABNA isn't the Cadillac or Porsche or whatever of literary contests, but that doesn't mean there isn't serious thought about its process and it is run in conjunction with Publisher's Weekly and Penguin, and I suppose those two outfits know a bit about the book business.

The first year my manuscript was a wreck and still made it through.

Year two, I did serious rework and had to rely on the laurels of, first, my pitch, THEN my excerpt, THEN manuscript to make it to Top 100 of a possible 10,000...

This year I reworked even more and I've cleared the pitch and excerpt hurdles thus far...

This much seems to indicate I should get 'call-back's' from agents at least, but nada.

I don't get it.

It leaves me feeling completely out of control over something that I'm supposed to doggedly work at until the planets align.

I will, of course, but still...I wonder when it will happen.

Peace

A Pink American

Dealing with my Ego...

2010-03-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, I realize I'm acting like a pouting baby.

There are maybe 4750 YA authors who wish they could be in my ABNA shoes, even if it meant having okay, but not over-the-top reviews. The reviews, by the way, I'm pretty sure point out that my writing skills and style are what pushed me through even if not for my story concept.

I think that's good.

As for the constant Harry Potter comparisons...well, that got me thinking.

When I was in Spain in 2002, on the way back I sought out a long read for the plan ride while waiting at the airport.

I came across a book with a big sticker on it that said..."As good as Stephen King, or your money back." It may also have said, "You'll enjoy it as much as Stephen King or your money back." Either way I liked the challenge and figured it was an insured risk.

Besides, what little know European writer could be as good as King?

Well, I read American Gods and by golly, I did enjoy it as much as King.

= ???

I suppose that Neil Gaiman wasn't too keen on having to have his writing compared to King's in order to get people to buy it. In fact, he probably wished people would buy it on its own merits as they do now. But, perhaps, it was that direct, in-your-face, advertised comparison that ultimately helped him become the known author that he is today.

So, in the end, all these comparison to Harry Potter may not be the scourge I react to them as.

I can hope anyway.

Peace,
A Pink American

Varuna Kannon and the Caluminar's Cave....

2010-03-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to my entry at ABNA.

Polite and positive reviews, but already the bane of my writing existence has reared its head...a comparison to Harry Potter.

Oh well. At least I made it far enough to hear it publicly.

Peace,

A Pink American

ABNA 2010 Quarterfinals...

2010-03-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I made it.

Gads, it's been a month since I last posted?

It's true, having a baby does limit one's ability to actively write. I suppose that's why Facebook and Twitter are so appealing right now...micro-stories.

Back to ABNA...after an INTENSE overhaul of my manuscript from last year and the year before, I feel like this is a fresh chance to be 'found'.

If nothing else, as I've previously mentioned, I'd love a PW review that comments on the merits (or lack thereof) of my writing WITHOUT reference to Harry Potter.

Though, I won't be floored if they now decide to mention Percy Jackson.

And, by the way, I only read the first Percy Jackson book TWO years after my first thousand drafts of my book.

Anywho, this is the last chance for Varuna Kannon for a while. If she doesn't find a home from this trip through the ABNA cycle, she's going into cryogenic preservation for awhile.

Thanks for all the support I've received along the way :)

Peace

A Pink American

Ps...will post a link to my excerpt once it is active on Amazon.

ABNA 2010: Past the pitch phase...

2010-02-25T15:05:00.001-08:00

Yeah, it's a little fuzzy, but the message is clear...I made it past the pitch phase for ABNA cycle 3.

As I've been watching American Idol, I feel like those contestants who've tried out 3 or 5 or 7 times or made it past Hollywood week only to be cut before Top 24...anxious, hopeful, but not putting myself all out there...again.

Anywho, with a baby to cuddle and distract me, I won't be as vigorous this year with soliciting reviews.

To be honest, I won't be soliciting any reviews. The best approach to ABNA is to enter and forget about it until you get an email or call to fly to New York.

I am feeling pretty proud about my pitch and the changes I made to my manuscript, though, so maybe I do have a real chance this year...especially considering it's YA up against YA.

And, third time's a charm.

Here's my pitch, by the way...oh, and why does Amazon like my pitches so much, but I can't get a call back from an agent to save my life??

It’s hard for fourteen-year-old Varuna (Una) Kannon to say goodbye to ‘normal’. Days away from following in her parents’ footsteps as Guardians of the Elements, she can’t shake the feeling that when she and her best friend, Reed Yin, leave Seattle aboard a sea-ship full of ‘magical’ tree-hugging strangers, something more dangerous than magical will happen. On departure night, Una’s fears begin to manifest when a dreamt-of pirate queen materializes as a very real and mortal threat. Una escapes with Reed to their training ship, but leaves believing her parents are dead.

Thrust into her new life as a Novice Guardian trainee in the Earth’s Amaranthine plane – where the fastest ride is a carrier-cloud and nothing’s what it seems when light-masking’s involved – Una tries to balance the grief of loss with new friendships and her Elemental training. However, it’s not long before Una starts to wonder if she’s going crazy when she sees people who aren’t there, has visions of a pale stranger who offers the impossible, and swears that someone with flaming red-orange hair is always nearby when these things happen.

Crazy or not, the training year progresses for Una and the year-end Novice Challenge draws nearer. She and her group of friends prepare as best they can, but they know the reward for winning could mean death…unless one of them happens to be the forthcoming super Guardian known as the Paladin.

Fans of imaginative fantasy adventures featuring young heroines and heroes alike will enjoy Varuna Kannon and the Caluminar’s Cave (77,000 words), especially young female readers who love to escape into character-driven stories.

A diverse decade-plus career with children and a love for all things magical inspired me to write this novel and pursue a path as a YA author.
  
Peace

A Pink American

Baby life...

2010-02-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Because I'm a sucker for Sunday comics that so perfectly capture the mood of my everyday life...

...life as it currently is, anyway.

Peace

A Pink American

Fringe hooked me good...

2010-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've griped before about the lack of interesting sci-fi-type of shows on TV, but now it's time for me to dish some praise.

When Fringe first premiered on Fox (I'll forgive them that), I was quite psyched. The first few episodes (which are only a hazy memory now) drew me in, BUT I was put off by the writing.

The acting was decent and the plot was interesting enough...it was the 'let's spell everything out for the stupid viewers' approach to dialog that drove me nuts.

Regardless, I stuck with the show and this last week's episode FINALLY paid me for my loyalty.

Season 2 Episode 15...Jacksonville.

Okay, so here's the deal. Fringe's plot is ALL over the place. There are a handful of creepy and personal (not necessarily mutually exclusive) sub plots regarding parallel universes, pale bald Observers, psychic abilities, dead sons, all sorts of crazy stuff that would make no sense to anybody who hadn't been watching the show from day one. Even that I'm one of these people, I still wonder if I've missed stuff because there will be multi-episode gaps in some of the meta stories that leave me wondering if they're just going to drop that sub story line...but then, WHAM, the story kicks back in.

This was the case with the latest episode.

The season one finale showed agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv, who also played a very hot lesbian on the BBC show Mistresses...she's British btw) demonstrate some psychic power, then we saw nothing of it for 14 episodes, then it's back.

It's like reading a gripping prologue, then going 200 pages with the hopes of something hooking me, and just when I'm about to throw in the towel, I turn the page and there's the hook.

Okay, forget that part.

This last episode really truly endeared me even more to the characters themselves, which is critical in any viewer's commitment to a program. I've long had a soft spot for Walter Bishop (John Noble...you may remember him as the crazy steward in LOTR, Denethor). This character is wonderfully brilliant, emotional and crazy, and John Nobel does a brilliant job playing him.

Best line from Fringe thus far:

Peter Bishop (son to father about a middle of the night call to head to New York to check something creepy out): "Wake up, Walter, you just won an all expense paid trip to New York."

Walter Bishop: "Fantastic. I've never won anything before." ...and the character is completely sincere.

This entire episode tossed in a little bit of everything I've been missing about this show...the glue to hold together all the pieces of the story. It's a shame it had to come so late in the second season, especially knowing there are probably only 5 or so episodes left. However, maybe this is a sign that the writing has turned a corner.

So there's my praise for a new-ish TV program.

Peace

A Pink American

500 Days of Zooey Deschanel...

2010-02-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

So anyone who knows me has likely heard my opinion on Zooey Deschanel...

I don't personally know the woman, but as a consumer of her acting skills I generally couldn't be more dissatisfied.

Somehow she's managed to land roles opposite some very entertaining actors. Perhaps it's here deadpan nature to their often comic mania that makes her seem like a compelling counterbalance, but I can't stand it.

In just about every movie I've watched her in she plays the same person...she's like the female Tom Cruise.

It's gotten to the point that I'll avoid a movie that I actually want to see JUST because she's in it.

I know, that's sad.

I shouldn't let it bother me that much, but I do.

Well, last night I succumbed to my interest in watching '500 Days of Summer'...anything that rates 87% on Rotten Tomatoes really can't be that bad even is Zooey's in it, right?

Right.

This movie and the role of Summer Finn was cosmically crafted for Ms. Deschanel. She plays a coy, moody, emotionally withdrawn bitch...I don't capitalize the 'b' because the character is just a girl, after all, who really likes the guy that adores her, but doesn't really love him. Oh, haven't we all been the 'bitch' of a relationship at some point.

I so enjoyed the movie and her performance that I forgot my standing loathing of her acting skills.

Perhaps this venture into a more neutral feeling toward Ms. Deschanel as an actor will lead me to discover other roles that will capture the essence of Zooey better than say, 'Elf'.

Peace

A Pink American

He's here!

2010-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to announce that my baby boy was born yesterday evening.

He's as cute as can be.

As I said before, if you'd like to see photos, etc., friend me on Facebook :)

Despite being in pure bliss over the experience, I still had writing on my mind.

Perhaps it's shameful to admit that I seriously didn't want to miss today's submissions opening for ABNA, so early in the morning I wrote this little reminder to myself.

Who says a lady can't be as dedicated to her work as she is to her family?

Peace

A Pink American

Reg Mat complete...

2010-01-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

I finally got my ABNA act together (as I am working under a 'deadline').

Manuscript...check.
Excerpt...check.
Kickass pitch...check.
Bio (slightly touched up from last year)...check.
Author photo...check.

Of course I also had to do the time calculation thingy whereas registration begins 12:01EST Jan 25 which is actually 9:01PST Jan 24th where I live. This is totally the type of thing I'd slip up on because I was too focused on preparing the package.

As I look forward to writing life post welcoming baby, I wonder where my inspirations for this blog will come from?

I expect I won't be doing too much 'new' writing for a while, and my ire with world politics and the like will take a temporary back-burner placement.

Also, I want to add that I'll be moving any discussion, announcement of and other material related to baby away from this location as I would rather keep 'here' a tad more focused on writing and life in general.

If you're a friend, you can find me on Facebook.

I'll probably create a private blog or something like that for baby as well...we'll see. Like I don't already have enough writing commitments, but I swear the internet makes it soooo easy to keep EVERYONE up to date at once.

Anywho, I can't promise much excitement here for the time being, but I'll manage to pop in when the writing mood strikes. Whether it's updates on writing or practicing my style vis a vis commentary.

Peace

A Pink American

Any day now...

2010-01-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

I'll be done with these edits...sigh.

After this final pass, I'm done re-working this manuscript on my own. I'll take further direction and inputs from an editor or agent or somebody, but I'm done trying to guess the 'right' way on my own (and by 'my own' I do mean extensive, supportive inputs as well from my wonderful writing group, my awesome online workshop and the dozen plus readers who've slogged through the manuscript at least once whether it was in it's 65k or 110k incarnation...no it's down to 77k).

Selling a manuscript is about timing, story and voice...and of course persistence so you catch the timing thing, ASSUMING you have the other two things down.

The only deadline I'm working on now is for January 25th and this year's ABNA submission openings.

I swore I wouldn't submit the same manuscript again, but they did the one thing that would tempt me...opened up a YA category. I think this could be the break I was hoping for.

New year, new decade, all new possibilities.

Peace

A Pink American

2009: A Blogging Year in Review...

2009-12-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

This year in review entry isn’t necessarily about things that happened in the world throughout the year, but rather a review of what happened in/with my blog.

Months ago I started tracking the search parameters that brought people to my blog, curious as to why I’d had so many random hits that barely stayed. Clearly people who are seriously searching ‘do squirrels have heart attacks’ don’t appreciate the speculative writing humor I produced on the topic.

That said, here are some of the best search parameters:

Bird Poop Good Luck:

Any variation on ‘Is Bird Poop Good Luck?’…these came in from Italy, the US, Canada and more. Specific questions about color of poop as well as geographic location were usually added to the parameter as well.

What’s remarkable is just how globally pervasive this superstition is though I’ve yet to find any one origin of it. In fact I’ve found no origin. Simply a lot of people believe it.

As a lay researcher, I think I’ll make it my back, back, back burner life goal to solve this mystery. Hence, I’ve registered the domain name: http://www.birdpoopgoodluck.com/ … It takes you right to my related blog entries.

Squirrels having heart attacks:

This was a total joke, but it’s driven its fair share of people to my blog as well. I think most of them were seriously looking, so I understand that they weren’t pleased to find the associated picture of a squirrel smoking a cigarette.

What? It was a joke!

English 5.1 vs 2.0:

This one was also meant to be funny. I feel sorry for those folk who were trying to find out technical differences in audio quality. I ascribed it to the difference between listening to American and British English, depending on which is your native tongue.

Other things:

~Pink Scares me

~American ladies shoes

~%22baby bump%22 -porn (Germany)…at first I was like “Figures someone from Germany would look for pregnancy related porn” then I realized it was –porn…they were just looking for baby bump. ALMOST made me regret posting some of my maternity pics.

~Conye West big faux pau with Taylor Swift (hey, I didn't spell it like that)...Kanye does it to himself

~Best License Plate Frame

Self-referring boomarkers:

I happily surprised to see the number of these going up. True, one is my IP address, but the others aren’t me, I know it. I don’t know that I’ve written enough to warrant the attention I get, but I’m happy that there are a handful of people who seem to find what I write (or how I write rather) amusing enough to return. AND from a bookmark no less!

Ludwig Snarf:

Who is Ludwig Snarf??

After the first comment s/he left on my ‘Knowing’ post, I thought it was a drive-by tag, but s/he showed up again later. Haven’t a clue who you are, but thanks for reading.

My Indian cyber stalker:

This topic doesn’t irk me, but does perplex me. Why is this person STILL checking in on my life?

There’s little doubt in my mind who it is based on the IP address locations (Bombay, briefly in Delhi for the holidays, then back to Bombay), login times and the fact that they use my actual name to look me up each time they want to see what I’m up to.

No, not one of hubby’s family because those who might actually know of my blog or would even look it up regularly don’t live in these areas.

So back to my thoughts on the cyber stalker…seriously, get on with your life. Clearly, I’ve gotten on with mine. And that small sense of self-loathing or feeling pathetic whenever you Google my name, well listen to it. It’s trying to help you live your own existence sans me and my life.

You don’t really need to know what’s going on with me, really, you don’t. I certainly don’t care what’s going on with yours, except now I know you’re still stuck in a decade-plus long rut if you’re still looking me up.

Just sad. Very, very sad.

Pregnancy:

Considering my 2008 year-end post and my life sentiments as 2009 began, this wasn’t something I was expecting to embark upon. Yet here I am, weeks away from giving birth.

I absolutely adore the idea of becoming a mother, but can’t say it’s anything that’s ever driven me. It was 100% free-will choice, 0% biological/social/familial pressure.

I don’t understand how women can do this back to back for years. I miss having my body to myself, but I’m willing to share for now and the foreseeable feeding future.

Writing:

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2009 cycle:

I actually DID make it to the Top 100, but my manuscript still didn't sparkle enough to win.

How many edits does one manuscript need? It's like I'm trying to figure the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie pop!

I’m up to my 7^th version of Varuna Kannon. I’m convinced this will be my last pass though. If I can’t make this story and its voice work this time around, then I need a seriously long break.

I did branch out into a bit of flash fiction this year, as well I tried my hand at writing Chick-Lit, both of which I enjoyed a great deal.

I don’t feel confined to YA, but I’m glad to find I’m comfortable with other styles as well. Gives me something to work on when I need that seriously long break.

Oh, and while I love getting and giving writing critique feedback, I’ve definitely reached a saturation point of people’s opinions. When I first embarked on this writing adventure I NEEDED lots of technical help, so I reached far and wide with my manuscript and solicited dozens of people to comment. Seems I now have the technical aspect mostly under control. When I get feedback now, it’s so personal to the reviewer I can hardly glean anything from it that I can use to adjust my work because the next reviewer will say the polar opposite. So who do I listen to?

First off, I need shrink up my beta reader circle and, secondly, I need to be satisfied with listening to myself in the end.

Life:

In the end, it is what it is. Full of joys and disappointments that are usually doled out at times that aren’t convenient for any of the involved parties.

Deal with it the best you can, move on, and live as fully as you’re able for as long as you can.

So that’s my year in review.

Peace,

A Pink American

Bird Poop Goodluck #4...

2009-12-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is a quicky...

Today, while driving to acupuncture, I spotted a high flying murder of crows. I've been seeing them all over the place. Not uncommon this time of year. It's scary when it looks like hundreds or thousands. But this group was only a few dozen.

As I pulled around a bend in the road, I heard it: bird splatter.

Right on my windshield just outside the reach of the wipers.

Really, what are the odds? And on the day before a forecasted week-long DRY spell for SEATTLE.

I can only assume this is yet another sign of luck for me as this time last year my house was blessed with said splatter on the front door...and yes, I left it, as promised, for the whole year.

I don't know if I've been extra LUCKY, per se, this year, but 2009 hasn't been a bad year at all.

I'll consider the latest smattering lucky if I can sleep for more than a 3 hour stretch tonight! The joys of being eight months pregnant are many...sleeping at night isn't one of them.

Stay tuned for my year in review, coming soon, I swear.

Peace

A Pink American

Yay 2000 visitors....

2009-12-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sure these aren't 'unique' visitors, but my counter says 2000 so I'm taking it for its word.

The lucky 2000th visitor is a Seattlite...I know the IP address, but I don't know who you are.

Thanks.

Look forward to my year-in-review post coming soon.

Peace

A Pink American

The New Alice...

2009-12-11T17:44:00.001-08:00

If haven't had a chance to see it yet, a diligent fan posted the ENTIRE miniseries from Sy-Fy on youtube...we'll see how long that lasts.

Anywho, I've L-O-V-E-D Alice in Wonderland (or Through the Looking Glass) since I was a young girl. One of a VERY few adventure/fantasy stories featuring a lead female character (who is sadly dumb as a stick, but still a girl nonetheless).

When I heard that a modern adaptation of the story was coming out, I was skeptical. After all, Sci-Fi (as it was known back then) put out "TinMan" in 2007 (an update on OZ) and I really didn't like it one bit. It doesn't help that I can't stand Zoe Daschanel's acting (nothing personal, I'm sure she's a lovely lady).

But I REALLY enjoyed this modern Alice.

Writer-Director Nick Willing took control of this piece in a way that he lacked with TinMan (which he directed). The story and acting were much more engaging for me.

Matt Frewer as the White Knight was absolutely divine. By the way, he's one of those actors you didn't know you knew so well. Check him out on IMDB.

Other roles were well cast, but limited speaking engagements underutilized the talent in many cases.

What I absolutely ADORED about this version was Alice as a kick-ass blackbelt kind of girl out to save her man.

AND Hatter...a la Andrew-Lee Potts. I'd never heard of Potts before, but he was too cute, comical, and absolutely crushable (as in girls can crush on him).

SPOILER ALERT
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It's with great satisfaction that his character gets the girl in the end:

(You have to get to the last minute or so, but their earlier interchange is good as well).

One thing I realized while watching this ending is what an absolute sap I am for these moments. Once all the tension is cleared away, there's been some time for reflection, and the admission of love...REAL love comes through.

I felt this way in Star Wars 2 when Padme and Anakin were about to be killed and the look that comes over his face when he realizes she loves him.

I felt this way when Bella saves Edward from stepping into the light in Volterra (in the book, but not the movie because they ruined that line...which, IMHO was the only redeeming part of the whole second book). Edward says "Carlisle was right." Meaning that Edward wasn't a damned monster and he thought he reached heaven and met his beloved Bella there.

Perhaps it's even more satisfying for me when the one doing the realization is the BOY. There's something so vulnerable in that moment.

Aahh....l'amor.

Um, I've gotten way of track.

Despite the ending that touched my heart, I did truly enjoy the entertainment which was Alice. It could have been longer as far as I'm concerned (whereas TinMan could have been shorter).

Check it out if you can. It might bring a little extra holiday cheer to your heart.

Peace

A Pink American

ABNA 2010...

2009-12-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

I had kind of been hoping the 'guesses' they'd put it off until later in the year might be true, but alas.

So now I'll be working under TWO deadlines:

January 19th...baby's due date

January 25th...submissions open.

No way can I get as involved this year as I did the last two years so I'm torn about what to do.

They are having TWO class categories: adult and YA.

I'm sooooo tempted to enter my new chick-lit novel, but since it's not finished or edited that probably won't happen. Probably for the best anyway.

The YA book, on the other hand, has had two runs in this contest already and progressively did better in each run. It needs less editing as well.

And, like I said, I've got a baby coming up real soon too.

I've heard there's nothing like a 'due date' to get a writing project done.

If nothing else, this was precisely the distraction I needed for this final pregnancy stretch.

Peace

A Pink American

Introducing the BUMP...

2009-12-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

And now, for your viewing pleasure...my baby bump.

(This one features an elephant pendant gifted from my husband nearly two years ago...a golden mama elephant and a little dark baby)

(33 weeks pregnant never looked so good)

(Showing some cross-cultural embrace)

Peace

A Pink American

NaNo 09 Reflections and more...

2009-12-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Writing:

NaNoWrimo officially wrapped up yesterday.

Can't say I'm sad.

If anything, I felt guilty for not writing more after my 'final' day which was 5 days before the finish. Sure I couldn't have belted out a few thousand more words, but the holiday weekend and being pregnant stood in the way.

Plus, did I need to be greedy? I hit 52K, what more can a girl ask for?

The fun/different part about this year's NaNo was trying my hand at humorous adult writing in the form of ChickLit.

Perhaps this seems a wide variation from my YA fantasy work, but then again, Varuna Kannon is a girl and deals with girl issues. I've just selected a more mature MC for this newest novel.

Speaking of novels, this will be the fourth one drafted in 2 years. And would you believe that I've done some short fiction, creative non-fiction and copywork AND kept up this blog (mostly) in this time as well? I can hardly believe it myself.

All this from a girl with an intense anxiety/paranoia about writing. I suppose I can't claim that any more, though. It's all rather fun for me now.

Pregnancy:

Settling into the final weeks. Someone on one of the message boards I'm active with noted that we can now say "I'm do NEXT month". That was a reality check. Still 6.5 weeks away, but this is December and next comes January.

Trying to stay active and all that so I can have a comfortable, easy delivery...these things are possible. I've seen videos.

In the meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed along with me that I don't develop up stretch marks. No sign of them at 33.5 weeks, so I'm hopeful.

Peace

A Pink American

Who Cares About Women's Health in the US?

2009-11-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Apparently not the powers that be.

I'll try my hardest to keep this OP-ED rant in line, but I can't promise anything. And while I try to cite some sources that informed my opinion, I did not get them all.

Again, this is simply my opinion.

Topic de jour: Women's healthcare.

Okay, so as a woman, I get really tired of hearing how to be my gender is so special and valued, yet I continue to see hard societal evidence that indicates 'they' think the contrary.

I don't feel valued as a woman when I have to accept that:

1) I'll get paid less for doing the same work as a man...at every level (And even if it's 99cents to the dollar, it's still less...that's for those who like to say 'about equal')

2) The kind of work I'm most likely to take or get has poorer all around compensation than that of the work men traditionally do.

3) I'll have a '2nd shift' when I get home from work (if I'm married whether I have kids or not)

4) If I get married and later divorce, my standard of living will drop more than my husband's and may even go lower than it would have been if I never married at all.

5) If I have a baby and already work, that I am NOT entitled by law to any paid leave.

What's so special about these 'special' treatments? Nothing.

One of the few places I could rely on for 'special treatment' was specialized health care services that catered to my female body. After all, I'm an Earth-mother goddess, destined to birth (should I so choose....and I have).However, a flurry of reports this week leaves me thinking I can't expect this special treatment for much longer as things I've accepted as health care rights have been deemed unnecessary privileges, so they're being chipped away.

The Booby wars:

I'm too young to qualify for a mammogram, but I still do regular self exams, you know, just to be familiar with the girls. I have a history of breast cancer (as well as other cancers) in my family and know that can be a contributing factor to my own likelihood of developing the disease.

Apparently being Caucasian and middle class doesn't help either.

When I heard the reports (more ) this week, I was most troubled by some wording an official offered: self examination doesn't reduce the rate of mortality.

Okay. So I should stop?

Yet in the same breath the official admitted that a significant percentage of women who 'catch' the cancer at the earlier stages do so through self exam and bring the lumps to the attention of their doctors.

I understand about the mortality claim, but why is it so hard to align these two messages and say "Keep checking. To catch it earlier is better, BUT it's no guarantee of success in overcoming the cancer."

That seems easy enough.

More than anything, what I heard is: health care coverage doesn't want to pay for preventative maintenance. Sure, they'll take the gamble of paying out more for cases that go to invasive treatment, but why bother paying for preventative care when precaution doesn't actually appear to predict a positive outcome.

Might as well let ladies die from their diseased breasts when the time is thrust upon them rather than make them suffer through years of hope they might 'beat it' and, at the same time, waste gobs of insurance money on the dying when it could go to shareholders.

It's yucky.

The Annual Exam: (here and here)

Okay, COME ON people.

So long as you (and I mean men) can't produce offspring without women, at least give us an annual piece of mind that our reproductive body parts are in good working order. Sure, most of us ladies won't have issues, but it's still comforting to go and hear it ONCE a year.

What I'm not reading in the news coverage is what these new guidelines are saying about women and their sexual choices.

The recommendation that women don't get a first pap until 21 is ludicrous. Ever hear about establishing a healthy baseline???

And what percentage of women in the US are virgins till 21? I'll tell you, it isn't the majority.

So, trust 'abstinence only' programs and inconsistent education of women about the risks of unprotected intercourse (premarital or marital) to take care of the matter. Who's up for a little game of HPV Russian roulette?

I use this metaphor because it's men that spread this disease to women, and because men conveniently do NOT have cervices they never catch it. Plus, since men don't go in for any routine annual penial screenings during their busy young years, no one ever tests them as carriers (and they wouldn't anyway because, wow, it's too expensive). Why should they care right? No cervices, remember.

What further antagonizes me is the notion that women should only get screenings every other year in their 20's, and once they hit their 30's (and are presumably married or spinsters) they only need screenings every three years (so long as they had 3 years of clean billing).

Okay, get real. Women aren't quite as slutty past 30 as they may have been from 18-29, but that doesn't mean the men they choose to be with (even on a long term basis) are any less likely to give them one of the types of HPV that could develop into cancer.

Anyone following Law and Order's weaved in PSA about this matter, by the way? Cervical cancer can strike at any age. The HPV virus likes to stay dormant for as long or as little as it chooses. And being on the young side of womanhood does NOT preclude you from having it develop....especially if you're a smoker, have multiple partners or don't take care of yourself. And, let's be honest, young ladies run themselves ragged, I'm surprised stress alone doesn't turn into a random form of cancer in the 20's.

As someone who herself has dealt with the precursor to cervical cancer (cervical dysplasia) I can say that it's terrifying to hear you've had a bad pap. But on the other hand, you hope it was caught in good time for treatment. In my case it was. But I had had more than three years of clean paps before they found this bad one and, according to these new guidelines, I might have been in the middle of a two year waiting period and could have missed these early signs. Then what? I go in a year later to find I have full blown cancer?

The other thing worth mentioning is, once I found out I had HPV, a ridiculous number of women I knew confessed they'd dealt with it too. I was shocked. Seriously. Their age of discovery ranged from late teens right through the golden years. One woman, who'd been diagnosed at 60, only ever had one sexual partner.

Now with things like Gardisil on the market and the reduction of annual screenings, I wonder why this burden to protect their bodies must fall so heavily and unequally on women's shoulders? Why aren't there gobs of resources going towards educating men to keep it covered so as to protect their current and future partners? Apparently the threat of HIV or pregnancy isn't enough for men because women bear the brunt of the unprotected sex burden (married or not) more than men ever will.

Abortion:

Since I'm firestorming, I might as well throw this in too.

With healthcare reform looming, it appears the Democrats no longer have to worry about the the burden of protecting the rights a woman has over her own body.

People just don't care as much.

This topic generates an unbelievably heated debate that will probably never find a happy middle ground, sad to say.

When a woman climbs into bed with a lover, she's bringing in the church, the government and their community. God forbid she gets a little privacy.

She's told: don't have sex before marriage; don't use contraception (married or not); don't protect yourself from disease; if you think you have something, don't bother asking for screening if you don't have any history of the disease (what?); no one wants to pay for you to stop being pregnant if you're left out in the cold by the one who impregnated you AND we also won't help you raise your kid (but we are willing to later kill him/her by lethal injection if we think it's the right choice for your child).

All the messages being sent to women (not limited to the health care front) lead down one path: get married young, learn to deal with it and have babies. This is so 19th century.

For some women this is a fine choice (see I used the word CHOICE), but it shouldn't be a mandate.

Everything with a woman's body should be her choice, especially an informed one, and that means we need to get on the ball with equally educating our men to be accountable for their choices and the impacts they have not only on themselves but their partners.

Wrapping up:

As public policy is further polluted by the narrow agendas of insurance companies, religious organizations and other not-so-special interest groups, many of the rights women have fought for over the last century are slowly being stripped from them. Not legally, mind you, so much as through increasing ribbons of constraint in choices.

Just because I currently have the choice for an abortion, doesn't mean I'll take it. I was raised and educated to respect myself (which I missed to some extent since I did end up with HPV), and I went to great lengths to be certain I never got pregnant before I was ready. I'm glad I never had to face that decision as so many of my peers did, but I'm equally glad that if I had to face that decision whatever I chose would have been of my own determination.

I've been grateful for the access I've had to health care that caught my cervical dysplasia BEFORE it bloomed into cancer, but am saddened that other women like me might not be so fortunate in the near future.

I'm glad that I have practitioners that encourage me to be familiar with my body and report anything out of the ordinary, whether or not it increases my chance of surviving it. I like being proactive.

I do think there is something 'special' about living in a woman's body. It certainly can broaden the range of experience I choose to have in my lifetime, whether I choose the path of career woman, mother and wife, or all of the above. And while these all are my choices at the end of the day, my body (and the bodies of all women) are still necessary to ensure the continuation of the human species on this planet.

For that reason alone I think we deserve a little extra health care consideration from our societies, but not at the cost of precluding us from having a voice in those care decisions.

Peace

A Pink American

Pregnancy brain strikes...

2009-11-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Attribute it to hormones, lack of sleep, whatever, but pregnancy brain (aka mommy brain) is REAL.

Normally I'm not a forgetful person. Normally I don't misinterpret what I see.

Normally.

Ever since I've been pregnant I've had a few bouts of pregnancy brain that have left me going "Did I just think that?" or "Did I really believe that?"

Last night was my latest run-in with this affliction.

Hubby and I were looking at Verizon phones I'd consider using my upgrade for (if they cost somewhere between FREE and $20). We went to Amazon to check out they're prices for the phone I was considering. I browsed the variety of photos they have for the phone and was stunned when I saw this one:

Me: Whaaaaaaa? It reads credit cards.
Hubby: (slightly amused, slightly perplexed stare that communicated wonder if I really meant it)
Me: Oh my god, it doesn't really take credit cards does it?
Hubby: Uh, no (with restraint because he knows to laugh too hard at this would cause a rift not worth dealing with at 10pm at night)

Fortunately for him I saw the humor in it and laughed considerably.

It's not with pride that I admit I actually did believe, for a second or two, that the phone indeed swiped credit cards.

Of course I can now look back and see what an obvious error in perception that was.

Ah, pregnancy brain, my new twisted friend.

Peace

A Pink American

Holiday dreams coming true...

2009-11-08T15:02:00.001-08:00

It was only a matter of time:

Since a picture is worth a THOUSAND words, I'll say no more other than they captured Edward's likeness! (ROFLMAO)

Okay, I can't resist. I imagine tweens, teens, 20-somethings and housemoms buying these dolls and living our their Twilight fantasies. We may actually see a resurgence of doll play beyond the age of 10.

Come on ladies, you know you want these two love birds.

In other news, NaNoWrimo is plugging along nicely.

I'm one week in and at 26k+ words...that's not shabby for a heartburn stricken pregnant lady. And I'm actually writing funny stuff...or so I think.

Peace

A Pink American

NaNoWriMo has begun...

2009-11-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a full year of blogging fun for me that all began around NaNoWrimo last year.

Of course we all know what NaNoWriMo is, right?

Okay, so know we all really know what NaNo is, right? A month of literary abandon.

A month to write a whole novel of at least 50K words. I like the abandon part in their tag line because it's the truth.

One must abandon everything else to stay focused on 'winning' this challenge.

Sure 1,667 a day for 30 days doesn't sound like much, but when one considers that is not too far off the average essay length the most Americans have ever produced...well you get the drift.

And for prolific writers it seems like it should be no problem, except for the fact we have to come up with actual stories to fill those 50k words.

In short, NaNo is a maddening race against one's own sense of ability and time to reach that magical number goal.

And in the end we get to claim a piece of nifty paper and the bragging rights of saying, I won NaNo.

It's totally worth it.

Peace

A Pink American

Have a Horrifying Halloween...

2009-10-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the spookiest of them all...HALLOWEEN!

Part of the thrill of this day, here in the States at least, is to get the bejeezus scared out of you one way or the other.

And score pounds of candy.

Of course, if you don't want your teeth to rot out of your head you can 'sell' your candy back to area dentists for between $1-$2 per lb. I understand the rationale behind this, but it totally kills the best part of Halloween for for most under the age of 12.

Earlier today, my husband and I visited an area shopping center and enjoyed the handful of adults and kids we saw walking around in a variety of costumes.

The Travelocity gnome, a hookah smoking caterpillar, and even a small pink-winged fair who happily squealed when a stiff breeze blew by: "Look! My wings are flapping!"

All these things were rather sweet. However, we had our horrifying Halloween experience at the center as well.

While enjoying lunch at a noodle place, the speakers issued forth a range of Halloween tunes that had me reminiscing of childhood.

Then this song came up:

Whoever thought it a sound idea to have the Chipmunks sing the Doors is insane.

The attempt to fit the song into a kid-like element of talking to an alien that just 'wants people to like him/her for who they are' is quite a stretch to say the least.

But to say this hasn't been the trend in the cartoon/children's entertainment industry forever would be wrong. As a kid, I grew up on Looney Tunes. As an adult, it's perfectly clear just how much of that humor was drafted from the realms of adulthood and comically packaged for young eyes.

Sure it entertained and sure I'd be a hypocrite for saying that today's youth shouldn't be able to enjoy the same type of comedy.

But the Chipmunks singing the doors???

Truly horrifying.

Peace

A Pink American

Endless Vampire Comedy...

2009-10-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing on with my well established love-hate relationship with Twilight, I found myself laughing aloud at an area coffee shop when I came across this morsel:

(If the word bubbles are a little blurry, just click on the comic and you'll get a higher res version)

This seems sooooo true. Where are the truly horrifying vampires of yesteryear?

I mean, at least give me Blade.

Now THAT'S horrifying.

Peace

A Pink American

Which Dinosaur am I?

2009-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Why am I even asking this question?

Pregnancy made me do it.

I know I try to stay with social/political/cultural commentary and musings on writing, but this pregnancy issue is really starting to consume my mind-time.

Today I pondered why my arms suddenly seem so short. I chalk it up to a symptom of pregnancy that few discuss in polite circles, so, naturally I posted it to Facebook.

Instant responses ranging from laughter (from those who KNOW what I'm talking about) to encouragement that I'm still beautiful to "OH! so that's why they nickname pregnant women Brontosaurus".

I hadn't heard that last one before.

Upon reflection, I felt the dinosaur analogy was apt in one sense, but for the purpose of my today's-complaint, perhaps the arm-challenged T-Rex would be more appropriate.

Yes, Brontosaurus is huge and eats ALL the time (grazes actually which is what preggo women do) and is slow and waddles and has short legs, but it has a long neck and that makes up for a lot.

But the T-Rex, well, it's simply handicapped by its stunted arms. This handicap only angers the T-Rex whose viciousness increases logarithmically when driven mad by hunger and sleep deprivation...thus the shear cruelness with which it suddenly attacks its unsuspecting husband, er, prey.

So, I think, for the most part, the short arms issue will land me squarely in T-Rex territory.

That is until the next time I start grazing.

Peace

A Pink American

Discussions with a Four Year old...

2009-10-17T09:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I spent the day with my 4 year-old cousin. I was reminded, yet again, how much I enjoy the internal mental on-goings of young children.

The name game...or on discussing what I'd possibly name my unborn son:

Cousin: "What're you going to name your baby?"

Me: "Oh, we're thinking of __________."

Cousin: "Huh. Why don't you want to name him something nice?"

Me: "Like what?"

Cousin: "Like Snuggly or Sassy." (She kind of hugged herself as she said this)

Me: (Withholding a chuckle) "Honey, I'm naming a baby boy not a My Little Pony. Besides those aren't really names. They're nicknames. Like when your dad calls you Princess. What if your name was just Princess?"

Cousin: "I'd like it if my name was Princess."

Later we were at the area crafts store. I was selecting items to create a scrapbook and asking her opinion:

Cousin: (Looking over a wall of scrapbooks) "What'd you think of this one?" (She holds up a very glittery, bright pink scrapbook with a big pink flower frame for a picture).

Me: "Hon, I'm having a little boy. That might be too much pink."

Cousin: "Doesn't he like pink?"

Me: "I don't know. He's not born yet. Maybe he'll grow to like pink."

(Some random eavesdropper snickered upon hearing this)

Cousin: "When I was little--" (I love it when kids under 5 say this) "--I liked pink."

Me: "But you didn't come out of your mommy knowing you liked pink."

Cousin: "Oh, okay."

Cousin: (Squats down and inspects a row of military themed scrapbooks. Points to the Army book...) "What about this one? It's shiny."

Me: "Sweetie, my baby isn't in the Army. He's not even born yet."

(Another eavesdropper laughs)

Cousin: "Oh, okay."

This has been a mere sampling of the conversations we engaged in over a seven hour period together. She did ultimately declare she wished she was back in her mother's tummy, but was unclear as to why she wanted that.

If you don't often take the time to talk at length with preschoolers, I'd highly recommend it.

It's always a day of profound insight and fun.

Peace

A Pink American

For the Next Player Haters...

2009-10-16T09:39:00.003-07:00

Proof positive that Obama will win at the next Ball..

Obama Asked "Why Do People Hate You?" By Fourth Grader (VIDEO)

And for the Ball reference (again)...

Who doesn't love Dave Chapelle?

Peace

A Pink American

Obama is so pimp...

2009-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm an Obama Mama type of gal and I have mad love for the president.

I don't think he's the next messiah or anything like that, but as a symbol for world betterment there hardly seems to be a stronger individual candidate for the job than Barack.

And now, even those wily folk in Norway agree.

Obama won the Peace Prize.

I admit that even I was surprised by this. He's positioned well for promoting global peace processes and nuclear disarmament and all, but it's true that he hasn't actually technically achieved much yet.

Even Obama admits: ...he did not feel he deserved to be in the company of some of the "transformative figures" who had previously received the award.

But it's still early in his game.

I'm now anxious to see what awards he wins next. One of which I'm sure will be at the Player Hater's ball for being the biggest pimp.

Peace

A Pink American

Shaolin fetus...

2009-10-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Being pregnant is a very strange experience indeed.

Once one gets past the nausea and general gross feeling of trimester one, the second trimester arrives with little evidence (often) of being pregnant.

At least that's how it's been for me.

I barely looked pregnant until I neared week 20 or so, and some days I could simply forget if I wanted.

Except there has been this one persistent little reminder: movement.

As a first time preggo lady, I've heard it's rather unusual that I felt movement starting at 12 weeks. I guess I'm just lucky with the placement of my placenta and it seems I'm carrying a baby that likes to measure big.

As the weeks pass, the movements have become much more noticeable externally and STRONG.

This past weekend, hubby and I took a Sunday morning walk around the neighborhood when baby-boy-fetus gave a kick so hard it knocked down a nearby trash can!

He's showing some serious natural Shaolin ability with supernatural martial arts.

Peace
A Pink American

This post is meant mostly for amusement purposes :)

I thought only ladies served it cold...

2009-09-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Of course I'm speaking of revenge.

Now, I can't be 100% that was this guy's motive, but I'm left to wonder if it isn't.

When I was a young, stupid and petty teen age girl of barely 17 I said something about this guy that was meant to be kept in the secret circle of my close girlfriends.

Naturally, it only took two days to spread and reach the ears of this guy.

To be honest, I wasn't trying to be mean. Being too honest and trying to impress my friends with humor back in the day often landed me in hot water.

Today, nearly half my lifetime later, this same guy posts a comment about my Facebook profile pic that can only really be read as a mild dig. I wondered why he'd do this as it's his first and only comment on my profile/status since we 'friended' last year.

Then I think back to Spring 1993.

Is it possible that a man would hold a grudge for nearly 17 years for a slight about his manhood? That somewhere hidden in his mind all these years was a little sliver of his younger self hoping for a moment to return the service?

I didn't think so, but now I need to re-evaluate that long held belief of mine of the superior ability of women in this field.

Like I said, this really might be nothing...but I can't be certain.

Peace

A Pink American

Bird Poop Goodluck #3...

2009-09-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

(photo example of getting pooped on by a bird...this is of my brother and is used without his permission...one of the few perks of being the oldest sister...this and escaping the angst of adolescence first)

I could have sworn I dedicated more posts to this topic than TWO prior to this one, but I guess not.

Since this topic reliably lands one unsuspecting person at my blog's doorstep EVERY day, I figure it's worth my while to post about it whenever the mood strikes...which clearly isn't that often.

Today, I was catching up my Drop Dead Diva (Episode 11...in case the mood strikes you) and the opening sequence featured none other than this pervasive topic.

Margeret Cho's character (Terry, the MC Jane's assistant) is wiping bird poop off of Jane's ex-Guardian angel, Fred (and by 'ex' I mean he lost angel status).

Fred: "So let me get this straight. Just because a pigeon pooped on me, it's supposed to be goodluck?"

Terry: "Yes, it is. In Korean culture. And that's not just because my parents own a drycleaners."

Now, I can't say I can recall too many occurrences when the luck of bird poop is mentioned in pop culture, but I'm sure they're there. And if Drop Dead Diva is any indication, the numbers will blossom with time.

And still, has anyone found an actual truth to the origin of this nearly universally shared superstition?? If so, send me a link to the book because I'd really like to know.

Can anyone say PhD topic?

Peace

A Pink American

Last Customers...

2009-09-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight my husband and I started out as the dreaded 'last customers'.

We made a late call to Cost Plus World Market to stock up on wine (not for ME of course).

The clerks pleasantly welcomed us, but I suspected some some less than friendly thoughts and mildly annoyed stares were directed at us when our backs were turned.

Last customers are notorious for being slow and troublesome, and are thus dreaded.

After cruising every aisle and section just 'looking' at stuff, I lingered near the Christmas display and shook my head at the fact it's not even October yet.

I calmed myself by moving to the Halloween display. It had these super cute martini glasses that sported a skull and crossbones (which translates into pirate in my mind) and the phrase "Name Your Poison" underneath.

I said to my husband, "Not only does it incorporate the pirate theme, but it also acknowledges the fact that alcohol is poison for your body."

This matter-of-factly put comment was intercepted by the clerk waiting for us to check out. How do I know? She let out such a laugh, followed by some uncontrolled giggles. She said something along the lines that she hadn't thought of that.

I consider it a personal, albeit small, accomplishment that we ended our store trip as the funny 'last customers' rather than the dreaded kind.

Peace

A Pink American

English 2.0 vs 5.1...

2009-09-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I think I finally understood the 'real' meaning and difference between these two audio options.

We tried our luck with a British film starring Daniel Craig. An art house kind of thing.

Anyway, when it came time to select audio options we selected the usually superior English 5.1 option. The sound quality is simply better that way.

Once the movie started, we made it to about 15 minutes in when I realized that may have been a mistake.

I had to ask my husband at least 3 times "What did they say?" Being that he was schooled to learn her Majesty's English, as well as now having acquired fluency in American English, he was able to readily translate English to English for me.

I wondered, in the case of British films, if English 5.1 isn't more than just improved sound quality. I imagined that if I'd chosen the simpler English 2.0 option I'd have better understood what was being said in the film.

Maybe, just maybe, the 2.0 option was the American English option.

Peace

A Pink American

Why squirrels have heart attacks...

2009-09-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

I stepped on another peanut shell today. This time it was on my front step. Those cursed suburban rats never take a break from their nutty hide-n-seek game.

After cigarette butts, nut shells are the second most frequently found trash on my property. At least the shells are biodegradable.

I don't know who leaves the butts, but I know it's the squirrels leaving the shells.

When I was heading out this evening, I caught a particularly plump squirrel in the process of burying something...or maybe he was digging it up.

I stomped my foot and shoo'd at him with the expectation he'd bolt and run.

He bolted, all right. Straight up and rigid like a board. Then he fell backward as if instant rigamortis had set in.

"Heart attack," I said to my husband. "I guess he's the one that's been leaving the cigarette butts behind too."

(This piece of short fiction was inspired by actual events. Suffice to say I've yet to see a squirrel smoking or actually have a heart attack.)

Peace

A Pink American

Baby-daddy, because I'm too funny...

2009-09-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

Or too bored.

Keeping in the Twilight theme, I was chatting with my cousin yesterday about possibly going to see the new Twilight movie when it comes out.

I calculated the prenatal distance between now and then and I'll be at 31 weeks. A respectable gestational age that will surely see my belly protruding to enormous proportions. Well, nearing enormous anyway.

Won't we make a fine group: two twenty-somethings, an 8 year old and a pregnant lady at the midnight opening.

Then a funny and brilliant idea hit me...a specialized Twilight pregnancy t-shirt.

I'm doing it (so long as I can make it to the theater).

Tell me what you think...too much?

Good, right? I thought so too. It's totally tasteful.

Peace

A Pink American

Truth in advertising...

2009-09-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Let this be a warning to all writers: Be sure you can back up that promise of literary gold.

Because I'm a writer of YA I naturally have to read the competition a.k.a the latest phenom fad Twilight. I have lot's of thoughts and feelings about this series, but mostly I enjoy it (and its sibling cinematic franchise) for its ability to entertain me.

When I recently saw this cover screaming at me from the checkout stand I couldn't help but buy it (good news for OK!). I'm usually more leery about these things, but I couldn't BELIEVE they'd flash a headline like this unless there was a serious truth behind it.

There wasn't.

In fact, it wasn't any kind of exclusive story because the only 'wedding' they discussed was from the fourth installment, Breaking Dawn.

This was some of the worse speculative 'reporting' I've ever read. At least with other so-close-to-libel-it-hurts stories there will be a tiny on-cover print that says 'As imagined by our writers' or some other disclaimer.

There was none of that here.

Suffice it to say I was P-O'd.

What does this have to do with writing??

Well, I'm glad you ask.

Once you've finished that brilliant manuscript and are ready to shop it around, you'll struggle (and I mean STRUGGLE) with writing a brilliant, mind blowing, catchy, and totally unique query letter.

You'll bend over backwards to make your novel's plot sound so cool, you might even consider fluffing it. I'm not saying you're looking to lie, goodness no, but you might write, rewrite and workshop it so much that your book's promise is more than what you deliver.

Things agents look for in your query include a snap shot of your novel's tone AND your style as a writer.

If you finish your glorious 300-word all-encompassing mini tale and pitch and you read it and are like 'meh'...STOP. Be 100% certain it isn't actually mimicking your story's style because if it is then...well you're being totally honest. That's good, but you may need some more rewriting.

If your novel makes you laugh, cry, shudder, etc. (and all in a good way of course) each time you think about it AND your query does the same, then you're promising is in line with what you can deliver.

Seriously, this is so important these days.

Earlier this year there was a flutter of posts (and they tend to pop up routinely) on agent blogs regarding the perfection of queries that only disappoint in the delivery of the novel.

Two things happen here: 1) The agent is ticked off for having been a fool and having their time wasted. 2) You'll be left in the dust wondering what happened to that excited agent.

So, back to the moral. How you sell yourself matters. Don't promise what you can't deliver because it's something akin to crying wolf.

I sure as heck won't be buying OK! again anytime in the foreseeable future or ever for that matter. I only tolerate getting burned like this once.

I'd hate to submit a 'misleading' query to an agent like me, and I'm certain there are more than a few of them like that out there.

Peace,

A Pink American

My dear, dear Kanye West...

2009-09-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

I tried to resist the temptation, but my dear Mr. West simply made it too difficult for me.

I'd like to begin by saying I've been a fan of Kanye's work from day one. He's a talented musical artist who generates some mean beats paired with often rather thought provoking lyrics.

That said, perhaps he should think about going back to college.

Or at least take a course in public speaking. Or a basic manners class.

The newest social faux paux for Kanye was his toe-stepping (to put it lightly) on Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for the MTV VMA's.

I'm not saying Beyonce isn't great, but holy cow Kanye...not everything out there is about race. And from where I'm sitting I can't figure out a single other motive (and alcohol alone can't account for it) that could have sparked Kanye to act the fool he did...unless he REALLY REALLY hates Taylor Swift and/or her video and/or country music. And he may.

And by the way, Beyonce demonstrated how to handle things gracefully and did a stand up job of doing some damage control.

When Kanye apologized on Leno he didn't come off very sorry rather more shamefaced. I suppose he wishes he'd handle his emotions a different way, but there you have it...he didn't.

The most worrisome thing about this recent Kanye-ism (which is now a bonafide meme and you can pimp your own website with it) is it simply adds to a slow growing but persistently stupider (yeah I said it) list of outbursts.

The first newsworthy outburst came just post Katrina:

While I completely agreed with most of what he said, I think the way he left Mike Myers hanging out to dry was a tad too much. Next time, Mr. West, I suggest you think of writing a letter to your representative or the Big Cheese himself.

And speaking of writing, my number 2 item on this list of shame turns our attention to Kanye's own writing exploits.

Now I'm not quoting him if I were to say I think he thinks books are for suckers, but as he is a proudly self-proclaimed non-reader it seemed to me strange Kanye had written a book. Apparently I'm not the only person to feel this way.

So now Kanye has done it again. A man once high on his game is now playing the ever increasing fool.

I mean seriously, if the current US President is willing to call you a jackass, Kanye, maybe you should rethink your approach to being a self- and/or friend- and/or social-advocate. I'm pretty sure Obama isn't playing any race card here. He's calling it as he sees it.

I'm 100% for people standing up for what they believe in and advocating for it. I'm 100% against people being incendiary while doing it. All it does is make the rest around you react and usually not in a good way.

Kanye, I don't know if you're trying to groom yourself as a social/civil rights type of leader, but you're a long way from accomplishing it. Maybe you should open some books about more diplomatic and energizing folk than yourself and perhaps you can begin to learn what you appear to be trying to accomplish.

Oh wait, I forgot...reading is for suckers.

Peace
A Pink American

PS Just to prove I'm REALLY not the only person to think this way about Kanye, you can check out his page on Dickipedia ...my personal favorite here is: "Kanye West’s great distinction as a public figure is his ability to sound stupid even though most of what he says is arguably correct."

"V"...

2009-09-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

First, many apologies. It's been a month since my last post. If it's any excuse, I'm pregnant so that tends to be a tad distracting.

Speaking of pregnant, I'm reminded of a scary (to me at the time) TV series from when I was eight or so..."V".

When I replay the episodes I managed to sneak-watch as a kid (from behind the couch after I'd been put to bed), I admit they were high on campiness. However, I found them wonderfully frightful because I thought "This could happen."

Those kind of movies and shows scare me waaaaay more than your standard horror flick.

Thank you science fiction.

And now I've recently heard (though it is likely old news to others) that "V" is making a return.

At 33 I feel a touch of shame for how excited this news makes me. I'm sure they'll revisit all the old story lines (though I hardly doubt I'll remember them much exactly). And I at least know from the previews that the V are still lizard people under human skin.

As an adult reflecting on the lizard-inside-people thing I wonder if that's some kind of commentary about our own lizard-brains. I mean one of the things I remember the most about the V was that they were very sexually driven.

That brings me back to pregnancy.

The one episode (or it was over a few) of "V" that sticks out in my mind the most was one in which a human woman has conceived a half human half lizard hybrid. When she finds out her lover was a lizard guy, naturally she wants to abort, but can't because some part of the baby growing inside her has assimilated with her body, so to kill the baby is to kill herself. Ultimately she gives birth to a healthy human baby (with a crazy lizard tongue) and a full lizard baby.

I remember being terrified and basically traumatized by this.

I admit, from time to time, I seriously hope I don't find out my husband is a lizard person upon the birth of our child next January.

Until then, I look forward to being enchanted again by..."V".

Peace

A Pink American

Ray Kurzweil scares me good...

2009-08-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I was enjoying a delightful Sunday evening -- hemming my husband's pants and helping pack for a business trip -- when my local NPR station (KUOW) aired some past programing about humans and technology.

I'd heard all the stuff (mostly) about the internet...blah, blah, blah...but I heard a NEW name (to me anyway) Ray Kurzweil.

This man's brain scares me.

All this talk that by the time I'm in my 70's I'll be fully biologically integrated with my technology gives me the creeps.

I can't say that I don't joke about it regularly. Like, when I someday have a teen child and that child has a GPS implant in their butt and I have the receiver implanted in my ear so if they try to sneak out at night they are insta-busted.

But I'm just kidding about that. Mostly.

One thing that listening to his theories/hypotheses did for me was finally put to end the debate regarding where the future of book publishing is going.

Books as we know it are going to die because there will be some crazy technology wired directly into our brain that allows us to see the stories as they happen. I think of a cross between an audio book and a holodeck kind of thing. BUT not a full fledged movie.

Sure, there will always be books of some kind out there, but reading itself will grow to feel like an antiquated way of conveying information, especially in story format. (I'm getting flashing of Harrison Bergeron for some reason)

Of course the 'book' publishing industry will still thrive because their will need to be some part of the human collective to streamline the intake of raw material and output of finished product for our consumption.

((sigh)) There's something exciting and depressing about this thought at the same time.

Of course, we're at least 3 to 4 decades away from all this (of course by this I mean the singularity) coming to fruition, so I won't stop all my traditional writing. However, I may start trending toward sci-fi as it intrigues me and terrifies me equally.

Peace

A Pink American

Oh Bobcat, you know us writers so well...

2009-07-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

Last night I watched the pre-theatrical, on-demand rental (this must be a new term) of "World's Greatest Dad".

Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, this dark comedy explores, among other things, the cruel joke which is the desperate life of the aspiring-to-be-published writer.

Robin Williams' character has been writing for decades. He's even a poetry teacher. Yet he only has a trail of rejection letters to show for it...along with a couple of greeting cards he wrote.

His life is only made more awesome by an outrageously sex-obsessed and hateful son, a non-committing girlfriend, and a peer who just happens to get published in the New Yorker on his first try.

He didn't know it could be hard to get published.

I was tearing my hair out for Williams' character.

When fate steps in with a strange tragedy, Williams' character gets his break.

At this point in the movie, I started questioning whether I might do the same thing out of sheer desperation to get published.

I think anyone who writes will find this component worth watching the whole movie. It's like watching Office Space as an admin worker or Clerks as a video/convenient store worker or Waiting as a waiter.

And though I don't have decades of rejection behind me, I suppose those amongst the aspiring-to-be-published group that do AND have kids might relate to this story even more.

Peace

A Pink American

Knowing...

2009-07-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

In otherwords, the movie and publishing industry are aligning.

First: SPOILER ALERT rant!!!

Okay, that's out of my system.

In addition to being an aspiring published author who is constantly looking at ways to improve the craft of storytelling in my own special way, I am also a movie buff.

I watch a lot of films...a la Netflix. As well as the occasional block buster on the big screen or of the art house variety. I consider myself well educated as cinema goes.

So, as I try to 'craft' my queue each week, I'm ever pressed to find movies that are as strong in story as they are in entertainment (not that I find "Schindler's List" entertaining, but it holds my attention from beginning to end).

This is an increasingly difficult task.

Last night I finally got around to watching "Knowing" and holy cow did it knock the socks of my feet...with how bad it was.

The premise of the movie is really to question whether EVERYTHING in the universe is random or has some kind of crazy purpose.

An if it is random then does 'knowing' anything mean anything?

Short answer: no.

Wow. That was a depressing film.

What's worse, is the majority of the movie is focused on this list of numbers that Nicholas Cage's character is supposed to figure out are predictors for major world disasters. But he can't do a thing to stop them. And, in fact, his knowing simply drives him nuts as it ultimately becomes clear that G.I. Joe was wrong: the more you know...knowledge isn't power.

In fact, he's sadly rendered impotent and clings to the very base of human society (his own nuclear birth family, having given his son up to aliens) as his last emotional refuge in the moment of flaming death.

Did I say this movie was depressing?

What I truly HATED about this movie is that it was pointless in addition to be depressing.

Why the heck did the aliens provide warning dates and locations if there was nothing anyone could about it??? It's not like the aliens were going to help anyone other than the creepy kids they whispered to, so what was the point? The aliens 'chose' who they wanted to save (all impressionable children), and collected them regardless of what the kids or their parents wanted.

Again, why did poor Nicholas Cage have to be so cruelly tormented???

It seems to me that some screenwriter said, "Wouldn't it be cool to destroy the Earth with a solar flare? Now how do we turn that into a movie?"

Then his/her collaborator said, "I've got it!"

"What?"

"Wait for it..."

"Okay."

Hands spread wide. "Aliens." (I recently watched Bolt, which was infinitely better as a story).

After watching "Knowing" -- and putting in the same class as "The Happening" and the newest "The Day the Earth Stood Still" -- I came to the conclusion that the film industry is being run by the same people who run the publishing industry.

There is LITTLE interest in any value to their products other than the amount of money they can make as quickly as possible by lying to the public about the awesomeness of this book or that movie and letting us suckers pay for it only to find out the truth.

I mean, can't well written AND entertaining movies and books make as much money?? In fact, can't they make more?

That's what logic would tell me, but these don't feel like logical times for whatever reason.

I'm not saying it's all trash out there, but I'm REALLY tired of being misled. If I baited and switched people this badly I'd be friendless and exiled to a desert island. Yet these masters of our entertainment get paid millions.

Hmmm.

But, no fear because if, indeed, "Knowing" is correct, none of it matters anyway and we'll all die in a random solar flare before we can make any more headway in this crazy evolutionary race we call humanity.

Sorry for being so depressing.

Peace

A Pink American