Today's a beautiful day!
;)
9/30/2008
9/29/2008
Old people are for mocking...?
I'm a little concerned about how the younger generations will see me when I'm old. No matter what kind of person we are when we're young, we're mocked or condescended to when we're old. Oh, not in an intentionally cruel way, and not to our faces. But there is always a subtle ironic tone with which most grandchildren greet their grandparents, or old people in general. I'm guilty of it in the way I've been posting these quotes from my mom, kind of laughing at her old-fashionedness and eccentricities. Ha ha, look at how my mom talks about dating Princeton boys in the '60s, isn't that quaint?
That's what we do with older people sometimes, I think; we tease about how they don't understand the internet, or are stubborn. Maybe it's gentle and harmless, but I want to be careful with it. When we see a really old person, we say they're "cute." But thinking about it, I'm not sure I'll want to be talked down to by younger kids, or called "cute" when I'm old. I want people to still take me at least a little seriously even if I'm forgetful or old-fashioned. But then again, maybe when I'm old I'll just be glad to have a regular poo once a day.
I'm a little concerned about how the younger generations will see me when I'm old. No matter what kind of person we are when we're young, we're mocked or condescended to when we're old. Oh, not in an intentionally cruel way, and not to our faces. But there is always a subtle ironic tone with which most grandchildren greet their grandparents, or old people in general. I'm guilty of it in the way I've been posting these quotes from my mom, kind of laughing at her old-fashionedness and eccentricities. Ha ha, look at how my mom talks about dating Princeton boys in the '60s, isn't that quaint?
That's what we do with older people sometimes, I think; we tease about how they don't understand the internet, or are stubborn. Maybe it's gentle and harmless, but I want to be careful with it. When we see a really old person, we say they're "cute." But thinking about it, I'm not sure I'll want to be talked down to by younger kids, or called "cute" when I'm old. I want people to still take me at least a little seriously even if I'm forgetful or old-fashioned. But then again, maybe when I'm old I'll just be glad to have a regular poo once a day.
9/28/2008
Newspapers and the internet
I should post this article from a few weeks back, about the dubious future of New Jersey newspapers, so I don't forget where it is.
Since I was a little girl, I've heard in school that in "The Future," people would read newspapers in a device they held in their hand, on the bus on the way to work.
So I don't think anyone in media is shocked that the internet is helping cause the decline of print media. But I think a lot of us are irked by the nascent stage of a lot of the online reporting, where anything can be posted without checking out the facts. A federal law allows people who own websites to not be responsible for libelous content posted on those sites by outsiders. Newspapers don't have that luxury. We have to check things out before it goes to print. And once something IS in print, we can't just tap a few bars and delete or change it.
We (newspapers) are adapting to the presence of the internet -- of COURSE it is a good thing that it exists; anything that makes more people aware of important issues, and facilitates their reading about news, is beneficial to society. Most of us are adapting. We are putting our articles on line, allowing people to respond instantly, trying to make our websites user friendly.
Journalism is not dying; it's merely evolving and keeping pace with technology. However, those who are solely internet journalists, who have never worked in print and now run internet 'news' sites, will have to evolve too. Some have learned that they have to be pretty careful what they post even if they don't get sued...if they show bias, or post too many incorrect facts, or let their comments sections become cruel flame wars, the site loses credibility and just makes people angry.
Journalism, newspapers, and the internet are all evolving together. Will print media die completely? Probably someday. But right now, reading a newspaper on an electronic device is a big pain in the neck. It's kind of nice to hold the whole thing in your hands. Electronic newspapers will have to become more navigable and complete in the future, too. So the medium will evolve for a long time before it settles down.
And then we'll be reading it in those flying cars they also predicted for "The Future."
9/27/2008
Wonderful
It is almost a year that I have been married to my wonderful hubby. I am a very lucky girl. It's an amazing leap of faith for someone to pledge to spend the rest of his or her life with you...and I doubt any of us "deserve" it. I am not a perfect person and have more to learn about being a good wife and better person, and he makes it all worth it. I have learned a lot from being with him. I'd say much more, but I'm not into getting all personal on my blog, and I need to go watch Saturday Night Live with him right now. They're making fun of Ms. Palin, you know.
Anyway, we had some delicious anniversary food tonight here. Not a place we'd go every day (unless we hit the lottery); just for a special occasion. The Hen of the woods mushrooms were something I'd never tried before - thick, slightly sweet, rich, filling, and with crisp caps at the end. I'm going to have to get ahold of some and put them in pasta some day. My scallops were also delicious. So I recommend the place if you like seafood and are willing to spend extra.
9/25/2008
Atlantic SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT
000
WONT41 KNHC 250837
DSAAT
SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
435 AM EDT THU SEP 25 2008
A WELL-DEFINED EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED ABOUT 225
MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA-NORTH CAROLINA BORDER IS
MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ARE GRADUALLY BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED AND THIS SYSTEM COULD
DEVELOP INTO A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE BEFORE THE SYSTEM
MOVES INLAND ALONG THE ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST ON FRIDAY.
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS SYSTEM BECOMES A SUBTROPICAL OR
TROPICAL CYCLONE... STRONG WINDS...COASTAL FLOODING...HIGH SURF...
AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN AND MID-ATLANTIC U.S. COASTAL REGIONS DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS. OUTER RAINBANDS CONTINUE TO SPREAD ONSHORE THE
NORTH CAROLINA COAST THIS MORNING...AND BUOY AND SHIP REPORTS
INDICATE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH ARE OCCURRING MORE THAN 100
MILES FORM THE CENTER. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE THE SYSTEM LATER THIS MORNING
WILL PROVIDE BETTER INFORMATION ON ITS STRUCTURE AND INTENSITY.
INTERESTS ALONG THE U.S. EAST COAST FROM THE CAROLINAS NORTHWARD TO
MID-ATLANTIC REGION SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR STATEMENTS FROM THEIR
LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES...AND ALSO HIGH
SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER IN WASHINGTON
D.C. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WARNINGS.
000
WONT41 KNHC 250837
DSAAT
SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
435 AM EDT THU SEP 25 2008
A WELL-DEFINED EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED ABOUT 225
MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA-NORTH CAROLINA BORDER IS
MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ARE GRADUALLY BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED AND THIS SYSTEM COULD
DEVELOP INTO A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE BEFORE THE SYSTEM
MOVES INLAND ALONG THE ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST ON FRIDAY.
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS SYSTEM BECOMES A SUBTROPICAL OR
TROPICAL CYCLONE... STRONG WINDS...COASTAL FLOODING...HIGH SURF...
AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN AND MID-ATLANTIC U.S. COASTAL REGIONS DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS. OUTER RAINBANDS CONTINUE TO SPREAD ONSHORE THE
NORTH CAROLINA COAST THIS MORNING...AND BUOY AND SHIP REPORTS
INDICATE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH ARE OCCURRING MORE THAN 100
MILES FORM THE CENTER. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE THE SYSTEM LATER THIS MORNING
WILL PROVIDE BETTER INFORMATION ON ITS STRUCTURE AND INTENSITY.
INTERESTS ALONG THE U.S. EAST COAST FROM THE CAROLINAS NORTHWARD TO
MID-ATLANTIC REGION SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR STATEMENTS FROM THEIR
LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES...AND ALSO HIGH
SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER IN WASHINGTON
D.C. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WARNINGS.
9/24/2008
Attention, 'Sex and the City' fans...
This just sold as a young-adult book:
"Candace Bushnell's THE CARRIE DIARIES, about Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw's high-school years, to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2010, by Heather Schroder at ICM (world)."
9/23/2008
This is shocking!
Who's next...Kevin Spacey?
(It's not anyone's business, really, but I'm just saying, he's like the one who has denied it most. Oh, and Tom Cruise.)
9/22/2008
9/21/2008
9/15/2008
Candycandyyumyumyum
There are some...shall we say...interesting candies available this year for Halloween. Some friends of The Hubby recommended Brach's caramel apple candy corn. I love caramel AND candy corn, but I just didn't like this too much. I could barely taste the apple, and it was kind of bland and waxy. I'll stick with regular.
However, Hershey kisses are also getting interesting. They are offering "candy corn" and "pumpkin spice" flavors this year.
Originally, I thought these were chocolate kisses with these flavorings in the middle. However, I tried the pumpkin spice one today. (Don't worry, Hubby, I only had one.) And it's completely orange, with a white cream middle! It's made with cocoa butter, so I think it's white chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. It was nice and soft and really tasted like pumpkin spice, although I'd wager that no pumpkins were harmed to make this.
So now you know the perfect thing to give out for Halloween if you want to cheap out and buy a lot of candy at once: Flavored kisses. ;)
There are some...shall we say...interesting candies available this year for Halloween. Some friends of The Hubby recommended Brach's caramel apple candy corn. I love caramel AND candy corn, but I just didn't like this too much. I could barely taste the apple, and it was kind of bland and waxy. I'll stick with regular.
However, Hershey kisses are also getting interesting. They are offering "candy corn" and "pumpkin spice" flavors this year.
Originally, I thought these were chocolate kisses with these flavorings in the middle. However, I tried the pumpkin spice one today. (Don't worry, Hubby, I only had one.) And it's completely orange, with a white cream middle! It's made with cocoa butter, so I think it's white chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. It was nice and soft and really tasted like pumpkin spice, although I'd wager that no pumpkins were harmed to make this.
So now you know the perfect thing to give out for Halloween if you want to cheap out and buy a lot of candy at once: Flavored kisses. ;)
Hidden talents
The Hubby often tells people that a few minutes into any "Sex and the City" episode, I know exactly which episode it is, and can tell him the plot.
But he has his own talent -- when he's watching baseball, within literaly a second of the ball being hit, he knows whether it's a home run. Before they even show where it goes.
Which talent do you think is more impressive? (I'm thinking the baseball thing.)
The Hubby often tells people that a few minutes into any "Sex and the City" episode, I know exactly which episode it is, and can tell him the plot.
But he has his own talent -- when he's watching baseball, within literaly a second of the ball being hit, he knows whether it's a home run. Before they even show where it goes.
Which talent do you think is more impressive? (I'm thinking the baseball thing.)
Box office records?!
Roger Ebert REALLY likes Kevin Smith's new movie. Hmmm.
"I think Kevin Smith has a hit on his hands. The bad boy director is here with "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," which contains no hard-core sex but is wall to wall with hard-core language. Smith begins with your basic four-letter words, and supplements them with an astonishing vocabulary and verbal images. The director of "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" once told me he's a mediocre director but a great writer. Wrong. His films are not so much about his visual style as about words; he is a perfectly capable director who, as the author, respects his script.
The words in "Zack and Miri" are potty mouth taken to the buddy-movie version of Shakespeare. The audience was roaring with laughter at its sheer audacity and outrageousness. It's so lively, the movie was initially rated NC-17, but got an R on appeal. Then the plot pulls ahead like two engines on a short train. Seth Rogen, the emerging superstar of raunchy comedy, is Zack, whose best buddy is Miri (Elizabeth Banks). They've known each other since first grade, are roommates, have never had sex, are broke and can't pay the bills.
In desperation, they decide to make a porno film and enlist a mixed bag of cast and crew, including onetime porn star Traci Lords. Zack and Miri are co-producers and co-stars; will they have sex for the first time, out of duty to the movie? The answer to that question somehow creates a poignant love story in the midst of flying words and bodily fluids. Prediction: "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" will set box-office records if the audience is able to fasten its seat belts for the turbulence of the dialogue."
Roger Ebert REALLY likes Kevin Smith's new movie. Hmmm.
"I think Kevin Smith has a hit on his hands. The bad boy director is here with "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," which contains no hard-core sex but is wall to wall with hard-core language. Smith begins with your basic four-letter words, and supplements them with an astonishing vocabulary and verbal images. The director of "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" once told me he's a mediocre director but a great writer. Wrong. His films are not so much about his visual style as about words; he is a perfectly capable director who, as the author, respects his script.
The words in "Zack and Miri" are potty mouth taken to the buddy-movie version of Shakespeare. The audience was roaring with laughter at its sheer audacity and outrageousness. It's so lively, the movie was initially rated NC-17, but got an R on appeal. Then the plot pulls ahead like two engines on a short train. Seth Rogen, the emerging superstar of raunchy comedy, is Zack, whose best buddy is Miri (Elizabeth Banks). They've known each other since first grade, are roommates, have never had sex, are broke and can't pay the bills.
In desperation, they decide to make a porno film and enlist a mixed bag of cast and crew, including onetime porn star Traci Lords. Zack and Miri are co-producers and co-stars; will they have sex for the first time, out of duty to the movie? The answer to that question somehow creates a poignant love story in the midst of flying words and bodily fluids. Prediction: "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" will set box-office records if the audience is able to fasten its seat belts for the turbulence of the dialogue."
9/13/2008
Quotes from the late David Foster Wallace
"But, you know -- wheat germ is better for us than Snickers bars, and I eat Snickers bars all the time, because they're yummy."
"Dogs pretend they're kissing you when they're really mining your mouth for food."
-- both from author David Foster Wallace, who was found hanged today
Besides being a very successful young writer, I think he was a tennis phenom as a youngster (which he later wrote about).
I'm sure the speculation will start that he had too much success too early, or that he was too much of a genius to cope with the mundanities of life. But who really knows?
I'm fairly shocked. I've been dreading for a while the time when I will have to hear frequent news of stars from my generation dying. I think that age is still several decades off, but it's still shocking and sad when it happens.
"But, you know -- wheat germ is better for us than Snickers bars, and I eat Snickers bars all the time, because they're yummy."
"Dogs pretend they're kissing you when they're really mining your mouth for food."
-- both from author David Foster Wallace, who was found hanged today
Besides being a very successful young writer, I think he was a tennis phenom as a youngster (which he later wrote about).
I'm sure the speculation will start that he had too much success too early, or that he was too much of a genius to cope with the mundanities of life. But who really knows?
I'm fairly shocked. I've been dreading for a while the time when I will have to hear frequent news of stars from my generation dying. I think that age is still several decades off, but it's still shocking and sad when it happens.
9/11/2008
9/10/2008
That takes care of that!
I appreciated this response very much...
Ms. [Me]:
Thank you for contacting The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns about HSUS mailings.As the largest animal protection organization in the country, with over 10.5 million members and constituents, the likes and dislikes of our members are quite varied. Many members enjoy receiving the mailings and gifts, citing them as a perk of membership. Other members, like yourself, do not want to receive the gifts, and would prefer fewer mailings per year.
The HSUS tests its mailings on small segments of our constituency before mailing them to our total member population. Mailings are tested for member reaction and program success. This means that if a mailing tests successfully, we expect it to bring in new members, raise funds for animal protection programs, and increase awareness of The HSUS mission. Currently the majority of our members enjoy receiving the gifts, and the additional revenue generates more support for our programs. Since 1954, and as noted above, we have developed a constituency of over 10.5 million, which gives us a loud voice when lobbying for the animals. We will continue to monitor our mailings carefully in an effort to meet the needs of our members and ensure program success.
For your reference, I have listed below The HSUS' total expenses for the year 2007. All mailings and gifts are funded within the Fundraising portion:
Current & Future Programs 84%
Fundraising 12%
Management & General 4%
As you can see, 84 cents of each one dollar donated to our organization goes directly to our animal protection programs. In addition, The HSUS meets all applicable "Standards for Charity Accountability" according to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org), and we are also rated as four stars—the highest rating possible—on Charity Navigator (*deleted because it's too long for the blog - Me)
If you would like additional financial information about our organization, you can view our annual reports and IRS Form 990 by visiting the following link: (*too long for the blog - Me)
According to your e-mail, I have reduced your correspondence to one mailing a year, the Annual Renewal Package sent each January, so that you do not receive so many mailings and gifts. Please allow approximately 8-12 weeks for this change to take effect, as we process our mail in advance.
According to our records, it appears that we only have one record for you under "[Me]." However, it is possible that you may be receiving prospect mail, meaning we received your information from an outside organization (probably with a slight variation to your name or address, in this case your maiden name) and sent you correspondence.
If you still have a mailing from us addressed to "[Me]", (or if not, then the next time that you receive one), please forward me your name and address exactly as they appear on the mailing. In addition please include the series of numbers and/or letters, including spaces, exactly as it appears on the member reply form. Following your response, I will ensure that any duplicate records that we may have for you are removed from our mailing list.
For your information, The HSUS offers two other types of restricted mailing options: Members can choose to receive four mailings per year, or they can choose to correspond with The HSUS through e-mail only. With the e-mail only option you will receive no mailings or gifts at all, but you will continue to receive information and updates about HSUS accomplishments and other important happenings in the animal protection world. Please let me know if either of these choices sounds like the better option for you, and I will make the change as promptly as possible following your response.
Lastly, please know that we take comments from our members very seriously, because feedback from our members is the best way to determine the type and amount of mailings we send in the future. Again, thank you for your comments and suggestions.I hope I have addressed your requests and concerns appropriately. If you need any additional assistance, or if you have additional questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you, again, for contacting The HSUS. We appreciate your support of our animal protection programs. Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing by taking our Membership Survey.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Rhodes
Representative, Membership & Customer Loyalty
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20037
Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty
I appreciated this response very much...
Ms. [Me]:
Thank you for contacting The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns about HSUS mailings.As the largest animal protection organization in the country, with over 10.5 million members and constituents, the likes and dislikes of our members are quite varied. Many members enjoy receiving the mailings and gifts, citing them as a perk of membership. Other members, like yourself, do not want to receive the gifts, and would prefer fewer mailings per year.
The HSUS tests its mailings on small segments of our constituency before mailing them to our total member population. Mailings are tested for member reaction and program success. This means that if a mailing tests successfully, we expect it to bring in new members, raise funds for animal protection programs, and increase awareness of The HSUS mission. Currently the majority of our members enjoy receiving the gifts, and the additional revenue generates more support for our programs. Since 1954, and as noted above, we have developed a constituency of over 10.5 million, which gives us a loud voice when lobbying for the animals. We will continue to monitor our mailings carefully in an effort to meet the needs of our members and ensure program success.
For your reference, I have listed below The HSUS' total expenses for the year 2007. All mailings and gifts are funded within the Fundraising portion:
Current & Future Programs 84%
Fundraising 12%
Management & General 4%
As you can see, 84 cents of each one dollar donated to our organization goes directly to our animal protection programs. In addition, The HSUS meets all applicable "Standards for Charity Accountability" according to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org), and we are also rated as four stars—the highest rating possible—on Charity Navigator (*deleted because it's too long for the blog - Me)
If you would like additional financial information about our organization, you can view our annual reports and IRS Form 990 by visiting the following link: (*too long for the blog - Me)
According to your e-mail, I have reduced your correspondence to one mailing a year, the Annual Renewal Package sent each January, so that you do not receive so many mailings and gifts. Please allow approximately 8-12 weeks for this change to take effect, as we process our mail in advance.
According to our records, it appears that we only have one record for you under "[Me]." However, it is possible that you may be receiving prospect mail, meaning we received your information from an outside organization (probably with a slight variation to your name or address, in this case your maiden name) and sent you correspondence.
If you still have a mailing from us addressed to "[Me]", (or if not, then the next time that you receive one), please forward me your name and address exactly as they appear on the mailing. In addition please include the series of numbers and/or letters, including spaces, exactly as it appears on the member reply form. Following your response, I will ensure that any duplicate records that we may have for you are removed from our mailing list.
For your information, The HSUS offers two other types of restricted mailing options: Members can choose to receive four mailings per year, or they can choose to correspond with The HSUS through e-mail only. With the e-mail only option you will receive no mailings or gifts at all, but you will continue to receive information and updates about HSUS accomplishments and other important happenings in the animal protection world. Please let me know if either of these choices sounds like the better option for you, and I will make the change as promptly as possible following your response.
Lastly, please know that we take comments from our members very seriously, because feedback from our members is the best way to determine the type and amount of mailings we send in the future. Again, thank you for your comments and suggestions.I hope I have addressed your requests and concerns appropriately. If you need any additional assistance, or if you have additional questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you, again, for contacting The HSUS. We appreciate your support of our animal protection programs. Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing by taking our Membership Survey.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Rhodes
Representative, Membership & Customer Loyalty
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20037
Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty
9/09/2008
9/07/2008
My cute mom
"I used to go out with boys from Princeton. They had fireplaces in their rooms. Have you ever been there? It's beautiful. They got fireplaces in their rooms, and it was so beautiful, and it cost the same as Penn. I used to stay over, and my dad would call at 3 in the morning to make sure I wasn't sleeping with anyone. I wasn't. But it wasn't too great that he called." - My mom, on the phone
"I used to go out with boys from Princeton. They had fireplaces in their rooms. Have you ever been there? It's beautiful. They got fireplaces in their rooms, and it was so beautiful, and it cost the same as Penn. I used to stay over, and my dad would call at 3 in the morning to make sure I wasn't sleeping with anyone. I wasn't. But it wasn't too great that he called." - My mom, on the phone
9/06/2008
9/05/2008
It's official
We are supposed to get a tropical storm this weekend.
It's a good weekend for some cuddling. (Hint, hint.) (No, I don't mean you, I mean the person I live with.)
UPDATE: The Hubby says he gets the drift. Yay! ;)
9/04/2008
Eeeeek
AT 5 PM EDT...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER NORTHWARD TO GREAT EGG INLET NEW
JERSEY ...INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...THE TIDAL POTOMAC...
WASHINGTON D.C...AND THE DELAWARE BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 5 PM EDT...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER NORTHWARD TO GREAT EGG INLET NEW
JERSEY ...INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...THE TIDAL POTOMAC...
WASHINGTON D.C...AND THE DELAWARE BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS
THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
9/03/2008
Surprise!
When I Spellchecked (TM) something today, I found that I had misspelled surprise as "suprise." I've been doing that since I was in elementary school. I am usually a good speller, so I think that for a short, common word like this, I should have learned by now. But no. Maybe it's because I rarely pronounce the first R.
I bet all of you have your words that for some reason, you just keep messing up.
I used to misspell "weird" a lot. It is confusing because it violates the i-before-e rule. In other words, the word weird is, itself, weird. Besides, "wierd" also looks right sometimes.
I misspelled "knowledge" in my college essays repeatedly, figuring it didn't have a "D."
Well, I won't be entering any spelling bees. (That's entering with one R.)
When I Spellchecked (TM) something today, I found that I had misspelled surprise as "suprise." I've been doing that since I was in elementary school. I am usually a good speller, so I think that for a short, common word like this, I should have learned by now. But no. Maybe it's because I rarely pronounce the first R.
I bet all of you have your words that for some reason, you just keep messing up.
I used to misspell "weird" a lot. It is confusing because it violates the i-before-e rule. In other words, the word weird is, itself, weird. Besides, "wierd" also looks right sometimes.
I misspelled "knowledge" in my college essays repeatedly, figuring it didn't have a "D."
Well, I won't be entering any spelling bees. (That's entering with one R.)
So....
There is a whole line of storms waiting to come get us. Mwa ha ha.
Not many people commented on my story excerpt below...for those who have the time (and of course many of you don't), even if you think it sucks, please e-mail me your thoughts!
By the way, it's a novel for teens. I didn't say that because I think it should still be enjoyable if you're an adult, and the editors reading it will of course be adults. So I didn't want to hear "Well, I don't like it, but maybe if I was 17 I would." If the writing turns you off, it'll turn off editors reading it, too. But that's why it's about the new school year and all that.
9/02/2008
Same song, different year
When a new song sounds too much like an old song, it bothers me. I had an old "Saturday Night Live" episode on this weekend, and the band Keane was playing. They were singing their song "Somewhere Only We Know" that has the refrain:
O simple thing
Where have you gone...
It was bothering me because it reminded me of a song I'd already heard enough times. Eventually I realized it was "Let 'Em In" by Wings. The part that goes:
Sister Suzie,
Brother John
Martin Luther,
Phil and Don...
Usually I tell people things like this, and they say I'm imagining it. Well, thanks to the internet, I can find that there are other people noticing such similarities. Here is a video that mixes the two songs. Exactly...same thing.
UPDATE: Oh, here are some lists people made of similar songs, guitar riffs stolen from other songs, etc.
UPDATE 2: Read this story!
What are your thoughts?
Ian Green had a feeling as soon as his senior year of high school started that something unusual was going to happen that year.
Of course, the first day of school always carried a newness and optimism that didn’t compare with anything else. On those mornings, the September air would crush under his ears like a barely perceptible whisper, the buses would start and stop outside, and the football field at school would smell of damp mud and fresh grass.
But on the first day of Ian’s senior year, something was different the moment the day started.
That morning, he awoke at 5:30 a.m. and couldn’t fall back to sleep. The temperature seemed to have changed from sweltering to cool overnight. The scent of burning leaves swirled in through his second-story window.
This year, he thought, his blood getting riled as he took an icy breath, is going to be different.
He decided to do what he’d debated doing for the last few days of summer vacation.
In the dark, he sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on his socks and sweat clothes. In front of the bright mirror in the bathroom, he put in his contact lenses, over his green eyes. He had inherited those eyes from his father, his mother said – as well as his huge shoulders, his height, and his stocky frame. His father had played high school football and now Ian did too, although it wasn’t how he defined himself.
He crept past his mother’s room and down the stairs. He stepped outside under the purple porchlight, ignoring the freshly delivered Sentinel, which he normally read.
Here are the first few paragraphs of a novel I'm almost done revising. Please read what's below as you might read the beginning of any novel, and e-mail me if anything good or bad jumps out at you!! Impressions are important. I need to know what a normal person would think if they read this as the first page of a novel. Having lost all objectivity (due to reading this a zillion times), I'd love any feedback.
One request: Please read it once as you would any book you'd open up, rather than going back and looking ten times - what I'm more interested is how it strikes you when you read it. The way you'd read any book.
If something seems off as you're casually reading it, I'd love to know.
I'm grateful for ANY feedback. If you want more specifics, I am interested in things like:
If anything jumps out at you or bothers you (word repetition, error, etc)
What you like/ don't like/ believe about the main character
What makes you interested or not interested...
Any other impressions you'd get if you started off a novel this way.
Thanks in advance!!
E-mail me here when you can. OK, see below (character's name has been changed)
Of course, the first day of school always carried a newness and optimism that didn’t compare with anything else. On those mornings, the September air would crush under his ears like a barely perceptible whisper, the buses would start and stop outside, and the football field at school would smell of damp mud and fresh grass.
But on the first day of Ian’s senior year, something was different the moment the day started.
That morning, he awoke at 5:30 a.m. and couldn’t fall back to sleep. The temperature seemed to have changed from sweltering to cool overnight. The scent of burning leaves swirled in through his second-story window.
This year, he thought, his blood getting riled as he took an icy breath, is going to be different.
He decided to do what he’d debated doing for the last few days of summer vacation.
In the dark, he sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on his socks and sweat clothes. In front of the bright mirror in the bathroom, he put in his contact lenses, over his green eyes. He had inherited those eyes from his father, his mother said – as well as his huge shoulders, his height, and his stocky frame. His father had played high school football and now Ian did too, although it wasn’t how he defined himself.
He crept past his mother’s room and down the stairs. He stepped outside under the purple porchlight, ignoring the freshly delivered Sentinel, which he normally read.
Ian stood for a minute, watching the bands of red and purple light emerge behind the old farmhouse across the county road. His friends constantly said they couldn't wait to leave south Delaware, but he thought there were things to admire if you looked.
Then he was off.
He sprinted to the bank of metal mailboxes on the corner, turned east, and jogged the mile up the county road to Clover Dell High School, two hours before the small brick building was to open. Ahead of him the sky pinkened.
As he ran, his dark hair flopped over his forehead. His shoulders pressed down on his 5-foot-11 frame. He gunned his arms, forced his knees up, filled his lungs with sweet air until they were ready to burst. It felt wonderful to be up before anyone else was, pushing his body like that.
Okay, you've read it...how do you feel? What do you think? E-mail me here. THANKS!
The other hurricane
Friday's entry bears repeating, now that they actually include us in the path of this Hurricane (but it will be downgraded by then). See top of post when you click the link.
9/01/2008
Sarah Palin
Sen. McGovern in 1972 chose Thomas Eagleton, who didn't tell anyone that he'd been hospitalized for mental illness. McGovern said he was behind Eagleton "1,000 percent," but then he got Eagleton to withdraw. Then he picked Sargeant Shriver, husband of JFK's sister. (I know he did other stuff, but I'm too lazy to look.)
If McCain dies, how is someone with five kids and a pregnant daughter going to run the country? (Someone should mail that family some condoms.) If you find that sexist, fine. How about this: She just doesn't have the experience. I said the same about Obama but at least he's been preparing for the presidency for over a year, is a dedicated student of everything, and has someone on his ticket who knows what he's doing. My hubby adds, "She's been governor only one month longer than Obama's been campaigning for president."
It's not too late for McCain to dump her, even if he'll look bad. It has a precedent in history, although not a good one.
So McCain, don't save face. Get a better running mate.
