No, I don't think I'm going to start the book right at midnight, not unless the radiator wakes us up. Keep an eye on the left hand corner for my NaNo progress.

I may be cheap, but I'm not easy.

Schism is great Halloween reading, available to you courtesy of me and Catholic Light blogger Pete Vere. Schism is FIE's current bestseller, come see why. Even if you don't like it, you're only out a buck.

Speaking of e-books, a special sale starts today at FrancisIsidore. Get a copy of Little Flowers free for every novel-length purchase (includes Leaps of Faith, Summer Knight's Tale, and on Friday Drumwall) now through New Year's Eve as an early Christmas gift.

George Harrison's collection of swan songs is not yet released, but already the album is causing a stir. I had heard the album was titled Brainwashed, in reference to George's relationship with a former manager, a relationship that ended badly. Reading some of the things I have today, I'm wondering if the album is in actuality an attack on the Church.

Abbeyrd's Beatles site has a page devoted to the album, which will be out in mid-November. Included are quotes from a message board concerning two songs on the album called "P2 Vatican Blues" and "Pisces Fish" and whether or not the songs are anti-Catholic. Having reads parts of the Anthology where George talks about growing up Catholic, and then going to George's official site to read the songs' lyrics, I think I have my answer. I also have to admit - Beatles and Hari fan that I am - that my anticipation for this coming album has nearly evaporated.

Everything I know about George has come from either film or books - I know he was born Catholic but didn't stick with it. It happens. I left the Church, too. Lots of people do, but many (including myself) come back. Of course, my situation was different from his; I've only known the post-Vatican II church and I grew up in North Florida. Indeed, 1950s England was a different environment for Catholics, and I gather from my readings that George's environment was not as devout as mine. Given his private nature, I don't think we'll ever know the complete story, but I do find it interesting that people who leave the Catholic Church (not just George, lots of people do this) are often vocal about their disdain for the Faith. I rarely see this in other Christian denominations and religions. I know a number of converts from various Protestant churches and even Judaism, and have yet to hear any of them say one bad thing about the faith of their youth. I'll admit to saying some horrible things myself (I once reduced my sister to tears after a particularly nasty fight), but I have since come to realize how wrong I was, but that's a blog for another day.

Anyway, we all know how George came to be involved in Hinduism and the Krishnas, etc., and his constant "search for truth." I wasn't there when he died, so I can't speak for his frame of mind, but I honestly hope he found what was he was looking for then. I've checked different sources for his thoughts on God and faith (granted, much of this is from the Internet and books allegedly discredited by Beatlemaniacs, so what do I know?) and have found a potpourri of information. He was into TM, he was into Krishna, he believed in Jesus, he hugged trees, yada yada yada. A poster on the Abbeyrd site reports that, "...he (sic) has studied carefully aspects of each religion and was always respectful of other forms of belief, just as Olivia Harrison pointed out in her introduction for the Rolling Stone book [Harrison]."

Was he, now? Seems like an odd thing to say about a man who wrote a song about my beliefs being "only a show" (this from "Vatican Blues"). Christ gave us His Body and Blood, and then died on the cross for our sins, that we might have eternal life. His followers then spent the next two thousand years proclaiming His Word, that all might hear and be saved, and many were persecuted and killed as a result. Many continue to be persecuted. All for a show? Cats is a show, the Church is the Bride.

While I won't deny that at present the Catholic Church has a number of bozos in some level of authority (what faith doesn't?), Her teaching has always been sound. George Harrison had the free will to accept or reject these teachings, and his fate now rests in God's hands. I'm not going to so bold as to say where he is right now, because it is not my place to send people to Heaven or Hell. Besides, I really don't know. Pope John Paul II said in Crossing the Threshold of Hope that he could not say with certainty that Judas Iscariot is in Hell. It is my hope nobody is there and that nobody will be sent there, including everybody I have known, loved, and admired. I will say this, though: if George did devote a good portion of his life studying religion, I have to wonder how much of that time was spent on Catholicism.

I wonder if he ever knew about the people who died defending the Word of God, people like St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, and Blessed Miguel Pro and the Mexican martyrs. I wonder if he knew about St. Edith Stein and her own search for truth, or about St. Maximilian Kolbe, who performed the ultimate act of love and charity by allowing himself to die in place of another, as Christ did.

I wonder if he was aware of how a young Karol Wojtyla actively persued the priesthood in occupied Poland, knowing very well that the Nazis would have executed him immediately had they discovered his intent. His love for Christ and His Word was that great. If the Faith is "only a show," then it must be the greatest damn show on Earth to inspire these and other people.

Will I buy Brainwashed? I don't know. I honestly don't know if I want to spend my money on something which seems venomous towards my beliefs. I probably do that enough unconsciously by buying other music from pro-abort artists. Am I going to throw out the stuff I have now? I don't know if I can do that. I only have two other George Harrison albums (not counting the Beatles stuff and the first Traveling Wilburys LP), and I enjoy them very much. I enjoy his work with the Beatles; his songs did not dominate their albums, but his contributions to the group should never have to be considered sub-par alongside the Lennon-McCartney juggernaut. I listen to "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and I feel good. I think of a great talent loaned to us briefly by God, and now I wonder if I'll ever feel good again whenever I hear his voice.

(Father Shawn O'Neal pointed out something interesting to me this morning, how this Sunday's readings are often applied to people who have left the Church. Also interesting is that I learned this just days before the Feast of All Souls, when we remember the faithful departed.)

The University of Dayton, incidentally, puts on the annual Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. One of these years I'm going to go.

1. Eastern Orthodox (100%)
2. Roman Catholic (100%)
3. Orthodox Quaker (98%)
4. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (95%)
5. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (84%)
6. Seventh Day Adventist (74%)
7. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (73%)
8. Hinduism (59%)
9. Orthodox Judaism (59%)
10. Sikhism (59%)

The story is going to be set in a seasonal club, a cabaret featuring celebrity impersonators. Now, I know performers of the stage are often members of Actors Equity, but I'm wondering if people who perform regularly in these places (and on cruise ships, etc.) are also eligible to join that union, and if such clubs are obliged to abide by union wages, etc.

We don't have the Commodore or VIC anymore; we passed those down to other families at our church every time we got a newer model. I don't doubt people still use them. When I was working at Bookland in Athens about five years ago a few people did come in looking for Commodore manuals.

I would love to have a working C64 again. I used to own two great games for the computer: one based on Ghostbusters and one (get this) based on the Paul McCartney film Give My Regards to Broad Street. Yeah, the movie was terrible but I loved that game. Basically the premise of the game was that you (as Paul) had lost the master tape to your next single. You then had to drive all around London and track down members of the band to collect different notes, then go back to Abbey Road studios and piece the notes together to play "No More Lonely Nights." There was a time limit, and nasty people getting in the way to stop you. I'd love to have that game again.

• Leaps of Faith is ready to order
  
• finished another book for the EPPIE judging
  
• it stopped raining
  
• finished another book for review
  
• almost finished my AOL work
  

1. Ever do anything over and over just to make someone else happy but discover you actually hate it? I didn't actually hate it, but I allowed my parents to sign me up for summer league softball two more seasons than I wanted to play. It wasn't that I didn't like playing the game, but because my teammates - with whom I had played for years - were not very nice people. They were a clique, and I was not very popular. My parents did not want me sitting on my ass watching cartoons all summer, however, so there I was.

2. What kinds of obligations do you enjoy? I enjoy going to Mass on holy days; it is a welcome and peaceful respite from the working day.

3. What are your feelings about celebrating Halloween? I really have no opinion of it, so long as people don't make it an excuse to get wasted and then get in a car and drive. I did the trick-or-treat thing when I younger, and I've had my fill. I'll still watch Charlie Brown on TV, though.

4. Are there any stories of bodily functions you would prefer people not share with you in conversation? You want to see the list?

5. What do you think is the most important aspect of personal hygiene that bothers you when people overlook it? How did we get from Halloween to bodily functions? You know what I hate? When people don't wipe the sleep crust from their eyes. Oooh, that burns me up!

6. Ponder the thought of being forever young, living on endlessly, being immortal. What would that life be like for you? I'd probably still be on the Internet.

7. What's the last thing you felt was "worth fighting for?" My writing. I'm still fighting.

BONUS: Sooner or later, they all will be gone...why don't they stay young? Not enough carrot juice.

Links: The Chaplet of St. Jude; The National Shrine of St. Jude.

Leaps of Faith was completed sooner than anticipated. Just a few corrections to make, and the e-book will be ready for sale. Drumwall is coming along nicely as well, and I hope to have that one ready soon. Check the catalog to read samples.

I used to love reading the Guinness Book of World Records when I was little. My favorite sections were the "human" and human achievement records - tallest man, shortest man, fastest talker, most births, etc. I used to be into the weird Ripley stuff, too; is the old show with Jack Palance in syndication anywhere?

• Yankee Doodle Dandy: James Cagney was older than the actress who played his mother (Rosemary DeCamp)
  
• The Manchurian Candidate: Angela Lansbury played the mother of Laurence Harvey's character, though they were only three years apart in age
  
• Hamlet (1990): Mel Gibson played Hamlet and Glenn Close was Gertrude - she is less than ten years older than Mel
  

1. What is your favorite scary movie? The Silence of the Lambs is my all-time favorite horror movie. I could watch it over and over. I could do Rocky Horror lines to this movie.

2. What is your favorite Halloween treat? I don't have a favorite candy, but I'll say any kind of tart candies like Sweet Tarts and Spree because I don't eat them often but I do like them.

3. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, describe your best Halloween costume. I haven't dressed up in a while. The last time I dressed up was for a "photo shoot" at my previous job. The website featured a slideshow of employees dressed in costumes from a sponsor store. I was a nun. The last time I went to a costume party I had no idea what I was going to be, so in a last minute fit of panic I donned some black shorts, my white blouse, my black DKNY jacket and took my guitar - I went as a left-handed Angus Young.

4. Do you enjoy going to haunted houses or other spooky events? I loved going to Busch Gardens Hallo-Scream last year; we tried to go last week but there was absolutely nowhere to park so we ended up not going. That wasn't very scary, however. Then again, that was just a month after 9/11 and people were not allowed to wear costumes in the park.

5. Will you dress up for Halloween this year? No. Spencer's is all out of Iron Chef costumes. I really wanted to be Kobe this year. I even bought a tomato at Harris Teeter's.

It's interesting to read this story, since in FIE's upcoming Leaps of Faith anthology there is a story about people traveling back in time to get a clearer picture of what Jesus looked like. It's just one of fifteen stories Karina and Rob Fabian edited for the book. Final editing is complete and it looks very good.

While you're out browsing today, check out who's crossing Abbey Road right now.

I don't want to give too much away before I start writing, however. A writer once told me that best strategy for writing a novel is not to talk too much about it to others. If you do, you may find yourself talking yourself right out of the story, and when you sit down to write no words will come. In retrospect I find that to be true.

Welcome to the world, Peter. As Hyacinth Bucket would say, "Mind the pedestrians on the walk."

Thank you, Reader from Lincroft, NJ, USA, for the nice review of Little Flowers on Amazon.com.

Hey, Jan, welcome to St. Blog's.

The focal point of our discussion about the Mitford novels is the obvious lack of Catholic characters. Those maps of Mitford in the books show a church on every downtown corner: Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. No St. Whomever's. I guess Catholics don't live in North Carolina, at least not here, but I find that difficult to believe.

I take that back, I think there is one minor character who is an implied Catholic - the wife of the antiques dealer who opened the restaurant, and she came from Italy because apparently you have to go that far to get genuine Catholics for your town. We can only imagine how far this poor gal has to travel to attend Mass; depending on where Mitford is supposed to be, she'll either have to drive into Asheville or the Outer Banks, and I know for a fact there are Catholic churches there.

Come to think of it, Mitford has no Jewish temples, no mosques, and no lesbian coffeehouses, either. Sounds likes a place where one would turn a corner and run into Ned Flanders. If this town became any more white bread they would have to change the name to Merita (rimshot). I kid, of course, but here is a book series just screaming for an unauthorized parody.

Somebody on the list actually wrote to the Mitford website about the lack of Catholics. In response she received the following message: The absence of Catholic characters does not indicate a like or dislike for them. A writer writes about what they know. Please don't take these works of fiction as anything more than a source of entertainment.

Point one: the second sentence is grammatically incorrect. Point two: how could anybody live so long and not know at least one Catholic?

One lousy parish in town with a few characters, Jan, that's all we ask. Don't make them idiots, either.

Soon, though, there just may be plans for a print title. More later as I get things organized.

• Finished another book to judge for the Lories
  
• Edited two more chapters of Drumwall
  
• Judging for the EPPIES begins today
  
• Another paid writing assignment came in this morning
  
• Positive review of Murder Most Trivial came in from eBook Reviews Weekly
  
• The book's still free!
  
• Another copy of Schism sold over the weekend (still only a buck!)
  

1. Have you ever felt like you were expected to set a good example for others? All the time. Comes with the territory when you're the oldest sibling.

2. What keeps you on the right path? For example, why do you think you turned out the way you did as opposed to the nut ball sniper out there? My upbringing had a lot to do with it, plus the knowledge of the consequences of my actions.

3. Sometimes things seem different than they really are. When was the last time you believed something to be one way only to learn you had it all wrong? Last week I tried to give blood and learned that I was anemic. I had always thought I was fine.

4. Can you recall a time when being alert and observant kept you safe? Three words: Girl Scout camp. Eventually you begin to believe those stories about the girl who drowned at the lake twenty years ago whose ghost still haunts the woods and attacks little campers.This is why girls never get any sleep on those outings.

5. Who in your personal circle of relationships do you think is smarter than you? Are they smarter in just one area, or overall? How do you feel about that? How do they interact with you? Malc, and it's not just book smarts. The man knows NFL history, car maintenance, and American history. He would have been the perfect "phone a friend," and he's great to have around when you're stuck on a crossword puzzle.

6. Let's daydream a little: Describe in detail the most perfect lazy day, start to finish. Couch. TV. Immobile.

7. Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what as? If not, how come? What is the most favorite costume you ever had? I won't be doing it this year, but once when I was little I had an Electra Woman costume - the old Ben Cooper kind with the one-piece oversuit and the plastic mask that caused your face to sweat if you wore it too long. That thing would be worth a fortune today.

BONUS: Come on baby tell me what’s the word? acetylcholinesterase

If that doesn't work, I'll have to resort to Plan B, which involves attaching moveable arms to the cutouts. Perhaps this something those people at Disney could do.

St. Paul also had decorated statues of Lucy and Charlie Brown around town at one point. Feasibly they could keep it up for years with all the Peanuts characters. In Norfolk we had something similar with mermaids. How many other cities have done this sort of thing?

1. How many TVs do you have in your home? Two, but we never use the one in the bedroom.

2. On average, how much TV do you watch in a week? On average, I'd say about ten hours. Five of those hours are spent watching Star Trek: The Next Generation at eleven, although last night we watched Monk instead.

3. Do you feel that television is bad for young children? Depends on what they are watching and how much they watch. One or two hours of Nick Jr. for a child under five should be harmless.

4. What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you're heartbroken? Truthfully, I don't feel that fanatical about TV anymore; syndicated reruns and entire seasons of shows on DVD have convinced me that if I miss anything it will eventually come around again. I do wish I could watch more of Monk, though, because I never seem to catch it.

5. If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like? Oh, if only I had that fake EWTN schedule St. Blog's created. If I could create a network schedule, I'd bring back Sports Night and Quantum Leap, have at least one show with Patrick Stewart, and Saturday morning would actually be all Krofft and Bugs Bunny cartoons, with Schoolhouse Rock and Time for Timer.

You might be surprised to know exactly how many variations of the rosary there are. When I made rosaries and chaplets for free distribution, I often consulted my dog-eared copy of My Treasury of Chaplets.

I found rosary-making to be a very peaceful exercise, especially when I needed peace the most. It's what partly inspired me to write Little Flowers. Given today's climate, it wouldn't be a bad hobby to resume.

Also, in case you were wondering, John Denver was never a sniper in Vietnam.

Joshua Clayborn is writing his epitaph. No, he's not going anywhere, it's for a class assignment, one I find intriguing anyway. I have not given any thought to what I want carved into my tombstone, though I imagine others are more eager than I to have the last word.

Some epitaphs (some obvious) of famous folks: Mel Blanc, Ritchie Valens, Jackie Gleason (scroll to bottom of page), and Bruce Lee. Want more? Just go to FindAGrave.com.

As for my final words: I have narrowed down the list to:

• "Damn, it's quiet."
  
• "Playin' in the dirt again."
  
• "Never did find that one-armed man."
  
• "If you people had bought my books, this never would have happened."
  
• "Left behind a beloved husband who probably spent the insurance money on a Mercedes." (in case I go first)
  

Seriously, I saw the trailer for this last night. Is this all it takes to get a movie made these days? Are you saying I could film my husband teetering off our balcony, flying headfirst off his mountain bike in Tsali or leaping over the railing at the Virginia Zoo to get smacked around by a baboon and people would pay seven bucks to watch?

Looking at the picture, I don't have to tell you that it isn't going to be a traditional Betazoid wedding. Malc is going to be soooo disappointed.

• Lt. Worf Jack-O-Lantern pattern
  
• Spock
  
• LoTR Folk (the Saruman one looks creepy)
  
• Beatles, Dixie Chicks, and Barenaked Ladies
  

FIE has four books entered this year, plus Saints of the Jubilee is entered in the non-fiction biography category. EPIC also runs a cover art contest, the QUASARs, and covers for the respective FIE titles are also entered. I'll have to see about entering the Saints cover as well. Here's hoping.

In Between Naps has garnered the most comments I have seen, spurred on perhaps by one comment about a possible Tarot connection and a fuzzy picture of the pope seated next to some books called "Meditations on the Tarot."

I can hear Jack Chick sharpening his pencil from here.

Does everything new happening in the Church have to be linked back to something diabolical? Why is it when something is called "luminous" people think the devil is involved? I know Lucifer means "light-bearer," but I also know Jesus is the Light of the world. Somewhere raised in the altars we have a St. Lucy, is she evil, too? How could that be if she's a saint?

This picture of the Pope with the dubious books tells me nothing, either. Somebody once handed me a copy of Madonna's unintentionally hilarious Sex book, it doesn't mean I would heartily endorse it.

I agree with one of Amy's posters - to me this is a non-issue. If you're that uncomfortable with new mysteries, ignore them. Go to CatholiCity.com and get one of those Rosary CDs with the standard prayers - I have mine plugged into my MP3 player.

Praying the Rosary is not a requirement, though I can't see how praying now (with new mysteries or otherwise) will hurt us. Between The Scandal, The Sniper, and the Bali Bomber we all need to be praying more.

The Giants in six.

I'm Atlanta!

1. What's the most expensive meal you've ever eaten? What was the occasion? Was it worth it? The last time I had to go to Atlanta for the annual marketing retreat (this was for my former company) Malc and I stole away to this place called Aria. You see, while I worked and snored through various seminars, Malc galavanted all over the city looking for places to eat. He heard about this place from the hotel concierge and off we went. I think the total bill nearly topped $200. Had I known I was going to be let go a few months later I would have balked and suggested Taco Bell, but I have no regrets about the dinner. We don't do that sort of thing often (read: never), and that dinner has counted for the next five anniversary celebrations.

2. What do you like to do when nobody is looking? Listen to the music in my head.

3. What's your special purpose? Hopefully to give somebody a good laugh.

4. Do you like Autumn? If so, why? If not, tell me about your favorite season. Autumn is my favorite season; I prefer the cool in between the heat of summer and freezing-ass cold of winter. I especially remember the season while going to college in Jacksonville. I liked going out to the Riverside and visit the museums and shops and the weather would be just perfect.

5. Ever recommended a movie to someone only to have him hate it? Which movie? Did you feel uncomfortable about that? Malc and I recommended Osmosis Jones to my in-laws, and they hated it. Looking back, I realize they probably found the humor off-color, but I don't feel uncomfortable about it. There are worse movies I could have recommended.

6. I've had hay fever all day! Sniffles, sneezing, I tell ya, it's awful! Do you have any allergies? Anything that just gets you down for the count? Nope. That's Malc's department.

7. Do you like mixed drinks? What is your favorite? As long as we're here how about you order me something, too? Just "surprise me!" Scarlett O'Hara on the rocks for me, and a Lynchburg Lemonade for my friend.

BONUS: Why do we scream at each other? The radio's on too loud.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of Battle; Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke Him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

1. I am the oldest of three.

2. I look more like my maternal grandmother than anyone else.

3. I survived nine years of Catholic school.

4. I have no bitter memories of it at all.

5. I didn't learn to swim until I was ten.

6. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was eight.

7. I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever.

8. I played softball for nine consecutive summers.

9. I can type almost 70 words per minute.

10. My first car was a burgundy Ford Mustang.

11. My first date was the movie Summer School.

12. My first short story publication happened at 19.

13. My first novel publication happened at 29.

14. I wrote my first novel by hand.

15. The first drafts of my last three manuscripts were hand-written.

16. I've been to Jamaica.

17. I've been to Canada.

18. I've been to Mexico.

19. I've never been to Europe.

20. I taught myself HTML.

21. I'm teaching myself CSS now.

22. I went to my senior prom with two girlfriends.

23. I've seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show over sixty times.

24. I've seen Ted Nugent in concert twice.

25. I have received rejection letters from every reputable magazine in circulation.

26. I have received rejection letters from a few sleazy mags as well.

27. I have read over 460 books since 1991.

28. 20 of those books are on the Modern Library Top 100 books list.

29. My favorite genre of fiction is mystery.

30. My favorite mystery author is Dick Francis.

31. My favorite American TV show is M*A*S*H.

32. My favorite British TV show is As Time Goes By.

33. My favorite Canadian TV show is The New Red Green Show.

34. My favorite movie is Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

35. My favorite actors are Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.

36. My favorite music group is the Beatles.

37. My favorite Beatle is George (can't you tell?).

38. My favorite Beatles songs are "Dear Prudence" and "Something".

39. My favorite sports teams are the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Braves.

40. My favorite NASCAR driver is Mark Martin.

41. My favorite saints are Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, and Peregrine.

42. I don't have cable.

43. I don't have a cable modem.

44. I can count to ten in English, German, Spanish and Japanese.

45. I can sign the alphabet.

46. I'm left-handed.

47. I have a deviated sceptum.

48. I prefer red Life Savers to green.

49. I have no preference for M&M colors, I'll eat them all.

50. I prefer plain to peanut.

51. I miss my Aunt Linda.

52. I miss Charles Schultz.

53. I miss Paul Lynde.

54. I miss George and John.

55. I miss Lewis Grizzard.

56. I miss Jim Henson.

57. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer.

58. I almost lost my mother to breast cancer.

59. I'm very worried.

60. I pray daily.

61. I wear a St. Peregrine medal to remind me to pray for others.

62. The first Bond flick I ever saw was Goldeneye.

63. I didn't like it.

64. I fell away from the Church in college.

65. I returned to the Church in my mid-twenties.

66. I used to be pro-choice.

67. Not anymore.

68. I've only had one haircut since 1994.

69. I'm aware of the significance of this number, thank you very much.

70. I write very bad poetry.

71. I collect statehood quarters.

72. I used to collect elongated coins.

73. I actually bought one of those Pets.com puppets.

74. I still have a record player.

75. I still have records.

76. I once saw Michael Stipe eating brunch at the Grit in Athens, GA.

77. I love the Grit's Golden Bowl.

78. I once stood on the deck of the USS Eisenhower.

79. I once drove from Jacksonville, FL to Dallas, TX in 16 hours.

80. I have remarkably good eyesight.

81. I need to take more folic acid.

82. I know why the caged bird sings.

83. I know the way to San Jose.

84. I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it.

85. I finally got to see Paul McCartney in concert.

86. Still kicking myself for missing Ringo at Harbor Park.

87. I don't watch much TV anymore.

88. I find Danielle Steel's continued success baffling.

89. I love the nightlife, I've got to boogie...

90. I stayed up all night to watch Princess Di's funeral.

91. I can't stand Bill Maher.

92. I wish I could find my copy of The Joshua Tree.

93. I can't believe I actually bought a Madonna album.

94. I can't believe it's not butter.

95. I went to the first Lollapalooza.

96. I went to what I thought was the Stones' last tour.

97. The farthest I've driven to a concert is 250 miles (Pink Floyd).

98. One summer my family drove from Florida to Alaska.

99. Yes, both ways.

100. I'm so glad I finished this list.

Now, if you want to save some money, go to The Movie Spoiler.

• "Come see my wife nude"
  
• "Spongebob nude" (wha-?)
  
• "Elimidate nude"
  
• "The Kat wrestling nude"
  

To clarify, this is not a nudist blog. I can't speak for the sanity or morals of people who use these phrases in search engines, but why they are clicking over to here is a mystery. There's nothing in the description of my website on these search engines to indicate people are going to see boobies.

I don't watch The Sopranos; I have only seen snippits of the show during one of Malc's remote control roulette sessions, so I am not the one to judge whether or not including the actors from the show would be offensive. Members of the Columbus Citizens Foundation say yes, however. Being of Italian descent, I can see their point. Italian characters are often portrayed as loud goombahs who mangle the English language and constantly slap the crap out of each other. To be sure, we have those people in my family, but I promise you we are not all like that. I can see why that is not the image the CCF wants to project.

Then again, you're reading the blog of someone who used a previous layout with the word "fuggedaboutit," so I guess I really can't say anything here.

Apparently this is the first in a series of commercials pairing McDonaldland citizens with celebrities. Perhaps next we'll get to see Rudy Giuliani discussing tax policies and public safety with Mayor McCheese over a box of Chicken McNuggets. There's a disturbing image: watching a guy with a cheeseburger-shaped head eat chicken. Ick.

One thing I realized while watching the commercial: it seems like Grimace is more violet (or magenta?) than purple these days. Think he's had work done? I couldn't help but notice, too, that he looks a lot like Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants. Same glazed look, same goofy grin. I smell lawsuit!

For some reason I wonder why Mark Chapman would want to be released. I would think he is safer in prison. For all of John's talk and music about peace and love, I can't help but wonder if one of his fans would take the opportunity to shank Chapman the second he stepped outside.

The goal is to write at least 50K words by the end of the month. "Write" now I've hit a lull with the first draft of Pray for Us Sinners, and I was thinking of starting another project to help the first along. When I start writing, I just can't stop, and sometimes I can transfer the energy to other projects.

This sounds like fun. Hey, kids, let's put on a show. Who's with me?

Last time I saw Alice live was over a decade ago at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, for the Trash tour. He had a big hit with "Poison" from that album, and I went with my then-boyfriend and his best friend. We had good seats for the show, about fifth row center, and the opening act was this dreadful group featuring a lead singer who thought he was Jim Morrison. He had the pants, the hair, the pout, and the stance down pat. After every song he shouted MAKE SOME F**KING NOISE; I guess to duplicate or drown out the noise his own band was making onstage, I don't know. Don't think Alice has an opener for this show, since it's part of this Fright Night thing going on at the Amphitheater.

Speaking of Alice, here's an article detailing his conversion to Christianity. Yeah, Alice.

I find, too, that this bout of apathy is not limited to Christian bloggers. On a lark I'm taking the day to follow some of the blog webrings I have joined, and I'm finding many apologies for lack of blogging and a few "gone fishing forever" notices.

I think it's the change in weather. Some people get sick, I guess others go blank and can't think of anything to write. I hope that never happens to me.

Victor delivers a good rebuttal to this whole Amazon.com flap, and after reading it I am ashamed to say I am still divided on the issue. Both Keith and Victor make good points in their respective corners. As the CWA webmaster, however, I work for the group and therefore the fate of the Amazon.com links on the site rests with the board as a whole. Amazon.com has been the cause of many a headache for some over there. You may, in the past, have received an e-mail about Amazon.com's alleged association with Planned Parenthood, which turned out to be nothing more than the same program CWA used. I think this flap might secure a decision regarding the fate of Amazon.com links on the CWA site, however.

As for myself, this exercise has helped me discover that another online store is offering my book for a larger discount, so I'll leave those alternate links active for now. Of course, if what I'm hearing about the print publisher of Little Flowers is true, I may have to do something more drastic. More news on that later.

I'm not a star collector, but of all the entertainers in the world he is one of the few I would really like to meet in person.

If this did not make me realize e-books still have a long way to go, I'd be wetting myself laughing so hard. It's like the cupholder on the tower unit urban legend.

• Little Flowers at Barnes and Noble
  
• Little Flowers at BooksAMillion.com
  
• Little Flowers at eBookAd.com
  
• eBookLocator.com search results for Little Flowers
  
• Little Flowers at Wal-Mart.com
  

Bookstores are reluctant to carry Little Flowers. I would know, I've tried to get stores to carry it. It is not so much the nature of the story, but the way the book was produced. Books published using the POD (print on demand) method are difficult to place in stores because these books are printed one at a time. Therefore, there is no physical warehouse for the bookstore to send back unsold books. Bookstores are loathe to risk being stuck with merchandise they can't sell, so they don't bother ordering such books in the first place.

Little Flowers's publisher utilizes POD technology. Since the publisher operates as a royalty press, one would think the stigma of being a POD book could be avoided. Alas, this is not the case. Plus, I'm not very well-known, though Ralph McInerny has heard of me. It's an uphill battle for shelf space.

Catholic bookstores are reluctant to carry the book because it is fiction, and Bud MacFarlane didn't write it. "Catholic fiction doesn't sell" is the consensus among store owners. Of course, these booksellers wouldn't know that for certain if they just carried the book on a trial basis to let people know it exists, but that's another gripe for another day.

Left with few options, I have pushed Amazon.com for the past two years. People could find Little Flowers there easily, and get 30% the cover price. I personally have had few problems with them getting my book to people, but now it appears there is a larger problem which has nothing to do with the distribution of my book and the availability of another title.

There is a book available on Amazon.com, one concerning a subject that makes my skin crawl. Just looking at the cover creeps me out to no end. I'm not going to even link the title here, but I'll refer you to Keith Corso instead, who did. Basically, there is a growing call among Christians to boycott Amazon.com until this book is removed from their inventory.

In addition to the Amazon.com links active on my various websites, I also maintain the website of the Catholic Writers Association, which features an online bookstore affiliated with Amazon.com. Today the board is trading e-mails regarding what action we should take: do the links stay, or do we make a stand and move our affiliations elsewhere? I sense some would just as soon dump Amazon.com altogether; one person tells me in an e-mail that "Amazon.com seems to push the envelope and then waits to see what happens instead of taking any principled stands." In other words, it's all about the Benjamins, and there appears to be nothing Amazon.com won't sell to make a buck.

Words like "boycott" and "censorship" make me uneasy. Do I think Amazon.com should sell a book like the one mentioned in Keith's blog? The answer is an immediate no, and then there's a small voice in the back of my head that says, "Well, if you support the removal of this book, who's to say down the road that a group of people won't campaign to have all Catholic books removed from Amazon.com because they don't like Catholicism?" Couple this thought with the fact that Amazon.com has been the most convenient method for Little Flowers to be bought and read, and now you see the dilemma.

Then there's another voice which overpowers the first, asking me which is more important: sales of my book or my own principles.

Keith offers many good points on his blog about the removal of the offending title. Reading that, and the comments of those in CWA made directly to me, I have come to a decision more quickly than anticipated. You will soon know the answer in my next post.

On a personal level, as a Christian, it will not be Barbara Streisand I'm standing in front of when I have to make an accounting of my life. - Patricia Heaton, talking to Bill O'Reilly about her pro-life views.

Forget Raymond, everybody should love Patricia.

Found this ad in the 1984 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. Malc's going through his old magazines today.

Would you eat something called Corn Diggers? Didn't think so, otherwise they'd still be around.

Every now and again I perform a "vanity search" just to make sure other people aren't saying nasty things about me on the Internet, and to make sure I'm not mentioned on any pr0n sites (spelled this way so this blog won't actually show up in results for searches on pr0n). To know other people are searching for me, well, I hope it's because they're looking to buy my book and not to sue me for something. :-)

Every time this man sneezes he makes money. Why are there so few men like this?

Seriously, that's a lot of money for a small handwritten note. Of course, my novel Little Flowers is over 300 pages and contains many more words, and it only costs $19.95 (with a 30% discount at Amazon.com). Some of the words are actually spelled correctly. More bang for your buck if you're not able to make these auctions.

And the Angels came back last night and won that game. I wouldn't have believed if I didn't watch it.

• "Less Less Less"
  
• "Mattel Sues Barbie Girl for Copyright Infringement"
  
• "Taking Off the Ritz"
  
• "Mambo No. 6"
  
• "The Future's Still So Bright, Now I Also Have to Wear Sunscreen In Addition to the Shades"
  
• "Lukewarm Child in the City"
  
• "Evening Delight"
  
• "Please Continue Playing That Funky Music, White Boy"
  

I don't think Dale is going to be raised to the altars anytime soon, but it always my hope that he and Davey Allison, Kenny Irwin, Alan Kulwicki, and Lee and Adam Petty are racing for the same team in the Eternal 500. Right now that Earnhardt fan will have to settle for a North Carolina highway being renumbered in Dale's honor.

Is "Weird Al" Catholic? If he is, then what do we call Nick?

Does this mean he can lift a piano over his head?

You read right, Richard O'Brien! Elvira and Riff-Raff in the same movie! You can't ask for better kitsch value than that.

The film is available on video and DVD, but this showing is going to benefit PeTA. Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson is a major supporter of this organization (their HQ is local), which is the only factor keeping me from definitely deciding if I want to go to this thing. One the one hand, hello, it's Elvira! How often does a major celebrity like that breeze into town? Plus, having seen Paul McCartney in concert this year, if I go I will have seen two-thirds of the animal rights activists holy trinity in person (Bob Barker is No. 3).

On the other hand, I'd be giving money to PeTA. Now, I don't have a problem with vegetarianism (I don't eat much meat and dairy anyway, maybe I'm a closet vegetarian), I have no desire to own a fur coat, and I agree that circuses are filthy places and that animals don't need to paraded around like that. I don't want to give money to these people, however. I find some of their methods of persuasion galling. Therefore I'm torn.

One thing I have noticed also is that some people who support animal rights also support a "woman's right to choose" (read: abortion). Bill Maher, Kate Pierson of the B-52's, and Melissa Etheridge come to mind. The entire notion of entertainers supporting a right to abortion is baffling. Think about it: rock stars and actors who champion the pro-choice cause are saying it's okay if you want to abort your child. These people make a living by selling their music and movies, providing entertainment to the masses. Nearly every child born today and each day hereafter will eventually grow up, get a job, and make money to spend on CDs and movie tickets. So essentially these celebrities are endorsing the mass murder of future customers.

Hey, you re-release a film like Grease or Star Wars and it still draws box office bucks. Elvis and the Beatles still sell records after 40-plus years. I saw more young people at MCI Center this spring than Beatle-era adults; imagine if all of those people had been aborted, then multiply that by the number of venues Paul played this year. Longevity can be profitable, you know. Who is to say twenty years down the road people won't rediscover these Lilith Fair chicks and start buying their music again? They can't do that if they aren't carried to term, however. Foresight, people.

Cassandra/Elvira's website makes no mention of her views on abortion, and I won't dare guess. Maybe I should go to this thing in a pro-life shirt, thrust out my own chest, see how she reacts.

Yes, I actually own a Charlie Brown t-shirt.

Just another thing I'm learning to do. One has to wear many hats if one is going to be crazy enough to write, edit, publish and design.

Elvis will always be the king of rock and roll, but Jesus is the King of Kings.

10 movies you'd watch over and over: The Silence of the Lambs, Yellow Submarine, A Hard Day's Night, Dr. Strangelove, Tombstone, Moonstruck, Caddyshack, Much Ado About Nothing, Shrek, Chicken Run

9 people you enjoy the company of: Malc, Mom and Dad, Theresa and Jamie, Robert and Stephanie, Bud and Joe

8 things you're wearing: White blouse, long floral skirt, unmentionables (counts for three), Birkenstocks, medal of St. Peregrine, wedding ring

7 things on your mind: waiting for more orders to do at work, need to finish review of Father's Touch, need to finish edits of Drumwall, need to e-mail Pete Vere, need to rebuild DevilsRood.com website, need to copy contracts for Leaps of Faith authors, need to write my five pages today

6 objects you touch every day: Car keys, pen, notebook, medal of St. Peregrine, keyboard, mouse

5 things you do everyday: write, check e-mail, drive, eat, pray

4 bands that you couldn't live without: Beatles, Steely Dan, The Who, Creedence

3 of your favorite songs of the moment: "Savoy Truffle" - Beatles, "Heart of the Sunrise" - Yes, "Fly by Night" - Rush

2 people who have influenced your life the most: Sister Josephine, Lewis Grizzard

1 person who you love more than anyone in the world: Paul McC-, no, kidding, it's Malc

Hey, you! Don't watch Mamma Mia, watch this!

I love that group; Malc actually saw them live once! I don't know if I'd pay to see the proposed Rod Stewart musical the article linked above mentions, however. Considering the song catalogue, I keep picturing the lead as a spiky-haired version of Dustin Hoffman from The Graduate.

What interests me the most about the article is the implication that musicals based upon music groups is a new trend. Are we forgetting Beatlemania?

In my younger days I had an idea for a musical, but looking back I wouldn't touch the story again because, well, I don't really remember the details anymore. I have always thought, however, that the life of St. Therese would have made a good musical interpretation, starting with the 100th anniversary of her death and flashing back to her life - from her youth to her appeal to the Pope to let her enter the convent to her days as a Carmelite. Maybe one day somebody will write the book and lyrics.

If you need rules and an entry blank, e-mail me at mklivelyNOSPAM@earthlink.net (you know what to remove) and I'll forward them.

The channel does make for a good diversion, however. Malc was late getting home from work last night, which meant I did not have to sit through Monday Night Football. Instead I watched Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, a very good account of the life of the late great actress (and Brent Spiner to boot, sigh). Overall it appears to be an accurate telling, though I understand it is not based on Donald Bogle's biography of Dorothy (I wrote a book review for Moondance webzine a few years back on this title). Bogle's Dorothy Dandridge tells of an affair between Dandridge and her manager, Earl Mills (Spiner in the movie), which was nonexistent in the film, plus his book paints Dorothy's mother as somewhat cruel, and that certainly didn't show. Still, it's a good film, worthy of a theatrical showing.