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2002/10/31
 
Three and a half hours until showtime.


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.



 
Kathryn Lively is available via snail mail for $1.


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.




 
This is a long one, sorry.


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.)





2002/10/30
 
New from the University of Dayton: CatholicExperts.org. This site is billed as the Catholic journalist's resource for expert Catholic commentary, so I guess if you have a question about Catholicism or the Catholic position on certain issues (just war, abortion, etc.) you go to these guys. Tim Bete sent the link over the CWA list.


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



 
So what's this buttons.blogger.com prompt that keeps popping up when I access a Blogger blog?



2002/10/29
 
Yeah, I took that Beliefnet quiz, too.


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%)



 
Well, we're just a few days away from NaNo. My outline is near completion, but there is one continuity question nagging at me.


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.



 
Victor found the Obsolete Computer Museum! Among my obsolete computer possessions: the Mac Classic, the Commodore 64 and the VIC 20 - our very first home computer. We had to load games on a tape deck with that one, and we were so proud because we were the first people on the block to step into the new century.


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.




 
Rachel Cunliffe's grandmother passed away. Rachel is one of the moderators over at blogs4God.com. Please remember the family in your prayers.



2002/10/28
 
Monday Participation Positives:



  • 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



 
"E-book Fly the Friendly Skies," MJ Rose's article on in-flight e-book stumping.



 
Monday Mission!


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.




 
Today is the feast day of St. Jude the Apostle, author of the New Testament book bearing his name. St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate causes, and it was with some amusement that I opened a large envelope of author contracts a few weeks back to find a prayer card bearing his image slide out with the rest of the papers. E-publishing is a risky business, so perhaps some intercession from this saint is in order.


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



Leaps of Faith


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.



2002/10/27
 
Blogger.Won't.Work.Gah!


2002/10/26
 
Malc got to see Richard Harris perform in Camelot at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami over fifteen years ago. I have never had the pleasure, and now I never will. Rest in peace, buddy.



 
Just got back from a day in Smithfield, where I had to do some research for a freelance assignment. If you're ever in the Hampton Roads area for vacation or whatever, be sure to go down (up?) there. Downtown is lovely with rows of large Colonial homes and antique shops. Shame, though, we missed the town's anniversary a few weeks ago, celebrated by making the world's largest ham biscuit. Really. They had the Guinness people there to verify.


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?





2002/10/25
 
Tenebrae mentions that in North By Northwest Cary Grant was older than the actress who played his mother. It's not that unusual in the film world. Some other odd parent-child pairings:



  • 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

BTW, Candidate is second on my scary movie list, IMHO Lansbury's best performance. One thing I didn't realize before now: the actor who played Senator Iselin (James Gregory, who died last month) was also Inspector Luger from Barney Miller.




 
We're back online after a Blogger hacker scare. blogs4God.com had the scoop from Anil.



 
Friday Five!


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.



2002/10/24
 
So if we all pool in our cash, we can bid on Liza's key to the city of Acapulco. So long as it unlocks the local Krispy Kreme and a few well-stocked liquor cabinets.



 
Found this comic strip via a NaNo thread. I think it speaks volumes for us talentless hacks. :-)



 
"I don't believe in atheism." - Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H, Season One - "Tuttle"



 
Jesus was short and unattractive, so say two Catholic journalists in a new book. Why should it matter how he looked?


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.



2002/10/23
 
The fifty worst guitar solos of all time, according to these people, anyway.


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




 
Bekah has picked a name for her NaNo victim; that's one up on me. I have names for the four main characters and a few supporting players, but I haven't named the victim yet. I do, however, have a clear picture of her in my mind and the manner of her death. As for whodunnit, it's not been decided.


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.



 
For the first time since we started dating, Malc is under 200 pounds. To celebrate, he wants one of those large coffee cakes from Panera Bread to eat by himself. Sigh.



2002/10/22
 
Future blogger Peter Timothy Drake was born on October 19, weighing more than my nephew Jack, so in all likelihood they won't be boxing in the same weight class. :-)


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



 
Warm. Fuzzy. Thanks.


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



 
There is a discussion on the Catholic writer's mailing list about Jan Karon's Mitford novels. I have read all but the latest one and find them relatively entertaining and, for the most part, unoffensive. Imagine the Waltons with plumbing. The only objectionable thing I found in reading these books was a comment made by a character (I forget which book)...something to the effect of "I never met a Catholic who knew pea-turkey about the Bible."


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.



2002/10/21
 
Sad news: Keene Curtis, the actor who played John Allen Hill on "Cheers" passed away recently. I love watching the reruns on Nick at Nite; I can hear him in my head now, pronouncing Sam's first name with five syllables. RIP.



 
Your electronic book Christmas shopping list, courtesy of EPIC. I could have sworn I submitted FIE titles here - I don't see any listed - but you can get those at the FrancisIsidore site.


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




 
Participation Positives! Something new I have found, because now more than ever we need positive thoughts.



  • 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!)



 
Monday Mission!


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




2002/10/20
 
Please remember St. Blogger Kathy Shaidle in your prayers, as her mother has recently passed away.




 
So you know George C. Scott was in Dr. Strangelove, right? Here's my idea: we make a few thousand life-size cutouts of Scott from the movie, each with a small speaker and recording device attached. Place a cutout near the counter of every Panera Bread, Atlanta Bread Company, Starbucks...any establishment where ultimately a dozen or so befuddled people will ultimately end up, more than likely before you in line, asking the person at the counter to describe every single item the store sells. At the first strained "Uhhhh" to come from a person's mouth, the voice mechanism in the Scott cutout will play, "Look at the big board!", thereby (hopefully) prompting the person to look up at the menu board and make up his/her mind.


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.




2002/10/19
 
This weekend is the annual Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival, to benefit Hope House here in town. To commemorate the event, here's Pope John Paul II's letter to artists.



2002/10/18
 
Here is the motivation I needed to update the Funky Winkerbean website I maintain: GuitarMania is auctioning off 10-foot fiberglass sculptures of guitars (in the vein of St. Paul's Snoopys on Parade and Chicago's cows), and Tom Batiuk designed a Funky guitar.


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?





 
From Victor via e-mail: so-called sniper witness falsfied report. The Fox 106.9 was discussing this as I drove to work this morning, but I didn't catch the whole thing. One caller to the morning show said the person could be charged with a misdemeanor, but somehow that does not seem a worthy enough punishment. If this is true, then perhaps the sniper(s) is/are not moving about in a van? For all we know, the police should have been looking for a different make and model, and this "witness" hinders the investigation? Who is that starved for attention?



 
Friday Five! Haven't done one of these in a while.


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.




 
More thoughts on these new luminous mysteries of the Rosary, unbidden since the furor (?) appears to be fading: somebody had sent me an e-mail happy to see these new meditations since they were more Christ-centered. This I found odd, since the entire Rosary is basically a timeline of Christ's life on earth, with every mystery save for the coronation of Mary referring to an event in the New Testament. CatholiCity has details on the new mysteries, but there is no mention yet whether or not they plan to revise the Rosary CD they distribute.


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.



2002/10/17
 
Something I did not realize: yesterday was National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. The calendar is already bursting with so many awareness days, who has time to keep track? I do thank Cheryl of Joy Unspeakable for mentioning it, however. This touching post of hers best puts into words a topic I find difficult discussing.




 
There's an e-mail being circulated about tips for avoiding snipers. Snopes has the scoop.


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





 
Yes, Alice is loud as ever and he can still rock. Last night was perfect for guitar players in spandex, six-dollar drinks and scimitar-wielding go-go dancers. It wasn't The Muppet Show, I'll give you that. Great show.





2002/10/16
 
Apologies in advance for the gallows humor.


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)



 
Note to aspiring scriptwriters: If there aren't any footballs making contact with groins, it's a safe bet Hollywood won't buy it.


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?




 
Following up on the passing of Aunt Esther from Sanford and Son, Demond "Lamont" Wilson has turned from acting to preaching. Thanks to Richard for the link.



 
Hey, everybody, The New Yorker needs a fiction editor. Get those resumes polished.



2002/10/15
 
Star Trek: Nemesis news: Here's a picture of the wedding of the year, possibly considered rare because at the far left is Wil Wheaton, who was cut from the film. (Got the link from Wil's blog, BTW).


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.



 
Picked up my copy of Surprised by Truth 3, which features Pete Vere's story, over my lunch break. I'll have to add it to the queue. Sophia Institute Press continues to look for conversion stories, BTW.




 
It's nice to finally make some headway with my projects. Reviews of Father's Touch and The Passionate Steward are up at Catholic/Christian Book Reviews, the review of Blood in My Hairspray is in progress, and two books are left for Lorie Awards judging. I'd like to finish everything before the EPPIE prelims begin. Deadline for entries is today (well over 100 books were sent), and I think the judging begins next week. Who knows how many books I'll be sent for that.


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.



 
If you haven't heard by now, the Pope is adding more mysteries to the Rosary. Called the "mysteries of light," or "luminous mysteries," these meditations focus upon New Testament events - Christ's baptism, the wedding at Cana, etc. - much like the other mysteries. My perception is that the reaction to this is mixed in St. Blog's.


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.




 
Plucked from the air...


The Giants in six.



2002/10/14

 
Another friggin' blog quiz


I'm Atlanta!



 
Monday Mission!


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.






 
The DC sniper likes to takes weekends off.


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




 
If you have been following the activity on CLOG and blogs4God.com, you will know there is a special Shawn auction going on for the ladies. I have it on good authority that Shawn Tribe is Canadian, though I could not tell you if he better resembles Red, Harold, Bill, or Ranger Gord.



2002/10/13
 
It's Anaheim for the AL!



 
The Yankee Blogger is collecting those "100 things" lists for a directory, now through the end of November. The goal was to get 100 bloggers to participate within 100 days, but that goal was reached by the tenth day. Oh, well. Here's my list, if you haven't seen it already on its regular page, which also features a nifty photograph of Dhani Harrison's (salud) father.



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.



 
The Last Castle was on late last night, and I got suckered into watching the whole thing because Malc wanted to see it. Overall it was a good film; James Gandolfini delivered. Ten minutes into the film, though, I pretty much knew what was going to happen. I guess that's why I don't go to many movies anymore, because of the predictability factor. I don't think I have been truly surprised with a film since The Sixth Sense, and perhaps Being John Malkovich.


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




2002/10/12
 
Okay, so far we have:



  • "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.



2002/10/11
 
The Catholic League doesn't want The Sopranos cast marching in NYC's Columbus Day Parade. I didn't even know NYC had such a parade.


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.




 
You can be the lucky owner of a refrigerator designed by Mario Andretti, if the price is right.



 
Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of amputees. I am not an amputee, but the heroine of my NaNo novel project is, and now that I know there is such a patron saint she will have a devotion to him. The only thing I can't find on the Net is why it's Anthony in particular. Anybody know?



 
I saw a commercial for McDonald's last night which featured Donald Trump and what looked like a digitally-enhanced Grimace. You remember Grimace, right? That large, purple asexual blob who hawked McFood for years until he was ultimately replaced by that annoying bird with the goggles? At least, that's my perception; I don't watch Saturday morning TV anymore, so who knows who's palsing around with Ronald these days.


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!



2002/10/10
 
John Lennon's killer denied parole on what would have been the ex-Beatle's 62nd birthday. Clearly the people hearing this case are not the same as those who freed the man who tried to kill George.


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.



 
November is National Novel Writing Month. Not sure who decreed this, but that's the way it is.


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?



 
"Spiritual Girl" Madonna wants to make the world a better place. Perhaps this is her way of apologizing for Who's That Girl?




2002/10/09
 
Courtesy of my new company, I'm going to see Alice Cooper in concert next week. VIP seats, baby!


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.



 
There are grumblings among the Christian blog set regarding the sudden drop in blogging activity. It's something I have noticed while trying to post caches for blogs4God.com. It is difficult to create updates when the blogs are not updated.


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.



2002/10/08
 
Amazon.com Reconsidered


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.




 
Okay, why was I not informed that Alan Alda had come to Williamsburg to film an episode of Scientific American Frontiers? The show was taped over the summer and is airing right now.


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.



 
New book claims there is Christian imagery in the Harry Potter books. I suppose if you can't be the author of Harry Potter, you write a book about Harry Potter.



 
Tim Drake has left the building. No, he's not dead, he's just giving up the blog due to time restraints, and personally I can understand. I have a laundry list six miles long myself, yet I suppose my attachment to the blog is a wee might stronger than Tim's. One day I'll average a hundred visitors daily, one day. *sigh*




 
For all you LoTR fans, from PlasticBag.org.



 
A Hard Day's Day: a short parody film about a day in the life of a tribute band. Funny stuff. If you have the browser and the bandwidth, check it out.



 
Somebody tried to play one of my e-book CD-ROMs in a music CD player and then complained that the disc was faulty.


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.




2002/10/07
 
To the best of my knowledge, the following resources do not link to the book mentioned in Road to Holiness, Keith's blog.





 
An author's dilemma


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.



 
Half.com is listing my book under another author's name. For the first year my book was out, the ISBN didn't even match the book at all on this site, but another title put out by Highbridge. I can't seem to find a way to contact these people to inform them of the error, either. Grr.



 
From Prolife Guy's blog: arguably the quote of the year:


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.



2002/10/06
 
Ladies and gents, your moment of zen:



Dandy Don and Mr. Kathie Lee love their snacks!


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.



 




What
lesser-known Simpsons character are you?


Brought to you by the good folks at sacwriters.com.


2002/10/05
 
Should I be worried? Two searches on my name led people to this blog. That's two more than Dhani Harrison today. (salud!)


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. :-)



 
A short note written by Paul McCartney sells at auction for over two grand.


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.




 
Good night! My high school is undefeated in football so far this season. We have never been undefeated, and I couldn't tell you the last time we had a winning season at all. It certainly didn't happen when I was there. The closest we came in that time to having something decent sportswise was when Stacey Poole was drafted by UF basketball and given the key to the city. Eventually he played professionally overseas. Still, we've had nothing like what is happening now.


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



2002/10/04
 
Jeff Miller has more suggestions to add to the list of "follow-ups to one hit wonders" that has been circulating around St. Blogs (here's the original link). Here are my own suggestions, gleaned from VH1's list of one hit wonders:



  • "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"

Rock on.



 
Somebody e-mailed Fr. Shawn about how he could get Dale Earnhardt canonized. It's not as simple as people think. USA Today has a brief rundown on the process, and if you're interested in detailed information I recommend the book Making Saints by Kenneth Woodward. The book was an invaluable source for me when I was writing Saints Preserve Us.


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.





2002/10/03
 
Could it be that Nick Alexander is going to have to work a little harder to keep his title as the Catholic "Weird Al"? Jeff Miller has a good one on his blog, "Smells Like Vatican II Spirit."


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



 
Bono is the most powerful man in music.


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



 
Hang on to your armrests, boys, Elvira's coming to town! Next Monday at the Naro Cinema there will be a special showing of the film Elvira's Haunted Hills (nyuk nyuk nyuk), featuring a guest appearance by the diva herself. The film also stars Richard O'Brien.


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.




2002/10/02
 
...and if Malc and I were sprites, we'd look like this:

Lively Sprites


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.



 
Take that, Britney!


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



 
From Ono's page, taken from Lagtime.com:


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






 
Madness, the musical?


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.




2002/10/01
 
The Yanks are playing Anaheim now, and I'm convinced that Corporate America will not be happy unless every free inch of your television screen is covered with a logo of some kind. Stats are sponsored by Chevy Trucks, there are billboards everywhere. Why stop there? Why not just slap a bumper sticker with somebody's URL on Derek Jeter's behind?


 
This is your two-week warning: if you are an author who published a book in electronic format between 10/01/01 and 9/30/02, you are eligible to enter the EPPIE Awards, the annual e-book awards of the Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC). Entry fees are $15 for EPIC members, $25 non. Deadline for entries is 10/15/02, after which judging begins the next week (I've volunteered yet again, but I won't be doing mystery and inspirational fiction like I did last year because I have entered books in those categories). Self-published and subsidy books are accepted.


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.



 
A few weeks ago we were ready to be rid of HBO, but now it appears we may keep it a while longer. I'm probably one of the few subscribers who doesn't watch The Sopranos and Sex in the City (the former I shun because I don't want to get hooked on yet another TV show, not after successfully weaning myself from some network shows, the latter because I watched one episode and hated it), but I fear I'm falling under the spell of Curb Your Enthusiasm. One episode, in particular, had Larry David going to a dentist to replace his front teeth and coming out looking like Bugs Bunny. I still can't get that image out of my head.


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.



 
Davey's Mommy (is she on the Catholic blog list?) alerts readers to Dust in the Light's commentary on Christopher Reeve and this whole stem cell thing. It's a thought-provoking read on an issue I've been trying to follow, especially now that Nancy Reagan is going public with her support for stem cell research.




Only some random number days until Genny goes to college.

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Beatle Album: Magical Mystery Tour
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Beatle Film Character: Paul's Grandfather
Beatle Kid: Dhani Harrison
Beatle Song: "Yellow Submarine"
Brady Bunch: Greg
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Dante's Inferno: Purgatory
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Decade: the 60s
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Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick: Wilma Flintstone
Internet Addict: 45%
Iron Chef: Chairman Kaga
Jane Austen: Elinor Dashwood
Jedi: Knight
John Cusack: John Kelso
Journal Rating: PG-13
Led Zeppelin song: Whole Lotta Love
LifeSaver: lemon
Lone Gunmen: Byers
LoTR: Legolas
M&M: blue
Madonna: Soul
M*A*S*H: Hawkeye
Monkees: Micky
Movie for Me: Forrest Gump
Muppet: Fozzie
Music god: Sting
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Old Movie: Citizen Kane
Parrothead: True
Peanuts: Linus
Retro Girl: Seductive Pin-Up
Rugrats: Angelica
Simpsons: Disco Stu
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Star Trek race: Human
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Three's Company: Janet
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US City: Atlanta
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Willy Wonka: Veruca
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Writer: Mystery


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