Life Among the Literati

If you are a regular reader of Neil Gaiman's blog, you will occasionally see a picture of him holding up a devilishly-horned tomato in the right-hand margin of the page. (He has rotating photos, which is very cool.)

I thought the photo also cropped up in his photo gallery, but apparently I'm wrong about that.

Somehow, the muses that connect us all have cross-pollinated my tomato patch with a hint of the Gaimanesque.


Here's the proof.

If I start writing about graveyards, you'll know why.

i had those moles biopsied today. actually, my doctor only ended up slicing one of the two, but it was a DOOZY. even with two shots of anesthesia i still felt it. and the mole was located right where my left butt cheek meets my leg, so sitting and walking are highly uncomfortable. like, highly.

so, to take the zing out of my bum, i've surrounded myself with a few treats.

1. BRIE WITH FIG JELLY AND SESAME CRACKERS
yum. anyone who has not tried this combo has been sorely missing out.

2. A HUGE 2-LITER BOTTLE OF PEPSI ONE
i've been trying to cut out soda, but today was the day for some fizz.

3. A BOTTLE OF LAMBUSCO
a fizzy red wine (i know! really!) that's dry and crisp and not at all sweet. you pop it like a champagne bottle and serve it cold. tres delish.

4. RUSHMORE
because, i need a few laughs.

5. OPI NAIL POLISH
in the gorg shade of light pink.

here's to self-medicating!

Your TGIM Thought of the Day is brought to you by my good friend and soul sister, Michelle.  She showed me Pandora.  Do you know about this?  Dude, it's a free music site that only plays the music you love all day long.  You could have it on at work and improve your mood by several degrees.  How it works is really simple.  You just select an artist or group, and Pandora plays songs by them, plus other artists that play similar music.  It's awesome to hear all of your faves and more obscure songs that might not be on your iPod.

I plugged in Paul SImon and Pandora began playing "Kodachrome."  I'm kind of sick of that one, so I just pressed the forward button and it went to the next album, James Taylor's Greatest Hits.  Pandora selects one song randomly from each album and then moves on to the next album when that song is done.  Other albums on Paul Simon radio were by the Beatles, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, CSN&Y, and the Police, with other Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel in between.  It was just like my CD collection, but cooler.  It's also like an iPod shuffle, but it grabs music you may not have and related music you may not know.  And did I mention it's free?  Enjoy!

So my mom spent a week in the hospital, but she didn't die. Yay, Mom! Now she's at the "spa" which is what we're calling the facility where she is staying for the next month because "rehab center" doesn't sound right. She's working with physical and occupational therapists every day to regain strength and mobility. The goal is to get her walking again. If ferocity and determination count for anything, she'll make it.

Whew!

I picked more than 50 tomatoes from my garden this morning, which means we'll be eating gazpacho all week. Has anyone tried to freeze gazpacho?

I received the ARC of the British version of CHAINS.

Here's the British cover.


This is the American version.

Opinions?

Sometimes it takes me a while to join the rest of the world.  I've never owned a cell phone (although the sexy new iPhone is calling my name from Shiny Happy Apple World, where everything is shiny and happy).  I've never owned a TV.  And I've never read a Harry Potter book.  I'm just not that into fantasy.  The more real a story is and the more I can relate to it, the more I love it.

But I'm thinking of getting on the Twilight train.  As if I need another obsession.  I've been avoiding the saga due to my acute aversion to vampires.  They are really scary.  However, from what I hear it's kind of like the whole Friday Night Lights dynamic, where there's a group of us all like, "No, really, it's not about football!"  If it were about football, I wouldn't be loving that show.  So is the Twilight series the same way?  That it's more about forbidden love than vampires?  My theory is that the concept of forbidden love makes the plot way more intense.  I'm calling all Stephenie Meyer fans to recruit me.

One train I won't be riding:  the new Facebook.  Is it just me, or does the format totally suck?  I'm sticking with the old Facebook, at least until they hire someone with an eye for design to whip that scene into shape.  Thankfully, the old stuff is still around, including my favorite fuzzy hug.  Hugs for your weekend!

       

here's my new baby!


*cover font not final

i have to say...I LOVE THE MODEL! the girl is so cute...but not TOO cute, you know? i think she's very ellen page ala juno, which perfectly fits the book. that is - pretty, but in an unconventional sense. also, the reflection works nicely with the title, i think.

do you?

i reallllllly hope you like it, friends. : )

Development Goals and Basic Accounts

Last week we updated our development goals for 2008. Generally we noted a number of cool enhancements and investments to LiveJournal that we are working on, including improved search, usability, and site development.

We also wanted to let you know how we hope to accomplish all these things, and how we plan on paying for them. In order to accomplish our stated goals for this year and beyond, we need to increase the revenue gained from both groups of LiveJournal accounts: paid subscription accounts and ad-supported accounts.

As of August 28th, all users will be able to choose to downgrade their account to Basic through their Manage Account page. Additionally, we will start showing advertising to visitors who are not logged in to LiveJournal when they are looking at Basic Account journals and communities.

Basic Account users themselves will not see ads on any Basic journal or community while they are logged in to their account. If you want more information about this, take a look at our new post on lj_2008 where we outline our reasoning.

Indian Flash Fiction Contest

In other news, we are excited to tell you we've launched "Quick Tales" LiveJournal's first initiative for users in India, in celebration of India Independence day, August 15th. "Quick Tales" is a flash fiction writing contest in which we're partnering with Caferati.com, one of India's largest online literary communites. The contest's winners will receive some great prizes and it is open to anyone with a mailing address in India. We hope that users with an interest in Indian writing or just India will watch LiveJournal's india_writing community. That's where the finalists and winners will be announced, so keep an eye on it towards the end of September! If you're in India then enter the contest - if your story is slick and quick (under 500 words) then you could be the lucky winner!

Meanwhile, back at LiveJournal Inc.

We have updated and redesigned our corporate site. The goal of the redesign was twofold: first, to update the look and feel (Dystopia users will appreciate it!); second, we want to provide a destination for prospective employees, partners, and members of the press where they can access important information about the company. Kudos to our design team.

subway trauma

dude's sitting too close
i really don't need to see
his sweaty butt crack

1. i've been doing this new ritual on my face. every night, after i wash, i put on this AMAZING thick and creamy moisturizer all over my face and neck. we're talking thick like paste. where if your hair touches your cheek my accident, it sticks there.

i was a little scared at first, because sometimes my skin can get a little greasy in the T Zone, but i;ve had no problem with any pimples or whatever. i've never been so good at lotion, but this stuff makes my skin feel so amazing when i wake up in the morning. i bought mine from Mary Kay, because my friend's mom sells their product and i wanted to support her. i like it because it's unscented and on the cheap side. anyhow, i highly recommend adding a crazy thick lotion to your bedtime routine.

2. i went to the dermatologist for my yearly skin cancer check. and YIKES, i have two "suspicious" moles that must be removed. *sigh* i know that this is exactly why i drag my pale ass to the dermo every 12 months, but i have to say, i'm a little scared. i'm sure these spots are nothing, though. i just hate any kind of medical "procedure" that involves "numbing" and "scraping". scraping with a freaking blade, that is.

3. SKINS the tv show on BBC. have you seen it? Jenny Han sent me a link and I'm going to try and watch an episode this weekend. i think she said it's like working class gossip girl. anyhow, i'm stoked. jenny's media recommendations have ALWAYS paid off.

Jenny Pollack is multi-talented.  She rocks at the following things:  performing, public relations, being a mom, and mentoring.  She's a mentor in my book because when I was new to the YA scene, Jenny gave me great advice and was always super helpful.  Our first books were released around the same time.  I knew nothing about this world, but Jenny was already an expert.  Because she has skills like that.

So when Jenny came to have an icy drink with me, I was stoked.  She's the author of Klepto, which was inspired by her own experiences and set in the 80s.  The fun part is that you get to hear that hilarious 80s slang all over again, like "gross me out the door."  Jenny is working on another manuscript, but it is top secret and thus I cannot share any details with you.  Let me just say it sounds really good.

I have this thing with yogurt.  Specifically, I can't stand the taste of it.  But I know it's good for you.  There was a time in my life when I would force myself to eat yogurt for breakfast just because it's good for you, hating it the whole time.  That was stupid.  Anyway, I like frozen yogurt.  But the only fro yo I like is the kind that tastes like ice cream.  Example:  Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen Yogurt.  Now we're talking. 

When Jenny wanted real frozen yogurt (the healthy kind that tastes like, um, yogurt), I knew I didn't want any.  I went with her anyway to try some.  It's always good to try new things.  That way when you say you hate it, you know for a fact that you actually do.

At first, Jenny was daunted by the choices at Yogurtland:



Then Jenny made her decision:



I tried the green tea flavor.  Let's just say I won't be craving this kind of fro yo as much as the Ben & Jerry's.

Author and children's literature expert Coleen Salley has recently had a down-turn in her health and has entered a retirement home. Coleen wrote the Epossomundas books, helped found the Coleen Salley/Bill Morris Literacy Foundation and spread the good news about children's literature across the world.

She recently had a birthday and would be very cheered by any and all cards. You can send them to her at St. James Retirement, Attn: Coleen Salley, HCE 503, 333 Lee Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Thank you, Kimberly Willis Holt, for the news.

It appears to be a season of struggles for classy dames everywhere.

My mom was put back in the hospital late last week. She's feeling better now and may come home in a few days, but things are a little complicated, so I'll probably not be posting for a while. Please forgive this interruption of your regularly scheduled blogreading. I'll be back when I can.

(edited to add) This is the woman who let me read instead of doing chores:

When I read the news that robinwasserman posted about PBS canceling Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, I was not a happy unit.  I feel this overwhelming loss over yet another important role model being labeled as outdated.  Dude, that just makes him classic.  The values his show inspires aren't strictly old-school.  They are timeless.  Kids will always need to learn how to be friendly neighbors and Fred Rogers was the OFN (Original Friendly Neighbor). 

Of course we're protesting.  Find out how you can help.

This is one of my favorite quotes from The World According to Mister Rogers:  Important Things to Remember:

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.  There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

Here's the opening segment of the very first episode.  I dare you not to get all verklempt.

olympicgames08
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Community.

babyidols
A photo contest community for babies aged 0-3 years, in the format of American Idol.

muslimgirls
Where Muslim girls from all walks of life can share articles and discuss issues regarding Islam today.

Greetings on this most auspicious day!

On 8.08.88, I was 15 years old.  That summer I was in Italy, and 20 years ago today I made some wishes as I watched a total lunar eclipse.  I wished that I would be happy when I grew up.  I wished that the people in my life would get me.  And I wished that I would be doing something with my career to help other kids like me feel better.   I hoped that 20 years later on 8.08.08, these wishes would come true.

Thoughts are powerful things.  Powerful thinking influences your actions and manifests in reality.

Do something magical today.

Lopez Lomong is carrying the flag of the United States in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics today.

He is a refugee from Sudan, one of the Lost Boys, who came to America in 2001 and settled in with a foster family in Central New York. His foster parents, Robert and Barbara Rogers, took in six boys from Sudan who had lost everything. This article about Lomong and his American family should raise a lump in your throat.

We are very proud to call this amazing guy one of ours!

I've been getting a lot of sweet emails about Take Me There and from first-time readers of When It Happens, since it was recently released in paperback.  Knowing that there are people in the world who are relating to my books and having fun reading them means everything to me.  I also love answering readers' questions.  Michael A. sent these discussion questions about Take Me There. 

SPOILER ALERT:  You might not want to read on if you haven't yet read Take Me There and are planning to.


1.  Rhiannon and James were considered good friends to each other; I could tell.  Based on what I got from the story, is it possible that their relationship could become more intimate; more than just friends in the future?  It sure seemed that way at the end when they were dancing together.  Also, would you say that Rhiannon secretly loved James all along even though she openly denied it at first?  She said that they were just friends but they also hung out a lot too.

What's interesting about these questions is that they are among the ones that I want my readers to answer for themselves.  I purposefully left some questions unanswered (at least, directly) so that my readers could form their own conclusions.  So even though I have my own opinions about the connection between Rhiannon and James, I don't think my opinion matters.  What's important is what you come up with as you're reading. 

Okay, that totally sounded like one of those annoying teachery responses when all you want is a clear answer.  But I think it can be really fun to imagine how the story continues.  Imagining what happens next or during times when we never find out was something I did a lot as a young reader.  All of that imagining definitely helped build my writing skills.

2.  Nicole seems to have this ongoing struggle with her feelings between Danny and her teacher, Mr. Farrell.  Would you say that it was wrong for Nicole to have the feelings she had for Mr. Farrell?  Sure it shouldn't be boyfriend/girlfriend kind of relationship but just a simple fact that a student really likes her teacher.  Would you say it would be more friendship-based rather than romantic?

Nicole's feelings for Mr. Farrell are definitely romantic!  She fantasizes that they are in an intimate relationship and thinks that she wants those fantasies to become reality.  I absolutely do not think Nicole's feelings for Mr. Farrell are wrong.  It's never wrong to feel affection for another person, regardless of who that other person is.  Our feelings are part of who we are and should never be denied.  Feelings can't hurt others; actions can.  So having romantic feelings for someone and actually being in a physical relationship with them are two very different things. 

Nicole has the type of crush on Mr. Farrell that I had on a teacher, so I can relate to her obsession.  That whole scene with the chalk dust on Mr. Farrell's sock?  Totally happened to me.  The teacher I was crushing was actually a TA in college, but the intensity of my affection for him was very similar.  I think it's pretty common for a student to have a crush on one of their teachers at some point and maybe even believe that the affection they feel is love.  However, Nicole's feelings were more intense than a typical student's since she had other unresolved issues she hadn't yet dealt with.  But fantasies are never wrong because they don't hurt anyone.

3.  What exactly is karma?  I kind of got the idea as I was reading the ending but how would you describe it?

Karma is a type of energy that responds to positive thoughts and actions.  If you are someone who puts out positive energy into the world by being optimistic and doing good things for other people, then the idea is that you will receive good things back.  But!  Karma is not about doing something good just to get something good back.  Like, you can't help someone carry their groceries home and then sit around waiting for a $50 bill to blow down the street right at you.  Although I did once find a $50 bill on the candy rack in a deli.  I held it up, but no one claimed it.  Maybe karma was involved - we can never know for sure.  Karma's about how all of your actions, as a holistic unit, affect your fate.

4.  How did James spend that money Mrs. Schaffer gave him?  I have a feeling that he did just what she wanted him to do with it...

Your intuition is correct ;)

Over the weekend someone slashed our "Obama for President" sign with a knife. Sliced it into ribbons.

In honor of that person, I've decided to make another contribution to Sen. Obama's campaign.

I am actually a more conservative person than most people might guess. I am a registered Republican, although the leadership of both parties makes me weep. You have to be a registered something around here. My husband and I own guns and we hunt. I believe in balanced budgets, personal accountability, small government that stays the heck out of people's lives, and in the old-fashioned concept of Americans caring for each other. I believe that the Bush administration is the worst thing that has ever happened to America, and that under Bush's leadership our country has been sold out to the interests of major corporations. I want my country back.

I support Sen. Obama's position on energy use, healthcare, education, and getting us out of Iraq.

I have read Sen. McCain's position papers. I don't agree with most of them. If he is elected, I don't think the country will be in as dangerous a position as we have been under the Bush administration, but I don't think Sen. McCain really grasps the situation of working people in America. He seems out of touch and his proposals lack vision and depth.

So the Obama signs are going back up on the trees that face the road. They will be hung so that they can be seen by passers-by, but anyone who wants to destroy them is going to have to hike a little to get to them.

Along with the "Obama for President" signs, we're going to post the following message, to anyone violates our Constitutionally-protected private property and destroys our Constitutionally-protected right to free speech by ruining our statement of political support.

The extra sign will say this:

"God Bless America!
If you are standing close enough to read this, you need to know three things:

1. You are trespassing on private property.

2. You have already been photographed. (by a scouting camera)

3. You are standing in a sea of poison ivy.

Three cheers for the First Amendment!"

i only got to 1,527 yesterday. failure.i had three drinks, but i stayed under my queso-loco limit and had zero cupcakes. not terrible, but not great.

going to push myself hard today and tomorrow. 2.5K!

known potential setbacks:
- another drinks date tonight with my old boss
- i feel a summer cold coming on. yuk.