We've got friends due here in an hour, one of the cats is making the incoming-hairball sound (or is that outgoing?) and my german chocolate donuts still need glazing; otherwise Halloween at Casa PBW is in full swing.
Some last minute hints:
-- Dill pickles offset the sweets like nothing else.
-- No pickles? Try nachos, salty chips, pretzels or, for you health food junkies, roasted soy nuts.
-- Pepto Bismol goes down easier chilled.
Happy Halloween. :)
Monday, October 31, 2005
LoooooooongPen
Remember that pretentious garbage Margaret Atwood was spouting a while back about making a device that would allow her to sign books long distance without personally showing up for the signing?
Scary news: Apparently she actually went and invented the damn thing:
"...the "LongPen" which will be launched at the London Book Fair next March. This week, Pen Canada is auctioning off the right to receive the first official trans-Atlantic autograph at its “Lives of Girls and Women” fundraising event in Toronto. Bidding will start at $1,000. The package includes the signature and an original poster hand-drawn by Atwood. The hope is that it will sell for $2,500 to $5,000. The signing in March will be of Atwood’s next book, the short-story collection The Tent. Atwood will sign in London, and that signature will appear on the auction winner’s copy at a Toronto bookstore, yet to be named. Massive media coverage is expected for the signing. Atwood’s company will be leasing LongPen devices rather than selling them; leasing fees will depend on location and number of uses."
What amuses me is that for all the anticipated oohs and aahs over LongPen, this device still produces a mechanical reproduction of an original signature. Sure, there's lots of nuts and bolts and fun futuristic SF stuff, and the promise of a boatload of leasing fee royalties for Atwood, but it's still the same basic thing as stamping a sig with an ink pad and a rubber stamp.
**Add-on**: In comments Simon brought up the fact that another auto-sig device like this, Scriptwriter, has been out for years.
Scary news: Apparently she actually went and invented the damn thing:
"...the "LongPen" which will be launched at the London Book Fair next March. This week, Pen Canada is auctioning off the right to receive the first official trans-Atlantic autograph at its “Lives of Girls and Women” fundraising event in Toronto. Bidding will start at $1,000. The package includes the signature and an original poster hand-drawn by Atwood. The hope is that it will sell for $2,500 to $5,000. The signing in March will be of Atwood’s next book, the short-story collection The Tent. Atwood will sign in London, and that signature will appear on the auction winner’s copy at a Toronto bookstore, yet to be named. Massive media coverage is expected for the signing. Atwood’s company will be leasing LongPen devices rather than selling them; leasing fees will depend on location and number of uses."
What amuses me is that for all the anticipated oohs and aahs over LongPen, this device still produces a mechanical reproduction of an original signature. Sure, there's lots of nuts and bolts and fun futuristic SF stuff, and the promise of a boatload of leasing fee royalties for Atwood, but it's still the same basic thing as stamping a sig with an ink pad and a rubber stamp.
**Add-on**: In comments Simon brought up the fact that another auto-sig device like this, Scriptwriter, has been out for years.
Ten Treats
Ten Things to Celebrate Halloween
1. Ice Cream Kings Ben & Jerry's Halloween Page offers online games, e-cards, the flavor graveyard (I still weep at the grave of Deep Dark Chocolate), creepy crafts and more.
2. Make a virtual jack-o-lantern at How to Carve a Pumpkin Like a Pro (a treat I snitched from Larissa Ione's blog.)
3. All the Halloween linkage you could want over at the Halloween edition of Dark Echo's blog.
4. Get your Halloween Horrorscope from Halloween-Online.com
5. Threads of Malice by Tamara Siler Jones -- Take my word for it: "A dark, fascinating web of a novel...Jones will keep you wide-eyed and terrified until the very last page."
6. Last Girl Dancing by Holly Lisle -- Holly's sizzling suspense thriller about a female cop who must work with a scarred psychic and face her own tragic past to stop a killer preying on exotic dancers.
7. For some true and not-so-true horror stories, check out Snopes.com's Urban Legends Horrors page. My personal favorite urban legend is The Vanishing Hitchhiker, the "Prom Girl" variation of which was popular when I was a teen.
8. KidsDomain.com's spooky online stories for kids
9. Private Demon by Lynn Viehl -- not sure about this one. I mean, all that blue for a Halloween story? What was she thinking. Cute guy on the cover, though.
10. You get the treats: Tonight I'm giving away ten sets of the three books I've put on the ten list: Threads of Malice by Tamara Siler Jones, Last Girl Dancing by Holly Lisle, and Private Demon by Yours Truly.
For your chance to win one of the ten sets, list one of your favorite treats in comments to this post by midnight EST on October 31, 2005. I'll select the names of ten winners at random from those who participate and post them here on the weblog just after midnight EST on October 31, 2005. Giveaway open to everyone on the planet whether you've won something here before or not.
1. Ice Cream Kings Ben & Jerry's Halloween Page offers online games, e-cards, the flavor graveyard (I still weep at the grave of Deep Dark Chocolate), creepy crafts and more.
2. Make a virtual jack-o-lantern at How to Carve a Pumpkin Like a Pro (a treat I snitched from Larissa Ione's blog.)
3. All the Halloween linkage you could want over at the Halloween edition of Dark Echo's blog.
4. Get your Halloween Horrorscope from Halloween-Online.com
5. Threads of Malice by Tamara Siler Jones -- Take my word for it: "A dark, fascinating web of a novel...Jones will keep you wide-eyed and terrified until the very last page."
6. Last Girl Dancing by Holly Lisle -- Holly's sizzling suspense thriller about a female cop who must work with a scarred psychic and face her own tragic past to stop a killer preying on exotic dancers.
7. For some true and not-so-true horror stories, check out Snopes.com's Urban Legends Horrors page. My personal favorite urban legend is The Vanishing Hitchhiker, the "Prom Girl" variation of which was popular when I was a teen.
8. KidsDomain.com's spooky online stories for kids
9. Private Demon by Lynn Viehl -- not sure about this one. I mean, all that blue for a Halloween story? What was she thinking. Cute guy on the cover, though.
10. You get the treats: Tonight I'm giving away ten sets of the three books I've put on the ten list: Threads of Malice by Tamara Siler Jones, Last Girl Dancing by Holly Lisle, and Private Demon by Yours Truly.
For your chance to win one of the ten sets, list one of your favorite treats in comments to this post by midnight EST on October 31, 2005. I'll select the names of ten winners at random from those who participate and post them here on the weblog just after midnight EST on October 31, 2005. Giveaway open to everyone on the planet whether you've won something here before or not.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Eureka
Finally, a couple of hardcore knitters I actually could hang with.
Be warned before you look, oh ye who knit with much sensitivity. No pattern is sacred. Not even the ones for kids. Or dogs.
Be warned before you look, oh ye who knit with much sensitivity. No pattern is sacred. Not even the ones for kids. Or dogs.
PurSued
Two authors in Britain are suing Random House for publishing author Dan Brown's mega bestseller The Da Vinci Code, which they claim contains ideas that were stolen from their 1982 nonfiction book.
(yawn)
You know, I haven't sued Dan Brown or his publisher yet, and I remember once in the seventies that I did think about the possibility of [major spoiler from The Da Vinci Code]. Dan could have stolen the idea from me by using his super secret psychic powers to read my mind. Or maybe it was those Brit guys who did. You know how into ESPionage the British are.
Anyway. Have you sued Dan Brown lately?
**Add-on:** To learn more about copyright law, check out The American Bar Association's Copyright Basics Page
(yawn)
You know, I haven't sued Dan Brown or his publisher yet, and I remember once in the seventies that I did think about the possibility of [major spoiler from The Da Vinci Code]. Dan could have stolen the idea from me by using his super secret psychic powers to read my mind. Or maybe it was those Brit guys who did. You know how into ESPionage the British are.
Anyway. Have you sued Dan Brown lately?
**Add-on:** To learn more about copyright law, check out The American Bar Association's Copyright Basics Page
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Boo
I'm trying to put together a list of scary writer stuff for a Halloween-related ten post, but my definition of scary and everyone else's might be different.
Here's my working list:
1. Ghost Story by Peter Straub, also his first collaboration with Stephen King, The Talisman.
2. To save typing all the titles, pretty much everything Stephen King writes (even On Writing, which raised a few of my neck hairs.)
3. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. Very creepy (shuddering as I type it.)
4. The Abandoned by Douglas Clegg about burned off my hair ribbons.
5. Cold Granite by That Scottish Writer Whose Name I Can Never Remember.
The scariest book I've ever read? Midnight Rain by Holly Lisle.
What are some of your favorite scary, creepy, or hair-raising reads?
Here's my working list:
1. Ghost Story by Peter Straub, also his first collaboration with Stephen King, The Talisman.
2. To save typing all the titles, pretty much everything Stephen King writes (even On Writing, which raised a few of my neck hairs.)
3. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. Very creepy (shuddering as I type it.)
4. The Abandoned by Douglas Clegg about burned off my hair ribbons.
5. Cold Granite by That Scottish Writer Whose Name I Can Never Remember.
The scariest book I've ever read? Midnight Rain by Holly Lisle.
What are some of your favorite scary, creepy, or hair-raising reads?
Friday, October 28, 2005
Wilma Update
We rounded up the last of the missing clan via cell phone today, and that was a big relief. Every member of the family and the friends we were able to reach reported sustaining some damage to their homes and/or property.
The latest news from the family, who live everywhere from Boca Raton to Homestead:
Waiting for gas in lines takes 3 to 8 hours depending on the city and few people are commuting to work in order to conserve; good news is some gas is getting delivered now.
The sewer system is backing up in Boca Raton, and if they didn't get the plant pumps running today, city officials warned there might be flooding.
My son's best friend in Coral Springs will not be attending his private Christian school for three weeks as it sustained heavy damages, but some cities' public schools are slated to reopen as early as next week.
Broward County is now under an 11 pm to 6 am curfew. Police are stopping people and at times searching vehicles.
Most cities are expediting roof permits so repairs can begin. Many people are electing to make temporary repairs due to the slow response of insurance agencies.
The Sun-Sentinel hurricane blog reports on how the storm has affected some of the elderly.
The latest news from the family, who live everywhere from Boca Raton to Homestead:
Waiting for gas in lines takes 3 to 8 hours depending on the city and few people are commuting to work in order to conserve; good news is some gas is getting delivered now.
The sewer system is backing up in Boca Raton, and if they didn't get the plant pumps running today, city officials warned there might be flooding.
My son's best friend in Coral Springs will not be attending his private Christian school for three weeks as it sustained heavy damages, but some cities' public schools are slated to reopen as early as next week.
Broward County is now under an 11 pm to 6 am curfew. Police are stopping people and at times searching vehicles.
Most cities are expediting roof permits so repairs can begin. Many people are electing to make temporary repairs due to the slow response of insurance agencies.
The Sun-Sentinel hurricane blog reports on how the storm has affected some of the elderly.
Grace
Guideposts has one of my devotionals posted on their website today. I keep the teapot from the story displayed in my kitchen as a reminder to always be grateful for what I have, no matter how dismal that seems. (Thanks to EJ for the heads-up.)
Scene Comp
Writers are always talking about plot, themes, pacing, voice and so forth, but I rarely see anyone discuss scene composition. I have very little idea of how other writers compose scenes, either, other than the prep work they put into thinking about them and doing notes and outlines and other ways of getting ready to write them. Actually writing scenes seems to be the hard part.
I've talked about my before-writing prep for scenes, but here is what I do to write any scene in any book in any genre:
1. I open with action or dialogue (or as close to it as is possible.)
2. I write straight through the scene, layering action with dialogue and working in whatever else I need to match what I saw in my head when I visualized. The research and notes and particulars from the novel notebook pop up in my head whenever I need a detail, but mostly I'm a voyeur scribbling down what I see.
3. If I get stuck, and it's usually on setting, which I hate, loathe and despise above all other components of the book, I'll put a rewrite marker in brackets like this: [***description of Central Park in winter***] and move on.
4. I do not back track or re-read anything I write while I'm writing new material. Ever. No exceptions (this is a huge time-waster.)
5. When the scene is done, I take a break (usually a cup of tea or a walk around the house) and then move directly on to writing the next scene.
If I'm not writing with the voice recognition software, I'll sometimes recite dialogue lines out loud as I type it to get a feel for the flow of the words (yes, I'm told this seems as amusing and ridiculous as someone who sound out words while reading. Tough. It helps.)
I also don't worry about descriptive words or if I'm showing enough of the setting in the scene. What hits the page is usually enough, but if I think I need more I'll add it during editing. I think this might be a key problem for writers who get hung up while writing a scene -- they hit something they don't want to write, aren't ready to write, can't express correctly, etc. and sit there staring at the screen. I suggest putting in a rewrite marker (see #3) and moving on.
I've gotten into the habit of backing up the document after I finish a scene, even though Word does a auto-backup every couple of minutes. This is more like a nervous habit, from a lifetime of living in the lightning capital of the U.S., but it also helps me move on. I have no idea why, but it does.
More info: Holly Lisle's Scene-Creation Workshop -- Writing Scenes that Move Your Story Forward has some excellent ideas to help you out with scene composition.
Don't know what the elements of a scene are? Check out Writing Fiction: A Beginner's Guide Part 7: Scenes and Half-Scenes (this is creative writing for teenagers article series, but a good breakdown just the same) or Vicki Hinze's article Elements of a Scene.
Randy Ingermanson's Writing the Perfect Scene.
I've talked about my before-writing prep for scenes, but here is what I do to write any scene in any book in any genre:
1. I open with action or dialogue (or as close to it as is possible.)
2. I write straight through the scene, layering action with dialogue and working in whatever else I need to match what I saw in my head when I visualized. The research and notes and particulars from the novel notebook pop up in my head whenever I need a detail, but mostly I'm a voyeur scribbling down what I see.
3. If I get stuck, and it's usually on setting, which I hate, loathe and despise above all other components of the book, I'll put a rewrite marker in brackets like this: [***description of Central Park in winter***] and move on.
4. I do not back track or re-read anything I write while I'm writing new material. Ever. No exceptions (this is a huge time-waster.)
5. When the scene is done, I take a break (usually a cup of tea or a walk around the house) and then move directly on to writing the next scene.
If I'm not writing with the voice recognition software, I'll sometimes recite dialogue lines out loud as I type it to get a feel for the flow of the words (yes, I'm told this seems as amusing and ridiculous as someone who sound out words while reading. Tough. It helps.)
I also don't worry about descriptive words or if I'm showing enough of the setting in the scene. What hits the page is usually enough, but if I think I need more I'll add it during editing. I think this might be a key problem for writers who get hung up while writing a scene -- they hit something they don't want to write, aren't ready to write, can't express correctly, etc. and sit there staring at the screen. I suggest putting in a rewrite marker (see #3) and moving on.
I've gotten into the habit of backing up the document after I finish a scene, even though Word does a auto-backup every couple of minutes. This is more like a nervous habit, from a lifetime of living in the lightning capital of the U.S., but it also helps me move on. I have no idea why, but it does.
More info: Holly Lisle's Scene-Creation Workshop -- Writing Scenes that Move Your Story Forward has some excellent ideas to help you out with scene composition.
Don't know what the elements of a scene are? Check out Writing Fiction: A Beginner's Guide Part 7: Scenes and Half-Scenes (this is creative writing for teenagers article series, but a good breakdown just the same) or Vicki Hinze's article Elements of a Scene.
Randy Ingermanson's Writing the Perfect Scene.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Father, forgive me, for I have blogged
A Roman Catholic high school in New Jersey worried about cyberpredators has ordered its students to remove their weblogs from the internet.
Cheetah II
I know everyone's sick to death of hurricanes, and believe me, I'm with you. I grew up in South Florida, though, and most of our clan is still down there, so this one really got me. I'll try not to be too annoying about it.
Getting back to Ways of the Cheetah, another thing you can do to boost your productivity is to be creative about writing time and writing tools. It's great to have a home office, but you can't spend your life in it. Think about times and ways you can write outside your writing space.
While Wilma roared through, I kept up with my daily schedule by writing on my PDA. Presently I have a PalmOne Tungsten E2 with a wireless folding keyboard, which is way fancy but I don't like it as much as my old reliable Palm m125, although the backlit screen is easier to read. 95% of the first draft of Afterburn was written on my old Palm during the 2004 hurricane season while the power was out (although I was scared to death I'd run out of batteries before I could archive my hundred or so memos on the computer.)
Writing on PDAs isn't for everyone, but there are alternatives for when you can't get to the computer at home:
1. AlphaSmart -- the portable word processor so beloved by RWA members really is a neat little machine. Lighter than a laptop, simple to operate, and the new Neo model runs up to 700 hours or more on 3 AA batteries. Also comes in a rechargeable battery model, and is still priced under $300.00.
2. Handheld voice recorders -- I carry mine in my purse and mostly use it in the car to tape ideas or notes to myself when I'm out driving around and running errands (also good for writers who give workshops and readings and want to practice.) There are all different brands, but you can find these at any electronics store. I recommend getting one that records on standard versus mini cassettes because standard cassettes are usually cheaper. My Panasonic RQ-131 cost me about $30.00 -- here's the newer model version.
3. Ye Olde School Notebook -- I have a million, I swear, but you can never have enough. Notebooks go where you go, and don't need batteries. They come in all sizes: little chubby 3" X 5" ones are the kind I carry in my glovebox. Mini legal-pads and note pads all over the house. Spiral notebooks are especially good because I can tuck a pen in the spirally wire.
4. Blank books or journals -- if you're not into keeping a three-ring binder for your WIP, one of these might work for your notes, research, or draft scenes. I like the ones with ruled and blank pages so I can sketch on one side and write on the other. They're also a bit more portable than a binder. Here are my all-time favorite journals from Victoriana Trading Co.
Getting back to Ways of the Cheetah, another thing you can do to boost your productivity is to be creative about writing time and writing tools. It's great to have a home office, but you can't spend your life in it. Think about times and ways you can write outside your writing space.
While Wilma roared through, I kept up with my daily schedule by writing on my PDA. Presently I have a PalmOne Tungsten E2 with a wireless folding keyboard, which is way fancy but I don't like it as much as my old reliable Palm m125, although the backlit screen is easier to read. 95% of the first draft of Afterburn was written on my old Palm during the 2004 hurricane season while the power was out (although I was scared to death I'd run out of batteries before I could archive my hundred or so memos on the computer.)
Writing on PDAs isn't for everyone, but there are alternatives for when you can't get to the computer at home:
1. AlphaSmart -- the portable word processor so beloved by RWA members really is a neat little machine. Lighter than a laptop, simple to operate, and the new Neo model runs up to 700 hours or more on 3 AA batteries. Also comes in a rechargeable battery model, and is still priced under $300.00.
2. Handheld voice recorders -- I carry mine in my purse and mostly use it in the car to tape ideas or notes to myself when I'm out driving around and running errands (also good for writers who give workshops and readings and want to practice.) There are all different brands, but you can find these at any electronics store. I recommend getting one that records on standard versus mini cassettes because standard cassettes are usually cheaper. My Panasonic RQ-131 cost me about $30.00 -- here's the newer model version.
3. Ye Olde School Notebook -- I have a million, I swear, but you can never have enough. Notebooks go where you go, and don't need batteries. They come in all sizes: little chubby 3" X 5" ones are the kind I carry in my glovebox. Mini legal-pads and note pads all over the house. Spiral notebooks are especially good because I can tuck a pen in the spirally wire.
4. Blank books or journals -- if you're not into keeping a three-ring binder for your WIP, one of these might work for your notes, research, or draft scenes. I like the ones with ruled and blank pages so I can sketch on one side and write on the other. They're also a bit more portable than a binder. Here are my all-time favorite journals from Victoriana Trading Co.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Facts
A couple of clarifications:
22,000 square miles of Florida were affected by this storm, but the worst of Wilma went through one of the most heavily-populated areas of the state, the Dade/Broward/Palm Beach tri-county region.
I have lived in these regions for thirty-five years, until 2004, and I've talked to the people I can reach there all over the region today, but of course that's meaningless. So here are the fact links:
Two and a half million residents still have no power from FP&L, the power company that provides service to the South Florida area.
The estimated dates when power will be restored, also direct from FP&L. Note the date November 22nd -- that is a month from now. Even the people who stocked hurricane supplies in these areas will need relief in two to three weeks.
Damages, flooding, shortages and related problems I've heard about from friends are substantiated by Sun-Sentinel reporters in South Florida on their hurricane weblog.
The language statistics are pulled from articles in the Sun-Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, and a U.S. English Foundation newsletter; the latter uses U.S. Census data. I pulled these statistics back in 2003 when we were trying to get our private school in South Florida to hire a Spanish language teacher, so they are two years old.
My comments on the elderly and donations to the Red Cross are my opinions, and should be treated as such.
22,000 square miles of Florida were affected by this storm, but the worst of Wilma went through one of the most heavily-populated areas of the state, the Dade/Broward/Palm Beach tri-county region.
I have lived in these regions for thirty-five years, until 2004, and I've talked to the people I can reach there all over the region today, but of course that's meaningless. So here are the fact links:
Two and a half million residents still have no power from FP&L, the power company that provides service to the South Florida area.
The estimated dates when power will be restored, also direct from FP&L. Note the date November 22nd -- that is a month from now. Even the people who stocked hurricane supplies in these areas will need relief in two to three weeks.
Damages, flooding, shortages and related problems I've heard about from friends are substantiated by Sun-Sentinel reporters in South Florida on their hurricane weblog.
The language statistics are pulled from articles in the Sun-Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, and a U.S. English Foundation newsletter; the latter uses U.S. Census data. I pulled these statistics back in 2003 when we were trying to get our private school in South Florida to hire a Spanish language teacher, so they are two years old.
My comments on the elderly and donations to the Red Cross are my opinions, and should be treated as such.
Status
We're still in the process of counting clan and seeing who needs what, but we fared better than the Gulf coast residents who faced Katrina, for which we are grateful. Unfortunately, many people did not evacuate, and damages and casualties are still being assessed, so that may change. Here's what we know this morning:
3.2 million people in Florida do not have power. This includes 90% of Dade County residents (approximately 1 million people.) FP&L is predicting it will take a minimum of four weeks to restore service to the affected areas.
Our friends are describing the damage as "unbelievably bad." Most of the pictures the media are showing are of high-rise buildings in the Fort Lauderdale downtown area and the Brickell Avenue financial district. What you're not seeing are the low-lying areas and neighborhoods, where up to 100% of the homes lost roofs, were damaged by falling trees, or are swamped by two to three feet of standing flood water.
Some big grocery stores are open and running on generators, but most are closed/damaged. Convenience stores and little neighborhood food stops are popular, but friends tell us several are price gouging. Canned and nonperishable food is flying off the shelves wherever it's sold. Ice and water are the top two requested items. Home improvement stores that can open are, but most are out of plywood, tarps, and generators.
Immediate need: Hundreds of thousands of elderly, fixed-income folks live in South Florida condominiums, apartments, and assisted living communities, and have no transportation other than city or community buses and jitneys. Many just aren't physically able to stand for hours in line for ice and food. They will also need comprehensive help with repairs, cleanup and simple but vital things like having their medications refilled.
There are also the language barriers. 45% of South Floridians -- the majority Hispanics and Haitians -- speak a language other than English at home. It's estimated that only 10% of those residents understand English well enough to communicate. Multi-lingual sources of information are absolutely essential. FEMA and Red Cross workers, here's a tip from a lifelong resident: if you can't make yourself understood, find a Hispanic kid to be your interpreter. Unless they're newly-arrived, they're bilingual and often trilingual.
Despite Governor Bush's assurances that Florida has a ten day surplus supply of fuel, pump shortages in South Florida are already widespread and people are getting ugly about what's available. If you go to help, make sure you fill up your tank before you cross the Palm Beach county line.
So many areas are inaccessible due to downed power lines and trees that if you are heading down it's best to confirm a drivable route in before you go. Also, for those hitting the road to bring supplies or pick up people, Dade county is under an 8pm to 6am curfew until further notice, and the police are making a point of stopping people with out-of-town plates to prevent looting.
**Update** On the hurricane relief links: Because the American Red Cross has not properly handled the funds they were given for the victims of Katrina, I no longer recommend making donations to that organization. I will post links to any worthy effort I hear of, but in the meantime, check out the Sun-Sentinel's How to Help page.
3.2 million people in Florida do not have power. This includes 90% of Dade County residents (approximately 1 million people.) FP&L is predicting it will take a minimum of four weeks to restore service to the affected areas.
Our friends are describing the damage as "unbelievably bad." Most of the pictures the media are showing are of high-rise buildings in the Fort Lauderdale downtown area and the Brickell Avenue financial district. What you're not seeing are the low-lying areas and neighborhoods, where up to 100% of the homes lost roofs, were damaged by falling trees, or are swamped by two to three feet of standing flood water.
Some big grocery stores are open and running on generators, but most are closed/damaged. Convenience stores and little neighborhood food stops are popular, but friends tell us several are price gouging. Canned and nonperishable food is flying off the shelves wherever it's sold. Ice and water are the top two requested items. Home improvement stores that can open are, but most are out of plywood, tarps, and generators.
Immediate need: Hundreds of thousands of elderly, fixed-income folks live in South Florida condominiums, apartments, and assisted living communities, and have no transportation other than city or community buses and jitneys. Many just aren't physically able to stand for hours in line for ice and food. They will also need comprehensive help with repairs, cleanup and simple but vital things like having their medications refilled.
There are also the language barriers. 45% of South Floridians -- the majority Hispanics and Haitians -- speak a language other than English at home. It's estimated that only 10% of those residents understand English well enough to communicate. Multi-lingual sources of information are absolutely essential. FEMA and Red Cross workers, here's a tip from a lifelong resident: if you can't make yourself understood, find a Hispanic kid to be your interpreter. Unless they're newly-arrived, they're bilingual and often trilingual.
Despite Governor Bush's assurances that Florida has a ten day surplus supply of fuel, pump shortages in South Florida are already widespread and people are getting ugly about what's available. If you go to help, make sure you fill up your tank before you cross the Palm Beach county line.
So many areas are inaccessible due to downed power lines and trees that if you are heading down it's best to confirm a drivable route in before you go. Also, for those hitting the road to bring supplies or pick up people, Dade county is under an 8pm to 6am curfew until further notice, and the police are making a point of stopping people with out-of-town plates to prevent looting.
**Update** On the hurricane relief links: Because the American Red Cross has not properly handled the funds they were given for the victims of Katrina, I no longer recommend making donations to that organization. I will post links to any worthy effort I hear of, but in the meantime, check out the Sun-Sentinel's How to Help page.
Through
We're okay here, minimal damage, minor flooding. Most of the power has been restored to our region and maybe south to Melbourne. South Florida is very bad to awful, with flooding, structural damage and power expected to be out for weeks in some areas.
Land lines are still a little wonky so I'm going to make this post extremely quick before the net dumps me again. Thanks for the good wishes and thoughts and prayers, and please keep the people of Mexico and Florida in them.
Land lines are still a little wonky so I'm going to make this post extremely quick before the net dumps me again. Thanks for the good wishes and thoughts and prayers, and please keep the people of Mexico and Florida in them.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Dressup Ten
Ten Things to Make Halloween Costumes
(Just pretend this is Monday. I've got a hurricane here.)
1. AmazingMoms.com's Halloween Costumes for Kids -- I'd make a variation of the chalkboard costume, ala "Graffiti Kid" -- put your kind in white sweats and a fanny pack packed with colored Sharpie markers. Then have everyone "sign" the kid (we used to do this with white Tshirts on the last day of school, too.)
2. Costumes for Halloween or Pretend Play -- make someone into a bunch of grapes with just 3 items.
3. Costume Idea Zone -- the attack dog trainer costume is priceless.
4. The Costume Page's Costuming Resources Online -- lots of links for the do-it-yourselfer.
5. Need some quirky celebs for your Halloween week TV show? The Duct Tape Guys Do Halloween Costumes
6. Garvick.com's Halloween Costumes page -- what's sad is the description of the housewife's costume -- I don't have to change a thing I'm wearing.
7. GrandStyle.com's Halloween Costume Ideas has a variation on the bunch of grapes -- a bag of jellybeans.
8. Be safe out there -- read tips on Halloween Costume Safety.
9. Homemade Halloweem Costume Ideas -- if you've got a kid into Pokemon cards, check out the Costumes from Boxes section and make him into one.
10. Christina Minor's article Felt, foam, papier-mâché for quick, easy costumes.
(Just pretend this is Monday. I've got a hurricane here.)
1. AmazingMoms.com's Halloween Costumes for Kids -- I'd make a variation of the chalkboard costume, ala "Graffiti Kid" -- put your kind in white sweats and a fanny pack packed with colored Sharpie markers. Then have everyone "sign" the kid (we used to do this with white Tshirts on the last day of school, too.)
2. Costumes for Halloween or Pretend Play -- make someone into a bunch of grapes with just 3 items.
3. Costume Idea Zone -- the attack dog trainer costume is priceless.
4. The Costume Page's Costuming Resources Online -- lots of links for the do-it-yourselfer.
5. Need some quirky celebs for your Halloween week TV show? The Duct Tape Guys Do Halloween Costumes
6. Garvick.com's Halloween Costumes page -- what's sad is the description of the housewife's costume -- I don't have to change a thing I'm wearing.
7. GrandStyle.com's Halloween Costume Ideas has a variation on the bunch of grapes -- a bag of jellybeans.
8. Be safe out there -- read tips on Halloween Costume Safety.
9. Homemade Halloweem Costume Ideas -- if you've got a kid into Pokemon cards, check out the Costumes from Boxes section and make him into one.
10. Christina Minor's article Felt, foam, papier-mâché for quick, easy costumes.
Wilma
The first of the big storms from the outer bands of Hurricane Wilma are rolling through my neighborhood at the moment, and we've got lightning and rain, but not much wind (yet.) We've been on tornado watch most of the day, but it looks like Tampa and regions to the south are seeing the twisters. Schools are closed tomorrow and we're prepped for losing power, water, and access to town.
You'd know something was coming by how the animals are behaving. My mom reports that her dogs having been throwing up, and my three cats are following me around from room to room like they think I'm going to run out on them.
The thunder is promising to knock out the power soon, so I'm going to post tomorrow's ten list a little early, then shut down until the storm passes. To all the clan, friends, and neighbors here and in South Florida: Be smart, stay safe, and let us know you're okay when you can.
You'd know something was coming by how the animals are behaving. My mom reports that her dogs having been throwing up, and my three cats are following me around from room to room like they think I'm going to run out on them.
The thunder is promising to knock out the power soon, so I'm going to post tomorrow's ten list a little early, then shut down until the storm passes. To all the clan, friends, and neighbors here and in South Florida: Be smart, stay safe, and let us know you're okay when you can.
DeFame
"One dreams of the goddess Fame, and winds up with the bitch Publicity." -- Peter de Vries
Lee Goldberg has posted an excerpt up from Elizabeth Royte's article Publish and Perish. According to the end of the article bio, Elizabeth is the author of two books with very long titles, and she writes for the NY Times, so we'll assume she's literati.
Personally I'm fascinated. I had no idea authors went through all this neurotic stuff. Wait, it's not a parody, is it?
And Dr. Sue, I'm telling you, a booth at the BEA is your road to riches.
Lee Goldberg has posted an excerpt up from Elizabeth Royte's article Publish and Perish. According to the end of the article bio, Elizabeth is the author of two books with very long titles, and she writes for the NY Times, so we'll assume she's literati.
Personally I'm fascinated. I had no idea authors went through all this neurotic stuff. Wait, it's not a parody, is it?
And Dr. Sue, I'm telling you, a booth at the BEA is your road to riches.
Gold
PBW's Short Golden Writer Rules
1. Don't explain the book.
2. Don't defend the book.
3. If it sucks, trash it.
4. If it's solid, pitch it.
5. Focus.
6. Tell the truth.
7. Teach for free.
8. Kiss no ass.
9. Forgive and forget.
10. If you can't do #9, shut up.
These apply only to me; your rules may vary. If you've got some, post them in comments. (Golden rules idea filched from Rip Lips Off, found via Patricia's place.)
1. Don't explain the book.
2. Don't defend the book.
3. If it sucks, trash it.
4. If it's solid, pitch it.
5. Focus.
6. Tell the truth.
7. Teach for free.
8. Kiss no ass.
9. Forgive and forget.
10. If you can't do #9, shut up.
These apply only to me; your rules may vary. If you've got some, post them in comments. (Golden rules idea filched from Rip Lips Off, found via Patricia's place.)
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Ho-humming
Apparently I'm not charging enough: "The publisher is the pimp. The bookstore is the corner. The reader is the john. And the writer is the ho." -- Brian Keene
I've already heard that I might be a necrophiliac: "...there are other things for people to do, other ways for them to be occupied, other ways for them to be imaginatively engaged, that are I think probably far more compelling than the novel. So I think the novel's day has come and gone, really." -- Philip Roth
Possibly I live in the wrong country: "The British are reading -- and we're not." -- Kevin Nance and Mike Thomas
And I could be working for clueless morons: "And publishers! What do they know? They never find the really good stuff, do they? There must be an alternative." --Gerry McGovern
Well, at least I have this e-mail from a very unhappy reviewer informing me that I don't write science fiction.* Whew. After reading that one, I was worried.
I do read stuff like this every day, and it bothers me. No, I don't think we should be all starry-eyed about publishing, or act like cheerleaders when the home team is trailing four touchdowns and a field goal. I like facing that ultimate back-stabber, reality.
We'll all agree that this is not an industry for the faint of heart. Just the other day I told a bunch of eighth graders that the average professional novelist earns less than $4,000.00 a year. I completely floored them, too, but unless you're someone like La Nora you can't go around acting like this gig is nothing but non-stop two million dollar advances and instant number one spots on the NYT.
I also realize that things in the industry are so troubling right now that if Dr. Sue set up a booth at the BEA she'd probably rake in a few hundred thou. I get depressed, too, but I don't want to mope about it.
I love books. I love to write them, and I love to read them. I want to be a book tyrant. I want to make readers out of non-readers. I want to motivate and inspire. I want writers -- the backbone of this industry -- to sell and keep selling. I got this far by chasing down what I wanted, I know other writers can do the same.
I guess what I'm saying is yes, it's all true, but books are too important. Even if everyone else is ready to give up, we writers can't. We've got to fight for what we love.
*Maybe someone should tell these people.
I've already heard that I might be a necrophiliac: "...there are other things for people to do, other ways for them to be occupied, other ways for them to be imaginatively engaged, that are I think probably far more compelling than the novel. So I think the novel's day has come and gone, really." -- Philip Roth
Possibly I live in the wrong country: "The British are reading -- and we're not." -- Kevin Nance and Mike Thomas
And I could be working for clueless morons: "And publishers! What do they know? They never find the really good stuff, do they? There must be an alternative." --Gerry McGovern
Well, at least I have this e-mail from a very unhappy reviewer informing me that I don't write science fiction.* Whew. After reading that one, I was worried.
I do read stuff like this every day, and it bothers me. No, I don't think we should be all starry-eyed about publishing, or act like cheerleaders when the home team is trailing four touchdowns and a field goal. I like facing that ultimate back-stabber, reality.
We'll all agree that this is not an industry for the faint of heart. Just the other day I told a bunch of eighth graders that the average professional novelist earns less than $4,000.00 a year. I completely floored them, too, but unless you're someone like La Nora you can't go around acting like this gig is nothing but non-stop two million dollar advances and instant number one spots on the NYT.
I also realize that things in the industry are so troubling right now that if Dr. Sue set up a booth at the BEA she'd probably rake in a few hundred thou. I get depressed, too, but I don't want to mope about it.
I love books. I love to write them, and I love to read them. I want to be a book tyrant. I want to make readers out of non-readers. I want to motivate and inspire. I want writers -- the backbone of this industry -- to sell and keep selling. I got this far by chasing down what I wanted, I know other writers can do the same.
I guess what I'm saying is yes, it's all true, but books are too important. Even if everyone else is ready to give up, we writers can't. We've got to fight for what we love.
*Maybe someone should tell these people.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Ask Dr. Sue
M.J.'s gone and snagged us an online therapist for writers. She's taking questions via e-mail, too.
No, I won't be writing to her. God, I'm not that mean.
No, I won't be writing to her. God, I'm not that mean.
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