The Dialogue: Talking about the Darkness

I sometimes wonder if adults forget what it was like to be 11, 12 and 13 years old, teetering on the cusp of childhood and being a teenager, and wondering how to make sense of it all. If adults forget that insatiable curiosity they had about all things "grownup" and how anything that your parents told you was off limits was something you wanted More Than Anything.

It's been eighteen years since I was in that group of awakening tweens, and the kids who are in it now are so different from me that it's kind of scary. They're smarter, they're more tech savvy, they are more connected. They were raised using digital technology, so they know how to get the answers they want. And if Mom and Dad won't talk to them about things, they'll get those answers from friends or from the Internet. Or from books.

Books were my life force as a kid. I was always very shy (and still am, to some degree). But during those awkward adolescent years, I had very few books to help me transition, to help me face those darker times ahead. I had Sweet Valley High (hard-hitting stuff there, /sarcasm). I liked those books well enough, but I wanted more. Which is why I loved the books by Norma Klein--books that touched on sexuality and teens. I still remember reading "It's Okay If You Don't Love Me" as a twelve-year old and being shocked that the author was writing an actual sex scene, and that the girl was the experienced one!

That book was pretty risque for me at the time. And in just a year, I was moving on to adult authors like Stephen King and John Jakes. I was hungry for books and for information, and my parents encouraged me to read.

Did they always like what I was reading? No. Did they say I couldn't read certain books? Yes. Did I read them anyway? Absolutely. (Sorry, Mom and Dad)

Teens are going to do what you tell them not to do. How is it that we grow up and forget that little tidbit of information?

So why the sudden long post on YA and reading? Because of a Wall Street Journal article that's been making the blog and Twitter rounds since Saturday. "Darkness Too Visible" made me laugh, and then it made me angry. Because the author seems sincere in thinking that our children should be shielded from difficult topics like sexuality, rape, and self-injury. Hello?!! That stuff is happening RIGHT THE HELL NOW in our schools, to our children, and your answer is to pretend it's not? To hide these scary facts from tweens and teens, and tell authors to write happy books?

*snorts*

There is a lot going on in YA literature right now, but you only have to look as far as "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson to understand why it's important that authors write about these topics.

Graphic violence/sex is not new to adolescents (sorry, parents). It's all over television and movies, and it's in every magazine and billboard. It's there. So rather than trying to cover up their eyes and pretend it isn't, talk to your kids. Ask THEM questions, instead of waiting for them to come to you (because they probably won't). It's easier for teens to talk to other teens, instead of talking to a grownup, so you need to start the dialogue. Not the lecture. Not the "don't do this/don't read this."

The dialogue.

A few other great blog posts have popped up in response to the WSJ piece, and I want to link to those.

The awesome Jackie Morse Kessler has a piece, as her book "Rage" was mentioned in the article. Leave Jackie a little love on her blog, and then go buy her book. You won't regret it.

Booking Through 365 has an article, written by an actual teenager. Good stuff there.

And from Publisher's Weekly. From that article:

Teens are committing suicide because of bullying, eating disorders are common, even kids in “nice” neighborhoods have drug problems, and kids sometimes get pregnant. And sadly, some kids grow up in abused households with alcoholic parents. Reading about kids with alcoholic parents can make a kid feel better. Kids reading about cutting will not make them cutters. It might, however, make them recognize when one of their friends is cutting and could use help.

We can't hide our kids from the darkness in the world. But we can talk to them about it. And that, dear parents, starts with you.

The Good, the Bad, and the WTF?!

THE GOOD

I'm a huge horror buff, which I bet is no surprise at this point. When the first Scream film came out in 1996, I was in high school. I'd seen the slasher films from the eighties, and I loved anything scary. But at the time, very few horror films were being made and released by major studios. And Scream was exactly the creative boost that the horror genre needed at the time. It revitalized the genre, while making fun of itself at the same time. I'm a huge fan of the entire trilogy.

Needless to stay, I was absolutely pumped when I heard that Scream 4 was being made, with original director Wes Craven, original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, and original stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox. How could a fan not be stoked for this?

So I admit to going into this film with pretty high expectations. And you know what? For once, my expectations were very much met, maybe a little exceeded. Scream 4 was brilliant. It does for the glut of horror film remakes what the original film did for the dying slasher genre: it exposed the cliches, makes statements on society, and it also (minor spoiler) remakes the first film! Remakes it in a hugely original way that I didn't always see coming.

Horror fans may still appreciate this film, but if you haven't seen Scream 1-3, then don't bother with Scream 4. You just won't have the same experience.


THE BAD

So there was once a time when I loved "Glee." I bought the boxed set of Season 1 at the end of last summer and I spent an entire weekend watching it. It hooked me. I loved the characters. I loved the stories. I loved what they were doing with the songs and musical numbers, and how everything flowed well.

Cut to the hot mess that's been Season 2 so far, and can I just say "Gah!"? Gah!

The show's been on a month hiatus, and the last aired episode was amazing. It was the Regionals ep, and the cast sang original songs. It was tense, it was emotional, and it was what the show used to be.

A new episode finally aired last night. I watched it this morning. Gah!

I just don't have the energy to rant on everything that I thought sucked about last night's episode. So I'll talk about the only good thing (besides the fact that Paltrow is gone for the foreseeable future). The corridor confrontation between Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Karofsky--pure gold. I loved Santana getting up in K's face, and I really hope this is setting up for what was promised to us earlier this year. There is a lot of potential with the Karofsky character, and I'm afraid the writers will butcher it, like they've managed to butcher most of this season.

One more "Gah!" for good measure....


THE WTF?!

Last week, ABC Daytime announced the cancellation of daytime soap opera staples "One Life to Live" and "All My Children," leaving the network's daytime lineup with one soap opera ("General Hospital"). GH joins what will become only four surviving soap operas on network television (ABC's "Days of Our Lives," and CBS's "The Bold & the Beautiful" and "The Young and the Restless"). OLTL and AMC become the third and fourth soap to be canceled in the last two years.

I watched "One Life to Live" for a few months last year and then stopped once the stories I was following ended, and most of the actors were fired. But it wasn't a terrible show, and I'll mourn its loss. I can agree that television is changing, and that maybe soap operas are a somewhat dated format. But there are still loyal viewers and fans out there, and it sucks that they are losing shows they've watched for THIRTY or FORTY YEARS. That's a lifetime.

I think my major complaint is that these dramatic serials are being replaced by more cookie cutter talk shows. I mean, really, do we need more groups of people gabbing at each other over inane topics? Really?

I don't know. But I do applaud Hoover for listening to their consumers and pulling their ads from ABC. Some might say it's counterproductive to pull ad revenue from a show that relies on it to stay afloat, but it's already canceled, no? I can't imagine ABC Daytime would eat humble pie and reverse the cancellations, so why not show them exactly how their fans feel about this betrayal?

Reading, Reviewing, and Ranting (just a little)

So people who aren't me, my agent, or my editor are reading AS LIE THE DEAD and liking it. Larissa's Bookish Life has a lovely ARC review posted here.

A favorite quote:

If you haven't checked out Kelly Meding’s Dreg City series yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. There are so many Urban Fantasy novels and series out there, it’s great to read something that at the same time is faithful to the classics and brings something fresh to the table.

AS LIE THE DEAD was also reviewed in the August '10 issue of "Romantic Times Book Reviews," and received a 4-star rating!

The reviewer had some super-cool things to say:

Solving her own murder was just the warm-up for newly resurrected dreg hunter Evy Stone. Rising star Meding returns to the ominous world and gutsy heroine first introduced in her exceptional debut. Menace oozes from the pages, as Meding places her heroine in the middle of a maze where deceit and betrayal run rampant. Evy is an unforgettable heroine and Meding an author to watch!

Yay!

It certainly balances out the craziness that was this past weekend. I supposedly had an apartment all lined up, move-in ready on July 31. I even put a $100 GOOD FAITH deposit down on the apartment on June 25. The leasing agent called me July 3 and said the current tenants were no longer vacating, so the apartment was no longer available. So sorry, and by the way, we only have two other empty units for $200 more a month than what we promised you.

Er...uh...?

Alas, I'm a non-confrontation person, so I didn't give this guy hell on the phone. I hung up and cried (yes, I'm that person). I got really, really mad. It pretty much ruined my weekend.

I'm better now that I'm distanced from it. I'm looking at a place tomorrow, and I have a good feeling about it. I'll still be writing some very angry letters to this other management company, but overall, I'm over it. Stay tuned...

Never Judge a Movie by Its Trailer

I love movie trailers. Sometimes they can be as good as (or better than) the movie itself. I think two of my all-time favorite trailers are for THE GREEN MILE and WATCHMEN. They both give an amazing sense of their films' content, story, and overall atmosphere. I can watch them over and over.

This trailer has the distinction of being the only film trailer that's actually made me tear up.



Good movie trailers should sell the movie to audiences. But sometimes they are deceiving. I've seen comedy trailers that put all of the funny bits in the trailer, and the rest of the movie is spectacularly un-funny. I've seen trailers that highlight a certain sequence that is maybe a blip of the overall story.

And because it's so easy to edit clips together, movie trailers can make a film look like whatever they want. Have you seen some of the awesome mash-ups on YouTube? I love the one that turns SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE into a horror film.

My most recent encounter with "Good Trailer, Disappointing Film" was the remake of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. I admit, I was annoyed when the remake was first announced. I mean, why mess with a classic? (And if I had a good answer to that, I could probably put an end to the equally-pointless, upcoming remakes of POLTERGEIST, ARMY OF DARKNESS, ALIEN, THE THING, and HELLRAISER.)

And then the first trailer surfaced, and I was in love:



It looked dark, scary, creepy, and I didn't even mind the recast Freddy Krueger. I started getting excited that the remake would do justice to the original.

I wish.

While the the movie wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as it should have been. It was easy to pick Nancy as the lead in the original 1984 film. In this movie? I couldn't figure out who our main character was. And the actress who played Nancy was in a coma the entire film. I don't think she cracked an expression, even when she was supposed to be scared.

And the rewrite of Freddy's backstory? HATED IT. Why? (SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) Because for a brief period of time, we were led to believe that Freddy was innocent of the crimes against him, and that killing the Elm Street kids (although it was never established that they all lived on the same street, just that they all attended the same pre-school, so what the hell?) was some sort of justified revenge. Not only that, but instead of Freddy being arrested for multiple murders and then let off on a technicality, the parents in the remake went after him on their own because of lack of evidence. *facepalm*

I did like a few things. It had good atmosphere, and the dream sequences were cool. Some of the deaths were interesting. And I just love me some Clancy Brown, even if he was completely wasted in his role. There were also some fun nods to the other films: the Springwood Diner, the pool party bit, a character on the swim team, burning her arm to stay awake.

And Jackie Earl Haley as Freddy? Meh. The problem was he kept using his Rorschach voice from WATCHMEN. He was creepy at times, and had a few good lines at the end, but overall...I'm undecided.

So yeah, Trailer Win, Movie Fail.

But on to the actual inspiration for this rather lengthy post.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (The First Sequence)

The trailer is probably not work safe, but here you go:



The internet is abuzz with talk about this movie and it's "shocking" science. People are comparing it to SAW and HOSTEL and other gore-fest films that rely on shock value. Naturally, this caught my attention. After I watched the trailer, I was equal parts appalled and intrigued.

And now I'm determined to watch it, if for no other reason than I can say I SAW IT AND AM JUDGING THE MOVIE FOR MYSELF. About half an hour ago (as of this writing) I read a rant by someone online calling for people to boycott this movie, to not watch it, to not support such awful, disgusting filth, lest it turn into the next SAW franchise.

Erm, okay....

All this based on having seen the TRAILER. I mean, jeez. It's about as bad as people who say "don't read this book, it has magic and is therefore awful and satanic."

Also? Check out this review at Babbling About Books. It's from someone who's actually, you know, seen the movie. Which apparently isn't as awful and graphic as people are assuming.

It's what helped cement my decision to watch it. And when I do, I shall report back.

In Which I Take Something Very Personally and Have A Good Vent

Warning: I don't usually do this, but a rant is coming. A very long rant. I will use bad words. I may say controversial things.

You have been warned.

So 2010 hasn't been a banner year for me. It pretty much sucked from the stroke of midnight for a variety of reasons. Y'all know my kitty, Anya, has been sick, and I've recently gotten some bad health news about a close family member, plus there's an echoing silence on the book front. I don't know anyone who isn't stressed about money, myself included. I kept hoping March would bring with it both warmer weather (check) and some good news (ha!).

January was, without a doubt, Anya's very worst month—weight loss, vomiting, peeing everywhere except the litter box (including my bed), constant fear I'd come home from work one day and find her dead. My stress levels were through the roof from it and a serious lack of sleep wasn't helping. Then one day while trying to decompress on Twitter, I clicked on a vid link because it promised "hotness." Male hotness, to be precise. I needed eye-candy, so I clicked. And it delivered.

It also alerted me to something I didn't know existed: an emotional, realistic, beautifully-written and honestly-acted love story on a soap opera. It touched on themes of unrequited love, longing, and the need to truly accept yourself as you are before you can give someone else your heart.

I know, right?

Did I mention this heartwarming story is about two men?

If that offends you, catch you on my next post.

If not, please keep reading.

Through the power of YouTube and some dedicated fans, I was able to discover a story line that's been running on the ABC soap "One Life to Live" since around June 2009. Brilliantly brought to life by actors Scott Evans and Brett Claywell, the story of Oliver Fish and Kyle Lewis is a gem in the world of daytime television, and it was groundbreaking in many ways. It was also expectedly controversial.

I mean, really, how could an honestly-told love story not be controversial? (<--yes, that was sarcasm)



So I dove into the Kish story line via YouTube and during a month of my life where I cried almost every single day, this little break from reality was a wonderful treat. It opened my heart and my mind a little bit more, and in February, I started watching OLTL every day on television. I've heard from other folks that OLTL is one of the best-written soaps, with one of the most diverse casts, and I admit I was surprised by the quality of writing I saw. I was never a soap watcher, but I've seen bits and pieces over the years (my grandparents were big soap watchers when I was a kid), so I was expecting overblown melodrama and barely-passable acting. The show actually has some very witty dialogue, (mostly) believable story lines, and a very (with a few exceptions) talented cast.

I let myself immerse in the other characters outside of Kish, follow the story lines, and by the end of February, I was hooked. I was prepared to become a long-time viewer—which is big for me, because my television viewing has dwindled to nearly nothing this year. Even long-time favorites (I'm looking at you, "24") have failed to capture my attention like they used to.

Does this make me feel a little possessive of the show? Maybe a tad. Does this mean I take the Kish story line a little personally, because it helped me through a very tough period of time? Definitely. I was just settling in to the idea of seeing these guys on TV for a while, and loved the fact that OLTL had a pretty good cast of characters in my 25-30 age group. Then the cast started dwindling. One actress left on her own. One actress was fired. Another actor, Scott Clifton (who has been doing amazing work these last few weeks, and who I was looking forward to seeing more of) was fired.

Ugh. The age group was dwindling. Okay, well, at least Kish was still around, and there's still some decent actors in that age group. I wasn't happy, but I could live with it.

So I got online last evening to find an article on TVGuide Magazine.com saying that the characters of Oliver and Kyle will be written off the show and gone by mid-April. Next month!

*facepalm*



In the middle of a week that began with some blah news, this did not help my mood. Reading the rest of the article, and the apparent reasoning behind letting the actors go, incensed me further.

Why?

And I quote:

But sources at the network say the duo failed to resonate with the mainstream audience.

WTH? The mainstream audience? Don't they mean Focus Groups made up of people who are rarely habitual watchers, who are given select scenes and made to judge a character based solely on those scenes rather than a larger body of work? I hate the word mainstream, anyway.

Okay, so I've learned a little about "One Life to Live" and its landscape of characters in the last six weeks or so, so let me get this straight. A committed couple with a healthy relationship (ie, they don't keep secrets and they friggin' TALK to each other) isn't resonating with the mainstream audience. Um…okay.

I admit, as a shy bookworm with a penchant for SF, fantasy and horror, and a deep love of geekery, I've never been terribly mainstream. But this "mainstream audience" who objects to Kyle and Oliver apparently have no problems with:

A leading man who is a convicted rapist. Who was planning to steal his teenage daughter's baby and raise it with the woman he raped. Who is a narcissist. Who uses money to buy whatever the hell he wants—his daughter's affection, most recently. (even worse, the actor has one expression and it telegraphs constipation)

A leading lady whose husband just died, but who is already entertaining thoughts of (and smooching it up with) an old flame, and said old flame is in a relationship with another woman who just found out she's pregnant. Homewrecking is a theme on this show, I've noticed, that is quite the valued trait in its female characters.* (oh, and "old flame" is another unfortunate with only one facial expression)

An absolute whack-job religious zealot who storms into town, blackmails the mayor, kidnaps a pregnant woman so he can raise her baby as the "chosen one," kidnaps his own daughter and gives her electro-shock and then tries to rape her, and is now planning something else (that likely involves kidnapping small children) from jail with the help of his baby-stealing accomplice. **

*Now, I realize things like infidelity and homewrecking are staples of soap operas, but come on! This is more acceptable to the "mainstream audience" than a gay couple?

**This guy's story line had way more air time since it began last November than the combination of all of the Kyle/Oliver scenes aired since last June, and yet "the gays" are being blamed for bad ratings this past winter?



Yes, I just said that. According to several sources, ABC received some flak for some of OLTL's gay-centered story lines last fall. Never mind that ratings continued to be somewhat low even after those story lines got the kibosh. Never mind that as I just said above, the Kyle/Oliver scenes were maybe 1/20 of the overall storytelling landscape during that time frame. Never mind that K/O drew brand new viewers to the show because of their story(and I wasn't the only one), and that ratings were on the upswing in February.

They became the scapegoats for what is a much larger lack of good story telling over the last few months. And it sucks that The Powers That Be at ABC Daytime aren't spreading the blame around or taking responsibility for stories that are (according to some people more familiar with the show's history than I) rehashes of the same old stories that have been told and re-told for the last five years. Oh no, let's blame bad ratings on something NEW and DIFFERENT that actually drew in new viewers and brought INTERNATIONAL attention to OLTL.

I get that some of the gay-themed stories have seemed in-your-face to some viewers. There will always be people who don't want to see an accurate portrayal of American life on their TV screens, on film, or in the books they read. Fine. But others do. And for ABC-D execs to bend over to the will of the naysayers?

Do they compromise by scaling back the more heavy-handed stories? Do they step back a little with the characters until the hotheads cool off? Nope. They listen to uninformed Focus Groups and put the characters on the chopping block.

And now Scott Evans and Brett Claywell, two very talented actors, are losing their jobs. And the absolute suckiest part of this entire suck-fest? According to his Twitter feed, Scott found out via that damned TVGuide article. How much does it suck to find out that a character you've put so much time and effort into for over a year is being written off—from a website?! The entire OLTL cast has been, so far, silent about the news, but it's probably safe to assume Brett found out in a similar way.

Just…ugh. MAJOR FAIL, ABC AND OLTL.

The 20/30-something age group is being whittled down—my age group, damn it. But I guess I'm not the mainstream audience that soaps want watching. At this rate, all the show will have left is teenagers (with their "High School Musical" May sweeps nonsense) and 40+ characters who rotate beds, push each other out windows (no, I'm not kidding), and mope around pining for people they can't have.

Maybe it's a good thing these talented young actors (Scott Evans, Brett Claywell, Scott Clifton, Amanda Setton, Crystal Hunt, Daphnee Duplaix) are getting out while the getting's good. Maybe I'm taking this more personally than I normally would, because the K/O story helped keep me sane during a really rough month and a half. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow and regret posting this at all (nope, I edited and added to it, because yeah, I wrote most of this last night while pissed). Maybe.

All I know for sure is that after April, OLTL has lost this brand new viewer. I also know from a message board I frequent that quite a few long-time viewers (and by this I mean people who've watched the show for upwards of 23 years) will quit watching.

I've never been so proud to not be "mainstream." And by that, I mean I'm not someone with my head stuck so far up my own ass that I can't see a good thing on my television screen that hasn't been told and retold eighty-five times in the last sixty years. It means I don't have time for a show or a network that lays blame for its own failings on the heads of actors who've done everything asked of them in order to breathe life into two characters that have trail-blazed daytime television.

It means I can see a good story in something—fuck that, a good LOVE story in something—no matter if it's a man and a woman, or a man and a man.

Guh.

Shame on you, "One Life to Live." Shame on you.

Oh, For Frak's Sake!

Anyone who dares to tackle yet another re-imagining of "Battlestar Galactica" has either got a pair of brass ones, or he's a lunatic. Stark raving mad.



After the critically acclaimed run of Ron Moore's BSG on the SciFi Channel (I refuse to admit to such a thing as SyFy), the need to succeed at bringing the franchise to the big screen is enormous. There are millions of dedicated fans to not impress, but blow away. Oh yes, this film Bryan Singer is developing will have to be something extra special good to appeal to the fans of the new show.

Granted, there are fans of the original 1978 series who thumbed their noses at Moore's vision, and who've yet to give the new series a chance. Perhaps Singer hopes to appeal to those fans? I dunno. Maybe.



The SciFi series had it's flaws, to be sure, but those flaws were far overshadowed by a series rife with excellent narrative, superb acting, amazing special effects, and moving, emotional storylines. I'm sure some folks will argue with this assessment, but to me, as far as television shows go, BSG was pretty darn close to perfect.

I'll be keeping an eye on this as it develops, trust me.

I'm All For Suspension of Disbelief...

...but come on!

Last night I sat through My Bloody Valentine 3-D (the 2-D version, though, because rentals don't come with 3-D glasses). I was in the mood for a splatter movie. Jensen Ackles and Kerr Smith are hot. It got half-decent reviews. And aside from the strange-looking 3-D-effects-rendered-2-D moments, it wasn't a bad story. I liked the "twist."

My issue?

The movie is set in a West Virginia mining town, in February. February! So why were folks running around in light sweater coats? And there were leaves on the trees!

I know, I know, they probably had the film the movie in April or something, but come on. There are not leaves on the trees in WV, in the ass-end of winter.

*sigh*

When Is a Twist.....

....not really a twist?

When it's a cop-out. Or when you know a show still has at least one season left, and one of the major story lines can't possibly continue in the same direction it's been going, so the big, last-scene revelation isn't all that shocking. Okay, it's not even a tiny bit shocking.

I'm looking at you, Nip/Tuck. You had me up until that final phone call. Argh!!!

I love it when writers make the hard choices. I love it when difficult situations have difficult solutions. I love it when an author or a series GOES THERE. Not many of them do. Maybe it's why I don't like watching sitcoms anymore--the majority are neat little packaged problems, solved within twenty-two minutes, and tied up with a bow.

Nip/Tuck pushes boundaries, sure. It shocks and surprises, and it'll go places a lot of shows won't (having sex with a sofa, for example). Alas, tonight's season finale "twist" had me rolling my eyes, wondering when I'd wandered into a bad episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Good Night, Circuit City

Circuit City officially announced plans to close its 567 remaining stores. I admit, I've shopped in CC all of twice in my lifetime (both within the last year). The first time was when I bought my digital camera last spring, which now makes my 2-year service warranty seem a tad superfluous. The second time was last fall, because we'd earned a gift certificate rebate for...something. I think for one of our package Comcast deals when we moved.

The closings are sad (not quite as sad as closing KB Toys, because I used to love wandering their aisles as a kid), but particularly annoy me because of this quote from the linked article:

Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter told investors that Circuit City's demise will help Best Buy cement its position as the market leader.

Best Buy makes me want to spit nails. Their customer service sucks--probably because they can't seem to hire anyone but nineteen year old boys. I went to a BB last spring during my digital camera hunt, because they had a good sale going on. Three salespeople stood chatting less than fifteen feet away from me for the entire five minutes I perused the camera section. I played, I tested, I read about the features. I even shot a few questioning looks their way. Not a single person approached me. So I left.

Back in December, I was tasked by my dad to buy a digital camera for my mom (since he was fresh out of heart surgery, he couldn't go shopping). For some reason unknown to me, I decided to give Best Buy a second chance. The camera section in this one was directly across from the front desk where there is always someone stationed. I looked and browsed and tested, and I finally picked one I liked. I stood there, looked around, waited for someone to notice me. Two people were chatting with the kid assigned to the information counter, but no one made eye contact with me.

I finally had to go over there and ask for help. The kid at the desk said he'd call someone over. I went back to wait. Stood there. Saw several of the same associates pass by me, but no one came over. I was getting seriously pissed at this point, and was tired of being ignored. I finally gave a glare at the next person to walk by me, who actually stopped and asked if I needed help. At the end of all that, the camera I wanted wasn't in stock.

So I went across the street to Wal-Mart. I found the exact same camera ten dollars cheaper, found someone to me right away, and I even got a free $10 gift card out of the deal. All in less than ten minutes.

Moral of the story? There really isn't one. Only that it sucks CC is going out of business, because I won't shop at BB again.

Apparently...

...I'm doing my part in furthering the disintegration of traditional family values. And I had no idea.

It seems I'm doing this by supporting and loving a close family member who chose to live (unmarried) with a man and have his baby.

Someone punish me. I'm a terrible person.

I also forgot that Narrow-mindedness was the new color for fall.

*rolls eyes*

Isn't It Ironic?

Alanis Morissette has nothing on this.

Everyone knows the economy isn't great, and those of us whose Evil Day Job is in the retail world feel it every single day. We see traffic counts lowering, customer conversion slumping, and the average retail ticket splatting to the ground. Markdowns are sought after, while higher price furniture sits and stares at us like mushrooms on a log.

Where's the irony?

A customer came in today, all smiles and sunshine. She shopped around for a bit. On her way to the front doors, she looks over her shoulder with another smile and says, "I love this store, you guys are my favorite." And then she leaves without buying anything. If you love something, then show your support, people! Even if it's a two dollar hand soap, buy something.

And no, not one of the 75% off bargains--those don't help us at all, because we don't make anything off such a deep discount. Often we don't profit off something that's 50% off. I'd rather you spend five dollars on a full-price candle than fifty bucks on chair that used to retail for $250. At least the five bucks will shoot us some profitability. We can't stay in business off of "I love your store."

In the last year, two of our major competitors have gone out of business. We are surviving, but it's difficult.

So if you have five bucks laying around, spend it at your favorite store. Buy something at full price. I don't care if it's Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Del Taco, Linens'N Things, or Tiffany's (although I doubt five dollars will get you anything here, except a few snide looks).

Half Moon Rising

Today has been somewhat surreal.

It began with a mission to get our cars inspected (mine and Roommate Melissa's). We knew it was a little pricey, so we called around and found a reasonable place. Thinking we could drop them off, hang for a bit, and then take them home, we went armed with coffee and notebooks. HA! Apparently, the state of Maryland requires extremely thorough inspections that take about 2.5 hours EACH. Yep. And there were already two cars ahead of us.

So we left mine and went home in hers.

Which began a long, slightly schizo day at my computer. I alternated between surfing the 'Net and working on ALTD. Got about twelve pages done. Watched TV. Read some. Looked at the clock and it was six pm. Still no word about my car. Hmmm...

I called. They said the inspection was fine, but they had to take a screw out of the rear right tire. Promised it would be done that night (they close at 9pm). Seven-thirty rolls around. We haven't eaten dinner yet, so we decide screw it. It's a half hour drive to get the car anyway (yes, we now live in a town far from many things). We get there a little after 8. Car's done. Yay, dinner time!

We end up at Olive Garden. Sit down at our table. I'm facing into the dining room and across from me is a round table of five. Three kids and parents. Dad is sitting in the chair, his back to the dining room. Er, I should say, his backside to the dining room. Yes, I was treated to a crescent moon during my entire salad, breadsticks, and entree.

And it just kept getting bigger as the night wore on.

As we were waiting for the check, we have this entertaining conversation:

Melissa - Where's your character Evy when we need her? She'd go over there and say something to him.

Me - *giggling* She wouldn't even bother going over. She'd just shout across the room, "Hey, dude, pull your fucking pants up!"

*more giggling*

*sigh*

I mean, seriously? Could he not feel the breeze?

Hollywood On Demand

According to Publishers Weekly, Patricia Briggs' novels have been optioned by Hollywood. More good news for us paranormal authors, especially after the success of HBO's adaptation of Charlaine Harris' novels.

Although I'm mad at both HBO and Comcast. Why in the world would my On Demand service list premium channels and their programs, if I can't friggin' access them? Is it some hellish method of teasing us hapless, basic package user? A way to trick us into subscribing by taunting us with programs we can't watch?

I was all excited to sit down and watch "True Blood" last weekend via On Demand, and then the screen told me I didn't have permission. Grrr!!!! So not cool.

It's Not Rocket Science

I love that grocery stores have those Self Checkout lines. Yes, I know it means fewer cashiers, but even before they became popular, I rarely saw more than a third of the available registers at use. The number hasn't seemed to change much with the installation of Self Checkouts in grocery stores across the country.

I like using the Self Checkout because it's more peaceful. I don't have to smile at a discontented cashier who looks about as happy as a constipated gorilla (especially if I've had a bad day, and I look as happy as said gorilla). I can scan my club card, scan my groceries, pay, bag and go.

At least, I used to bag my own groceries and go. Now some stories have wandering baggers, who toddle from line to line and bag the groceries.

Grocery baggers are nothing new. Larger chains used to have them all the time. And bagging groceries does not take a degree. Just common sense. Don't put a jar of spagetti sauce on top of the bread. Don't put canned goods on top of the eggs. Double-bag heavy stuff so the handles don't break.

Every bagger who's bagged my groceries has managed to follow all of these simple guidelines. However, one exists that is never followed. Given that it's summer and very hot, this one should be first and foremost in every bagger's mind: put cold stuff together!

For crying out loud!

Don't put my non-dairy creamer and deli meat in with the box of rice. Don't put two frozen dinners in with my bread. Put the creamer, meat and frozen dinners in one bag; put the rice and bread in another. I don't want my room temp stuff getting damp or accumulating moisture. And I like my cold stuff to stay cold on the way home, thank you very much.

It's not rocket science! Like things together! Which one of these does not belong?

*sigh*

Progress on One Front

I've been a bad little blogger. I told myself that I would get my butt in here and write at least once a week. *smacks wrist with a ruler* I should pick a day, make it a new habit to write an entry on that day.

Wednesdays makes sense, for now. Why? Because it's my week-marker for the Work-in-Progress. I started writing the novel on a Wednesay, and it's the day I check for my 10k-words a week goal. Four weeks into it, I've surpassed the 60k word mark. I think I'm making my goal, and then some. Two more weeks at this rate, and one of two things will happen: 1) I'll finish it, or 2) my wrists will fall off. Both events are likely.

However, the pain is worth it. I am enjoying this novel immensely. The heroine, Dahlia, is a supporting character from another novel who popped into my head before the other was finished and demanded center stage. Writing in first person is an amazing exercise in creativity, because the entire plot has to center around one character. Getting events to intersect with her life is challenging, but I love a good challenge. She's exciting, persistant, curious, and falling in love for the first time (send your sympathy in the form of cyber-chocolate).

Back in the real world, I finally got a new car. New-to-me, at any rate. It's an '06 Ford Focus SE. Cute little four-door sedan, pretty silver color. I'd post a pic, but I don't have a digital camera or a camera phone (I'm not a technophobe, just poor, and poorer still once the car payments begin). I love driving her, though. She handles much better than my old Jelly Bean ( '96 Taurus).

I also emailed that idiot Amazon Used Seller about my books (still not here as of today, 4/17). I got an email back saying that there was a postage error, they received the books back on Saturday, and reshipped. Uh huh. Anyone ever hear of a freaking courtesy email? Seven dollars shipping on two paperbacks that are three weeks late, and they can't even bother to let me know my books are on the way? *has finger poised above the feedback button*

I WANT MY BOOKS!

Ahem. Sorry about that.

As you were...