Month: November 2011

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The Obligatory What I Am Thankful For Post

You know what this means. You need to be grateful............

There are certain things that can be expected this time of year.  Football,  turkey dinners, family get togethers, Black Friday sales followed by Cyber Monday sales and a bombardment of “thankful” lists.  These lists are from various people bragging about how great their lives are and we should all applaud them for recognizing it.  I have resisted the urge to add to this phenomenon but I couldn’t think of anything else to blog about so here goes.

Things I am “thankful” for in no particular order:

  • My family (Okay, if you don’t put that first people will talk about you.)
  • To be gainful employed (I need money to pay bills, buy scratch off lotto tickets so I can stop working, buy food and books.  Lots of books)
  • The NBA Lockout is finally over.  Now I can watch the Lakers on Christmas Day.
  • Google (What did we do before it was so easy to look up random facts like “Did Michael Jackson really write all of his songs?”  Seriously, as a writer I love Google.  It saves time on research.  I mean, what did people do before when you wanted to know something?  Actually talk to people?  The horror.)
  • Friends that get me and love me unconditionally. (Thank you for the material.  Oh, you didn’t realize that I’ve based a character in my book from your adventures?  Pay no attention to this list.)
  • That they finally found Sophia on The Walking Dead.  Even though she ended up being a zombie and Rick had to shoot her in the head.  (On a side note, I am totally on Team Shane.)
  • Music – I love music
  • The Closer is back for five final episodes!
  • And the big one, health.  (You can’t put a price on good health.)

These things can go on and on but I’ll stop there.

This Thanksgiving season, what are you thankful for?

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When Your Parents are Dating………Other People

My parents divorced when I was 13.  After a couple of years I gave up all illusions of them ever getting back together again.  This post isn’t about some wish that they would reunite as a couple after all these years.  No, this post is about dealing with your parents as they date other people.

In the thirty years that my parents have been divorced, they have each married other people.  One marriage ended in divorce and the other ended when a spouse died.  So, they are both single and (God, I hate how this sounds) dating again.  My dilemma is:   what is the proper etiquette to follow if you don’t like someone your parent dates?  Everyone is an adult in this situation but that is still my parent.  I feel the need to look out for them and protect them from harm.  Should I voice my opinion even if it is based on a feeling and not hard evidence?  Should I stay silent and supportive and hope they figure the person out for themselves?

I’m struggling here.  Any advice would be appreciated.

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Is urban fiction defined by its subject – or the skin colour of its author? | Books | The Guardian

This is a question I have been wondering about since I began to seriously write novels of my own.  Check it out.

Is urban fiction defined by its subject – or the skin colour of its author? | Books | The Guardian.

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NBA Lockout – One Fan’s Perspective

Somebody blow the whistle.  There has been a foul called on the season.  As a fan of the NBA, I call a flagrant foul on the part of millionaires and billionaires.  Why?  For arguing over percentage points of BRI (basketball related income) and forgetting that the fans provide a lot of that income.

If you have followed the lockout saga as closely as I have then  you know that the owners issued their “final offer”.  You also know that the players rejected said offer.  Now it looks like they are headed toward decertification of the union and a long drawn out fight in a courtroom.

I am a reasonable person.  I have looked at this from both sides.  The owners want shorter contracts, smaller salaries, and some assurances that their Superstar/All-Star player can’t decide he wants out and pairs up with another superstar (looking at  you, Lebron and Carmelo).  Small market teams want to be able to compete with the Los Angeles and New York.  The players want the same number of years for guaranteed contracts and more freedom (free agency) to change teams.  They feel like they have already given back to ownership with a reduction in BRI from 57% to 53%.

I know I have generalized the many moving parts of the NBA labor impasse.  I know its more than BRI, free agent movement and small market team viability.  But as a fan, this is what I know for sure.  None of it matters to me.  I just want to see basketball games.

I want to see if the Dallas Mavericks can repeat as Champions.  I want to root against the Miami Heat.  I want to see the up and coming teams of Memphis, Chicago and Oklahoma City.  I want to see if my beloved Lakers have another run left in them.  I want to see it all.

So, if it’s true t hat basketball doesn’t stop, who do I blame for taking the ball and going home?  I wish the owners and players would work this thing out and save the season.  I love basketball.  But like a jilted lover, if  the NBA breaks my  heart, they may never regain my love.

 

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Penn State – An Article I Agree With

 

Charles P. Pierce on the brutal truth about the crimes at Penn State – Grantland.

I read this article by Charles Pierce on the Grantland website.  Despite all the coverage of the Penn State crimes, this writer sums up my feelings on the matter.

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R.I.P. – Heavy D

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for a musical shout out to one of the legends of old school rap.  I grew up listening to this man’s music and every time I hear these songs I am transported back to a simpler time.   These songs are on the soundtrack of my teenage years.

Gone too soon, Heavy D!

And my personal favorite!

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Movie Review – N-Secure

 

My “fall back” Sunday started out easy.   The kids were with their grandfather, hubby was overdosing on football Sunday and I had some uninterrupted “me” time.   I spent part of the day writing and then decided to hit the Redbox and find something to watch.  I chose to watch the movie “N-Secure”.  I chose unwisely.

The preview stated that the film was a no holds-barred thrilling drama mixed with murder, mayhem and manipulation among affluent professionals. This film sheds light on a man’s downfall from the pinnacles of success into the depths of his damaged character. His insecurities lead him into a series of troubled romantic relationships and eventually a web of events that include betrayal and murder.  I figured I would give it a look since the main character appeared to have some of the controlling aspects that have been revealed in one of the main characters in my current work in progress.  I wanted to see how the screenwriter developed the character.  I discovered that character development wasn’t a strength for this film.

I went into it with an open mind.  I really did.  Sure, I wasn’t expecting Oscar worthy performances but I did expect decent acting and dialogue.  The movie started out pleasant enough.  Anytime a movie starts with a  Jill Scott song playing I am in a good place.  Jill makes me happy.  But the movie itself, not so much.

Here is a quick rundown of the action:  David is engaged to Robin.  David is rigid, controlling and uncompromising.  His life is planned down to the minute and he holds everyone to his high standard.  He appears to be an unbearable jerk and you wonder why Robin stays with him.  Oh, yeah, he’s rich.  The day before their wedding, Robin confesses to her best friend that she doesn’t even love David.  (Who can blame her?)  Then Robin is caught attempting to cheat with her best friend’s finance.  David throws her out.  He then kills the man she “cheated” with by cutting his brakes but the cops rule it a suicide without any further investigating.  David then proceeds to go into another relationship with Tina where  his “insecurities” make him take the control thing up a notch.  I’m talking trackers on cars, using a blue light on the  sheets, instructions on answering his calls and his ten commandments.  Tina can’t even burn herself on the neck with a curling iron without being accused of having a hickie.  It would be disturbing if it wasn’t so badly acted as to be unbelievable.   There were several times I laughed out loud at the terrible dialogue and the predictable action.  The best thing about the movie was the beautiful scenes of Memphis where the story took place.

N-Secure felt like it could have been a decent drama about domestic violence and showed the circumstances and consequences of those relationships.  The movies “Enough” and “Sleeping with the Enemy” are an example.   But N-Secure failed on so many levels that it can’t be taken seriously.  One good thing came out of my viewing.  It did give me a blog post.  And I got to listen to some Jill Scott.