Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Why I am homeschool my boys

Well, there are lots of reasons. But if I were to write a mission statement, it would read a lot like this essay by Paul Graham. I hope for them to have this attitude towards their school now and towards their work when they're older.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

I can like Ricky Davis


I can't find a picture of him in a Timberwolves uniform yet, but I can like him. Not because he scored 26 points last night (tying a franchise record for a player's debut game), although that was cool. It's because even when on the bench he was involved in the game, cheering the others on (giving Mark Madsen some serious competition in that department). He's looking to integrate with the team, and I have to respect that. And he seems genuinely geeked to have the opportunity to play with Kevin Garnett. It's hard to judge by just one game (my heart is a little harder to win than that, thank you very much), but I think I can like Ricky Davis.

Friday, January 27, 2006

What's that sound?

It's the sound of my heart breaking. Kevin McHale just traded away my Wally. He went in a package to the Boston Celtics with Michael Olowokandi (the only good news part of this), Dwayne Jones, and a future first-round selection. In return we get Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Justin Reed, Marcus Blanks, and two second-round selections.

What a genius plan! We need a third shooter to win. So what does our VP do? He trades our second shooter (who is frequently the first shooter) for a bunch of defensive players. Yeah, that'll work.

This is probably good news for Wally. Boston is a lot closer to his home (New York), and I wouldn't be surprised if big things didn't happen for him in Boston. But it sucks for us. I don't see good things coming to us out of this.

And now I need a new jersey...

Thursday, January 26, 2006

And this my friends is why the internet ROCKS!

I read a book in the fourth grade. Actually, I read lots of books in the fourth grade, but this one was special. This one made me want to be a witch (which led to a fire-and-brimstone lecture that I can still recall in vivid detail, but never mind). I have been trying for years to find this book again. The trouble is, I couldn't remember the title. I only remembered that I had read it in the fourth grade, that it was available from the Scholastic Book Club (all my friends had it), and that the title was long, lots of names including the name of the school. It was about two girls who wanted to be witches, and when they first met one was sitting in a tree wearing shoes that were too big for her.

Sure, you wouldn't think that would be enough to ever track that book down. I've been looking through the children's shelves at used book stores for years for a long title that would click in my memory but never found it. I've tried internet searches. I've even tried paging through every children and YA book with witches in it listed in the Library of Congress (OK, I did that before I had kids, when I had more time on my hands). But I never found it.

Then last week Quin found a book that he only vaguely remembered from his younger days called Black and Blue Magic. He couldn't remember the title either, but he searched for "boy, wings, potion, not Harry Potter" and found a librarian's website where she mentioned it by title and author. So he has his book now, and Aidan is looking forward to reading it (it's just a little beyond him now but he is very clear he does NOT want it read to him. He wants to do it himself. COOL!).

So I decided it was time to try another look for my own book. I googled all the nouns I could think of (do you have any idea how many children's books have witches in them? A lot.) I wasn't having much luck with Google, but I did find a website called Loganberrybooks.com which seems to exist just to help people find books they read as children but can't remember the title of. You post a summary and a bunch of people (they seem to be booksellers and librarians) take guesses. I decided to page around for a bit before posting anything and - joy of joy - there was my book! It was a wrong guess for a different book, but I knew once the guesser described it (heck, I knew from the title) that was my book. And it's still in print!

So now I've ordered it, and in less than a week I'll be holding Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsburg in my hands again for the first time in... more years than I care to count up just now. I hope it's as good as I remember.

Monday, January 23, 2006

..and so we reach the end of another obsession




I watched the seventh volume of Samurai Champloo this weekend, the one with the last episode on it. There is no more (unless they decide to make a movie like they did for Cowboy Bebop. Please? Please?).

In some ways, I think the way Japanese shows run is the perfect story arc. 26 or so episodes. That's short enough to sustain an arc over all eposodes but long enough to allow for some asides (like baseball and zombies) (not together, but wouldn't that be cool?). Most TV shows are only good for a year or two before they start repeating themselves. As much as I loved season one of Lost and am eagerly awaiting the DVD release of season two in July or August, I share Stephen King's hope that they know when to stop. I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. The show had closure at the end of season 5. Then it had two years of denouement. (For added irony, keep in mind that season 6 is my favorite).

Samurai Champloo left me simultaneously satisfied with the closure yet hungry for more. How cool is that? I found it particularly interesting as I have read some history books about this period in Japan's history (when the shogunate had forbidden Westerners to enter their country - they only traded with the Dutch, and the Dutch were only allowed on a single island in the harbor - and when the persecution of Christians was happening). But I've never read a version told from the Japanese point of view. I particularly liked the symbolism of the sunflowers (think pretty weeds). And yet I couldn't really call their view anti-western; the show is intentionally steeped with hip-hop culture.

But perhaps the true reason I love the show is Jin and Mugen. They remind me of my sons. Aidan is somewhat like Jin (serious and mild-mannered), but Oliver is a Mugen all the way (wild and unrestrained). Mugen has a line: "Well, now that you told me not to, it makes me want to do it!" which is Oliver to a T. It's probably just as well we don't have a daughter. If she were a Fuu I wouldn't be able to leave her unattended for a minute or she'd be abducted and forced to work in a brothel.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Ok, now I'm pissed

Someone is making a live-action Beowulf movie. They're shooting it in Iceland. Sounds cool, right? It certainly sounded cool to me. I checked out the trailer on their website. The 13th Warrior is a more faithful retelling. Not to sound like I'm knocking The 13th Warrior, that movie was fun and based on a cool idea, but it was made by people who didn't feel that historical research was of any merit. If you don't believe me, perhaps you'll believe The Viking Answer Lady (she rocks).

So what is the great sin of this new movie? They take one of the coolest mother characters in all fictiondom and turned her into a son. The Dark Mother smiting the men who killed her boy is now a son avenging his father (because there was such a dearth of movies about that). By crikey, I'm pissed.

On the upside, the performance capture/computer animated version Bob Zemickis is making from the Neil Gaiman/Roger Avary script has Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, and nothing says Dark Mother like Angelina Jolie. It's practically type-casting.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Crystal Rain

The first three chapters (plus prologue - with a map!) of Crystal Rain are now up here. I'm loving it so far. It's kind of cool reading it this way, a chapter at a time, like a serial. Cool in a "that's the end for today? But what happens next?!?" kind of way ('cause you know I'm going to plow through the last two-thirds in like a day as soon as I get my hands on the book next month). Interesting for me is the way he writes dialect (not so much in the prologue, but it really comes to fore in Chapter One). It's easy to follow and a joy to read out loud (I'm a geek, I read dialogue out loud. Sue me). There are no apostrophes or strange spellings, and I'm sure Steven Pinker would say it's more grammatical in a linguistic sense of the term than standard English. I'm digging it.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Martin Luther King Day

So today is Martin Luther King Day, which does mean something a little more than there is no mail delivery today. It means the Timberwolves are playing at noon, so finally I get to see a game that my husband is missing because he's working.

In all seriousness, my older son is eight now, so I figured he was old enough to have a real discussion about who MLK was and why he is important. I hit my all-time favorite source for anything, wikipedia.org, where I found a complete transcript of the "I have a dream" speech as well as a Real Player video version of the entire speech. Up until this point, I think the most I've ever seen was just the very end of it. It's well worth seeing the entire ten minute speech (who doesn't have ten minutes?) to appreciate what a powerful orator MLK was. But you'll want to have that transcript handy, some of it is a bit hard to hear.

I had to pause the speech a few times to explain segregation, discrimination, and the civil rights movement. Aidan nods along, yes he understands what I'm explaining, and listens to the whole speech (which is a long time for him to sit still, particularly since it was a challenge to make out the words).

As usual with these teaching moments, it all came crashing down. We only had a halfday of school so Mom could watch the game, and of course the sportscasters are observing the holiday by interviewing players and coaches about what MLK means to them. Aidan watched them talking to the Timberwolves coach Dwayne Casey:


And Aidan says to me, "So, is that a black man?"

See, when I was talking about segregation and discrimination and the civil rights movement I had neglected to defined the terms "white" and "black". I can understand his confusion, looking around his world it doesn't look like two distinct groups. He has a cousin of mixed race. The kids he plays with at the park come from all over the world. He's played with kids from Russia and Chile and India as well as China and Africa (quite a few with parents that don't speak English). He sees a lot more diversity than I ever did at his age, and I went to a public school. He doesn't see two distinct groups; he just sees a spectrum of colors.

I think Martin Luther King would have liked that.

Oh yeah, and go Wolves!


The first one's free

Tobias Buckell is posting chapters from his novel Crystal Rain, which will be out in February. Loyal readers of my blog will know I'm a huge Buckell fan, so this is pretty exciting (plus, who doesn't love free stuff?). I believe the plan is to have the first third up there by the time the book hits stores. The excerpts are being posted here. Did I mention this was free?

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Just some quick instructions

Go to okgo.net. Make the appropriate selection for your video player under "A Million Ways" Dance. Enjoy.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Ayn Rand versus Thomas the Very Useful Engine


Well, my sons have a new obsession. Trains. They got mildly interested last year after we took them to see The Polar Express. We saw it at the IMAX in 3D, which was really cool, but on DVD it's much less compelling. The characters have no names and there is no logic behind anything that happens. It's like a Steven Seagal movie for the younger set: It's been five minutes, something has to explode. Not to mention the lesson learned is to stop asking questions and just believe what you're told (yeah, I know they're talking about Santa Claus, but it's still an evil thing to tell kids). And don't get me started on the creepy zombie children.


For Christmas this year the boys got a Lego electric train (which is more interesting than a regular electric train that just goes in circles because you can build your own train cars, and Oliver can build some pretty whacked-out cars). Since then they've both been mad about trains. So my husband came home one night with a stack of Thomas the Very Useful Engine DVDs (he's a shopaholic, but that's a whole other post).

And I thought I hated The Polar Express! This show is just like watching electric trains go round and round. Although I like it when the engines steam up; there's more smoke pouring around than in a Cheech and Chong movie. But again mostly I hate the message (and this shows really pushes its message). These engines are very neurotic about whether they are being Useful enough. That is their only goal in life. Most of the engines are green and blue, and in one episode they threaten to repaint the only red train because he's just too proud of being different. Apparently he proved his Usefulness enough in other ways, because he's still red. The creepiest by far is when one of the engines hid in a tunnel while it was raining, and the station master went out with a bunch of bricks and walled him in because he wasn't being Useful enough (and he stayed there until the next episode).

But it was when the station master gave Thomas two passenger cars, Annie and Clarabel, as a reward for being a Very Useful Engine that my husband finally suggested I keep my opinions to myself, as the boys were actually enjoying the show (I made some remark about the best hunters and warriors always getting two wives. Also, I probably griped that the only female characters were passive passenger cars and not active engines).

Still, it's the idea that the highest goal in life is to be Useful to others that bugs me most. Which made me think, what would Ayn Rand think of this show? She must be spinning in her grave. I have nothing against helping others, of course, but the emphasis this show puts on self-sacrifice for the good of others and the disdain it has for people who actually take pride in their work and abilities is extreme. I just think that societies get on better when everyone works hard at the sorts of things they like to do for the rewards they want to have (like the industrialists in Atlas Shrugged) rather than everyone putting aside their own desires (like being red in a world of blues and greens) for the good of others. But then that's why I'm a capitalist, not a socialist.

Ringo Starr narrates one of the DVDs, and George Carlin does the other. That and the Cheech and Chong subtext is all the enjoyment I can get out of this show. I count the years until they are old enough to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer with me. *Sigh.*

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

I might be a Luddite



If you've never been to my house, you're probably wondering why I'm posting this picture (or saying to yourself "nice marker work on the walls there"). If you have been to my house, you're probably wondering where the microwave went to.

The previous owners built this little nook for their absolutely massive microwave (it's nearly bigger than our proper oven). It says "Kenmore" on the front, but I would swear it's a prototype. I am certain it predates at least three decades worth of radiation safety guidelines. We don't use it for much, as it takes four and a half minutes to heat up a cup of water (hence the electric kettle on the right there; I need boiling water for tea, not just marginally hot water).


Ah, but I should be using the past tense, as our microwave finally expired shortly after Christmas. Since we used it so little, this hasn't affected our lives much. I did price some microwaves, but in the end even the cheapest seemed a bit much to pay for the three or four times a year we have a hankering for popcorn. I'm sure I can work out how to cook it on the stove (the way the pioneers did). Or there's always Jiffy-Pop (which the boys might like better anway, 'cause it's fun).

So we are now microwave-less. And as you can see, I cannot resist the urge to fill any empty space with books. It's a little dark, but there are two layers of books in there, mostly homeschool stuff that was stowed away in a closet where I kept forgetting I had it. Plus some cookbooks (in case you thought we were studying PASTA).

Aidan was a little put out when I was moving the (extremely heavy) microwave out of the kitchen. "So we're going to be without a microwave for the rest of our years?!?" (He's eight).

So that leaves only the refrigerator and the drier as appliances that were in the house when we moved in here. And I have my eye on the fridge. I think the sands in its hourglass are just about up.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

My work space

Some of the other writers whose blogs I read have been posting pics of their workspace, so I thought I'd join in. Here is my office, which is both my writing space and where I do my "day job".



My attempts to get a picture of myself inside my workspace have been less successful. I tried taking it myself by putting the camera on a box, clicking the button, and sliding my chair back to the desk real fast. The best one of these (let me stress, best) makes me look like I'm working stoned:





So I enlisted some help (that would be my husband), but the best of these is this one, where I look like a shiny, punch-drunk zombie:



Perhaps after midnight is just too late for this sort of nonsense.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

My New Year's resolution

For Christmas Eve this year, I got a short story rejection. Then for New Year's Eve I got another one. Happy Holidays. The Christmas Eve one didn't bother me much, but the second one bit. It was a story a really liked ("Seagull and Raven" for those of you keeping score), and it didn't even make the quarter-finals, which I've been doing consistently up to this point. I read the story again. I still really like it. It will be interesting to see what becomes of my entry of this quarter, since I only sent it because it was the only thing I had ready. It's not really the same in tone as most of WOTF, almost horror. Wait, I write horror? At any rate, I feel better about sending that one now as I had felt so good about this completely snubbed story it's clear I have no sense of what they are looking for. Maybe they'll like this new one. Who knows?

And I just realized, I sent "Seagull and Raven" on to the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, who rejected me on Christmas Eve. Ah, the old swaparoo. That's not really a coincidence; I send everything to FSF first because they respond in about 10 days. Then they go on to other mags, the ones where I don't hear back for 2-3 months.

At any rate, my New Year's Resolution is to get more rejections.... I mean to send things out more. All my short stories are waiting in slush piles right now, except for the one I decided would work better as novel #3, but that's not a heck of a lot, actually. So, resolution #2: Write more stories. So I can get more rejections. Maybe #3 should be, read Wil Wheaton's blog. Because nothing makes me feel better about story rejections than reading his account of the auditioning process. I can always say at least I'm not an actor.

A little game to play

Here are the rules:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don’t search around and look for the “coolest” book you can find. Do what’s actually next to you.

And here's my sentence:

"But he was back in a moment, drifting awkwardly through the air as he massaged a cramped calf."

I'm willing to bet no one will know what this sentence comes from. It's hardly "Call me Ishmael".

PS: Googling the sentence is cheating. It will give you an author but not the book. It will also give you a little Frodo/Sam slash fiction. Slash fiction, one of many things I just don't get...

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Special Issue! The Timberwolves Episode Guide

I am publicly admitting it: I was not on board with Buffy from episode one. I had heard about the show and was intrigued, but it premiered about the same time as my first son and I was busy. Also, I thought I was a little too old to still be watching shows about high schoolers.

But my coworkers at the Red Cross midnight shift were huge Buffy fans. I knew when a new episode had aired because it would be all that was talked about in the break room. So you can say I got into Buffy from the oral tradition.

But I didn't start actually watching the show until Entertainment Weekly did a complete episode guide complete with character descriptions of the first three seasons. Also, Buffy was going to college and I figured I wasn't too old to watch a show about college students. That and I was working a more normal job (only after working the midnight shift could a job that starts at 6 a.m. be called "normal").

So what's the point of all this? Well, it occurred to me that if someone wanted to started watching Timberwolves on TV, and that someone felt they couldn't really get into it because they didn't know the players, what that someone needed was a Timberwolves episode guide. Or rather, just the "character" descriptions. I'm a fiction writer, everything I see on TV is fiction as far as I'm concerned, and everyone I see is a character on a show. So, here are our characters:

Kevin Garnet (21, F): Don't even tell me you don't know KG. He's solid, he's a star, and he's a gentleman. I don't just mean he's a teamplayer, although he is. The Wolves took some local Katrina kids Christmas shopping as part of their Fastbreak charity work, and while the others were helping the kids find Xboxes and walkmans, KG was helping them pick out clothes (and harrassing them to try things on to be sure they fit; there was no point in getting them clothes they would never wear). Well, I found it funny. KG is coolest when he starts facing away from the basket, then spins and shoots like he's got eyes in the back of his head. The man always knows where the basket is.

Wally Szczerbiak (10, F-C): You can pronounced that like "Zerbiak". He's dad was a basketball player from Eastern Europe who played in the US and Europe (Wally was born in Madrid but grew up on Long Island). He was uneven last year but had a few spectacular games. This year he's playing at all-star level, which is really fun to watch. He averaged more than 25 points a game in December. Plus, he's been working on his defense (as in, he's actually playing defense). My jersey is a Szczerbiak ('nuff said).

Troy Hudson (16, G): Point guard with a mean 3-pointer, although one of the changes with our new coach Dwayne Casey is that the point guards focus on ball movement rather than making their own shots. T-Hud is on my computer wallpaper. I like the way he bounce/skips when he dribbles (it might be because of the hair; if he were bald it probably wouldn't look so fra-la-la when he's moving down court). Troy was second guy to Sam Cassell last year, and now he's second to Marko Jaric, but he's a great off-the-bench player. He has chronic leg/hip troubles that put him on the injured list, though. He also raps (as T-Hud), but unlike Ron Artest, he has no conflict about what he'd rather be doing (definitely a basketball player first).

Marko Jaric (55, G): Jaric is new to the team this year from our trade with the Clippers (we gave up Sam Cassell, which is said because I always liked Sam. He looked like Yoda or ET, but in a good way). Marko is our starting point guard, good with ball movement and very quick on the steal. He's scoring is only middling, however. He's another Eastern European (born in the former Yugoslavia), and his father was also a basketball player in Europe. He has a sort of studious vibe, like he's trying hard to do what's expected, but he's also fun to watch (if that makes sense).

Trenton Hassell (23, G): Mostly their as a defensive player, but he can score some crucial 3-pointers.

Michael Olowokandi (34, C): Tall and lanky with this hair that seems to have a life of its own (Quin thinks he's letting it grow out so he can start dreadlocks). He's from Nigeria, the son of a diplomat (so he grew up in England). Up through last year I couldn't stand him, he never seemed to be trying or taking anything seriously, always late for the plane or getting arrested in clubs. But he seems to have really clicked with the new coach's style. He is mostly their to block and get rebounds, but he's been getting some points lately too, and he actually looks like he enjoys being in the NBA (and for as much as these guys get paid, they should all look like their having fun, in my book).

Eddie Griffin (41, F): I have a soft spot for Griffin. He had a brush with the law over the summer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it seems to have really gotten his head in the right place. He's very focused on his game, but he seems shy. He had a personal best game last Wednesday (best point total, but he also had a double double because he was on the rebounds). He ducked out of the locker room to avoid the press. Then he played really abominably on Friday, trying for 3-pointers when he should have passed the ball. I think the praise freaked him out. But I'm sure he'll find his focus again.

Rashad McCants (1, G): Our draft pick and hence a rookie, but he has potential. Granted, he seems to think he's a star already and is looking for the refs to throw calls his way, and given the choice between a solid shot and an opportunity to showboat, he'll pick the showboat. But that's cool, he's young yet, and KG in particular seems to really enjoy playing with him. I think KG is looking for a younger player to act as mentor to, as Sam Mitchell was for him, and McCants may be the one. He's worth keeping an eye on.

Richie Frahm (24, G): Another new guy (coming to us from Portland). He looks too young to be playing in the NBA (and when did I get to be older than most NBA players? When did that happen?). He's uneven yet, but he's made some impressive 3-pointers, especially in the season opener.

Anthony Carter (7, G): I like AC. I'm sure he's colossally tall, but he looks stocky like a Tolkein dwarf. It must be the neck; he has a seriously thick neck. He's our third point guard so he doesn't get a lot of minutes. He had a really spectacular game once last year which was fun to watch since he usually doesn't get much play time. He's an aggressive player, but not unprofressionally so.

Ronald Dupree (12, F): He's new and doesn't get a lot of minutes. He does have really skinny legs (even for a basketball player).

Mark Madsen (35, F): Former Laker. Nickname is Mad Dog (I don't know why, he seems so nice). He's there for defense (Shaq has a better freethrow percentage), but he's also the team's #1 cheerleader. Whenever they show the bench during the game, Mark is on his feet, fist pumping, cheering the rest of the team on. He may not get many minutes, but he's presence is invaluable. Personally, I think part of the reason we tanked last year were his injuries. Without him there, the others just don't play as well.

Nikoloz Tskitishivili (17, F): You know, I've not actually seen him play (I work three nights a week, so I only catch about half the games). Apparently he speaks six languages and has the nickname "Skita". According to his bio, his favorite players as a kid were Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. So that was like, what, two years ago? Eek! These guys make me feel old.

Dwayne Jones (11, F-C): We have a player named Dwayne Jones????

Bracey White (6, G): We have a player named Bracey White??? These guys must be new.

If you're a number cruncher, everyone's stats are here. And if you're a visual person, they all have pics (and bios) up here.

Two more people need mentioning. The first is our brand new coach Dwayne Casey. I like him. He's done wonders for our team, motivating the slackers and getting Wally to focus on his defensive game just to start. I guess the guy has no family: he lives, breathes, and eats basketball (or something like that). And when he's mad, he gets this look in his eye... I'm glad he's not my dad, that's all I'm saying.

And then there is Freddy Hoiberg (32): He's not on the team this year. He had surgery over the summer to fix a congenital heart valve defect, and he has a pacemaker now and is still getting his strength back. If he does get to play again, he'll be the first NBA player to play with a pacemaker. I hope he does; he's a solid player with a positive attitude (definitely has that farmboy from Iowa vibe, married his highschool sweetheart, the whole nine yards). You can see him sitting behind the bench; he still works with the Wolves in practices (I've heard his name come up in particular when Frahm was nailing 3-pointers during the season opener). It's gotta suck for him, being at all the games but never getting to play. Best wishes to Freddy.

Things to watch for as a team: I mentioned the new coach has put the focus on defense (as in, you play solid defense or you don't get your minutes). There were 20 turnovers in the last game against Orlando. It was pathetic and sad. But on the whole they are playing much better this year than last. KG and Wally are both on spec; we're just looking for someone to step up and take the role of third scorer. Will it be Griffin? Jaric? McCants? That's going to make the difference between making the play-offs or (like last year) not.