Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wake up and pay attention

CNN: Abortion debate trivializes rape

There is so much to scream about with this whole situation, I can't sum up. You cannot legislate morality. We tried it with the Prohibition, so go study it and learn how it was a failure. And if they don't stop legislating what I can do with my body, I'm going to start a campaign that men have to carry the precious fetuses that they don't want aborted.

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The BookWorm

Monday, May 30, 2011

Two for two

Thank you to all our fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price. Happy Memorial Day to the rest of us enjoying the holiday.

It's been an interesting weekend, like a mild version of the Chinese curse. :p Friday, it finally dawns on my parents that they need to tell me what my paternal grandfather had done Wednesday that FINALLY made Dad put his foot down and tell Mom she wasn't going down to his house to help his father any more and consequently I don't have a second job any more.

It lasted longer than I thought it would.

By Sunday, the senile old bastard (and before I hear any grief about that, my great-grandparents and my step-grandparents were the ones who loved me and my sisters like grandchildren should be loved and they're all dead.) cut Dad out of his will because Dad wasn't jumping up to go help him. I don't feel sorry for him; he has spent a lifetime building up this karma.

Second not-good surprise: my aunt by marriage tried to arrange a blind date for me. I nipped this in the bud, but the real irritation--besides the why don't you believe me that I'm HAPPY single, damnit! feeling--was I told her that's not how I want to meet this guy. Mom and I outlined a plan that wouldn't put my on display and make all my self-conscious freak-out flare up, and she completely ignored it for a group thing with her church who I've only met two other members of! So who would have my back if it totally flopped? Bueller? Anyone?

So far, my weekend clean-off the project list task has been having the best progress. I cleaned up the outline for Stellar Gift of Death, put a door draft guard on my front door, found out that I can't put off dental work any longer and scheduled it for June, watered the big plants in the yard, cleaned the fridge and freezer and rearranged the shelves, cleaned out the pantry and rearranged the contents slightly, caught up on dishes, and have dusted 2 rooms. I still have 21 items on my list to do on top of my usual chores, but if they don't get finished, they'll be ready to pick up next Saturday. If I don't have a new second job by then.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Friday, May 27, 2011

Too Cute!



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The BookWorm

Friday, May 20, 2011

Friday again

Yesterday, I thrust my foot into the computer battery under my cubicle desk trying to push back my chair. My foot failed to get friction against the carpet and I wasn't wearing my shoes at the time, so my toes took the brunt of it. The pain is down to my second toe but it still hurts enough today that I'm limping. There was no bruise this morning, but that status may change by the time I get home.

I have finally caught up on my Google Reader's backlog! That has been feeling like an impossible task lately.

So weekend plans: it's a second job day Saturday; I need to catch up on laundry, dishes, and pay bills; and I'd like to get some editing done according to the feedback I got for "Words of Parting."

If I get the editing done, the next task is to research more markets. I have three stories to shop around and I have an irrational fear of the process. yes, darlings, I know it's irrational and it will only get better as I confront the Fear Monger. But I only have so much free time.

Currently in Stellar Gift of Death, I'm handwriting Chapter 15 totally before typing again, hopefully to forestall the short-circuit my brain has every time I reach the end of the longhand notes. It's really annoying and screws with my forward progress.

Pirates 4 is not on the list. Money is still that tight. The next movie will probably be for Father's Day and then crossing fingers that I will find extra money for Captain America and the last Harry Potter. I want to kill off the debt, but those movie experiences I'm not willing to sacrifice. But who knows, the budget may surprise me and I may get to see my cutlass and cannon-fire goodness next weekend.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday, May 16, 2011

Rembered the camera

But the batteries suck at holding a charge and I need to get new rechargable ones. So I apologize fro the crap quality, my camera usually takes better pictures than this.

That swatch of blue with the boats on it behind the buildings and the trees is the Mississippi River as seen from the third floor straight out our lobby windows at about 6:45am this morning.


If the camera had been behaving better, I would have tried for a shot of the Hollywood Casino's paddlewheel casino. Under normal river conditions, it is blocked by buildings and you can't see it from our parking lot. Today you could see portions of it.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Sunday, May 15, 2011

More River news

For my international friends, Wikipedia: the Mississippi River. They do a much better job of showing just how big the Big Muddy is, and how many states have been affected by this flooding.

WAFB's River Watch Page: one of the Baton Rouge news stations, the CBS affiliate, with the best online coverage IMHO.

CNN: Evacuations ordered in Louisiana as Mississippi River spillway opens CNN's latest report.

Map of Louisiana: the purple pin is Hammond, where I live. I work in Baton Rouge, and you can see where Alexandria and New Orleans are relative to me. Unexpectedly, you can also see where Natchitoches (where I got my B.A.) is, and the town at the top left corner whose name got cut off is Shreveport where my baby sister lives.


With that clear map in mind, here's an image of where the Morganza Spillway will flood (courtesy of WAFB).


Courtesy of WAFB, this is what it looked like ten minutes after one gate of the Morganza Spillway opened. They ended up opening two, and two more will be opened today.


Courtesy of WAFB and NASA, this image of the Bonnet Carre spillway was taken April 29th with only a portion of its gates open. All of its gates should be open by the end of today.


I'm off to go work on my fiction, so I can drop my fret levels.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Friday, May 13, 2011

I keep forgetting my camera

But the view of the Mississippi River from my office building is pretty awesome (in the quake in your boots way). I keep forgetting my camera even after I tell myself to bring it, hopefully Monday I'll remember to pack it.

Luckily, I live in Hammond. My house isn't in any danger from the Mississippi flooding it or from the measures the Army Corps of Engineers will do to save New Orleans and Baton Rouge. However, I work just a few blocks from the Big Muddy. As you can see on this map.



I want the levees to hold because our disaster plans relocate the Department of Insurance to Alexandria, and despite what those in charge of making the disaster plan think, it is NOT a commutable distance.

Here's a link to a PDF file the Advocate put together showing the spillways they are discussing on the news on a map. I need the visual. Speaking of visuals, here's CNN's Open Story iReporters and regular citizens sending in their footage.

I don't know if the true scope of this is felt yet because it is so slow. The Red Cross will need money to operate shelters that people will be depending on for months. So if you can spare it, think about all the communities from Illinois to Louisiana along Old Man River's route.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday, May 09, 2011

Reading Quiz

Via jeymien. *Snort* My online handle is "KLCtheBookWorm" and my signature phrase is "read free!" Is anyone really surprised at the results?

What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Dedicated Reader
 

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
 
Literate Good Citizen
 
Book Snob
 
Fad Reader
 
Non-Reader
 
What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz


Read Free!
The BookWorm