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Apr. 25th, 2006 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cleolindaOuchy tummy. I tried to work this afternoon but ended up sleeping off a large lunch we had at the Superior Grill (as if there is any other kind there). The Lunch Fajitas special, as you may know if you are or ever have been in Birmingham, is spicy rice, tortilla soup, and A SIZZLING PLATTER OF MEAT AS HOT AS THE SUN. (I got chicken.) I mean, yes, there are onions and peppers and wrappy-wrappy tortillas involved, not to mention each person getting her own personal dish of salsa, but that platter, ye gods. I burned my fingers on the lemon wedge. (Maybe this is why they have the tiny bowl of melted garlic butter, because I'm not sure what it's doing with the fajixings. Maybe it's ersatz burn salve?) But we had a nice lunch, and then we rolled ourselves, Violet Beauregarde-style, home. And were promptly useless for the rest of the day while all the oxygen fled to our stomachs.
(Well, I did get some writing done on the Fantasy Opus. I've had several groups of characters defined in the story's mythological pantheon, if that makes sense, but over the last week or so I've actually gone through and assigned each one a distinct name and personality. Some more so than others--it's been fun to see which few have come forward as the ones I would actually like to have interact with established characters. But it's been three groups--think, like, the way Greek mythology has muses and fates and groupings like that--for a total of about thirty-four quick sketches. It's not that I actually have to have them all running about simultaneously, but for world-building purposes, I need to have them straight, even if you never see them. Kind of the way JK Rowling probably has a large number of Hogwarts students sketched out in her mind, to deploy when necessary.)
Tomorrow, it's Happy Grandmother Movie Day again, and we're trying to figure out what to watch. Pirates of the Caribbean did not go over so well. Mostly, it was loud, overlong and convoluted (as far as my grandmother was concerned). She really liked the characters, so that wasn't a problem. And she loved Pride and Prejudice, so I'm wondering if she might like Sense and Sensibility (I say "wonder," because really the two movies are in very different styles. I mean, P&P is all about motion and realistically rushed dialogue and semi-natural lighting and superlong takes; S&S is, like all Ang Lee movies, about stillness. Which, hey, might be a bonus for my grandmother). But just in case, I'm bringing down The Princess Bride, the Errol Flynn Robin Hood, the Hitchcock Spellbound, and Laura, which I know she loves because she gave it to me for my birthday. We also briefly discussed, my mother and I, if she'd like the Lemony Snicket movie, but I was concerned that it was too morbid, given that Grandma has been going through a weird phase of dire self-denial ("Just get me two bananas... well, I don't know. I might not be here long enough to eat them." People, she's frail, not dying).
Speaking of my grandmother, the state tax people (as opposed to the IRS. What are they called, exactly? I can't remember; I just pay them) sent her a letter with several phrases in RED PRINTER INK, the most notable of which being that because she DID NOT PAY HER TAXES she will have to pay A FINE OF $25,000 or possibly GO TO JAIL. Her taxes are, number one, a grand total of seventy-two dollars, and they were, number two, paid on time anyway. My grandmother is nonetheless terrified that they are coming to cart her away at ANY MOMENT, and will not rest until she has official assurance otherwise, even though she actually has proof that they cashed the check. I'm a little pissed off because--people, she's eighty-two! She thinks she isn't going to live long enough to eat her banana! As much as we know we'll never find out who or why or how that letter was mistakenly sent, I kind of want to find the guy who did it and thwap him a good one.
Linkspam:
After a curt denial, Harvard sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan admits that she "internalized" the books of Megan F. McCafferty and has forty striking parallels to McCafferty's work in her own, How Opal Mehta Came Up With What Is, Really, Way Too Long a Title. Yeeeeeeah. I'm not too sure I buy that, particularly having read a couple of comparisons side-by-side. The wording smacks to me, still a student myself, as the kind of thing we do when we're trying to not actually plagiarize a source in a paper. The "internalizing" isn't the oblique copying of style or incident you might expect; it's sentence-for-sentence with slightly rearranged phrasing. But it also turns out that a "book packager" was involved with the creation of Viswanathan's book, which muddies the waters a bit. Much like the James Frey/Nan Talese editorial pairing, you can't really tell who was responsible for letting this kind of thing escape into the published wild. But it's also interesting because, as ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jonquil asks, what did Viswanathan bring to the table? If she can't "conceptualize" the book and she has to resort to someone else's prose in the writing of it--how the hell did she ever land a $500,000 advance in the first place?
(Seriously, tell me, so I can go do it myself. Six figures would be frickin' sweet.)elvensapphire: "You don't have to mention this if you don't want to, but this week is Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance, and today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. I think we're at a place in the world where, more than ever, we ought to pay attention to the eradication of needless prejudices and focus where we can on solidarity."istoo: "Tuesday, April 25th is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's"--from noon to 8 pm, if I recall correctly, so it's not too late. We didn't get out there because we were rendered immobile by fajitas, so sadly I did not get to try their Chocolate Therapy ice cream that I have been pining for yea these many months.finniscs: "I was wondering if you could pimp a fun little writing contest sponsored by my friends at warsheep productions? (They specialize in character portraits.) The contest is open to all ages, scifi/fantasy genre, 1500 words, with the theme 'First Adventure'. Deadline is June 1. Winner gets a free character portrait!allthelivesofme: There's a writing contest called the First Adventure Writing Competition going on . . . first prize is a character portrait." Hey... is that a glitch in the Matrix there? "Not sure if it's something you specifically would be interested in, Cleo, since you're busy (I can't imagine why. Heh), but someone might be. Also, I just found out about this neat little charity called Donors Choose, which lets teachers explain what their classrooms need, and people can search through and donate to specific schools/causes. I'm sponsoring a Challenge there. No idea how it'll work out, but worth a try." Sars at Tomato Nation just had a very successful Donors Choose fundraiser a couple of weeks ago, as I recall. She said she'd shave her head if people raised $30,000 (I think it was?), and she'd barely hit POST before the money poured in. Then again, she is Sars. I'm just saying, Donors Choose seems to be good people. 
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:36 pm (UTC)I once read an interview of JK Rowling where she talked about this, and said that she has character sketches of about 40 students in Harry's class at Hogwarts on paper, just for this purpose, and I think she did it very early on in the series.
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:37 pm (UTC)Yay Free Cone Day! Now I just have to muster up the courage to get over there with billions of other sugar-addicted people.
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-25 11:39 pm (UTC)The resulting essay and pictures from when Sars shaved her head are fun. :-)
And, "internalized"? Uhh . . . I saw the side-by-side paragraphs, too, that was not accidental. Maybe once you can remember a phrase and think that you're just creating it, but forty times?
Speaking of books, sounds like the Fantasy Opus is starting out well. *s*
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:40 pm (UTC)No glitch, of course not. Nope. ;-D
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-25 11:46 pm (UTC)So, anyway, my heart goes out to your grandma. If she ever can't finish her bananas, throw them at the tax-people.
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Date: 2006-04-25 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-25 11:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2006-04-26 12:03 am (UTC)Thank you for linking, honey. I really appreciate that.
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Date: 2006-04-26 12:04 am (UTC)As I was saying before the music interrupted, my grandma is in a nasty situation herself right now. She's being pushed out of her own office by the guy who bought the firm she's worked at for the past 40+ years. It's rather blatant age discrimination, but she doesn't have the cash or the heart for a long court case.
Oh, and this is completely irrelevant, but her job? Is tax preparation.
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Date: 2006-04-26 01:03 am (UTC)Women’s shelters in the U.S. go through thousands of tampons and pads monthly, and, while agencies generally assist with everyday necessities such as toilet paper, diapers, and clothing, this most basic need is often overlooked. You and I may take our monthly trips down the feminine care aisle for granted, but, for women in shelters, a box of tampons is five dollars they can’t spare. Here’s some good news: you can help us contribute to rectifying this situation by making a virtual donation below!
For each virtual donation, Seventh Generation will send a pack of organic cotton tampons or chlorine-free pads to a shelter in your state.
Please feel free to "donate" at http://www.tampontification.com/donate.php. It's a free donation! Go figure! all it takes is a moment of your time.
Beth
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Date: 2006-04-26 01:06 am (UTC)^ Now, see? That's just a little gem tucked away among all the other golden moments in this post. I'm totally stealing that.
What did she bring...
Date: 2006-04-26 01:28 am (UTC)Re: What did she bring...
Date: 2006-04-26 01:32 am (UTC)Unless I'm misreading this, though--isn't "Opal Mehta" basically chick lit? So... "Brilliant young Indian-American/Harvard sophomore writes chick lit"? Maybe it's less impressive if you put it that way.
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Date: 2006-04-26 02:17 am (UTC)(Seriously, tell me, so I can go do it myself. Six figures would be frickin' sweet.)
I haven't been following this story, because the sooner chick lit dies the sooner another subgenre gets a shot at filling the midlist.
Anyway, just from the clues you've offered in recent posts: I think what she brought to the table is representing a different cultural background (regardless of what the story contains) which gives publishing marketers a handle on how to position the book. I mean, the book has to get noticed out of the sea of novels about twenty/thirty-something women making their quirky way through urban life. So if it got noticed, it got more marketing than just-another-Harlequin Secret Baby or Sheikh-hero book that disappears from shelves in thirty days.
To answer your question, Cleo, writers can present something about themself that threads through their manuscript, making it stand out from the herd. I wonder what Jennifer Weiner or Pamela Ribon will do after they've written about every slice of their live and experience. "Write what you know about" is different from "Know what you write about".
Also, the chances of earning out a six figure advance, which affects your subsequent book deals, is iffy for a first time novelist, even with great marketing.
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Date: 2006-04-26 02:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2006-04-26 02:26 am (UTC)awesome movie
and I don't know a single grandmother who doesn't melt over Lawrence Olivier
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Date: 2006-04-26 02:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
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From:BVITV press release on LOST
Date: 2006-04-26 02:31 am (UTC)ABC TELEVISION NETWORK, UNITED KINGDOM’S CHANNEL 4 AND AUSTRALIA’S
SEVEN NETWORK TO LAUNCH GLOBAL INTERACTIVE “LOST EXPERIENCE”
In a Unique Marketing Initiative, People Around the Globe Must Unite to
Solve a Great Mystery, Based on the International Hit TV Show “Lost”
ABC, Channel 4 Television in the UK and Australia’s Seven Network today announced the “Lost Experience,” a revolutionary interactive marketing endeavor based on the international hit television series, “Lost,” which is designed to further enhance viewers’ relationship with the program. The “Lost Experience” incorporates over twenty broadcasters from five continents, making it the largest global interactive challenge based on a television series.
“Cutting edge technology has vaulted us into a new era; audiences are demanding greater depth of content and more creative ways of storytelling,” said Steve McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment. “The ‘Lost Experience’s’ innovative, interactive platform connects with global audiences by delivering both great content and superb storytelling.”
As part of the unique marketing initiative, the “Lost Experience” will follow a parallel storyline not featured in the television broadcast and is designed so that both fans of the series and those unfamiliar with the show can participate. The experience provides insight to unlock some of the island’s secrets for those savvy enough to collect the clues, make the connections and find the answers. Clues will first appear during broadcasts on May 2nd in the UK, May 3rd in the U.S. and May 4th in Australia. Although the “Lost Experience” is primarily internet-based, participants should not assume that clues will be limited to the online world. Any and every platform has the potential to contain hidden secrets of the mystery. Given the different broadcast windows around the world, this challenge is specifically designed in a manner that is not dependent on information specific to either Season One or Season Two, allowing for the participation of those who have not yet seen either season of “Lost.”
“The ‘Lost Experience’ gives the mystery, intrigue, twist and turns that ‘Lost’ provides as a television series,” said Mike Benson, senior vice president, Marketing, ABC Entertainment. “With ‘Lost’ being the global phenomenon that it is, our partnership with the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 and Australia’s Seven Network adds worldwide challenges for participants that require ingenuity and tenacity on their part. It’s like a giant, mysterious jigsaw puzzle that will come to life for all the world to solve, whether you are a fan of the TV series, or not.”
Tracy Blacher, head of New Media Marketing at Channel 4, said: “We wanted to find a way of allowing ‘Lost’ viewers to engage with Season Two in a genuinely innovative and creative way. We’re delighted to be working with ABC and Australia’s Seven Network to develop a truly groundbreaking experience that reflects the international nature of ‘Lost’s’ huge fan base.”
“We are very proud to be a part of this innovative global campaign for ‘Lost,’” said Tim Worner, director of Programming and Production for Channel Seven. “This is a real treat for ‘Lost’ viewers in Australia – this additional form of storytelling is part of the future of great TV drama and we are thrilled to be onboard. Seven aims to challenge convention in thinking about the future, and this additional experience for ‘Lost’ viewers is right in line with how we feel -- it's exciting to be part of a team that is breaking new ground.”
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Date: 2006-04-26 03:48 am (UTC)Oh, have you seen this? http://www.storewars.org/flash It's a really funny flash clip that the Organic Trade Association made up to promote organic foods, I think you'll enjoy it.
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Date: 2006-04-26 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 11:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 03:52 am (UTC)Is it alright if I steal this for my own personal use? Because I totally am. I've never known what to call the sour cream, guacamole, cheese, etc., and I live in Texas! Now I know. And to think the answer came from someone in Alabama. Huh.
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Date: 2006-04-26 11:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2006-04-26 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 04:31 pm (UTC)Oh...fajitas...*drool*
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Date: 2006-04-26 07:49 pm (UTC)We watched the Errol Flynn Robin Hood today, and I think that's got her interested in seeing The Princess Bride, which makes me happy.
linkspam
Date: 2006-04-26 04:59 pm (UTC)Next monday, April 30th, a rally will go on in Washington D.C. asking for the government to stop what has been called the "slow-moving genocide" of Darfur.
The mission statement:
The rally is part of the "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign to generate one million postcards for delivery to President Bush, who recently pledged to push for additional UN and NATO help to protect the people of Darfur. We applaud the President's leadership, but the work is far from done. We are urging President Bush to take steps necessary to end the genocide and build a lasting peace.
So far they have collected about half of the postcards they need, both electronic and paper. You can find the electronic postcards here (http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/).
If you can go, Save Darfur.org has details here (http://www.savedarfur.org/rally/).
If you can't go, at least write your local newspapers or tv stations and ask them to cover the rally.
Thanks Cleo
Re: linkspam
Date: 2006-04-26 11:39 pm (UTC)Superior Grill
Date: 2006-04-26 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-26 09:04 pm (UTC)