Little Miss Linky-Link

[cleolinda]

My Tibetan cuff bracelets that I bought for a penny each plus shipping from China, shut up came in this afternoon! I love them. Really, it was a pretty good day all around--I got in a swim, I ate real food, I got presents that I bought myself, shut up in the mail. Here's hoping tomorrow starts a trend.

theferrett and I discuss Little Miss Sunshine a bit.

Holy shit: "All the girls in the beauty pageant, except Abigail Breslin, were veterans of real beauty pageants. They looked the same and performed the same acts as they had in their real-life pageants." Source interview: "So for us the issue was, how are we going to present this pageant in a way that can be as neutral as possible. For the most part, anyone who’s never seen what really goes on there, they’re going to be shocked by it. It’s a pretty shocking little subculture. But our goal was to try to just present it authentically, to just get real girls who do what they really do – we didn’t tell them when to smile, we didn’t tell them how to stand, we didn’t tell them anything." Let's revisit that picture again, shall we? I am terrified now.

You've seen the LMS directors' work before; you just may not have known it.

la_sonnambula on John Mark Karr and his visions of movie stardom: "And the movie wouldn't be just a little indie nugget either, it would be a blockbuster raking in $1 billion. He also told professor Tracey, 'I'm not gay, damn it. I am attracted to female children.' And he wants to have a sex change and become a nanny in Europe." Sadly, it was when we got to the "one billion dollars" part that I, the movie freak, went, "Okay, now I know bitch crazy." Also, way to get your slime on the transgender community while you're at it, Buffalo Bill.

Rome, Venice fests feud over broken pact. FIGHT! FIGHT!

Venice opens with grim murder movie "Black Dahlia." As opposed to the cheerful, happy-go-lucky murder movies you see so often.

Film to show doomed love of Spanish matador Manolete. Remember the on-set pictures of Adrien Brody in a hot pink matador costume? I know, it was a long time ago. They're from this movie. It actually sounds pretty interesting.

It's not that fewer books are being challenged--it's that we're not hearing about it. Sigh.

theatre_angel: "I feel a little bad asking this, but: for your next linkspam, whenever that may be, could you possibly put up this, which is a link to NRDC's new video campaign for their efforts to protect the Arctic Refuge from Bush's oil drilling. Because when your mother tells you to pimp something, it's hard to say no."

The Vile Videos. "'12 Books in 120 Seconds,' the first in a series of three panic-stricken videos leading up to The End, has appeared at lemonysnicket.com. Narrated by the infamous Tim Curry, it threatens to expose you to everything the Baudelaire orphans have suffered so far, in less time than it takes to brush one’s teeth." First poster to comment that "they stole your idea zomg!" gets slapped with a wet noodle. Like, a really big one. Lasagna, maybe.

CBS magazine slims down Couric in photo. "Couric, 49, said she hadn't known about the digitally reworked version until she saw the issue. The former NBC Today show host told the Daily News, 'I liked the first picture better because there's more of me to love.'" Awww.

The brains behind writer's block: new views of the muse. So... hypomania/hypergrafia is in one lobe, and writer's block is in the other? And maybe someday they'll be able to treat block? That kind of blows my mind. Also, it should make you feel a lot less guilty about being blocked in the first place.

Awww, a pimp for the book.

These totally go with my Flaming Chicken of DOOOOOM icon. Mmm, chicken.

Comments

[gracefallson-me.livejournal.com]

haha. the little actress in the movie doesn't stand a chance if she was to compete in a REAL pageant!!!! she's cute though.

[koritsimou.livejournal.com]

And she'd probably be better off for it.

[nadat.livejournal.com]

A pill to deal with Writer's Block? That's one drug I wouldn't mind putting into my system. I've got six novels in various stages of completion but block has kicked in...

[redmapletree.livejournal.com]

And maybe someday they'll be able to treat block?

That is all kinds of awesome right there. And your chicken icon makes me giggle uncontrollably.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

That's the one! I was trying to remember the name so I could put it on my Christmas list. : )

[edda.livejournal.com]

Thank you, especially for the brain article. Awesome!

Also, could you maybe wave your bracelets around and do some Tibetan chanting? I'm in a bit of a trough as far far as luck goes, and could use a little mystical intervention. Thank you.

And that pageant photo continues to give me the screaming mimis.

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

I grew up with a girl who was involved in the childhood pageant circuit. I still remember her telling me in tenth or eleventh grade that she was six years old the first time she wore mascara. She was head cheerleader. She won homecoming queen. She won the Miss (County Name) pageant. She always struck me as being extremely unhappy with herself and the way she looked. It was most striking a few years ago when my sister and I encountered her while shopping--that I, who have PCOS and the weight that goes with it, who still can't wear mascara 'cuz...er, close to the eyes, no way, who dresses in t-shirts and jeans and makes very few efforts to be all that girly, am happier with myself and the way I look than she seems to be.

[jmkelly.livejournal.com]

That pageant photo -- that's legal? It's not kiddie porn? After seeing it I felt like I ought to wipe my browser's history, and clear its cache, and maybe change my name and leave the country.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Totally legal. And also toned down compared to a lot of kiddy pageant footage and pix I've seen. It scares me the way Madame Alexander dolls used to scare me when I was a kid.

[count-01.livejournal.com]

Dude, so with you there. I felt like taking a shower with my hard drive, wiping it with a magnet, and moving to Canada just in case. And taking a shower there, too.

[eruvadhril.livejournal.com]

I am probably overly excited about those Lemony Snicket videos, but... TIM CURRY! WHOO! *fangirls*

[dives.livejournal.com]

You're totally not the only one :D

is driving 45 minutes/taking public transit/doing whatever it takes to see Daniel Handler in November

You know Tim Curry reads all the books on tape/CD too, right?

[eruvadhril.livejournal.com]

I do. I originally got into ASoUE because he read the booktapes.

[megmatthews20.livejournal.com]

First off Direction of Oasis - All Around the World vid...wootness!
Fangirlness aside...

When Larry Ferguson (the man who wrote the screenplays for The Hunt for Red October, Highlander, Beverly Hills Cop 2 etc) taught our screenwriting class for three days he mentioned a somewhat amusing anecdote, wherein he was standing naked drinking alcohol to keep him awake while he was struggling to finish Beverly Hills Cop 2. He had a deadline of a week or something to do it, and just barely made it with the help of the alcohol, and some very understanding secretaries...

I saw they mentioned alcohol in the writer's block article, so I thought I'd add that bit. Larry's a brilliant guy, and great fun to listen to. We were lucky to have him.

cheers

[kpachayagolobka.livejournal.com]

Hey, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying yourself presents-- I find that half the time, when I go shopping I forget what I've bought anyway and so opening up the bags is like Christmas but better!

Then again, I also feel the same way when I switch out my seasonal clothes, so I might not be the best mark of character... lol

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the last link. Most Internet drama bores the snot outta me, but I do loves me some author wank.

*shudder*

[velvet4269.livejournal.com]

There's something severely wrong with society if we're calling kids that age "veterans." Abigail looks quite sufficiently creeped out in that picture. I would be, too.

[alpheratz.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the Snicket link! *sniff* I can hardly believe the saga ends this October. It's been a good three years for me.

[wumbawoman.livejournal.com]

My exact sentiments!

Lemony Snicket ends this year, Harry Potter next year. What will become of Fandom?

[sunihiroku.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

Your icon is much with the crazy and making my head hurt, but I think we share many interests.

[sunihiroku.livejournal.com]

It's somewhat-subliminal. *maniacal laugh*

Sorry about the headache.

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

Semiliminal?

[ratmmjess.livejournal.com]

Those were real beauty pageant girls?

*shudders*

I thought the film was wonderful, too. Surprisingly so.

My wife wondered if Alan Arkin's Granpa deliberately made Olive's routine so sexual and inappropriate as a way to rub the pageant organizers' faces in what pageants actually are--if Granpa was actually doing a form of sabotage.

[sunihiroku.livejournal.com]

As much as I love the icon, and as much as I love author wank, it makes me sad 'cause I actually enjoy the Sword of Truth books. Goodkind has MAJOR writing flaws, of course, and I love making fun of the out-there plot elements, but it's a good read for me. I don't usually like the typical "fantasy novel" (with notable exceptions), but I think his stuff is good.

[cygnus.livejournal.com]

But... but... writer's block is a useful thing! It's part of the whole damn process! It's NATURAL! If you're blocked, something is blocking you, maybe fear, maybe self-doubt, maybe uncertainty about what you're writing, but it's part of the goddamn process! ARGH!

So continues the love/hate relationship I have for science, technology and progress in general. Gah. Keep your science out of my creativity.

As far as the whole beauty pageant thing goes, it makes me sick. Parents who use their kids to fulfill some fucked-up desire of their own are getting away with child abuse, and this backassward society of ours just thinks it's cute.

[gracefallson-me.livejournal.com]

As far as the whole beauty pageant thing goes, it makes me sick. Parents who use their kids to fulfill some fucked-up desire of their own are getting away with child abuse, and this backassward society of ours just thinks it's cute.

no not really. there are SOME parents that go too far and give pageants a bad name but pageants are a form of expression and a hobby just like anything else. its people that don't understand it that don't give it a chance and see nothing good in it. Pageants have been around for years and will continue.

[cygnus.livejournal.com]

It's early, and I didn't make myself terribly clear. No, beauty pageants in themselves aren't bad. I meant this specific example that cleolinda was talking about, with the JonBenet pall hanging over it. I remember when the girl was killed, and the pictures of her dressed up and painted up were simply sad to see. For me, it brings to mind Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, who "plotted [his daughters'] success ante-natally." (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,727737,00.html)

That's what sickens me. It's one thing to recognize a talent in a child and encourage it, but it's something else to drive them without ever asking them what they want. Of course it's a totally gray area; the majority of famous prodigies (like any number of atheletes, composers, artists, etc.) would never have been if it hadn't been for their parents, but I can't bring myself to say that the ends justify the means.

[snapdragon76.livejournal.com]

After reading those articles on Karr, I now need to go and take a long hot shower... and possibly induce vomiting.


*shudders*

[gniko.livejournal.com]

Isn't outnow.ch the best?

[morganwolf.livejournal.com]

"First poster to comment that "they stole your idea zomg!" gets slapped with a wet noodle. Like, a really big one. Lasagna, maybe."

....Tagliatelle?

Your book

[livinthegoodlfe.livejournal.com]

Hey Cleo, haven't really been around in a while, only here and there, and now that I finally have a steady job I will be able to buy your book up her in Chicago area... So whats the deal? Is it sold in bookstores here, do I have to order it, what do you suggest?!

Re: Your book

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

It's only available in the UK, unless something I don't know about has changed (and I'm pretty sure I would have heard about it-- it would be big news). So, Amazon.uk is your friend.

Re: Your book

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's pretty much only available at Amazon UK (still), sadly, but their shipping is faster than Amazon US, amazingly enough, and the price before shipping is really good.

[flameow.livejournal.com]

That beauty pageant reminds me of a spoof Mad TV did on "The Swan". They called it "The Duckling" and took a bunch of 5 year olds and had them get plastic surgery and put on makeup. One of the moms said to her daughter, "Listen to me Bethany, now look at me with those little uneven eyes. The FOX Network has given us a once in a lifetime oppurtunity for you to be beautiful. Don't ruin it like you did my marriage."
Oh parents. Trying to steal your children's childhoods.