Month: August 2011

A couple of Thanksgivings back, the husband and I had a surprise falling out. We had a point of disagreement that was a serious moment in the history of our amiable marriage. You see, his parents wanted us to go to church with them. His aging father wanted to share his family with his friends, and of course, Bryon is very close to his parents. This all sounds quite lovely and innocent, and it would be…

Except his parents go to a church where the pastor passed around a petition against gay marriage. Bryon’s mother and father are quick to tell you that they didn’t sign that petition, but they go to this church. They also didn’t stand up and say anything against the petition either.

Well, the long and short of that is that I wouldn’t go to the service, and Bryon did. And we fought about it, until we agreed that we wouldn’t talk about it again. He loved his parents. I loved my convictions. I define myself by beliefs. He also defines himself by family, and is willing to compromise his beliefs for that. Neither of us will ever be comfortable with how the other one feels about that, but it is now a place we don’t go in our discussions.

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It is a thing. It makes me uncomfortable, and sometimes it makes me cry. I’m sure it does the same for him.

And given that we don’t go into this territory very often, I won’t be talking to him about my current feelings either.

Continue reading “Rock, Island, Etc”

Today, this is all over the Internet. And, it’s a good thing.

Remember, if you’re suffering out there, it gets better. You will get to a point when you can call the shots, and you control your destiny.

Kenna Harris gives you hope.

Cath

Notes to self about glow in the dark paint. Steampunkers may use, if need be. 🙂

Balmain’s Luminous Paint, a preparation of calcium sulphide, shines with a white light. The color also depends on temperature.

Prepared in oil or water.

Can be used to make seances more effective!

Known to be used to represent an aurora in Harvard lecture, 1881.

Vintage postcards and watch faces treated with Balmain’s.

Taking a break from the professor work, I was doing some internet cruising to find out more information about Chris Cornell as I prepped his interview questions, when I ran across this photo.

That’s me, Chris, and the amazing Sean Craven.

There’s also this super cool picture, of all of us VeePs there.

Who do you know?

***

You all have fun at World Con and World Fantasy. And for the love of Pete, take pictures like these two! And I’m not sad I’m not going to World Con or World Fantasy. No! *sniff*

All right, all right! If you’re going to write ’em, I’m going to link to ’em!

Jo Knowles on Writing to Tell a Story, Not Writing to Sell

Laura Anne Gilman on Longevity and the Writing Career

I hope you find these links as useful as I did. Thanks to the authors.

Bryon is at his mother’s. We’re going to be whisking her away next week for a mood brightening B&B stay. She’s been a little blue lately, which is understandable. So today, he’s visiting, and I’m working. My life is like that. When it’s not chocolate and caviar.

This means that I have a bachelorette night. What exciting things will I do? I’ll…take care of the cats, wash out a delicate shirt, and write for four hours. That’s the way we roll. I have a chapter of material to get out to some readers tomorrow. I aim to make that goal.

***

There have been a few plugs I’ve been meaning to make. So here we go.

Fellow VP XIII’er E.F. Kelley, writing as Samuel T. Crown, publishes his ebook I, Demon today. I’ve read I, Demon as a beta. It’s the tale of a demon sharing his life story with a sorceress. It’s a good adventure novel with some infernal overtones.

A blog that I’ve really been enjoying recently is Amy Sundberg‘s. I know Amy through our mutual classmates in Viable Paradise and Taos Toolbox. Always, but especially lately, Amy’s thoughts have been enriching my day and making me think.

Out right now in Britain: Stephanie Burgess’ A Tangle of Magicks. I have yet to buy my copy, but buy one I will. Stephanie Burgess’ first book was fresh and good. I’m ready for some more of that.

I’ve read and recommend The Boy at the End of the World by Greg Van Eekhout as well. Any book that has a pygmy mammoth and a weaponized prairie dog. I’m there. In all earnestness, Van Eekhout understands the kinds of books that kids read. His humor is spot on. Share this, as well as Kid vs Squid with your progeny.

Reading right now: Jim C. Hines The Snow Queen’s Shadow. It’ll get a longer review, because there’s folklore in there to talk about, and I just can’t say no to that. However, suffice it to say that it’s a bit of a painful read for folks who have been following the series, but it’s good.

Finally, read Feed and Deadline by Mira Grant. Look, I don’t like zombie books, but this is different. This is a near-future apocalyptic treatise on the powers of fear and the reach of the media. Yeah, that’s what it is. So read it. Also, Feed is up for the Hugo.

So, that’s what I got. I’m leaving work in half an hour for sushi, and writing excitement. Woot.

Catherine

Let’s flash back to life before Vidal Sassoon. Why do I mention Vidal? Vidal is the man who taught American women how to do their own hair with minimal maintenance. Enter the blow dryer and the curling iron. Life before Vidal included interesting things like bobby pins and rollers.

Today’s entry is about rollers. Because I know you all want to know where you can get rollers! Especially if you want to play with vintage hair styles.

Rollers are super cheap, unless you go with gadgety hot rollers. Lynn Chapman has an article on the various types of rollers.

Target has recently gotten on board with the retro scene, and have begun stocking traditional hairstyling equipment in their Blowout section. There you can get all kinds of rollers, shower caps, clips, fixtures, and bobby pins. Almost everything the vintage stylist might need.

Other places to buy rollers? Almost any drugstore will have them. So does Sally Beauty Supply.

I’ve been playing with two kinds of rollers recently: small velcro and soft. I recommend the small velcro rollers for women whose hair is still relatively short. The soft rollers are good for sleeping on.

How do you work with rollers? Another article from Bella.online shows the importance of rolling on base and off base.

Here’s what I usually do.

1. Wash and towel dry hair.
2. Use strong gel (I use Aveda’s Flax Seed and Aloe Sculpting Gel)
3. Use rollers on base.
4. Sleep on it!
5. Get up and style hair.

Of course, you can use a blow dryer to speed things along.

Right now I’m trying a variety of different kinds of rollers. I’ll let you know which kinds are really working for me. I expect this will change as my hair lengthens.

Catherine

Here’s another case where I haven’t received a response from a previous VP XIII’er about an interview. Leah is pretty active on a variety of social networks, and I’ve used a lot of them to try to reach her, but I haven’t been successful.

As with the previous unreachable VP’er, this space will hold for Leah, just in case she is told about this by another contact, and we can substitute an interview in.

Meanwhile, sharing what I know about Leah. Leah looks younger than she actually is. Her VP story was a very funny sort of Hitchhiker’s Guide meets a vampire LARP thing, and I loved it. I hope to see it in print some day. Leah’s day job is working in game design, and she is a very active fan of a variety of geeky things.

Here are some links.

beeandcat on Twitter
Cultural Geek on Twitter
Cultural Geek Girl: Leah’s blog

We’re getting down there on the interviews!

C

For those of you who have just gotten out of bed this morning, gotten through that first cup of coffee, driven into the office, logged on, and chatted around the water cooler. For those of you who have gotten the kids off to day camp, or just gotten showered up and ready for your day after that 3-mile run. For all of you who have just logged on to the computer, you should know that this is a historic day. Spider-Man is black.

Let me have a couple of other gentlemen bring you up to speed on what’s happening out there.

Ferrett Steinmetz talks about how the new Spider-Man is destined, ultimately, for second banana-hood.

Jim Hines talks about the less than flattering reaction.

***

I am a white ally. I have also read comic books since I consumed them rabidly in college (circa 1983 if you’re counting.) And while I have not been up on things like the Marvel Ultimate Series, or say, Blackest Night, I’m savvy enough about comics to still know what’s going on, and I still read the occasional comic from the main companies.

Here’s our new Spider-Man. Maybe I’m getting older and my maternal instinct is kicking in because he looks like such a little boy who needs a hug. And given some of the reaction to him, he probably does, although as an adolescent, he’d have to pretend not to like it.

Continue reading “Spider-Man and Other Moments of Comics Discrimination (One in a Series of I Don’t Know How Many)”