From susanwrites: "If character is what we do when we think no one is watching, what is your character doing if he thinks no one can see him?"

Well, the simplest answer is, "Nothing. The character is only in my imagination. Letters on a page, he doesn't move unless someone thinks of him." But that's no fun! So here's what I wrote.

Khamaat goes for walks in the Egytian desert.

Mereyeta worships her god and goddess.

Alex visits history museums when he's on leave from the Division.

And Grace works on doing research for the Peace Movement.

(The first two from _False Gods_, the second from _Survival of Species_.

Susan further replied, "Is Grace really working on research? Not sneaking a look at something she shouldn't? Your characters all sound very nice - are they?"

And I said:

The Peace Movement in this world revolves around sneaking looks at things they shouldn't. Grace is an ex-nurse turned forensic investigator for hire, who feeds information to the barely-legal Peace Movement. The Movement is led by Oppenheimer and is trying to ferret out the government conspiracies. Grace is compassionate but surprisingly tough, and willing to shoot people who are shooting at her.

Alex would be nice if he wasn't an embittered Special Operative for the U.S. government, doing black ops to cover up government dirt and overthrow third-world banana dictatorships. He has a thing for Grace, who now thinks she's over him. Basically he's a redemption project with a license to kill.

Khamaat and Mereyeta are much nicer than the two of them. Too bad they're on the run from the Egyptian gods.

Susan: "Okay, I feel better now. I was like, man, where's the conflict?"

Me: "I have so much conflict between the main characters that I have to surround them with outside conflict to make them work together. . ."

Today was a full day. Not overpacked, just full. I got to the office on something close to time (that is, before noon), so I actually took the time to eat McDonald's with my Dad and Grandmother when the time came around. I dealt with clients, fenced with small pieces of paper that kept fighting back, and I wrote my brother a much delayed letter. But he'll get it before he graduates basic training, so that's alright. I typed it to make sure he could read it, too, because my lefthanded penmanship can be occasionally idiosyncratic (hard to read). I didn't go out anywhere tonight. I ate dinner with my family, watched a little television, read, and did thirty minutes of yoga and stretching.

I'm still undecided on what physical activity to really go for. I suppose I should give a background. In junior high and high school, I did track and field, cross country, and Boy Scouting. So I learned to enjoy running, but was heartbroken when I finished my senior year with acute tendonitis, both legs. This was probably due to too much running and not enough stretching, but the doctor also said my feet weren't really suited for running (for what that's worth). I liked the long distance races because they really came down to how badly you wanted the race and how much pain you could take, along with a certain amount of natural skill and plenty of training.

I tried to run in college for exercise, but mostly I switched over to walking. Walking during the day, walks at night, I liked doing it any time. My first semester in college, I took karate again, which I'd taken for almost two years in junior high. That was satisfying but I didn't keep it up. I was probably still having too much joint and tendon pain, what with still doing rehab stretching. I did consistently go to the gym, where I managed a decent amount of light weight training. I also bought a bike in year two to get around on campus.

I got out of shape after college, though I still did some walking. In graduate school I got into yoga, thanks to having been introduced to it in Berkeley, and the aid of a friendly yoga instructor who didn't charge much. I also rode and walked around campus. The yoga several times a week did a lot to help my flexibility and strength. I don't remember doing much weight training, but I might have. What I know I've learned from books and from my track coach for in-between season training.

After grad school I was working a regular job as a reporter and getting back out of shape, not much of any exercise. In law school I started walking regularly and going back to the gym some, along with riding my bike. So I was in decent shape, apart from being probably too skinny (yes, it is possible to be too thin). After law school, I got out of shape for a year as a result of drifting through my life and not really doing anything. I joined the gym behind my parents' house that I went to in high school and junior high, and I resolved to never get out of shape again because it was so hard to get there in the first place. A lot of health problems can be avoided by some basic exercise! There was one misstep, though. I did an old exercise from a book at the gym and wrenched something in my shoulder one day; I could feel the arm start to pull out of its socket. So that took about six months to heal imperfectly, and only really got well later through Kristin teaching me Pilates and how to use a foam roller.

Pilates was great, but too expensive unless she was teaching. Yoga similarly costs too much around here ($15 a lesson!), and I don't know how much karate runs. In the last couple years I've gotten into contra dancing, but that's only once or twice a month, unless I join a class and pay the fee. I did Irish ceili dancing class, but that became too much like work, because they trained to put on performances.

Joining the gym again would be $50, then $45 a month. I do have a weight bench in the garage I can use, but see above about needing to be careful. If I did weight training, I'd want to do light stuff so I wouldn't injure myself. I actually think a gym would be the best option, even though I'd stopped using it much, because of all the programs (yoga, Pilates), equipment, and the use of the pool (I can swim well, having been taught in the YMCA and at Scouts, though I dislike chlorine). But I can't budget for a gym at the moment. It sounds like a combination of the weight bench in the garage, plus mixing it up with a little yoga and the occasional Pilates lesson for me. I'm really glad for everyone who wrote in, and I think that was my first ever poll!

Postscript: I wrote almost 1,000 words on False Gods today. The novel just won't quit, and I'm still going! Some of you lucky few have been sent copies of Chs. 1-5 for beta reading. Anybody else who wants to read them, just let me know.

I already walk, but I suppose I could do more of that. I stretch and do a little yoga and a few situps. However, I need something else to kick my metabolism where I'd like it to be. Namely, one where I'll feel healthy but also work off the extra weight I've developed. It's not drastically bad, but it's enough that I can't fit into most of my old pants. Frustratingly, I know this is due in part to a sedentary job (can't change that) and to the medicine I'm on (can't change that either). I don't want to become skinny again, as in law school where I walked everywhere and tended to skip meals in favor of study. What I want is to make my exercise program well-rounded. Walking only turns your body shape into more of what you have, and it doesn't exercise all the muscles. My upper body and stomach both don't get enough exercise in the leg-oriented activities I favor. So I open this poll to the general audience. You may also ask questions to help develop your answers. Money is a factor, too, but I could probably afford to take one class of something (except for yoga and Pilates, which would probably be on my own unless I joined a gym). I've been a member of gyms before and didn't use them enough, but I could change that.

Poll #1186916 Getting In Shape
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

What sort of extra exercise should I be doing?

A symphony and a chorale performed Mozart's "Requiem in D Minor" at the Alys Stephens Center last Sunday as a benefit in honor of the passing of an important musical personage in our community. I wish I could say more about her, but I left the booklet at my parents' house. I'd never heard the Requiem performed, and it was quite beautiful and haunting. I didn't care so much for the Taichovsky that was the opening half hour, but then, I'd arrived late halfway through it on purpose. I find voices more compelling than melody alone. I felt like I'd dipped my feet in the song of the orchestra, and then I was finally drawn deeper into the ocean of sound. To quote T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, it was if I lingered "till human voices wake us, and we drown."

For over an hour, I got to swim in the gorgeous voices and orchestral accompaniment. Every range of the human voice was represented, from soprano on the far left, to bass on the far right. Mozart scored the Requiem for instruments that did include trumpets, but I couldn't pick them out in the medley. Besides the chorale groups, four singers, two men and two women, soloed during the show. My only complaint was that I wished everyone was singing in English, not the traditional Latin, but I suppose one can't have everything. I like to understand what I'm listening without referencing the guide book, which might mean I expect too much!

kareila had invited me, and so I went, turning down a Josh Ritter show to see one of my best friends sing soprano. We met for dinner at the Purple Onion, then I took her back to the concert hall for the show, while I went home to dress. When I arrived, I was seated at the side of the balcony, going out along the middle. At intermission we could move around to our actual assigned seat, but my row looked so crowded that I merely moved further down on the side. I had no one to my immediate left or right, and that was wonderful. It gave the illusion that I was alone with the music, though the concert hall was full of people. At 1345 max capacity, there were still unsold seats, but not too many. It was a good turnout.

Alys Stephens is a wonderful venue for the performing arts, and while I can't afford season tickets, perhaps I could come up with the money to see a show now and then. The cheap seats at ten dollars in the balcony appeared perfectly good for music, with lovely resonance, though for a play you'd probably want to be closer. I was even able to pick out Kareila's long red hair from my vantage point all the way across the auditorium, though I probably couldn't do it with glasses instead of the better contacts. She was wearing all black, and with her sunglasses on outside earlier, I teased that I was taking her Matrix movie photo. Afterwards, I offered to take Kareila to a nice barbecue restaurant for coconut cream pie, but her sweet tooth had been sated by the baklava we'd eaten earlier. I bid her farewell, then returned home to eat probably too much cereal instead of pie.

http://alysstephens.uab.edu/

Jemison Hall, where we sat: http://www.tlsinc.com/virtualjemison.html

In other news, Kristin had her baby on Friday by c-section, my brother wrote to us, and tomorrow is the continuation of Dad's trial, which I'll be going to. I get to help on voir dire (selecting the jury) and probably other things. More on these events later.

This is my first time to have so much failures in a class. Since class is only six people, that means I failed a third of the class! But one never attended and so brought his not very good scores down to an F, while the other was a straight C student until he had a personal tragedy. I feel no regrets for the out-of-season footballer who couldn't be bothered to show up, much less pay attention (he learned almost nothing of what I was teaching), but I feel bad for the other guy. His best friend died in an auto accident halfway through the semester, and then his grades plummeted. He also got a concussion in a pick-up game of basketball, and his grandmother became ill. I've offered, via email, to back him on a medical withdrawal or similar if he wants to try to get the class dropped retroactively.

I was a little worried about the effects of flunking people, but the English Department Secretary reassured me. She said that it's good to show the department I'm a tough teacher. I also gave an A and three Bs, so I know I connected to someone.

I did a circuit court criminal plea in the morning, couldn't finish it due to time, then ran (well, walked fast) up the street to Domestic Relations for a trial. Opposing counsel was rude but more or less professional. Afterwards, ran back to finish the criminal plea. Multitasking is tiring on the feet. Fortunately, the Family Court hearing at 1:30 got postponed.

You know, I am not at my best early in the morning. I'd meant to arrive in court at eight, before the rush, but the best laid intentions of mice and men...

Hope the next day will be less taxing!

Last week gave me all the birthday I could want, and it wasn't really over until the next Sunday! Everyone gave me neat things, even though I asked for very little. I felt I'd been given so much already. Instead of spending all the money on books, comics, and CDS, as is my wont, I was practical and only bought one book (the hardcover new Dresden Files) and one CD (Rush: Snakes and Arrows Live). There's just something special about reading a nice new hardcover that's your very own. I'm already halfway through, though of course I skimmed the ending to relieve suspense. The Rush CD got listened to on last weekend's trip to Dothan and is proving rewarding of repeated attention.

On my actual birthday, April 20, I went out with all my local friends except kareila (who couldn't make it that night) to the Olive Garden, a traditional favorite of mine. In attendance were Pat, Steve, Will, Kristin, and various significant others. Will bought me a comic book collection, Pat gave me movie tickets, Kristin gave me money for a Bluetooth handless cellphone earpiece, and Steve gave me a book on how to succeed at your own law practice. My Aunt Helen gave me some money, as did Dan, Uncle David and Aunt Linda, and others.

I wound up with $155. So I ordered thirty dollars of photo prints and paid for a few meals on my Dothan trip, among other things. I kept a careful budgeted list of what to allot the money for and where the money went, fortunate since a week later it is all a blur of spending. Whoever says money can't buy a certain amount of amusement and material joy is wrong, because it just did. Now I need to finish writing thank-you notes.

On the next day, Friday, we celebrated my grandmother's birthday. All the immediate family and children of Doris showed up except for Aunt Brenda, who gave some excuse for not coming. Said excuse boiled down to her thinking Grandmother didn't approve of the party and that Uncle David was pushing the event. So she boycotted, which is probably for the best. I'd love to give her a piece of my mind, but that would get me in trouble and not be very mature. If Grandmother wasn't wholeheartedly behind the party, the person to put her foot down with was David. Once Grandmother got there, she had a good time or at least appeared to.
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I think that what we read shapes our minds -- whenever I'm at someone's house, I check out their bookshelf to get an idea as to what kind of person they are and what they're thinking about. Would you like to trade current reading lists? Here's mine:

"Small Favor," by Jim Butcher. Heroic urban fantasy, with Harry Dresden as wizard for hire in Chicago.

"How to write romance novels," (author forgotten), which I'm using to help me on the relationship between Kham and Mereyeta in my novel. I've taken a break, but I keep puttering on from time to time.

"How to write science fiction and fantasy," by Orson Scott Card. He's a good writer, but this was more of a beginner's book and so it's not done much for me.

"The Immortal Iron Fist," a collection of the Marvel pulp adventure comic book.

Jonathan Stroud, "Ptolemy's Gate". Young adult fiction about an alternate-world history where English sorcerers use demons (misunderstand aliens) to rule the world.

Letters by Seneca. Roman philosophy about Stoicism. I find it comforting.

The History of Hell, by Alice Turner. This is sort of a guide to all the hells that JudeoChristian literature and religion have created. It's disturbing, so I like to read a chapter or two before bedtime.

National Geographic, last three issues, none of which I've finished. It's the only magazine I subscribe to and I love it. For other news, I read the local paper, occasionally the New York Times, listen to National Public Radio, or read Newsweek and U.S. News.

Wow. I have a lot of reading material going on. No wonder I'm not finishing more of it.

But I'll try anyway. Today was my last night with my brother, Jesse, for at least six weeks. He's leaving around lunch time to go to Montgomery by bus. Afterwards, they'll fly him on a plane to San Antonio, so at least he won't have to ride down there. Jesse doesn't talk that much and he's sarcastic and cynical when he does talk. I'll miss him anyway, though. As Dad said during our farewell dinner, we really appreciate him spending so much time with us the past few months. It's been good. Even when he irritates me, it feels right to have my kin, my blood relation, the only brother I'll ever have, around in the same place. I don't know if I'll go to Texas to watch him graduate from basic training, but I'd like to if I can afford it.

Tonight we had shrimp and steak, which meant I too could enjoy the dinner, since I don't eat seafood. Jesse picked Grandmother up at her house so she could come eat with us. She had a mildly scary choking incident eating the steak, but we didn't have to use the Heimlich manuever or anything. Still, it's a reminder of how short life can be and how fast that life can be cut off, which is why it's important to be prepared in emergencies. I want to take a first aid course at the Red Cross and renew my CPR certification while I'm at it. I took all that stuff when I was active in the Boy Scouts, but it's been a long time. I hope I remember the basics, though; as an Eagle Scout, it would be embarrassing not to. Next time I have an extra fifty dollars, I'm going to take the Saturday course.

Tomorrow will need a running start, as I have a lot to accomplish. Next weekend will be Grandmother's birthday celebration, which she has unsuccessfully tried to get out of. As Mom told her, she should have put her foot down with Uncle David if she didn't want to go. David has arranged for a nice dinner at a restaurant near the location of the old flower shop she and Granddad owned. Of course, Grandmother told us the place means nothing to her, and she'd rather have a small get-together at her house. She probably also doesn't like that the occasion will be the day after her birthday, but Saturday was the best time to get everyone together.

Aunt Brenda has told her, though, that she doesn't intend to come, but Dad might try to persuade her. I agree with Mom -- if she wants another family than us, she should go out and find one. Brenda can be incredibly mercurial, and these days I'm afraid to say anything around her. Who needs the grief of being snapped at? I still remember the last occasion when I was disrespectful and Brenda ordered me out of Grandmother's house. Apparently, no one around her ever calls her on stuff or disagrees to her face. Anyway, I'm sure Grandmother will have a good time when she actually gets to the dinner. It's not like birthday dinners in your honor are such a terrible burden to experience. I know she'd rather have David and his family stay at the house, but six people is too many they think. I'm sure they'll visit the house while they're there, but they have a hotel reserved for the one night they'll be in town.

There many things to do tomorrow, and I'm going to get ready to do them. I hope everyone out there is also having a good night! Pleasant dreams to all. I had one last night where I rejected a "utopia" for the simple pleasures of daily life, and it was good to know that even in my sleep, I made the right choice. Pie in the sky is not really where I put my stock, though I'm always strivign for a better tomorrow. But today is right here and it's real.

"So a handwritten letter from a tenant was enough to terminate the lease, but a letter from a law firm wasn't sufficient notice for my defendant?"

From a message to chanfaina, fellow lawyer who is moving up in the world also:

I've done criminal city court trials, criminal district court trials, and soon I'll be adding a circuit court trial to my list. Today was the first time I've done my own civil district court! It was a landlord and tenant case where the plaintiffs claimed back rent. I was counterclaiming for damages from a foreseeable assault by another tenant. The plaintiffs had two lawyers, one for each claim, since they're a big real estate company.

I think I won on the back rent, lost on the counterclaim due to lack of sufficient notice, and might get some slack on the mitigation of damages for failure to go into the apartment sooner. The plaintiffs wanted six months rent and claimed a letter from a law firm wasn't good enough to terminate a lease, not without proper turning in of keys and removing all the property from the apartment.

The other party wouldn't compromise at all, so we had to try it out over the two hours today. But I'd do it again -- I found it invigorating, and it gave me a lot of confidence that I know what I'm doing. The addendum here is that I didn't charge my client nearly enough for the labor I did, which is something I need to remedy. I probably saved her a good bit of money with my efforts.

Most things in the game have the decency to die when you shoot them with a rocket launcher. But not this monster, so I'm screwed. Stupid Resident Evil. I mean, the other bosses die when you shoot them with it. Usually I get by without buying the rocket launcher . . . Only got it once before. When I buy it this time, because I'm almost out of regular ammo, the Thing stays alive and eats my character's brain anyway. (Literally.)

http://guides.ign.com/guides/13887/page_22.html if you want to see some visuals.

I'm this close to giving up on the game. I have other ones languishing, like Kingdom Hearts and Shadow of the Colossus, so I'm not hurting for things to play. It just frustrates me to be unable to complete finishing. I feel that way about most things, possibly in part because it's so easy for me to quit unless I dedicate myself. Since I've made enough money this month to actually pay the bills, what I'm most frustrated about now is the weight I'm trying to lose, and my struggles with sleep architecture (as my doctor calls it).

Today I overslept, in what has come to be a typical Sunday, unfortunately, and missed church. When I got up early afternoon, I mowed the grass, then went over to my parents' to help Mom move boxes of stuff for our upcoming garage sale. Mom can do most of what's required, but it hurts her knees now to go up and down the stairs too much. We have a two-story garage, and the stairs are steep. She's recovered well from the surgeries on both knees, but they still trouble her if she pushes too much. Some of the boxes are heavy, too. So I was happy to do the actual moving while she sorted, and I got a nice workout that has left me tired tonight.

Kristin came over partway through and kept me company. She's having some cramping because of the advanced state of her pregnancy, and it troubled her throughout the evening. After a nice dinner of hamburgers cooked by Dad, the two women and me watched a couple episodes of "Grey's Anatomy." Dad can't get into the show and had other tasks to do. Now I need to shower and plan my strategy for the next day, which first involves going to bed by 1. I hope everyone else out there is doing well!

Today, I woke at 7 to get to Family Court for an 8:30 hearing. The hearing was rescheduled due to service and notification issues. The judge did pull me into the back room to show me an old newspaper clipping in a scrapbook the court kept, dating back to the 1950s. This 1959 newspaper article told about my great-uncle Ray, who testified against the man who had beaten him up at court. The other side in the case blew a fuse and got a son to knock Ray to the ground, give him a black eye, and told him to "beat the hell out of him." Like my professors told me, family law is the most personally dangerous type of law, and they weren't kidding! Ray's assailant got 90 days in jail and a fine.

After the court, I went back to the office, where I ran an errand for Dad to Office Max. Then I met Steve and David at U China Buffet for our regular Friday lunch. I took an hour and a half for that. Afterwards, I came back to the office and worked until about 5:30. This involved fielding phone calls, notifying clients, and doing research.

Next I took Dad home and went on to the comic store to get my monthly stash. I might review them later for my personal amusement. When I came back, Mom hadn't cooked and we weren't budgeted (not that we really budget very well) to go out to eat, so I made a ham and cheese sandwich. Then I went to the Galleria for my hair cut appointment, which took an hour in the waiting area because Michelle was running late. I came home, had an unhealthy snack of crackers, cookies, and half a can of coke while watching an episode of Grey's anatomy.

Finally I went home around 11, messed around on the computer, and called Kristin. Somehow, it is now my bedtime, and I need to plan the next day. I'll probably sleep around nine hours if I can; I think I need it!

My criminal client this week couldn't decide if he wanted to take a plea or ask for a trial. He kept dithering over the options while at court. Finally, I told him that he had to do one or the other, because he couldn't leave until he did. He said, "Really? You mean I can't just go?"

No. As Pat said today, "That's one of the downsides of being a criminal."

The client finally rejected a perfectly good plea offer, even though it involved taking a blind plea (asking the judge for leniency). He must be convinced he can beat the charge. The odds are strongly against him, since the facts involved selling weed to an undercover cop and being caught possessing cocaine. He wanted to get another lawyer, too, but the judge refused to do that. Then he said he wanted to hire one. The judge replied, "If he can pay for a lawyer, why did he ask us to appoint him one?"

If he gets up the money, maybe I won't be representing him. Until he does, I'm on the ride for the best of my abilities. Circuit court is relatively new atmosphere to practice in; I should enjoy the experience.

I'd like to lodge a complaint with the Management. I am more tired today than seems warranted by anything I've done. Could you please do something about this? The fatigue is really aggravating me, and I would be sincerely grateful.

Thanks,
Mack

******

In other news, Easter Vigil is this Saturday night! It's a long (over two hour) church service at St. Andrews, starting at dusk and culminating in a feast of snacks and finger foods. The only troublesome part will be the thirty minutes they leave us in the dark while the service is read. Traditionally, I have a habit of napping during that. The darkness is supposed to heighten our awareness of the words being read, but I've had a hard time staying awake in the past. I'll try to do better this time, or get up and stretch if we have to. Because I'm going to make Easter Vigil, I probably won't go to church Sunday, unless I'm really motivated to have a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

My brother got into the Air Force! This is a big deal for him. He's been trying very hard to get in, and my family is very proud. At one point, the military was dragging its feet so badly that Dad had to call Senator Shelby's office to find out what was causing the hold up. I think the Armed Forces are an honorable profession. Also, he's least likely to get shot at in the Air Force, which is a good thing. He's going to try to specialize in computers, since that's what he's interested in, but there's no telling what will happen with his aptitude tests. He's signed a four-year contract but hasn't gone to basic training yet, which will be at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Right now he's working at the print shop the later end of the week, and doing testing in Montgomery earlier in the week.

Not much is happening at work with me, so I may need to get more motivated on developing certain of my cases. The easy stuff is done, unfortunately, leaving the hard. Outside of work, I've been watching a lot of "Grey's Anatomy" lately, which is a delicious pun involving the name of the main character and the original ground-breaking medical textbook. It seems to be a soap opera disguised as a medical drama, but I'm okay with that. Another way to say it is it's a relationship-focused drama set in a hospital. Doesn't that sound better?

I'm rereading Neil Gaiman's _American Gods_, which I highly recommend. For one month, the entire text is available for free online at his publisher's website, so it's easily sampled. This time through, I'm going to use a catalogue of the gods to see if I can catch any that I missed. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gods ) I'm also reading a book by Emily Transue called _A doctor's days and nights in residency_, which goes along nicely with the medical television show. http://www.emilytransue.com/

I doubt "Grey's Anatomy" is very medically accurate, but it's fun. I would also recommend Kim Harrison's _Dead Witch Walking_ and the rest of the series, which is a pleasant romp through a world where the supernatural have come out into the open. It's fairly believable and lighter-toned than Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series, which is a good thing. I'd label it fantasy, though it gets often found under paranormal romance; the romance elements are there, but not the source of the plots. My library copy is worn and well-thumbed through, always a sign of a good book. http://www.kimharrison.net/

I've written 42,000 words on my novel, _False Gods_, most of which are consecutive chapters. I do have some interstitial tissue between chapters six and seven to put in, and there's a later chapter which is from near the end of the book. I'm estimating this is a two-volume work, or possibly a trilogy. But since most fantasy books are that long these days, I don't see it as a problem. I don't have to present a complete in one volume novel. That might have been nice, but I can't see me satisfactorily covering the material in the outline in less than 100,000 words, which is the estimate per novel that I'm shooting for. 80,000 would be a short fantasy novel, and 100,000 would be about average. I don't want to run over that word limit for a first-time author, because those are hard to sell. The outline may change as needs drive it, though, and the later chapters may diverge progressively further from it. It's like having a map that gets foggy around the edges.

Still, I'm very happy with myself for what I've written. My goal the past few weeks has been going for 1,000 words a day. When I don't get that, I get at least 500, and that's solid progress on new material. I don't know if I'll be keeping the original title, since I saw another fantasy book for a roleplaying universe called "False Gods: the Horus heresy," which is a little close for comfort. Titles can't be copyrighted, but I'm mindful that there may be better, more unique titles out there. Some of you (you know who you are) will probably be asked to look at what I've got soon. It's a big project, but I'll take any and all feedback I can get, when I can get it.

I won tickets yesterday to a free show at Workplay from radio station 94.5, my first attempt at calling in somewhere to win. To my pleasant surprise, when I asked what I needed to do to win, I was merely first questioned if I really wanted to go, then asked to spell my name. The second surprise of my Friday was finding that my good friend kareila was able to go with me. We were really there for the opening act, I-Nine ( http://www.inine.com/ ), though we stayed around for the first few songs of The Last Goodnight, the main act. Kareila did a good review and I recommend checking out her blog.

The four-piece band includes three guitarists and one lead singer, Carmen. The guitarists are very good, playing both acoustic and electric, but what makes the distinctive sound is the cello being played, along with the powerful soprano of Carmen's voice. She always dresses in white and I was pleased to see that she had not cut her long blond hair (as the EP cover gives the illusion of), though she kept it partially covered for her performance. They're a South Caroline band that I was first exposed to several years ago at Birmingham's City Stages. I'd seen them previously since at Workplay again, where we got treated to a special backstage performance after the show. I don't remember how we got admitted to that, though being in the right place at the right time was probably most of it.

I-Nine still sounds better live than they do on CD or Myspace, where they sound a little too polished and commercial for my taste. I'm also not convinced they need the drummer that was brought in. The band plays together in synch very well, and Carmen has a distinctive, slightly goofy, emotive and energetic stage presence. But check out their sound at http://www.myspace.com/inine . If anybody likes it enough, I'll dub them a copy of their last EP, and again, I particularly recommend the live show.

Today I made no particular attempt to get up early, and I was very nappish throughout the afternoon and early evening. I did make it to the comic store, where I picked up the new Buffy: Season Eight, Crossing Midnight, Angel: Season Six, Fables, the Immortal Iron Fist, and a few other gems. I'd buy more, but I keep my collecting habit to between thirty and forty dollars a month. It's relatively inexpensive fun and darn it, comic books make me happy. I love the covers, the cliffhangers, and the mix of pictures and words. When I get some extra money, I try to pick up the trade paperback collections, because they look good on my shelf and I can easily loan them to people. But I still enjoy the thrill of seeing what's come in from my pull-list every few weeks at the store.

In other news, Mom and Dad had me help move a few heavy things around the yard (potted plants) and up the garage stairs (a table saw), and I was reminded of how out of shape I am. I might be in moderate aerobic shape, but I want to put some muscles on and tone up a little. I'm going to start working with the weights in the garage, now that it's warmer, and I've ordered a new yoga book to help me learn some new asana (poses) combinations. I might join the gym again, but that's expensive so I'm not sure yet. I like being healthy and it's too much effort to stay in shape to get out of shape and have to start over. Besides, I probably get sick less if I'm exercising.

Last but not least, I wrote 1,300 words on my novel, _False Gods_, while at the office Friday in between doing more legal-oriented tasks. This makes me happy. If progress continues, I may ask a few of you to take a look at what I have so far.

My father had his birthday party today. He doesn't turn sixty until Sunday, but we went ahead and celebrated. I still need to get him a gift. I just ran out of time and was hoping to put off spending the money, but everyone else got him something, so I better hie myself down to the bookstore tomorrow. Aunts and uncles on both sides of the family came over, along with Kristin, who was lonely and wanted company (which we didn't mind). Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jimmy on my father's side, and Aunt Helen and Uncle Vic on my mother's side, showed up to celebrate and help us eat steak. Along with Grandmother and my brother, we had a full house at ten people.

Dad didn't seem too sensitive about his age, but I'm sure it was on his mind. I'm not sure how I feel about him being that old. It seems strange. It's a good thing life is not a comparison between myself and my father, because he casts a long, impressive shadow. He's in great shape, very strong, can work for hours on a scaffold after being at the office all day, and has a loving family and a business he's built up. I guess that would make him the definition of a role model, wouldn't it?

In other news, not much happened today and I didn't accomplish anything from my laundry list of tasks, mainly because I slept past noon. Once I'd gotten dressed and run an errand to Home Depot for my father, the afternoon was basically over. Tonight, I discovered I'm making significant progress on Resident Evil 4 (which I can do when physically drained, much like reading), though I admit using a guide to help. It's just a tough game, not that I have much to compare it to. I flipped tiles over randomly until, surprisingly quickly, I solved the nine-panel sliding puzzle. Now I'm back to shooting zombies. The castle section is amazingly long. To reflect real-life size, this would have to be the largest stone construction ever built by man. The place would cover miles in length, be several stories tall and as deep below, and require a mass transit device to get from one place to another.

It would dwarf Windsor Castle, the British Royal's estate and one of the largest castles ever. But then, I'm fairly sure Windsor does not go all the way down to a section built over bubbling lava. Who would want to build their castle over a lava crack? I've heard of geothermal energy, but this is ridiculous. To quote an old saying, "It's not a dungeon, it's an underground fortified defense installation."

I've posted everything else; I don't see why I shouldn't post recipes as well. I typed these two up for our church cookbook, and thought that others here might like to see them as well. The chili is my mom's recipe, and the chai was Shweta's, who taught me how to cook Indian food.
I'd like to start cooking more, even though I hate having no dishwasher and an ancient stove. Maybe I'll cook some at my grandmother's house. . .


Faye's Chili

Ingredients: 2 cans whole tomatoes, 1 small can tomato sauce, 1 can regular red beans, 1 large onion, 1 pound ground beef, chile powder mix.

Brown the meat with chopped onion. After browned, add spice packet. In pot, add everything. Simmer a long time, 1-2 hours. Stir enough to keep from sticking. Remove (or not) some tomato pieces. I favor removing most of them, which is why the larger pieces are a good idea, since they're easier to remove. Add water to thickness desired.


Mack's Chai

Ingredients: sugar, milk, water, ginger root, cardamon, loose black tea (coarsest you can find. In a pinch, mixing Darjeeling and English Breakfast will do), cloves.

Preferably, have the tea leaves mixed beforehand in a tight container or tin with the cloves and cardamon. I recommend 4-5 cloves, crushed, and 3-10 cardamon pods. Given how much effort it takes to mix the spices, I recommend getting a tin or honey jar-sized bottle to store them in for future use. You can always add more when making the chai if necessary. Use a 2:1 water to milk ratio, vary for strength. Let the water get hot and boil cut-up pieces of ginger root (1/2 inch per person). After boiling for a bit, add the milk and tea. They should be boiled together. Eventually, tea leaves will start coming to the surface. This is good, but it's very important to move the pot or turn off the heat before the milk gets denatured. Frothing is a sign you should move the tea. Some people say let the tea get near frothing, move it and wait a few minutes, then boil it again. However, this step is usually too much work. Strain the tea. Now, add sugar to taste.

This recipe was given to me by an old friend from India, so I would describe it as authentic.

"Cloverfield" is fun as far as monster movies go. My date got a little bit of vertigo from the "shaky cam" effect, but I was able to compensate. Both of us talked back to the movie so I'm sure we were terrible to be around. I'd recommend the movie as long as you take it for what it is: a slightly more realistic version of the trademarked Godzilla franchise. Tall buildings get knocked over, people get stepped on (and in one case, eaten), and the U.S. Army can do nothing to stop the stomping menace. Where did it come from? Who knows, but the harbor is a likely immediate bet. The descending parasites that live on the creature and drop down to menace people are a nice touch, because it lets the beast's influence be felt even where it isn't. In the sonic background are constant low level bellowing and the deep rumble of shaking city streets.

The name "Cloverfield" comes, I think, from the fact that clover is one of the first plants to regrow in a wasteland after something like lava or other great fire has happened. The central conceit is that a videotape was recovered from somewhere in the ruins of Manhattan, the area has apparently been rechristened "Cloverfield" after a great devastation. We are thus viewing part of the historic record.

Of course, you have to suspend belief in the monster itself and the violation of the Square Cube Ratio law as a prerequisite for enjoying the stompage, rampaging, and fleeing hordes. This is the law of physics that says a creature's weight goes up in ratio to its mass. Past a certain weight, bones would break, which is why nothing organic can be above a certain mass in our atmosphere. Past a certain height, oxygen can't be pumped fast enough to keep the organism alive. Creatures that are massive in real life, like giant sequoyas, get around this by being great in width, having incredible circulatory systems to pump water, and by not being mobile. So nature can evolve something as big as a dinosaur like a tyrannosaurus or a diplodocus, but not significantly much bigger.

Creatures can indeed be bigger in the water, because of buoyancy, but that mass translates poorly to being on the land. The pseudo-Godzilla in "Cloverfield" probably couldn't conceivably be as big as it was even as a water dwelling creature, because I think a hundred-foot long Megalodon shark is about the largest sea-going dinosaur known. The bones would have to be made of metal (and so not terribly buoyant) to support its weight on land, and as my friend whooper pointed out, skyscrapers get around their great height problem by being deeply rooted, having semi-hollow interiors, and other building techniques.

Simply put, the Cloverfield creature would collapse under its own weight, even if it somehow evolved to that size in the ocean. The mass would be too great for its infrastructure. People who know more science than me, feel free to elaborate here or correct me. It wouldn't be able to get enough air to breathe (and an anaerobic creature would not be able to move and burn energy the way it obviously does). The organs would squish under the weight of the flesh. You get the idea. So we can't plausibly be threatened by the beast, except by tacit breaking of the Square Cube Ratio rule. Even if the creature could exist, there is always the last-ditch resort of a nuclear weapon to certainly vaporize it. Nothing biological can survive even a low yield nuke, because the heat at ground zero is like being inside the sun. (Quick guess from quick research: around ten million degrees Kelvin). So we're safe!


Further Reading:
Roger Ebert's review
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080117/REVIEWS/801170302/1023

Square cube law (scroll down to see the section on Biomechanics)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square-cube_law