Bike

I brought my bike home from my parents house yesterday and it is sitting in my den mocking me. I was trying to clean off my desk and do some housework and all I can see if my bike sitting there begging me to take it out.
 
I have to go to the barn and ride this afternoon but I might go try biking the neighborhood if it is light enough when I get back.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/4686171951/

Great Article

Janet Fitch's 10 rules for writers

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/07/janet-fitchs-10-rules-for-writers.html

I write like
Ursula K. Le Guin

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Check out who you write like at... http://iwl.me/

Books and Tests and Things, Oh my!

I am in the middle of studying for exams and in my last week of class so I will have to see how things go. I might have to disappear for a bit to study and get ready for my exams that are somehow both on the same day. Planning on needing excedrine.

 

I found someone to type up my novel that I wrote last year, YES!!! Now I just have to edit the thing when I get it back. I have two upcoming contests that I want to send it in for. Will have to see if I can make the deadline.

On the health side I finally got sent to an allergist who I will see next week. Maybe I can see why I am reacting to everything right now. The bad news is no allergy meds at all till I see them...and I have exams before that, sigh. I swear I pissed off some god in another life or something.

 

Wish me luck, the way things are going I may need it.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience/3469305764/

Free Books

Testing a new email post. Bare with me please.

 

 5 Places to Download Free (and Legal) eBooks - News at Tonic.com

Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


View all my reviews >>

Up and Coming

Okay, I know the posts have been sparse lately.

This weekend I will try and post the mass of things I have been saving.

 

Thanks,

Manically Me

Weight

I had a small mental breakdown today.

 

I had decided enough was enough and started tracking what I ate and how much I exercised using www.hotcal.com.

Along the way I decided I needed to see what I weighed since I only had a rough idea. I weighed myself this morning and just about fell out. I weigh a good ten pounds more then I thought I did.

 

Plus, when I eat out at lunch I am eating enough to count as my entire day's calories!

So now I am on a role and determined to lose some weight. Here goes nothing. Wish me luck.

 

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benlevin/2737932196/

Graduation

Okay, beyond pissed.
 
My advisor said I did not have to have my graduation things in until October to graduate in the fall. It took a month of emails to get a meeting with her to even discuss this. She was wrong. Got an email today saying I have two days to turn everything in. There is no way I can do this!
 
Because of this error I will not be graduating in the Fall. I have to wait till spring.

Silver Fox Breeding Experiment

A Russian study tried to breed silver foxes for domesticated traits without a large about of human contact or training. They selectively breed the animals by selecting to breed only those foxes that showed low levels of fear. The actions of the animals over 50 years of breeding is overwhelming. The foxes have developed shorter or curly tails, changes in coat color, head shape, and floppy ears. They also show behaviors like whining at humans and licking and sniffing their hands. Check out the videos, they really are acting like puppies.

 

http://cbsu.tc.cornell.edu/ccgr/behaviour/Index.htm

 

http://cbsu.tc.cornell.edu/ccgr/behaviour/04_Recent_Publications/FoxChapter.pdf

Facing the Climb

I have had a very overstuffed week so far.

I am really ready for a weekend.

Between tests, classes at work and at school, and trying to keep up with the ton of readings I have for class I seem to simply be getting farther and farther behind. I think I am going to just have to give in and spend one day of my weekend cleaning house. It really needs a top to bottom scrub. I am still fighting with clutter from my vacation and from my last semester. My papers seem to breed with each other while I am not looking along with the dog hair bunnies.

 

 

 

 

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapstrake/3698070700

Books and Writing

I am trying to decide if I am going to re-write what I have for my Mage Novel so far. I have been rolling the plot around my head for the last week or two and have decided I can either wrap it up and end it now or re-write it as a series.

 

I am really leaning toward the series. I would be able to follow my character as she ages and grows and that would be a lot of fun ( and a lot of work). I am looking for a book on World Building. I need to figure out how other lands and courts outside of the one she is in operate and who is fighting who, ect...

 

I am tempted to do both, wrapp the novel up and write it as a series...Just to see which works better. Might have to play and see what happens.

Drumming the wheel, crazy.

This looks amazing, one I will have to keep an eye out for.

Migraine

I have had a migraine going on two days now. Thought it had gone away and now it is coming back. I really need to get myself back on my no-trigger diet. Sigh, I hate diets. No chocolate, no candy, no caffeine, no alcohol, no aged cheese, no nuts, no banannas, no pepperoni.  Also means I need to get away from pre-made meals for a bit to detox my system. Really not ready to think about having to cook all my meals when I am barely home right now. Sigh...

 

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zarprey/2527244405/

Trips

Well, I have found another place I have to add to the list of places to see before I die. Brittany, France.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany

 

The pictures are amazing.

London Book Festival

The London Book Festival is already gearing up this year. They have a call out for book manuscripts. Check out the site, http://londonbookfestival.com/portal/

 

 

2010 LONDON BOOK FESTIVAL CALL FOR ENTRIES

LONDON _ The 2010 London Book Festival has issued its call for entries to its annual competition honoring the best of international publishing. The 2010 London Book Festival will consider entries in general non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, cookbooks, compilations/anthologies; e-books; genre-based, how-to, photography/art, spiritual, music, teenage/young adult, unpublished stories and the wild card (anything goes!) categories published on or after Jan. 1, 2005. All entries must be in English and can be published, self-published or issued by an independent publishing house. Our grand prize for the 2010 London Book Festival is $1500 cash and a flight to London for our gala awards ceremony.

Submitted works will be judged by a panel of publishing industry experts using the following criteria:

1. General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2. The potential of the work to gain a wider audience in the worldwide market.

ENTRIES: Please classify your book and enter it in the following categories. Multiple entries must be accompanied by a separate fee for each book.

1. General Non-fiction
2. General Fiction
3. Children's books
4. How-to
5. E-books (word or .pdf file acceptable)
6. Photography/Art
7. Poetry
8. Audio/Spoken Word
9. Teenage/Young Adult
10. Biography/Autobiography
11. Audio/spoken word
12. Best Unpublished Short Story (all manuscripts welcome)
13. Cookbooks
14. Compilations/Anthologies
15. Spiritual
16. Wild Card
17. Music

In addition to honoring the top selections in the above categories, The London Book Festival will award the following chosen from submissions:

1. London Book Festival Author of the Year-Honors the outstanding book of the competition.
2. London Book Festival Book Design of the Year - Honors outstanding and innovative design.
3. London Book Festival Publisher of the Year - Honors the top publisher based on materials displaying excellence in marketing and promotional materials, as determined by our judges.

FESTIVAL RULES: London Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.

NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on this web site. Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.

Deadline submissions in each category must be received by the close of business on December 15, 2010 to be eligible for the competition. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail shortly after the final entry deadline and the results will be posted at www.Londonbookfestival.com. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.Londonbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee via check, money order or PayPal online payment of $50 in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.

Entry fee checks should be made payable to JM Northern Media LLC. We're sorry, but entries must be mailed and cannot be delivered in person or by messenger services to the JM Northern Media offices.

Entry packages should include one copy of the book; any relevant marketing material; your official entry form or a copy; and the entry fee or receipt. Entries should be mailed to:

JM Northern Media LLC
attn: London Book Festival
7095 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 864
Hollywood, CA 90028-0893
Phone: 323-665-8080

AWARDS: Winners of the London Book Festival will be honored at a gala ceremony held in London in January, 2011. You do not need to be present to accept your award or accompanying prizes.

The 2010 London Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which includes the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival.

The 2010 London Book Festival is sponsored by eDivvy, the Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, Shopanista; Westside Websites and the DIY Reporter.com.

Horse Show

A few pictures from the horse show.

Classes are starting

Classes are starting and I think I am going to like my classes this time. My biology of society class has The World Without Us and Michael Crichton as required reading :)

This was the course description:
An examination and discussion, through use of various books, novels, and videos, of recent advances in biology and their implications for society. Ethical issues will be stressed.

image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pliabletrade/2556969126/

Cake Stop Motion

Food about you - Annecy festival 2010 from Alexandre DUBOSC on Vimeo.

Great stop motion of making a cake in a lab. Fun.

Icecream and Fiction

How do you combine a love of icecream with a love of Fiction? Check out this re-design of icecream containers.

 

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2010/05/student-spotlight-optical-brightening-1.html

Sweet

 

How do you design a chocolate bar that will convince people to eat less candy and not more? Check out the sweets at http://lovelypackage.com/my-sweets/. 

 

 

Image: http://lovelypackage.com/my-sweets/

Books and Sand

Well, exams are over and I am just waiting on my grades. Wish me luck, I might need it this time.

 

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17084757@N00/141315224/

Exams and Vacation

Well, my exams are tomorrow. Wish me luck.

 

I am really ready for my vacation. I cannot wait. I am about half packed and I have packed a stack of books, my Nook, and my novel I am writing to keep me company if the weather gets bad. Otherwise I plan to be swimming, flying my kite, or crabbing. I will post pictures when I get back.

 

Adios,

Manically Me

 

image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisdoc/453929527/

 

And since we all need something beautiful some days...

To Share

The one song that is in every song you hear.

I Am A Girl - The Girls With Glasses Theme Song from The Girls With Glasses on Vimeo.

Girl Power! Woo!

MIA

I am in the middle of cramming for exams so if I disappear for a while, don't worry, I am just conserving brain cells.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/athena/325752626/