Through the eyes of a child

Several years ago, a heartburn medicine company had an ad campaign that featured a man sleeping. He suddenly sits up. His wife asks, very concerned, "What's wrong, honey?" He opens his mouth and...

Breathes fire. She pats his arm. "Heartburn, again?"

My then 2yo son, looked at me, eyes wide, and said, "Mommy, I want heartburn!"

I love the innocence and wonder of children.

Religion and SF tv shows

“Defying Gravity” was an interesting tv show. I’ve watched the nine episodes available online. But the story arc bothers me. Why do the creators of SF shows think they have to have a mystical, quasi-religious story arc? Star Trek (the original) only did it in a few episodes, usually because they had to deal with aliens with god-complexes. StarGate SG-1 dealt with it a bit, for the same reason. But Defying Gravity, with its near-future realism, wasn’t content to build a story around exploration or even a strange artifact. No, they had to find “God” in the object.

Not that I object to religion. I’m very religious myself. I’m just wondering why SF shows have to explore the idea that God can be found as a tangible thing just waiting for us to reach a certain point in our technological evolution. Is it because we are searching for meaning or is it the same reason that ancient people built the tower of Babel? We have a deep-seated need to find God, to classify Him, to fit him into the framework of understanding we’ve built to explain our existence. So we create tv shows where God is a glowing, amorphous blob that wants us to retrieve the other bits left lying around on other planets. Maybe the writers didn’t mean to take the story that direction but since the show was cancelled, we’ll never find out.

On the other hand, you have tv shows where God does not exist and never has, where relationships are always doomed to fail, where true happiness does not exist. Firefly, much as I love the show and the characters, falls into this trap. Joss Whedon must not believe in marriage or happiness, none of his characters ever find it and if they do, the universe punishes them by ripping away whatever they had.

So where is the balance between religion and science? I personally believe science and religion are not contradictory but complementary. Science answers questions religion isn’t equipped to handle and vice versa. God is not quantifiable, but his creations are. By understanding his creations, we can understand something about deity. And through religion, we can build a relationship with God that can help us understand science and find meaning in our existence.

I wonder if Hollywood will ever find that balance.

Why Attend Conventions?

Answer: They're fun! And you can have fangeek moments and no one gives you strange looks. And you can network with other people who have similar interests.

I spent last weekend in Phoenix AZ at the First North American Discworld Convention. Sir Terry Pratchett is amazingly funny, friendly, and a true gentleman. The con was well-run and very enjoyable.

And I agree with Sir Terry's comment: "I've never seen so many corsets in one place at one time in my life!"

Thanks to the committee and the guest of honor and the others who attended for making it a great experience.

Teenagers Need Instruction Manuals

I have a 17yo daughter.

According to her, I'm a blend of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Evil Stepmother. Catch 22. No matter what I do, I'm evil. If I let her go to a party, I'm evil for not caring about her safety. If I forbid her from going, then I'm determined to destroy her social life. If she sneaks out and goes anyway, then I'm evil for not stopping her. I lose.

Sons are much easier to deal with.

Miss Spelling Comments

It amazes me how many people promoting themselves as authors and writers post blogs and messages littered with misspelled words. The occasional grammar slipup can be excused, as long as it is rather obscure and not glaring. But using the wrong word or leaving misspelled words seriously damages your credibility as a professional.

It only takes a few moments to proofread and spellcheck a document. Take the time.

Spend a few moments learning commonly misused words. They're, there, and their; insure and ensure; and others. With online dictionaries, it's a snap to check the meaning of the word you are using. Do it.

Please, for the sake of communication, learn to do it right; especially if you call yourself a professional.

Censorship in the Library - Burn that Book!

A friend's Twitter post triggered a chain of thought on censorship in public libraries. I was on our community library board for four years. I've worked closely with the grade school librarian where my children attend school. I have a whole bunch of my own kids. It's interesting how the whole censorship thing works.

At the public library level, I found the choice of books people objected to very intriguing. They weren't objecting to the romance novels that bordered on outright porn. Nope. The books filled with profanity didn't make the list, either. They objected to books that portrayed Mormons in an unflattering way (I live in a predominantly Mormon community). The librarian explained her dilemma. The library is funded with public money, therefore, it should reflect the community's interests and values. But, libraries are also places that value freedom of thought and expression and are forbidden to practice censorship. Her solution? Pull the offending book for a month or two with a promise to the patron to review it for objectionable material, then after a few weeks, quietly slip the book back onto the shelf for circulation again.

At the school library, it was similar situation but a lot more volatile. We're talking about people's offspring and their tender little minds. One year, the librarian had a whole mob of very vocal parents objecting to Harry Potter, anything Star Wars, Animorphs, and a whole string of other popular children's books. The main complaint was that the books promoted witchcraft and a belief in "magic". I found it interesting that the books they wanted pulled were all science fiction and fantasy titles. Goosebumps were fine. The librarian knew how popular the books were and didn't want to create a scandal. If she refused, which was completely within her rights and job description, the parents would create a massive media scandal. If she complied, she could lose her job. She opted to create a waiver for parents to sign before their children were allowed to check out the unsavory books. Guess who was first in line to sign? Me.

I strongly believe in freedom. What I value may not be what my neighbor values. My right to read what I choose is just as valid as theirs. Public libraries, school or community, do not have the right to censor my choices. It ultimately is up to me to censor what I read. I do practice censorship with my kids, as is my right as their parent. There are books that I don't want them to read for a variety of reasons. Once they are out of my house, they can choose to read them if they want.

That is the beauty of our country. No one can dictate what we are allowed to read. Everyone has a right to their opinion and the option to air it. But no one has the right to force their opinions and values on me, just as I have no right to force you to read MY book list.

Nexus Point is getting closer to release

My novel is getting closer to release. I'm waiting on the final word from the publisher that everything is set. I'm hoping for Labor Day weekend, but it looks like it might be later into September. Meanwhile, just to whet your appetite, here's a teaser for it:

Dace’s wants are simple–a trading ship and the freedom to fly where she chooses. But on her first trip, her crew betrays her, her ship explodes, and she finds herself stranded on Dadilan, a planet locked in a feudal age.
Survival is hard enough when you have no technology or resources. It’s even harder when you have drug smugglers hunting you. Dadilan is the source of shara, a drug that enhances psychic abilities, a commodity so rare and precious people will kill for it.
Trapped between rival smugglers and the Patrol undercover investigation, Dace has one hope of rescue–convincing Tayvis, the undercover agent, she’s an innocent bystander. But those don’t exist on Dadilan. No one lands without authorization, unless they are smuggling.
Her ignorance may cost her life.