Zombies and ink... wha??

 Right out of the gate, Carolyn, that's great about Ariel. Everything that I've read of Ariel's certainly pays you back at least threefold for your willing suspension of disbelief investments.

Speaking of 3,  I spent a third of my career in the daytime/paytime world with a fellow who was sure that he was the re-incarnation of Noel Coward.  Yes, he was quick witted, but he was only half the wit he thought he was. One of his oft-trotted-out chestnuts  was that educational administrators and policy makers were like dogs sitting at the side of a busy road. They'd run barking after one passing vehicle/ popular pedantic theory until it outran them and then return and go barking after the next one.

I think pop culture is caught up, similarly, with zombies. Sure, there's been a hard-core zombie aficionado element ever since " Night of The Living Dead" but things  have ramped up a bunch.  I  enjoyed repeatedly, the  MTV color line breaking  "Thriller" video and the umpteen you-tube items featuring such diverse groups as  orange-suited Phillipine prison inmates  recreating the zombie dance sequence but that was essentially, a visual enhancement of solid centrepiece music. ( He may have been fruitcake nutty but Wacko Jacko, and behind the scenes producer- guru Quincy Jones, collaborated to produce a compelling entertainer. )  Yes, the Gloved One helped edge zombies into the mainstream.


 Current zombie interaction, it seems, is mainly about endless rounds of smashing them like overripe pumpkins or blowing them to gooey smithereens in whatever manner you have at your disposal, before they dismember you to eat your brains - hey, maybe that’s where Billy  Corgan got the name  for his musical quintet . 

 
And 


 those lovable, zany zombies have  made the jump, too.  They’ve got the “ Lego Bump” ( apologies to Steven Colbert ).

 Still, I just can't get my head around the big-time zombie pre-occupation at the moment, except  to revert to my former colleagues barking dog theory. 

Can somebody enlighten me further...?

 Could somebody explain this conspicuous tats thing too.  I’ve been tempted to have my family's birthdays printed on my person  once or twice.  But to devote significant hours and dollars to turning your trunk and/or appendages into a cross between a Gothic doodle-pad and an art school portfolio,  just seems to be a completely gratuitous  activity. If it's about making an impression, or establishing an image then why not do so with words or actions, rather than epidermis? 

The most inscrutable aspect is the hidden ink ( tramp stamps and such )  I can see having ink on forearms and other places where they’re readily apparent to the wearer - just like funky, flashy clothes. That way, one can bask in  the admiring glances.   But having them where the owner will never see them except, perhaps,  in a narcissistic  mirror moment, completely eludes me. It's kinda  like putting a diamond façade on the bottom of your shoe. 



So concludes another episode of " Stuff I Just Don't Get "


Last week's riddle was, of all things, waltz. I figured that the Whitman and Disney thing would be the cat out of the bag element in this one. I think I'm drifting back into some of that trying to be too cute with the clues thing. 

The end of January riddle goes like this:

Metallic arms joined

To facilitate separation

Best to move slowly when

Accommodating them

My guess for your last one, Carolyn, is paper. I was thinking earlier that if the paperless society is to become a reality, banks and insurance companies  especially have to get the message. We do pretty well all of our business with these types online but the paper flood continues in the mailbox.

And  may I be closer to the mark on this riddle than I was last time!

Don

P.S. Looking forward to pounding the keys with sweaty rather than chilly fingers.

Envy and Straying

Don, I don’t see a smirk as much as a gloat – 36 inches of snow and 36 hours! Whoa! Enjoy the sun and the geckos! You deserve it. We'll keep this image of you in mind until you send us another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we get too far astray, I’d like to mention (really, this is a gloat) that Ariel Cinii received a well deserved review from SFCALR-MAG for her book, FamilyForge. Wormhole

Electric premiered the book as well as her second, The Organized Seer, and we are all a twitter about the review:

 

“This incredibly complex but exceedingly rewarding read will appeal to hard-core fans of the genres who want more than just fantastical adventures but stories with soul.… This is aimed directly at Science Fiction aficionados out there. It hits every button with laser point precision giving it a depth and quality that only few titles have.”

Well done Ariel!

 

The writing contest through sowrite.us.com has been extended for a week. The story starter is incredible:

“This I confess, and nothing more!” she cried aloud to the howling throng.

If you have even a remote idea of what happens next, link on over to sowrite.us and join in for free.

 

Now to straying. Sorry to hear your weather forecasters have been tweaking the English so much, Don, that “squall warnings” sound like brief interludes of rain. They’ve been spot on here – balmy, high clouds, storm fronts pushing through – no measurable precipitation. It is the driest winter on record, not good for a state that depends on the ski/snowboard industry.

I’ve actually been able to dedicate some time to writing this week. I’ve translated 30 pages of third person to first-person. I really like the change in intensity, and really, it has made the story less complicated to follow and write. I don’t have to worry about what other characters are planning and plotting and keeping it in consistent verb tense. Of course, my main character is partnered with animal characters so she is able to be the “spider on the wall” on several occasions. I wonder if it will ruin the mystery element?

Young Riddler! You’re so cute Don –

You are right, the answer to my riddle was shoes. I’ve never seen gloves with laces. What an interesting visual.

Your riddle has stumped me. I’ve gone from beer to swimming, to floating; I think the ship in the bottle is a clue… rowing? Sailing? But I don’t know how that applies to toreadors and flowers. I think I’m missing something here…

 

Here’s a riddle to keep you busy while you’re flying south:

thin flimsy large but mostly small

lined or blank

white or colored

likes to be scratched on

keeper of thoughts and meanderings

 

Have a great trip, Don! Fly safe. Remember us while you are basking in the sun and I’m looking forward to lots of news from south of the border.

 

Carolyn

 

Gobsmacked and Snowbound

Carolyn,

Right to the jugular ...... RIDDLES

 I was totally, utterly and completely out in left field. Frankly,  I was up in the last row of the  bleachers and gobsmacked by your riddle this time. I might as well have been back on Venus.   You'd  think I'd be psychologically  predisposed to get the airline carry-on bag thing right-off since I'll be making my airborne escape to the  land of geckos, iguanas, and other crispy critters pretty  soon.   Please note that I am not smirking while I write this ....ahh... honest!

I gotta say that our temporary trek south won't come too soon since we seem to be settling in to a more traditional Bruce Peninsula winter ( i.e. endless lake-effect snow streamers and daily dalliances with the snow-blower ) . We've had almost three feet of the white stuff in the last 36 hours.  Those pathological liars on television and radio who allegedly claim  to be "forecasting" the weather,  keep using mayhem and madness inducing  terms like " snow-squall warnings " and "winter deep freeze".  Jeez,  the depths these media-types will stoop to to pump up the ratings, eh! 

  I had to finally admit defeat and put the motorcycle into hibernation a couple of weeks ago. 

It is very cold and nasty  here.  Al Gore lied  !

 The whole world outside my windows is Christmas postcard scenery right now. Too bad I'm not a skier or boarder because there's powder aplenty. Owen Sound continues to show well in the snowiest cities in Canada sweepstakes - a top 20  finish year in and year out. Go Team, Go! 


Okay, done with whining, wailing and wimping about the weather ( wow, an orgy of alliteration! ) 


Your riddle this time is once again suitably inscrutable. I'll guess that its shoes or gloves - either one (or pair ) can protect you or leave you vulnerable.  The lace thing makes me lean towards gloves, but the vulnerable thing makes me think of footwear that totally sacrifices orthopedic efficacy  for style.  It's still a toughie - You have learned well young riddler !

As far as my last riddle goes, you socked it to me again. It was socks. I guess using the term "sock it to me" really dates one, n'est-ce-pas? Ah, the fickle finger of pop terminology. 





Here's mine:

Best space station entry and egress ever
Rhythmic routine in Tennessee and Austria
Whitman and Disney comprise two thereof.

Practised by Toreadors and Flowers

I followed your link to the So Write. Us site and on a quick perusal it looks pretty cool. I will be back there  to check it out in more depth. My own writing hasn't been front and centre but it hasn't been totally swept aside either. Every day or two I go back and add or refine a story point but there's certainly lots and lots and lots more to do. The smartphone comes in most handy to record stray thoughts on the run, too. I confess that sometimes when I'm at the wheel or behind the snowblower I jeopardize my concentration momentarily by thinking about " the story".  Smarten up, Don.

 I have a scribblers'  progress update  on my short list of upcoming entries here at
  Conversations at Wormhole Electric. 

Carolyn, you made the point that conspiracy  is a plot pillar  behind many classical works. I was lucky enough to have an English teacher in grade 10 who could make Shakespeare live for a room full of pre-occupied and even pre-possessed adolescents. - He brought the whole dramatic import of conspiracy as a plot element and character development catalyst to  life for me  via Julius Caesar.  I can still feel the dramatic force behind those words, even though they were in latin - "Et Tu Brute" ( Julius Caesar, 3.1.77 )

 It certainly heightened my  literary sensibilities from then on and allowed me to appreciate more fully, later classic works that play on this element, whether actual or imagined by the main characters for their greatest impact.

Oh,  there's the bell. School's out for today.

Don

Conspiracy and Riddles: Do they go togther?

Don, I was struck by your image of Santa on in–line skates which led me to wonder where Santa goes on vacation and what he does in his down time. And I agree, I’m totally glad the White House has decided not to destroy planets –

Your comments on the power of social networking came on the heels of the final edit of Jeph Keir’s Cantor which we’ll publish in February. It doesn’t have humans as ant-like creatures, but close – it is that genres of steam punk that is creepy and fascinating at the same time.

Your thoughts on being moved and manipulated as a society brought to mind popular movies and books from the last 50 years. 1984 comes to mind, as well as the movie Conspiracy Theory (1997).  Many sci-fi books have addressed the issue but the one I remember the best is Weather Wars. Don’t forget the first and second episode movies of Star Wars. The conspiracy to rule the world has also been the premise for most James Bond movies. This topic seems to draw on our basic fear but doesn’t allow us to see it happening until it blindsides us.

I had to laugh when I read about your motorcycling. I remember bikers and scooters when we were in Bosnia and Italy a couple of summers ago – driving between the cars in the traffic lanes. Glad to know your voice of self-preservation is on high alert! And roundabouts! I marveled at how effective they were in Europe, and I’m totally mystified as to why they don’t work here in the New World.

I’ve been working with the so write us folks. It looks like I get to help judge one of their short-form writing contest that starts in a week or so. It will be fun and interesting to look at other writers and how they start their stories. Maybe I can get some pointers as to how to get away from the self-imposed stop sign I’ve put up for my own writing.

The answer to my riddle was a rolling take-on the plane bag used for travel. I was really afraid I’d given it away with “bag for treasures” on rolling wheels. I think you were just being nice to me…  

Your riddle was great! I loved the “odious enemy that night”. My guess is Socks!

“Bad partnerships” threw me off until I looked down at my socks and realized I’d coupled a black with a brown. This doesn’t happen often as I use socks as my way of expressing anti-establishment. I have pairs that would give Pippi Longstocking a run for her money.

So here’s my riddle for this week:

I can style you up or dress you down

Be held with velcro or lace

Cause comfort and ease or numbing pinching

I can protect you or leave you vulnerable.

 

Have a great week!

Carolyn

 

Still searching for manuscripts! Have a syfy fantasy story laying around that you blush about when you think about getting it published? Take a chance that just maybe that syfy fantasy adventure is worth letting others read! Contact me at clv241@gmail.com

Emergent.. See

 Carolyn,  I had never truly  thought  about  “ Emergence” as a scientific process, and a calculable process, at that,  until your last blog . Now I see that it's something  even more significant  since technology isn’t  far short of getting most all of us in immediate touch via mass media and social media. It gives one a lot to ponder. 

  In fact, 




if we are all socially networked are we in danger of becoming cultural Borg or ant-like creatures?  We certainly already see the Pied Piper power and effects of  worldwide lowest common denominator  popular culture - Gangnam Style anyone ?? If we can all be reached at once can we all be moved and manipulated at once as well?  There’s an astronomical amount of effort, money and sophisticated advertising methodology  pouring out and playing out there every moment striving to do exactly that. As Rod Serling   once asked:

 " How can you put out a meaningful drama when every fifteen minutes proceedings are interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits with toilet paper ?"

Alas, Mr. Serling made that observation back in a kinder, gentler time. Most televised presentations are interrupted every 7 or 8 minutes now. Or they have morphed  into " infotainment" etc., The sum can also be lesser than its parts, I guess.

 It’s not about steam-rolling free will but simply side-stepping or hot-wiring it and appealing to baser instincts. Check  how much the political players spent on media in the last election,  wherever you are.  In the U.S., Mitt Romney, in a campaign that was large on bankrolls but small on platform specifics,  came awfully close to simply buying himself a presidency.  Mind you,  I’m certainly not ashamed of my basic instincts, they’re the ones that keep me alive and fed and clean. I trust them implicitly . They do provide daily gratification, whether we admit it or not. They can also be a weak link and are far from pander-proof.  

 I especially enjoyed the part in Wikipedia about Emergence in Humanity ( Hey… that’s us ! )   The mention of traffic roundabouts as an example of emergent behavior caught my eye . I've seen it in action both here and over there ( i. e. Europe ) . Many folks native to here simply can’t  get the hang of it.   I think part of it , for me at least, came from the  realization recently, as I was throttling into a roundabout on my bike, that the surrounding drivers, judging by the looks on their faces ( as a lifelong motorcycle rider I instantly try to read the faces of those auto drivers around me who have the power, at that moment at least,  to end my life) had no idea what to do. “Step, away from the other drivers”  says the voice  of self-preservation within.

.   BTW that’s  me on the left ( above ) and my son, Colin. 

I am also sad to hear that O’Ryan and Scott are moving on. I'm not sad for them, of course, but sad for us.  We got in to see them “ on the ground floor” as it were.  There’s an emergence aspect at work here too methinks. Scott’s planetscape descriptions in The Phylogeny of Atropos 1-16-C  came back to my mind recently when I was on about Venus ( Boxing Day entry) 

O’Ryan’s The Serpent Bearer world definitely caught me up. I'm glad I was able to spend some substantial time in it  from an editorial perch.  Good luck to the both of you. You have inspired my meager  but hopefully emergent efforts as a writer.  Again, I still, and probably always will, see Cyphares  XIV  when I hear ELP’s  "Lucky Man".

Both writers confirm what I referred to in my very first appearance here, i.e. - that the muse is alive and well. 


Okay, it's the riddle thing now. 

Carolyn, I kinda believe yours is either a lawnmower or a Zamboni - this one is very tough. At one point I was almost convinced it was Santa wearing inline skates.  My last item was/were thumbtacks.  Submitted for your  approval -  this week's riddle:



Warm friend in the morning
Odious enemy that night
Amazement knocks them off 
Bad partnerships are sartorially obvious  

Don

P.S. I truly enjoyed the White House response to the Death Star petition late last week. 

Do Riddles Emerge?

Want to be published? Want to be part of a global writers group? Contact Carolyn at clv241@gmail.com. Curious? Check out the Wormhole Electric website at http://www.wormholeelectric.com

 

 

 

Don, I figured I’d groan when I heard the answers to your riddles – pencil. Of course! Head slap.

 

Is this you sailing? It might take you more that a week to get through the Great Lakes!

 

 

 

How did you know that the Arctic was on my bucket list? I understand that due to global warming, it is predicted that the “Northwest Passage” will open up within the next five years or so. To sail that would be thrilling, amazing, wondrous… I’m sure readers can come up with more descriptions. Of course, it also opens me up to “Are you crazy?!” What do you expect from someone who has Iceland high on her travel destination list?

I’ve been reading about the new science of “Emergence”: new things morphed out of what already is; often greater than the sum of its parts; exploring on the edge of chaos; results are often not predictable. The Internet is an example – it was originally designed as a database for scientists and look at it now!

As a writer, emergence is exploring the possibilities of plot and dialogue, what feels right here. It is the process of exploring just how our characters will react on the edge of chaos; what options do we as writers allow our characters so they can decide which way to go. Can our characters solve the mystery we've put them into?

As an editor, I find myself questioning how one thing leads to another; is the choice of path clear? or muddled? Jeph Keir’s latest, The Cantor, unfolds for the reader at the same pace it unfolds for the main character; it feels predictable until the end – the edge of chaos sends the story in a direction that is totally unexpected. In the Capt. Jackson series, one of the characters, Stitch, has finally snapped out of his personal dismalness and reverted to the kind of personality he used to have. But is that really possible? Can a character, or a person for that matter, really go back to the way they were? Choices lead us, characters too, to go this way or that way, one fork in the road leads to another, to another – this is the mark of growth. Is it possible to go back to what was? Can characters go back to the way they were without consequences? Can we? (Both of these stories will be available in February - Transport 19 Stories of syfy, fantasy, action and adventure.)

It is with great sadness that I announce that Scott Benenati and O’Ryan Jackson are leaving our writing group. Their daytime/pay time has offered them greater opportunities for growth. Their talent, wit, and contributions will be sorely missed.

Riddles! Okay Don, my guess for yours is the zipper. My riddle for you is:

Up on rollers

Barely skimming the ground

Bag for treasures

For going around

 

Want to be published? Want to be part of a global writers group? Contact Carolyn at clv241@gmail.com. Curious? Check out the Wormhole Electric website at http://www.wormholeelectric.com

Buckets, Dreams and a riddle

There's a phenomenon that besets many of us who spend our lives educating. I woke up unintentionally very early last Monday morning, (  4 am ) and again at about 5:30 and  6:30. Each time it was with this nagging amorphous thought kicking vigorously  at my consciousness. It wasn’t specific but it was compelling and all about having to have something ready. I don't remember what that something was. I never do, in fact.   This isn't a new thing and I’m  only mentioning it here because, Carolyn,  your talk of going back to class reminded me. I’ve talked with others of our ilk and it’s a pretty common occurrence. For want of a better term I call it the "teacher dream" ( spectre might be  better ). 

It’s been  there since I became a teacher and wasn't any less prevalent whether the students were 9 years old or 19. The thing is, I haven’t been a teacher now for half a decade and I haven’t even set foot in a classroom in any kind of professional capacity for 3 years. Still, these  teacher dreams materialize like clockwork every summer's end and holiday’s end. I’m not sure I’m helpful mentioning this Carolyn, but I want it to be known that your back to school concerns are a widely shared experience. What is it about those of us who choose to spend our lives teaching that precipitates such stuff ??

Enough introspection .  Now, onward .... 

 I really never thought of assembling a full-tilt bucket list until a couple of years ago. Like anyone, I’ve itemized stuff I wanted to do, and it’s a list that's under constant “ site maintenance “. Some things that wouldn’t have killed me before might well do so now.

  I'll tell you one thing Carolyn -  zip-lining and indoor skydiving are SO NOT on that list!

I'm going to be doing one of those things soon on the Yucatan Peninsula. The Mayan ruins, like any from a prominent ancient civilization,  are genuinely awe-inspiring since they confirm that we here in the 21st century aren't quite as clever as we think, in the Arts and Sciences. We have more sophisticated tools to work with but much of what we do has been done, and sometimes more magnificently,  in the past. I got to spend one day at some sites last year but this time around there will be four weeks in and around Merida instead of one.   

Stuff on my current  bucket list includes getting to the third ocean that my home and native land has a shore upon - the Arctic. I also want to sail on all 5 Great Lakes in one week. My best friend and I hatched this plan a number of years ago ( possibly during a staff meeting ) and I'd like to see it through sometime. It's quite doable especially since three of them almost converge around the Straits of Mackinac. We just need to borrow the time and the easily trailer-able sailboat.



Anyhow more on this later perhaps or I'll be lost on a tangent and the Coast Guard will have to be called in. The riddles are up to bat now. 

The first one was a pencil - one of the original word processors. The drumstick bit came to me after catching David Letterman and Conan O'Brien in the same late evening. They do the one drumstick thing as does Jon Stewart on occasion. Many people, when they have a pencil in hand and nothing to write, resort to the rat-a-tat-tat. 


The second is a jar.

I fully comprehend and appreciate the lack of riddles this week and eagerly await when next they appear. Also, to free up a few more moments for getting things on the road in your daytime/paytime  world I'm gonna just leave  a single shortie riddle:

Fastening device for opposing digits

Bad boys best weapon for stern educators perch

**

So long for now.

Don

Getting back to Normal

Still looking for the right 2 authors to join Wormhole Electric!

I'm late with this blog today - it has been one of "those" days where good intentions seem to fall by the wayside. It took longer to save and backup my files than I thought it would and just as I was starting to put my thoughts into sentences for the blog, the world opened up.

One of the delightful things that sometimes happens is the authors who are currently writing for Wormhole Electric decide they want to talk. And that is what happened this morning - two authors, in fact, contacted me and our discussions were well over an hour long; talking about their stories to date, what they planned to do in the future, questions about whether this or that would work better; the jumps the writers make and the "ohhhhh!" wonder sound and look when things come together in their minds are incredible to witness - this is why I do this month after month. I get to witness brilliance as it happens!

Don, your "bucket list" reference is amazing! One of our writers is turning 50 this year and she has decided to come up with a list of 49 things to do this year. She challenged me to come up with 40. I got 22 things on the list, then started doing them! Then I got paranoid about having to come up with new things to do as I crossed things off. I got over that! I've done some of my favorites already: swimming in a heated glass enclosed pool while it was snowing outside; take a class on looms; go to the History Museum. Some things I want to do include zip-lining, indoor sky diving and going to the wolf sanctuary. But one of the big things was to go see the Van Gogh exhibit at the art museum.

The exhibit is called "Becoming Van Gogh" and it was incredible! The exhibit organizers took the viewer through the beginning pictures and attempts of Van Gogh, put up side by side pictures of the masters he copied; provided pictures of the artists he was friends with and shared similar techniques with. It showed what might be the result of "10,000 hours of practice". My favorites are still the pen/ink and water color pictures he did in his "middle years." I like the windmills of Paris, almond blossoms, and of course, sunflowers. When we got home, we watched the Dr. Who/Amy Pond and Van Gogh episode. That really pointed out that if you could go back into the past, you can't change the future, no matter what you do.

One of the thoughts that came up was - if you do your 10,000 hours of practice, can you add a skill that is similar without having to go through another 10,000 hours of practice or does it integrate easier in a more timely manner? The reason I'm asking is because I'm coming up on close to 10000 hours of editing. If I were to add to that skill set, do I have to start over? I'm thinking about my own writing which needs more practice. But will the editor's eye help me write or will it slow me down?

I've had the opportunity this week to edit the next offerings for February's Wormhole Electric Transport Story series. The two writers I worked with are both masterful enough that for the most part, editing came down to commas,word choice and making sure of the stories' continuity, and whether or not the numbers matched. At one point I was deliberating between the words "enter and inside." In the latest Captain Jackson, the marines are entering an inn in Transylvania in the year 1524. Do marines "enter" an inn or do they go "inside"? Nit picky - but those silly words are what maintain the believability of the story.

I have to admit that you've stumped me with the riddles, Don! I'm sure the clues are there, but for some reason, my mind just isn't wrapping around any plausible answer! For the second one, I was thinking along the lines of plates - but I can't figure out how doors and plates are related. I had visions of a dishwasher for the first until I hit golfers and single drumstick... I think I'm crying "uncle" on these! And I know once you tell me, I'll hang my head in shame and cringe because of course, that was the answer and I missed it. And your guesses were correct. I'm going to have to rethink my approach - I'll have 2 new riddles for you next week.

I'm pushing time here - trying to get ready to go back to teaching tomorrow. I have cookies to bake for my college Composition I classes - it is a writing prompt. What better way to pique their curiosity, overcome their jiltedness toward English and give them enough sugar to last the 4 hour class. Wish me luck.

Carolyn

No pictures - can't seem to upload them to the draft. I'll publish now and add pictures later.
C

Still Wanted!
Writers who would like to join Wormhole Electric! Looking for completed syfy, fantasy, action/adventure manuscripts to be published as a seriel over a series of months or a single short story. All stories are considered for inclusion in the Anthology that is published about every 8-9 months. Join Us! Contact Carolyn Varvel at: clv241@gmail.com

Robots, Resolutions and Riddles

 Carolyn, the robot races sounds like a great time. For some reason it reminded me of Twain’s “ The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County ".  



 It's a cross between that and a micro-soap-box derby. It sounds like you and your guests had a  rollicking evening. 






And speaking of soap-boxes , we all know the drill at this time of year. New Years comes with New Years 
resolutions.  There’s all of the generic ones like eat better, listen more, be in touch with the dwindling family more often, and just try to be less of a hindrance and more of a help. I think these are the kinds of self-improvement things that don’t  need  the  new year to bring them to mind. They're ones that are in the back of the head constantly. 



 The kinds of resolutions I'm thinking of are more like a 12 month bucket list. While we’re not all terminal patients with a long way to go and a short time to get there, like Morgan and Jack, a year gone is 365 non-refundable days  ( yeeooww, how deep! ) So the thinking is, next time around let's buck up on a thing or two.

BTW, didn’t that whole " The Bucket List"  flick/motif just  tap into our cultural consciousness big time from the moment it appeared.    It's a satisfying  movie all 'round-  a great story told by a skilled director and animated by consummate actors.Rob Reiner, it seems, can do little wrong as a moviemaker. ( Hell, I'd canonize him for "Spinal Tap" alone!)


  Anyhow, enough of the  Siskel and Ebert  for now. Back to the Resolution Report!


Well, even though I really can’t remember any that I’ve made in the past and  kept religiously, let's roll the bones again. So here goes with my 2013 list of literary resolutions:


1)  Delve into some current/recent  sci-fi, or some seminal items from the last two decades  that I missed- suggestions anyone??


2) Actually read some of that stuff that has momentarily caught my attention then fallen back into a bottom drawer in my memory dresser. Here are a few that I will take a  run at hopefully:  Max Brooks'  zombie book ( to be dealt with in a future blog )   Reread some Twain incl. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and Tom Sawyer, and maybe stray off into some lesser known works of his, if there are any !  I still have those other Harry Harrison Stainless Steel Rat e-books that I downloaded and which were parked in a dust gathering corner when this blog and related endeavors ramped up. Carolyn, you warned me that I wouldn’t get to them right away and you were right. 

3)  Limit riddle clues to five lines per item.

4)  Get the lead out on my own writing efforts.

So, there we are -  four resolutions that, with what Alfred P. Doolittle ( the dustman, not the Doctor ) calls " a little bit 'o luck " will be kept over the next year.



Hot Diggity !!   Now, on to the riddles.

 Carolyn, you and your intrepid partner,  totally and  truly aced the last two ( and I thought at least one of them was obscure and difficult, but I did overdo the clues a bit still. See resolution # 3 ) The first was a dictionary and the second was a wrench, monkey or otherwise, ( at the time I figured I was so smart and smug putting the word “wrench” right in the clues -  I’m morphing into a riddle nerd,  I fear ! ) 

This time around I'm guessing that the first of yours is  sunglasses  and  the second is  a wall calendar.          


A  couple to start off 2013 with:

Do at one end undo at the other

Simple, dependable processor

Ears, pockets, pads, cases, necks and pushers

Golfers lie with it 

Sometimes a single drumstick

 Less elegant than a bottle

More practical than a cup

 Historically, clay for the commoners  glass for the upper class

Synonymous with doors in a literal non-sequitur fashion 

Don