City of Cin

Just In Case

2006-07-20T17:31:45Z

Anyone wants to know where I am....

http://cityofcin.blogspot.com/

It is easier to just have one....forgive me for choosing blogger. It was nothing personal.

~Cindy

Movements and Constipation

2006-03-08T16:19:33Z

Yeah. *cringe* I thought so...me too!

See one of the things us writers tend to do on our blogs is talk about how many pages/words per day we are writing. It is perhaps a little motivator... Keeps us honest. I don't do it, because I tend to be more of a juggler and that would just look not so pretty on paper.

But... one of the blogs I check the writer uses the header "Writing Movements" to discuss this and, I'm sorry, but it just sounds, well, yuck. And I think, gosh, if she's not writing...is that like being constipated... yeah, probably.

Anyhow--just wanted to share this disturbing bit with everyone...

Required Reading

2006-02-23T14:55:25Z

Sorry, I've been negligent about keeping up my journal... Lauren's class finished and that was why I started it and all... anyway, I'm looking forward to her new one starting up next week. For my critique assignments I'm not sending in anymore new stuff--she keeps catching my process holes and it is irritating to be reminded that I really don't know where my story is going. So this time around, I'm sending in my finished one. Take that Lauren! Where's your red pen now? Huh, biatch? Ok... sorry that doesn't look spelled right and now I'm completely out of character. Sorry, Lauren, no offense or nothin--you know I love ya girl!

So I just finished Sarah Dessen's "The Truth About Forever" and loved it. She is a great writer on so many levels and I have shamelessly friended her, even though I don't know her. I've got "Lullaby" in the TBR pile, both I have as hardbacks--which I also love. It is so much more enjoyable than fighting those paperbacks. Plus, I'm a sucker for bookcases that look all fancy with book stacked and turned and paperbacks just don't cut it. Anyway, her books are definitely bookcase worthy.

For Lauren's class I'm to read Pop Princess (I think?) the one by Rachel Cohn (sp?)--I read "Gingerbread" and adored it, so expecting good things. The other assigned reading is one of those "The Earth, My Butt, and other Round Things" or some such. And I don't know, I've avoided that whole series because of all the weird titles. I imagine I will be an avid fan when done, though. Just watch.

I’m digging "Prep" back out... I don't why this one is taking me so long to wade through...not enough dialog? I don't know, but the insight into this Lee girl is phenomenal--almost too honest, so it makes the reader very emotionally involved and well can be exhausting at times. All good things, just different--and yes still bookcase worthy.

OK- that's it for now... Anyone else got some great YA reads?

WTF Moments

2006-02-14T15:09:35Z

Okay- I'm going to take this moment to whine about something that irks me--the poor little celebrity, let's give her something routine. This week we have two very good examples of this:

1. Dr Phil helps Paula Abdul find love. WTF! Ok, this is offensive on so many levels. I mean. Seriously. Seriously! Dr. Phil, I beg of you, give your advice to someone more in need, more deserving. And, okay so she can't trust men- wah f'in wah! And Dr. P--you should be ashamed of yourself.

2. Tanya Harding on ET. Geezus. Is this not the most absurd thing you ever saw? Tanya Harding gets a makeover. A woman who took part what she did should not be spending not one, but multiple days on ET whining about not having love and getting an effin' makeover. This is worse than that anorexic lady you haunted me with last year day in and day out. ET you should be ashamed of yourself.

And while I'm at it--I am so sick of seeing Oprah give home makeovers to celebrities (I forget who it was, but I think there have been a couple instances). Don't they have enough? There was a time when Oprah and Dr. Phil rewarded regular people.

Where's my makeover? Where's my one on one with Dr. Phil?

When did Ally McBeal

2006-02-13T21:27:27Z

become an intern? Meredith Grey (of Grey's Anatomy) bears a striking resemblance to Ally McBeal, does she not? Whatever.... Last night's Grey's Anatomy was great. I admit to being ticked off that they did the To be Cont... but both shows were so good that I forgive. I cannot forgive them for turning Dylan, the uber-hot bomb squad guy, into pink mist. But since they can't exactly make him Meredith's new love interest, then it becomes a case of if I can't have him, either, than maybe no one should.

In other sad news--Love Monkey is being shelved. This was a good show. My only issue with it is the time slot. And if I have said it once, I have said it a gazillion times--Network TV guys don't know squat about time slots. It baffles. And what is it with shelving a show that doesn't perform in its time slot? Why not moving it? Because quite frankly I can't watch another crime/justice show without puking. I'm sick of them. Sick sick sick.

Which is why I am forced to follow the Bachelor... who is on tonight and the previews look promising.

Now in Daytime news--and I don't often admit being addicted to my stories--but I must come out of the Soap closet and say the new guy--Nick--is so hot I'm surprised they can have him on in my state considering we are under a fire ban. Must dig up some pics of him....

So weak....

2006-02-03T22:06:57Z

Survivor that is... Gosh- how easy did this group get it? They didn't have to hike anywhere, hell--they didn't even have to row their own boat, THEY WERE DRIVEN! No wonder they all acted like goofs when they were supposed to build their shelter. Geez. The young groups really looked liked idiots, especially the young men. And what about that lady who is scraed of leaves--I know exactly what got her on the show!

So, I had to tape Dancing with the Stars, but I caught that cute Lachey boy, and I thought the 9's were total gips.

Diapers? Huh?

2006-01-27T17:15:27Z

OK- I would have written sooner, but I was out sick yesterday and just like with the whole OJ thing and Michael Jackson- I was forced to watch James Frey on Oprah. I can't seem to get away from this story... and it was kind of awkward to watch- like watching a kid get punished. And I don't want to feel sorry for Frey, but that was making me sweat and I haven't done anything wrong! The part that does make me laugh is that Frey comes across as such a bold in your face guy and when he is confronted he just sits there and takes it... The psychologist in me (I do have a degree in it, btw) just loves this whole mess- fascinating, really...

What is NOT fascinating? LOST!

OK- I know I'm not the only one pissy, but come on- this is all stuff we already knew (just like with Doc's story last week)- so the flashbacks don't reveal to us anything new at all- and the characters in both stories didn't pass any tests that the island threw at them. The whole diaper thing was pathetic (and why do I get the feeling that Driveshaft is a Blink 182 wannabee?)- maybe he was the baby he was supposed to save! That's it- that's what the diaper is all about....

Ask and ye shall recieve...

2006-01-25T18:23:49Z

So, in my YA class I asked the question of what to expect with agent appointments- how to prepare... I have one at the end of March and I want it to be nice and relaxed, but I also want to be sure I hit on the important stuff...

And now it seems that everyone is talking about this topic:

Miss Snark: http://misssnark.blogspot.com/2006/01/meeting-agents-andor-editors-at.html

Agent Obscura: http://agentobscura.livejournal.com/41230.html

Ok- maybe not EVERYONE, but two very important people!

So- for those of you happening along- what are your agent/editor experiences- any horror stories? Please share!

Also, if you know how to get my links embedded, I haven't quite got LiveJournal figured out- THX!

Mission Impossible

2006-01-25T18:12:12Z

Your mission, if you choose to believe this...

Well, now- an interesting story from the Sundance Film Festival is swirling around cyberspace... While Tom was out *coughcough* skiing, the film Thanks for Smoking is shockingly (for all concerned) shown minus one very sexy Katie sex-kitten scene... What I find hard to swallow is NOT that Tom somehow secretly spliced out the scene, but that he wasn't there for the showing! Now really, do you expect me to believe that the couch-surfing-Cruise would really not be at his preggers schmoopy-luv's showing??? That he would go skiing while Katie is left alone! To her own thoughts and feelings? Gasp!

OK- so let's talk about the Bach... Monday's show was, erm, interesting. Clearly we will be seeing a lot of Moana, Sara- Canada, and Susan- none of which are very good choices, but the others? Well, um, not too interesting. I'm sorry but the school teacher from Nashville has zero chance- did he really question her femininity? And that crazy red-head Tara, is it? Whoa- always prancing in on his one on one time- that's psycho! If I were the other girl's, I wouldn't be so peeved at Moana, and start focusing on beeeaatch Tara.

Hopefully tonight's Lost will be up to par...

In personal news- I've just been added to my work's Switchboard Duty Roster - which is quite troubling for me. For one- my position is well above this duty, and two- they only have women filling the role. I asked the lady about it and she got all flustered and red- she couldn't even imagine asking a man to answer phones! I'd love to give them a list of the various people who should be on this list before me, but I think that might make people think I'm a whiner. So I must vent here... please excuse.

Writing and Television

2006-01-23T20:24:41Z

Okay- combining the two topics this journal tries to stay focused on we have a great site- it is the writers process for the Grey's Anatomy TV show. This is a great, great, great site- and I think really helps clarify the trend in today’s big shows of linking several separate plots w/o being over the top obvious- so like last night's Grey's was about Lying... each of the characters had topics revolved around lying as did the patients. Desperate Housewives does the same thing.

http://www.greyswriters.com/

Buttafuoco Buttafuoco Buttafuoco

2006-01-23T17:29:40Z

Oh, David Letterman, look out- your favorite word is back in the headlines- The Amy Fisher/Buttafuoco reunion is taking reality TV to a new level... I'd have loved to be a fly on the wall watching that deal getting brokered with Mary Jo - the other two, well anything for a price, I suppose.

In other RTV news- I had the strangest dream- it was sort of like Lost- only instead of an island we were trapped at the house of my grandmother (who has long been deceased). There was this unexplained magic and even a woman who was a "spy" - but before we could do anything with her- The Other's arrived- in a pick up truck and they took all of our stuff- like motorcycles and sea-doos. It was tragic.

In Real Life... my brother got me hooked on this number game that they have in our Daily Paper- it's got some crazy name- and he gave me a level 4 to try- um... hello! I botched it bad, then he rummaged out the paper from the day before and I totally rocked the level 3. And just FYI- you'd never, ever guess I'd be into this kind of stuff, but it got a rush from it and am a little bummed that today's puzzle will be a boring level 1.

Keeping up with Reality

2006-01-19T20:52:55Z

OK- since I posted re: Lost, I think I better play catch up with the Bachelor. Specifically Dr. Allie G. OK- so I like a good train wreck as much as the next gal, and was laughing at the previews for the season-pre of the Bachelor in Paris... Then I watched and felt so bad for that wacky-talkin-French-smacky Allie G. I mean, OK- she obviously was trippin' and who can blame her- the foil dress was cookin' both her and her rotting ovaries and she Jiffy-popped all over Dr. Loverboy (who is pretty dreamy). And, as much as I wished I could have laughed at her, it was just too painful. But, ya know- really smart people can often have, like no common sense- there was this guy I worked with who would do strange things like pull a wheelbarrow by tying it to the bumper of his car (A green Gremlin if you can stand it!)

So anyway, then after watching the painful actuality of her famous "Reproductive Stage" speech- I wanted to die for her, 'cus like she had to go back to work and people watch that show, believe it or not. And then, they played an encore of it! With added scenes. I almost (almost!) couldn't watch, but of course I did.

Well, then I found out that she was okay, and not like suicidal (which is what I would have been)- in fact the little Mynx has a good humor about it and is even selling t-shirts with her embarrassing slogans on them - the site got so many hits it crashed, but maybe it will be back up soon: www.drallieg.com - so, good on 'ya, Allie G. Sign me up for a "This is why I don't date doctors" Tee!

OK- and because I havta- that Canadian twit- Sarah? OMG- is she for real? I mean, sure, I see why he likes her- she's dumb, laughs at his jokes, looks like she's got one of those Easy buttons like Office Depot... but do I really have to watch her get all icky when she doesn't get chosen for a rose 1st?

Ya Lost me, writers!

2006-01-19T18:00:14Z

Ok- to be honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this journal. I've been doing the blog thing and trying to keep it mostly about writing, but signed up on this one 'cus of a YA class. So, maybe this one will be more about other things- like TV... but it should also be about writing YA... but for now, let's talk TV (and if you pay attention you can extrapolate it all into writing- trust me)-

I was disappointed with the LOST episode last night. There, I said it. WTF!?! Kate getting busted by the others? Puleezze. 1. The old girl-gets-curious-follows-big-bad-boys-and-now-has-to-be-rescued just plain ticks me off. I wish Sawyer had blown Zeke's stupid head off. That would have been good TV. But no.

So now Kate- is sulking behind Jack and begging his forgiveness and he won't talk to her, but will go talk to the bitchy cop lady who killed whatsherblondface Shannon. Yeah, this all makes sense.

And! 2. I think Zeke's comments about being on their island and putting feet up on coffee tables was dumb, too. And I don't think Jack's little flash back series was all that exciting, or informative, either.

I love Lost and will watch it as long as Jack, Sawyer, and Kate are on it (because I like watching pretty people love triangles- okay?)- but I'm just saying- WTF.

(I normally don't rant this much- but come on- this episode broke all the rules and not in a good way.)

The Beginning

2005-12-16T17:04:26Z

This is just the beginning...