New Year, New Video, Old Music

Here's the Supernatual folks' antics set to "Shut Up and Dance".

Getting Back into the Writing Groove

I took time off from writing over the last two weeks of 2024. I felt like I was flogging the proverbial dead horse, and I needed some time to refill the creative well.

In that vein, I've watched new-to-me movies, some Christmas favorites, and an action thriller that will be added to the holiday canon. I've read a lot lot of space opera in preparation for a writing class I will be attending this month.

So, I felt refreshed when I started writing on New Year's day. I haven't made my target word-count numbers the first two days, but I'm doing better than I did most of 2024.

My only problem is I really want to start on the War of the Witches series. New projects always make the Subconscious rub her hands with glee. However, I've got other books planned and promised that need to be finished first. Therefore, I'm splitting my time in order to please my readers and my inner child.

I'm working damn hard to keep a positive mindset. Part is my desire to break out of the cocoon depression had me wrapped in since October. Part is the need to be strong for what comes next in our society. The hate flows strongly in the U.S. and around the world, and the next four years aren't going to be pretty.

I just hope my stories keep me and my readers going through the oncoming storm.

Happy New Year!!

Just a reminder! The sale at Smashwords ends tonight!

Monday Movie Mania a Day Late - Carry-On

I normally only review movies released in theaters, but I'm making an exception for Carry-On. Why? Because this is one of the best action thrillers I've seen in years! Frankly, it's on par with Die Hard with the tight narrative, characterization, and pacing. And even better? I couldn't outguess the plot until the climax, which for me is a very big deal.


*****

SPOILERS!!


*****


PROS
1) The chemistry between Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman was excellent as their characters play cat-and-mouse through the entire movie.

2) Taron's American accent only slipped once that I recall, but he also did a convincing Midwest accent. Most British actors end up with a Southern accent when doing American accents.

3) Jason Bateman was absolutely chilling as the antagonist. He's better known for his comedy roles, but not using him more often as a psycho mercenary is a waste of his acting range.

4) The ladies in the movie weren't just damsels in distress! Detective Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) figures out the links between the double homicide that starts the movie and Ethan's (Egerton) attempted 911 call, not to mention she saves herself from one of Bateman's accomplices. Nora (Sofia Carson) aides Ethan in stopping Bateman, even though another accomplice tries to kill her.

5) It was nice to see a TSA agent portrayed in a positive light. The same people who bitch about the long lines at security checkpoints are the same ones who were out for blood after 9/11. The TSA folks are doing the jobs y'all wanted them to do at a low rate of pay. Be nice to them when you're travelling!


CONS
1) My only gripe about this movie is it used the "bury your gays" trope twice in the story. The first I could handle since the character's husband survives and helps Nora. The second one pissed me off.


Overall, Carry-On will be added to my cookie-making Christmas list along with Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. I give Carry-On 10 out of 10 stars!

Music I've Been Listening to

All other Christmas songs pale by comparison!

Peace, Joy, and Kindness

We're taking gifts to the family gathering where we will eat nachos and play board games. Later tonight, I'll watch Doctor Who.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Monday Movie Mania - Red One

DH has been dragging me to the movies over the past two months to get me out of my SAD funk. (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what my issue is.) But the funk has prevented me from posting any thoughts, so I'm going to try to catch up over the next few weeks.

Red One is just a stupid fun action movie. Critics seemed to expect it to be an Oscar contender, and blast it when it doesn't deliver. Personally, I think it would be great for your tween boys. GK would have loved this 15 years ago.

PROS
1) Dwayne Johnson once again plays the rigid rule-enforcer who lightens up as the story progresses. There's only one acting mode for him, and he uses it fully.

2) Chris Evans had fun using his own smart aleck personality. However, his language is a little more conservative compared to his revival of Johnny Storm in Deadpool and Wolverine.

3) JK Simmons was a fucking awesome Santa Claus.


CONS
1) On the flip side, JK Simmons was totally underused. I'd love to see him in his own Santa adventure!

2) On the same note, Lucy Liu and Bonnie Hunt were wasted as well. They could have just as equally been Santa's rescue team if the producers weren't thinking with their dicks.

3) The story had the potential to be something radical and heart-warming like The Santa Clause. As much as I laughed through the flick, the story is pretty quickly forgotten, so it probably won't be on my regular Christmas movie rotation.


Overall, Red One is a decent movie to send the family to if you need a couple of hours of peace and quiet, whether it be at home or in the theater. Unfortunately, I have to give it a 5 out of 10 stars for its immediately forgetiblity.

Music I'm Listening To

An old song from an artist I respect.

We Are Already Globalized

I watch the news with some amusement these days. There's a nationalistic streak happening all over the world that's reminiscent of a century ago. The streak from the 1920's led to World War II.

But back then, powered flight by humans was in its infancy. Transatlantic flights were a rare and difficult adventure. The only way to travel from the Old World to the New was by steam-powered ships, which often took a week or more, unless you were really rich and could afford tickets on, say one Cunard's luxury liners like the RMS Lusitania.

[Yes, I know the Lusitania was sunk in 1915, but it held the transatlantic speed record until the 1930's.]

My real point is that this time around nationalism is playing out in a weird way. Politicians are pushing nationalism worldwide at a time when our economies are so complex and intertwined far more than they were a century ago

It used to be that imported goods were expensive items that one could not make or produce in one's own country. For example, it's hard to raise silkworms in the Scandinavian countries, so silk had to be imported from places were the worms could be raised.

But today?

Near-instantaneous communication and faster shipping with international flights means we don't have to wait forever to get something like cinnamon.

I've hired cover artists living in the U.S., Canada, and Bulgaria. I've sold books in every continent except Antarctica. This afternoon, I ordered doll hair from Australia. I bought a pair of beautifully crafted silver and citrine earrings from India for a cousin's birthday. And I love that cinnamon has become so common I can eat it in bagels every morning if I wanted.

If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how entwined our economies have become, even if our cultures aren't.

Will this nationalistic fervor continue through the rest of the decade? I really doubt it. Not even the politicians want to give up their Chinese tech and their Italian race cars, so it'll be a little harder for them to make me give up cinnamon.

Music I'm Listening To

And yes, I do have this CD!