Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Daily mock offerings to the blithering gods of recessitude

Dear Bruce: Maybe I am getting "curiouser and curiouser".

What do you call this delightful literary device below? Is

it a partial couplet; a prose piece, an introduction to a

poem, or a syntatic summary widdle? Whatever it is it

spruces the gooses with many juices. An amazingly original

work with occulded genius behind the pen with the big

cheshire cat grin. I know that grin! "Love it!". Jane

Jones--- In mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Bruce

Hamilton" wrote:
>
> I LIKE YOUR DOUBTS ABOUT MY MEMORY
> I like your doubts about my memory --
> a fact, of sorts, I picture fuzzily.
>
Dear Gayle: Not only are you describing my conundrum to a

"tee" you sound like a soul-sister double; a twin.
Mornings are always the best time to write. The newness of

the day, the awakening from the creative dreams which are

so much better than reality. Quiet time when no body will

miss me. No coffees and cereals or eggs and toast to get

ready for a few hours anyway. Then you have the intrusions

of life and all creative processes halting to a grinding

stop. Until you can squeeze in a couple of moments to

regurge, recreate, or something or someone stimulates some

part of the memory banks, or the creative centre and you

just have to find a pen and paper to write it all down. And

then suddenly, something else must be done, appointments to

keep, etc.
I swear I will purchase a mini taperecorder as my fleeting

thoughts while doing fifty million other jobs are just

that; fleeting and all too soon forgotten forever. Yes, I

also relate to Dianne Keaton, and I think I look like her.

I act the same way, probably think the same way. I even

dated a Woody Allen double.
Thank-goodness I do get a lot of creative impetus from

others, from the media, mostly from dreams, or my rich

"Walter Mitty" fantasy world. Middle age has created a lot

of regret of "haven't done that" as well as successfully

satisfying feelings "I did that, done that".
Strange parallaxes in this world. Interfacing and

interconnecting series of dot matrixes all formulating from

one core creative centre. Writers have a lot more in common

then we can realize. That's why so many new original ideas

are sponaneously created often only minutes apart. The

collective unconscious of Carl Jung. He may just have

caught onto something.
For me, I hope to find more time to find speedier fingers.

What's wrong with this keyboard, no rhythm, no rythm! Jane

Jones--- In mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Gayle

Hedrington" wrote:
>
> It is my habit or should I say was my habit, to write in

the mornings from 7-noon. Then several things happened, an

appointment, a meeting etc.. that came during that time. I

tried to make up my writing time in the evening but all I

wrote was crap. It wasn't writers block, just lousy words

and thinking.
>
> Then came a couple of other events that took me outside

my writing zone. Very nice social events that I love

because I get to meet new people and in the long run it

helps my creative process. Now it's the long weekend and

everyone is home and I haven't had the quiet time that I

need. I also find that when I do not write, I am

miserable.
>
> On Saturday I watched the movie Something's Gotta Give

three times. I never watch a movie more than once and it

always bothers me when people keep watching the same movie

over and over again. I really identified with Dianne

Keaton in her role when she said I'm a writer I spend most

of my time alone. How can I meet someone? or something

similar. I also identified with her as she cried while

writing, I often do this..
>
> So now I am wondering this. How do I get back into my

groove,and do I have to be a hermit in order to write? I

know it is discipline, and I screwed up today. I slept

until 10:30 something I haven't done in years and years.
>
> Do any of you go through this?
>
> Thanks
> Gayle
>
> Writing
> Bluestockings a woman's literary blog
> http://jerzegirl.blogspot.com
>
> Slake a coffee break in a world too busy
> http://jerzegurl.livejournal.com
>
> Sunacom - Your place on the web for news in the Lake

Sunapee Area
> http://sunacom.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Dear Bruce: The analogous reference to "trimming" the

hedge gives me a Ponderosa moment. All those past, unkept

and unkempt hedges in our mind. Those hedges which block

our past incongruities and lack of free-flow graces. The

hedges which need a trim cause concern, because you know

they have to be "dealt with" sooner or later. The hedges

are craving (how do hedges crave? we crave to put the order

into the hedge). At this point, we realize "oh I must do it

now, I am late trimming the hedge" so we "shake" the hedge

(is this DH Lawrence?) and then give up "forsaking". The

hedges with personification "prefer" this "shaking".

Catching the "digress" of the making too much from a hedges

feeling, I believe the hedge represents someone, and is no

longer just a "thing". You tell the hedge "you branch out"

try to find new things to make the core different, but only

"slightly" does a person change their core being. Excellent

contrast, and comparison shopping! Its spruced up the hedge

now! Looking forward to more trims! Jane Jones--- In

mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Bruce Hamilton"

wrote:
>
> THE HEDGES
> The hedges crave trimming, I guess,
> yet, since I'm quite lost in distress,
> I'll give them some shaking
> and then much forsaking,
> as if they prefer I digress.
>
> You branch out, but slightly. -- bh
>
Dear Carol: An amazing sight, thank-you. The Sand In My Bra

and the Touch of Fire are amazing books. Cannot wait to

read them! This thread about which aspect of writing is

important in a novel is giving me many new ideas, and I

thank-you all for this lesson. This has been a concern of

mine for awhile. Where should the focus be? On the scene,

the setting, characters. When is the "focus" important as

to the "second by second" description or action. It seems

to calibrate all very nicely in good writing. It will be a

joy to immerse myself once again in other's works, to feel

the flow of the masters here. Thanking you for your

abundant "joie de vivre" in writing, that's what makes it

work. The "liveness" test! It's ALIVE! Jane Jones --- In

mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Carol"

wrote:
>
>
> I finally DID find the link for the description, with

reference Maya's book---actually it was a guest blog on:
>
> http://www.mariazannini.blogspot.com/
>
> And it was a post on building suspense, the blog for

April 22. It is worth finding---it has stuck in my mind so

strongly, as it has such good, simple tips about keeping

the characters in an everyday world, with a simple touch.
>
> A really good blog, very informative.
>
> --Carol
>
>
>
> --- In mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com,

"mayareynoldswriter" wrote:
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Carol: While I don't remember the conversation, I do

agree that endless description will knock a reader right

out of a story.
> >
> > In my non-fiction reading, I want lots of description.

In my fiction reading, I hate it. I much prefer dialogue

to narrative--both as a reader and as a writer.
> >
> > As a teen, I swore off James Michener because of his

long-winded descriptions. By contrast, I've always loved

the spare purity of Hemingway's writing. Hemingway never

used a word unless it was absolutely necessary.
> >
> > Right now, I'm about halfway through Lee Child's newest

release--a reward to myself for doing the booksigning

yesterday. Child has replaced Robert B. Parker as my

favorite mystery writer. Both write in first person. Both

keep descriptions to a minimum. And both write superb

dialogue.
> >
> > It comes down to a matter of personal preference. I

write enough description to orient my readers to time and

place, but try to keep the focus on the characters and the

action.
> >
> > Warm regards,
> >
> > Maya
> > http://www.mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In mikeswritingworkshop@yahoogroups.com, "Carol"

wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm trying to remember who posted this once---I want

to say it was Maya.
> > > But I'm curious about how MUCH description is

absolutely necessary in a
> > > story.
> > >
> > > By description, I don't only mean "visuals" of

everything in a
> > > surrounding. I mean, more or less, the events,

activities, actions, etc.
> > >
> > > I think it was Maya who commented that, in her book

(Bad Boy or Bad
> > > Girl), she didn't feel the need for lengthy monologue

about what the
> > > characters were doing, every little thing. She said

she kept it simple,
> > > only what was necessary to tell WHAT they were doing.

And I thougt it
> > > might be you, Maya, becase (if I'm not mistaken),

your book did read
> > > very pure, keeping to the essential elements of the

story and the
> > > characters; but enough description to be very clear.
> > >
> > > I find my writing is much the same---and sometimes I

wonder if I need to
> > > beef it up more. When I read in other writings

lengthy, drawn-out
> > > accounts of everything they did, everything they saw,

ate, watched,
> > > touched, a long, drawn-out history of every place

they walked---a
> > > second-by-second detail, I get turned off and skip on

to their dialogue.
> > >
> > > I think what I'm saying is that my writing is heavy

dialogue, tidbits of
> > > monologue, and basic action. I DO try to describe

the aura, the
> > > surrouding, primarily because it's set it 1945

Hollywood and I need to
> > > paint the era.
> > >
> > > As usual, I'm not sure I'm making sense. But am I

the only one who
> > > prefers minimal description? Just sort of cut-to-

the-chase story
> > > telling keeps me interested. The meat of the story.

Is minimal
> > > description okay? Oh, god, I hope so.
> > >
> > > Anybody else have thoughts on this?
> > >
> > > --Carol
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>
themote is Offline -
themote will receive your Chat message after signing in.

themote:

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/spacecraft/q0260.shtml



Me: hey

themote: howdy

Me: i caught tail end of lift off

8 mins into

themote: almost done by then

how did you like their gravity meter?

Me: what was that thing "hangin' down"?

ha!

themote: that's their gravity meter, a toy on a rubber band

Me: llike their laptop "clipboard" (joke)

russia too cheap to give them a dell?

themote: the clipboard has the launch checklist on it

Me: what are we back in the 60's?

themote: astronauts use a similiar checklist, strapped to

their legs in book form

Me: ok i guess...

rolls eyes

i thought everything was computerized

i guess not

themote: Soyuz is a very reliable spacecraft, so they

haven't changed it's basic design

Me: looks powerful...wonders how the g's felt today

themote: quite a bit more than a shuttle

the last major design change was the TMA model, it was

modified to allow for taller US astronauts

Me: really?

how come their legs arched

to get the g blood up

themote: best position for handling the higher G forces

Me: yes

i thought so acts like those g suits of fighter pilots

is that sand they use?

themote: sand?

Me: weighted somehow

themote: where?

Me: the legs

themote: no

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Russian_

space_suit_1.jpg

you may be talking about the bunched up material at the

legs

Me: the strap on weighted leather leggings

suppose to bring the blood back up to the heart cause it

pools at high g in the legs

themote: a G suit uses rubber bladders to expand and

contract as G forces change

the G suits fighter pilots wear now are ripstop Nylon

encasing the rubber bladders

Me: oh..ok i wasnt sur

weight probably wouldnt help

pressure though would

themote: no, the G forces give them plenty of "weight"

Me: yes

themote: did you get the picture of the SOKOL suit?

Me: in a minute..ty...making eggs

so java is made by sun microsystems?

themote: yes

Java is a browser enhancement allowing for a variety of

operations within a Web page

usually some kind of visual or multimedia presentation

Web pages are written in HTML or Hyper Text Markup Language

Java adds capability to the HTML

Microsoft has their own version of Java, but most power

users download Java directly from Sun

Me: thanks for the bucket pic...that looks ridiculous...but

if it works..hey!

themote: shuttle astronauts launch in the same position

with a little more legroom

Me: whats that wierd soyus spacecraft...?

looks like a computer part

ty that's cool futurist stuff

themote:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/So

yuz_TMA-7_spacecraft2edit1.jpg/800px-Soyuz_TMA-

7_spacecraft2edit1.jpg

Me: did Galileo burn up in Jupiters atmosphere?

themote: that's the Soyuz TMA

yes

Me: why did it...?

themote: done on purpose

Me: reasonng?

themote: the controlled entry allowed Earth-based

spectrographs to study the atmosphere of Jupiter

Me: ohhh so what were there findings

themote: I don't know specifically what they found

Me: summary please?

themote: I'm sure it gave them a better understanding of

it's altitude, density and makeup

Me: ok

themote: did you get the picture of the Soyuz?

Me: not sure of the conc

yes

jiffypop

themote: about 24½ feet long and 9 feet in diameter

Me: huge

themote: the wingspan of the solar arrays is 35 feet

Me: where's the docking end

many similarities to NASA?

would designers collaborate?

two pods

organic

themote: no similarity to the shuttle

Me: no

themote: 3 sections

the Orbital Module is in the front

the Reentry Module in the middle

Me: sort of reminds me of those kleenex ghosts we made and

huge on trees

themote: Service Module in the rear (with the solar arrays)

Me: round

again the idea that round is best suited to space

themote: the shape of the vehicle only matters in the

atmosphere

Me: coming through the atmosphere the round shape would

deflect..thus the saucer shape?

themote: the Reentry Module is what they return in, the

rest is jettisoned before they land

Me: deflect the plasma reentry

oh

themote: here's a pic of the Reentry or "descent" module

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Soyuz-

TMA_descent_module.jpg

Me: ty!

themote: here's another view

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/So

yuz_TMA-6_spacecraft.jpg/800px-Soyuz_TMA-6_spacecraft.jpg

Me: the middle descends

odd

themote: it has the heat shield on the flat end

Me: so it has to be flat?

themote: closer to "slightly rounded"

Me: like a saucer?

they figured that out way back in the 50"s?

themote:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal114/SpaceRace/images/

soyuztm.jpg

that's a photo of a module after it landed, pretty toasted

the rounded surface provides aerodynamic stability

Me: ty

themote: touchdown of a Soyuz

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/photogaller

ies/week-in-space-pictures-38/images/primary/090414-05-

soyuz-landing_big.jpg

Me: definitely see the burn from reentry...like a

meteorites have that burnt reentry...amazing

themote: in that last one, the dust cloud is created by

small rockets fired 3 seconds before touchdown

they slow it down in those last few seconds fromo about 60

MPH to 20 MPH

Me: really that much huh

those rocket burst do a lot

themote: quite a jolt when they land so they have specially

molded seat liners to absorb some of the shock

Me: looks like some greek helmet the soyuz capsule

themote: when a new ISS crewman comes up on a shuttle,

their transfer to the ISS is not offical until their custon

seat liner is onbaord the Soyuz

Me: wonders if it is better to land on earth or in the sea?

or glider>?

themote: a shuttle landing is a whole lots smoother

Me: why custom, that there is no give a cushion of air for

the aircushion is butt specific?

themote: it's custom molded to fit their body

Me: could there be a glider capsule oneday

themote: they've experimented with smaller versions of

shuttles, Congress keeps pulling the funding for them

though

Me: really, why?

themote: the X-38 has been killed by Congress 2 or 3 times

because politicians are idiots

Me: the missile X38?

themote: experimental spacecraft

Me: what's the experiment?

the idea of reuseability must be saving money with the

shuttle?

is the bottom line money with X38?

themote: no, it's about 10 times more expensive than an

expendable rocket

Me: the shuttle is expensive

themote: very

Me: so why did they keep it

themote: somewhere north of $500 million per launch

because of it's versatility

Me: how much to launch X38? for example

themote: well, they never became operational, so hard to

tell how much they would have cost per launch

Me: ok

do you have pic of X38?

themote: would have been cheaper than a shuttle because

they were planned to be launched on an expendable rocket

http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/x/x38c.jpg

Me: ty

themote: think of it as a shuttle without the cargo bay

was meant to carry 7 people to and from orbit

Me: why so many? crews?

themote: yes, could carry a complete ISS expedition crew at

once

Me: so all this 7 is set up for future expedition..very

advanced thinking

One Day You Will Go To The Moon! That was a book I read as

a kid and thought, yah, ok!

themote: well, now that the project is dead, crews will be

6-man, using 2 Soyuz instead of 1 X-38

Me: 3 per soyuz?

themote: yes

Me: that's it?

themote: that's it, just like today

Me: that's expensive in the long run isnt it?

all those launches

themote: Soyuz is much cheaper to operate

Me: not 500 mil?

themote: $50-60 million per launch

Me: 1/10th ok

then the rubble is that much cheaper than the dollar?

themote: well, both costs are in dollars

Me: US dollars?

themote: would probably be in the billions of rubles

Me: what other kind!

uh huh

no doubt expensive for them (russians)

still and all, can the russians afford?

themote: the main problem is keeping the Soyuz production

line running on schedule

Me: do the russians get money from US?

themote: yes, cash and barter

a lot of the ISS project runs on barter

Me: why prob with soyuz production?

barter?

themote: typically they produce 2 Soyuz per year, now they

will have to supply 4 per year

Me: so paying the employees a big prob

themote: barter - trading goods for goods

as opposed to buying for cash

Me: yes, i get it ...if you want this give us that?

what are we bartering..new tech?

themote: in trade for carrying Japanese astronauts to the

ISS, the US gets rack space in the Japanese lab

Me: oooh rack space

themote: in exchange for Americans going up in the Soyuz,

the US carries Russian crews and supplies up on the shuttle

Me: unbalanced trade..or trade deficit...could counter this

to pay back deficit

so tit for tat

themote: in many cases, yes

Me: money doesnt always seem to work...now..has this always

been the case?

themote: there are still cash purchases, such as the US

paying to build the Russian Zarya module

Me: really?

so the us is big dealer in the soyuz program, maybe 50

percent?

themote: and Boeing sub-contracted the Harmony module out

to Italy

Me: wow

i didnt know this

tu

ty

themote: the MPLM's were also built in Italy

Canada traded the robot arms for shuttle flights for its'

astronauts

taking Payette up in the shuttle next month is part of the

payment for the arms

if I remember correctly, the Thirsk flight up on the Soyuz

was contracted some years ago, so his seat only cost around

$20 million

going rate for a Soyuz seat now is $51 million

Me: well that is in the spirit of cooperation..next ship

The USS Cooperatiion (note Coop to make the Russians happy)

hah

rses there

and "USS-r?

one big happy family...

i like that

as long as no dr evils

themote:

Me: had to load wash

sometimes this chat slow

themote: just the nutcase in North Korea

Me: yeah, really whats up with Ill jong kim?

he's Ill alright

themote: personally, I think he has syphillus and it's gone

to his brain

Me: whats to be done...kim jong ill...is mentally ill

yes..it could be... hub thinks he needs a jackal type of

experience

themote: I think the Russians and Chinese are starting to

get tired of this nuisance in their own backyard

Me: like we dont need any more nuke testing underground

causing more tsnamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc, etc...

themote: well, they don't cause volcanoes

Me: kim jong ill mad with power

no? volcanoes eh? ok

they cannot be good for the tectonic plates

themote: and even the undersea tests never caused any

significant tsunamis

it would take a whole lot of bombs to bother the plates

Me: it may be the fact it took that long for the undersea

bed to crash, but it may have happened anyway..

have you seen the new bombs, they neutron bombs. destroy

planets

themote: neutron bombs are mostly anit-personnel bombs,

they don't have much destructive force

Me: oh i have it all wrong

never mind

themote: they emit a huge gamma ray bursts that kill off

any life and leave most of the infrastructure intact

Me: Quantum Leap about the cold war...early 60's

gamma ray.do computers do that?

themote: there is no single bomb that could take out an

entire planet, except on Star Trek or something

Me: yes, ok

unless new discovery, like the CERN accelerator..new tech

themote: no, computers don't create gamma radiation

Me: ok just i guess i got dizzy

i am sure there are these secret weapons...only to be used

if...

if what?

last case scenario

who is more dangerous? man vs man or man vs nature?

themote: there are many exotic weapons being researched,,,

lasers, particle beams, microwave etc.

Me: probably mid life...no secret weapon...although it

feels like it

ahah

themote: even sonic weapons are used on many cruise ships

to deter pirates

Me: yes? huh

themote: like a bullhorn on steroids

Me: i heard they have those outsdie variety stores like 7-

11

deter kids loitering

themote: kids, pirates, same thing

Me: high pitch

ya...

so that is the new HARPP?

themote: no

Me: oh

weapons tech is too heavy for me and most unpleasant to

think about...

are they gun free in space?

no space turkeys

if there is a vac in space conventional weapons wouldnt

work

themote: a pistol is standard equipment on most spacecraft

Me: really?

themote: just in case they land in a remote region

Me: in case of space psychosis draw your weapons

or martians

themote: they are under lock and key, accessible only to

the commander

Me: i knew it!

must look like a jetson gun

themote: ???

plain old pistol

Me: ok how can you fire in a vacuum the vacuum would put

out the fire of the trigger

themote: I think a 9mm is what the Russians carry

not meant to be fired in a vacuum

Me: that would be like cowboys in space (already done)

themote: it's a survival tool in case they land in a remote

region of Earth

Me: not another airplane series in space..hijacking..hahah

take me to your leader

unbelievable (to quote the cosmonauts)

need to find plasma guns for space

how to put plasma rays in a gun...then...oh how much fun!

haha

silly

well back to work usually

same old

raining here

have a wonderful day in space



themote: adios

themote is typing...
149 charac

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