tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39312906963643568642024-02-20T04:44:36.281-08:00My writing blogJasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-86080959869542109412014-12-30T06:11:00.001-08:002014-12-30T06:11:16.578-08:00End of Year Sum Up of entertainmentLast year, around this time, Caitie got me to form a spreadsheet to keep track of books read and movies seen. I set a goal - 25 books over the year (about two a month) and 100 movies watched. I'm happy to say I reached both goals successfully - barely, but I did it!. So, here are the six best books I read and the ten best movies I saw. Keep in mind, these just happen to be things I experienced this year (in the case of both, not necessarily for the first time either), but still my favorites in each category. These are in no particular order.<br />
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BOOKS<br />
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1. The Golem and the Jinni - a really interesting read with a great story that made me feel like I was reading a story from when I was a kid with an adult twist. I'm looking forward to more from this author.<br />
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2. The Princess Bride - yes, it's older, but it's one of my favorite books of all time and will be reread several more times.<br />
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3. Speak/The Impossible Knife of Memory - during the summer we went to LeakyCon and got to hear Laurie Halse Anderson speak. The woman is incredible, and her writing matches her personality. Her books are deep, moving, and extremely intelligent. Both of these were fantastic - definitely worth picking up.<br />
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4. The Magician's Land - We also got to see Lev Grossman at Leakycon. I loved the first two books. This third one was strange, for sure. The first half tells one story which he basically drops to finish the series in the second half. The first half is okay, but the second half is an epic and excellent conclusion to the series.<br />
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5. The Blade Itself: The First Law Series - first book in the series. I found Joe Abercrombie through a series of short stories and decided to try his novels. The book is very well written and, while not necessarily paced the best (it takes a while to get going), it's a very enjoyable read. I'm currently partway through the second book in the series.<br />
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MOVIES<br />
1. Her - an incredibly thought-provoking sci-fi movie from last year. Brilliant story-telling with great performances.<br />
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2. Twelve Angry Men - it's a classic I've seen several times before, but it's always gripping and, incredibly, edge of your seat tense.<br />
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3. North by Northwest - another classic I've seen before, but, like the last movie, very tense and brilliantly acted. When I have the patience for Hitchcock, this is one of my favorites.<br />
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4. 22 Jump Street - surprisingly, just as funny as the original. We laughed through the whole film - definitely a classic in the making. I hope there's a 23 Jump Street coming...<br />
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5. 12 Years a Slave - it took us till halfway through the year to watch this, but holy crap did it deserve that best movie Oscar!<br />
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6. 1776 - A yearly ritual for me and a perpetual favorite movie.<br />
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7. The World's End - surprisingly very funny (not the biggest fan of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz) - I really enjoyed this. WTF!<br />
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8. Big Hero Six - Disney's still got it! Baladaladalala<br />
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9, Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part One - For the third movie in a series, based on half a book, it was surprisingly gripping and smart. Looking forward to the last movie in the series.<br />
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10. Into the Woods - best movie of the year for me. Best movie musical in probably the last half century (barring Chicago). Absolutely worth seeing and I hope it doesn't get forgotten come Oscar time. Of course, I'm biased because, well, it's one of my favorite musicals of all time, but it could so easily have been so bad - and it wasn't. I dare you to watch Agony and not crack up. I dare you to watch James Corden during the "No More" moment and not tear up. I dare you not to love Meryl Streep and I dare you not to be thrilled during The Last Moment or not get chills during Stay With Me. I could go on, but it is a FANTASTIC movie. Totally worth seeing.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-74205950180650357912014-12-14T06:42:00.002-08:002014-12-14T06:42:25.613-08:00Into the Woods!I've been a little heavy lately, so time to get back to entertainment (the situation in the American government and education system gets worse daily, and commening on it all the time, while undeniably important, is just too damn depressing to do on what's meant to be an entertainment oriented blog).<br />
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Earlier last week I received an email that I won tickets to an advanced screening of Into the Woods. Now, let me be clear. I've been eagerly waiting to see this movie since it was announced well over a year ago. I was counting down to Christmas day until we could go see it. Getting to see it early was a huge treat for me, and let me say, the movie did not disappoint in the least. To anyone who knows me, they'll know this is not something I say lightly or, well, ever, about a new movie: it easily is one of my favorite movies of all time.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Meryl Streep disappears completely into the role of the witch. She's fascinating to watch - you can't take your eyes off her when she's on screen. Her voice has improved tremendously since Mamma Mia. She has some great line readings that I feel truly make her performance Oscar worthy. Stay With Me and Last Midnight are definite highlights of the movie, and I feel I need to watch them both again to get much of the nuances in her performance. She is brilliant in this role, plain and simple. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">An aside: I just read an article where Sondheim said she was destined to play the role because Streep is an anagram of Peters (as in Bernadette, who played the witch in the original cast). Literally - only Sondheim.</span><br />
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Back to the movie.<br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Chris Pine is the MVP of this cast. Seriously - he steals every single scene he's in. Agony is literally the funniest three minutes of screen time I can remember seeing in any movie since Borat. Some people might find it ridiculous, but the scene is brilliantly staged and deserves the roaring laughter it got in my theater (and, I might add, the only full out applause the movie got until the end). I know he won't get it, but he deserves a best supporting nod for this film.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">James Cordon is a natural, meaning you can't see him act. He just feels so right in his role as the Baker.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Emily Blunt makes for a strong Baker's Wife. I'll admit I couldn't get Joanna Gleason's performance out of my mind for her, but she is more than suitable for the role. Her Moments in the Woods is excellent, even if I feel the end is a bit unnecessarily padded (on stage, it was done for applause, in the movie it feels like about fifteen seconds of dead space - sorry about the pun).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Anna Kendrick is similarly great as Cinderella, though again Kim Crosby's performance and line readings reverberated throughout. This doesn't mean Kendrick was bad casting, she was wonderful, but she didn't erase the performance from the original cast in quite the way Streep or Pine were able to.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The rest of the cast is very strong as well - there really isn't a weak link amongst them. </span><br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The cut songs were missed (especially the second Agony but more because of how great the first one was). No More is only there instrumentally. They couldn't have done the song as it's written given the way the movie is done, and arguments can be made for its inclusion, but I think it worked really well the way that it was done here as it is. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">There is a surprise for Sondheim fans at the first night of the ball (I think it was the first night). Not telling what it is, but it made my wife and I grin like fools. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">The only thing I would really criticize is the change-over between acts. That's always tough in stage to screen adaptions, and I don't think they quite pulled it off here. The end of act one/opening of act two are played instrumentally, but the scene in the show where the witch comes into the baker's house to tell them about the giant is really missed. When the action of act two gets going (when they face the giant for the first time), characters literally just APPEAR - they're just -- THERE. It's strange. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">That's a minor point, though. Marshall's direction is mostly pitch perfect (again, sorry) throughout. He makes some fascinating choices, and even the small amounts of cleaning up to earn the PG rating aren't all that distracting. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">That said, I'd love to know where the song written for Streep was supposed to be - and what it sounds like. Guess I have to wait for the DVD on that one.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">It really is a fantastic movie. I was grinning through most of the first act's material, and choked up a bit at the end. It's certainly something I plan to see again. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #302f2f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Rob Marshall definitely knew what he was doing with this one.</span><br />
JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-40881606489075870772014-12-06T06:30:00.001-08:002014-12-06T06:30:33.513-08:00Comment on the country I live inI am a very disappointed and upset American.<br />
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I grew up believing America was "the land of the free and home of the brave." As a teacher for the past twelve and a half years I've stood while my students recite the pledge: "...with liberty and justice for all." <br />
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Last year, I stopped saying the pledge because I didn't believe liberty for all exists in a world where LGBT people are not allowed to get married.<br />
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This year, while that situation has improved (though is still not truly equal in liberty, it IS better and getting steadily, inevitably better), I no longer believe in justice for all either.<br />
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Eric Garner did not have justice served when he was choked to death by a policeman with no impetus. He did not have justice when that police officer was not indicted.<br />
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Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri, apparently without inciting the policeman who killed him to shoot. Whether or not the police officer was justified in killing, he absolutely should have been indicted in the case.<br />
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I read a statistic that in 2013, out of 160,000 cases brought before a grand jury, only ELEVEN were not indicted. How could the Michael Brown case, which at the very minimum had conflicting witness testimony, NOT be brought to trial? How could the Eric Garner case, where we have a man strangled to death on the street ON VIDEO, not be brought to trial?<br />
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And what about Tamir Rice, the kid in Cleveland shot with a toy gun in hand? The police wouldn't even allow a nearby nurse to come help him and prevent his death. Where is the justice there?<br />
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Something is very wrong in the country I live in. The right to marry should, must, and will be allowed everywhere in the country. Saying otherwise is ignorant and shows a clear bias (probably caused by religion, though I don't want to get into that now). The right to have cops "protect and serve" us, and be brought up on charges when they act "above the law" should be a no-brainer. I'm disappointed and disheartened that what I'm seeing on the news is the opposite.<br />
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There is really something wrong in this country, and I hope things get better before they get any worse.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-58231547641853513162014-11-14T15:38:00.000-08:002014-11-14T15:38:08.983-08:00Follow-up to my PARCC postWell, I have to say, I'm pretty surprised by how that last post blew up. I think more people read that than any other post I've had on here. I think that speaks to just how frightning a thing this PARCC testing is going to be. A couple of other minor points I wanted to make that I didn't in that intial post:<br />
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1) In the LA section, I forgot to mention that the kids are facing double jeopardy questions. If they get the vocabulary question wrong, the next question becomes almost impossible to answer correctly. <br />
2) The answers given on the LA test are VERY close together to each other in meaning. On one question, I'm not at all sure what they're going for in the second question, and I know for a fact that if you get the first one wrong, the best you've got is a 25% at getting the second one right.<br />
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3) I've talked to numerous teachers over the past few days about what we experienced on Monday. I've heard words like "scary" "failure" "upset" "impossible" and "ridiculous" tossed about. What haven't I heard? Any sense of confidence in our kids doing well on this test. One colleague said she estimates that our failure rate will be around 80%. I think she might be generous.<br />
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4) I fear that the vocabulary is simply too difficult for my kids. Yes, the kids can use context clues, but we all know that even then it isn't always to figure out what a word means. I haven't come to a final decision on my thoughts on this yet, and relatively speaking I know it's picky, but it's still a potential problem.<br />
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5) On the math section, aside from the problems inherent in taking a computer test, we noticed another failing of the test. Despite common core insistence on showing work in math, the test doesn't allow the kids to show their work! So, four digit by four digit multiplication - one little mistake, and the whole problem is wrong. (Not to mention, really, EVERYONE has a calculator on them all the time now. I understand the importance of basic facts without a calculator, but I couldn't tell you the last time I did multiplication like that without one before this practice test).<br />
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6) On an indirectly related note, another colleague realized that with the test given to half a grade level at a time (due to shortage of computers) and each kid needing to take the test twice, we will have a minimum of SIX weeks when the kids are testing - which means classes aren't going to be happening. Not counting the time practicing, look at how much time is lost from real education to take these ridiculous tests!<br />
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Nothing has assuaged my fears of what these tests are bringing. I'd love to hear your thoughts.<br />
<br />JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-37438926610811454212014-11-11T06:36:00.000-08:002014-11-11T08:36:03.563-08:00PARCC I don't usually use this space to write about school, but yesterday was so disturbing and scary to me, that I feel I hvae no real choice. I need to write about it, and I need to make this as public as I am able. I don't have a wide audience right now, but every person who learns a little more about this test is another person who can possibly stand up to it.<br />
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Yesterday we had a professional development day. In the morning we had a doctor come in to speak to us about dyslexia. It wasn't the most interesting speech, to be sure, but one detail from it stuck with me: 20% of people have some form of dyslexia. This is important as we move into the PARCC testing samples later in the day.</div>
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Before I start, I am saying that I am NOT giving away any questions here. I'm not sure I legally can (as ridiculous as that is) but I'm going to outline the problems with the test that I saw below. </div>
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First, we got to sample the math portion of the test. Content-wise, I didn't see many problems with the questions the kids are being asked. There was one question on the sample that could have been worded far more clearly than it was, but all in all the questions were reasonable. What wasn't reasonable was the means for entering the questions into the system. For example, one answer came out as d x 1/4, or the value <i>d</i> times one quarter. As you can see, here, it is difficult to write this CLEARLY. On the test, there's a fraction button, where you can type the numerator and denominator, but then placing the <i>d</i> becomes tricky. If you don't space it out, the <i>d</i> ends up in the denominator. Is typing *1/4 space <i>d* </i>correct? Do you need a multiplication sign in there? How about a dot? Does the test know that the two next to each other is correct? We're not sure. Another question asked the kids to take a series of twenty numbers and show them on a bar graph by raising or lowering the bars on a pre-existing graph. That's all well and good, but there's no way to cross out the numbers you used already so it's VERY easy for the students to miss one, thereby causing them to get the problem wrong. It took me about 4 minutes to move the bars, check my answer, realize I missed one number and go back and figure out what I missed. They say that you should triple the time it takes you to answer any given question for the kids. How are they going to do this in time?</div>
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A third problem. One question asked you to look at a selection of answers (true, false, not enough information) and move the correct answer into the provided boxes. I purposely put an answer I knew was wrong to see what would happen when I wanted to change it. Turned out, I needed to call over three different people to figure out how to change a wrong answer. </div>
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I teach sixth graders. While yes, we should have the ability to help the kids with this stuff, each QUESTION type is different and has a different set of ways to answer them. I don't know how we're going to get the kids to do this work on the computer and still focus on the actual MATH they're being asked to do.</div>
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The sad thing is the math section is relatively easy compared to the language arts section of the test. I will say this, the actual MECHANIC is fairly easy to use. I didn't have much difficulty with that - crossing off answers, using a line reader - none of that was particularly difficult. What frightens me about the LA section of this test is how incredibly difficult it is. </div>
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For each section of the test, the kids have to read two passages (or two passages and watch a video) and then answer questions. To begin, two of the four passages I read were written in the 1800s. The language is going to sound foreign to the kids - they do not have the education (nor should they) to be able to figure out writing by the likes of Kate Chopin yet. This is WAY above a sixth graders ability developmentally.</div>
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The first question in each section asks the kids about a word and, according to the selection, give a definition of it. No problem there - kids have been asked questions like that for years. The followup question on the other hand is to give evidence of the word from a sentence in the passage. The answer choices are sentences from the passage completely unrelated to the word - you have to guess what the test maker was thinking might somehow relate to the word -- somehow. I wasn't really clear on the directions, and I certainly had no idea what the answers were. The connections made were tenuous at best, and I'd be willing to bet without too much trouble that kids could come up with rationales for multiple answers - that is if they understand the question to begin with.</div>
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Later questions ask students to pick out a supposed conflict in a passage and then from a list of seven or eight choices choose the three that are sequential evidence of that conflict. This is difficult work. Given enough time, sure, some of the kids can do this. Given time pressure, the necessities of using a computer, and the difficulty of the question itself, I worry that most kids will not be able to do this. Again, I teach sixth graders.</div>
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The final question in each section is an essay. Note, there is no longer a separate writing piece, thereby completely devaluing writing as an important, useful skill. Questions include things like write an essay on the theme of _______, use evidence from the two passages to compare and contrast them. These are the types of questions I give my students for three week long assignments - not 1/2 hour writes after they've read two passages and already answered another 4-6 difficult questions about the selections. </div>
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Oh, and did I mention that we don't know how long the kids will have to do these tests? We were told 40-80 minutes (a MASSIVE difference - one is way too short, the other is FAR too long to expect sixth graders to be able to focus) but we don't really know yet.</div>
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I am predicting that there are going to be massive failures across the state. Christie's proclamations that schools are failing (despite our being ranked number one or number two in every ranking of schools nationwide in the last year) will appear to be true. Plain and simple, my kids CANNOT do this test. It is way too difficult and too iffy on the computer. There will be lots of tears and lots of frustration over this test (not to mention we have to give the test TWICE). </div>
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I am very upset by what I saw yesterday. There is nothing good about this test (oh, did I mention that we as teachers never actually get to see the results of the test? No, well, I still have no idea how my students did last year on the NJASK - those results are spread out all over the school with individual teachers - I'd have to go track them all down - who has that kind of time?) and, come next summer, you're going to see a rash of ineffective teachers being blamed for the kids' unfortunate failures.</div>
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Don't be fooled - these tests are designed to do just that.<br />
Given the speech we heard in the morning regarding dyslexics, the difficulties these tests are going to present is frightening. </div>
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I'm disappointed in what I saw on these samples. My hope is that they can be improved significantly before they are put in front of the kids, but I know that is probably a pipe dream.</div>
JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-91827958585562341602014-10-24T14:19:00.001-07:002014-10-24T14:19:18.725-07:00Well it's been a long time...It's certainly been a while since I've written on here. I think life just gets complicated sometimes and things get in the way. Hopefully I'll be back more regularly. Perhaps I need to set myself a schedule to keep me more focused on writing on here.<br />
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Not a whole lot has changed since my last entry in my writing life. Two small things: we submitted my Midsummer book to editors about two months ago and got six/seven editors requesting to read it. That cetainly excited me - now we're just waiting to hear from. Hopefully soon! Second, I found a crit partner who's awesome. She's got great insight and has been a huge help on my latest book so far.<br />
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Caitie got a new job since the last time I wrote on here. She LOVES LOVES LOVES it. She is an assistant agent and did I mention she loves it? Hopefully she's on her way to big things at this place. I can't wait to meet her boss sometime - I'm just so happy that she's finally got what she wanted for so long.<br />
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My nieces are adorable and I wish I got to see them more. They're almost four and almost two.<br />
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We've started going to trivia night at the Ground Round every Monday. It's so much fun - hopefully that will continue for the future. We've also joined a monthly bowling league. We stink, but at least it's fun. That's what matters, right?<br />
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Everything else is pretty much same ol' same ol' - at least that I can think of for now.<br />
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At any rate, this is my semi-announcement for a return to writing on here. We'll see where we go from here.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-8356619498546504772014-03-24T18:37:00.004-07:002014-03-24T18:41:53.949-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">At the bookstore this past weekend I bought a book of writing prompts to keep me writing while I'm between books. Here's one I whipped up tonight to the prompt: "Write a story that starts with a ransom note." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> Who Is At the Yellow Tomb? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> C</span>arol
has been taken.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Her
home was broken into</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>And
she is being held for</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Ransom.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Leave</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> O</span>ne
hundred </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Thousand
dollars at</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>The
Yellow Tomb at midnight tomorrow in<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Englewood
Park. Come alone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>Do
not call the police or</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> I</span>
will be forced to take actions I</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> D</span>o
not wish to take.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>If
you do not do this</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> T</span>hen
I will kill Carol.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
note was one of those pasted together jobs with magazine headlines clipped out
letter by letter and attached to a piece of notebook paper. I held the paper in
my trembling hand and read it again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What is it?” Sarah asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I handed the paper to her. I knew
my face was ashen and my hand was shaking. She read it to herself and covered
her mouth in horror.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Carol?” Sarah said. “She’s in her
room. Carol! Carol!” She called to our daughter, her hand on the bannister, the
red of her nails contrasting sharply against the mahogany railing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Of course she didn’t come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Who could have done this? Who
could have taken her?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I don’t know,” I said. I rubbed a
hand through my beard. My hand would not stop shaking. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I have to see,” Sarah said,
climbing the stairs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“See?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Her room. Maybe…maybe she’s just
upstairs asleep and it’s all a joke.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Sick joke,” I muttered, but I
followed behind her half-hoping it was true. I knew when we reached the door it
wouldn’t be. Carol was seven years old. She loved the blue dress her mother had
bought for her last year, and she had worn it every day for the past two weeks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The dress lay on the bed, clean
from the last time Sarah had had it washed. Charlotte, our maid, was dusting the
shelves. “Hello, sir. Ma’am. Where’s Carol today?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Sarah handed the note to Charlotte,
shaking her head, unable to speak. Charlotte threw her hand to her mouth in the
exact way Sarah had. “Oh no! Who could have done this?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We don’t know.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“What are you going to do?” she
asked, her dusting duties forgotten for the moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Pay, I guess. What else can we do?”
I felt like such a wimp. But it was Carol.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Charlotte nodded sadly. “Have you
told the rest of the staff?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Sarah shook her head. “No, not yet.
Could you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We had seven people on staff. It
was something of a shock that the kidnapper had asked for only a hundred
thousand dollars. That was a drop in the bucket. I would have paid millions and
been hardly the worse for it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Charlotte nodded. “Of course, ma’am.”
She curtsied and hurried out of the room. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Sarah sat on Carol’s bed and buried
her face in her hands. I put a hand on her back between her shoulder blades. “We’ll
get her back, Sarah.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“You don’t know that.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We’ll get her back.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We sat
in the car, Sarah beside me. “I’ll give the kidnapper the money and Carol will
be returned to us. It will be okay,” I said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
don’t know,” she answered. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, I
don’t.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“We’re
going to make him pay,” Sarah said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Make
who pay?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The
kidnapper, of course.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I don’t
know. We will. That’s all.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eleven
fifty, Englewood Park.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Yellow Tomb was not a grave as the name indicated, but a statue representing
some general or other from the Civil War. I stood with a bag in my hand,
scared, praying that Carol would be returned to me. Sarah waited in the car,
watching me, I’m sure nervous as hell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
park was empty. I had followed the kidnappers instructors. I didn’t want to
risk Carol’s life, and I was already terrified.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
distance, I saw two figures approaching. One wore a cloak with a raised hood.
Whoever it was looked small. It was a woman. The other was my little girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
approached me. The figure in the cloak held Carol’s hand. I could see a white
mask on the woman in the cloak.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Are
you all right?” I asked her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yes,
Daddy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good.”
I turned to face the figure. “Here’s the money,” I said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A hand
reached out and took the bag. The figure didn’t say a word. She opened the bag
singlehandedly and looked down. She nodded, and let go of Carol’s hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
little girl ran into my open arms. Before I could even look up to attempt to
see who had taken Carol, the woman had vanished.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
next day, as we sat and ate breakfast, Sarah rang a bell to call for Charlotte.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No one
answered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
rang again. Jim, our butler, came into the kitchen. “Sir, madam.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where
is Charlotte?” Sarah asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I do
not know, ma’am. I will check her quarters to see if she is there.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She did
have a tendency to oversleep.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A few
moments later, Jim returned to the kitchen with a note. “This was on her bed,
sir.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I took
the note, read it, and nearly fell out of my chair. "I know who did it."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Shawn, what is it?” Sarah
asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
handed the note to Sarah. As she read out loud, I went to the stationary drawer
and removed the kidnapper’s letter. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sir,
Madam. I have enough to send my daughter to Downside Academy. I quit. Charlotte. </i>Shawn,
I don’t understand. What does it mean?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I gave
Sarah the kidnapper’s ransom note. “It's so obvious, Sarah. Downside Academy. It was right there
in front of us the whole time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
right there.”</div>
JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-68266330589888324532014-02-22T10:48:00.000-08:002014-02-22T10:48:05.976-08:00Master ClassLast night, Caitie and I went to see a production of Master Class at the Kelsey. I had never seen the show before (in fact knew little about it beyond that it was about Maria Callas teaching a, well, master class), but knew I liked the playwright, Terrence Mcnally.<br />
<br />
Both of us were surprised by how much we enjoyed the show. The lead actress, Laurie Hardy, who played Callas was absolutely incredible. If nothing else, the sheer amount of lines the actress needs to learn, both in English and Italian, is astounding. More than that, though, Hardy truly embodied the great opera singer - every motion and every line was in character and very specific. It tied in well to her declaration that art is about the specifics - the wigs, the costumes, the stage dust. This line reminded both of us of Sunday in the Park with George, which the show's theme had more than a little in common with. The idea of dedication to one's art, completely, is similar in both shows. The destructive force of these creative types resonates through both shows in fairly similar ways.<br />
<br />
The three students who sang during the show had fantastic voices. I've never been a huge opera fan, though I have been known to enjoy a few productions here and there. Generally, I do love the music, but not understanding the language is a turn off for me (and English operas tend to not be very good). Still, with "Callas" guiding us and the students, I was able to enjoy the feelings from the singers and appreciate the difficulty of what they do.<br />
<br />
The show was definitely another success for the Kelsey. Despite a couple of duds earlier this year, most of the productions in the subscription so far have made it well worth the cost of the program. Here's hoping the coming musicals are as good!JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-30797572896612690432014-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:002014-02-09T11:12:00.119-08:00Lego MovieThis is a tough movie to review. The reason for that is I really don't want to give anything away about the movie, though I fear that even that is saying too much. I'm going to stick with what I can say, and sort of forget about that which I can't.<br />
<br />
The movie follows Emmett, an average construction worker Lego, when he discovers that he has found the "piece of resistance" (yes, it's a clever joke that made me chuckle) that will stop the evil Lord Business (bluntness smash!) from using the Kragle on the people of Brickville. What is the Kragle? Well, you'll have to see for yourself, but suffice it to say that the line "Release the Kragle" is uttered very satisfactorily.<br />
<br />
Suffice it to say, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. The multiple references to various "types" of Legos (Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter etc.) were hugely entertaining for me since I love that type of humor. Green Lantern man-crushing on Superman who wants nothing to do with him absolutely cracked me up.<br />
<br />
The jokes came quickly, which in hindsight was a double edged sword. It was wonderful because, hey, it's funny and it makes me want to see the movie again, but it is also a drawback in that I feel like I most likely missed several jokes. <br />
<br />
The story was fairly standard action movie fare through the bulk of the film. Ironically, we had just been listening to a podcast about just this topic, and I couldn't help but notice the tropes coming up as we watched the movie. It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through the movie that it deviated from those tropes, and it when it does, boy is it a doozy. I'm not going to say any more about that - you'll just have to see it for yourself.<br />
<br />
The voice talent was top notch - Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill (hey, he's a two time Oscar nominated actor now!), Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Allison Brie...the list goes on and on of the stars who voiced characters in this.<br />
<br />
My one real criticism was that some of the action scenes were too fast, too blurry, too chaotic to really tell what was going on. It's a criticism I've had of many action movies and this was no different. I feel action scenes should be crisp - the audience should never lose focus or not understand what they're seeing. There were times during the action scenes that I literally felt like I was just watching a streak of color with no real focus to it.<br />
<br />
That said, the movie is very entertaining. The story gets better as it goes, and the theme song ("Everything is Awesome") is a damned catchy tune. It's certainly worth seeing, probably more than once, and I know we'll be there for the inevitable sequel.<br />
<br />
8/10JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-73413904896012098032014-01-25T09:05:00.003-08:002014-01-25T09:05:42.173-08:00MatildaLast night, we went to see Matilda on Broadway as my birthday gift from my wonderful wife.<br />
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Now, I haven't seen a show in New York since March 2012 when we saw Book of Mormon. The price of tickets and the train has gone up astronomically, and we decided instead of seeing Broadway shows that we should become members of our local regional theater which tends to be very high quality (okay, Chess sucked a couple of years ago, but most of the shows are very good). <br />
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Matilda proved to me that, as good as regional theater can be, nothing is as good as a Broadway show.<br />
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I'd first heard the score a couple of years ago from the London cast album and was immediately taken with it. Songs like When I Grow Up, Naughty, and My House instantly latched onto my subconscience. We've wanted to see the show since then, and it certainly did not disappoint.<br />
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To begin, full props to the girl who played Matilda. Caitie did a little research and found out she's actually relatively new to the show, only having been in for a couple of weeks. The girl, who couldn't be more than nine or ten at most, has a HUGE part - in fact, probably the largest part I've ever seen for a child actor. In her show, Annie has a fairly large part, but the adults are truly the focus. She only has two songs (Tomorrow - which isn't even fully hers - and Maybe) and small parts in a couple of other songs. In Oliver, he's more a passive tool of the adults than a real lead. Matilda is a fully developed role. She has two full solo numbers (including the traditional "I Want" song in Naughty) as well as parts and choreography in several other numbers. She has large selections of dialogue to memorize and recite. She has to speak nearly fluent Russian. Ripley Sobo, our Matilda, did it all with no hint of nerves and a professionalism that aboslutely floored me.<br />
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I believe most of the cast that we saw were replacements at this point in the show's run, but that hardly mattered. After some less than wonderful experiences at shows like Phantom of the Opera and Chicago, it was so nice to NOT see the cast phoning it in. Everyone, from the leads to the small part of the doctor at the beginning of the show, gave their all to their performances. (And holy cow, the doctor - two minutes of singing but why is he not the lead somewhere?). <br />
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The staging was impressive also. Set pieces rose out of the floor in a variety of ways. Letter blocks spelled out words all around the proscenium and often in the set itself ("shush" and "quiet" in the library; "soot" in the fire place). The show has a few really cool special effects - the chalk and writing on the board were especially impressive, moreso than the blatantly unnecessary (if cool) use of lasers and strobes. <br />
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The staging of some numbers was especially impressive. "School" is a song that always frustrates me because I never pick up on the gimmick the first time it's done, but with the really clever staging it becomes clear on the second run-through. "Revolting Children" is Spring Awakening lite, and extraordinarily enjoyable as a rousing final number.<br />
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The story stretches belief a bit, but that hardly matters. The show is about the characters, and that's what really makes the show successful. The emphasis on reading, especially by showing the opposite in the form of the cartoonish Harry Wormword and his one-word-at-a-time speaking son, was welcome in a show so clearly aimed at kids. I, of course, loved the digs at education (as Miss Honey said, "No, we don't make a lot of money."). <br />
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And given that, that going to Broadway is a rare thing for us these days, it was a wonderful night at the theater. I had a fantastic time and will highly recommend it the next time I'm asked for a suggestion for a show to see.<br />
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<br />JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-9946878093889688302014-01-12T08:52:00.001-08:002014-01-12T08:52:09.499-08:00Christie-gateI don't actually have that much to say on this topic, but since it's in my home state and I've been a fairly vocal opponent of Christie since he took office, I figured I should chime in briefly.<br />
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1) DID CHRISTIE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? Does it matter? If he knew, clearly he's going to be in trouble. If he didn't know, it seems almost just as bad. His top advisers were involved in this - there's clear evidence pointing to that. No one is denying that. If his top advisers did this and he didn't know about it, what kind of an operation is Christie running? How could the boss NOT know that his staff was doing these things? At best, he comes off as completely incompetent.<br />
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2) WAS THE BRIDGE CLOSED AS RETRIBUTION TO THE MAYOR OF FORT LEE?<br />
I'm not so sure. On Thursday, Rachel Maddow ran a theory that seemed far more plausible which I'll get to in a moment. The media has hooked into the idea that the lanes were closed because the mayor refused to endorse Christie and has been running with it. Not only does that seem ridiculously petty, but it doesn't even really make sense given that Christie was already ahead in the polls and other Democrats didn't give their endorsement either. What makes more sense? The day before was the whole debacle about the tenure of judges. Christie was petty about the whole thing - I'm not going into the whole details of it, but the head Senate Democrat who he would want to punish? She represents Fort Lee. The timing was perfect for that to be the case, and I tend to fall on that side of it whether it's true or not.<br />
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3) WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Personally, I think Christie should resign. The pundits who say he's coming out of this clean are delusional. This is haunting him, regardless of if he knew or not, the rest of his governership and onward. I think it's only a matter of time before he leaves office anyway as a result of this.<br />
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Either way, this is a fascinating story. I know I'll be tuned in to see what happens...JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-69689901424982386302014-01-01T09:03:00.002-08:002014-01-01T09:03:27.516-08:00My Top Ten New Years Resolutions1. Spend as much time with Caitie as I possibly can.<br />
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2. Spend as much time with people who I like and who like me as I can (not wasting time with "friends" who don't really want to be friends.<br />
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3. Spend quality time with family - see my nieces more often, spend time in Ohio etc.<br />
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4. Play more games.<br />
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5. Finish editing my Midsummer update.<br />
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6. Finish Seeing Nothing and get to writing my sequel to Before White. *<br />
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7. Be in a position financially to be able to change my job by next year at this time.<br />
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8. Be able to go on at least one vacation this year.<br />
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9. Read more books - I'm aiming at 25 for the year (which I know is significantly higher than what I hit last year!)<br />
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10. See at least three Broadway shows.<br />
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* Since I have no control over it, as a subset, I resolve to get a publishing deal this year. I can't control that, however, so can't put that as a resolution. JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-84936159114534242812013-12-15T07:34:00.000-08:002013-12-15T07:38:14.988-08:00This YearWe've had some positive moments this year, to be sure, but we've also had several disappointments.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest change for me this year was that I was moved from teaching seventh and eighth grade to teaching sixth grade. I had never considered teaching younger than I was before, but I went into it with an open mind. Turns out, I love sixth grade. The kids are so enthusiastic and they're much more accommodating than the older kids are. With a new supervisor at school as well, I haven't been "targeted" as badly as I was last year, so school has definitely been easier this year (despite my numerous problems with other aspects of the place).<br />
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Writing has been a source of a lot of frustration for me this year, unfortunately. I finished another book, got it to my agent, and she returned a boatload of edits for me to work on. We've switched from shopping Connie around to shopping Before White, but we seem to be heading dead end after dead end. It's made me question myself a lot more than I expected I would. Still, with Caitie's support, I'm continuing on, always hoping a new day will finally bring the email I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to arrive.<br />
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Caitie's job has been pretty stagnant. She's still working at Direct Brands publishing. She's been moved around several times and job security is as mythological as a phoenix. Hopefully her situation will change sooner rather than later.<br />
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In July, Caitie had us go to the doctor for a checkup. Turned out I was pre-diabetic. He told me to get a Fitbit or Jawbone Up bracelet, diet and lose weight. I did this, started walking 10,000 steps a day and counting my calories. By November I had lost about 25 pounds and gotten rid of the diabetic diagnosis. I need to continue - I have a ways to go of course, but I do feel better. Of course, December is a TOUGH time for keeping up with this!<br />
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On the plus side, Caitie and I did get to go on a WONDERFUL vacation this year - our first in four years. We went on a cruise to the Caribbean and had a fantastic time. Memory has sharpened that week now to make it perhaps even better than it actually was, but we can't wait to go on another cruise as soon as possible.<br />
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In February of this year, my sister gave birth to my second niece, Lindsey Helen Hafner. She's adorable and has the biggest smile I've seen on a baby. We went to visit them yesterday and she loved playing with the strings on my sweatshirt, laughing gleefully for a good twenty minutes as she batted them about, pulled on them, and tried to stick them in her mouth in what I can only consider to be one of the first games she's ever played.<br />
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My other niece, Lily, is turning three next week. She's amazing - she can carry on an actual conversation with you, and she has a bright and cheery personality. <br />
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This has been a slow year for reading for me. I think I've been reading the same book for the past four months. It's not that it's a bad book, it's actually quite good, I just have a tough time getting motivated to read while school is in session. (To be fair, I have also read three other books in the interim). I wish I had kept track of the books I read this year so I could name a favorite, but alas, my memory simply isn't that good.<br />
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We have gone to several movies this year and seen some really good stuff - Star Trek, Catching Fire, Frozen, This is the End. We have several big ones coming out in the next couple of weeks (American Hustle, Anchorman 2, August Osage County), so hoping they're as good as we expect.<br />
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This year we also joined the Kelsey theater as subscribers. We've seen some great shows there so far - Forum, Spamalot, Carrie - and a couple of duds - Big River (unfortunate because I love the score - just not a good cast), A Flea In Her Ear (a farce that was performed well but just wasn't very funny). Hope the rest of the season is solid!<br />
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During the summer we went to Ohio for a long weekend. We saw a Marroon 5/Kelly Clarkson concert (very fun) and went to a friend of Caitie's wedding. I love going to Ohio - I always get the feeling that I'm really ON BREAK when I'm there. <br />
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Every summer we watch the show Big Brother. This year I participated in an online version of the game. Thirteen of us were put into a virtual house and we played challenges just like on the show. I sent literally thousands of emails playing the game, and as of right now I'm going into the final three this week. I have a pretty decent shot at winning this. It makes me wonder how I'd do at the actual game!<br />
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At Thanksgiving we went to Georgia to see my cousins. It was a LONG drive, but it was great getting to see them. We haven't seen them in four years, so it was wonderful getting to spend some time with them. <br />
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We've had the chance to spend many evenings with friends, playing games, eating, drinking, laughing and sharing with them, and we're beyond grateful for that.<br />
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That's our year in a nutshell. Nothing earthshaking, nothing that really altered our lives all that much for the good or the bad. Hopefully next year will bring publication for me (finally), a job switch for Caitie, more vacation time for us, and new adventures together.<br />
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Have a happy holiday and a very happy New Year!JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-50939221782079401772013-11-06T14:20:00.000-08:002013-11-06T14:20:01.458-08:00Books and books and books and booksCaitie was sick today, so I took off to take her to the doctor. This afternoon, she was feeling better so we decided on a simple project (ha) - we decided to go through the book shelves in our living room and sort the books. <br />
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Let me say this here - we have a LOT of books.<br />
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We decided to sort by interest - my interest, her interest, and shared interest. We ended with two double stacked shelves of both, a little less than three double stacked shelves of her interest and two bursting shelves of my interest.<br />
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What amazed me was how many TYPES of books we had. From memory, we had books in the following categories: YA, MG, sci-fi, fantasy, classic, modern lit (think James Patterson), horror, romance, comedy, puzzle, reference, cooking, sewing, travel, writing, religion, philosophy, poetry, education, pop culture, short story, memoir, biography, theater, trivia, and music. There may be one or two more I missed, but that's quite a list! We are certainly readers - avid readers - and our interests greatly vary. <br />
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Sure, a couple of those books may only be represented by one or two volumes (I think romance is just a couple of books Caitie brought home from work in a pile), but some of them have substantial numbers in our collection. <br />
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Some were books we haven't gotten around to reading yet (Doctor Sleep, I'm coming for you next!) and some were books that we just couldn't bear to part with (we've both read To Kill a Mockingbird, but Caitie couldn't handle giving it up!).<br />
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Some are books that are just for fun - joke books, puzzles etc. that we pull out every now and then for a mental challenge or a laugh.<br />
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Surprisingly, I did notice a couple of missing books from our collection. I didn't see copies of either of my favorite books - Les Miserables and 1984 (though I know I own copies of both). There are still more books on other shelves, and books downstairs and upstairs, so I'm sure they're amongst those.<br />
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I even found a magazine I had a story published in. I found a couple of grammar mistakes in the story, but turns out I was a pretty good writer even then. :)<br />
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We even found a small handful (maybe half a dozen) of books we have duplicates of.<br />
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So, the end result is a stack of 70+ books we're getting rid of - either donations to the library, selling to the used book store, or just throwing out [anyone want a copy of 2008s Writer's Market? No? Didn't think so :)].<br />
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So off to the used bookstore we go, to replace some of these books we're willing to get rid of with more that will be added to the unread masses. <br />
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There's something kind of sad and beautiful about that...<br />
JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-49143162529975957212013-11-02T06:20:00.000-07:002013-11-02T06:20:24.877-07:00Finished Breaking Bad - no spoilers hereI'm not going to write a treatise on the show. There's been plenty of virtual ink spilled already about the show, and I don't think I'm going to really add anything much to the discussion that hasn't already been said.<br />
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What I will say is that the series was great. Perfect? No, of course not. There were a few too many coincidences for me that led to things happening (I suppose in something this complex that must be inevitable) and some over the top ridiculousness that pulled me from the series because of how surreal it got. For any who have seen it, the end of season four would be a prime example. Yes, it was satisfying as hell, but realistic? Hardly.<br />
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Some questions remain, which I also suppose is inevitable. It's a lesson in writing - not EVERYTHING needs to be wrapped up with a neat bow, though that was something I learned earlier from Lost and The Sopranos. That said, this was one of the more satisfying season conclusions I've seen. We found out what happened to most of the main characters (one of them is a bit ambivalent) in a way that left me not feeling as though there was more story to tell. <br />
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That said, I felt like the series was a long movie - a very long movie - in a way I've never seen before on tv. It was certainly worth watching, and one I will recommend to anyone looking for a gripping drama to invest some time in.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-86964745958985765502013-10-23T19:19:00.001-07:002013-10-23T19:19:24.397-07:00Yesterday is gone...We got to see Merrily We Roll Along, Sondheim's infamous backwards moving flop, in the movies tonight. I LOVED it. It was incredible to see a show I first saw some 15 years ago at Brandeis in a whole new way. I still have a couple of little quibbles with the book (as a writer, I have an issue with the idea of planting things in the script that only make sense to those who'd seen it already), but overall the show is pretty brilliant. <br />
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I will say, that for once, I caught EVERY lyric - even a couple I hadn't heard despite listening to the cast album numerous times. One of my favorites that I'd always heard but never "heard" was during the song "It's a Hit" when Frank and friends are celebrating their new huge hit show. "It's a hit/it's a hit/it's a palpable hit." I've heard the song dozens of times and never made the association with Hamlet and how perfect the lyric is for that moment. <br />
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I also love how Sondheim put the reprises of the songs first. When Beth sings "Not a Day Goes By" it's a bitter, sarcastic song filled with anger - though every lyric makes perfect sense in the moment. The "first" time, which comes in the second act, is sung during her wedding to Frank and is filled with love (and, in typical Sondheim style, counterpointed with Mary's disappointed longing).<br />
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The cast was fantastic at aging themselves backwards. I loved how Frank's voice got higher pitched and Mary's entire body language became more awkward. <br />
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It was just a really special event to get to see this production from the other side of the Atlantic tonight. I can't wait to see what else Fathom events can come up with!JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-34675473913585370282013-10-19T13:19:00.000-07:002013-10-19T13:19:10.190-07:00Story IdeaLast night, Caitie and I were talking and I stumbled on an idea for a story that I'm not sure <i>I</i> could write, but someone with more of a talent for romance might be able to write. If you're interested in taking up the idea, let me know! Here it is:<br />
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A girl is born thinking that she has an imaginary friend. She can't see him, but she can hear him talking. She doesn't always understand what he's saying or why he's saying the things he's saying, but she just accepts it as her friend being strange. As she gets older, the voice continues. Others tell her that she's got a rich imagination which advances to "you're crazy." She still hears the voice, almost incessantly. She learns to shut the sound of "him" talking out, to pretend that she can't hear him. <br />
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The voice fades to the background, almost like it's just a part of her subconscious. She doesn't actually listen to it, but it's still there.<br />
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She gets older. In college one day she meets a guy...and she realizes that the voice she's been hearing all along are HIS thoughts. Somehow she has a connection to him that she's had since birth. She instantly falls in love, feeling as though she's known him all along.<br />
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That's about as far as we got. This brings up a huge range of questions -- does his behavior mirror his thoughts? Does he act differently from what she would expect? How would HE react to her being able to hear his thoughts? Does he like it? Is he horrified and wants nothing to do with her? Does he develop his own form of telepathy? Does he pretend to? If the book is something other than a romance, could he be a psychopath who somehow shields his true thoughts from her? Is she insane and only <i>thinks<i></i></i> she's hearing his thoughts? If it is a romance, what are the implications of this scenario? Does she lose the power when she's around him? <br />
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I don't know - not sure where it could go but it certainly seems like an intriguing thing to explore. I'm just not so sure I'm the right author to do it.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-9539173229246794092013-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:002013-10-15T08:20:29.430-07:00A Bunch of QuestionsWatching Breaking Bad has led me to think about the way I act sometimes (and by extension, how my characters behave). I'm nearing the end of season four, and Walt is clearly turning into a bad guy. He acts on instincts, doing things that he clearly wouldn't have done before the cancer and drug dealing etc. He gives in to things that most likely he (and by extension us as an audience) would never do. For example, when he was supposed to return his son's car because it costs too much, he instead went for a joy ride and then proceeded to blow it up.<br />
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It got me thinking about the way I act, the way people I know act, and the way my characters act. Do I give in to my instincts or do I censor myself? Do I allow myself to say and do the things that I know in my better judgement are probably not wise? Do others? Do my characters? Or, do I go through life with a censor, keeping in some of my darker thoughts? I think the answer to that is that yes, of course I do. We all do, don't we? It makes me wonder how others behave. Do they censor themselves? And if they do, what kind of thoughts ARE they censoring that, if they were to make them known, would hurt/offend me or others?<br />
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It's a lot of questions that may seem obvious, but as a writer, it makes me wonder how those thoughts that pop into our heads daily and then are immediately squashed affect us. Do religious people ever have thoughts that are clearly atheistic and then squash them? Do people who claim to not at all be racist (and indeed don't show those traits at all) have those thoughts and just ignore them - or do they genuinely not have those ideas in their minds? Are all people as twisted inside as I am, do those thoughts simply not occur to them? Do Republicans actually believe some of the nonsense they say or do they convince themselves to believe certain things (same with Democrats, I suppose, but my bias is showing). <br />
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I don't know what all this means, but it's definitely something to think about as I'm writing. Could those dark thoughts that creep in at the most inopportune moments have an impact on behavior - and if so, could it change the whole direction of a story?JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-83809507614755774902013-10-02T17:31:00.001-07:002013-10-02T17:31:47.789-07:00Two. Two. Two posts in one day!Check it out!<br />
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http://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonf43/my-top-ten-stephen-king-books-ffqdJasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-59767552446522744222013-10-02T15:14:00.001-07:002013-10-02T15:14:15.881-07:00Breaking BadNOTE: Here there be Breaking Bad spoilers through season two.<br />
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Caitie hates that I started watching Breaking Bad. I have to say that up front. She says I'm turning into "one of them." <br />
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I have one episode left in season two now, and I have to say, I'm becoming "one of them." I've heard that it's the best show on television. I can't say I necessarily agree with that yet (though I've also heard season three is where it really takes off), but I will say this - Walter White is one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen on a tv show. Here's why.<br />
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I've always had a thing for villains. The Wicked Witch fascinated me as a child, and I'm still in love with that movie. I always wanted Darth Vader to win (Luke is boring!) and don't get me started on the Disney bad guys. Who wouldn't be interested in Maleficent than Sleeping Beauty or why Gaston is such a jerk versus, well, ok, Belle is pretty awesome. Still, my point stands. Villains rule.<br />
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Walter starts out as a pretty normal guy. He's a teacher, a husband, a father, and he has cancer. He seems like a guy who's pretty much done everything right and was dealt a crappy hand. Over the course of the first two seasons, he starts to descend into his villainy - killing rival dealers, working the system, and, in the last episode I watched, letting Jesse's girlfriend choke to death on her own vomit. <br />
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Flashes of his "evilness" come out at unexpected times. The scene by the pool when he pours his fifteen year old son tequila shots was fascinating. You knew he was wrong. Hank knew he was wrong. Walt Jr. knew he was wrong. Somehow, though, Walt couldn't see his own villainy. He couldn't see that what he was doing was wrong and he was terrifying. It wasn't until later that he regretted it, and he tried to make amends by apologizing to everyone involved. Because of his condition and his previous history, he was forgiven.<br />
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Watching a character descend into villainy like this is riveting. This is in no small part thanks to Bryan Cranston's portrayal, but what draws me in is the writing. The show is accessible and gripping, and I can't wait to see where it's going. The dialogue is crisp and the characters are so well defined that nothing they do SHOULD come as a surprise. The reason this works is that the depths of evil Walt will go to are unplumbed yet. There's always farther he can descend, and I have a feeling he's going to go way lower than what I've seen thus far. As Walt says, "There's rot." <br />
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I have a feeling before I'm done there is a chance (sorry Caitie) that I may well agree with those who proclaim it the greatest show of all time.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-64989558674378486492013-08-05T11:45:00.003-07:002013-08-05T11:45:47.386-07:00Oh my, it's been a while!Last night Caitie and I were talking about blogging and I realized it has been quite a while since I've written on here! I'm going to try to write in this space a bit more than I have been recently.<br />
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I finished writing my updated Midsummer Night's Dream. I then went back and rewrote the whole thing because it wasn't nearly long enough. I've gotten it from a meager 28K to just under 40K, partly by adding a substantial framework around the story that plays perfectly throughout. It was a lot of work, but I think it paid off to be sure. The book is a YA novel, and I think it will appeal to any who enjoy the Shakespeare work - as well as those who don't know it at all. I sent the book on to my agent, hoping she might have some more ideas for expansion.<br />
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To get things kicked off with the new blog, I have a question for you. We were having a discussion yesterday about Star Wars. I know, typical geekery. Our discussion was about whether or not Star Wars is a fantasy or science fiction. Caitie took one position, I took another. We're willing to hear arguments, though we each think that we are right. Which do you think Star Wars is, and what is your definition of each genre?JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-50316497682460722812013-02-03T08:54:00.001-08:002013-02-03T08:54:36.062-08:00Next step?So my agent and I just went through a pretty intense round of edits on "Before White." She went through my first book with a fine-tooth comb, admitting she was being picky, but tearing the book to pieces. She gave me a ton of suggestions for places to improve grammatically, character motivation, showing things (holy cow I told a lot I should have shown back when I wrote this!), and, most importantly to me, showing me places to cut things down.<br />
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In the end, the book is about 10,000 words shorter than it was and much more streamlined. Chapters have been moved, events are now SHOWN and not told, and hopefully the grammatical mistakes are corrected. I will admit there were a few changes made I didn't quite understand the purpose of (such as rewording some sentences), but I went along with her suggestions since everything else seemed to be so right on the money.<br />
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She has the book back now and is reviewing it for any final changes. She'll then write a query letter and try to get the book out in front of publishers. Caitie has often joked that it would be something if we managed to sell this book after all the other writing and attempts haven't succeeded. I sincerely hope she's right and we can get my writing career going.<br />
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And I'm so ready to get it going. We've discussed numerous possibilities for what my future holds, and ultimately the one career I feel I most want to do is to become a professional writer. Being able to set my own hours to write is very appealing. I don't mind being on deadlines - I'm great with deadlines. If anything (and I would guess Rachael would agree with this) I work too quickly more often than not. The idea of going to writing panels and seminars, speaking in front of schools or bookstores or what have you sounds like a ton of fun. Yeah, I know the traveling would be hard, but I think it would be exciting and an adventure - something my current career certainly lacks.<br />
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I think the idea of signing books looks like fun. My wrist will hurt, sure, and I'll get sick of it after a while I'm sure, but I don't know that meeting fans and meeting people who are excited to read my stuff would ever get boring. <br />
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Being a media presence on twitter and a blog and Facebook? I could absolutely do that. It sounds like it might be frustrating in terms of balancing time, but I tend to write in spurts anyway. There's no reason I couldn't do that as well, and do it fully. <br />
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As for the money, certainly I would hope to be able to sustain myself on what I get from writing and from any fees accrued through speaking. If I need a part time job to support myself, freelance writing or some other job wouldn't be too terrible until such a time as writing could be my focus. It might be difficult for a little while for us, but it's better than complaining about work every day, is it not?<br />
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Am I missing anything else a writer would have to do? Is there some aspect of the job that I'm not getting? Is there any reason that I shouldn't have this as my dream? Is it unattainable for me? I certainly hope not...<br />
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I certainly hope not.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-4465916310907215412012-12-21T16:39:00.001-08:002012-12-21T16:39:39.934-08:00Wow, well, it's been quite a while, old friend, hasn't it? There's quite a bit to catch up on from the past few months.<br />
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On the writing front, I've been continuing to work on my adult fantasy novel. I'm about 125 pages into it and I have a pretty good idea where it's going. The change from YA to adult is certainly interesting. In some ways it's freer because I don't have to worry about language or perhaps having my characters do things that are despicable. On the other hand, I'm so used to writing YA that it feels strange having a character curse or talking about attempted rape. It feels a little out of place for me - I hope it doesn't read that way. <br />
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Rachael has edited Before White for me and we'll be sending it to editors in the new year. I'm very excited about this - hopefully we have better luck than we did with Connie. To be fair, there are still editors who have Connie and we're waiting to hear from them, so it's certainly not out of the range of possibilities. It's just a big waiting game, isn't it?<br />
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School has gotten especially rough. Administrators are all over everybody about every little thing. My supervisor has really been on me, and I've gotten to a point that I'm actively looking at other jobs until this writing thing can take off. If anyone knows anything in the central NJ area...<br />
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Let's see, Caitie and I went to see Jason Mraz in concert a couple of weeks ago. He was excellent. Our seats were terrible, but he was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.<br />
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We've seen several movies: Argo (EXCELLENT!), Lincoln (pretty good but boring first half hour or so), Wreck-It Ralph (very cute!), Flight (decent movie, Washington was great) and Looper (a real mind-twister and very entertaining). We cannot WAIT to see Les Miserables on Christmas (yes, we convinced her parents and we're going on Christmas). <br />
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In books, the best I've read in the last couple of months was The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. It's a MG book, but HUGELY entertaining. I definitely recommend it. Right now I'm reading A Fraction of the Whole - an adult book that is thick but SO well written that I don't care.<br />
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In TV shows, the only new ones of the season we're still watching are Revolution (I seem to be addicted, Caitie can take it or leave it), Go On (Caitie likes it more than I do) and Next To Normal (we both like it). We're still hooked on Once Upon a Time and Modern Family. American Horror Story has been pretty good this year, though I don't find it as engaging as I did last year. The Walking Dead has been excellent - I'm definitely curious where it's going. My second favorite show of the fall was Parenthood. We always watched it, but it's been incredibly good this season - funny, smart, moving and totally engaging. My favorite show of the fall though is, without doubt, Homeland. Holy crap is that a good show. I can't believe we have to wait till next September to find out what happens next.<br />
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Caitie is still at Book of the Month Club. Her job keeps changing which is very frustrating to her, but at least she really likes the people she works with (and they like working with her as well). <br />
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We'll be heading to Ohio for Christmas (and Les Mis!) with Caitie's family - our holiday tradition - and then back here for my birthday and New Year. I can't believe we're on the seventh year of me going to OH for the holidays already. <br />
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So, old friend, I hope you have a very happy holiday, whatever you may celebrate, and you have a very happy new year!<br />
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Love,<br />
JasonJasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-84751407911324821092012-09-08T14:07:00.000-07:002012-09-08T14:07:11.651-07:00Well, I haven't written much in the past month -- I haven't had a whole lot to say to be honest. Caitie and I went to the Poconos for a weekend and had a great time. We went to Ohio for Labor Day weekend for her brother's wedding. It was a great affair - lots of fun and we're burning with jealousy that he's now in Disney World for the week on his honeymoon.<br />
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With school starting again, my reading time is diminishing quite a bit. This is partly due to not having the time, but more so just being too tired to focus on a page for very long. That said I did read quite a few books this summer. Here are some quick reviews of the books I got through. Hope I have more to write about soon!<br />
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A Dance With Dragons: Book five of The Song and Ice and Fire was WAY better than book four. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the ending had me dying for the next one. If you're going to try the series, don't let book four dissuade you - five is a return to greatness.<br />
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Me The People: I picked this up thinking it would be a humorous rewriting of the Constitution - turned out to be a fascinating history detailing each amendment. The rewriting part was more of a gimmick, but the writer's dealing with the Constitution, explaining the amendments' meanings and purposes and, more interestingly to me, their origins was riveting. Definitely recommended!<br />
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The Passage: First thing I can say - this book was LONG. It was REALLY long. In fact, it was too long. The first two hundred pages or so was a prologue that turned out to be the origins of what happens in the next six hundred pages or so. That said, the book was really exciting and definitely kept me hooked. I'm looking forward to the sequel.<br />
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The Wishing Spell: This is Chris Colfer's debut novel. Honestly, he's not that great an author. Some of his writing is just awkward and the language seems almost TOO catered to young readers. That said, the story itself was pretty interesting. It was a quick read, at any rate, so worth the time for the story that entwines a bunch of fairy tale characters into it (I'm a sucker for that). <br />
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Redshirts: The first 2/3 of the book was fantastic. It was funny, it was intriguing, it was very smart. And then the last 1/3 happened -- and I have no idea what to make of it. The end of the book was a weird postscript that didn't really work with the rest of it. I would almost say it's worth reading the beginning 2/3 and then stopping when the main story is over (which I know is REALLY weird advice, but there it is).<br />
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The Fault in Our Stars: All right, I'll give Caitie credit for this one. She's been begging me to read John Green, and I've finally given in. This book was brilliant. He is a great writer (yes, Caitie, I know) and he certainly kept me enthralled in a story about (honestly) cancer patients. Yeah, the end was kind of predictable, but the style and writing was so strong I hardly cared. Highly recommended!<br />
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Doctor Who - Shada: This was Douglas Adam's script for a Tom Baker Doctor Who episode turned into a novel - and honestly, that's EXACTLY what the book read like. If you like Doctor Who and you like Hitchhiker's Guide, well, this is the book for you. It was entertaining, certainly - only thing I can really complain about was it wasn't David Tenant's Doctor, but you know, you get what you get.<br />
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The Good Thief: I was kind of disappointed in this one. I expected more of a Dickensian type story than it was. There weren't any big twists, the characters were fairly well drawn but not particularly memorable, and the story dragged in parts. Yeah, I read the whole thing, but more because it was short and I pushed on through more than anything else.<br />
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Fairy Godmother (in process of reading): I'm adding this in here because I have just 100 pages to go, but I have to say it's WAY better than I expected. Mercedes Lackey is an EXCELLENT writer - it kind of reminds me of The Magician in that, like Lev Grossman, there's just wonder to be seen on every page. You never quite know what fairy tale is being skewed (or being created) from page to page, and the twist on classic tales really is expertly done. Definitely looking forward to reading more of the 500 Kingdoms!<br />
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So, it turns out, I read a LOT during the summer! Hope I can keep up some of it during the school year (not too likely, sadly). Guess I need to go spend some more time in Ohio!JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3931290696364356864.post-69419355478378017792012-07-30T07:22:00.002-07:002012-07-30T07:22:51.505-07:00Dark Knight Rises reviewWe finally got to see TDKR yesterday.<br />
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Disclosure on my opinion of the previous two films: Batman Begins was long with a solid ending. The Dark Knight was good. Heath Ledger was fantastic - the movie itself? Too long with some confusing set pieces.<br />
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Now, going into TDKR I had heard mixed things. It turns out that the "mixed" reviews were right on the money. The first hour, hour and a half or so DRAGGED. I understand the need for setup, especially with so many characters, but even once that's said, a fairly major player in the finale was conveniently ignored through the first half of the film.<br />
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Once the movie kicked into gear (I'd say around the time of the football stadium), it got much better. The last hour or so flew by. <br />
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Bane was an interesting villain, to be sure, but nothing compared to Heath Ledger's Joker. I didn't have as much trouble hearing what he had to say (and in fact found the voice downright creepy) but it did bring up other questions. First, how does he eat? I mean, Darth Vader could take his helmet off. Bane can't take the mask off. I also wondered why when it came down to it, Batman and he fought street-fighter style. No cool toys - just punches. Hmph.<br />
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To be honest, I didn't get the point of Catwoman in the movie. It's nothing against Anne Hathaway who I thought was great - I just feel the part was underwritten. <br />
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There are a couple of surprises in the movie I won't spoil here - one in particular where I turned to Caitie and, surprised, declared the mystery solved. She turned back to me "Duh!" - she had it figured out way earlier. D'oh!<br />
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Overall, I feel Nolan could have cut 45 minutes from the front of the movie. Otherwise, it was a pretty solid film and ending to the series. <br />
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One final point -- I confess I flinched HEAVILY at the gunfire in the movie. Granted, it was LOUD in our theater, but memories of the shooting couldn't be avoided throughout the film. It's a shame the movie will be scarred by that - I wonder how long gunshots in films will set me edge.JasonFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04063185238091834984noreply@blogger.com2