please note

The new issue is up over at Electric Spec. Great reading for a snowy arvo like we've got here. Don't forget to come back here and shamelessly praise my own efforts in editor's corner.

My stories were The Comfort of Mirrors and The Rainbow Bridge. The latter is an amusing tale that pokes fun at fantasy and wrestling. The Comfort of Mirrors was a story I requested and happily published. It's that fresh slant on an old theme we all love. Most stories about clones are told from the veiwpoint of the clones; this one's told from the viewpoint of the source human. Really intriguing.

My hand therapy is working! Yea! Last night I was watching the conclusion of Sleeper Cell with my arm up over my head, laying on my pillow. (Before you get all hot and bothered over thinking about me in bed, picture your version of me in black and pink Hello Kitty fleece jams and furry leopard slippers.) Anyway, I had my arm up and after five minutes or so I realized "SHIT, my arm's not asleep!" I mean, shit! I'm spending to the tune of 160 USD a week on this therapy, so I'm glad to have a result. Coolness.

Check out the new Abercrombie catalog if you want to get in the mood. It's better than porn, I tell ya. The boys are waaaay hotter, for sure.

Boys. Hmmmmm.

The ending to Sleeper Cell kinda sucked. (Spoilers to follow). It was good till the end-- After losing his woman, Darwin totally quoted the scriptures as they were holding one of those great sabers to his throat. "Female for female" he said, just as Faruk's wife was bringing out a target tracing device for a missile. Heh. The extremists got blowed up. But then after one of those wimpy gunfights where the frickin FBI AGENT, for crissake, can't hit the broad side of a barn with an M16 set on full auto, they all sort of get away. Brother.

Rome, however, is going along swimmingly. I read a post on another blog lamblasting the plotline because she thinks the female characters are just foils for the male characters. I've been studying it from that viewpoint, and in some cases she's right. I've been accused of that meself. (I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm more interested in men than women.) In some cases, I think this is true for Rome, but I don't have a huge problem with it. It was a male-dominated society, and Atia and a few of the other women are strong characters. I mean, there was the female-led revenge plot against Caesar and some girl on girl sex. This week they explored guy on guy, but it was taken from the viewpoint of sex=power and domination, which was probably about right. Boys today have these feelings pretty well buried, but I think they're still there. I see it at times. Anyway, I have a character who is going to die in childbirth, and I want the men in her life to fall for her, and so it her character must shine. I admit not knowing all that much about what attracts and holds a guy's attention and earns his love. I must question the men in my life about this, but in the meantime, if you've got any advice, throw it at me! What makes you love the one you're with and what attracted you in the first place?

I'm off to my daughter's parent/teacher preschool conference. What are they gonna tell me? Plays well with others. Knows how to stand in line. Brother. Oh well, we must make an effort.