Random Musings...oh, and a new hint!

Here’s a entry of a bunch of random musings I think may (or may not) be interesting to readers…but are too short to each have their own entry. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, but you’re getting a hint out of this, so smile and nod and be polite.

First of all, has anyone seen those new McDonald’s ‘snack time’ commercials? You know, one of them has the guy digging out of the office with a spoon?
Is it just me…or is that guy Spike Spencer? The one with the spoon, I mean. Maybe I’m just going crazy, but it really LOOKS (and sounds) like the guy to me.
If it’s him, I’m glad he’s finding work in Hollywood. You hear so many things about how hard it can be to find a job as an actor…although, I’m sure he’d rather be working on a TV show or a movie, but work’s work. (Writers are sort of similar in a way…I want to be a novelist, but I might end up writing…for example…instruction books for TVs or something.)

Okay, next topic: my brother recently got Fullmetal Alchemist volume 11, and I decided to read some of it today. Hiromu Arakawa, like a lot of other manga-ka, starts off each volume of Fullmetal Alchemist with a little note. This is the note for volume 11: “True story – when I went to get a shiatsu massage after making my last deadline, the masseuse said to me, “Your right shoulder is really tense.” I almost replied to him, “That’s because it’s auto-mail!” because I was sleepy and my head was in a daze as I was thinking about some ideas for the next chapter.”

Now, I’m sure you all find this really funny…and it is…but you know what the sad thing is? I’ve kind of done that before.
When I was a kid, I was telling a story about something that happened to a friend and me. “And he said to me ‘Look, Lidia…’—“

“Lidia?” one of my classmates asked. “Who’s Lidia?”

Me: “*confused pause* Oh…I’m sorry…that’s one of my characters. He said ‘Haley.’

Classmate: …One of your characters?

Me: Yeah.

Classmate: ………BWAHAHAHAHAHA. YOU JUST CALLED YOURSELF A NAME OF A CHARACTER FROM ONE OF YOUR STORIES?!

Me: ._. Is it…that weird?

*A few hours later, during study hall*

Classmate: Hey! Lidia!

Me: *looks up* What?

Classmate: BWAHAHAHAHA. YOU DID IT AGAIN!

Yeah, that classmate of mine was a bit snobby. I have to admit, though, it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one that does something like that.
I wonder if that’s not just a writer thing? Do actors ever accidentally call themselves their characters or think they’re them? Does Johnny Depp ever answer if someone calls him ‘Jack’? Does Vic Mignogna wake up in the morning and wonder where Al is?
…No, probably not. Writers tend to be a little more…insane than actors, it appears. (…Well…then again…)

Another new topic I just thought of: You know that new iPod ad that has color in the shadows now? I like that one. It’s funny, though, with color you can see more details in the clothing…like you can see the argyle on one of the sweaters.
I wonder how much a wardrobe department has to worry on a commercial like that? Less than the typical ad, or more?
“NO you fool!! This pair of jeans has the wrong fading! We need four whiskers, not three!”
Okay, now I’m just getting really random, I better stop.

EDIT: Okay, I just saw something REALLY awesome, so I thought I should edit here and show it to you guys.
I just noticed that on a few recent Bang Zoom! dubs, one of the actors is credited as 'Jack Bauer'. I have no idea who it is--I haven't seen any of those shows recently enough to remember the voice--but whoever it is, they're awesome. Best pseudonym ever.

Okay, now I'm done.

As promised, you’re getting another hint for the Mystery Character Contest! All because you sat here and listened to me.

Your new hint is…
The mystery character has green eyes.

Now there’s a hint that’s actually useful, eh?
Don’t worry, as time goes on, I have some hints that will narrow it down considerably, as well. I'm just holding off on using those for a few days so it won't be too obvious at first. Hopefully that doesn't narrow it down TOO much...

See you next post!

The Daring Dime

Okay, before you start expecting this to be a serious entry…it’s not. Don’t even bother. This is a very, very goofy, I-probably-haven’t-had-as-much-sleep-as-I-need type entry. But, hey, it actually has SOME barring to my topic manner! Really, it does! That’s why I’m not just putting it in my live journal.

See, I was reading Justine Larbalestier’s blog. (One of several author blogs I’ve recently been reading….all of which have been effective in making me determined to read their books….this is a sneaky, sneaky marketing move, let me tell you…) And one of her readers asked about book signing etiquette.

This post really doesn’t have much to do with her answer, but it’s worth reading anyway. That, and the Maureen Johnson blog post she links to. (I’m reading one of her books right now. Yes. Because of the blog. Sneaky, I tell you!)

But, anyway, it reminded me of a funny story.

See, last November, when this blog was merely a twinkling in my eye (that IS the right phrase, right?) I went to the Fantasy Fest. See, my county’s library system—the Douglas County Library system—has a Fantasy Fest every year in November that is a celebration of all things Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Last year, for example, they had (among other things) human chess, face painting, henna, and—the highlight of EVERY year—they have some fantasy authors come in to talk about their work and answer questions, as well as sign books. Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta were actually the authors last year. They signed my book. They took my check even though they normally don’t. I’m terrified they’re going to find this blog, see my not-quite-positive review of their book, and…remember who I am. ._. They used to live in Livermore, California and noticed my name, and then I [nervously] said something about how my Mom’s name being Rebecca, too, and how her maiden name was Haley, and that’s why my name is Haley, and…yeah, I certainly did everything I could to make sure they REMEMBERED my name, and now I desperately wish I HADN’T.

Anyway, where was I? Oh. Yes. Book signing.

Well, last year, I decided to go to the Fantasy Fest ahead of my friend and my brother—my brother was working that night, and I had missed the author Q&A the previous year, and I was desperate to make sure I didn’t miss it again. The year previously it wasn’t TOO bad that I had missed it, but that’s because I won the short story contest that year and nothing else really mattered in my mind at that point. (Yes. I’m tooting my own horn. It’s my blog, I can do that.)

They DID get there late, too. At one point I saw my friend Hannah outside of the door when someone had come into the room, and I was desperately trying to call her in without bringing attention to myself. (Impossible, I had decided to sit right at the front of the room. As I said, I somehow managed to make myself far, far too memorable to Mr. Anderson and Ms. Moesta.)

So, anyway, Jeremy (my brother) and Hannah were then left to their own devices while I was in the author Q&A. Most of you don’t know them…those of you that do know that it’s very, very bad to leave them alone together. They’re like-minded in many things. And neither of them have a possible future as a writer to maintain.

So, Hannah and Jeremy, unable to find me (even though I was RIGHT THERE), decided that I “must be dead.” Hannah thought it’d be funny if they went around the library asking if anyone had seen “our dead friend.”

Jeremy: I would give money to see that.

Hannah: Do you have any money?

Jeremy: *sadly* No…wait! *reaches into his pocket* One of the pairs of pants a tthe dry cleaner’s had a DIME in the pocket!

(At the dry cleaner’s he works at, they get to keep anything left in the pockets that’s worth less than $10. Including money. He always manages to have cash on hand, because people are always leaving cash in their pockets.)

So, Hannah asked the question, and Jeremy gave her the dime. They then decided that this dime was, in fact, the ‘Daring Dime’. Dare someone to do something, they do it, they get the dime.

As you can imagine, this just fostered their imaginations even more. (They also decided they were vampires, and ‘kidnapped’ me when I came out of the author Q&A—including dragging me into the stairwell.)

Then, they had a brilliant, brilliant idea. See, I had (nervously) joked to them that “They have tons of best sellers. Tons. I want to get a book signed by them to see if their skill and talent will rub off on me so I can become a Super Writer.”

That gave them an idea. They told me about the Daring Dime. And Hannah declared that she would do that dare—but she had the dime!

So, of course, I had to dare Jeremy to do something so he would get the dime. (They were trying to get me to do something, but I had gone there thinking in terms of being a WRITER, and I was NOT hurting my chances of getting into the industry. Oh no, I was going to do that by giving my name to a pair of popular authors and then giving their book a 7.5/10.) So, I dared him to hug a guy in a werewolf costume. (This, by the way, was worth my career. Maybe.)

So, now he had the dime. Hannah was now free to do their wonderful plan.

Hannah gets in line for the book signing...

Walks up to the authors…

And asks for a sample of their DNA so she can “fuse it with my own and become a Super Writer.”

Kevin J. Anderson: You mean like a strand of my hair?

Rebecca Moesta: Well…one more couldn’t hurt. [Mr. Anderson is, well, balding a little. That's what she was refering to.]

Kevin J. Anderson: Oh, well, that’s true. *takes out a strand of hair and gives it to Hannah*

The sad thing is, I think SHE LOST THAT STRAND OF HAIR. She could’ve started a collection.
Not that I would do that. Considering I might actually, you know, be doing this for my REAL job some day. But still, it’d be cool.

I should note that I don’t recommend this. I’d bet money (more than a dime) that if you asked Neil Gaiman that, he’d just call security on you. Or punch you. He doesn’t seem like the sort of guy that would do that, but those are the dangerous ones. Those British guys you don't EXPECT to be violent, but then suddenly are.

Wait, I just said something else that’s going to get me in trouble with the industry, didn’t I?

Nuts.

EDIT: Wow. I leave even MORE spelling mistakes and weird grammar stuff in my posts when it's in the morning. hopefully it should be a little better now.