susankaye's Xanga

Austen Itch!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:51:21 GMT

Laura Hile and I have decided to try something interesting for the summer months.

Over at Austen Itch!, our Jane Austen networking site, we have decided to open up a space to get in touch with our inner Austen character. If you've ever want to be Lizzie, or Emma or Caroline Bingley, go on over and become her. (Or become a him, if the fancy strikes.)

The rules of the road are spelled out on the site. Take a chance and become a part of the ongoing Austen story.

Take care--Susan Kaye

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Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:27:33 GMT

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

The Associated Press is reporting ...

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:49:55 GMT

that in 2006, a young man was given a 2-point credit, out of a possible 27 points, for answering a question with "ef off." (I would cut and paste a quote, but the Associated Press is getting very prissy about bloggers using their copyrighted material without their express, written permission. And giving them money. I'll just tell you about the silly little boy and his potty mouth pen.)

Anyway, the examiner gave the credit, which would have been more if the guy had punctuated. The tester said that it would have been wicked not to give him any credit because writing the expletive showed some very basic skill, conveyed some meaning and was spelled correctly. He added that "ef off" was better than writing nothing at all.

We live in a time when artists use excrement as a material, photographers use it formed into words as the basis for their work, and now this young man is using verbal excrement as the universal answer to standardized testing. Are we surprised?

In a post at another website, I said I thought that the shock being expressed over this was misplaced. Had the likes of Jane Austen lived in our time of such freedom, I'm sure we'd not have been troubled with such wordy passages as, "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope." or "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Generations would have been spared so much verbiage had she just had that little "effin'" tool.

Take care--Susan Kaye

Friday, June 27, 2008

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:19:21 GMT

You Are a Spork

You have a playful, eccentric sense of humor.
You are creative. You see the world in bold colors. (I think the new banner more than proves that! -- SK)

You are a dabbler. You love to experiment.
You aren't an expert in anything, but you know a little about everything. (Jane of all trades, mistress of none. -- SK)

What Utensil Are You?

I just can't keep my hands off...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:55:12 GMT

things! Looking at the last blog outfit, I decided it's really not me. I'm more of a tan and red for summer sort of gal. But do you like the banner? Colorful, and a bit on the odd side with an homage to summer in the sun glasses and the garden hose.

It's not often one gets to use "sun glasses" and "garden hose" in the same sentence.

The Weather Guessers™ are predicting HOT HOT HOT temperatures for us for the next four days. I have my window covers up, (small fleece blankets I got on clearance for $2), and it is nice and dark in here. We'll come out from under at about 7pm and get fresh air in the house.

Off to edit. Should be done Monday with the first ten chapters!

Take care--Sue

How did they find me?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:00:44 GMT

And do I want them to come back?

When I go into the darker recesses of my website, I sometimes poke around in the stats. This part of the site tells me things like how many people have visited the site, how long they stayed, what country they're in, and, if they used a search engine to get there, it tells me what the referring word/s or phrase.

I found one today that is ... interesting: is it wrong to seduce my sister-in-law's cousin?

I thought a lot about this and came to the conclusion, YES, it is wrong. Now, if they had used "ask out" instead of "seduce," I might have a different answer. The word seduce has such a selfish connotation and makes me think you may not really respect your sister-in-law, or her cousin. This has "How to Ruin Everyone's Thanksgiving, next on Dr. Phil" written all over it.

Since the person who used Google as a Magic Answer Ball will never see this, the point is moot. But, I'm glad they stopped by, even for just a few seconds--enough time to see that mine is not a site that gives seduction advice--and I hope they return if they want to read some good fiction.

Speaking of seduction, a long time ago I wrote a short story based on Wentworth being a cad. (Yes, the Captain as a cad!) It's called, "Shadows in a Brilliant Life." As with most rakish stories, it's a bit intense and has adult themes. Since I don't have much in the way of new work to offer, if you've not read it before, have a look.

Take care--Susan Kaye

Mercy's Hard Bargain

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:16:56 GMT

Chapter 2 of Laura Louise Hile's "Mercy's Hard Bargain" is up! It is great! Go over, read, enjoy. And then don't forget to tip your authoress by leaving a comment on the Jane Started It! message board.

Take care--Susan Kaye

Excuse My Mess

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:36:10 GMT

Imagine getting aphone call just as you're changing your clothes after work. You've just gotten into a nice bright tee but have to wait to change from your grey slacks.

That's how it is here at I Had to Laugh right now.

I'll be finishing up in a little bit.

Take care--Susan Kaye

Monday, June 23, 2008

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:52:15 GMT

Are we having fun yet?

Frederick: "A little beauty, and a few smiles,
and a few compliments to the navy, and I am a lost man."
Anne: "It was a merry, joyous party, and no one
seemed in higher spirits than Captain Wentworth." Right. The chemistry between these long-parted lovers boggles the mind. Hat tip: Laura Louise Hile ~~<~~@@~~>~~

I am not much on the latest Persuasion adaptation with Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins. I didn't feel any chemistry between the actors. Not that the story lends itself to much interaction between the separated lovers, Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot. (Wentworth appears in only a few pages of the story even when he's in the same neighbourhood as Anne.) I liked, and even watch occasionally, the 1995 version with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. I wonder if it has to do with Root and Hinds had appeared in an earlier film together, (The Man Who Cried, an adaptation of, IMO, a mediocre Catherine Cookson novel.), and on stage in several plays.

Does chemistry between the actors really matter? Or does knowledge of the characters and the story implant enough emotion that the viewer can supply all the necessary elements for enjoyment?

Take care--Susan Kaye

Monday, Monday ...

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:52:19 GMT

George Carlin died yesterday. He was famous for "The 7 Words You Can't Say On TV." Two of those words are now regular fare on prime time and the other five have long comprised a good portion of the dialogue of movies with anything more than a G rating. I wonder if he was happy with that legacy.

Carlin's more observational humor wasn't bad. He was a very smart man, but I think like many writers, singers, comedians and actors loved his image of one alienated by their wit and wisdom. (Being creative does set you apart, but most artists are just plain hard to get along with and that's why people sometimes avoid us.)

Personally, I think Bob Newhart is a far better comedian. When I was a kid, I listened to and memorized his album, "The Buttoned-down Mind of Bob Newhart." I think there is one vain utterance on the whole album and it is still a hysterical piece of work. (The Driving Instructor is classic.) Phyllis Diller is very the same way. Observational humor about her life as a woman, wife--she called her husband Fang--and being a mother. These and other comedians of the time were amazingly funny. Many of the albums were recorded in comedy clubs of the time and so could have been pretty blue--Lenny Bruce has made his way onto the scene by that time. But they weren't blue, but were funny. I know people want to say people in other times were no different than we are today and that they behaved the same way. Don't believe it. These people knew their audiences and they had to rely on genuine talent and humor that the audience could identify with. Like good writing that depends on creating characters with traits and foibles that touch us, comedy has the power to touch us deeply, or to leave us cold and indifferent.

Anyway, George Carlin has passed on. I hope he had made whatever peace he could.

Take care--Susan Kaye