Server problems. Don't you just HATE them?
posted by SPowers at 8:34 PM | Remember It!

Well... apparently I'm not alone in my dismay at this Barry Lou guy's attitude! Thanks, Tina, for pointing out one other thing - this guy's supposed alcoholism and the fact that we DO only have his word for anything. Although, judging by the pictures of his meeting with his fan club - oops, sorry - that should have read "Friends of Trixie" I do get the distinct impression he's more the poser in person than he appears on screen.

[And thanks, Deb, for your support as well. I didn't want to speak out at first, as I was afraid you'd get caught in any backlash, so if any DOES come your way, you let me know, hear? I'll come out with both fists flying and my guns blazing!!]

You know that one scene in one of the earlier stories where Barry Lou gets intro'd and Dan hangs out in the school halls, dressed in his gang uniform (including the ridiculous peaked cap) and shoves poor misunderstood Barry up against the lockers? Am I the only one who got a distince whiff of homoeroticism?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I wonder if, when all is said and done, if the REAL reason ol' Barry Lou slit his wrists (or however he tried to do himself in) is because he had sex with an underage Trixie when he really wanted to spend more quality time with the Leathered One?

Just a thought and honestly - that's all I really want to say about that.

Otherwise, I'm feeling tired, achy but damned proud & happy for myself! I managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my dad, his wife, oldest brother and his wife (as well as Sweet Husband) - we had roasted Cornish Hens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied yams, handmade rolls, homemade applesauce; I made up a tray of celery (with cream cheese or peanut butter or plain), carrots & dip, pickles, mixed nuts, cheese & crackers; my dad brought the wine; pumpkin pie & Cool Whip. This was all served on Sweet Husband's grandmother's china, with my Mom's silver service. We put the leaves in the dining room table (handed down from same grandmother & worth a very pretty penny) and crowded around it. I had to bring the computer chairs downstairs to fit all of us, making it cozy and wonderful! Afterward, we sat around the living room, surfed for a good movie (alternating between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, Episode 4, 1997 version - during which we made fun of Mark Hamill's annoying whine and my brother improvised a soulful song solo "Luke's Lament" until 8 when the Faith Hill special came on. Katie (my brother's wife) adores Faith, so we indulged her. They went home afterward and Sweet Husband & I watched Will & Grace before taking 2 hours to clean up the dishes.

But it was worth it. I have a clean house, clean dishes and enough leftovers to not have to cook for 2 days. I happy.
:-)
posted by SPowers at 4:09 PM | Remember It!

Okay.. here goes (at least until I have to leave to pick up Sweet Husband from work).

It's about fanfic authors and their Mary Sue's! Or, in this case, a Barry Lou? What is the male equivalent? I'm not sure. But it's not just the Barry Lou that irritates me. Mainly, it's the way a Certain Fanfic Author with a Notably Barry Lou-ish Barry Lou is treating the people in his fanfic community.

See, this guy goes out of his way to proclaim himself a rebel. An iconoclast. A dangerous individual the rest of us would cross the street to avoid. Someone who's led an extremely rough and dangerous life. A person who knows more about the world and how it truly operates than any one else could ever guess. This is what he would have us believe.

But is he? Not hardly!!

This guy is not only underemployed, undercultured and undereducated, he's undertalented as well. His stories are full of logic errors, realism defaults and bad plot construction. Too much deus ex machina will ruin even the best of intentions, and this guy can't figure out any other way for his characters to solve their own problems! No, it's always some mythical, omniscient Federal Agent who swings in for the big rescue by managing to overhear by pure chance a random conversation and immediately figure out exactly what was what - a conversation that NO ONE actually having the conversation knew there was a chance of being recorded, btw.

Other examples include the female hunter who manages to walk up on a deer inside of an hour and shoot it - the same deer who ended up running past a smuggling operation in full swing just before expiring; the conveniently placed house with the improvisational genius who manages to concoct an elaborate haunting all for the sake of frightening people that could just as easily have been taken hostage and killed; the list does go on, but I'm afraid I lost my taste for sifting drek in search of a few good lines after the way he cowardly, spitefully and unnecessarily cruelly disrespected a fellow fanfic writer.

See, this other writer wrote a truly powerful - but truly adult - story. This guy read it and vomited his disgust with the story on a message board. The story was well marked as ADULT and NOT FOR EVERYONE, but this guy decided he needed to vent his spleen in the most public manner possible, to not only dis the writer but any and all who praised the story - the people who were able to discern the story's true power. He then promptly removed himself from all relevant message boards. Alas, he came back.

He came back and, in partnership with another website, has continued to post his stories. That's all well and good. He has every right to do so if he pleases. What's NOT okay is the way he's been handling the situation. His stories on the other website start out with a disclaimer that he DOES NOT WANT to post his own adult-oriented story on a particular site that has been explicitly created for such a purpose. Instead, he makes a big deal about the presumably 'edgy' and 'provocative' material.

What's so edgy and provocative? Two characters have sex and the guy attempts suicide, ending up in a mental hospital. Do I need to say this guy was the Barry Lou?

This is not edgy and it is not provocative and it is not new territory. Look at the story he dissed. At least THAT story had logic, character development, a sordid O. Henry twist. THAT story was written by a talented writer. He is a hack.

Okay... Sweet Husband has called and summoned me to go pick him up and I need to gas up the car. *sigh*
posted by SPowers at 5:24 PM | Remember It!

I'm about to get myself in trouble. Too bad for me. There's something wonderful about the relative anonymity of writing a blog no one actually reads save for quite possibly one or maybe three other persons. I get to say whatever I want and screw the consequences!!

However, I have to go to work now. Stay tuned to this station for an update later on today...
posted by SPowers at 8:35 AM | Remember It!

Ahhh.... Tuesday.... 2nd day of a short work week! This makes me happy.

Yesterday I finally finished my scan job and sent that off. Finally got the scanner off my desk, too. (It's now on the floor by my feet. I hate having to be careful not to kick it!) I feel like I can relax. Of course, I can't. Not really. I still have Christmas cards to get out. Not my own - my boss's. Ick. At least I was able to print the labels out already. Now I just have to make sure I printed out only the correct ones and that I make sure all the right people sign only the right cards. This requires planning and organization. You'd think I'd be able to do that. Me, who is planning to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for six people all by myself. Well, we'll see.

I'm so tired... getting up early. Going to bed too late. I don't regret last night, though. I spoke to Soul Mate for an hour. Figured out some Christmas plans, got some insight on future Trixie fanfic. Since the house is clean and Sweet Husband Chris works on Friday (damn Canadians!) I'll have all day Friday to do nothing but slurp up leftovers and type to my heart's content. I can WRITE!! Yippeeeee!!!

I need to fix my 60s story about Diana, the first chapter of Life is Sweet, send the 2nd chapter around to people, write the third, figure out if I'm going to do a Christmas story this year or just 're-issue' A Sleepyside Christmas Carol, you know - like the networks are always reissuing holiday specials and stuff. Oh - and I want to see The Grinch, Family Man and Quills, but the chances of getting Sweet Husband interested in a biopic of the Marquis de Sade is iffy. Possible, but iffy. I'll have better luck with Jim Carrey & Nic Cage. Which is just fine by me!!

It's time for me to start working now, so I'd better wrap this up.

Shy Friend - hope things are still going well for you. Soul Mate - have a great Thanksgiving with the family. Moms - I'll be talking to you at some point in the next coupla days, so hang in there, okay? There's so much going on right now, it's almost impossible to give any one thing the attention it warrants, so don't be afraid to ask for some help.

Toodle-ooo, caribou!
posted by SPowers at 8:42 AM | Remember It!