Ketchup

Or catch up.

I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with recurrences of the same headache I had Thursday, making for a decidedly unpleasant weekend overall. I can’t be sure the damned thing won’t be back today, so I’m hauling ass through the podcast (voted Podcast With Worst Sound EVER by an independent study—I’m so sorry), and with luck I’ll get through it and get it posted today.

I forgot, as I forget after every project, that the week after I complete something, I am worthless for writing. So the fact that I made almost zero progress last week, on the heels of writing Night Echoes on hellish deadline, then turning around and doing the Create A Culture Clinic immediately afterward, should have come as no surprise. It does, though. Every single time. The words “week off” cannot find their way through the inescapable pounding of “Write! Write! Write!” that drums through my mind in military cadence. Only getting kicked in the head by a week of no progress reminds me that I need that week.

RECOMMENDATION: Go see Stranger Than Fiction. I’m astonished anyone had the nads to make the movie. It isn’t a sequel; a remake; a Hollywood Message; or an immediately classifiable genre flick. It is, rather, a story, and a damned good one, with characters you find yourself liking, some humor, some sadness, some very fine writing brought out by very fine acting, and a rich and poignant ending. The fact that it stars actors I can’t stand (Dustin Hoffman, Will Farrell, any Gyllenhaal) made it all the more amazing to me that it was so good. Farrell, freed from bondage to the execrable Molly Shannon, demonstrated both talent and heart. Hoffman played his usual scumbag, but didn’t turn his dialogue into an inaudible mess of mumbles, and the Gyllenhaal, while doing the “creepy, weird and grungy” act she and her brother have perfected, still managed to be likeable. I wouldn’t want to eat anything she cooked, though. Emma Thompson was wonderful. Emma Thompson is always wonderful. I went to see the movie because she was in it, and because she played a writer. Everything else was a delightful surprise.

Young people in developing nations are happier than those in developed nations. Big surprise. Unhappy young people in developed nations need to discover three things in order to be happy:

  • It’s not all about you. It’s not ANY about you.
  • You do not have the right to be happy. You only have the right to pursue happiness.
  • You will find happiness when you are working your ass of to help others find it. If you try to find happiness for yourself, you’ll stay miserable for the rest of your life.

And finally, according to Yet Another Goofy Survey, my tarot card is the High Priestess.

The High Priestess

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

image_pdfDownload as PDFimage_printPrint Page
Published
Categorized as Books

By Holly

Novelist, writing teacher, on a mission to reprint my out-of-print books and indie-publish my new ones.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
eitje
eitje
16 years ago

one thing i wonder about is the huge negative impact that air travel seems to have on the HPI. i fly a lot, which really hurts my score. :S

eitje
eitje
16 years ago

interesting about the kids – seems to also reflect up to the parents.
http://www.happyplanetindex.org/map.htm

😮
You are The High Priestess

There was a game for the Super Nintendo when I was growing up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogre_Battle:_March_of_the_Black_Queen) that asked a series of questions when you were creating your character. the way you answered dictated the character type you ended up with.

Jim
Jim
16 years ago

You are the Hanged Man
Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

arrvee
16 years ago

Oh, and the first item on your list is really the only one that matters. Once you realize that NOTHING is about you, the rest follows naturally.

Good writing!

arrvee
16 years ago

Hope the headache fades and stays gone for a long, long time.

I’m The Emperor. MWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!!

pugh7755
pugh7755
16 years ago

I’m glad your back, Holly. You were missed greatly. I hope your feeling much better today.

As for my tarot:

I am The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

Pretty accurate, a little off in some areas. I’ll have to do my own reading later and see how close they match.

Good to have you back, Holly.

The English Rose
The English Rose
16 years ago

Good to see you. I hope your headache stays gone and you can get some work done. Hm. My tarot card: “Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of intoxication with success.

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.”

Only I have the worst luck of anyone I know! *g*

8
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x