Grazing, Cooking and a Guest Blogger!

Okay, the cooking maven is surprised that Thanksgiving is a week away. The cooking maven's husband was surprised, but that isn't anything new. He doesn't pay attention to this sort of thing until he's told not to come into work the day before. I should have noticed all the countdown specials on the cooking channels. In my defense, everyone I know thinks it feels too early to be this close to Thanksgiving. The first of the month fell on a Thursday. Thus, it is on the 4^th Thursday. It's just that that Thursday is earlier in the month. I haven't been caught entirely flat footed. The arrival of reasonably priced pecans at Costco last month prompted me to ask who wanted pies and what kinds. That launched the compilation of The Shopping List a couple of weeks ago. Just a Samurai sword that has been drawn must draw blood, The Shopping List must be filled once written. I've been picking up items since I compiled the list. I just realized that I have to accelerate the pace now. And I really need to figure out when to pick up the turkey. It needs time to thaw.

Local Grazing

This years shopping has a new and exciting dimension. I've been shopping at the Culver City Farmers Market for many months now. I'm very happy with the wonderful things they have that will make my holiday spread terrific. They have the most delicate baby collard greens. These things look tender. They cook up beautifully. I sent my Dad an image of them, and he approved. He was also very surprised. I told him that collards had become hip at some point. That is annoying, because it's pushed up their price in most places. However, it also means that farmers are growing baby collards. That is awesome. I also was ecstatic to discover that one of my favorite bakery booths carries squaw bread (a slightly sweet dark wheat bread). Turkey sandwiches with squaw bread are divine. I can even call ahead of the Farmers Market to have it sliced. The other exciting discovery that isn't for Thanksgiving, but for any other meal is a grassed fed beef booth. I've been wanted to buy local, grass fed beef since seeing Food Inc. Most avenues for ordering such products were impractical and hideously expensive as they came only in sides of beef. I ordered some really great ground beef yesterday. Jon and I just inhaled the hamburgers. I also ordered soup bones. I'm most excited about this development as I plan to grind my own meat soon. It's great to have some really great meat to start with. Now, I need a similar pork and poultry stand! But I digress. The list gathering is well under way. On Tuesday, I make the pie dough. Then, the epic cooking begins! Que evil laugh here!

Lend an Ear

We recorded a podcast interview of the stars of our webseries, Demonspawn, last week. The interview was for Nosferatu TV's web site. That's a Gothic Horror site for reviews and interviews. It's not up yet, but the outtakes are. So, if you want to hear Jon and me doing way too much laughing, go to this link http://demonspawntales.blogspot.com/2012/11/podcast-outtakes_12.html and follow along. The interview itself is really amazing. It is so amazing and thought provoking for us as filmmakers, I've had to write a detailed blog about it. I will post that when the interview goes live. I will also post a link to the interview itself.

Guest Blogger! (A First of Many)

The following is a guest blog in response to may post last week on National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Made in DNA is a marevlously talented writer. Though he describes himself below as a sexploitation writer, he is far more than that. Reading his work and the work he promotes and edits in Full-Metal Orgasm reminds me of the best kind of film noir. It is always worth a look for pure entertainment value, but it often transcends its genre to make blunt and often funny and sometimes poignant commentary on the times we live in and the people we are becoming.

Made in DNA is the author of sexploitation fiction and the editor/publisher of FULL-METAL ORGASM eZine. http://amzn.to/madeindna

It's Nanowrimo month. I could puke. Everyone and their mother is posting word counts to their would-be could-be novels. Literally. There is nothing more I hate on the Internet, with the exception of cat pics. I don't even want to contemplate the idea of cat writing month.

Nanowrimo is pointless. Oh yes, I've heard argument that it inspires, getting would-be novelists started on the right path. But I couldn't disagree more. Folks who have the talent to take the novel inside them
and translate that to medium, don't bother with Nanowrimo. (Yes, there are exceptions, but that's pure marketing. Don't be fooled.)

Authors work. All year. Sometimes for many years. Writing, editing, re-writing, blah, blah, blah. They don't post their word counts because they don't have the energy or the time.

Word count is public masturbation. Since it's not considered polite (or legal) to flash one's junk on the street, I really would prefer people not flash their word counts at me every five minutes.

Am I saying "real" writers don't count words? No. I'm just saying that writers write unconcerned with word count or Nanowrimo.

Now, excuse me... I've got writing to do.