October 14, 2005
take me seriously!
My latest endeavor is a blog about things a bit different than that I would normally post here. I realized that while this blog is fun and a great place for me to interact, rant, share and connect on a casual level with friends and interested people, it's not the best forum for my professional ideas. As a marketer, my #1 product is really myself and as a result, I needed a place to be able to better showcase my talents and my thought leadership.
Sooo that said, help me spread the word about Creator of Circumstance!!
Posted by crystallyn at 09:12 PM | TrackBack
September 07, 2005
manifesto time!
If you have the chance, check out my recently published manifesto on ChangeThis!
Posted by crystallyn at 09:15 PM | TrackBack
July 19, 2005
PLUM RUBY REVIEW
the next issue is up! Whew! The accident really threw us off, but finally we're back on track. Go check it out. I really love the art this issue and we have some great poetry, fiction and nonfiction that I'm extra excited about.
Posted by crystallyn at 05:57 PM
March 29, 2005
geek obsessions
So maybe I'm slow to the podcast bandwagon, but now I have a definite reason to pay attention. Besides poetry readings by Mark Strand, Forrest Gander, Robert Creeley, Mark Doty and more, now I can fuel my other obsession...
Battlestar Galactica.
I am so hooked on this show and now I can check out really cool podcasts about the episodes, characters, writers, motivations, etc. Executive producer Ronald D. Moore gives great commentary...really gives a whole new dimension to it all.
I am SO sad that the season finale is this Friday. I don't WANT to wait until next season for my fix! Seriously, absolutely great sci-fi. I'll warn you though...it's tough to figure out what is going on if you miss an episode. I missed the mini-series
and it took me awhile to figure some of it all out. Season 1 should be out on DVD soon though, I bet. Worth buying and catching up!
Posted by crystallyn at 08:38 PM | Comments (4)
December 05, 2004
these statistics made me sad
in doing research for my book on creativity exercises for writers in progress, I discovered the following sad stats, courtesy of Para Publishing:
One-third of high school students never read another book for the rest of their lives. Many do not even graduate from high school.
58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.
42% of college graduates never read another book.
80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57% of new books are not read to completion.
Most readers do not get past page 18 in a book they have purchased.
70% of Americans haven't visited a bookstore in five (5) years.
Posted by crystallyn at 03:46 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 20, 2004
breaking through writer's block!
While doing some research on writer's block for my book, I came across a brilliant McSweeney's article by John Warner titled, perfectly, Breaking Through Writer's Block.
And oddly, this little tidbit, while rather tongue-in-cheek, is along the lines of what I'm looking to suggest for writers:
"Suggestion two: Turn your computer keyboard upside down.This is a modern variation of a classic, but little known method. With the publication of Ulysses, James Joyce believed he'd written the definitive statement on the English novel. Unfortunately, he now had to top himself. After years of frustration, in a fit, Joyce switched the positions of all of the keys on his trusty Smith Corona and began transcribing the recipes in the original Betty Crocker cookbook. The resulting nonsense was Finnegan's Wake, a book often purchased, but seldom read, a smart author's home run.
Don't be afraid to experiment with techniques of your own. Desperation is the mother of invention, and if you think you have a future as a writer, you're nothing if not desperate."
And that's what really caught my attention...don't be afraid to experiment with techniques of your own.
And yes, I am rather desperate.
Posted by crystallyn at 01:55 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 13, 2004
super awesome wicked cool award won!
but I wrote about it over on my poetry pages...
Posted by crystallyn at 05:57 PM | TrackBack
November 07, 2004
the classics--Harvard style
I was so pleased to see that Bartleby, one of my absolute favorite sites, has added over 70 volumes of the Harvard Classics to their online collection.
The collection, as described on the site is:
The most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time comprises both the 50-volume “5-foot shelf of books” and the the 20-volume Shelf of Fiction. Together they cover every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject through the twentieth century.
My parents had many of the volumes--not the entire collection though, I don't think, but they did have quite a few which were a pure and utter delight to me as I was growing up. The green books were gilded with gold and full of wondrous poetry, philosophy and history. It was through these books that I first discovered Milton, Francis Bacon, Plutarch, Virgil and Dante. I came across Shelley for the first time, in one of the volumes of English Poetry. I memorized Music, When Soft Voices Die and clung to the sentiment of love as only a giddy schoolgirl could.
Posted by crystallyn at 03:24 PM | TrackBack
October 09, 2004
little jewels
I forgot to mention that the October/November issue of
is up! Some really great art this issue, as well as all the other lively bits of poetry, interesting memoirs and wonderful fiction.
Also, I want to show off the really beautiful necklace that I picked up while in P-Town.
The necklace is a Swarovski crystal pendant and what you can't see here is that it isn't a black cord, but rather little individual, thin black acrylic paillettes. It's really beautiful. Elegant but simple.
I didn't get the earrings...we were starting to spend too much! But the artist is a German woman, Carola Hiersemann, who is quite well known in Europe but not as well known here in America. I think though, that more and more boutique shops are starting to carry her line. I was just thrilled to discover that you could buy her jewelry via the Internet. Really, go check her stuff out...the necklaces are incredible. The designs are bold, beautiful and made out of really interesting materials: "hand-winded glass, shell, alabaster-glass pearls, eloxated aluminum, precious wood, coral, gold, silver…and unique acrylic "paillettes" with mirrored surfaces." And the best part is that while it's fine, boutique jewelry, it's not a zillion dollars...it's actually quite moderately priced. The site doesn't really do justice to the beauty of the pieces...especially the Swarovski crystal. I think that this is the kind of jewelry I could really get into collecting--starting with the earrings to go with my necklace!
Posted by crystallyn at 07:55 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 15, 2004
RIP Czeslaw Milosz, Julia Child
On Saturday, one of the world's greatest contemporary poets, Czeslaw Milosz, passed away.
THE THISTLE, THE NETTLE
Let the sad terrestrials remember me,
recognize me and salute: the thistle and the tall nettle,
and the childhood enemy, belladonna.
-O. V. DE L. MILOSZ, "Les Terrains Vagues"
The thistle, the nettle, the burdock, and belladonna
Have a future. Theirs are wastelands
And rusty railroad tracks, the sky, silence.
Who shall I be for men many generations later?
When, after the clamor of tongues, the award goes to silence?
I was to be redeemed by the gift of arranging words
But must be prepared for an earth without grammar,
For the thistle, the nettle, the burdock, and the belladonna,
And a small wind above them, a sleepy cloud, silence.
--Czeslaw Milosz, trans. Hass & Milosz.
His poetry is wonderfully accessible, and his words have directly touched and influenced my life. I am greatly saddened by the loss of this great poet.
And Julia Child, the most celebrated chef of our times...possibly ever, passed away on Friday. She lived for much of her life in Cambridge, and when she moved from there, her kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian. Few know that she was a spy in World War II.
Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse
Serves 8
8 oz. Sweet or semi sweet baking chocolate -- melted with:
1/4 c. Strong coffee
6 tbsp Unsalted butter
3 Egg yolks
1 c. Heavy cream (make sure it's the heavy variety)
3 Egg whites
1/4 c. Instant (finely ground) sugar
-----OPTIONAL----
Whipped cream
Beat the soft butter into the smoothly melted chocolate. One by one, beat in
the egg yolks. Beat the cream over ice until it leaves light traces on the
surface. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. While beating,
sprinkle in the sugar by spoonfuls and continue beating until stiff shining peaks are formed. Scrape the chocolate mixture down the side of the egg-white bowl, and delicately fold in the whipped cream. Turn the mousse into attractive serving bowls. Cover and chill several hours.
You may wish to decorate the mousse with swirls of whipped cream, or to pass
whipped cream separately.
Julia Child - The way to cook. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright 1989 by Julia Child. Isbn 0-394-53264-3.
Rest in Peace, Czeslaw and Julia. Our world is much brighter because of you.
Posted by crystallyn at 11:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 19, 2004
Summer Stars
Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars,
So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming.
Posted by crystallyn at 05:59 PM | TrackBack
June 01, 2004
little bits of stuff
All sorts of things to chat about...
1. The June Plum Ruby Review is up!
2. If you are ever in the vicinity of North Adams, MA, you need to check out MASS MoCA. We saw many wonderful exhibits, including Matthew Ritchie's Proposition Player.
3. Hiking Bash-Bish Falls is a wonderful thing to do on a sunny Saturday!
4. Through LJC, I found some Ugly Dolls, and lo! At MASS MoCA this weekend, we found the Ugly Icebat! Perfect for our little nephew's 4th bday. ;) I want one too!
Posted by crystallyn at 06:27 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
April 13, 2004
national poetry month
is upon us. This is, oddly enough, readily apparent as one drives along the Charles river. No, I don't mean the river is poetic, although it is. I'm not talking about the view, although it is too. Or even the ecclectic mix of people that walk, run, bike, blade, skip and meander along its banks--certainly lots of poetry there.
No, I mean literally--there is poetry on the banks of the Charles. Sticks of it poking out of the ground all along the paths. At least that's what it looks like from the road as I drive to and from work. I haven't been able to stop and check it out as I would like.
It looks like someone has put little signs all along the bike path, with poems on each sign. What a great idea! I have tried to do a little search to see if I could find out who is behind it, but alas, nothing. The signs themselves might say, but as already noted, I haven't been able to stop and see.
I went to a poetry reading by Jorie Graham this weekend. Had the chance to meet a woman in the online poetry group I am part of, Zeugma. The reading was interesting. It was in the upstairs of the Harvard Advocate building, which was a cute little house, quite old, and also packed to the gills with kids ten years younger than me. We ended up sitting on the cramped floor, with no room to move about at all, which left me with one foot in a near coma by the end of the reading.
I think it's fascinating to hear poets read their own works. Their reading is always different than how I would have read it, and often the meanings completely change. As my friend pointed out though, poets often don't know HOW to read their poetry aloud. I believe that is true. I've heard recordings of some very famous poets who essentially near wreck their poems by uttering them to captive audiences. Jorie read her poems in a tremendous rush, as though they were rivers bursting their banks, or as though she were desperate to read them and leave. She read all her poems like that, which I found both curious and sometimes distracting. I found my mind wandering when I should have had rapt attention. I wasn't surprised when, as soon as she finished reading, she slung her pack over her back and made for the door. I was disappointed...I'm used to going to readings and have books signed. John Updike, Maxine Kumin and Tess Gallagher weren't too busy. I mean, the fans are the ones essentially who are anteing up her paycheck...and nowhere is that more true than with a poet.
I think Katey was the one that mentioned something about buying poetry books equates to good poetry karma for the poetic self...or maybe that was Stephanie...it was certainly one of them. As my two Jorie Graham volumes sat, unsigned in the bottom of my bag, I realized that in this case, it wasn't the case.
Perhaps my poetic karma will manifest elsewhere...
Posted by crystallyn at 06:29 AM | TrackBack
April 01, 2004
It's April 1!
but it's no April Fools that the next issue of Plum Ruby Review is online!!
Posted by crystallyn at 06:09 AM | TrackBack
February 01, 2004
the new issue
of Plum Ruby Review is up and running!
Posted by crystallyn at 09:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 21, 2004
food for thought
“A musician must make music, and artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.”
-Abraham Harold Maslow
Posted by crystallyn at 06:16 AM | TrackBack
January 19, 2004
divinity
Check out my latest published poem in Astropoetica!
Posted by crystallyn at 06:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 18, 2004
feeling that energetic push
the wild rush that seems to seep into me here and there when writing is imperative, when self-exploration is inevitable and when I'm engrossed in creating--something, anything. This time it's Issue Two of Plum Ruby Review. Editing and producing a magazine is a lot of hardwork, let me tell you.
I've been reading a lot, which is tough in between everything I have going on, but my current list includes:
(which has an interesting counter Web site...how NOT to think like Leonardo Da Vinci)
I'm keenly interested in writers who are in the midst of developing full-length novels. I'm going to be testing my creativity exercises out this semester and will need a couple of guinea pigs who are willing to try out some of the tools that I have. If you know of anyone who is looking for some extra oomph in their writing, let me know.
We spent the evening at Joe's brother's. His sister-in-law pointed us toward Awful Plastic Surgery, which allows you to get your fix of surgeries gone wrong (oh my old meanie boss should be heading in for her FOURTH nose job this month...I'd kill to see her with the clay holding up her nose after they remove the cartiledge.) Vanity. I swear. The Meg Ryan pictures made me the saddest...I really loved her and never thought she would have stooped to altering her face like she did.
And today, Joe was saying he hoped there would be another Beulah album out soon...so I went to check out the site and it looks like it SHOULD be cool but nothing links through. At least he'll be pleased to discover that Weezer AND The Get Up Kids are getting ready to release a new album...and they'll be rolling into town on March 12!
Even better, Bob Mould is Web-enabled now!
Posted by crystallyn at 06:16 PM | TrackBack
January 02, 2004
this is
one of my favorite online magazines....
and from it, a beautiful poem...About the Other Animals. You have to SEE it to appreciate it.
Posted by crystallyn at 08:09 PM | TrackBack
December 01, 2003
Launched!
Posted by crystallyn at 10:57 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 30, 2003
FINALLY
I can proudly display the new NaNoWriMo logo....
Whew. It all came down to a massive crunch--I literally had no time, and for the last five days, no computer, so I wrote by long hand and had to transcribe all day today. My hand hurts...partially from going bowling the other night with Joe's parents then holding a pen for hours on end last night, then typing like a demon today.
And now...onward...to the finishing touches on Plum Ruby Review, my 20 page paper and to figuring out how I'm going to manage doing everything on my to-do-list AND get sleep. :)
Posted by crystallyn at 05:07 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
November 17, 2003
Food for Thought
"You’ve got to think about ‘big things’ while you’re doing small things so that all the small things go in the right direction." — Alvin Toffler
Doing lots of small things these days. It's odd how although I'm unemployed, I'm busy as all hell. That's a good thing, IMHO.
Posted by crystallyn at 09:10 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 04, 2003
make that
15646.
At this rate, my handy dandy calculator thingy that someone devised for nanowrimo says I'll be done by November 11 with getting to my 50k word count. I think that will put me roughly about 1/3 of the way through my book. MAYBE 1/2.
Posted by crystallyn at 11:11 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 03, 2003
writing, procrastinating, creating
is the name of my game. I'm in the thick of it now, 13,558 words. 26 pages. Not too bad! Tonight I found myself struggling a bit though, staring at the page and feeling slow and empty. I think that I'm too tired to really write effectively--I started after class and I was already pretty drained by that point. I wasn't able to write during the day today as I was in a flurry trying to figure out the work for my class--the research engagement class for my syn(thesis) project that I'll be doing next fall.
For the first time in my entire life, everything I'm doing is centered around the very thing I love most--writing and creating. My research is in developing a particular type of writing exercises, so it means as I write my novel, I can be my own guinea pig. My writing is the center of my creation, and the other aspects of what I love most about writing, creating and marketing are culminating in the Plum Ruby Review. I'm creating, writing, researching, designing and editing, all at the same time. I feel so excited about the vision of my future.
Tonight, one of my colleagues gave a presentation about his project, which is essentially his work in designing a professional career as an editorial cartoonist (the guy is amazing...once he starts publishing I'll point you in his direction!). He's a great guy, kind, honest, creative. He was nervous as he talked, but he needn't have been. His talent will take him places he still can barely dream about. Finally, in doing this project, he took drastic steps to lead him toward a new career path. He left his work as a carpenter and took a part-time job selling coffee so that he could spend more creative energy on the pursuit of a career that he knows will be hard-work but in the end, extraordinarily fulfilling. He's following his dream. He's taking risks, researching the things he needs to make the dream come true and he's just plain going after it.
How inspiring is that?!
For the first time ever, I am believing that I will support myself through my writing, through my projects and through my true talents. It won't be immediately, but it will happen. I will publish. I will make money. I will be happy. I may never be rich, but between Joe and I, I think that we have a lot of silver lined clouds to explore in our future.
I am going to have to work at it. I have to live it. I have to breathe it. I've always been too scared. Always too worried about what other people think. Always worried that I would either fail, or, oddly enough be too successful. Scared of the massive responsibility of relying upon myself rather than an employer. Scared of not making enough money. The list goes on.
I've wasted a lot of time to get to this point, to discover this resolve. I have a long list of things I need to do before I'm 40 and I'm getting started!
Posted by crystallyn at 11:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 27, 2003
i feel slightly sorry for those of you
who didn't manage to get ahold of any of LoobyLu's wonderfully designed holiday cards. She's sold out! I managed to get a couple packets, so I'm all ready for the sending! I feel so cool. I got my holiday cards before Halloween. Ha!
We're also going to be WAY on the ball for our Christmas party (sometimes with Paulette's Hannukah flair thrown in, although no more potato pancakes after the lingering grease smell of two years ago. :) We're planning on getting our invites out during the first week of November. Imagine that!!! No last minute planning on our part. Except that now, the sucky part is that Joe isn't a wine god and able to get cheap drinks. I have a feeling we'll get past that, however. :)
But back to LoobyLu, I am sad that I never managed to snag any of the cool t-shirts that she designed from last year's NaNoWriMo. This year's shirt is pretty cool, and I'll probably get one, but dang...I wish that last year's was this year's!
Speaking of, I'm getting SO geared up for NaNoWriMo. I've been going crazy with getting my outline together. I have my pantheon, which is the core of the book in many ways. That was one of the main components. I realize that I was so stalled on writing the book for so long because I didn't have that backstory figured out. I have so many wonderful ideas...I feel so excited and confident about writing a longer piece, finally. I fall to sleep at night thinking of where my characters are taking me. It's so exciting to have the revelations of where the story might twist and turn. I've been holding off on writing it until the official start for NaNoWriMo, and I think that's good...the backstory is going to be rich and complex and I will have all my stepping stones in place. Terry Brooks is a huge proponent of outline--one of the few sci-fi/fantasy writers that seems to take this direction. I finally realize that the reason I was so stuck for so long is because I tried to just sit down and write whatever happened...but that doesn't really work for me. But the outline--WOW! That has opened up huge possibilities for me. I even have the beginnings of the sequel nearly planned and I haven't even begun the writing of the first one! Very exciting. I feel like there is a future for me in my writing. I've never felt that, or BELIEVED that before. It's an amazing, incredible feeling.
Posted by crystallyn at 12:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 06, 2003
totally motivated
with my writing these days!! I think it's a combination of several things.
The main motivators are my classes--both of them center specifically around an aspect of my writing. The first class is one in which I'm supposed to develop a creative project and thus Plum Ruby Review is moving forward.
The second class is one that offers up a lot of possibilities...I'm looking at ways in which problem-based learning (which is typically group based) can be utilized for the individual writer. What this means is that I'm delving into a myriad of tools that can not only help creativity, but it can help writers develop new ways of plotting stories, ways of organizing large amounts of material (world-building, non-fiction, historical fiction, complex plots) and pushing through writer's block. This project has a lot of possibilities--it will probably develop into my syn(thesis) project, which may take shape in the form of a book for writers, or potentially workshops and resources for writers to use. The best part about it, is that I get to be the guinea pig...while I'm doing my own personal writing.
The other motivating factor is that on November 1st, I'm going to be joining Ancarett, Sean, Gary, and Brad (who I don't know, but my friend Chris does, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine!) for NaNoWriMo. To prepare, I've been working hard, creating an extensive outline, a pantheon of gods, and character profiles. I'm developing a fantasy novel and the backstory is really important...building the world is a lot of work! I have a notebook full of information, pages of story information, and haven't written word one of the story yet. But on November 1, I'll be starting!!
It's a lot of work, but the wonderful part about all these projects is that they feed into each other. The PBL project will give me tools to move my writing along and organize materials. The editing of PRR will keep me engaged with many different types of literature and hone my editing and reviewing skills.
And well, it doesn't hurt that I'm unemployed and can spend half of every day writing!
Posted by crystallyn at 10:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 04, 2003
for the last four years
I have looked at the National Novel Writing Month with interest. I love the idea...being able to write 50,000 words in one month. I've never signed up though--me, the world's greatest procrastinator, sign up to write a whole book in a month?! When I can't even manage to get past 3-4 chapters on any full-length project?
I've always stuck to poetry. Why? Because it's short. I can finish it. It doesn't get started and stopped--well, not that often. I can see the beginning and the end. I can revise quickly. It's nothing like a novel.
And so, I've done it--Like others, I've signed up with NaNoWriMo. I think this is crazy, but I've done it.
It's crazy for several reasons.
1. I fully expect to have a fulltime job again come November.
2. I'm in the midst of my practicum class, which is a massive research project that prepares me for my thesis course.
3. I'm in the midst of another class, for which I'm developing the Plum Ruby Review, and that is a massive endeavor in itself, even with my dear friend Greg helping me.
4. Several evenings in November are going to be devoted to entertaining. Forget Thanksgiving...I'm talking about Joe showing off his amazing cooking (he's developing (including illustrating and MAKING) a really wild cookbook for one of his class projects) to friends.
5. Joe and I have one of those extra-amazing relationships where we miss each other terribly if we spend too much time away from each other (yes, you can go ahead and gag now)...and this will require a LOT of my time spent writing.
And so, I am throwing myself into the novel writing anyway. But I always find that when I'm most overwhelmed with things, I tend to be the most productive. I create more, I make more time for friends, I am generally better to be around. I don't do a lot of relaxing, but life tends to take on an amazing quality of its own and so that's okay.
I'm just tired of starting novels and never going anywhere with them. I have three in that state right now and I hate that I haven't moved past the first few chapters. I want to tell these stories. I have the beginning and end to one novel now and so I just need to fill in the middle.
Sooo this month is going to be spent in heavy research and development for my classes, while at the same time, building the worlds and taking massive notes for the novel--word 1 comes in November, but I can plan all I want before then. Who knows if I can manage this...but I want to at least try.
Posted by crystallyn at 11:07 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
September 24, 2003
teaser...
Posted by crystallyn at 09:17 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 24, 2003
first book with moveable type
The Gutenburg Bible is finally online for everyone to peruse. It was printed in 1454 or 1455 and is very rare--there are only a handful left in the world.
It took a long time to make this book, but not nearly as long as if the monks had copied it all out. And even in today's modern age, putting it online was probably a massive effort. The book, which is probably very fragile, had to be scanned in, page by page.
I love technology. Now I can see works of art like this without having to travel, without a wall of glass separating me and the object. If I can't head to Austin to see it, I can still browse the pages from the comfort of my home in Boston.
Too bad I can't read Latin. :)
Posted by crystallyn at 06:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 09, 2003
easily amused
I love occasionally throwing my site into Rob's Amazing Poetry Generator...this is what it came up with today:
transferring in
a savoring that he takes over a
perfect day. the incoming dean Emily
McDermott, then left wanting more
books and/poetry WHO
AM transferring in another six months
with Sirius, to finish up.
have been a few hours
of the appeal for
get worked out in about PEOPLE who take
2 weeks and has no
stock on go figure. I need
to both of Fame earlier this
Very amazing
part. difficult it but I
will the schedule that gone to
UMass have discovered over for
at Crane Beach umbrellas, the review provides
further detail; see him punish the
beach umbrellas, the opening release, but
current students should have a
few years afterward.
My favorite bit is when "he' punished the beach umbrellas. :)
Posted by crystallyn at 05:21 PM | TrackBack
June 30, 2003
the ties that bind
my one-year-old computer died this weekend. Well, not really died, but basically the video card gave out and after going to Best Buy, Microcenter, CompUSA and PCs For Everyone AND calling Dell themselves, I discover a couple of things:
1. My computer doesn't upgrade to 64mb card, which means that I wasn't going to be able to play my copy of Star Wars Galaxies that Joe had picked up for me--I've been waiting for the game to come out for over two years now.
2. No one in town carries 32MB video cards that would fit in my Dell computer--Dell makes their cases very narrow, which means that the card is a proprietory card that you have to buy from Dell.
3. Dell has no stock on video cards that fit my computer.
4. I'm never going to buy a Dell again. And unless you never want to be able to upgrade, I recommend you don't buy one either.
5. I need to buy a zip drive and BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP my stuff.
And so we traipsed back over to PCs For Everyone, gave them my hard drive from the Dell (I will be heartbroken if all my work is lost...it's been a few months since I backed up, sigh) and they are building me a new PC... Pentium 4, 40mb (on top of the 40mb I am transferring in) 512 RAM, 128mb Nvidia video, 52x CDRW and fully capable of running any game or program I decide for at least the next year--and then it will still be able to upgrade.
The bad news is that I don't get it back till the 7th. I feel lost!! Joe is being very gracious about sharing his computer, however.
So a couple of things this weekend--I read the new Harry Potter in about two days...I read too damn fast and then I'm left sort of sitting there, wishing that I could keep reading. I envy people who take 2 weeks to read a book that size...there is a savoring that I am not as privy to. I mean, I savor every word that I read, but then I'm left wanting more and more and more. Anyway, the book is great.
J.K. Rowling has the killer formula for creating these books. Much like Beverly Hills 90210, Harry goes through high school, then it will be college...so there are at least 4-5 more books right there. After that he starts to lose some of the appeal for youngsters, so it makes sense that he does one or two things--one, he marries and has a child that begins the next phase of the books and/or two, he takes over for Dumbledore (we know that he doesn't live all the way through the series anyway) and takes on a protege of some sort.
I love the readability of the books though--they are fun, dramatic, lively and engaging and the appeal to both adults and children alike is the most amazing part. That's difficult to do. I also love how they wrap you up in the story--even now, several days later, I find that I'm still thinking of the books, wondering what will happen next, if that's the way it really is with Sirius, what role will Gwarp play, will Ron and Hermione get together? Ginny and Harry (come on...all foreshadowing points to this)? Very amazing when books linger with you for weeks and weeks and even years afterward.
And Star Wars Galaxies. Wow. Just plain wow. The graphics are incredible. The game premise is equally amazing, with options for many different types of gamers--casual gamers, hardcore gamers. Those who prefer to play solo and those who like to game with groups. If you are into crafting and building weapons and battlestations or clothing and food, then you are all set. If you are interested in the cut em, shoot em up stuff, it's all there too. If you are into questing...there are numerous seek and destroy or delivery missions. It's extremely complex, and if you aren't willing to put a little patience into figuring out the controls, I don't recommend it, but I have a feeling that this will end up being as addictive as Everquest, if not more so. There are bugs, since this is the opening release, but those will get worked out and in another six months with a full player economy in place, it will be a really interesting--and addictive--game.
Posted by crystallyn at 06:40 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack