July 19, 2008

Now you see ‘em…now you don’t

It’s flashback time. Think of some of the things you remember from your childhood. Now consider how many of those things that you thought would be around forever (cameras with film, for example) are slowly disappearing.

WalletPop (www.walletpop.com) took a look at 25 such things that are quickly disappearing from our country. From honey bees to checks to bowling alleys to incandescent light bulbs, they counted down 25 things you may not be able to find in the U.S. for very much longer. I was surprised by some and others, well, even I could see the end is near.

Top 25 Things Vanishing from America

25. Outdoor toilets- By the 2000 Census, the number of Americans who lacked indoor plumbing was down to 0.6%. In 1950, 27% of households (and over half of rural households) didn’t have complete indoor plumbing.

24. Yellow Pages- This one surprised me. One research firm predicts the falloff in usage of newspapers and print Yellow Pages could even reach 10% this year.

23. Classified Ads- If newspaper classifieds are replaced by free online listings, can newspapers be far behind?

22. Movie Rental Stores- Netflix is looking up, Blockbuster is closing stores. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling. Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed earlier this year. Countless small video chains and mom-and-pop stores have already closed.

21. Dial-up Internet Access- Dial-up connections fell from 40% in 2001 to 10% in 2008.

20. Phone Land lines-According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was cell-only and, of those homes that had landlines, one in eight only received calls on their cells. I actually just went to this plan…where you can receive calls on your land-line but if you call out it’s 10 cents a minute. I did it because I like being in the phone book and a lot of people have my home number but not my cell.

19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs- Overfishing, pollution, invasive species and global warming get the blame. I never had these, so I guess you can’t miss what you’ve never had.

18. VCRs- Pre-recorded VHS tapes are largely gone and VHS decks are hard to find…but my local Target had some for $39. I have a friend who bought a VCR when they first came out in the late 70’s….they paid $1200.

17. Ash trees- The emerald ash borer is to blame and it makes me sad to see these trees die. They’re one of my favorites.

16. Ham Radio- In the past five years alone, the number of people holding active ham radio licenses has dropped by 50,000, even though Morse Code is no longer a requirement.

15. The Swimming Hole- Due to injuries and subsequent lawsuits, many property owners are posting “Keep out!” signs.

14. Answering Machines- This only makes sense. Cell phones up. Land lines down. Less need for answering machines.

13. Cameras that use film- In 2006, iNikon announced it would stop making film cameras, pointing to the shrinking market — only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment. This is one change I couldn’t have imagined ten years ago.

12. Incandescent Bulbs- According to USA Today, expect a new energy bill plans to phase out incandescent bulbs in the next four to 12 years.

11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys- Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels and resorts, and gambling casinos.

10. The Milkman- Does this job still exist anywhere??

9. Hand-Written letters-In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day. Two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world’s population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then.

8. Wild Horses- It is estimated that 100 years ago, as many as two million horses were roaming free within the United States. In 2001, National Geographic News estimated that the wild horse population had decreased to about 50,000 head. Currently, the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory board states that there are 32,000 free roaming horses in ten Western states, with half of them residing in Nevada.

7. Personal Checks- According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years. I rarely write checks anymore. How ’bout you?

6. Drive-in theaters- in 2007 only 405 drive-ins were still operating. No new drive-ins have been built since 2005.

5. Mumps and measles- In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded.

4. Honey bees- ‘Colony Collapse Disorder,’ or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers — and along with it, their livelihood. Have you ever stepped on a honey bee? My hand is in the air.

3. News Magazines and TV news- In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that.

2. Analog television- 85% of homes in the U.S. get their television programming through cable or satellite providers. For the remaining 15% — or 13 million individuals — who are using rabbit ears or a large outdoor antenna to get their local stations, change is in the air. We have an antennae in our attic.

1. Family Farm-Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census hasn’t yet been published). Ninety-one percent of the U.S. farms are small family farms.

Any surprises??? Which do you hate to see go?? Which ones won’t you miss at all?

July 18, 2008

We Have a Winner!

Jane - you won my drawing on Wednesday, but I can’t reach you by your email addy. Please email me (margo@margomaguire.com) and we can arrange for you to receive your prize!

Everyone else … Scroll down and check out Anne’s blog on Murder!!

How to Host a Murder

This past weekend our neighbors hosted a “How to Host a Murder” party. Have you ever played?

Verrrry fun. And if you play it while dining, it becomes a whole party experience.

So, for those of you who may be scratching your heads, here are the rules…

You get a character and a playbook. I think there were nine characters in our game - so nine players each with his/her own book. The playbook gives your character synopsis and perhaps one or two unsavory traits about your character that you might want to keep quiet. You do not share the contents of your book with any other character. And you do not turn the page until told to do so.

After you read your synopsis, it’s game on! The murder scenario is read from the view of the police/Scotland Yard/etc. Clues abound in the scenario. A map is also provided of the grounds/house/train/plane (wherever you scenario is taking place) so that you can visually track clues and character or victim movements as they are revealed. Four rounds are played, each round revealing new clues about each player and what they observed during the time/weekend surrounding the murder (in your playbook you get a couple of clues that you MUST share with the others - which means that sometimes other people reveal unsavory things/actions about your character too). As a character it is your job to try and put people off your scent (you don’t know IF you did it until the end though!) without lying. No lying allowed. But it is quite fun to try and explain sketchy actions and redirect attention elsewhere, all the time questioning other people and putting the clues together as to who YOU think did it.

At the end of the four rounds everyone takes a guess as to who they think did it. After the guessing/accusations are complete, each character turns to the last page in her booklet and reads a synopsis of her character’s less savory aspects and actions, how she “might” have done it had she really done it, and then gives her motivation. The murderer is revealed when the last person reads.

So, have you played before? Or played a similar type of game (like Mafia)? What did you think?

July 17, 2008

Vegas, baby!

It’s a place you either love or hate. If you’ve been there, that is. For a while (before The Professor) I went with my parents once a year. They’ve been regulars to Sin City since I was in elementary school. I was 23 the first time I went and could play and let’s just say I was bitten. I love the city. The lights, the noise, the slots. I can’t be there for very long, it’s too INYOURFACE! too loud, too bright, too full of people. But for a couple of days it’s pure fun. The shows are fantastic, the food (sans buffets, hate them) can be great and people watching is unparalleled. The different casinos with their themes and decor is just fascinating. I mean the chairs at New York, NY casino have tuxedos on for Pete’s sake. How cute is that? The light/laser show downtown is pretty awesome and there are fireworks every weekend. Lights, lights everywhere - even their golden arches are covered in lights.

And I admit I love the thrill, the gamble of putting some money in a machine and hoping that it’s my lucky day.

You get better odds with the table games, but I’m a writer which means I’m an introvert and therefore I don’t want to talk to anyone. So I play the slots. They’ve changed a lot since I first started going and was stuck with the nickel slots crossing for my fingers for cherries or sevens. Now you can play penny slots for hours on a $20 and they have fun bonuses with treasure hunts and leprechauns and mermaids. So fun.

I’m not a serious gambler, it’s pure entertainment for me and I never play with much money so I rarely win big. Okay I’ve never won big, but I have won and tend to leave a casino with about as much as I went with. I’d call that a win. The Professor and The Chief (aka my father) would call that “girl math” but hey you don’t get money back after you go to the movies so to get money back after you’ve enjoyed your entertainment, so hey, it’s a win.

So how about you? Are you the thrifty sort that can’t get passed the thought of throwing money away or are you like me and enjoy a game of chance every now and then?

July 16, 2008

Starting a New Project

As soon as I turned in my most recent book for Avon, I started brainstorming my next story. I knew I wanted one of the characters from Wild (Avon, January 2009) as the hero of my next book. He is Hugh Christie, Earl of Newbury, and I don’t reveal a whole lot about his character in Wild. Which is great for me, because it gives me all kinds of leaway to write about him. What we do know is that he’s about 30 and a widower who doesn’t like to talk about his late wife. In Wild, he mentions an interest in making the heroine his mistress, so we know he’s a “player.” Beyond that, I can do anything with him.

I ran several ideas by my editor, but the one that stuck has these elements:
-> Hugh Christie feels guilty about his late wife.
->He also runs a smuggling operation from one of his properties, a castle on Scotland’s eastern coast.
->The castle has a ghost.
-> The heroine is Brianna Gilroy, whose guardian wants her to wed a duke’s creepy son.
-> Brianna will inherit a fortune from her spinster aunt when she turns 21 in two months.
-> She just wants to live as her aunt did - with no men to harass her.
-> She will go into hiding until her birthday.

These elements give me tons to work with, and hopefully I’ll devise an exciting, emotional, sensuous story!

While I was researching smuggling in Scotland in 1829, I came across this youtube video. It’s exactly what I needed in order to “place” my story. Newbury’s castle will be something like this.

This is going to take place in winter, and I’m planning to have Hugh and Brianna get snowed in together. And then there will be fireworks.

Now, all I’ve got to do is get to work! I had knee arthroscopy last week and I’m feeling cooped up and … crippled! although the knee is definitely improving every day. I think I overdid it yesterday and so I paid (with pain) overnight and today. I’ve stayed off it as much as possible today and iced it several times. I’m hoping tomorrow will be better.

If not, I’ve decided to make it better for someone. Send me a comment here about anything in this post and I’ll enter your name into a drawing for a copy of my last book, Temptation of the Warrior. Good luck!

July 15, 2008

Guest Blogger Isabel Sharpe

Please welcome Isabel Sharpe!

MAINIA

In the 1950s my maternal grandfather plunked down $1K for twenty-two acres on the coast of Maine (I don’t even want to think about what it would cost now). I’ve traveled extensively around the country and abroad, and I still think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Not dramatic, not breathtaking, but peaceful and unspoiled. The kind of place that might get a “how pretty” reaction at first, but once you’ve spent time there, smelled the woods on a hike and the sea from a boat, eaten fresh-from-the ocean lobster, gazed at the sunset, and counted shooting stars after dark, you’re hooked. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellant.

Every book I’ve set there has been special to me. Writing about a place you love makes all the difference, because besides knowing the sights, you know the smells and the sounds and most importantly, the emotional effect the place has. A far cry from researching places I’ve never been on the Internet which my budget makes necessary for too many books.

As Good As It Got was inspired by a community college program I came across years ago, which helped divorced and widowed homemakers carve out new lives. Originally I set the book in a huge fancy house modeled on the Pabst Mansion here in Milwaukee. I decided the place would be owned by a wealthy widow who wanted to help other women in times of transition. However . . . my editor said the setting made the program feel like some kind of correctional facility. Ha! As usual, she was right.

So I changed the concept to a retreat experience and set Camp Kinsonu in the healing air of my favorite state, where my three heroines, all “suddenly single” go to take a breath before embarking on new altered lives. Cynical, independent Ann is struggling to cope after her husband killed himself to avoid facing the financial ruin he caused; naive optimist Cindy is biding time, certain her serial-cheating husband will again come back to her; withdrawn, troubled Martha is forced to examine her choices after her married lover has a debilitating stroke.

Well okay, that sounded too grim. There are plenty of funny and uplifting moments because I can’t write gloom and doom to save my life. But switching the location to Maine breathed real life and purpose into the book. The coast is like another heroine.

And I’m counting down until August 18 when I can be there myself. In the meantime, tell me about your favorite place and I’ll choose one from all the entries to receive a copy of my first Avon release, WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH.

Cheers,

Isabel
www.isabelsharpe.com

July 14, 2008

Sophie Jordan Blogs on Happy Day!!

Hello, everyone! I’m baaaaccck! And, as you can see, especially chipper today. My fifth historical for Avon is done and in the mail! Yipee!! I’m always thrilled to deliver a book, but I must say that there is something special about THIS book, sorry, still untitled. I’m always riddled with doubts when I deliver a manuscript and that’s just typical for my neurotic writer-self, but I feel pretty comfortable with what I’m handing in and think Sophie Jordan fans are going to be in for a real treat with the final product when it releases next Spring. Once I have a title, I’ll divulge more and give you all the info. Meanwhile, the other reason I’m so excited is that …

Only two weeks until SURRENDER TO ME hits shelves! Whoop!

SURRENDER TO ME stars Astrid of TOO WICKED TO TAME. You may recall she was that book’s villainess — well, kinda, I never really thought she was all that bad, and I guess my choosing her to be the heroine is my way of redeeming her. Hey, everyone has their own version of events. In SURRENDER TO ME, you get to see why she did everything she did in TOO WICKED TO TAME. Of course, it is a stand alone book, so if you haven’t read TOO WICKED TO TAME, you can still read SURRENDER TO ME and be fine. I just think the reading experience will be enhanced by getting to meet Astrid first in TWTT. Here’s the blurb, in case you haven’t read it yet:

She had lost nearly everything . . .
When tragedy left her penniless and alone, Lady Astrid Derring did whatever it took to survive. She dismissed half her staff, borrowed gowns, and subsisted on cucumber sandwiches from the galas she attended. She endured the wagging tongues of the ton and the indecent proposals from noblemen who deemed her ripe for the plucking. Finally, she has found a way to escape this shame and restore her good name. But it will require a perilous journey to Scotland, where she will come face-to-face with danger … and a sinfully handsome rogue who may be the greatest threat of all.

Any gentleman would lend his hand to a lady in distress, but handsome, rough-hewn Griffin Shaw is no gentleman, and Astrid is far from safe in his company. Accompanying her through the Highlands is a small price to pay for luring her into his bed. Entranced by her boldness, enchanted with her beauty, he is determined to thaw her cold heart. However, he soon finds himself wanting more than a brief affair with the proper lady. Nothing less than the total surrender of her heart will satisfy him.

I have updated my website (surprise, surprise!) where you can learn more about SURRENDER TO ME (oh, and there’s a brand new spanking contest posted there, too, so be sure to enter), but I’ll share my character inspiration pictures for my heroine and hero here:

The actress in this picture is Poppy Montgomery and she’s perfect for Astrid – blond with sultry dark eyes. Like Astrid, I feel she has a certain aloof duchess-ness. The hero … need I say more? He’s actor Thomas Jane. Very sexy and rugged and a Scotsman! Like my hero. A nice mug to greet you all with on this Monday morning, wouldn’t you say? Post back and tell me what you think!

Happy Monday, everyone! And Jaunties, thanks for having me here again.

Sophie

July 12, 2008

Anchovies, anyone?

Although I’m not a gourmet (by any stretch of the imagination) I know what kinds of foods I like …and which ones I don’t

I read an article recently that listed the top twenty most hated foods. Some I expected, while others, well, frankly I was surprised. I’m going to count them down. See if you agree with the survey results.

1. Liver (I know, it’s gross, but I still like it…with onions–see #17)
2. Lima Beans (I like these, too. In fact they’re one of my favs)
3. Mayonnaise (what’s to dislike?)
4. Mushrooms (I like them, but I know tons of people who refuse to eat ‘em)
5. Eggs (No egg salad sandwiches or deviled eggs??)
6. Okra (Never eat)
7. Beets (these I like hot or cold)
8. Brussels sprouts (okay, not my fav but I can eat them in a pinch)
9. Tuna (I like tuna sandwiches and tuna salad casserole and…)
10. Gelatin (seems almost un-American to not like Jello)
11. Sour Cream (a baked potato wouldn’t be the same without SC)
12. Pea Soup (I like this too. Hmm, I’m sensing a pattern heres…)
13. Oysters (Okay, I draw the line at these. YUCK says it all)
14. Peas (Like ‘em, not love ‘em)
15. Raisins (Especially good on oatmeal or in cookies)
16. Cooked Carrots (I like these, too. And I even like creamed cooked carrots!)
17. Onions (I like onions. I think they add a tang to foods)
18. Cilantro (No strong feelings one way or the other on this one)
19. Maple Syrup (If you hate Maple Syrup, what do you put on your pancakes?)
20. Blueberries (I like these…and aren’t they supposed to be good for you?)

I can’t believe one of my most hated foods, anchovies, didn’t make the top twenty.

Were you surprised by what made the list? Or more surprised by what didn’t?

July 11, 2008

A Touching Moment

My mom was in the Red Cross during WWII, and was stationed in Europe. She had tours in Italy and England, and did a stint in Germany right at the end of the war. (I have a youtube video for you to listen to while you read the rest. Just turn up the sound and enjoy the vintage recording …)

My mom’s name was Justine McCarthy, and she was a very upbeat young lady. She loved adventure - which was why she joined the Red Cross right after college in the first place. I’m sure she had a patriotic streak, too - and wanted to do something for the troops stationed at the front, although you will never meet a more anti-war, peace-loving person than my mom.

She died nearly three years ago, but it was only last week that my siblings and I were able to face having to bury her ashes beside my dad’s. There’s a small country church in the middle of nowhere that has one of those old cemeteries you drive by and think “oh, how quaint.” It was a cemetery just like this one where my brothers, my sister and I met on the 4th of July. We stood together in the bright, sunny afternoon with mom’s ashes in a box inside a small tote bag, and a small, deep hole dug right behind hers and my dad’s headstone. My sister asked if any of us wanted to say anything, but we all declined. Then, this is what my sister said:

“When Mom was stationed overseas, and she and all her service friends would go into a club, the band would usually ask her for a request. Mom always asked them to play Deep Purple.”

My sister stopped for a moment, and started to play this song on her CD player while my brothers lowered Mom’s ashes into the tiny grave.

My sister continued: “It got to the point that when Mom arrived in any club, the band would just start playing Deep Purple the minute they saw her.”

My brothers started shoveling, and the music went on, a tune from a bygone era, in a cemetery more than 100 years old. This was how we said our final good-bye to Mom.

July 10, 2008

Getting a life

Every summer in Austin, the city hosts something called Blues on the Green. Basically, it’s free live blues music in a public place. When the Geek and I were PK (Pre-kids) we went occasionally, but that was years ago. Over the years, the location has moved around, from one park to another, finally settling in Zilker Park, the largest park in Austin. Last week, we heard that Los Lonely Boys were playing this week. We hadn’t heard them in years, so we decided to load up the car and head over.

It was the perfect evening for it, not too hot (a miracle here in Texas). And let’s face it, there’s just not much on tv these days anyway. We braved the traffic (horrific) and the parking (even worse) and started the mile long trek from the open field in which we’d wedged our car, carrying folding chairs, blanket and kids. We arrived at the concert twenty minutes after the music was supposed to start and thirty minutes before it actually did. As we settled in next to the volley ball pits, where our three-year old played in the sand with complete strangers, a nice breeze kicked up and I found myself regretting that we’d missed so many other such concerts. In a city known for it’s live music, the chances to go out and hear it abound, even for families with kids who can make it to the torturous midnight sets that are the mainstays of most of the clubs. So why don’t we make it out more often?

It’s hard to say really, other than we all fall into a routine and it takes something big to shake us out of it. Whatever the reason, I’m glad we got out and did something unusual, even if we had to hike to do it. Thinking back to my child, I vividly remember the few out door concerts my parents took me to. It’s definitely something worth doing. 

Are there any outdoor concerts in your area? Do the rest of you make it out more often than we do?