Random notes

A bunch of lunatics in Virginia (surprise, surprise!) proclaimed recently that Thomas Jefferson “feigned belief in God to achieve his own political ends and came to sever Jesus Christ from his divinity.” It’s no revelation that some Christians are opposed to religious freedom – except for Christianity, that is, but the notion that keeping religion out of government is anti-Christian, and anti-God has become more common in recent years, and it’s a frightening notion. It threatens the religious freedom that this country was founded on. Given how many people are already comfortable with the notion of tossing out the first amendment and embracing torture, it’s not a good sign.

Something I learned while perusing Encarta today: No nobility exists in the United States. Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution of the United States specifies that no title of nobility shall be granted by the United States, and in addition it forbids any person holding government office from accepting any such title from a foreign ruler without the express consent of Congress. A private American citizen who accepts a title of nobility automatically resigns his or her citizenship.

This is a particularly harsh blow, as I had harbored dreams of someday being made a duchess. Dang.

Here’s a fun quiz to test your knowledge of the first lines of “great” novels. I got 11 out of 13. Can you beat me? http://encarta.msn.com/quiz_61/Famous_First_Words_A_Novel_Quiz.html

And another quiz: http://encarta.msn.com/quiz_149/How_Bookish_Are_You.html

Three words that should never be used in fiction: sphincter, scrotum, preternatural.

Happy Days…

What is this thing called blogging, Jim?

I was vehemently anti-blog until just recently. I'm not sure what made me change my mind, but I'm going to blame the medication. Yeah, that Ibuprofen sure is some wicked stuff, man.

Anyway, just back from a weekend writing retreat. A casual affair involving six people from a NoVA writing group called the Cat Vacuuming Society. (Note: No actual cats are harmed in this endeavor.) Got a big ol' pile of writing done and, though I haven't actually gone back and read any of it to make sure it isn't crap, I'm quite happy with my progress. Our retreat was in the foothills of those mountains along the western border with West Virginia, whatever they are, and I got to sit and stare out the window at horses grazing on a distant hill in between writing brilliant short stories, playing spider solitaire, and eating Shrek M&Ms. It just doesn't get any better. (God help me if that's true, but it was pretty durn cool.)

Virginia, meanwhile, is gray, and I have an invoice to work on, as well as homework and actual work, of the paying variety. Isn't that novel?

Bon soir,
Meriah...