Writings and Ramblings by Me

My friends asked me the other day what I want for a Christmas gift this year. Beside world peace and a magical potion that will help me get my novels done and published, if you really want to know, here is my list in no particular order of want or need:

• A membership to the Cincinnati Art Museum
• A gift certificate to any book store
• A CD player to put in the living room
• Any bath products or lotions that smell good
• No perfumes because I am allergic to so many
• A coupon saying you will babysit my angels while I have a date with Chuck (we haven't had one since last Christmas when we went to do Xmas shopping for the kids!)

So there you go. I don't want or need much. There is a wishlist on Amazon.com too but there isn't much on it.

A nickel is 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper. The metal in one coin costs 6.99 cents for each 5-cent coin. When the Mint's cost of producing the coins is added, the total cost for each nickel is 8.34 cents.  U.S. Mint officials said Wednesday they were putting into place rules prohibiting the melting down of 1-cent and 5-cent coins. The rules also limit the number of coins that can be shipped out of the country.

Read the article here: http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/us-mint-to-ban-melting-pennies-and/20061214080509990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2006-12-10-media-mix_x.htm

 Last Monday's edition of NBS Nightly News did something I wish TV programs would do since I started realizing just how annoying commercials are during TV programs: They only played 1 commercial that lasted for about 1 minute. How cool is that?? I understand they need commercials to keep the programs on the air but sometimes it seems like half of the viewing time is spent watching commercials or if you are like me, flipping channels. Whats really annoying is when every station on non-cable TV plays commercials simultaneously!

2 of the largest news sources online are looking for photos and digital vidoes shot by everyday people to add to their collections. They (Reuters) aparently bought some cool images and videos from some stringers they have and from some random folks who have sent them to them. They were impressed so are now going to open the opportunities up to even more people. Of course you won't be paid for your submissions. If they get ditributed to a Reuters client you will be but the article I read didn't specify how much. This I believe is one of those ways to get a name for yourself out there. Many many writers are against writing for free. I wouldn't be where I am at today if it weren't for the free writing I do at BellaOnline.com. To read more of the story here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/technology/04yahoo.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Do you watch 20/20? You know the guy with the mustache, John Stossel? He does those stories with the title "Give me a break?" I want to start another blog with that title. I read news from various sources throughout the day and every once in awhile I come across a story that makes me say "Give me a break!" I wonder if I would be violating some kind of copyright by using that phrase for a blog....

Anyway! I cam across this story tonight on AOL News about Maine banning the sale of a beer that has Santa on the label. The state says the label is not approproate for children. Huh? Children shouldn't be drinking beer in the first place. I can understand kids my see the label and think it is ok for them to get a drink because Santa is on the label with a mug in one hand. If parents would be more responsible, then maybe this wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The label for the English-made Santa's Butt Winter Porter features a rear view of a beer-drinking Santa Claus sitting atop a barrel. The beer's name refers not only to Santa's ample backside, but also to the barrel. In England, brewers once used a large barrel called a "butt" to store beer."

Santa is actually scary looking in this label. I think kids might be scared to drink it actually

For more of the story and to view the Santa Butt beer, http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/ho-ho-no-state-bans-santa-beer/20061202045909990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

After months of putting in bids for jobs at various websites, I finally got a bite! I can't go into much detail because it is a ghostwriting job rewriting a sales ad. But I am going to get paid to do it!!! Yay!   

I often wondered how royalties work when you sell a piece of work. Here is a great article that explains how it works.

http://www.ethanellenberg.com/royalties.htm

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2006/august/pla.php

Is plastics made out of corn the answer to some of enviromental problems? It biodegrades much quicker then any other plastic out there. See the article for more information!

The hoopla surrounding the marriage of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, to me, is quite ridiculous. Who cares if they are getting married? Good for them. They produced a child, they got married. Hundreds of people do this every month. But when it is a “celebrity”, why do we care? Is it because through them we live out our own fantasies of having a wedding ceremony with 150 people in a castle on in a sleepy, romantic town in Italy?  I personally would not want to be a celebrity or famous. I like walking down the street and no one knows who I am except the old lady at the corner whom I help her take her garbage to the curb every Thursday.

I did have a friend say to me once “But, Jeanette, you want to be a writer and publish your books. What if by fate you make a best seller?” Well, I am already a writer LOL but if I do become a well known novelist, I highly doubt I will have the woes of Britney Spears and Madonna. Stephen King can walk down his street and not be acousted by paparazi (just the occasional stupid person not watching where he is driving and running Mr. King over).

I think America is truly a voyeristic society. We have to gawk at everything. Celebrities and their lives, the car wreck on the side of the road, the neighbor has their shades up so we peek in their window as we go by their house. Privacy is truly not existant.

But then again, when I hear celebrities belly aching that they have no privacy or can’t do anything without having photographers in their faces, I think “well, you are the one who wanted to be famous, you knew it was coming!” Like the Anna Nicole Smith crap. Oh my god will that woman shut up already. I watch Entertainment tonight every one in awhile and that is ALL they show for the past month. She whines that people won’t leave her and her family alone. I feel bad for the passing of her son. No wonder he had to take anti-depressants.

So to the belly aching celebrities, get over it. I think most love the ego boosting of being all over the news no matter if it is positive or negative.