Monday Fluff

I love trivia of all sorts. I enjoy it so much, in fact, that it sometimes crowds out the more important data I really need to access...say, like my kids' names, long ago conversations and how much money is in my banking account (or not).

Since it's Monday, the day reserved for talking about whatever, I'm gonna share some trivia and fluff with you. So, go grab your favorite beverage and enjoy browsing.

First, this is a super quick personality test I had fun with. You will be shown some designs/graphics, and you pick your favorite. I didn't believe it, but played along anyway, and the "type" my choice revealed was pretty durn interesting.

Now, for the trivia, which BTW, has its own cool origination: The derivation of the word trivia comes from the Latin for "crossroads": "tri-" + "via", which means three streets. This is because in ancient times, at an intersection of three streeets in Rome (or some other Italian place), they would have a type of kiosk where ancillary information was listed. You might be interested in it, you might not, hence they were bits of "trivia." ~~

• The word stewardesses is the longest that can be typed with your left hand only.
• All continents end with the same letter they begin with.
• Most lipstick contains fish scales, and mascara bat guano.
• Chewing gum while cutting onions will keep you from crying.
• Donkeys kill more people than plane crashes.
• Pinocchio is Italian for pine head.
• The first twosome ever to be shown in bed together on prime time television was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

If you're avoiding going to work or doing the laundry, here's one more interesting factoid for ya:

• I caught a snippet of the Paul Harvey ("The Rest of the Story") radio program yesterday in which he reported that the latest medical studies show people who attend religious services have a 20% lower mortality rate.

Blogland buddies, today's the last day to vote on the monkey photo [scroll down just a bit to see that precious critter] caption winner, so take a sec and cast your ballot in the poll conveniently located in the upper right hand corner. Here are the contenders:

Terri - "Not the hairbrush again!!"
Melissa - "My gas bill is HOW much?"
Barbara - "What? A root canal?!?!?"

Have a great week, and see ya tomorrow!

PS to writing friends on a non-trivial subject-- there's an AWESOME post at our Year of Gratitude (YOG) blog today from author Danielle Younge-Ullman ! (Her debut novel, Falling Under, is newly released, published by Plume/Penguin. (Read a review of Falling Under at Roses & Thorns.)

Turkey Flavored Politically Incorrect Kartoons

Yep, go ahead and shake your head at naughty Gumbo Writer. I just can.not help loving the slightly offensive in humor. In particular, I think sassy cartoons around the holidays make a nice side dish to the super sweet and savory other kind of graphics and homespun lovelies...kinda like a delicious slice of real key lime pie a few hours after a humongous holiday feast. Know what I mean?

So, for your Thanksgiving preparation pleasure, here are a few Turkey Day treats for ya [and please do feel free to vote for your fav and/or post a link to your own wicked or weird funny bone tickler]:

1. Maxine Gets Smart:

2. Thanksgiving "Pome":

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your big dinner

Stay off of your thighs!

3. Bad Bad Gobblers:

4. Thanksgiving in Oz:

5. Here, Turkey, Turkey, Turkey:

Many thanks to the friends who shared these yummy Politically Incorrect goodies with me by email!

Spotlight On...Monkey Photo Contest Picks

The contest on Thursday was fun, and I enjoyed all the comments/entries. It was really hard to narrow the choices down to just three, but alas, it had to be done. [BTW, a very odd thing happened on the Gumbo Writer's blog "create post" page -- the little icon that lets you switch font colors has disappeared! How strange is that? So if this post does not appear in the normal dark black I am so fond of, please know it's because I had no other choice when I was putting together this post last night. Hey, I wonder if the monkey ate it? Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle...it just popped back up there, so now I can write in black! Computers and technical stuff can be so maddening!]

Anyhoo, here's the picture for which all you witty and talented people made captions:

Isn't he/she adorable? I can't figure out if it's the humanoid facial expression or the clothes that makes me want to bring this little baby home and make it part of my family! But I digress...again.

The top contenders for the top secret double naught fantabulous prize to be snail mailed are:

1. Terri - "Not the hairbrush again!!"


2. Melissa - "My gas bill is HOW much?"


3. Barbara - "What? A root canal?!?!?"

My caption thought was, "WHUT? Blogger's gonna be down for maintenance for HOW long???!"

Please take a sec to fill out the poll. And remember, only one vote per customer. :) Good luck, contestants!

Tagged Again!

For those who were expecting another episode of LEDBETTER LUNACY today, sorry 'bout dat. Due to unforeseen circumstances (chores, errands, others who had doctor appointments and such, and a general lack of time), the artiste was unable to extract the vision in her head and transfer it to paper.

Instead, blog-o-buds, I'll participate in the meme I was tagged for so I can get that out of the way. Ami is the culprit (umm, I mean, friend) who selected me as on of her pals to play along. Visit her site to see her answers and say hey!

Five Things I Was Doing 5 Years Ago:

• Being the busy mom of 14, 13, and 11-year olds
• Had just begun being the aide for a wonderful special ed elementary class I'd teach for the following 3 years
• Freelance writing/editing
• Enjoying being the co-author of an inspirational book, doing interviews, radio shows, a few TV spots, book signings, etc.
• Facilitating two live writing groups

Five Things on My To Do List:

• Get blog posts ready for Year of Gratitude (YOG Blog), The Rose & Thorn Literary e-zine's blog and Gumbo Writer
• Continue agent research
• Edit a humor short story and send it to target market
• Grocery shop
• Go watch youngest son bowl

Five Things I Like to Snack on:

• Coffee?
• Nuts (especially sunflower seeds)
• Cereal
• Humus and crackers
• Apples with peanut butter

Five Things I Would Do If I was a Millionaire:

• Open banking accounts or trust funds for my kids
• Help fix up the elementary where I taught and my sons' high school down the street from there
• Donate to the Men's Shelter where I volunteer
• Give lots away anonymously (especially to a few friends!)
• Buy a cherry 66 Mustang

Five Places I Have Lived:

• Have never lived outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Five Jobs I Have Had:

• Private investigator
• Caterer/cook (own company and worked for another)
• Small Biz Owner (residential & commercial cleaning)
• Freelance
• Special Education teacher

Five People I Am Tagging:

• None! But feel free to play along if ya wanna and take the meme rules to your blog for a post!

TGIF to you all. May your day be as special as you are! Huggage!

The Floor is Open...for a Contest!

The rules are simple. Look at the photo below. Stare at it if you must. Whatever you have to do to get in the prize zone, do it. After you've gone cross-eyed or come up with a brilliant idea, submit it in a comment. You can either write a caption or the opening line of a story. If the creative juices are really flowing, feel free to submit a short poem of no more than 10 lines.

The top 3 entries, judged by moi, will be entered in a poll beginning Saturday, and running for a few days to give everyone a chance to vote.

The winner will receive via the US Postal Services, a prize of my choosing and of indeterminable value, probably not wrapped in the above manner. Doesn't that sound fun? No? Do it anyway. Your creative nature is screaming to get out!

Okay, here's the contest photo:

[I can already hear it "speaking" to you...so go ahead, post your thoughts!]

Random Writing Tips

We're all tired of hearing how the odds are stacked against writers, and how selling a first novel is impossible in this economy. We're saturated with pessimistic ponderings from publishers and literary agents. We know the bad odds, and yet we keep on writing, working hard and waiting.

So, while we wait for things to "get better," how about some hopeful stuff to read? According to agent Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency, the news for debut authors isn't all bad. In a recent blog post she advises, "I would be concentrating on writing the best freaking novel you are capable of writing because lots of debuts astound the market." Read the rest here:
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2008/11/still-room-for-debut.html

Author/blogger Holly Kennedy thinks we should all get a bottle of Bum Glue and get busy. [I know some of you already saw her post because I read your comments over there. I think you'll agree it's an inspiring read.] Check out the blog entry and see if I'm not telling the truth: http://author-in-the-trenches.blogspot.com/2008/11/must-have-for-serious-writers_18.html

Along with these two ladies' thoughts, I'll share some good tips I got from a writing conference not too long ago. The NYT best selling authors were generous with their tippage too, so here's a few tidbits to file away for later:

• Successful writers run the business of writing like any other -- with a business plan. Update it every six months or so, but definitely annually.
• Start and keep a perspective agent file with research notes, including who gets the big sales and large advances. Look for agents who love what you write; don't waste your time on those who don't.
• A good friend and successful author who's writing book 5 or 6 now advises using the "shotgun" approach to finding an agent. When your synopsis and query packet is as good as it can be, send it far and wide.
• When your manuscript is accepted, or while it is making the rounds, begin work on your second.
• Check the shelves of your favorite bookstore (brick & mortar, as well as online) to see what's hot in your genre. Check the acknowledgment pages while you're there to see if agents are mentioned. If so, add them to your list.
• Branding is important and should extend to your website, logo design, blog, etc.
• Follow the rules and preferences of the person(s) and place(s) to which you plan to submit. If you don't, you'll likely end up in the slush pile.
• Have a log line/hook line/tag line for your book, and one for your writing style-- a short, catchy description that will help an agent or editor grasp and remember your book. [Ex. "Ledbetter writes as if she is the love child of Wally Lamb and Dorothy Allison."]
• Your synopsis should explain what the emotion of your story is.

Okay, we all know that after five minutes of a lecture or a page of notes, our brains turn off. In the interest of mental health, I'll stop here for now.

So, how's about some tit for tat? What's the best writing, publishing or agent-finding tip you ever got?

Chicken Salad Recipe

It's Tuesday once again, so that means it's time for Gumbo Writer to pull out her trusty recipe file and share something good with her friends. Today's offering is something my family loooooves. It's perfect party food too, and yes, it's great for using up leftovers and staples you probably already have on hand.

But before we begin, let's all take (or re-take) the Home Cook's Pledge I originally posted here:

http://angie-ledbetter.blogspot.com/2008/09/thems-fightin-words.html --->

"I will henceforth and forever after not feel guilty when a member of this household accuses me of not providing for their nutritional needs. I know there is plenty of food in this house. And in fact, the very next time I hear words to the contrary, I will smack the offender in the head with this wooden cooking utensil and take myself out to dinner. This I do swear, on the ____ day of _____ month, 20__, in the sacred names of Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Chef Boyardee."

Best Ever Chicken Salad

1 roasted chicken (found at bigger store's deli already prepared)

2 cups fat-free mayo (I use Duke's), or more to taste

1 cup Craisins

1 cup nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or a mixture)

1 small green apple, skin on and chopped small

2 cups seedless grapes, cut in half

Debone chicken and cut in small cubes. Mix all other ingredients in and stir well. Voila! You've got an awesome sandwich spread, cracker dip or even a nice side dish with soup. I've also put the chicken salad on lettuce bowls.

Before and After pics:

Which Superhero are You?

Ever fantasized about being a superhero in real life? Have an idea which one you'd be, or would you make up your own comic book personality? Would you save the world? Clean your house at the speed of light? Have the ability to speed-read books in five minutes? Fly through the universe and explore unknown galaxies? Vaporize mean and evil people in your path?

If you've got a few minutes, this quiz is fun and just might clue you in to a new facet of your personality. Have fun and don't forget to report your results. Whichever hero represents you, hope your week is a super one!

http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/

Politically Incorrect Kartoon (PIK)

Hello, bad children of the Blogosphere! For your giggly enjoyment, today's offering of PIKs are below. I'm numbering them, so please "pik" your fav and let me know in a comment.

1. Rabid Fan:

2. Holiday Happiness:

3. DST:

4. Sniper Kitty:

5: Smoky the Snowman:

Spotlight On...Memes

I'll admit, not too very long ago, I had to look up the definition and pronunciation for the word meme. Here's what I found at Wikipedia:

A meme (pronounced /miːm/)[1] consists of any idea or behavior that can pass from one person to another by learning or imitation. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, gestures, practices, fashions, habits, songs, and dances. Memes propagate themselves and can move through the cultural sociosphere in a manner similar to the contagious behavior of a virus.

Interesting, hunh? So, yesterday I got tagged by SmallFootprints of the lovely blog http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/ which gives all of Blogland nifty-fied tips on reducing waste and keeping our Earth clean, along with some good veggy-tarian recipes now and then.

I'm playing along here in a post. Instead of tagging others as directed (Gumbo Writer has been known to not be such a great rule-follower). Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to share one (1) weird, funny or off-the-wall factoid about yourself in a comment.

Eight random facts and/or habits about myself~~

1. I have an identical twin sister.
2. I do not like any form of Math! Not in a box, not with a fox, not in any way, shape or form, Sam I Am.
3. Napping is one of my secret pleasures.
4. Hello, my name is Angie, and I am addicted to caffeine.
5. I miss my 16-year-old Boston Terrier Darla.
6. I wish I could draw. I might enjoy being an artist.
7. Writing is good for the soul, I believe.
8. I love listening to and watching a good storm.

Now...on with your great and glorious and relaxing and restful weekend plans! I'll leave you with a nice deep Saturday thought...(and PS, the author of the original SNL skit named Deep Thoughts is Jack Handey).

Ledbetter Lunacy Part III

Yes, dear blog buds, it's Friday, and

according to my newly minted schedule,

it's time for your TGIF treataroni!

~~shrill flute music & cymbals crashing~~

LEDBETTER LUNACY!

The Floor is Open...

What are we gonna chat about today?

You're most cordially invited to throw out a question, suggestion, comment, or something that makes ya go "Hmmmm?"Or post a link to your best ever post or recommend a site or blog for us to check out. Thursdays are reserved for "talking amongst ourselves," so let your imagination run free.

And/or feel to continue with the limericks from yesterday. If you've already done one, that's okay, post another! There are some real winners there. I might just have to get out the ol' prize bag and do a poll of the top 3 entries for y'all to vote on.

So don't be shy, and you quiet readers -- it's time to delurk and let your bloggy voices be heard. :) Come on...we promise not to bite!