Michelle Scott's Blog, page 31

My October Horror Movie Line-up

I love horror.

As a kid, whenever those Scholastic book order forms came, I went straight for the scary stuff, and when I got older, I couldn't get enough Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz.
Now that I'm a parent, I like to spend quality time with my kids by watching scary movies in October. It's a good way to bond (probably because we are all usually hiding under the same blanket!) I do have to be careful about my choices, though, since my girls are still fairly young and easily upset. Sometimes, even a benign episode of the X-Files can cause a sleepless night!
So, taking the diverse ages and interests of my family into consideration, I've compiled my final list of family horror movies for October, 2010.
- Misery (Kathy Bates, James Caan, Stephen King...what's not to like?)
- The Descent (for my teen-aged son and me)
- Lady in the Water (for my love of M. Night Shyamalan)

- Lady in White (If you've never seen this one, I highly recommend it! Pretty tame, but fun none-the-less)
- Creepshow (more Stephen King!)
- Little Shop of Horrors (horror with a musical twist)
If none of these interest you, Wikipedia compiled an excellent list of thrilling movies for the haunting season.

Excuse Me While I Wrap My Kernel

Yes, I know, I know... It's my own darn fault. If I hadn't been trying to watch the last season of Lost on the Internet (without paying...), I wouldn't have linked to the suspicious Website that, in turn, gave my computer a terrible virus.

Now, every time I turn on my computer, I get a false alert from a company telling me that my computer is infected (which, of course, it is - by their stupid virus!) Now this group of #$%!! hackers is holding my beloved PC hostage until I agree to give them my credit card number. (Which, I'm most definitely, not, by the way. I fell for that trick once in second grade.)

Anyway, because my computer is now virtually useless, I've decided to try something completely different. Instead of using the Microsoft OS to run things, I'm turning down a different path: Linux. Or, more specifically, Ubuntu.

To me, Ubuntu sounds like a mystical region from a forgotten contiment. Visiting there has not been easy! After so many years of sticking to the well-lit, safe world of Windows XP, I am way out of my comfort zone. Though I've successfully installed the Ubuntu software, I cannot access Wifi. And while there are plenty of websites offering information on how to do such a thing, I cannot understand them. Even the ones labeled 'for n00bs' or 'beginners' thwart me.

And, as I quickly found out, the natives of Ubuntu are not friendly to visitors. The uninitiated are mocked and told, "If you want an OS that runs like Windows, then buy Windows."

But learning this new system has got me thinking. For example, I'd never realized that there was such a (snarky) sub-culture of Linux users. Nor did I realize that changing operating systems would be as different as changing citizenship. And, until now, I've never given a thought to the layers of programming code that lie beneath the tranquil waters of my Windows screen. Certainly, I have a deeper appreciation for the complexity of a computer.

But the mystique of using Linux prevails. While I was installing the program, my teen aged son wandered into the room and said, "I've always wondered...who uses these weird operating systems for their computers?"

Apparently, they are the most legendary of intrepid people: middle-aged, suburban, soccer moms.

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Picture credit: Thor With the Hammer, Thor Arvid

Fifty years ago, artist Jules Fieffer and author Norman ...

Fifty years ago, artist Jules Fieffer and author Norman Judster collaborated on what has always been one of my favorite books, The Phantom Tollbooth.

For the uninitiated, The Phantom Tollbooth chronicles the adventures of Milo, a boy so bored with life that he always wishes he was in school when he's at home, and that he was at home when he is in school. He's a lackadaisical kid in a lackluster world. But then he receives some marvelous gifts: a car, a map and a tollbooth that allows him to enter a magical world and begin a quest to restore Rhyme and Reason (the princesses) to their rightful places in the kingdom.

I was eight when I was first introduced to Milo and his watchdog companion, Tock. The downtown library was showing the movie version (directed by Chuck Jones of Bugs Bunny fame), and my mom - probably looking for a few hours of peace and quiet - dropped me off to watch it. I was enthralled. (I secretly hoped that if I acted bored enough, someone would send me a car.) But while the movie was fun, it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the book which is stuffed with puns and bon mots.
Now, Fieffer and Judster have completed another book called The Odious Ogre . I am looking forward to reading it, and can only hope that this book is as wonderfully playful as the other.

Cheap Thrills Reviews "Whispering Bones"

Today on my blog, Cheap Thrills, I'm reviewing Rita Vetere's Whispering Bones.

Come join the fun...if you dare!

I'm Strange. How Cool is That?

I've been called strange before, but never in such a nice way.
Many thanks to Carole Gill over at Demon Vampire Horror for passing this award on to me. The award is originally from Christine Purcell who is celebrating the release of her novel, Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits.

The rules for the award are:

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog post
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate other blogs, telling why you think the recipient is strange enough to deserve the award.
4. Leave a message for those nominated on their blogs.
5. If you email catephoenix(at)gmail(dot)com and tell her you've received the award for your strangeness, she'll enter you in the biggest kick-ass Strange Men competition, ever.

Details are over at strangemeninpinstripesuits

My awards will be going to:

Livia Blackburn at A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing
The title pretty much says it all...

Benjamin Solah at Marxist Horror WriterAgain, it's the title. After all, how many Marxist horror writers do you know?

Nicole MacDonald at Damsel in a Dirty DressOkay, she's not exactly strange, but she's pretty kick-ass