Same Old Same Old - The "Next" MacGyver Edition

Alas, this is not about the old series where a lovely guy saved the day with some gum and a paper-clip.

Nope.

I went looking for a TV calendar in order to check when my siblings could start sending me spoilers about my favourite shows again, and I found a mention of the next MacGyver's first episode.

You see, last year I shipped my own plot bunnies to the Next MacGyver competition. When I got a message telling me that my script ideas weren't selected for the next step, I remember sending an answer wishing them luck and promising to watch the new series (what's not to love about women kicking arses and saving the day with some gum and a paper-clip... and maybe some GPS device to update the concept?).

I quite like my ideas, and I'm somehow glad that I find myself free to develop them without having studio people telling me to change "this, and that, and that... Oh, and maybe that, too".

I hadn't checked the project since last year, but I investigated a bit after reading the première date. Then, I had to dig deeper, because the competition I'd joined was about promoting women and having a female "MacGyver" as the next number 1 in the cast, but I was reading about blokes, and more blokes.

I must admit that I was barely caffeinated, and I briefly thought I'd stumbled upon a different project, but... no.

Shelved is the idea of the next MacGyver being played by a woman; it's all about cunning men saving the world (from inside the US government apparently, and there's one woman around, but she sounds like a right ungrateful, entitled bitch - on paper, at least). 

I don't know how the initial project was killed, but I'm not interested in that remake - at all.

I don't know if it's rampant sexism, fear about something new, fear about having too much science (and too many women?) in one show, but I don't care. This "MacGyver" doesn't look interesting or challenging enough.

There's one good thing, though: my own plot bunnies from the competition just hopped ahead in my writing queue.

Of Lazy Companies

'Dear Customer,

please, do our job...'

I can't help but have this sentence stuck in my head to summarize what just happened to me.

I got a letter from a "CCC" company that was informing me of the change/renewal of some piece of "AA" equipment in my flat.

The bloody thing looked like a scam.

I phoned to "AA", but no one knew about it... until I read them the letter, & they pointed out the piece of equipment now belongs to "AAa" ('Hello, communication between services!?' <- my Sarc font is firmly on).

I phoned to "AAa", and they confirmed that "CCC" works for them - but they had no trace of the change in my file (the OCD in me was beginning to twitch a little).

I phoned "CCC" because the appointment in the letter didn't work for me.

I could change it; no problem... buuuuuuuuut the lovely secretary told me that I should call the technician on the day of the appointment in order to know when he's going to be at my flat.

Aforementioned technician only has a mobile number (that's logical), & such numbers aren't included in my phone package & I am NOT going to pay to phone a guy when it's the "CCC" company that should contact me.

I told the secretary that I wouldn't be able to phone the technician, & I gave her my phone number (an old-fashioned landline).

She said that they'd contact me. [I thought "cool!"].

Then she said that I'd have to phone the technician to know when he'd be at my flat. ô.O

I realized that she wanted me to do their job, but... oops! I'm not paid for that.

Either they call me or they can drop dead - & I'll call "AAa" to read them the riot act in fifteen languages.

Oh.. "AAa" sent me a link to a poll. When they asked me if I had suggestions, weeeeell, I may have made a few to have them work properly, & not like lazy sloths.

I fear there shall be a "Part 2" to this story...

That Spy Novel

My plot bunnies tend to be twisted (no surprise here).

Perhaps I decided that the action of An Honourable Spy should take place in the Victorian era because there are so many possibilities or perhaps because it would allow the plot to have some freedom and not be corseted by the current ways of spying (fewer computers, more ciphers and snitches).

I've got in my head all the background info for all my main characters, now, I just need to have a historical timeline, facts, and a plausible plot against Victoria (or other people).

I've decided that the action of my story is going to take place in 1887 and 1888 (plenty to do then!).

When I just blogged about my plot bunnies, I typed: 'An Honourable Spy (a [pseudo-]Victorian piece of nuttiness inspired by History, and too many spy novels)'. The second part was meant to give a general description, but... do you think that it might be fun to keep that in the full description of the book?

Meet Our 'Babies' [Book 1]

Since our company's website is only on Xampp for the moment, I'll use this blog to make you meet our books.

I've got photos of the one that was posted today (my cousin's M. St., which she'd promised to publish years ago):

I'll take pictures of the others as soon as I can (yes, I know, it was silly not to take pics of our 'babies' before we mailed them to Godmother National Library).

That 'White Rabbit' Feeling (A Dru Update with Some Book News)

Everything's mad (in my life), my dears.

There's not enough hours in a day for everything.

One more title for Éditions Aikyō was just sent to be registered (one of my cousin's this time).

I'm still growling on a regular basis, but I'm really recycling most growls into my Sci-Fi plots. Novel #3 has just exploded, because of a controversial piece of clothing that's presented as "liberating" when the bottom line I see is that some have been brainwashed to believe it was necessary to look "modest" (I've created a kingdom where I'm going to use the news to feed the bunnies).

I'm currently writing two novels: Muff&Sherly 3, & An Honourable Spy (a [pseudo-]Victorian piece of nuttiness inspired by History, and too many spy novels), and reading three: Se una notte d'inverno un viaggiatore by Italo Calvino, La coartada de Antínoo by Manuel Franscico Reina, and this beauty:

Look! A Car Goodvert!

I find this commercial for the new Fiat 500 Riva, "The smallest yacht in the world" absolutely delightful. So I've found a link to it, and I'm sharing it with you.
Enjoy!

^_^

Less Growling? (Brexit-free.... Almost)

Am I growling less? Nope. The state of the world and my latent allergy to stupidity are still making me growl (or even howl at the Moon) on a regular basis.

It's "just" that I'm not growling here because I started recycling my growls into plot bunnies: my Sci-Fi universe needs feeding, and I'm using our world in order to describe a planet as I dream ours were.

For example, you can bet that a certain veeeeeeeeeery recent referendum will prominently figure in one of my Sci-Fi universe novels. Honestly, I went to bed before the results of the Scottish and the EU referendums were announced, and I woke up to weirdness; I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't go to bed to keep an eye on what's going on when there's a big vote (yea, because my staying up could change anything - of course <- this is my Sarc font being firmly on).

As well, the publishing team and I (the infamous triumvirate) are working on registering more books - and I'm doing all that between spots of renovations. I'm knackered, but the muscles are nice.

I haven't forgotten my blog. I'm still the growly gal you read. I'm using the nuttiness of our planet to feed the plot bunnies (and right now, I've got a dictatorship that's going to be invaded by an army led by a fierce gal - it'll be fun... but not for everybody).

I'll wave and post as often as I can, and if you'd like not all the growls to become plot bunny food, say so... ^_~

Victim Blaming Is Alive and Well

I really should read fewer newspapers.

I really should not read the comments.

I was reading a new article about the latest "scandal" about a courageous rape victim who was betrayed by the sentencing judge (because the culprit, as a fellow star athlete, deserves to not be properly punished).

It's this New York Times article (it's good, and I've got nothing to say against the journalist).

No, my problem is with whichever plonker picked a victim-blaming comment as a NYT Picks:

There are other similar comments on the thread. Of course. Gosh! My Sarc font is on again!

It's not about showing both sides of an argument. There's NO argument; one does not betray a victim yet another time by giving "air time" to a caveman. Full stop.

Oh, and for good measure, here's the mug of the culprit's protector judge:

I could add something about the letter that the culprit's father wrote, but there's no point in risking my lovely brain cells. Go read about that other caveman; he's a piece of... something.

Interesting Nightmare

*points at title* No, I'm not talking about the launch of the publishing company (though it's rather entertaining - in a weird way, and the launch's the reason for my being so quiet around here these weeks).

When I have fever (and with the defrosting of the last millimetres of my nerve VII, it happens a lot), I have nightmares. Usually, most nightmares dissolve from my brain when I stand up and go to the kitchen to make breakfast, but sometimes, I remember the nightmares.

I put a notebook next to my bed in order to write bits about the nightmare plots (years ago, I had a terrible nightmare - properly scary and all. I remember thinking that it'd make a very, very good story, and the moment I got up, "Poof!" most of it was gone. I still hope my brain will give me that plot bunny back one day - even if it's scary).

Last night's nightmare is still in my head. It's not a plot bunny candidate this one... It's just... odd.

It brought me back to my college days, back when I was still a student and I was a teacher as well. Until I sat for my PhD, I was afraid that something would happen, and my delightful, feverish brain brought me back to that time in my latest nightmare:

I was teaching at my old college (that was odd, because I taught a few classes at another college back then), and I was planning to sit for my PhD in a couple of weeks when someone from administration came to see me and informed me that they thought I was missing a unit for... my BA.

I protested that I could prove that I had my BA - and my MA, and my M.St, but they were going back to my BA and were quite cold.

No one was helping me until... one of my colleagues decided to fight for me. That colleague? Oh... just Mr Gary Sinise (let's blame that one on Criminal Minds, shall we?).

He did manage to help me, but he did it not in the way I wanted to prove that I had my BA, and I was quite angry.

He tried to apologize by bringing a small military band (like the ones that play at St James's Park) to play for me, and... I woke up.

It's very strange because Mr Sinise was quite nice, but the fear of losing all my hard work because someone had lost an old file of mine was quite vivid and unpleasant (yes, I do see the possible link with the stress caused by the company launch, thank you).

Back to work...

See you "soon"...