The Journal of Michael Merriam

Questions from the original post here. Feel free to go ask your own questions!

greykev asks:


1. What do you think of global warming?

You mean global climate change? I think that ignoring it is a complete disaster in the making.

Look, if we do the things necessary to save ourselves from global climate change, and then those of us who believe in global climate change turn out to be wrong, well, we’ve still moved to something more sustainable long term, even if it was at a huge cost to the world economy.

If, however we do nothing--as the doubters would like--and then it turns out global climate change is real? I fear by time the doubters come around, it will likely be too late. If that happens, we are toast as a species.

I don't think it's a hard choice, but a lot of people would rather gamble the extinction of the species than make the short term sacrifices needed to secure our continued existence.

2. When did you last belly laugh?

I have no idea. Maybe at Minicon, but I'm not sure.

3. Birkenstocks or flip-flops and why?

Birkenstocks are the clear winner because of the straps and such. Flip-flops tend to fly right off my feet.

4. What did you regret about leaving Oklahoma?

I am a long way from my family and children, so I miss them and worry that I can't help them when they need it.

5. What's your favorite pulp superhero?

For old-fashioned pulpy goodness, I've always been partial to Burroughs' John Carter of Mars character, though I liked Doc Savage when I was younger, and was a fan of the DC comic "Warlord."

6. How would you utilize time travel?

Are talking Doctor Who style time travel? H.G. Wells style time travel?

I think the whole concept is fraught with peril. I also have a deep seated belief that, even if it were possible, the time lime / time stream would work hard to protect itself.

That said, I'd love to go back and observe certain events and see how people form various time periods really lived, as opposed to how we think they lived.

7. Who would you most like to bitchslap?

Any number of people in political administrations ranging from LBJ to W. And George Lucas, because really…

Questions from the original post here. Feel free to go ask your own questions!

songwind asks:

1. What do you think of Creative Commons?

Honestly, I have haven't quite figured out what it's purpose is. I mean, I get that it is designed to "enable copyright holders to grant some or all of their rights to the public while retaining others through a variety of licensing and contract schemes including dedication to the public domain or open content licensing terms," but I'm not sure of the necessity of it.

I think the energy used to create and maintain the CC project could be better spent working to rewrite existing copyright law so that it doesn't benefit a handful of corporations such as Disney.

2. When did you last bowl?

Too long ago. I haven't been bowling since we moved to Minnesota in 1999, and while I suck mightily at it, I still enjoy it!

3. Humanoid aliens or elves and why?

Despite the fact that I don't write SF, I'm going with Humanoid Aliens because I think they offer the writer more range as characters and less literary baggage than Elves.

4. What did you think when you found out you were losing your sight?

For the longest time, nothing. Once the ophthalmologist dropped the bomb, it was never spoken of again by my family, and I was never taken back for follow-up care. Since I was left alone to deal with it as a teenager, I tried hard to pretend it wasn't happening. The people around me--family, friends, teacher--did me a terrible disservice by pretending right along with me that everything was going to be fine.

But in the dark of night when I was alone with my thoughts? I was scared for the longest time. Eventually I got to the acceptance point, but the hard and sad fact is that I made most this journey into blindness alone. I consider myself fortunate that I had careswen to take some of hardest last steps with me.

5. What's your favorite ethnic cuisine?

Tex-Mex, but Chinese is a close second, and the more I'm exposed to East Indian cuisine the more I enjoy it.

6. How would you rewrite Dune?

I don’t really have the necessary skill level to improve it. That said, I think I'd tightened it a little bit, and I think Herbert's prose, which is clunky at times, could be smoothed out. I think the sequels all pretty much need to die.

7. Who would you most like to live near, whom you do not?

Assuming that they are going to move to where I am: I'd like all my friends to live within easy walking distance of me. Sometimes I feel a little isolated, since I have to take public transportation everywhere I go.

Questions from the original post here. Feel free to go ask your own questions!

mrissa asks:

1. What do you think of the Olympics in China?

Ok, first of all, I have hard time getting excited about the Olympics in China because they are the Summer Olympics, and I'm really more of a Winter Olympics kind of guy.

That said, I think that despite China's horrible record on human rights and other issues near and dear to my heart, the way to bring about change is to engage the Chinese government and Chinese people. Something like the Olympics gives the people of the world and the people of China an opportunity to engage with each other, to see each other as just people, and perhaps plant the seeds of change on some of the issues I find the Chinese government lacking on.

The bottom line is, we can't make the world a better place if we don't talk to each other. Do You Hear Me Washington D.C.?

2. When did you last cook eggs?

I had a one egg cheese omelet for breakfast on Tuesday. It was tasty.

3. Strawberries or blueberries and why?

This is a tough one, but I'm going to go with Strawberries. They are less squishy than blueberries, and seem to work better in a larger variety of dishes. Plus, they don't stain your fingers and clothes nearly as bad as blueberries.

4. What did you do with that thing? You know, the blue one? Is it on the kitchen counter?

The blue one? The one I got at that place with the people? Yeah, about that: There was an unfortunate accident involving three pounds of brown rice, a go-cart, the miniature ghost of Carl Jung, fireplace tongs, a Sousaphone, and Jeanne Garofalo, in which the blue one was sucked into an alternate dimension.

I don't really want to talk about that anymore, but I will replace it next time I'm there. I do, however, still have the red one. The cat is wearing it.

5. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Blue Bunny's Bunny Tracks is my current favorite. Before that, well, I don't know who made it, but in Oklahoma there was this ice cream that was dark chocolate, almonds, and cherries. It was yummy!

6. How would you lure a squirrel?

In order to lure a squirrel one must have the proper squirrel luring equipment, which includes a life-like tree costume, a squirrel call, and some nuts. Just be aware that once you've lured the squirrel in, they always go right for your nuts.

What?

7. Who would you most like to be on a panel with?

That I haven't already been on one with? Well, you and I haven't been on a panel together. I think that would be fun!

Questions from the original post here. Feel free to go ask your own questions!

janradder asks:

1. What do you think of Cookie Puss?

Horrifying. Really, David Letterman had the best idea in the world when he tossed one off a tall building. I suspect it tweaks the same thing in me that finds clowns so disturbing.

2. When did you last eat a jelly donut?

Oh, man, I don't really remember. Sometime last year I think. I need to correct that.

3. Shish kebab or wienerschnitzel and why?

This is a tough one, because I like them both, but I'm going to go with wienerschnitzel because it is the culinary ancestor to one of my favorite comfort foods, the Chicken Fried Steak.

4. What did you melt when you were a child?

Plastic army men, though I was fascinated by anything that melted. We lived in the country when I was a kid and had a burn barrel, so watching plastic bottles melt down was something I found interesting.

5. What's you're favorite light bulb?

Sylvania soft white 60 watt.

6. How would you direct traffic?

With a conductors baton. And poorly, since I'm blind, which would be the best revenge on all the stupid drivers who have nearly run me down--even when I'm walking legally in a crosswalk--over the last few years.

7. Who would you most like to insult?

Toss up between Supreme Court Justice Scalia and Ronald McDonald. They're both a couple of clowns in desperate need of ridicule.

If you would be so kind, ask me the seven questions below. Just copy and paste them into a comment, replace the blanks with anything you want--personal, silly, surreal (e.g. 3. Donkeys or sandcastles and why?), or deep -- and I'll answer honestly as I can!

1. What do you think of _____________ ?

2. When did you last ____________?

3. __________ or ___________ and why?

4. What did you ______________?

5. What's your favorite ______________?

6. How would you ______________?

7. Who would you most like to ________ ?


April Stats
Submissions Made: 4
Sales: 0
Rejections: 3
Other: 0
Publications: 2
Crits Given: 2
Approx Word Count: 12398
Stories Circulating: 11

Over on the Twin Cities Speculative Fiction Writers Network message board, someone posed these questions.  I thought I'd post my answers here as well:

Where do you write? (Or write best?)

I work all over the house. We have a desktop and two laptops, so I work off of a thumb drive (backing up at the end of the day to the newest laptop's hard drive) and work wherever I feel like it. Many times I work in a notebook, composing long hand. I'm not very temperamental; I can work in the living room, at the kitchen table, in a coffee shop, on the patio.  I do have an actual room to work in, which has the nicest chair and the most ergonomic setup, but I only work in that room periodically.

Do you keep a particular schedule?

I try to keep a Monday-Friday, Noon to 5pm writing schedule. If I can't do that for some reason, then I make up the hours in the early morning, from about 4am to 6 am. When I was working part-time, I wrote for 6 hours a day on my days off and in the early mornings on the weekend.

What gets you going and keeps you going? What do you do to recharge yourself when the words won't come?

The fact I know if I really want to create a career, I need to treat it like real work. This is one of the reason I keep a set schedule. I also usually work on projects I feel strongly about, so I want to write and work on them at every opportunity. To help recharge, I read and take walks. Walking helps me think.

How do you keep the faith at times when you feel you're getting nowhere as a writer?

I look at all the other writers I know who have built careers, sold their novels, and had the good things happen because they persevered! I can also fall back on my own track record. Having 40 short fiction sales can bolster one's morale in difficult times.

Do you have writing rituals, e.g. a lucky place, a special kind of pen, a shot of absinthe before you begin?

Not really. I make sure I've eaten and that I have something to drink close to hand before I start. I do admit that if I'm working longhand, I use a particular fountain pen and notebook (A Waterman Phileas with a broad nib and a Moleskine notebook), but that's because they are good, comfortable tools. I've written with a cheap Bic on a napkin in McDonalds, so I don't need the fancy pen and notebook.


Okay, now it's your turn!  How would you answer these questions?

By musingaloud

Six random things about me.

I once got a car airborne and stuck it between two trees. Be thankful I'm too blind to drive anymore.

I spent years working as everything from a line cook to a sous-chef to a kitchen manager, but I'm still afraid of sharp objects, including knives.

I need white noise or I can't sleep. I fact, I really prefer to have some kind of white noise (usually a fan) at all times.

I take my first cup of coffee in the morning with sugar. All the rest after that are black.

I do not like socks and only wear them when I must. I think socks are the devil's playthings. Feet should be free.

I am left-handed, but I swing baseball bats, golf clubs, and two-handed weapons right-handed. I can generate more speed and power right-handed for some reason. Everything else I do left-handed.

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Quality Time
with a secondary love language being
Physical Touch.

Complete set of results

Quality Time:		10
Physical Touch:		8
Words of Affirmation:		6
Acts of Service:		4
Receiving Gifts:		2

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

I woke up this morning to find I'd been nominated in three different categories in the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Awards. The nominations are in SF/F Short Story ("Nor to the Strong" in Ray Gun Revival), Horror Short Story ("Secret" in From the Asylum), and Author.

Huh.

The nasty ick has moved from my nose to my throat and lungs. Yeah.

I wrote my first 500 words of the new year last night.

On a positive note, I woke up hungry for the first time in since the day we flew home. I've been eating because I know I need to, but I've had no appetite until today. I'll take that as a positive sign.

The plan today is to watch the OU/West Virginia game I recorded last night, then settle in and work on rewrites, punctuated by occasional naps.

And now, a meme: