It's chilly and breezy and rainy around here. The kind of day that makes a body want to stay home and nest. But I did go to Nia this morning (music: Queen Latifah's Dana Owens CD -- and if you haven't head it, I highly recommend it). And to the Fiesta for soup supplies.

The beginnings of black bean soup are simmering on the stove. Beans and onions and garlic and cilantro and cumin and soon-to-be-added chipotle chilis canned in adobo. And at the end, an enormous amount of spinach and more cilantro. I hope it's good -- I blame the New York Times either way.

Hope everyone is well and that you had lovely holidays.

After a difficult 2008, I rejoin the world. To that end, I'm writing with abandon and joy again, and often.

Also to that end, "The Devil Wears Combat Boots" is now available for reading in the fabulous Electric Velocipede Issue No. 15/16 (Double Issue). If it is your will, read and hopefully enjoy.

On Countdown tonight, I saw that Sarah Palin has taken her condescending line about community organizers on the stump. We'll probably be hearing it a lot from here on out.

I am baffled by the people who cheer for an insult to millions of people in this country. I'm related to one of them, in fact. He commented to me that Obama started the whole thing by mocking Palin's having been the mayor of a small town. I told him that what she said about community organizers goes far beyond any return fire at Obama. She fired her words at every community organizer in the nation. And that was very, very stupid.

The response? Crickets.

Because of course there is no response.

I could use a lot of words other than stupid to describe Palin's words. Such as cruel, venal, nasty, sneering, and evil. Heartless -- definitely heartless.

Oh, and backfiring.

bunnies on CD. With hoppy legs and itchy little noses.

For those who missed other announcements, please proceed immediately via the lovely banner to get your Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on. Free! And in the wind on the 20th.

The story I sold last week to Chiaroscuro -- "Outcast" -- is online and free to read. If you're interested, go to http://chizine.com/ and follow the fiction link.

w00t!

Electric Velocipede # 14 is available. It debuted at WisCon -- where better to debut an all-female contributors issue? And an awesome list of contributors it is!

For the interested, it includes my story "Your Blood."

Issues are only $7.00. Go here: http://www.electricvelocipede.com/htm/shopping.htm if you want a copy.

Happy reading!

This is absolutely amazing and gorgeous.

The books for the May workshop assignment have arrived from the amazonians. And so my evening will be spent with dog-walking, gym-going, novel-revisioning, and Clive Cussler.

I wondered how he was going to handle this. I have never been more impressed with the man than I am this morning.

Full text here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html

I've been working like crazy lately, so not so much with the posting. Meanwhile, finishing up short story and starting new novel, with revisions on old novel as well.

Today is gorgeous day -- cold and windy, but with bright, warm sunshine. I went out on my lunch hour to vote in the primary and will caucus later -- the beauty of the Texas electoral system.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of filing on my desk and a Reed's Ginger Ale. Yum!

My story "Bones" is online at Fantasy Magazine. Yay!

Go on by if you like and check it out along with all the other fascinating new fiction.

Traveled to New Hampshire. Taught storytelling workshop. Played in snow. Drank whiskey. Read two books. Finished short story. Started new novel, working title: The Bone Door.

Caught chest cold. Hack hack, sneeze, ohmyheadhurtsesprecious. And that's with the antibiotics and the Mucinex-D.

It's chilly and rainy here, but I can't complain on account of it not being 4 degrees with overnight lows in the negative numbers. Also, I have plenty of warm and dry.

This weekend there will be some writin'. Also some curled up in a blanket with hot tea. I may even watch a movie in the dark with popcorn. It could happen.

Oh, yeah --

Read:

City of Bones - Clarissa Clare
The Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray

Currently reading (and belatedly):

Blood and Chocolate - Annette Curtis Klause

Watching:

La Femme Nikita (Season 3)

If you insist on hard-boiling eggs in your grandmother's ancient saucepan, make sure you don't go check the mail or take out the trash while you're doing it. Because after a decade or two of holding up right nice to the heat, a thin place in the saucepan's metal might just melt and throw sparks.

If you're in range of the potential catastrophe, you could take the pot off the heat and make sure nothing catches fire. But then you'll have to boil your eggs in something else, won't you? Plus, there'll be the calling of the apartment management to get yourself a new burner coil, being as the one on the stove is just destroyed.

At least the eggs were tasty.

"Offerings" is online at Fantasy Magazine beginning today. Y'all go read and hopefully enjoy.

Thanksgiving is -- OMG! -- next week.

And there will be stuffing at our fabulous gluten- and casein-free family dinner. We adore Gluten Free Girl!

The Stuffing Recipe Be Here. ::grin::

"The Devil Wears Combat Boots" to Electric Velocipede.

(My novelette "Your Blood" will be out in their spring issue, too. A couple of folks might remember that one -- it's a Master Class story.)

Yay!

This article in today's New York Times made me grin. Also, it made me hungry.

In the spirit of local favorites, if you're ever in town make sure to check out the original Irma's, open only for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. Unless of course the Astros are playing down the block, and then you might be lucky enough to catch dinner.

The Military Commissions Act. Warrantless wiretapping. Shredding of Habeas Corpus. Torture. Extraordinary Rendition. Secret Prisons.

No more.

I have decided to place a "hold" on the latest FISA bill that would have included amnesty for telecommunications companies that enabled the President's assault on the Constitution by illegally providing personal information on their customers without judicial authorization.

I said that I would do everything I could to stop this bill from passing, and I have.

It's about delivering results -- and as I've said before, the FIRST thing I will do after being sworn into office is restore the Constitution.

But we shouldn't have to wait until then to prevent the further erosion of our country's most treasured document.

That's why I am stopping this bill today.

Please indicate your support for my hold by signing on below and consider sharing your thoughts in the comment section.

http://action.chrisdodd.com/signUp.jsp?key=1570

RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch
(reprinted)