Saturday, February 17, 2007

Books, My Baby, and some OMG-ness

Today's topic of discussion is books...and maybe a little Carson Beckett.

If any of you remember or ever read R.L. Stine's Fear Street books, then how about this. I have reviewed over 57 of those books on Epinions.com, which I believed helped catapult me into my Top Reviewer and Advisor status in the book category. On another good note, I have just sold all 57 of my (and my sister's) old Fear Street books on the infamous eBay. Yes, I am not a fan of eBay and won't ever buy there again, but that doesn't mean I won't sell. For the record, the Sex and the City DVDs never came. However, not too terribly long after filing my suit on PayPal, I got all $152.94 back, so yippee skippy for me. Back to the books, they sold for a pretty sweet $46. I had hopes that maybe I'd get $57; at least $1 per book, but considering I started these babies for what they might have been sold at a garage sale ($0.25 - or maybe less considering people around here haggle over items that are $0.50; how goddamn cheap are you??), I've made a pretty nice profit from them, so eBay has redeemed itself as a decent place/concept. Now if only I could sell the I Spy books...

Stephanie Plum, ah the famous Stephanie Plum. For a long time now I've been pondering over possible actors and actresses for roles in a theatrical version, and I'm pretty happy with some of my choices. I decided (very randomly) to put up some of them, as I haven't been ridiculously thorough with all the characters, but I figured it could be fun nonetheless. Not necessarily a rival to my sister's list (as some I agree with and others I don't), but just something to do with my time. These are all considered tentative in the case that some fresh new talent comes along or I simply find someone better or the person is the closest I can get for now (for example, Debra Messing, while not bad, I'm not too sure about her with non-red hair).

Stephanie Plum - Debra Messing or at least someone very similar

Joe Morelli - Thomas Jane

Ranger - still no idea. The man/character is a mystery. Gonna have to be someone new.

Lula - Monique (didn't know what her name was until seeing my sister's list - then realized we were thinking about the same person. Kickass)

Benito Ramirez - Michael Clark Duncan

Constantine Stiva - Crap. I have the guy's face in my mind but can't figure out his name. Don't worry, I'll get it sooner or later...

Randy Briggs - Either Martin Klebba or Peter Dinklage

Eddia Abruzzi - Jason Statham

Albert Kloughn - Not Jason Alexander, but someone very similar to him...

Ranger's Merry Men - Half the guys on the S.W.A.T. team from Bad Boys II

Ok, so it's a small list, but it's all I can remember at the moment as these were the people that first popped into my mind and have stuck around since. I really do think Ranger is going to have to be someone we've never seen before because I cannot even begin to imagine The Rock in this role, or anyone else for that matter. Plenty of good people out there, I'm sure, so they should have a chance.

Lastly on the topic of books, I've read Silence of the Lambs and now have Hannibal in my possession, which lead me to thinking maybe 3 or 4 hours ago...I think it was at dinner - what do people taste like? Oh shut up, it's a legitimate question. I've even discussed this with one or two people at some point. Doesn't mean I'm gonna go all psycho. You know you've had it pop in your mind once and a while and if not, well now it's in there, isn't it? Haha. But seriously, I've heard that animals like lions and sharks don't constantly eat us because we don't taste good. Now that could be utter bull for all I know, but what if that's true? Do we suck as a meat delicacy? And it's not like they're getting crappy tastes either; surfers are usually in good shape. You pretty much have to be. So it just makes me wonder...what do humans taste like?

Anyway, I hope Hannibal is more fun than the movie. I liked the movie, but I got impatient with the Clarice/Hannibal cat and mouse game. I guess after this I'll have to read Hannibal Rising and then maybe Red Dragon for good measure, just to make sure I finish all of them. I don't like loose ends if I can help it.

Now that I know I'm not going to get phone calls or emails from any of you ever again due to weirded-out-ness, it's time to talk about Carson. My beloved baby Carson. Dr. Carson Beckett, to be exact. Ficticious character and one I'm sure about, ah, well none of you are aware of. Only if you watch Stargate Atlantis, which I don't think any of you do. No matter. I have to fuss anyway. They're taking him off the show. Yes, after forming his character, making it into a main one the second season, this season they're going to kill him off. My cute, Scottish doctor is going to get blown up, tossed into a casket, and taken back to Earth. I am not happy. Very not happy. He was one of the more 3D characters on that show, a main reason why I watched it. Now it's going to go downhill. Very disheartening. Especially since I watch so little TV as it is. A few sitcoms and some Stargates. Except now SG-1 is going off the air and they're killing my favorite character in Atlantis. What a bummer.

All right. Fine. Whatever. I'll still watch the show, but I've made a vow that if they kill off Ronon (who, along with being a super-fun character, is pretty damn hot) I'll quit watching the show. At least they'll all know that, producers and such. Yeah, I wrote letters. I hooked up with the SaveCarsonBeckett.com movement. I couldn't help myself. But I had to vent somewhere that mattered, even if nothing is going to change. Some of it is kind of like all the resent I've built up over the years for other shows I've liked that have disappaered (and subsequently been replaced by shit programs). It goes a long way back. Like to when I was a kid and David the Gnome was the last cool show on Nickelodeon, and then *poof!* that was gone too. I don't think I've ever religously watched a show since then. Enjoyed, yes, but made a point to remember and sit down every day/night to watch something? Mmm...not that I remember. Until now. But that's because there is absolutely nothing ever on TV and I forget half the time anyway so I have to make a note to remember and watch.

So what's this got to do with writing? Carson Beckett is the inspiration for my Dominic Ballard, and reading books is good for you because it gives you insight into other styles. In the case of R.L. Stine, it reminds you what NOT to do, and with Thomas Harris, what you don't really like. I'm hoping Hannibal will be different. Stephanie Plum, well she's just for fun. And I am pretty unwavering in my choice for Joe Morelli.




Currently: "OMG is Nicole crazy??"