#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 567

Hey Everyone! :-)

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Five-Hundred-Sixty-Seven:

I am gratified to note that the infant felid is as baffled as I by my hominid-servant's propensity for starting each day by immersing herself beneath a stream of running water. What attraction such behavior could have for any creature with an ounce of sense of self-preservation is beyond me. And, apparently, the tiny pest shares my confusion.

Today, he spent quite a bit of time observing this ritual and examining the basin in which my hominid-servant performs it, after she had vacated it. He did not seem to reach any conclusions, either. Heartened by this apparent interest in systematic discovery, I attempted to share with him the testing I have done on the makeup of the basin itself and the contents of the water.

The basin appears to be made of some form of ceramic coated in a colored enamel. I wasn't able to get a more precise reading without damaging the surface of the basin, but there doesn't appear to be anything present in its composition that would affect my hominid-servant's ability to protect herself. Likewise, the water contains the sort of trace elements, minerals, and sediment that one would expect, but nothing that could be expected to have a psychoactive effect on hominid biology. Findings which make my hominid-servant's actions all the more inexplicable.

Unfortunately, the infant felid's new-found scientific curiosity did not extend to such minutia, and he abandoned me mid-lecture. Still, I consider this a hopeful development and will proceed in my attempts to recruit the small creature with more optimism than I previously held.

Those hominids sure are confusing! ;-) You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. ;-) Happy reading, everyone!

#Fantasy, Then And Now...

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today, I'd like to talk about a changing trend I've noticed in fantasy fiction that I think is pretty interesting. Up front, I don't consider it a matter of "right" or "wrong" because it's fiction, so the only things it really makes sense to talk about are style and taste. Also, I'm only talking about "popular" or "mainstream" fantasy fiction, not underground, cult, or fan fiction, which has always been more diverse and complicated. Also, before people start sending me a pack of emails pointing out exceptions, yes, I know. There are always exceptions. I'm just talking about a general trend. ;-) But I'd love to hear if any of you have noticed something similar or if you think I'm just completely off base. :-)

In older fantasy fiction, older meaning early to mid 20th century, there tended to be clear "good guys" and "bad guys." A couple good examples of this were stories like Lord Of The Rings and the classic Superman and Batman comics and shows. The twists and turns in the plots of those stories mostly came from good guys turning out to be bad guys in disguise or vice versa. Or, at most, a good guy struggling against a dark or selfish impulse all the while knowing what the "right" thing to do was. Or a bad guy being redeemed by love or a kind act.

But, for the most part, there were always clearly delineated lines between good and bad/right and wrong. And everyone always knew which side they should be cheering for. Star Wars was another good example of this, and I think part of the reason the second, prequel, trilogy didn't "click" as well with the public is because it was made when the shift to the new trend was happening and George Lucus kind of tried to incorporate both styles, which just doesn't work at all.

The new trend, as I see it, is for fantasy fiction to try to more closely mirror real life in its characters' personalities and interactions. Instead of having two clearly delineated "sides," there are multiple viewpoints and who belongs where is flexible and dynamic. Instead of always knowing what is "right" and either choosing to do it or not do it, characters are more like real people in that they struggle to figure out what they should do based on biases, an incomplete set of facts, and a continuously shifting environment.

"Heroes" in this new type of fantasy are generally deeply flawed, sometimes even making a vice out of what would normally be a virtue by taking it to an unreasonable extreme. And "villains" are usually sympathetic on some level, with complex backgrounds and motivations that explain, if not justify, their behavior.

In the final analysis, there may not even be a "good" side and a "bad" side, but just a story about a bunch of people muddling through a series of situations not knowing what will happen next or if they're making good choices, but just trying to survive. And some of them do and some of them don't, and which is which seems to be largely based on chance and circumstance. And at the end, no one is where they expected to be, very few plans have come to fruition, and there isn't really a clear "winner" or an obvious, overarching goal that has been achieved. It's just a story about a bunch of people, their struggles, how they reacted to the situations they found themselves in, and what happened to them.

If there is a "right" side and a "wrong" side, they generally don't become clear until the end, and even then are debatable based on which character's point of view you find most sympathetic. The newer stories seem to try to highlight all the shades of gray that are to be found in life, and how temperament and life experience can color most situations even further. The point, generally speaking, seems to be that, in the final analysis, while there still may be those who are selfish or cruel, many of a person's choices are dictated by their circumstance, and most people just try to do the best that they can. Good examples of this kind of story are Game Of Thrones, American Gods, and The Walking Dead.

Personally, I think the shift is fascinating, and I'm interested to see where it goes. Since fiction, to one extent or another, is always a reflection of the author's experiences and perception of reality, if I'm correct about this trend then that would seem to suggest that we may be in the middle of a sea-change as a society. I'm not really sure what, exactly, it says about our culture, but I'd love to hear an analysis of it by the psychological community as well as historians, in case any of you have come across any discussion of this phenomenon in the professional literature and want to leave a link in the comments. I'd also love to hear what you think, so feel free to let me know in the comments. :-)

Peace!

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share.  Actually, I've got a couple videos I think it might be worth your while to take a look at. The first is a very short commercial by the DSCC and the second is an in-depth, if humorous, explanation by John Oliver of all the terrible things in the AHCA that the commercial is trying to communicate.

If, like me, you're an American, this bill will affect you. Even if you have private health insurance through your employer, this bill will affect you. So, take a look and think about it. If we all put enough pressure on our elected representatives, it's possible we can keep this travesty of a bill from becoming law.

Easy Bean #Salad #Recipe!

Hey Everyone!!

I'm back with another one of my favorite warm weather recipes! Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:
1 12oz can light red kidney beans
1 12oz can dark red kidney beans
1 12oz can black beans
1 12oz can pinto beans
1 12oz can chickpeas
3 cups raw kale
1 jalapeno or chili pepper chopped fine
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup and 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine (or balsamic) vinegar
5 cloves garlic minced fine
Salt and pepper to taste


Pour all the cans of beans into a colander, rinse thoroughly, and set aside to drain. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, the kale, and the pepper until the kale wilts. Mix the cooked kale and pepper with the beans and the cooked quinoa. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the dressing with kale, pepper, beans, and quinoa. Serve chilled as a salad.

A chopped onion and/or a shredded carrot are also good in this salad. If spice isn't your thing, just leave out the pepper or replace it with a sweet bell pepper. Also, any of the beans can be replaced with your favorite beans.

Bon Appetit!

#Spring Into #Reading #Giveaway! $100 #Cash #Grand #Prize! #Free To #Enter!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

There's a new giveaway for spring!  Please take a moment to check out the Spring Into Reading Giveaway!!  There are lots of awesome books and prizes!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 60 prizes, and the grand prize is $100 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)

Is The #Fun In The Chase Or In Being Caught? ;-)

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I thought I'd give you a little something to start your weekend off right. Enjoy! ;-)

Excerpt from Taken By The Huntsman:
As she slowed to unfasten her clothing, a body slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. Her captor turned them both in the air so that she landed on top of him, but then quickly rolled her beneath him and pinned her. The scent of the one who held her drove her wild, and she grabbed him and pulled him closer. Sliding her hands up to his mass of hair, she grabbed two handfuls of it and pulled his face closer to hers. Reaching up, she placed her lips gently against his and inhaled deeply. This was what she needed.

Cassie pulled her captor even closer and wrapped her legs around his waist. She opened her mouth and probed his lips with her tongue. When he opened his mouth, she slid her tongue inside and kissed him passionately.

Using her hands, she searched until she had found a gap in his clothing. She slid her arms around him, skimming her hands up the bare skin of his back, underneath his shirt. Sinking her fingernails into the flesh of his back, she held him close to keep her prey from escaping.

She didn’t know why she needed this so badly, but she felt like she would die if the male on top of her didn’t help ease the pain she was feeling. Frantically, she worked her hips back and forth, grinding the center of her body against his stomach. She groaned in frustration, and then in satisfaction when she felt him touch her there with his hand.

Taken by the Huntsman

#APC #Spotlight: Wild Violets By Trisha Sugarek!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Trisha Sugarek in my APC spotlight, today!  Trisha is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her contemporary women's fiction novel, Wild Violets, looks great! Here's the description:

It’s the roaring twenties in San Francisco, a decade famous for hot jazz and bath tub gin. Violet is a beautiful, single woman with children of her own. She has left her small home town in the Pacific Northwest to pursue a successful basketball career and with her earnings, she bought a bar and grill. She is a ‘flapper’ in every sense of the word; working all day and playing all night. While her teenage daughter raises her seven year old son, Violet is out on the town with her latest man de’jour. Dressed in her signature red dress, she is the toast of the town and owner of a speakeasy where she hosts the cream of San Francisco’s society, city politicians, bishops, and Hollywood celebrities.

But there is an underbelly of corruption, grifters, the mob, excess, and neglect in Violet’s life. Her two children are an afterthought and she chooses her men over their well being time and time again. Their childhood needs are always trumped by her self-indulgent desires. The two children are possessions that she can put down or pick up again on a whim, showing them off to her current beau or friends and then forgotten. And when they get in her way, she gets rid of them.

If you think this sounds like a story you'd enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)