My artist engine is broken

I am creatively spent. I'm not quite sure why. Every time I sit down to write a long brewing and increasingly complex story, I find myself staring at the screen. Nothing comes from me anymore. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I have yet to hear about whether I passed my thesis. I think that might contribute to it. Also doing the whole family thing with the two kids seems to have evaporated my brain cells.Is there a version of pregnancy brain for kids?

I am Back

I officially turned in my thesis yesterday afternoon. I am fairly comfortable with the end product. It was such an all encompassing process that I was unable to write anything else. My other projects have gone to seed in the meantime. I intend to return to them as soon as possible.
It was strange to wake up this morning and realize that I did not have to work on my thesis. I have worked on my thesis every day since last August. I only took a break on Christmas. My thesis is in the hands of the readers and I am apprehensive but confident. I have done the best job that I can do. My thesis adviser told me that it was good. If it should be rejected, then  I know that I still did all I could do and will be happy. Now it is time to return to writing for my own enjoyment. It's an exciting time.

Thesis Stage 3

I am now officially onto stage 3 of my thesis: REVISION. This is possibly the most terrifying part of the process as everything has to be perfect. Previously, I was writing with the uninhibited concept that nothing needed to be perfect. Now I need to go through my thesis with a fine tooth comb, and I need to do it in record time with babygeddon approaching quickly. I am scared, but slightly enthused that it might be over soon.

Bouncing Back

Yesterday, after my "feel sorry for myself" post, I finally got back to work. For real this time. I actually worked for almost 90 minutes and managed to  write over a page. Plus, I have a plan that will allow me to finish my thesis on time and hopefully make it valid.
Here is my new schedule:

Nov. 16th to Nov. 30th--Complete "Free Content" chapter (only fifteen more pages to go!)
Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st--Revise "Free Content" chapter and write "Communities, memes and orality" chapter.
Jan 1st to Jan. 31st--Revise "Communities, Memes and Orality" chapter and write "Reading on the Web" chapter.
Feb 1st to Mar. 1st--Revise all and write intro and conclusions. Also, be present at birth of second child.
Mar. 1st to May--Pray

I know if I work every day, for at least an hour, I can do it.

My Sick Month

I can start first by telling you what I have not been up to. I definitely have not been writing. This is a sheer fact. I was doing some explosive writing for a little more than two weeks and then I saw sidelined. Badly. I had no idea how badly.
It first came on about a month ago when I felt my chest beginning to congest. I immediately went into the doctor to "nip it in the bud". I was prescribed antibiotics an presumed that I would be okay.
That was three doctor visits, an ER visit and two different antibiotics ago. I have had two different, nasty colds, bronchitis, and the infamous H1N1 influenza A. Each were separate and individually fun illnesses.
Oh, and I threw up on my regular doctor. Projectile. He immediately pronounced me a swine flu victim. Tamiflu was prescribed. It was bad.
I am sitting here with less than four months to go and I am royally screwed. Totally screwed. My mojo is gone. I need help again. I need to get back on the horse.
On the bright side I have acquired a new and totally sweet laptop. Windows 7 rules and my lungs only hurt a little.

I am so screwed.

Colleen and Uncle Mark

Colleen and Uncle Mark
Originally uploaded by belassoff

So cute. I don't think I have ever gotten her to wave on command to a camera. Good job Uncle Mark.

I Feel So Duped

Yesterday, like many of you, I was caught up in a media story that I became emotionally invested in. It's not the one you think it is. For awhile, I was caught up in Meghan McCain's Twittergate scandal and was totally behind her. I thought, how dare people make such a big deal about such a beautiful woman's picture. I tweeted a note of support. I was briefly outraged over the "outrage." Of course, part of me wondered whether Meghan might start to realize that her conservative base was really the ones who were offended. Maybe she might have a moment of reflection regarding that.
Nope. Wrong.
Instead, I read this.Now I am no expert here, but it seems to me that rather than have a moment to actually address the topic in some sort of honest and reflective way, Miss McCain falls back on her conservative echo chamber and points the finger squarely at the media. The byline of her article is"she says it's the media who are the real boobs" which, ehem, would be more appropriate for the aforementioned "other" big media dupe, but not for her article. Why, exactly is "the media" the generic term conservatives use to describe "anyone who says negative things about us" to blame? Because they covered the story? Well then, Miss McCain, you apparently missed what they were covering. Any story you read, and I mean ANY, were not as you might believe, about your picture, but about the curious power of Twitter to cause such disputes. During the day, on her Twitter account, she talked about the creeps on Twitter who were harassing her about this. I felt bad for her. Yet, in the article, she pretends it's the media who are harassing her, calling her appalling and misogynistic things. She says "it’s the media that have a problem with my body." It was never the media who called you these things Meghan. It was (duh duh duh) your Twitter followers, who are most definitely NOT the media, but the people who are devoted to your insights. In Twitter's case (and judging by your inability to make a proper syllogistic argument, I am betting this wont make much sense to you) you are the media of your followers.

I honestly had hope for Meghan McCain. For one, I was wondering if she could yank away the conservative movement from the gnarled and crusty hands of people like her father and bring it into the 21st century. But turning around and blaming the media for this? That's just bad form.