I enjoyed watching and episode about #Xtremewaterparks today. They even had a coaster enthusiast named Gavin wearing a X-Ray Vav t-shirt while he rode the ride with a treacherous lift hill - Iron Rattler. Gavin is the name of the main character in my book "Xtreme Ride Wish: An Untwinnable Day."
Anyway, the ride had a 170 foot drop at 70 mph, along with a barrel roll. Gavin described it as "faster than gravity." "I feel like I went to the moon," he stated when the ride was over.
One girl, in describing the descent said, "I felt like I was facing the ground."
In the same episode, they featured Taiwan's Gravity Max, which is the world's first and only tilt coaster. It has a 114 foot lift hill, after which the track separates (becomes open-ended) from the lift hill and tilts toward a 13 story drop. "You can see for miles,"said one rider, before they dropped. When the locks release, people free-falls and then blast into an underground tunnel. After that the ride moves up a vertical climb and then does a double helix.
Apparently you can see the entire park and all of its rides when you are at the top of the lift hill. Adrenalin junkies, apparently love this ride.
Then they featured the hypercoaster named Mamba, which is on the 235 acre Worlds of Fun Theme Park in Kansas City. This ride, named after a fearsome and fast highly poisonous snake, had a 205' drop straight down at 75 mph. (manager is Brandon Stanley).
Crystal James and her daughter (Arianna) love roller coasters, and Arianna rode the Mamba with her mom. They were in the front car, something the daughter had never experienced.
In Madrid, Spain there is the Parque Warner Madrid. With the pulse-racing collection of rides. Superman is a floorless coaster that some college students, described as coaster enthusiasts, prepare to ride together.
"There's no turning back," stated one girl.
Coaster Wars
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I met some amazing child authors at HPB Parmer Lane. This one is Trinity; who just blew me away when she gave me a synopsis of her work in progress.
This young lady knocked my socks off when she explained her passion for writing great stories. We discussed abandoning an unfinished book. I told her it was okay to abandon stories and books before finishing them and placing another ahead of it. "It's not a chronological thing at all," I told her. I said that some books just push to the front and demand that you write them, and they don't care about other books that you started before them. "Me first," says the book that just came to you today, when you were actually working on another." I told her that some books and stories just pull at you more, demanding attention and that you have to obey the story and write it.
Mindfulness Indiegogo Campaign
Maya Angelou's words were like a hug. See my Yahoo Voices article at this link:
An allegory is a compelling way to tell a story. They are effective as an extended metaphor device. An allegory is defined as a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. In Darren Aronfsky's film, "Noah," the device is used and meanings are fleshed out through careful use of symbolism.
Actor Russell Crowe plays Noah, and Anthony Hopkins (known for more maligned roles) plays Methuselah. These biblical characters display some of the most amazing cinematic symbols in recent memory.
There are things which I believe stand out in the film. They are as follows:
- The dystopian style. The earth is plundered and resources have been depleted. It's almost like the greenhouse effect reverted to biblical days. This seems to symbolize that not only the earth's inhabitants, but the earth itself has spun out of control and thwarted God's plan for frutifulness to the extreme. Referencing the earth, Methuselah tells Noah, "We corrupted it." In regards to people, Noah says to his wife that wickedness is common and that they don't have any reason to feel set apart. He stated that mankind shattered everything that God created.
- The visions that Noah have. They, along with the Watchers, help serve as a guide for Noah.
- The Watchers, and their storyline as fallen angels, who have the possibility of redemption. Their works include guiding Noah, fighting for the unhindered fulfillment of God's plan to flood the earth and destroy its inhabitants except for Noah's family. These Watchers, who are giants, become a driving force when others try to storm the ark.
- The powerful crashes, walls, springs and cascades of water when the first rains come as foretold.
- Noah, when telling the creation story.
- Noah was a type of Christ, when he asked God to let him off the hook.
- The begin again ending. There were bursts and explosions of rainbows. The ending song, "Mercy is as mercy does."
I am still reeling from the loss of Dr. Maya Angelou, who I met in the 90's. (See 5/29/14 post).
Something about her death screamed at me how significant was that brief encounter.
My writing soared after she died.
I couldn't stop thinking about her.
I couldn't stop writing about her.
The lyrical floodgates opened up so much that I wondered the following:
Did she bequeath her gifts when she left us?
Did she disperse them and passing them on like a mantle?
Put Good Hair Cards Into Schools
I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed the writing genius of V.C. Andrews.
In March I watched the first Lifetime Movie installment derived from her book, and this week, I watched the second. They are named like the book, "Flowers in the Attic," and "Petals on the Wind."
I anticipated that many non-gothic novel fans would love these books and flock to the Lifetime Movie Network when these movies played. I believe I was right.
After all, even if you don't like Gothic, you can appreciate the fact that Andrews crafted masterful storylines in her book series - children whose disinherited mother elects to hide them in the attic when she returns home as a penniless widow seeking to regain her parent's love. She hides them because her parents would not approve of them, and she promises them that it will be only for a night - to give her time to tell her formerly estranged parents about the 4 children.
Instead, the children are in the attic and had to suffer those conditions, and the wrath of a bitter, strict grandmother for two years!
Deprived, under control and manipulation, the children suffer many of the ravages of their isolation, confinement and their lack of sunshine and social opportunities. Their story is written by Andrews with such excellence, that she gained numerous fans.
Many of them, like me, waited 30 years after the books came out, to see the movies. The storylines are relatively intact, and the films have been as excellent as the books.
VC Andrews
I enjoyed checking out Anthony Horowitz' book, "The House of Silk. I felt that it was an exceptional book. One of my favorite parts was found in Chapter 1: The Wimbledon Art Dealer. Here is what delighted me so much:
"My tea had been halfway to my lips, but I returned it to the table with such force that the cup and the saucer almost parted company."
"In a Glass Darkly," by Sheridan Le Fanu is also a masterpiece. In the chapter titled Footsteps, she writes the following:
"To the very end of this solitary street, the steps pursued him - and it required a strong effort of stubborn pride on his part to resist the impulse that prompted him every moment to run for safety at the top of his speed."
Joe Phillippe Sendker's "A Well Tempered Heart," is also a bit of genius. Here is one of my favorite parts:
"People walked past them, many of them exchanging knowing looks at the sight of the athletic young man sitting by her side.
Again and again customers would stop, buy tomatoes, ginger or eggplants, eyeing the stranger critically all the while."
Maya Angelou died today. When I found out, I was dismayed and I groaned deeply. I personally feel the loss. She was certainly a role model for me, and she helped ignite within me the desire to write stories, poems, and great books.
I met her in the late 90's when she came to Austin for the University of Texas' Lecture Series. Not only did I sit in the audience and then write an article about her visit; I left my seat when she exited the stage. I just happened to go into a backstage area as I quietly followed a young lady. Up ahead of us, by about three yards, was Maya and her bodyguard.
I was far behind, not supposed to be following them, and not comfortable with the idea of running.
What helped me catch up were two things. For starters, instead of taking the steps down the ramp where her car was parked, I jumped. After that, a person who asked her to autograph a book delayed her entrance to her awaiting limousine.
I ended up right behind that young lady. After Maya talked to her, she looked me in the eye. I told her which paper I was writing for, and then she shared with me some advice. Maya told me some poets to read - they were not the traditional one's you might expect.When I checked out those poets' work, it was deeper than my then-capacity to understand.
I was blessed in the ensuing years to write volumes of poetry and a number of books.
So today, when she died, I felt like I'd lost a mentor, a friend, a fellow-writer. I listened as Nora of CBS Evening News described her as able to spin words into gold. Her co-anchor credited Maya as having a powerful pen and a powerful voice.
She was all of that and more. I believe she is singing and talking and writing with the heavenly host; as she "holds God in her throat," words she used in one of her books.
I feel the loss in my gut - she is gone, but never forgotten. She leaves a long wake, albeit an emptiness.
Goodbye Maya, I'll see you again!
| The jacket illustration of "Chestnut Street" is done by William Law and the jacket design is done by Carol Devine Carson. |
| The typeface used in the book is set in Adobe Garamound. This typeface was named after Claude Garamound (1480-1501), was a student of Geoffroy Tory. The typeface is described as simulating a feeling of movement of letters, and of having style and elegance. |
| Several actors in Fair City had Irish-sounding names'; such as David O'Sullivan, James O'Donoghue and Tommy O'Neill. |
| “Tara Road” was an Oprah's Book Club selection.
|
I saw a show which featured some extreme water coasters and slides. Following are some details. Perhaps you can look them up, or even ride them someday.
- Insano (Brazil). It's 135 feet tall and has what they describe as a gut-wrenching angled drop. One has to climb a 14 story staircase to get to it. There are 151 steps.
- The Bomb Bay has a launch start with an 76' drop. It plunges 8 feet in 6 seconds. It's the first water slide with a trapdoor; which is a 40 mph drop.
- Wallahalla in San Antonio's Aquatic Park. It has 7209 loops, a 7 story drop and has the planet's only vertical raft wall. You travel 600+ feet in 60 seconds.
I heard an interesting quote on the previews for the upcoming movie, "Crossbones."
It referenced God as a clockmaker. Boy, don't I agree!
On Friday, May 16, on the Steve Harvey Show, he had a guest who caused an extreme man scare due to his extremely hair body. His wife pointed out that it grew out of his nose, ears and was all over his chest and back. She said he was a sensation at the beach when he took his shirt off.
They had a professional waxer on the show, who removed the man's thick chest hair. They also gave him a one-year membership to a waxing spa in his area so he could get regular touch-ups.
Steve Harvey Show
On one of the May 11-16 episodes of the Steve Harvey Show, he had some Extreme Jugglers, who did combat juggling. It was a free-for-all, every man for himself ordeal. The last man standing, who had not dropped a thrown plastic bowling pin was the winner.
Steve Harvey Show
One one of the May 11-16 episodes of the Steve Harvey Show, they featured Extremely Stupid Husbands. One got arrested and missed the wedding that he and his fiance had spent $20,000 to plan and prepare and another husband threw away his wife's box of shoes when she asked him to put them in the garage for storage AND he caught the house of a friend where they were staying on fire.
Steve helped them to see that they had made "extremely terrible mistakes" and gave them a bright side outcome. He sent each couple to a fabulous destination.
Steve Harvey Show
On one of the episodes of the Steve Harvey Show, there was a segment called, "Is This Weird." Someone liked to eat charcoal, another liked to tongue kiss her dog. Steve and a panel weighed in on these extreme behaviors.
It was an interesting episode.
Steve Harvey Show
On one of the May 11-16 episodes of the Steve Harvey Show, he had a guest named Andrea with a dear friend. Andrea's friend had an extreme social media obsession. She was so addicted to social media that some of her posts had gotten friends in big trouble. One lost a job when they were tagged in a photo, and Carla lost a boyfriend when Andrea tagged her in a photo.
The episode ended well. Carla agreed to give up her addiction to social media, and it started with a Chicago trip sponsored by Harvey. Carla was not able to take her phone. She agreed to Harvey's reasonable terms before the show ended.
Steve Harvey Extreme Week
Steve Harvey Show
See May 2 entry for my blog post about this marvelous book/film.
Being an author, reader and general book lover; I was intrigued when I heard about the movie, "The Book Thief." In my mind, someone who would steal books had to be a kindred spirit and a true book lover. I waited until the movie was available at Redbox.
I was delighted at this great story, adapted from a book by the same title. It was written by Australian author Markus Zusak. In the film, a young girl pilfers a book (The Grave Diggers Handbook) dropped at her younger brother's grave site after he mysteriously dies on a train ride. Her book stealing frenzy continued, despite the fact that she eventually ended up in Nazi Germany, where book burnings were commonplace.
Great characterization and amazing imagery and figurative language were some of the things that stood out, grabbed my attention and made want to read the book. World War II is the backdrop for this story, with a setting of Nazi Germany. The setting was also handled remarkably well.
It was so lyrically beautiful, that I watched it about three times. Each time, it made me almost weep with its beauty.
The main character (Liesel) was sent to live with another family during the war. The adopted father used royal references to describe her; such as "Her majesty." Initially, she can't read, but develops a passion for books. She also learns more about Adolf Hitler, and how he is the cause of some of her family's ills, including her brother's death from poverty, hunger, lack of medical care and cold.
I liked the way a stowed away Jew, who was a benefactor of many of the stolen books described the main character - "You're a wonder."
Some of the imagery and similes that impressed me the most included the following:
- The book floated down the river like a red fished being chased by a yale head boy.
- His soul was lighter than a child's.
- He lived under our stairs like a quiet owl with no wings until the sun forgot what his face was.
- A man with an accordion heart.
- The sun looked like a silver oyster.
- ...a boy with hair the color of lemons.
- ...youthful burden of losing it all.
- An accordion of great value.
I would include this film on my list of favorites. I can't wait to check out the book. Anyone seeking an example of a lyrically rich film/book, with great characterization and a wonderful plot could benefit from reading this book. Or rather digesting and enjoying the beauty that this book offers.
The Then & Now of "Split Infinity"
I watched a feature Film for Families video titled, "Split Infinity." The main character, AJ (Amelia), travels back in time due to an unfortunate fall. She ends up in the middle of the Depression era.
Because she comes from the future, she recognizes certain markers where she can contribute her knowledge from the future to some issue of the past.
This is something that many authors and film writers use in their stories. It was the handling of this technique that made it so special.
At any rate, AJ is enterprising and decides to create a theme park aptly called Future World. This will provide some income to the household to which she is transported. She designs several contraptions and tries them out.
It ends up that people are skeptical of the rides when the park opens, but they are fully engaged in the other theme park/fair/carnival aspects; such as the food and other enjoyment.
AJ, or Amelia's brainchild is a great concept for income generating and family fun time.
Some people fear the rides, as many are suspended in the air. Basically, there are no thrill junkies in the crowd. AJ tells one person, "Where I come from, no one thinks a ride is fun unless it's a little life threatening."
One of my favorite scenes is when a young boy gets on a ride and becomes scared when it accelerates as it zips along its route. By the time he is finished enjoying the thrills he is eager to get some more money out of his pocket and runs to get back in line for another ride.
That precisely captures my view of roller coasters. You approach them with trepidation, and then you ride with your eyes closed and your jaws torqued. Before long, you are experiencing exhilaration. When it's over, you often want to ride again.
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