Diabetes in Books, Movies, Etc. / Happenings In The Outhouse 27-Sept-2024

First, I have already compiled a list of blog posts concerning diabetes for you to gander.

Done?  Good.  Let us begin . . .

Take pretty much anything, from lung cancer to diabetes and from firearms to plumbing, and the portrayal of it can be either done well or poorly.  Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing that if you have a great knowledge about plumbing and love science fiction, how about writing from the POV of a plumber in space?  Interesting concept, for sure.

Now, one can write very rudimentary and broad about a given topic, but when it comes to specifics, please get your facts right.  In firearms, Glocks do not have safeties like other handguns (they are in the trigger) and there is no hammer to cock back.  I have nearly stopped reading books because of an error like this.  It's annoying!

How about diabetes?  Trust me, I have more knowledge about it than I know what to do with.  But with my children, living with it day-after-day, they know more than me.

One of my daughters recently read a book where the main character had type 1 diabetes (T1D) and the author got it completely wrong!  Not only wrong, it was so wrong on so many levels that a simple Google search would fix many of the problems the author had.

I am currently writing a short story where the main character is a nuclear engineer on a spaceship.  I know virtually nothing about being a nuclear engineer, or being on a spaceship for that matter, but I'll gloss over what I need and that's it.

It's all about the story anyway.

But if you're writing about someone with diabetes and if their blood sugars are in the 70's, it's probably not the end of the world.  If it was in the 20's, yeah, that's an emergency and nothing else matters for the diabetic.  Also, when it comes to diabetes pumps, again, please get the facts right.  They're not all the same and each has their little . . . quirks.

Tales of a diabetic father: a new segment of the blog

I've been meaning to write about this for a long time, and after this last week when my two diabetic children (type 1) attended Camp Sioux, up near Park River, North Dakota, I felt the strong need to start this segment of the blog to devote to our tales of dealing with diabetes in our children.

My fourteen-year-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was two, in August 2001.  Our soon-to-be seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed in November 2009 when she was three.

Neither my wife nor myself have diabetes.

Neither my wife nor myself went to school to learn about diabetes.

What I'm sharing in this segment is what we've learned in our many years of caring for our children.  Take what is said only as a guideline.  Make sure to get the opinion of a doctor and/or trained diabetes educator if you are unsure of how to care for your child or if you suspect they have diabetes.

Tales of a diabetic father: the importance of camps, for both the children and the parents

Last week, my fourteen-year-old son attended Camp Sioux--an American Diabetes Association sponsored camp just west of Park River, North Dakota.  My six-year-old daughter also attended a day camp on Tuesday.

At this day camp, two other families were in attendance, and I was struck by the notion--which both they and the camp counselor told me--that we've been battling type 1 diabetes with our children for a long time.  My son was diagnosed in August 2001 (one month before the dreaded 9/11) and my daughter in November 2009.

Yes, a long time.

I was also struck by the notion that children with diabetes are alone in their battle.  Typically, unless they live in a larger city, they may be the only one in school who has it.  Hence the reason why diabetes camps, like Camp Sioux or Camp Needlepoint near the Twin Cities, is very important.  The children not only bond with other diabetes children, they learn to be more independent in their diabetes care.

The two families I met both had children who were just recently diagnosed.  They held some of the same fears as my wife and I had in the beginning--not that we still don't have fears, because the minute we let our guard down, life throws us a curve ball.  As you can see, the camp is important for the parents too.  I only wish there was more of a bonding time with the other parents who dropped their children off.

I'm sure they all have lessons to teach as well.

Donations requested for upcoming Diabetes Walk

"LET THEM EAT CAKE!"

 

On Saturday, October 19th, there is a Diabetes Walk sponsored through the American Diabetes Association in Grand Forks, ND.

 

What I'm asking for are donations: click here for donations.

 

Donations are used to help fund research to prevent and cure diabetes as well as educate those battling this disease.

 

My sister-in-law Bobbi is the team leader this year, and the team name is: Let Them Eat Cake.

 

Thank you for anything you'd be able to do.

 

Please click on this link to donate to our team in the Diabetes Walk.

Story Trumps Facts / Happenings In The Outhouse 28-Apr-2017

Earlier this month, at the constant urging of a few co-workers (grin!), I started watching the TV show Prison Break on Netflix.

Spoilers for Prison Break coming, so be warned.  If you have any inclination of watching the show, do it now.  In fact, much of what I'm about to say is a culmination of the first four episodes (I am currently through season 1 only) so at least watch the first few episodes and then we can still be friends.

Okay, ready now?  Good.

As I watched the first few episodes--this came about even after the first one--I noticed a glaring discrepancy when it comes to writing about those with type one diabetes.  Jodi Foster's movie Panic Room portrays type one diabetes completely wrong.  I won't dissect why here, but on Prison Break the main actor, played by Wentworth Miller, goes to prison.  As he is brought in, he informs them he has type one diabetes.  Now, the show doesn't give a minute-by-minute account of his day, but it is implied that he gets tested once a day and also receives a shot then (once a day) if needed.

Wrong!

I have two children (and a wife) with type one diabetes.  At best, he would need a cell next to the infirmary, because managing diabetes is a constant battle.  But it wouldn't fit the premise of the show, so be it.

The second glaring discrepancy is in Miller's tattoos.  He has the prison map (and then some) all over his body.  Sorry, prisons meticulously document and photograph tattoos of all inmates.  It's possible they wouldn't know what the massive tattoo was, but again they'd have documentation on it.

Okay, this being said, the show is great and well-worth watching.  This is a case where story trumps facts.

In my third book in the Shadowkill trilogy, a team of ex-military infiltrates the White House, using its protective measures against the good guys.  I have definitely taken liberties with the story.  I've never even been to Washington DC, and one can only gain so much information from Google Maps without making someone in the NSA nervous.  But again, story trumps facts.  I make it feel as realistic as possible without dragging one down into the weeds with useless facts.

Does it work?  Time will tell.

Back to Prison Break.  The show is interesting, and even with some minor discrepancies when it comes to life in prison to add on top of it, one sees past it all.

Are there cases where you need the facts first?  Of course.  But don't get caught up in the weeds of research before telling your story.

Down and Out in the Outhouse 15-June-2012

This week I started editing chapters 28-30 for Beholder's Eye.
I'm finding, like I had discovered before, that if I take 2-3 chapters at a time, I can get more done.  Not every writer is like this, I'm sure.  In the past, I've had several different editing techniques on how I handle chapters, which I'll cover in a blog next week.

Part of my week was distupted (in a nice way) by taking my 13-year-old son to Camp Sioux, in Park River, ND, which is a week-long camp geared towards children with diabetes.  My son has had diabetes since August 2001.  My youngest daughter (who is five and turning six next week) also has diabetes--type 1, which means they take insulin.  I don't believe this is a topic that I've covered before, and would seem odd in a blog centered mostly on the business of writing, but I'll add snippets on this from time to time.

Tuesday, our youngest daughter got to attend Camp Sioux's "Day Camp" which is for kids who have never been to camp to see what it's like.  It was a fun event.  Here is a video I shot of one of the counselors singing a rendition of Adam Sandler's "Hannukah" song.  I called it the "Diabetes Song" but I also see it's called "Diabetica."

Sorry that it seems to be sideways - not sure how to get it turned.  Oh, yeah, I was holding it that way.  I guess I'm still getting used to the new phone.

And here's Adam Sandler's original version.

Being a father of two diabetic children

Being of father of three, life can be hectic.

But when two of those three are type 1 diabetics, life takes on a whole new meaning.

You could say at this point, my wife and I have unofficial Ph.D's in Type 1 Diabetes.  When our oldest son was diagnosed in August 2001 when he was just shy of three years old, dealing with the daily tasks of diabetes controls much of our life.  Daily tasks not only include how we feed and care for them, we also have to educate others.

This past weekend, our youngest daughter--a spunky six-year-old who was diagnosed when she was roughly two and a half--was invited to a classmate's birthday.  Now, most parents would be able to drop their kid off and pick them up a few hours later.  As a parent of diabetes children, dropping them off also includes inquiring what they're going to eat, figuring out how many carbs to "punch into her pump", educating them that yes my daughter can eat everything that the other kids can eat except she has to enter the carbs into her insulin pump, setting aside her "diabetes kit", and giving the parents a number where we can be reached at all times.

This same ritual goes when our diabetic kids start school in the fall with a new teacher.  A little more time is spent educating them, giving them the "tools of the trade", and giving them a long list of numbers where we can be reached--at all times!

For parents of diabetics out there, what are some challenges you've faced?

Tales of a diabetic father: the dangers of complacency in diabetes (and what we can learn from a Matthew Broderick movie)

Our family had an emergency this past Saturday night: we lost our daughter's insulin pump somewhere between our local pool, my sister-in-law's van, and our house.  Needless to say, we were in a panic.

I'll spare the details of the ordeal, but rest assured we found the pump by our front door--amidst a pile of shoes in the corner--the next morning.  For a good 12+ hours, we had to rely on insulin pens (which my daughter hated!) to deliver insulin and kept an all-night vigil every 2-3 hours.

We became a victim of complacency.  And for diabetics, this is a very bad place to be.  Instead of constantly wanting to know where the pump was and making sure she wears it at all times, we fell into a mode that could've turned out dangerous.

Raising diabetic children requires us parents to have a constant vigil.  I'm reminded of the Matthew Broderick movie from 1983 called War Games..  In particular, the DEFCON mode of the country, with DEFCON 5 being completely safe and DEFCON 1 being World War III.  Dealing with diabetes requires parents to be constantly in that DEFCON 2 or 3 mode, and ready to move to 1 at a moment's notice.

Even though emergencies may be far and few between, they can happen.  And many of those times can be preventable, as we become victims of complacency.

Proud Dad Moment Number Three #prouddad / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-May-2024

Today is yet another #prouddad moment.  My youngest daughter (not including a stepdaughter that is finishing up 7th grade) is graduating from high school today.  Mykayla has certainly grown into an exceptional young lady these past number of years.  A few weeks ago, she took home several awards and scholarships (much like her older sister Mariah), and by the end of the summer will be heading off to North Dakota State University with, so far, an undeclared major.

She has a very creative, determined mind, and is very talented when it comes to creative activities.  This past year for speech competition, she not only wrote on speech from scratch, for rewrote it in its entirety twice, and tweaked it here and there for the next few weeks thereafter.  She has blossomed in her theatrical skills too, and was a valued member of the drama team.

Her career interests are vast, and with an undeclared major the field is wide open for what she can accomplish.  Her other interests are also as vast as myself, from superheroes and Star Wars to Doctor Who and board games.  She is one of the kindest and appreciative young people I know, and is always quick to say "Thank you!"

Mykayla has been a type 1 diabetic since she was three, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the subject.  Not only has she helped her older sister navigate this new world of diabetes since September 2023, she has given advice to her older brother who was a little younger when he got diabetes.

Her life will be interesting to watch as she will soon find her place in this world.

Tales of a diabetic father: the dangers of sugar tabs

A few years ago, someone we know had a devastating experience.  They had a counselor come into their home to help with their young child, as they thought the child may have a learning disability.  In the counseling period, the counselor noticed some of the supplies for their older diabetic child was in easy reach of the younger child.

The counselor--although I'm sure who meant well, even though they were ignorant of the situation and could've been explained it with a simple conversation with the parents--contacted social services as she felt it posed a threat to the younger child.  Social services, in turn, immediately stormed the family's home as if they were a S.W.A.T. team.

The supplies in question were sugar tabs.

In other words, in the hands of someone who is not diabetic, candy.  Honestly, I've never tasted them but my children who are diabetic say it tastes like candy.  Sugar tabs are used when diabetics have low blood glucose levels.

Do you need to be put them up and lock them away as if they were syringes or "finger poker" needles?  No, that's absurd.  When you need them the most is during low blood sugar times, which are stressful enough without having to question the location of these little buggers.  I can see if it's a very young child and they're afraid of swallowing them.  Yes, they could pose a danger then.

But the child in question was not.

Keep in mind the ignorance of others who do not have to deal with diabetes on a daily basis.  Don't yell at them or put them down.  They simply do not know.

Educate them.  Repeatedly, if you have to.

Because ignorance is rampant when it comes to diabetes.

There's no excuse nowadays

I grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota.  The only radio station was a local AM which played oldies from the 50's and 60's.  If you were lucky, on a clear night you could pick up the faint whispers of an FM pop music station out of Grand Forks, ND--Magic 96 it was called.  Needless to say, my exposure to great amounts of rock music was limited to the selection held at the local Ben Franklin store--Poison was my first taste of hard rock, and I've loved that kind of music (80's hair bands being my favorite) ever since.

This was the genesis of the compact disc.  Portable CD players were large boom boxes guys held over their shoulder like a bazooka.  And the bigger the better!

My selection of books was also limited to whatever was at the local library.  Now, I must admit, there might've been a wider selection, but no one ever showed me where it was so it's possible it never existed--I mean, the section where great tomes of science fiction and fantasy were housed.  I read Stephen King and practically memorized the AD&D DM Guide and Player's Handbook.  I listen to a lot of podcasts nowadays, and while so many great writers and editors are mentioned, I feel like I'm behind the eight-ball due to my lack of exposure in this field.  However, it's a lack of exposure I'm quickly eliminating the more I learn about the field and the who's who.

Today there's no excuse for this lack of exposure.  Through the web, there is a vast field of knowledge right at your fingertips.  What's your excuse for not learning about your desired field of work?

There is no excuse.

I have no excuses either.  I am tearing down the barriers of my limited knowledge--although, isn't all knowledge limited to some degree, as you can't certainly know everything about everything.

And, as an aside, one day . . . I would also love to see my favorite band in concert.

Thanks Bret, Rikki, Bobby, and C.C. for the great tunes.  And a special thanks to Bret in his fight to cure diabetes.

Happenings In The Outhouse 14-Jun-2013 / I see dead people

A few weeks ago, my wife and I subscribed to Netflix.  We're not sure why we kept putting it off.  It's not like we rent a lot of movies, but sometimes the current television programs just stink.

The first thing I watched was The Walking Dead.  I blew through Season 1 in about 3 days--holy crap!  I am hooked.  I finished Season 2 Wednesday night and cannot wait for Season 3 to come out (I believe I may be waiting a little while).  I don't watch an enormous amount of television.  I usually watch a little while I relax for bed.

Last Saturday, I watched an episode in Season 2 (right near the middle) which really tugged at my heartstrings--yes, I admit, I was shocked and even shed a tear (for those who have seen the show know what I'm talking about so I won't spoil it).

Then, of course, there's the upcoming movie starring Brad Pitt: World War Z, based on the amazing book by Max Brooks.

Zombies, zombies, zombies.

A thought occurred to me that I, in fact, had already written a zombie novel.  It's not your typical zombie apocalypse novel, but rather more like The Walking Dead than World War Z, as it focuses on a small group of people.

It is this book that I will be editing next . . . once I complete my final edits of Beholder's Eye--for the brief moment, I am putting off self-publishing because there's a small press I know that has opened submissions for the month of June, so I'm going to try them first.  It may be a long shot (isn't everything in a publishing world a long shot?), but at least I'm going to do it and submit.  If it doesn't pan out, then it's on to self-publishing.

I have over 6,500 words written in my inspirational novelette.  I know, I know, I haven't written much this week, but it's been a busy week.  I typically write in the mornings for 1-2 hours, and this week most mornings have been filled with diabetes camps and doctors appointments.

What is your story? / Happenings In The Outhouse 26-Oct-2018

I saw this sign at the doctor's office a few months ago.  Oh, how the words to this rang true to me.

For those who have read this blog for quite some time may already know this, but for those who haven't my wife was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in April 2011.  Even though she is still in remission after all these years, the affects of her treatments are still present to this day--her poor eyesight being the more dramatic.

Yet with all the setbacks, cancer (or anything horrible that affects your life) is all but a chapter in your entire life.

What is the story you want to tell?  What is your legacy?  Don't let cancer or diabetes or a poor family background or (fill in the blank) define the rest of your life.

New Story - A Sense Of Place / Happenings In The Outhouse 12-Dec-2025

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I keep publishing short stories left and right.  Here is another one for your reading pleasure: "A Sense Of Place."

"Every so often, Detective Tad Wellstone comes across a dead body that appears natural or accidental but his instincts tell him otherwise.
When he finds the deceased Garrett Phillip Martinez at a new construction site, all signs point to a diabetic seizure.  And Tad knows much about diabetes.
Could it be natural?  Or is something more sinister at work?
“A Sense Of Place” is a modern mystery with twists and turns, and will keep you guessing until the very last page."

Amazon.com: A Sense Of Place eBook : Peterson, Mark S. R.: Books

Above is the link to the Amazon Kindle page.  It is also available in other ebook retailers.

A life of its own / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-Sept-2017

Last week, I started writing a new novel in a new series.  This story has been brewing in my mind for the longest time--it's the reason I chose to write it next, after I completed my technothriller series The Shadowkill Trilogy.

This new story is a superhero story.

I've written a few posts where my story ideas look like Morse Code.

Let me briefly explain again: the dots are where this happens and then this happens and so on.  The dashes are scenes where this thing happens.  Together, I write to fill in the spaces.

This new story has been brewing for a long time--and I really mean, a long time.  I'd walk to and from work (the day job), and I'd envision what this superhero would do.

I won't explain the story nor the powers this superhero has (I briefly told the story to my youngest daughter, who watches a lot of superhero shows on Netflix, and she thought it was very cool!) but I will say that once I sat down to write it . . . the story took on a life of its own.  Some of the troubling areas of the story has worked itself out as I write it.

If you're having troubles starting or even continuing a story that you're working on, go back a few hundred words, read, and then write.  Keep the words flowing.

Publication update:
I am currently working on the covers for the final two books in The Shadowkill Trilogy, my nonfiction book centered around traveling with diabetes, and a superhero novelette.  Once these four are completed, I will share links, etc.
I am also working on putting a box set together for The Shadowkill Trilogy too.  Good times!

Stress, life happens, and writing / Happenings In The Outhouse 24-Feb-2017

Last week, Dean Wesley Smith wrote an excellent blog post, titled Protecting Choice, where he explored the reasons behind not writing--the good reasons, not the "oh I just don't feel like it" reason.  It's well worth reading it, as well as pretty much everything else he writes.

I am currently at the 35,000 word mark in the second novel in the Shadowkill trilogy.  When I've looked at the past few weeks on my daily word count spreadsheet, I noticed a number of days lately where I wrote nothing.

Yes, you read that correctly.  Nothing.

Last week, my son had a medical emergency, which required me to spend a night in the hospital with him while the doctors figured out what was wrong with him.  He has type one diabetes, but it appeared not to be related to it.

A few weeks before that, I had vehicle problems--both of my vehicles were down, oddly enough with almost the same problem.

A few years ago, if you recall, I had my own personal medical emergency.  I am taking medication, but one of the side effects are . . . well, some I won't mention, for reasons I won't make clear here, but one of the main side effects are mood swings.  Meaning, bad ones.  Quick to anger, and stuff like that.  I recognize when my stress goes through the roof and feel my anger building up, so I work hard at not snapping at my family.  Some times I succeed.  Other times, I hate to say, I do not.

Life happens to us all.  Find ways to get yourself through it.  Find remedies, be it exercise, relaxation, hobbies.

Where will you be 20 years from now?

Twenty years.  Two freaking decades.  Seems like a long time, doesn't it?

Where were you 20 years ago?  I was in college, Bemidji State University, and was probably at work on my very first novel--a deer hunting horror story that was a pure homage to Stephen King.

How about you?

Over the past week or so, I've been listening to podcasts where people are marking 20 years (or more) for something.  Dave Ramsey has been on the radio, teaching financial independence and debt freedom for a little over two decades.  Andy Andrews recently published a book he started as an audio book 20 years ago.

Then it got me thinking: what have I done in the past 20 years?  I met my wife, got married, raised a family, and have battled both type 1 diabetes (in two of our three children) and leukemia (my wife).  Now I look at what the next 20 will bring.

Are you planning for your next 20 years?

What will you accomplish?  Don't wait to start.  Do it now.  The world needs you.

400,000+ / Happenings In The Outhouse 09-Nov-2018

The number is estimated to be between 200,000 to 400,000, and depending on what reports you read that number could be well over 400,000.

Why such a high number?  For budgetary reasons.  It's honorable that some of the world's wealthiest have banded together to fight such diseases such as malaria and AIDS.  Even fighting the evils of cancer and diabetes brings the battle closer to home.

But what is this number I'm talking about?

Untested rape and DNA kits.  The evidence linking victims with the perpetrators.

Imagine for a moment, you're the victim of a violent sexual assault.  Or your daughter, son, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, father, brother, uncle are the victim of a brutal murder or rape.  Horrible to imagine, right?  Imagine for a moment that this vicious act took place years ago, decades ago, and the evidence of the crime is sitting, untested, in an evidence locker, waiting to be chosen.

In a simple rudimentary search, the cost of testing these kits range from as little as $600 to $2000.  That's a rough number of $240 million to $800 million just to clear the books.

How many crimes could be solved, and how many future crimes could be prevented, by having these kits tested and the perpetrators sent away?

Spreading two more once-exclusive stories wide / Happenings In The Outhouse 11-Aug-2017

As of todays' date, two more short stories are no longer exclusive with Amazon and their Kindle Unlimited program.  They should be available on as many e-platforms as possible.  Note: the links go to my website, where links to the various e-retailers are located:

Last Requests (a time loop short story)
What would be the most horrifying day to repeat over and over again?
For PETE HARRISON, that day is his final day on Death Row.  Convicted on multiple counts of murder, Pete has little opportunity to change his last day before walking down to the lethal injection chamber.

A.K.A. Anonymous

How often does one get a chance to change someone’s life? MAGGIE SIMMS has never had such an opportunity. That is, until she meets a hitchhiker named CLIFTON BAGGS.

What else is going on?  I have another short story I'm working on.  I finished the first draft on a non-fiction diabetes travel book.  Both of these should be published in roughly a month or so.

Why I'm not freaking out (special coronavirus / COVID-19 special)

I read a blog post this morning by a well-known science fiction writer and felt more than compelled to write this post.

First, the author (no, I will not disclose the name nor gender, as this person is fairly smart but seems to be a bit misguided in light of current events) wrote about all of the uncertainty in the world and how the whole coronavirus is impacting the world economy.  No argument there, however said author seemed to imply that the entire global market is on the verge of collapsing and we may never recover from it.

Now, I am not a fortune teller and cannot see the future, but I am not freaking out about this whole mess.  True, I am nearing the close of my second week of working from home, and I am thankful for having this job.  Also, the company I work for is thriving to help bring products to the various manufacturers who are building many of the world's leading edge innovations.  It is also on the forefront of many manufacturers who are changing their business model to help build ventilators and other necessary medical devices to battle this pandemic.  But the world economy collapsing?  I find that hard to believe.

Are you familiar with the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard?  It's a quick read that is well worth the time.  The gist of it is the world is always changing and if something disrupts it, we should figure out a way to move with it.  In other words, if we're mice in a maze and our cheese has always been in one particular spot, what happens when the cheese is no longer there?  We go find it in its new place.

Many of our local restaurants have changed their business model to offering curb side service or even home delivery, whereas they never offered it before.  Is business through the roof?  Probably not.  But then again, if you offer excellent service, you never know where this economy will take you.

People talk about this being the New Normal.  Heck, this all started for me on January 16th of this year (11 weeks ago, to be exact), when my wife passed away.  In a way, I am thankful she is no longer in this world because many of the risk factors for COVID-19 was right in her wheelhouse: diabetes, former cancer patient, respiratory complications.  Then again, I have had a whole host of New Normals across my life, even as far back as April 2011 when my wife was originally diagnosed with leukemia.

I get it.  I am not arguing with the fact that the world as we know it will not be like it was.  But I see that as a good thing.  Now I have the ability to work from home if I need to.  Also, when my writing business skyrockets and I am able to do it full-time, I have now developed the habits to make it work whereas I had a difficult time to before all this.

Also, I truly believe that this world is in God's hands.  I have complete faith in God and everything He has done.  Only through my Christian faith has the impact of my wife's passing been a blessing when I know she is in a far better place.

And I will see her again one day.  It's hard for me to fathom a world without such hope.

Lastly, as a writer myself, what made me be more than compelled to write this is due to many of the more vocal writers bitching about not being able to write, bitching about the election and what it does to the publishing industry, and quite frankly just plain bitching in general.  I am convinced the majority of writers may not be in this camp, but when the ones who are more successful seem to be the more bitchy ones, it makes me scratch my head in wonder.  For me, I've been writing more and more each day.

I also think many others are too.  The ones who aren't seem to be spending more time posting their bitchiness online when they could just hunker down and work.

Art is, after all, an essential business too.  Where else are we going to be entertained from, except from the creation that is within our own minds?

So get out there and do it.  Now!