Dr. Feelgood Strikes Again, Maybe.

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Since I don’t watch much TV, I do read a lot of newspapers from all over as I like a digest of what is going on in the world. This also means I sometimes run across the hilarious and unlikely. Here is the latest.

An excited (or excitable) report states a cure for baldness has been found. This is because hair is composed mostly of protein and the native people of Greenland all have wonderfully thick hair because they eat fish oil, which is a protein. The product (name redacted) can come to you for the great price of (outrageous sum in any currency) per month. You too can get a 7% increase in hair growth in six months. Oh, oh, oh, and it will also stop hair losing color. Gush, gush.

Maybe there is something in it that would justify spending an outrageous amount over six months for a 7% gain in hair follicles? On the other hand, by extrapolation, since fish oil, (a protein? REALLY???) does not originate from a vegetable source, it is therefore safe to assume all vegans and most vegetarians are bald as they do not ingest such things. Resists urge to lurk outside a vegan restaurant to check if they are all wearing wigs or not.

Now fish oil probably is good for the health of hair, along with zinc, iron and protein. Fish oil is good for general health if taken as recommended. It can also be obtained over the counter at a pharmacy store under the heading of fish oil capsules, (cod liver oil), and not some fancy name. Now those little bottles of capsules are not an outrageous price. I wonder if ingesting those capsules over six months would also result in a 7% increase in hair gain?

I would guess that if a person has not been in the best of health for a little and gets some hair loss as a result, this would rectify by about 7% over the course of six months as that person improves their general health state. Maybe the wonder drug has something worth considering, or maybe it is Dr. Feelgood pedalling his famous cure-all snake oil again.

 

A classic book, Lord of the Rings

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What is it about a book that makes it great? I am not thinking about a reasonable earning book, but one capable of spanning the ages to remain on the shelves and in the minds of people. In the case of fantasy, it would have to be Lord of the Rings for me, so why this one and not another?

Dissecting the book down to the barest values results in a few sentences.

1)      A sympathetic character drawn into the conflict by factors outside his personal choice. This character can either grow or die in trying.

2)      A quest so essential all life would be changed unless it is completed.

3)      An artifact coveted by both sides in the ongoing conflict.

4)      A hero, who is not the dashing prince type with gorgeous clothes and lots of flunkies, but a man who has learned to live in the most dangerous of situations and rely on no one but himself.

5)      A hero’s love interest, who must not be accessible unless he is successful and even then the outcome is in doubt because of her circumstances.

6)      The instigator of the quest, who has magical powers and who is tested to the limits.

7)      Lots of mysterious elves and their customs, along with other strange creatures, all of whom have their own languages.

8)      Comic relief in the form of a dwalf, an elf and two hobbits.

9)      The antagonist and his sidekicks, along with their grim domains.

10)   A few side plots to keep the characters on their toes.

11)   One very nasty and very pitiful character haunting the story, both on stage and off.

The result is the genre known as high fantasy.  What is it about this book that separates it from others? For me, it is the depth of the characters. All of the characters with speaking parts have distinct personalities fitted to their stations in life. Gandalf is grand, grave and wise, but also very kindly to the helpless and the weak.  Peregrine Took is a rascal, full of mischief, and yet has a hidden depth of bravery. Those are just two random examples.

Then there are the settings, which cover such a rich diversity in such gentle detail that the world sparks into existence.  I can picture the Hobbit town being a place of orchards and gardens, while the land of Rohan is prairie grass land.

It is the plot binding all together and it is a multi-layered epic.  The basic story is the journey of the ring and its bearer, but there is also the love angle for some of the characters and also the power struggles.  One could pick up this book time and again and each read discover something new—some new depth newly noticed.  

Settings

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I will admit to being anal on this one. In the first instance, I majored in Botany, Zoology and English. In the second instance, I have worked in landscape architecture. I do happen to know my flora and fauna. What jumps me out of a story with record speed is when the attention to detail is not paid. A Spring flower is so because it responds to temperature and light levels. A Summer flower is also so restricted. The two do not co-exist. They cannot co-exist in nature. Research into settings is everything. 

My day.

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It started off sad, as my neighbors has a flooded basement and had to get the vac truck in to pump out all the water. This must have been horrendous as I rise early and the rescue squad was already there, pumping. We are talking like six thirty. I am so sorry for them.

Taking a break from work, I planted some fancy pansies in an indoor container. Yes, we have more snow on the way. However, I am starting my plants as I want to have a good show when I can put them out. Claude, my pet petunia, is doing very nicely and is getting even bigger. Unfortunately, I have thrown the packet away, so I don’t know if he is an upright petunia or a spreading one. I guess I will find out in due course as he grows.

I open files on three works in progress and those have been going well. Yes, I flit from one to the other as the muse strikes. I find this a whole lot more productive than to concentrate on a single book and end up staring at the screen when I run out of ideas for a particular storyline.

I also got a few chapters edited for a very good friend of mine. I am beta reading for him and this is a great book. I am enjoying it a lot.

I had a long phone call with kid 2 on the subject of kid 3’s wedding shower this weekend. It is all coming together nicely. I also find I am volunteered to help kid 2 with redesigning her yard this summer. I am looking forward to that. I have been told what she likes and will go online to see what my favorite greenhouses are offering in the way of perennials. This is going to be mega fun.

And then there is the anthology, Magic Creatures of the Celtic Mists coming out at the end of the month. I have two stories in that publication and they happen to be my very favorites of any shorts I have ever written. No, they aren’t on my web page, or on Readwave. These are my special babies and you can read them only in the anthology. On another note, the anthology contains the most wonderful stories I have ever read. I am honored to be amongst this highly talented bunch. I can truly say this is the best of the very best.

Genre

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As I was failing to achieve sleep last night I got to thinking about genres and what is the difference between Romantic Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I guess the answer is different according to the notions of the person reading. Everyone will have their own opinion on everything.

Anyhow, my thoughts were that Romantic Fantasy is fighting uphill as there is serious stuff to overcome before there can be a resolution for the characters. I imagined Paranormal Romance as fighting downhill, as shit allways flows downhill and those characters have to eliminate it,  Relationships can happen before, during and after the clean up of baddies.  This is just my opinion and how I sorted my thoughts.  Someone else might be able to express it far better.