Weird Science Wednesday

First, a few things...

I'm a winner!

And a complete moron.  Late last night, I was sitting with Fluffy reading MATCHED, by Ally Condie when the phone rang.  

"Hello?" I said.

"Emily, this is your very great, very awesome writing buddy."

"Oh, hi!" I say enthusiastically.

"You do realize you need to validate your NaNo novel in order to win, right?"

"D'oh!"

I rush onto the computer to paste in my novel to get credit for all that writing I did when I see another very great, very awesome writing buddy emailed me, worried that I might not get credit for winning NaNo.  Yeah, I have great friends.  People like me need them.

So thanks, my wonderful writing buddies!  You're awesome!  And congratulations to all those winners out there!  And if you didn't win, you're still awesome because some of those word counts were REALLY high even if they didn't quite hit the 50,000 mark.

Feel free to give yourself a shout-out in the comments if you're exceptionally proud of your achievements!  :D

Now, on to Weeeeiiiiirrrrrd Sciiiiieeeence Weeeeednsdaaaaay!

You'd think that for someone who likes to write so much science fiction, I should probably know a thing or two about science.  Well!  I do!  And I thought, "Hey!  Why not have a day designated for nifty scientific facts I've come across over the years?!"  So that's just what I'm going to do.  There's some technology and scientific facts that I've learned about that most (if not all) of you have never even heard of before.  How?  Well, I've developed a lot of interesting contacts since joining the military.  One particular tech is something I've used in both ELEMENTAL and HANSEL AND GRETEL.  I'm not going to tell you about that one yet, because it's pretty pivotal to the plot of H&G.

However!  I will teach you all about a little tidbit I picked up that is pretty important to TALES OF MORCAH.  

Oh the wonders of melanin!  

What is it?  Well, the simple explanation is that it is the thing which gives us our skin color.  Lots of melanin leads to very dark, black skin, while very little melanin leads to extremely pale, white skin.  Most of you may already know this, but did you know that two dark-skinned parents could actually produce a white child?

It's true!  And not only is it true, I've seen it in action.  But how? you ask!

Well, let's get all scientific about this with visuals!

Let's say this is how genetic code (in regards to melanin) looks:

Mm: Medium-dark to Medium-light skin

MM: Very dark, black skin

mm: Very light, pale skin

Let's say two parents carry the information for medium-toned skin, which would look like this:

momma            dadda

                                                                    Mm                 Mm

They have three children (sissy, brother, moe)

When momma and dadda came together to make sissy's code, the M from momma and the M from dadda came together to construct her melanin levels.  Sissy's genetic code would then look like MM (i.e. very dark--sissy's genetic code is now limited to only dark skin for her future children)

They come together again for brother bringing along an M from momma and an m from dadda.  Thus giving brother Mm (i.e. medium--also notice that brother carries the genetic information to pass on dark, medium, and light skin to his children)

Finally it's Moe's turn and momma brings an m while dadda also brings over an m.  Moe's genetic code of mm gives him the lowest levels of melanin.  Also, now Moe lacks the information to give his future children dark skin.

Momma and dadda now have a dark-skinned child, a medium-skinned child, and a white child (though both the parents are medium, aka, brown-skinned)

I met a family like this in Iraq and from what they said, it happens often enough there to not be a surprise.

Why doesn't it happen in the U.S?  Well, the answer is simple.  Most white Americans are Northern European while most black Americans are African.  These continents offer extreme lighting conditions.  Pale-skinned people (i.e. low melanin levels) absorb vitamin D very easily, while darker-skinned not-so-much.  Too much or too little vitamin D can make a man impotent and a woman infertile.  After enough years, the genetic pool became limited in certain areas because people with both information died out, leaving only those who could survive the conditions.  

Of course, you may notice that with some white and black parents, their children's melanin levels vary just as widely as the example I gave above.  This is because all the available information is being blended again.

I use all this information to explain Lilly's particular condition.  An albino has the least melanin, giving them the appearance of pink skin and pink eyes.  It's all due to a lack of genetic information as far as melanin is concerned.

So, are you fascinated??  Or are you just rolling your eyes at me saying, "Emily, we learned all this in biology, and it is boring."  Well, I think it's fascinating!  And I hope you did too.  :D

                                                                 

Strong Girls Like Pink Too

This particular subject is so close to my heart that though I know I've touched on it before, I'm doing it again.

I recently read a book that to be quite honest, disturbed me.  The writing was beautiful, and the story engaging, but the MC was a role model I would hate little girls to have.  It feels to me that ever since the feminist movement began, there's been this faction who believes that what makes a girl feminine also makes her weak.  And in order to truly embrace our strength, we must become more like men.

The MC of this book (and no I'm not going to say the name of it) was physically strong.  In fact, she was the strongest person in her world.  This is not a bad thing.  In fact, that alone is a beautiful thing to teach a little girl--that she can be the strongest person she knows.  Where it went bad was in the MC's relationships.  She only deigned to be surrounded by weak men who admitted CONSTANTLY how vastly superior she was to them.  And if that wasn't enough, she found it necessary to remind her love interest of how much stronger she was than him all. the. time.  And everything that was feminine about her (her long hair, the way she dressed, etc.), she rejected.

And that is what disturbed me.

Now, don't get me wrong here.  I don't think all girls should feel that in order to be all woman they have to outwardly express their femininity in the way they look.  The only reason I mention it here is because as the view point character, we knew what was going on inside her head.  The MC's long hair and clothes were the last feminine things the author left to her.

For one, I've read quite a few books that have had very strong female protagonists who DID embrace their feminine side, in whatever form that was.  Evie from PARANORMALCY is a perfect example.  She is wonderfully strong even before she learns just how vastly kick ass she really is.  I mean, this is a girl who takes on hordes of vampires, evil fairies, and other paranormal creatures that would probably give people nightmares.  This is a character girls can look up to.  But you know what?  She also LOVES pink (tasey, anyone?), dressing up, flirting with boys (not just beating them down physically and emotionally), and going to dances.  Not only that but, ****SPOILER ALERT--ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK******




She gave up what she wanted most--a soul--to save the person she loved.

And that's the stuff that will make girls not only look up to her, but respond to her as well.  She's someone they can relate to!  And don't we want role models girls can relate to, not just aspire to be?

Queen Elizabeth I was a real life super hero woman.  Not only was she feminine, she realized her femininity was the very thing that made her strong.  She married herself to England and gave them the picture of a woman they could look up to.  Who knows what she really wanted out of life?  It doesn't matter because what she DID do was give herself up for those who needed her.  And doing this didn't make them despise her; it made them adore her.




The real reason I bring all this up is because from all the books I've read where the female protagonists showed strength in non-conventional ways (i.e. self-sacrifice), there have been people who have complained about what kind of message that would send to young girls.  I believe it sends a wonderful message.  Do I think the message was intended for girls in abusive relationships?  Of course not!  That's a whole different monster.  But it IS a message that is intended for your average jane who maybe can't slay dragons with her bare hands but CAN work her butt off to enrich all the lives around her.  That's the trait that makes women different from men.  It's a good thing.  And it should be portrayed as a good thing in books, or else we risk making all those little girls who aren't the picture of masculine strength feel inferior.

Side note: MATCHED showed up in Fluffy this morning!  Yay!

Back From Vacation!

Last week was a short blogging week and I had a really great post planned for today, but I ran late this morning and then I had to take my eldest to Story Hour at our library.  BUT!  The great post will come tomorrow!  I also had a great idea for Wednesdays called Weird Science Wednesdays, so you have that to look forward to as well.  :D

This week and next week are the last Thursdays that I have filled for GWA.  If you are a member and would like to do another post, please let me know.  If you are not yet a member and would like to join, please leave me your email address in the comments below or contact me at my email address (located to the right).  OR maybe you know someone who could benefit from the group!  Please pass the word along that more members and posts are needed!

In lieu of the great post, I send you all off with this...Potter Puppet Pals: The Vortex

Eating Turkey and Snarfing Down Pie

Today's post will be the last of the week, so I thought I'd make it a fun one!  Woo hoo!  So today I want to know how YOU celebrate Thanksgiving.

--Do you eat turkey?

--Do you eat tofu turkey?

--Do you buy your turkey from a grocery store, a farm, raise your own, hit one with a car?

--Are you one of those people who sticks a frozen turkey in one of those deep fryers and sets his garage on fire?

--What's your favorite pie?

--Boxed mashed potatoes or homemade?

--same question for stuffing...

--Does your cranberry sauce look like a tube?

--Do you eat green bean casserole, and if so how?  Blech!

--Is it a big multi-family (or extended family) affair at your house?

--Do you travel across country or down the road?

--Are you dreading seeing your in-laws this Thursday?

--Do you watch the Macy's parade?

--How about the football game?

Inquiring minds must know!!

As for me, Gorgeous, our two boys, and I will be going to my sister's house in Boondocksville.  So, we won't be traveling cross-country, but it's not exactly down the road, either.  Our turkey will have probably come from a grocery store (I don't think my BIL hit any with his car).  It will be a small affair with just my family, my parents, my sister's family, and my BIL's parents.  Yes, football will most likely be watched (not by me, though).  

Everything will most likely be homemade, except for the tubular cranberry sauce.  After all, that canned stuff is better than the real version any day! :)  

I'm looking forward to eating the pumpkin pie (my favorite!), though I'll personally be bringing a caramel apple cream cheese pie.

And no, my BIL is NOT one of those crazy fools who puts a frozen turkey in boiling oil.

So, that's what I'll be doing this Thursday!  How about you?

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Taboo Topics in YA

Last week, I talked about how we censor ourselves and I wanted to continue that discussion this week.  So first, I ask you is anything really taboo in YA?

Just think about it for a second.  What topic has NOT been touched upon in YA?  A few months ago,  I would have said sex was a topic that could only be broached so far.  You could have the insinuation of sex, but the actual act shouldn't be described.  And this wasn't just my own rule regarding the topic.  I actually thought it was an industry standard.  Some topics were just too mature for teens (especially when you figure how young some readers of YA are).  But then I remembered a particular author I'd read growing up.  You might have heard of her (actually, she's many authors using the same pen name): V.C. Andrews.  Some of the scenes in V.C. Andrews books are straight up erotica.  It's almost embarrassing to read it's so graphic.  And yet, they're all considered YA.

So what is taboo?  Drugs?  Murder?  If sex isn't taboo, how about rape?

As far as the industry is concerned, it seems there are no taboo subjects (well, that's not really true, and we'll get to that eventually).  If the industry doesn't put up blocks on subjects, do you?

I've been thinking about this a lot this weekend and I've decided censorship of one's own writing comes in two forms.

Either your own morals, beliefs, what have you keep you from delving deep into certain subjects OR you delve deep DESPITE your morals, beliefs, etc. because you think you have to, thus censoring your own feelings.

These morals and beliefs can arise from anywhere (you don't have to be a religious person to sympathize with this).  The truth is we all have a belief system and morals taught to us by our parents, our community, and society as a whole.  Censoring happens when you think one of those groups wouldn't agree with what you have to say and you try to please them.

Let me interject right here that if you don't think you're censoring yourself, you probably aren't.  So if you still fall into one of those two forms of censorship, but you don't feel your writing is affected by it, then you aren't a victim of censorship--you've simply found a place you're comfortable writing in.

HOWEVER, if you do feel your writing is constricted, then you need to take a step back and figure out what's getting in your way.

I'll admit again that I censor my writing, absolutely.  I feel enormously constricted by all three groups (parents, community, AND society).  On the one hand, I'm afraid of delving deep into the normal topics of sex, violence, etc. because my parents will read what I write and I don't want to offend them.  On the other hand, I view the world in a different way than the vast majority of people in the artistic community and I wonder how I can write about my beliefs and glorify God in my writing while not alienating people who have come to view Christians as bigoted morons.

Do I still delve into sex and violence despite my fear of my parents?  Yeah, I'll have to say I do (now).  One of my betas actually described my MC from ELEMENTAL as an anti-hero, and I think that's a perfect description because she struggles with wanting to kill people all the time. My MC from MORCAH has to face a lot of sexy bits and temptations (and threats) because she's a paranormal that typically personifies innocence and purity.  I wanted to challenge that personification and make her fight through it.

It would be the other two groups I still have trouble with wanting to appease.  It's not that I'm trying to find a way to write something that would be offensive, but I do want to make people question their view of the world, not in an agenda type way, but in a "hmm..." way.  This is something I can't NOT do.  It's who I am as a writer, and the longer I try to fight against it, the longer my writing will remain mediocre.

Discussion: Are there subjects that you find personally taboo in YA or any other genre?  What subjects WON'T you go near, and why?

Saturday Fun Time! Movie Classics

Happy Saturday, everyone!  I hope you all had a great week.  How is everyone doing on their NaNo novels?  Keeping up with the 1,667 words a day?

Today, I'm going nostalgic with Saturday Fun Time.  This video right here has one of the greatest scenes in movie history.  Most people know it.  Most people can quote it word-for-word.  It's sad, it's funny, it's a little pathetic.

Enjoy!

Censorship

There's always talk about how this group or that group wants to censor a book, keep it out of libraries so others can't be tainted by what's within its pages.  Betsy Lerner, author of THE FOREST FOR THE TREES, suggests censorship might actually begin with the author herself!

Is there someone in your life you're trying to protect, thus keeping you from opening up in your writing?  Maybe if you write about a character whose relationship between his/her parents is strained, you're afraid everyone will think poorly of your own parents.  Or maybe there are feelings you keep so hidden because you don't want anyone in your life to know what's really going on in your head.

As long as you soften you're writing to protect family, friends, yourself, you'll never reach your potential.  How can you write about life if you aren't willing to delve into your own?

And that's what this post is about.  I censor my writing.  A lot.  I'm always worried about offending my Betas or you, dear readers, by not keeping up with the bubbly, happy-go-lucky persona I've created (not to mention my mother reads this blog and there are some things even SHE doesn't know).  But from now on, I'm not going to allow myself to be the victim of my own censorship.  I'm going to be totally honest with you, dear readers.  And my posts will reflect this from now on.

Discussion:  Do any of you censor your writing?  And if you do, are you willing to put an end to it today?  It's scary, I'll admit (and I haven't even done anything yet), but I think it's helpful and maybe even necessary.