About this Blogger and Website

News that Twinkles
News & Commentary that Twinkle

Oh, yeah, that’s me standing with my knees bent so Brian Williams won’t look short.  I’m nice like that.  Whenever Williams took over for Brokaw, I happened to be hanging out in a newsroom and grabbed this photo op before he shuffled on down to Talladega for the Nascar races (for real…he LOVES him some Nascar.)

Anyway, I did time–nearly a decade–in local tv news; now, I’m freelancing.  FREE is the best part of freelancing.  Mypicnikgfxschedule is mine, and I answer to me.  FREE is the worst part of freelancing because I spend too much time working for free.   My writing here is dedicated to the journalistic principles that news must be proportionate and the significant be made relevant.  Oh, and comedy…because news is insufferable without being able to laugh at the daily parade of ass-quackery coming through the idiot box.  (Yeah!  New Media!!)

A little more biographical stuff…My name is Melissa.  I’ve been writing since I was a wee one, initially inspired by Charlotte and Wilbur of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web.   My favorite writer ever is Mark Twain.  I love him so much I named my second son after him.  Way back in the 90s, I had the opportunity to work for celebrated science-fiction/fantasy author, Orson Scott Card.  He let me contribute a little bit to a vile and nutty character (Vilate Franker) in the American fantasy series: The Tales of Alvin Maker.

In TV, I was the producer and executive producer of several award winning news broadcasts (which these awards are about a dime-a-dozen in the industry, but it sure made my mom proud!).  I’ve covered enough stories on untimely deaths and abject misery to be permanently jaded I think.

I also worked as an Associate Faculty member at Arizona Western College teaching ethics and logic (both disciplines proved irrelevant in news :-( ).

But enough already about me. Tell me about you!

You can contact me at writechic@gmail.com

Alms for the broke accepted merrily and with gratitude.


How to Win a Fight With a Conservative is the ultimate survival guide for political arguments

My Liberal Identity:

You are a New Left Hipster, also known as a MoveOn.org liberal, a Netroots activist, or a Daily Show fanatic. You believe that if we really want to defend American values, conservatives must be exposed, mocked, and assailed for every fanatical, puritanical, warmongering, Constitution-shredding ideal for which they stand.

Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com

50 Responses

  1. Jason, on November 24th, 2007 at 11:08 pm Said:

    Hey there

    I have had a great time readign this blogg. I was lookign up Ghandi’s comment about the world going blind and I came across your blogg spot and have spent the last hour reading things from it.

    It’s fantastic

    Jason

    Reply
  2. mdking, on November 25th, 2007 at 1:51 am Said:

    Thank you so much. The Weekly World News doesn’t have to exist; you don’t have to make stuff up. :-)

    Sincerely, Melissa

    Reply
  3. ultimoAdios, on December 6th, 2007 at 4:32 am Said:

    At this moment is the moment of what I called “Social Networking” – - browsing around WordPress.com blogger community in random to find interesting ideas or shall I say inspiration. Your blog caught my attention. Great blog! and thanks for your thoughts!

    Sicerely,

    UA

    Reply
  4. writechicpress, on December 6th, 2007 at 4:37 am Said:

    Thank you very much.

    Reply
  5. jason p., on December 29th, 2007 at 7:35 pm Said:

    Ithink i might have been turned on to this website once before but alot has happened since then.lots of interesting articles here. good website,mis.

    -j
    -.-/../….-/-…/-./-.-.

    Reply
  6. mdking, on December 29th, 2007 at 7:39 pm Said:

    Hey, an endorsement from my uncle is awesome. I’ve got to carry on Nano’s democratic fervor.

    Reply
  7. SITEMONITOR, on January 9th, 2008 at 3:14 am Said:

    COMMENT DELETED

    Reply
  8. Dan (Fitness), on February 11th, 2008 at 10:19 pm Said:

    I dig this blog too :)
    And you got to work with Orson Scott Card?
    That must have been awesome!

    Reply
  9. mdking, on February 11th, 2008 at 10:22 pm Said:

    It was awesome. Card is a fantastic story teller. I wish some of his books were films.

    Reply
  10. Yaz Okulu, on March 22nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm Said:

    does anyone knows if there is any other information about this subject in other languages?

    Reply
  11. mdking, on March 22nd, 2008 at 8:10 pm Said:

    Which subject?

    Reply
  12. Susan Hales, on March 29th, 2008 at 12:14 am Said:

    Hey, I just found your site. Add me to your blog roll if you get a chance. Where in Alabama are you?

    Reply
  13. mdking, on March 29th, 2008 at 12:27 am Said:

    Hi, Susan. I hails from Hoover.

    Where are you? I saw two blue dot bumper stickers in a parking lot and wanted to wait for the people to come back to their car. I obviously need friends. ;-)

    Reply
  14. athenivandx, on April 19th, 2008 at 9:38 pm Said:

    Hi there………..I saw the video about the pretend film…….of questions George S. could ask McCain………its awesome………I couldn’t get vodpod to work to insert in my own blog to do a post myself………so saved your blog in my rolls……..lefties rule!

    I claim to be ambidextrous though………..figuratively and literally……I can write with each hand……..and I can agree with the right on certain things……

    GObama 08!

    I love Keith Olbermann……that was actually the video that I wanted to put in my own blog……..alas, vodpod failed me.

    Reply
  15. mdking, on April 19th, 2008 at 10:30 pm Said:

    athenivandx, just go grab it from youtube. You can insert it into your posts like this

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Reply
  16. buelahman, on April 20th, 2008 at 11:39 am Said:

    Hoover? Cool. All my relatives are from Harpersville, Vincent, Childersburg, Sylacauga area.

    Great Blog and have bloggroll’d you, as well.

    Reply
  17. mdking, on April 20th, 2008 at 7:01 pm Said:

    Sylacauga? Childersburg? That’s Alabama wine country! Morgan Creek blueberry wine is my favorite Christmas gift to give.

    Reply
  18. Glynn Wilson, on May 14th, 2008 at 3:15 pm Said:

    Melissa,

    Don’t spot an e-mail address for you on here anywhere, so just wanted to let you know I finally got around to adding you to our blog roll at the Locust Fork Journal, LocustFork.Net.

    GW

    Reply
  19. mdking, on May 14th, 2008 at 4:14 pm Said:

    Thanks, Glynn!

    Reply
  20. johnnypeepers, on July 10th, 2008 at 4:07 am Said:

    You know what they say…there ain’t nuttin’ smoother than a Hoovah groova. Actually it is a reference to L.A. Crips and the hood they inhabit, but it has cross-geographic applicability.

    Reply
  21. GOPnot4me, on July 30th, 2008 at 6:17 am Said:

    Dear Write Chic,

    I love your site and have visited every day since I first stopped by.

    I’ve especially liked your work on the Seigelman story.

    I’m adding you to my blogroll right now.

    See you tomorrow, thanks.

    Mike

    Reply
  22. mdking, on July 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm Said:

    Thank you, Mike. I’ll add you, too. Nice to see someone cares about what happens in Alabama as far away as SoCal! But you all lost Carol Lam and suffered Duke Cunningham.

    Hope you and yours weren’t too rattled by yesterday’s quake.

    Reply
  23. GOPnot4me, on July 30th, 2008 at 4:32 pm Said:

    Thanks, MD!

    The quake was really something but far less frightening than the tornado’s of my youth in Nebr.

    98 days till the election, I can hardly wait!

    Take care, Mike

    Reply
  24. steadycat, on September 11th, 2008 at 8:23 am Said:

    I love your website.

    Reply
  25. writechicpress, on September 11th, 2008 at 10:48 am Said:

    I think I’m going to love yours, too, steadycat! John McCain is a lesbian! Lesbians around the world gave a collective shudder, felt a disturbance in the force, and considered pitching for any other team but their own. Thanks for visiting!

    Reply
  26. Jeanine Dr. Jazz, on September 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pm Said:

    Great Web site – so glad to find your site! Impressive credentials, too.

    You help prove that Alabama really does have some smart, talented, and cool people. Born in New Orleans & raised in Alabama, lived in Europe & around the USA, I’m now semi-retired back in Alabama, my base as a band leader, wild glamour pianist, political activist, & artist. (No Web site yet.)

    My artist friend who does the “Doubly Gifted” blog turned me on to your site (she has a link to you on her site).

    LOL – as an out Lesbian, I’ve been tempted to throw Lesbian support NOT to McCain, but to Caribou Barbi, I mean, Mrs. Palin, because she is so not like most straight women and she’s just so uppity and sassy and all that… it might scare off some of the evangelical vote… but then, that would be disrespectful to Lesbians ;->

    Merci beaucoup & Keep up the good work.

    ~Dr. Jazz

    Reply
  27. writechicpress, on September 30th, 2008 at 6:26 pm Said:

    Thanks, Dr. Jazz, for the vote of confidence! I was raised in New Orleans…Algiers then across the Lake to Slidell. I love Dr. John, and I’ve reproduced a litter of musicians–all percussionists, two play the sax, too.

    Let me know if you get a site up and feel free to jump into the fray with sassy commentary. Caribou Barbie is a post waiting to happen. :-)

    Reply
  28. MaryKate Gach, on October 20th, 2008 at 10:46 pm Said:

    I live in Homewood, next door to you. I too am so caught up when I see a blue-dot car that I’m tempted to follow that car in order to speak to the like-minded folks! I have done that. So glad my Auburn friend, Jane, clued me in to your blogsite. She’s a Dem, too.
    Obama all the way—and let’s have a landslide!

    Reply
  29. writechicpress, on October 21st, 2008 at 3:15 am Said:

    Hi, MaryKate! Thanks for saying hi! I see a lot more blue dots driving around than I used to. It’s encouraging. And thank Jane!

    Reply
  30. Suzanne, on November 5th, 2008 at 9:51 pm Said:

    Hey Melissa! Love the blinged-up photo! I can’t tell you how much I enjoy not only your blog, but also the “conversation” you invite and encourage. I feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon this site when I was looking for some “local flavor” on the Siegelman case.

    Just keep up the good work!

    Reply
  31. writechicpress, on November 5th, 2008 at 11:39 pm Said:

    That’s how things look about an hour before I get a migraine! Thanks for helping me feel like I have anything worthwhile to say….I’ll get really sappy if go on…so…

    And Speaking of Siegelman, got this today:

    Dear M,

    Thank you for all you have done to make revolution at the ballot box a reality!

    While in the comfort of our new found hope following last night’s stunning victory, let us not forget who brought us to the point of our political rebellion. Let us not forget the ones who subverted our democracy by falsely leading our country into war, stealing elections and using the Department of Justice as their own political weapon.

    It is so interesting to watch Karl Rove now. You never hear him claim credit anymore for being the “genius” behind George W. Bush.

    Today, Rove is trying as hard as possible to distance himself from the Bush administration.

    Not one major media source has laid the election blame on Rove.

    The Republicans have taken a fall for Rove. Fortunately though, they leave him on Fox as a symbol to remind us why we are so angry and why this administration is in the tank.

    Now that there has been a political train wreck the Republicans will do an investigation to find out what happened and find that Rove steered the train off the tracks.

    We need to encourage the Republicans to now take the lead in holding Rove in Contempt!

    Thank you for working so hard and doing such a phenomenal job waking up America.

    I will be back in touch with some ideas of how we can encourage Congress to take the next step in uncovering and exposing the truth.

    Sincerely,

    Don Siegelman
    Governor of Alabama
    1999-2003

    Reply
  32. Deepak, on November 19th, 2008 at 8:39 pm Said:

    Loved your blog :) Nice work.

    Reply
  33. lifeisacookie, on January 16th, 2009 at 11:07 am Said:

    Oh — I’m in withdrawal already!
    I KNOW you have somethng good on Bush’s long kissoff goodbye last night!!
    Oh why do you withhold from me?!? You said no torture!!!!!

    I humbly await your offering (if I’m lucky enough to get one)
    :)

    Reply
  34. Don, on January 17th, 2009 at 2:31 pm Said:

    When I saw your comment on Loretta Nall’s blog I was curious enough to come to yours because any friend of my friend is “a person of interest”. I’m glad that I did. Your blog contains tons of interesting information that I haven’t yet had time to explore, but I’ll be back when time permits.

    I don’t blog, but I read many political blogs (left, right, and center) every day and post comments on some. I am a small-time political activist, especially in regard to Alabama government and politics, and I have a website devoted to my primary project which you or your readers may be interested in @ http://www.doctoriq.com.

    Being in Hoover and (I gather) a Democrat or Progressive, perhaps you’re acquainted with an internet friend of mine, Kathy, whose Birmingham Blues blog is @ http://www.queervoice.net/kmcmullen/.

    Reply
  35. Reverend Manny, on February 7th, 2009 at 5:48 pm Said:

    writechic, you know you rock…

    one love,
    –rev m

    Reply
  36. writechicpress, on February 7th, 2009 at 9:18 pm Said:

    Manny, I’m sure you have me confused with you!

    From the land of the 10,000 things, Melissa

    Reply
  37. bluesmokeofparadise, on March 5th, 2009 at 6:23 pm Said:

    I appreciated your reference to E. B. White and “Charlotte’s Web.”

    My first literary find, one that I still treasure more than all others.

    I minored in Philosophy, so your interest is “logic and ethics” is appreciated.

    Continued success in the blogosphere.

    http://wordbandit.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • writechicpress, on March 5th, 2009 at 6:25 pm Said:

      Nice to meet ya, Blue! Charlotte was the best…in spite of all the blood sucking. I’ll check out your site. :-)

      Reply
  38. bobrow, on March 12th, 2009 at 6:36 pm Said:

    I just started a new WordPress blog with my caricatures on world politics (I’m from Argentina) and you are the kind of people I want o share with. So, you’ll be my first mark in the blogroll at:

    http://bobrow.wordpress.com

    Until it become famous, you can visit:

    http://gloriamundi.blogsome.com with my weekly work at a local newspaper with bilingual (En-Sp) commentaries on both local and international articles on politics, science and culture.

    Hope you’ll like my drawings and feel free to use them.

    My best

    Roberto Bobrow (aka Bob Row)

    Reply
  39. Townsville Nerd, on March 16th, 2009 at 1:26 am Said:

    Hi,
    Im really lovin the site.
    Keep up the great work.
    Mandy

    Reply
  40. dpolitico, on July 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm Said:

    Hey there! Great site! I too was in local TV news but got out after the birth of my first son. Now I’m practicing law and trying to make fun of the news. Love your writing!

    Reply
  41. skalka, on August 26th, 2009 at 6:14 pm Said:

    LOVE the new header!! Woo hoo!!

    Reply
  42. 0whole1, on September 29th, 2009 at 12:45 am Said:

    Alvin Maker — at least the first couple of books — were some of my favs. I liked what Card did with folk magic, and of course, I’m a sucker for maps.

    If you’re of a bent, Card has an interview on the fan-produced making of Serenity documentary.

    Reply
  43. 0whole1, on September 29th, 2009 at 12:46 am Said:

    Also, thanks for correcting the spelling of mine blog in your right hand nav. :)

    Cheers!

    Reply

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