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| Friday, July 25th, 2008 |
sraun
|
9:37a |
Daily Dragon Post I'd appreciate it if you'd look at this once, but will not be surprised if a lot of people find them boring. They're hatchlings now! ( This will be showing up daily for a while ) Current Mood:  curious |
sraun
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9:36a |
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bright_lilim
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3:26p |
So, most of the summer has been pretty uneventful and what events there has been, haven't had set time and place. However, this weekend looks different:
First, this is the Finncon weekend and for the first time it's being organized in my city. It's the largest SF/F con in Finland. I've been looking forward to it.
Secondly, a project manager at my part-time job announced by email yesterday that she would send a largish project today or tomorrow. (So from today's perspective that project should have come to me and a large cast of other reviewers yesterday or today. It hasn't). This project is apparently more urgent than the usual urgent and high priority projects and should be done withing at most 24 hours. So, it's now 3.30 PM on a Friday. Are they seriously expecting me to sit by my email and wait the whole weekend? And also to do it on Saturday or Sunday without extra charge? (Of course, I would do that if this were any other weekend...) It's quite possible that the project will come on Sat or Sun. Others have been but the deadlines have always been during weekdays.
Thirdly, it's of course my mother's birthday tomorrow. She lives in an other city and doesn't have an email connection.
Fourthly, my brother is back from England for a short while. He's returning on the 1st and staying here with our parents. Now, I did go to see him and the folks last weekend but it would be nice to do it again, but...
Fifth, I've still got fifteen pages to go with the Zelazny and the deadline is the 1st.
Why on Earth do all of these things have to happen at the same time?? |
kikibug13
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9:09a |
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| Thursday, July 24th, 2008 |
celisnebula
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10:00p |
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khavrinen
|
6:01p |
OK, I give in A great many of the people on my f-list have posted pictures from ICanHasCheezBurger, but I have resisted jumping on the bandwagon ... until now. I just laughed too hard at this one:  more cat pictures |
stoutfellow
|
6:44p |
"The Music of Pain" The mood I'm in tonight, I probably shouldn't be listening to country music. I dread tomorrow. Current Mood:  sad |
colliemommie
|
9:05a |
Less exciting, if more immediate, baby names Oh the joys of naming babies.
So no joy on boy's names. He wants RBKIII, and I want Robert John or Robert Nicholas.
We do have two front-runners for girls that we both like: Elena Elizabeth and Christina Elizabeth. I like Elena best, but Christina isn't bad. It reminds me of the girl from Flambards, and she had a lot to recommend her.
Current Mood:  confused |
colliemommie
|
8:52a |
It's like not having anything to wear, but worse!! I have nothing to read. The shelves and shelves (and boxes) of books nonwithstanding. I staunchly maintain I have nothing to read. Virginia Beach, for all its myriad and horrible faults, has a great public library system. So I have access to books, and actually just finished Golding's To the Ends of the Earth books and Elizabeth Howard's 4 Cazalet books. But now I am out of inspiration. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations. I tend to lean toward science fiction and historical fiction (except for Philippa Gregory, who writes trash at the expense of history and defamed Catherine of Aragon, one of the Great Classy Ladies of History), also mysteries, biographies, and pretty much anything else. I have catholic (small c) tastes. Thanks very much in advance! Current Mood: curious |
sraun
|
10:52a |
Daily Dragon Post I have hatchlings! I'd appreciate it if you'd look at this once, but will not be surprised if a lot of people find them boring. ( This will be showing up daily for a while ) Current Mood:  pleased |
brandi1498
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7:38a |
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msss
|
9:51p |
FREE - October gift Webscription If you love speculative fiction and haven't discovered the wonders of Baen's Webscriptions (soon to include Tor books!!!), listen up. I'm about to buy the October Webscription, which is an awesome deal where I get all of the following books for a bargain price:
- Slow Train to Arcturus by Eric Flint and Dave Freer - if you like exploring worlds with Andre Norton, you'll like this story about humanity heading to the stars. All types of humanity.
- Gentleman Takes a Chance by Sarah Hoyt - the next book in her Shapeshifters series.
- The Serrano Connection by Elizabeth Moon - previously published in her Serrano saga as Once a Hero and Rules of Engagement.
- The Universe Twister by Keith Laumer edited by Eric Flint - from the author of the Retief series.
- Vorpal Blade by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor - Space Marines! The sequel to In the Looking Glass.
- Pyramid Power by Dave Freer and Eric Flint - a mysterious pyramid eats Chicago? Norse gods? Read the rollicking sequel to Pyramid Scheme.
- Time Scout by Linda Evans and Robert Asprin - What's a time scout? Find out here. (Actually, I don't know either. But I will as soon as I read this, won't I?)
It's such a great deal, they're letting me give a package away to someone who's never tried Webscriptions before. If that's you, drop me a comment below with a clean email address. First in, best dressed. Please try to be quick? I want to read them too. |
bright_lilim
|
1:46p |
Beginnings Booking Through Thursday
Here’s another idea about memorable first lines from books.
What are your favourite first sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its first sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn't like but still remember simply because of the first line?I rarely remember exact lines from books. I remember moods, characters, settings, maybe the gist of a conversation. Off hand, I can't think of any opening lines that would have stayed with me. |
kikibug13
|
1:06p |
CRACK! For those of us (RDJ fans) who're also looking forward to Tropic Thunder, Kirk Lazarus's official web site IS A DOSE OF PURE LULZ TIEM! Current Mood:  gigglyCurrent Music: Llewellyn - The Chill Wind |
| Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 |
coalboy
|
9:33p |
Reading Update umpteen-plus-two 2008 Books ReadNew To Me
108. Mont-St-Michel and Chartres – Henry Adams 7/23/08 via DailyLit. I thought this was going to be in greater detail about the architecture, but much more about compare-and-contrast various catherdrals in northern France plus comparing theologians. (Aside: 6 books via Daily Lit at once is too much, mostly because the subject matters are so different and it gets so choppy.)
107. The Devil's Delilah – Loretta Chase 7/21/08
106. Viscount Vagabond – Loretta Chase 7/21/08
105. Abducting Amy – June Calvin 7/20/08
104. The Best Laid Plans – Laurie Bishop 7/19/08
103. The Hero Returns – Catherine Blair 7/18/08
102. A Worthy Wife – Metzger 7/17/08 very funny, recommended
101. A Scholarly Gentleman – Catherine Blair 7/16/08
100. Italian Journeys – William Dean Howell 7/16/08 via Daily Lit
99. Christmas Wishes – Metzger 7/16/08
98. Father Christmas – Metzger 7/16/08
97. The Actress and the Rake – Carola Dunn 7/16/08
96. Road To Ruin – Margaret Evans Porter 7/15/08
95. Valentines – Barbara Metzger 7/15/08 I _told_ you I had gotten a box of regencies from Desert Vixen. No rereads, I'm working on the box. |
coalboy
|
8:05p |
Today
I had a Day Out today; went to the Muskegon County Museum's Hackley-Hume-City Barn sites, the Hackley Fire Barn, and the Skolnik House. CK Hackley was one of the West Michigan lumber barons of the 1870s-80s, made a Major Pile of money, though any lumber baron in Michigan could hardly help it after the Chicago Fire in 1871 with Chicago rebuilding. Hume was his (younger) business partner. The Hackley house is decorated in Queen Anne style with Moorish overtones; its exterior reminds me of the San Francisco Painted Ladies, lots of stained glass like Persian carpets, carved woodwork (which is a major pain to keep dusted - I asked one of the docents) , seven fireplaces even though there is also original central heating from 1889, and stenciling. OMG, the stenciling on the walls and ceilings. I had my camera but didn't take pictures - the detailing just wouldn't have been understandable without the context, & we were a bit rushed on the tour. (The tour party consisted of me and a young pregnant couple with their 9-month-old son and our docent.) The dining room had all its decoration with something to do with food: the carving around the door was grapes and corn and fishing rods, the tiling around the fireplace was a hunting dog, game birds, and fish, a built-in sideboard was carved with assorted edibles which I've forgotten. The Hume house next door was decorated a la 1915, the family had 7 children instead of the Hackley 2 already grown when CK & Emma moved in, so there was a nursery with toys from the period but not original, the parlor wasn't closed off/used only for formal occasions, larger dining room with 1/2" octagonal tiles on the floor for easier cleaning. The Hume house also had a tub long enough for me to lie down in, submerge, and soak, & I'm 5'7". I liked the size of the rooms in the Hume house more, even if the style didn't grab me.
Then I walked downhill to the Fire Barn, very important in the area - close to the business district and with highly flammable lumber yards & saw mills. There was a display of firemen's gear over the past 80 years, and an exhibit of different pins belonging to a father & son pair chiefs of the fire department. I had been aware that fire depts used the Maltese Cross as their pin design, but not that each of the 8 points stood for a desired characteristic of The Perfect Fireman. Of course I don't remember now what most of them were, but one was courtesy! I do not mean to imply that most firemen are rude, it's just strange to me that that in particular was something so very stressed. There were also 3 turnout suits on display from different periods; one had been badly melted in use but the wearer was uninjured! There were also 2 stalls for the horses - when the bell rang, the stall doors opened automatically, the horses were trained to move *immediately* to the head of the equipment, the harness dropped into place automatically, and the whole equipage was ready to be gone in 10 seconds.
Next door is the Skolnik House, kept in the 1935 period, the midst of The Depression. The family was Polish Catholic, father lost his job, they squeezed into the first floor of the house and rented the second floor to a Polish Jewish family, even poorer. I can't remember the putative professions of the (no-longer)wager earners. First floor had an electric washing machine with wringer, the second a washboard with wringer. First floor had a treadle sewing machine, second hand sewing only. Et cetera. The Jewish family did keep kosher, though - 2 sets of pots & pans, 2 sets of tableware.
I had discussed with the docents at the fire barn the subject of lunch. More choices than I had imagined, considering I didn't want Fast Food (TM). I wound up at Carmen's, which had moved roughly 2 blocks 5 weeks ago. The former location was an honest-to-God diner from the early 60's, the new is a comfort-food retro-but-not-aggressively-so eatery, open 365 days for breakfast & lunch. I had a hamburger, onion rings, and and a Coke, which sounds like I might as well have gone to a Fast Foodery but was more satisfying. Talked with the owner's husband about sailing on Lake Michigan and our past dogs. He is a builder, at which news I perked up and asked how to find out what to do about the water pressure here - I'm afraid we have to repipe the downstairs bathroom, & I doubt we can get the same paneling.
Next I went next door to The Cheese Lady, who is moving 2 blocks in 2-3 weeks to a bigger shop. She has manymany non-US cheeses and other edibles. I bought some bleu d'Auvergne and some Istara Chistou, which is a cow and sheep's milk cheese fro the Basque area of France. Luch tomorrow!
Then I drove up to Whitehall and got a manicure and a pedicure, neither with nail polish. (I *use* my hands, polish would last maybe 5 minutes.) I can't keep the cuticles on my right hand from getting raggedy without professional help, nor am I flexible enough to attend to my feet as they need. I can touch my toes in a straight bend, but not sit cross-legged to cut the nails and cuticles. The staff at the nail place is Vietnamese, & though they speak English, I could only understand half of what was said to me. I also was given a hand-lower arm and a foot-lower leg massage, both of which nearly had me purring. My left hand is swelling a bit & looks bruised, though, maybe the massage was a little too strong.
I noticed gas prices were down 25 cents a gallon from last week, but I had just filled up on Monday (down 8 cents from then). Probably only used 1.5 gallons for the whole trip, not worth stopping. Home! Tomorrow is Garbage Collection Day, so I'm going to shell some shrimp for dinner - don't like to have that in the can longer than overnight, tempting the raccoons to attack and strew. Didn't sleep well last night, so bed by 10:30, I hope. |
logospilgrim
|
8:44p |
pen and brush Master, bless.My most precious ones, I have just published A gentle whisper. It is now available on my website and I hope that it will be a blessing to you... 
 I daresay it is my most peaceful collection of scribblings yet. Now I shall be hard at work upon a light burden. I shall also be painting. The writing I do is intense, and I think that painting would provide me with balance. I would like to sell my work on Etsy. A beloved one has told me that my colorful paintings would do well there, and I believe that indeed they might... I want to finish my Snape inspired painting then put it up for sale, along with 8X10 print reproductions. I have a few ideas for smaller paintings (involving vegetation, fruit and teacups, for starters), even though I usually prefer larger sized canvases. Etsy is a beautiful place. The artists showcased on that website are filled with such amazing creativity. I am going to rest a little now, though. Your devoted Logospilgrim, the quiet professor Current Mood:  tired but accomplishedCurrent Music: Bagatellen und Serenaden by Valentin Silvestrov |
colliemommie
|
5:47p |
How about "Sex Fruit" for a baby name? via ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) patgund. I meant to post this to babynames, but I fail big. Link to an article on hideous baby names in NZ.
Text for the link-phobic:
Some parents have been branded abusers because of the bizarre names of their children. Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt stated his concerns in a written decision after a custody hearing in New Plymouth revealed a couple had named their child Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He was so disturbed at the effect on the nine-year-old that he ordered her temporarily placed under court guardianship so a suitable name could be chosen. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap," he said. The girl, who had not had her birth officially registered in NZ, had not revealed her name to her friends. The judge was stopped talking yesterday by Principal Family Court Judge Peter Boshier. His office did provide some New Zealand-registered names the court knew of. They included: Fish and Chips (twins), Masport and Mower (twins); boys Yeah Detroit, Spiral Cicada, Kaos, Stallion and Hitler; girls Cinderella Beauty Blossom and Twisty Poi; and sex unknown Keenan Got Lucky and Sex Fruit. |
sraun
|
5:13p |
The Lost Polka Video Courtesy of rmjwell: A music video of Weird Al's version of Bohemian Rhapsody, using screen-caps from Lost and photo-shop. Current Mood:  indescribable |
brandi1498
|
4:27p |
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bright_lilim
|
11:45p |
Elizabeth Bear: Blood and Iron Wow! This one was really good! Basically it intertwines a lot of old creatures, fairy tales, werewolves, Arthurian mythos, and the modern world. The amazing thing is that it works so well. ( Read more... ) |
kikibug13
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3:00p |
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| Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 |
mmegaera
|
8:29p |
The Dark Knight Okay. I am not a Fanboy as defined by Websters (or a Fangirl, for that matter). I will argue that I am at least as much a part of the target audience as anyone else, though, because I will be the first to admit that in spite of being a nearly 50-year-old female, I adore popcorn movies. I seem, however, to be a lone voice crying in the wilderness here. A dissenting view of the movie, for spoilers, I suppose, for the half dozen people in North America, at least, who haven't seen it yet, behind the ( Read more... ) Current Mood:  frustrated |
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mmegaera
|
7:16p |
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celisnebula
|
10:17p |
Free Books Starting today and running through Sunday, July 27, Tor.com has a BUNCH of free ebooks in pdf and html format. The list of books being offered: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson Old Man’s War by John Scalzi Spin by Robert Charles Wilson Farthing by Jo Walton The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedies Lackey & James Mallory Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell Lord of the Isles by David Drake Through Wolf's Eyes by Jane Lindskold The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove Reiffen's Choice by S.C. Butler Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest Spirit Gate by Kate Elliot Starfish by Peter Watts Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham Orphans of Chaos by John Wright In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker In the Midnight Hour by Patti O'Shea Battlestar Galactica by Jeffrey A. Carver Flash by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Soul by Tobsha Learner Darkness of the Light by Peter David Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosanew! Check it out, there's lots of other cool stuff, like wall paper and other interesting things. Link: http://tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=577 |
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