People Wot I Know
Nov. 15th, 2009
06:35 pm - If you are interested in the Nebulas
I have a couple of stories that are eligible this year:
"Honoring the Dead"; Wily Writers, May 2009 [short story] (This one is my favorite of these stories.)
"Three Flashes of Fang & Fur"; Relief Anthology in "The Fleas They Carried" anthology [short story]
"Nothing Left to Salvage"; Wily Writers, November 2009 (This just came out today!) [short story]
"A Bite to Remember"; Permuted Press in "The World is Dead" anthology [short story]
06:07 pm - The Edge of Propinquity - Volume 47
Volume 47: November 2009
Welcome to the Edge of Propinquity. Volume 47 is now published. The transition from fall into winter is a thrilling time with brisk winds, nosy storms and the portent of dark days to come. In this penultimate volume we have a trap sprung, a victim lead towards an ambush, a lost soul looking for guidance anywhere he can and an attempt to make amends.
Luminations - Sand by Rick Silva AKA ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
shaharazad
Solstice - Autumn, Part Two by Ivan Ewert AKA ivan23
Danyael - Winter's Night by Nick Bergeron
Guest Author - The House of Bad Blood by Robert Mitchell Evans
Have you ever looked over the edge and seen something looking back at you?
Sincerely,
Jennifer Brozek
Editor, The Edge of Propinquity
http://www.edgeofpropinquity.net/defaul
02:09 pm - One of my favorite critics salutes two of my favorite critics
The Nostalgia Critic weighs in on Siskel and Ebert:
It's worth noting that Roger is still reviewing movies (in print) and is still sharp as a tack.
07:57 am - One-line Movie Review: A Christmas Carol
Albert Finney is still my favorite.
Nov. 14th, 2009
08:49 pm - And then they all kneeled before Zod
That was amazing. What a great group of people. I am still somewhat bemused by my own actions but very pleased with the results. Everyone needed to get together and start talking, reconnecting. I spent the afternoon making sure everyone had what they needed, being a background facilitator, which is much more my style. My partners were incredibly supportive and very involved in welcoming everyone, creating an environment in which people could just be and connect with each other.
I want to thank everyone, for their willingness to be here for and with Alex and Johanna. Really, all I wanted to accomplish was giving everyone a chance to do just that. Now go do some more!
04:39 pm - Snowstorm Set
$15.00
Sterling silver snowflakes and handmade beads are put together for this simple yet elegant winter set.
01:30 pm - The duty of customer service is to absorb irrational hatred
Working as a dental assistant has been harder than I thought.
Today a man walked in and asked for multiple rows of teeth.
"Like a shark," he said, "but don't worry, I can sharpen them myself."
"Uh, we don't have the technology for that," I told him, "would you like to schedule a teeth cleaning session?"
"Nonsense," he replied, "We grow a second set of teeth for adulthood, right? Right? There must be some signal the body gets that makes it start growing that set of teeth. Simulate that, just find out what triggers it, what hormones or stem cells or whatever, and do that again like the first time. And then a few more times, so I'll have multiple rows. Like a shark."
"You'd be in constant pain, then, wouldn't you?" I replied, foolishly trying to reason with him, "Remember how much it hurt when you were a kid?"
"It would be worth it," he insisted.
"Also, your insurance plan doesn't cover demented experimentation."
"Look here!" he said, pounding a fist into the countertop, "I said I want multiple rows of teeth, not excuses. If you can't do this for me, I will go home and play Oregon trail. And name the characters after you. And keep playing the game really really badly until you get dysentery for realsies."
Whoa. Oregon Trail sympathetic hoodoo curses. Working as a dental assistant has been harder than I thought.
12:03 pm - Help me LJ, you're my only hope!
My Google-fu has failed me.
I am looking for the creator of this image of a destroyed Seattle.
I cannot find out anything about it. On the bottom right corner, it has the word "Scratched" and a second word I cannot make out. I think the second might be "technology" but I'm not sure.
I want to compliment the creator on the image.
I want to buy a hard copy print of it.
Let's make it a contest: The first person who can get me in contact with the creator/owner of this image, will win a copy of my post apocalyptic anthology GRANTS PASS and my sincere appreciation.
NOTE: The creator has been found. Thank you.
03:08 pm - [SP] What Big Eyes....
If you're in Dallas, come see me today at Dallas Webcomics Expo - http://dwex.info for info - 11am to 6pm. I'm at table six.If there are any problems with the comic or website, or if you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like to address directly to Randy, please email him at choochoobear@gmail.com.
Nov. 13th, 2009
02:07 pm - Christmas Shopping Necklace
$28.00
Yes, we hate it when stores put out their Christmas things long before Thanksgiving too. Apparently, that's not stopping us, though. Because it's got to make it through the mail and stuff. Yeah, that's it.
Anyway, this is a beautiful double stranded necklace made of red and white freshwater pearls with faceted hematite and silver metallic beads. The pendant has a different picture on each side. The first reads "The holidays are no time for restraint." While the second reads, "The Government asks you to do your Xmas Shopping Early DO IT NOW."
10:54 am
I don't blame you for not caring, but if you do: March 9, 2010 is when FFXIII will be released. There is a date.
That is all.
11:07 am - Crystal Swirl Necklace
$30.00
This linked necklace of crystal and hand made lampwork beads glitters like diamonds in the sun. The crystal beads are AB treated so their surface has a rainbow sheen while the lampwork beads were made from cobalt blue filigrana glass for texture all the way through. Each bead was wire wrapped by hand. At ~17" long, this necklace is a bit shorter than our normal length so please be aware when ordering.
08:59 am - Here we go...
So per the website, we’re 91 days out till DDC 2010.
That’s Officially the three month mark.
Three (3) months.
To my fellow GM’s out there, have you started writing? Hmmmm? Well have you?
I have, I know that my compadres have begun as well.
91 days
I really need to dig down and focus on some big ticket issue here as well; the biggest of course is “WHAT BEER ROB? FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD & HOLY, CAN’T YOU SEE WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE MAN?”
St. Arnold, the Patron Saint of Beer screamed that at me last night while I was dreaming, interrupting a perfectly good world domination dream I might add, he also whacked me with staff made of hardened hops when he thought I wasn't paying attention, but I can deal with that part. That’s how I knew this morning we were at the 3 MONTH mark, clearly I’m dealing with forces beyond me here people, so you can see burden I wrestle with prior to each con.
[sigh]…it’s a lonely road.
And I’ve got to walk if for 91 more days.
![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/blue/groggy.gif){kind=small}
groggy06:22 am - [SP] Practice
If there are any problems with the comic or website, or if you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like to address directly to Randy, please email him at choochoobear@gmail.com.
Nov. 12th, 2009
06:37 pm - Two-line Movie Review: Transformers 2
I really want to hate these movies. The story is contrived, the script is hackneyed, the acting is forced and the jokes are terrible.
But dammit, it just looks so f*cking COOL!
10:04 pm - A VERY SEKRIT PASSPHRASE
...and say 'That chick in the yellow corset crowdsurfing looks kind of hot. I wonder if she's dating anyone?' And then they get something for free."
Hi Neil,
I am a long-time fan, and have even met you backstage at a Tori show (though that was many years ago!). I am writing to ask a bit of a favor.
About 10 years ago, I appeared on 20/20 with Tori, speaking about sexual violence. Since then, I've stayed close with Tori whose been a mentor of the best kind. I also started a nonprofit, Pandora's Project, that provides support, information, and resources to rape and sexual abuse survivors and their supporters. We operate Pandora's Aquarium, an online support group with more than 20,000 registered members.
Recently, I was named a 2009 L'Oreal Woman of Worth for my volunteer work with Pandora's. I was chosen for this honor from more than 2,500 applicants.
Now, one of the ten 2009 Honorees will be selected as the national honoree through a public online vote. Her cause will get an additional $25,000, and a lot of media exposure. This is the first time L'Oreal has recognized a sexual violence organization, and becoming the national honoree would allow me to shine a spotlight on this issue that affects so many women and women.
Voting is easy - people just need to go to the url below, enter their email address in the box on the right, and click the "submit vote" button. Each email address is allowed one vote, and voting ends November 24.
http://www.womenofworth.com/Honorees/Hon
I am wondering if you might be willing to send people to this voting link via your (infinitely popular) twitter or blog. I understand if it's not something you can do, but my experience running a small-budget nonprofit tells me it's always wise to ask!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Shannon Lambert
I'll plug it happily.
Your correspondent asks "Will you be reading the original version where the wolf actually is killed, and not the 'oh my goodness our kids can't hear about death' version in which they bring him to the zoo?"
I fear she's in error; in the original version, written by Prokofiev, Peter snares the wolf, then convinces the hunters NOT to kill it, but to take it to the zoo.
I've been researching, and that's what I found out too. Wikipedia has a list of changes made in various versions of the story (Disney, for example, had the wolf not eat the duck). But the wolf was always taken to the zoo...
02:43 pm - SPAZ Radio
In an effort to put out at least two episodes of my podcast each month, I have decided to launch SPAZ Radio. SPAZ Radio will consist of music-only episodes that will appear regularly between interview episodes, featuring songs by local and touring bands that have played shows in Seattle recently.
I hope to have a theme for each episode to help pick the music that I play. For the first several SPAZ Radio episodes, the theme will be "Best of Venue". For these episodes, I will pick songs by bands that I have seen play at a specific location in Seattle; the first one will be "Best of GRN STRP Haus"!
Since interview episodes come out on the 1st Monday of every month, I'm planning to release SPAZ Radio episodes on the 3rd Monday of every month. However, the first SPAZ Radio episode may be a bit late, since I am just now getting started on it. We'll see!
![[mood icon]](http://pics.livejournal.com/amnesiack/pic/0000by2d/t7d7d){kind=small}
happy03:51 pm - White and Black Swirl Earrings
$15.00
A pair of whimsical--ok, darn near random--beads with a "black" on white pattern. Since "black" glass is actually a very deep purple, on the white bead it varies from dark purple to black in color.
11:25 am - Fun fact of the day
Under common law, rotating a donut in place by 90 degrees may be considered larceny (theft), but rotating a pie the same way cannot.
The difference being that the common law definition of larceny requires that the thief gain physical control of the object and move the entire object. The entirety of the rotated donut has moved, but the exact center of the rotated pie has not.
Of course, in either case, the thief must intend to steal the confection in question. If you're just rotating donuts for the lulz, there is no theft. Case law around the distinction in question generally occurs when a thief is interrupted in the process of stealing, and it's an important question whether the Rubicon was crossed before the would-be thief is interrupted. For example, a guy trying to steal a wheelbarrow has only committed larceny once the wheel has moved across the ground, not just when he lifts the handle.
10:03 am - Sewing machine
I want to help my brother get his love a decent sewing machine for Xmas but I know nothing about sewing machines. Help me LJ seamstresses and tailors, you're my only hope! Please email me about this. It is important.
It does not have to be new. If refurbished is cheaper but you get a better machine, that will do.
My brother's lady friend is an avid seamstress and makes clothing for him to wear "just cause" and you can't tell that they are handmade.
Finally, my brother and his love live in the Bay Area. I was hoping to have someone in the Bay Area pick this sewing machine out and deliver it to him.
05:16 pm - New Alt Text
Clever Murdoch Turns News Into Hip Underground Club
So hi! I haven’t been updating Bad Gods recently, but I’m working on something behind the scenes.
11:33 am - Amethyst Heart Earrings
$12.00
A pair of knotwork hearts accented with faceted amethyst crystal drops.
06:00 am - Radio! Books! Violin Lessons! Also, a haircut I do not mention anywhere in this blog!
11.12 Portland, ME
11.13 Northampton, MA
11.14 Brooklyn, NY (SOLD OUT)
11.18 Philadelphia, PA
11.19 Falls Church, VA
11.20 Carrboro, NC
11.22 Knoxville, TN.
Go see her in concert. She's a wonder live. Tell her I said hi.)
Hi Neil,
I just read about your event in January, where in you will be narrating Peter and the Wolf. My husband and I are over joyed by this. We will hopefully be bringing our three girls up to see the performance. We did have one question though. Will you be reading the original version where the wolf actually is killed, and not the "oh my goodness our kids can't hear about death" version in which they bring him to the zoo? We are both, obviously, really hopeful that being you, and not afraid to scare children (thank you for that btw) will be speaking the true to the story version in which Peter shoots the wolf and then his dead body is paraded through the town as a trophy.
Thanks for your time,
~Cecily
PS- Do you know if there will be tickets for the event or the reception afterwards? It will be a long drive, and it would be nice to be prepared for either staking out seats all day or having tickets in hand. (We could not find any reservation information on the website)
I'd forgotten - or never knew - that there was an alternative version. The script I was sent is the Zoo version. I'll investigate...
And no, I do not know about tickets. I will find out.
Dear Neil,
Your Web Goblin offered to post photos of Coraline pumpkins, and when they were told this, my 8 and 11-year old daughters decided to make some. Here they are, along with 2 emoticon pumpkins and a turnip.
http://www.steampunkfamily.com/wp-conten
I used them to illustrate a ghost story: http://www.steampunkfamily.com/2009/10/p
Three of the four of us were Coraline characters for Halloween. (The 11-year old went her own way as Susan Sto-Helit.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37435081@N0
The Other Mother is the scariest thing I've ever been for Halloween. All the children (even the 4-year olds!) knew who I was, and I elicited much nervous laughter when I offered to sew buttons in their eyes.
Thank you for being VERY SCARY INDEED
I love how many families were Coraline families, this year.
If, like me, anybody else was intrigued by your mention of Kenneth Grahame's other works and wants to read them with a minimum of searching, they'll be happy to know both 'The Golden Age' and 'Dream Days' are available for free on the always invaluable Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/291
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/270
Thanks for mentioning them in the first place; I'm always interested in children's lit of that time that has managed to slip through my net.
- B. Bolander
What a good idea. Two very beautiful, gently funny books by the author of The Wind in the Willows. I really enjoyed them, but stylistically they are, well, out of fashion, and will not be everybody's cup of Edwardian tea. Here's a passage that describes the illustration I put up yesterday, as small children steal through the house on a midnight expedition to obtain biscuits (ie cookies, if you are American):
The Blue Room had in prehistoric times been added to by taking in a superfluous passage, and so not only had the advantage of two doors, but enabled us to get to the head of the stairs without passing the chamber wherein our dragon-aunt lay couched. It was rarely occupied, except when a casual uncle came down for the night. We entered in noiseless file, the room being plunged in darkness, except for a bright strip of moonlight on the floor, across which we must pass for our exit. On this our leading lady chose to pause, seizing the opportunity to study the hang of her new dressing-gown. Greatly satisfied thereat, she proceeded, after the feminine fashion, to peacock and to pose, pacing a minuet down the moonlit patch with an imaginary partner. This was too much for Edward's histrionic instincts, and after a moment's pause he drew his single-stick, and with flourishes meet for the occasion, strode onto the stage. A struggle ensued on approved lines, at the end of which Selina was stabbed slowly and with unction, and her corpse borne from the chamber by the ruthless cavalier. The rest of us rushed after in a clump, with capers and gesticulations of delight; the special charm of the performance lying in the necessity for its being carried out with the dumbest of dumb shows.
Once out on the dark landing, the noise of the storm without told us that we had exaggerated the necessity for silence; so, grasping the tails of each other's nightgowns even as Alpine climbers rope themselves together in perilous places, we fared stoutly down the staircase-moraine, and across the grim glacier of the hall, to where a faint glimmer from the half-open door of the drawing-room beckoned to us like friendly hostel-lights. Entering, we found that our thriftless seniors had left the sound red heart of a fire, easily coaxed into a cheerful blaze; and biscuits—a plateful—smiled at us in an encouraging sort of way, together with the halves of a lemon, already once squeezed but still suckable. The biscuits were righteously shared, the lemon segments passed from mouth to mouth; and as we squatted round the fire, its genial warmth consoling our unclad limbs, we realised that so many nocturnal perils had not been braved in vain.
"It's a funny thing," said Edward, as we chatted, "how I hate this room in the daytime. It always means having your face washed, and your hair brushed, and talking silly company talk. But to-night it's really quite jolly. Looks different, somehow."
"I never can make out," I said, "what people come here to tea for. They can have their own tea at home if they like,—they're not poor people,—with jam and things, and drink out of their saucer, and suck their fingers and enjoy themselves; but they come here from a long way off, and sit up straight with their feet off the bars of their chairs, and have one cup, and talk the same sort of stuff every time."
Selina sniffed disdainfully. "You don't know anything about it," she said. "In society you have to call on each other. It's the proper thing to do."
"Pooh! YOU'RE not in society," said Edward, politely; "and, what's more, you never will be."
"Yes, I shall, some day," retorted Selina; "but I shan't ask you to come and see me, so there!"
"Wouldn't come if you did," growled Edward.
09:29 pm - Experiment #1 Torments His Sister
We're leaving early tomorrow for Windycon. In the meantime, here are my children:
The best part is that Alex keeps watching this over and over again, and it makes her laugh like a loon. Hm.
![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/amused.gif){kind=small}
amused03:47 pm - lost post about Fall in NY state.
I'm visiting my old college roommate in Albany NY. The leaves are just changing. The hills are the same mountain range as my home town in Virginia. My friend is taking me along on her Fall errands. Today we took the dog to a lake where he ran with two other dogs. My friend Lessa tried to get her dog to go swimming in the lake with his friends by throwing handfulls of popcorn into the water to intise him. Her friend had just bought a small kayak and we took turns padeling around the bend in the lake to eye a small cottage tucked among the reeds. The light drizzle increased and we packed up the wet dogs and mudy kayak. Lessa had seen a berry picking farm and we pulled into a driveway where a boy no older than 13 manuvered a tractor around green houses. We lifted wet leaves to look underneath for unpicked rasberries. Lessa filled her green paper bin quickly where I had been alternating between my bin and my stomach. A siamese kitten decided that I was more likely to have treats even though Lessa was more enamored with the kitten. We spent the week cooking recipe's from the farmers market and I couldn't imagen going back to a grocery store after that.
05:01 pm - Gamer Goddess Necklace
$14.00
Whatever your domain is--be it video games, tabletop RPGs, LARPs, CCGs, or any other type not listed in Deities and Demigods--let those around you know that you are a figure not just to be feared and admired, but worshiped. The polymer letter beads are strung on memory wire to retain their readability. They're spaced with dark crystals more or less just because they're pretty. The clasp can be affixed to any part of the chain making it incredibly versatile.
12:17 am - [SP] The Gift-Giver
If there are any problems with the comic or website, or if you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like to address directly to Randy, please email him at choochoobear@gmail.com.
Nov. 11th, 2009
02:14 pm - The Journey Towards Death
I do not fear death itself. It is the journey towards death that affects me on a profound level I cannot explain. Death comes for us all. It comes for our loved ones and for us. How we meet that death is rarely in our hands. It comes sudden or unexpected and there is little time to think of the consequences of that death until after it comes. Sometimes, we see death coming and there is nothing we can do about it except prepare for the inevitable.
A friend of mine is dying of cancer. He is someone I used to game with on a very regular basis before I moved to Seattle. He was and is still a good friend. He has been battling cancer for some time now but, until recently, he's been winning—a pyrrhic victory it seems. Instead of the projected years of life before him, his life is suddenly measured in weeks. Weeks. Months if we are lucky.
We.
I rail at myself because this is not about "we." It is about him and how he will end his life. Yet, it is about "we" because he has affected us all and we have affected him. We will lose something precious when he dies—and he will die—and there is nothing we can do about it except be there for him until the end. Be there and help support his wife who will lose her best friend in the world.
I have not been dealing well with this fact of death lately. I have sent emails expressing my love and care for my dying friend but, really, there is nothing more I can do. I cannot imagine what he is going through. All I can imagine is what it would be like if it were my husband dying instead of my friend.
12:51 pm - My annual Veteran's Day plea
How about we honor our dead and wounded soldiers by not creating any more of them.
11:03 am - Recognizing our Veterans
( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )
12:29 pm - Small Pale Blue Harlequin Beads
$15.00
A set of eight lampwork harlequin beads in a pale, transparent blue. All beads were hand made using 1/16" mandrels.
09:55 am - Two-line Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are
I think what we may have here is the first kids movie made exclusively for adults. It's a tough, unflinching look at how difficult it can be to be a child... but most kids aren't ready for that kind of introspection. The quiet moody kids might like it. I know I did.
"Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy."
02:21 pm - The Murder Re-Enacted
12:45 am - Hypotheticals
Nov. 10th, 2009
09:49 pm - Girl Genius Comic for Wednesday November 11, 2009
<3 Oh, dear. I was running around with my cordless drill tearing up my kitchen and banging together a reasonably sturdy makeshift counter so my Mom has something to make sandwiches on while we're gone, and completely forgot what day it is. (All right, it's a long story. Just accept that I was distracted.) So, yes, Phil and I will be at Windycon this weekend. I am really looking forward to it. Also, We now have SQUEEZY CASTLE WULFENBACH AIRSHIPS in stock!
08:18 pm - Book Review: The New American Economy
If you wonder why I'm suddenly reading a whole lot more about economics, blame Slothman. He loaned me this book.
The New American Economy, by Bruce Bartlett
Slothman described the author as a reality-based conservative, and as best I can tell he got it right.
( cut to avoid filling your screen )
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