Back from WisCon, where I effed up my sleep schedule and got a day-and-a-half headache but had a great time anyway. Supposed to be getting ready for bed right now but I still have a enough squee rattling around that I'm instead looking for con reports. I'll be able to function tomorrow, right?
2 comments | post a comment
In concession, McCain is the classy man he should have been on the campaign trail. His booing supporters: not so classy.
4 comments | post a comment
I am nearly ready to replace my ancient cell phone and (grandfathered) prepay plan of many years with a smart phone. I am tired of carrying both a PDA (serviceable old Palm Zire 31) and a phone with me. And, ok, I want internet access when I want it. I have been researching until my eyes bleed, and they only thing I'm absolutely convinced of is that all service providers suck. I'm leaning towards a Blackberry (Curve or Bold) or an iPhone.
So, I humbly ask of you: What cell phone do you use, especially if it's a smart phone? What provider? Do you like them and why? Heard any raves or horror stories?
Thenkyew for your time
6 comments | post a comment
What the hell, Obama? Fourth Amendment not good enough for ya?
2 comments | post a comment
The hopeless race to move thousands upon thousands books from the basement before the library is closed due to rising flood waters is heartbreaking. Moving said books alongside seemingly half the community who turned up to help is... amazing. Sometimes I really love this fucking town.
7 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2008-01-26 15:16 |
| Subject: | observation |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  destroyed |
When you're sad, every song is about you.
2 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2008-01-26 12:51 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: | sad |
Everyone thinks their own cat is the best. You're supposed to; if you don't, you're doing it wrong. Mr. Yellow Tail had some excellent qualifications. He was mellow and friendly, talkative and playful, demanding and astonishingly low-maintenance.  aizuchi's mom is of the opinion that he learned to talk by listening to the birds in his younger outdoor days. Once indoors, after he stopped being such a nervous nelly and leaving the room every time someone turned suddenly or sneezed, he revealed himself to be the finest companion anyone could possibly ask for. We have been royally spoiled.
We love you, buddy.
5 comments | post a comment
Books Read In 2008
- 1/11 -- Laura Anne Gilman, Staying Dead
- 1/14 -- Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow
- 1/24 -- Michael Carey, The Devil You Know
- 2/19 -- Austin Grossman, Soon I Will Be Invincible
- 3/23 -- Mary Doria Russell, Children of God
- 4/18 -- Stella Gibbon, Cold Comfort Farm
- 5/1 -- Geoff Ryman, Air
- 5/16 -- Sarah Neufeld, Visibility
- 5/29 -- Gregory Frost, Shadowbridge
- 6/3 -- Sarah Hall, Daughters of the North [aka The Carhullan Army]
- 6/26 -- Charles Stross, Iron Sunrise
- 6/27 -- G. P. Taylor, The First Escape
- 7/13 -- Elizabeth Bear, Hammered
- 8/x -- M. T. Anderson, The Astonishing LIfe of Octavian Nothing, vol. 1
- 8/19 -- Elizabeth Bear, Scardown
- 8/31 -- John Scalzi, Old Man's War
Films Seen in 2008- 1/1 -- Wu Yen (2001) [aka Chung mo yim]
- 1/4 -- 24 Hour Party People (2002)
- 1/10 -- Snow Cake (2006)
- 1/18 -- Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- 1/18 -- Naked Lunch (1991)
- 1/19 -- Cloverfield (2008)
- 1/19 -- El Orfanato (2007) [aka The Orphanage]
- 1/26 -- Time After Time (1979)
- 2/9 -- The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
- 2/10 -- Juno (2007)
- 2/10 -- Das Leben der Anderen (2006) [aka The Lives of Others]
- 2/14 -- Blue Velvet (1986)
- 2/19 -- Witchfinder General (1968)
- 2/23 -- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
- 2/24 -- Murder by Death (1976) *
- 2/26 -- Edogawa Rampo taizen: Kyofu kikei ningen (1969) [aka Horrors of Malformed Men]
- 2/28 -- Persepolis (2007)
- 3/2 -- You Kill Me (2007)
- 3/11 -- La Jetee (1962)
- 3/11 -- Sans Soleil (1983)
- 3/15 -- Doomsday (2008)
- 3/18 -- Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
- 3/18 -- Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
- 3/23 -- Avalon (2001)
- 3/31 -- Ekusu makina (2007) [aka Appleseed Ex Machina]
- 4/3 -- La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) [aka The Passion of Joan of Arc]
- 5/3 -- Zardoz (1974)
- 5/4 -- Iron Man (2008)
- 5/7 -- Eastern Promises (2007)
- 5/13 -- Gorky Park (1983)
- 5/18 -- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
- 6/5 -- Night of the Demon (1957)
- 6/8 -- The Lion in Winter (1968)
- 6/12 -- The Machine Girl (2008) [aka Kataude Mashin Gaaru]
- 6/14 -- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- 6/14 -- Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999)
- 6/14 -- Blazing Saddles (1974) *
- 6/18 -- Deliverance (1972)
- 6/20 -- Miller's Crossing (1990)
- 6/26 -- Black Tight Killers (1966) [aka Ore ni sawaru to abunaize]
- 6/26 -- Krull (1983)
- 7/1 -- Get Carter (1971)
- 7/8 -- The Devil Rides Out (1968)
- 7/11 -- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
- 7/13 -- No Country for Old Men (2007)
- 7/20 -- WALL.E (2008)
- 7/21 -- Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) *
- 7/23 -- Omohide Poro Poro (1991) [aka Only Yesterday] *
- 7/xx -- The Dark Knight (2008)
- 8/9 -- Hawk the Slayer (1980)
- 8/9 -- Forbidden Zone (1980)
- 8/12 -- The Deer Hunter (1978)
- 8/14 -- I Heart Huckabees (2004)
- 8/29 -- Rise: Blood Hunter (2007)
- 8/30 -- Stargate: Continuum (2008) *
- 9/1 -- Fingersmith (2005)
- 9/5 -- Densha otoko (2005) [aka Train Man]
- 9/7 -- Sexy Beast (2000)
Other (comics, tv, etc. )Death Dealer: Shadows of Mirahan hc, Gantz (v), Little Nothings: The Curse of the Umbrella, MiddleMan (tv), * Previously read/viewed
3 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2007-12-28 12:46 |
| Subject: | Ha ha ha |
| Security: | Public |
Today's tally to this point:
Slept late: good
Still snowing: pretty
Snow still accumulating: not so great
aizuchi leaves to meet his parents, in town for their yearly eye exam, and take them to the hospital. I get a call: the car is stuck just outside our (detached) garage. I gear up and traipse across the back lawn and around the garage to meet him. Shovel, push, shovel, push, push, push, shovel, push. Not going anywhere today. More shoveling and pushing ad nauseum just to get the car back in side the garage. Two heavy snows within a week and my back still hasn't recovered from the first one, when we had to shovel like mad before going out of town for holiday family visits. I notice, though, that this snow is perfect. Beautiful and more perfect than I have seen in a long time.
We make a big snowman. I fill the bird feeders, and aizuchi pulls me around the yard on his old sled. We call it a day.
Today's tally to this point: awesome.
6 comments | post a comment
| Date: | 2007-12-07 19:36 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  bemused |
I just took my sweetie to see The Golden Compass.
Best thing: Lyra. Surprisingly, cooler even than Iorek
Worst thing: That damn awful Kate Bush song. Why, Kate, why?
4 comments | post a comment
I love science fiction. At its best I find it inspiring, fun, challenging, powerful. I stumbled on two sf-related links today that interested me greatly.
This bit of fluff is only lightly sf, but it's just too fun not to spread thither and yon. It made my day better.
This deals with people who make and read sf, and is an infuriating piece of fucknuttery.
Oh, and this is where I wish I was this weekend. But I'll settle for a weekend with friends and good weather (fingers crossed).
1 comment | post a comment
| Date: | 2007-07-18 16:39 |
| Subject: | today |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  blah |
Happy anniversary to awelkin and Bryon!
Disappointingly, my grant report is not writing itself. Something will have to be done.
1 comment | post a comment
| Date: | 2007-05-11 22:45 |
| Subject: | a week of firsts |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  contemplative |
I decided to look back on my week.
5 May 07
- First experience playing paintball. It was a bachelor party; I was both the only woman and the oldest participant. Go me. We managed to not mark up the groom anywhere visible, but one of the groomsmen sported a goose egg. It was fun.
- First time told "Sorry I shot you in the tit."
6 May 07 - First time attending a UU wedding.
- First time disappointed by a Raimi Spider-Man film. Sandman was visually very cool, but damn Avi Arad for mandating the Venom storyline be crammed in. And who thought the Exposition Butler was a good idea?
7 May 07 - Missed my first chance to attend a talk by Sherman Alexie on campus. Damn.
8 May 07 - First ride on an Electra bicycle.
- First purchase of an Electra bicycle.
9 May 07 10 May 07 - First time a neat job-related idea, backed by my supervisor, is totally shot down. Ah well.
11 May 07 - First time a student asks if he can do a short piece for UITV on the Arcade, just because he likes the place and finds it useful. Yay!
I wonder what I'll do or learn for the first time tomorrow.
5 comments | post a comment
Well poo, it seems like My Daemon isn't LJ-friendly, but you can still go meet him and vote to possibly alter his form. Currently he's a snow leopard.
I see the embed worked for awelkin but not skipperdee nor me, so I wonder if it has something to do with a paid account? Weird.
1 comment | post a comment
I was looking forward to last night, because it was our only uncommitted night of the week. I imagined unpacking a few more boxes, maybe reading a book. But no, I had to play this late into the night. Argh.
Oh well, at least I did a bunch of laundry. We have pants today.
3 comments | post a comment
So. Fried. Yesterday was moving day, when we left our house of five years for another house in the city right next door. I'd been fretting for days, as in my mind's eye the new house got smaller and smaller until I was certain that we'd barely have room to turn around, much less fit all our stuff. I made a lot of cusses packing, lemme tell you. Weeding is definitely in order.
Luckily, my memory was faulty and the house is indeed larger than a breadbox. We definitely have too too much stuff, but we can work on that. The move itself, though... that could have been an absolutely hellish experience. We are very lucky that many friends (importantly, GOOD NATURED friends) showed up to help us out: awelkin and Bryon, manzabar and ariesna, Luke, Sarah, Diana and John, Ivar and Lisa, Tim and Wendy, Jim and Lucy, and latecomer Laura (who stuck around today and helped us begin to muck out the old house). Even with 75+ boxes of comics and a ridiculous amount of books et cetera, using the amazing line-o-friends we were able to fill and empty the truck quickly so that some of the fellows could go fill it again while the rest of use ferried boxes around the house. I was both impressed and deliriously grateful. Speaking of grateful, thank you, weather, for not sucking! I was wearing a t-shirt and no jacket for most of the day.
The cats reacted differently to the move. We cleared out the library first and shut them in it while we unloaded the old house. Tail was a bit upset and bewildered, but Kia was very vocal and adamant on getting out as soon as possible. Once they were in the new house, though, Tail -- an experienced traveler -- had figured it out and was taking everything in stride, while Kia wanted nothing more than to hide. Tail has been exploring constantly while Kia tonight has finally stopped running back under the bed after ever short sojourn out.
The old house is emptied out and pretty well cleaned up. We have yet to clear the old garage of some remaining house items, garage stuff, and things destined for the trash or for Goodwill. The new house will I think take a very long time to come together, but all the major items of furniture are placed and unpacking has begun. Most importantly, we like the place. I sure as hell hope we don't move again any time soon.
5 comments | post a comment
Books Read In 2007
- 1/2 -- Ursula K. LeGuin, Tehanu
- 1/xx -- Ursula K. LeGuin, Tales from Earthsea
- 2/2 -- Kathleen Ann Goonan, In War Times
- 2/11 -- Ursula K. LeGuin, The Other Wind
- 3/2 -- James Blish, A Case of Conscience
- 3/12 -- Kevin Brockmeier, The Brief History of the Dead
- 4/xx -- Wilson and van Belkom, eds., Tesseracts Ten
- 5/10 -- Steven Brust, To Reign in Hell
- 5/xx -- Lynda Williams, Righteous Anger
- 6/7 -- James Tiptree, Jr. Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
- 6/17 -- Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon
- 6/25 -- Laurie Marks, Water Logic
- 7/1 -- Irshad Manji, The Trouble with Islam Today
- 7/11 -- Kelly Link, Magic for Beginners
- 8/20 -- Steven Erickson, Midnight Tides
- 8/29 -- Vernor Vinge, A Fire Upon the Deep
- 10/2 -- Carol Emshwiller, The Secret City
- 10/22 -- Elizabeth Hand, Generation Loss
- 11/9 -- A. Lee Martinez, The Automatic Detective
- 11/xx -- George R. R. Martin, ed., Inside Straight
- 12/24 -- Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash
- 12/31 -- Max Allan Collins, Deadly Beloved
Films Seen in 2007- 2/3 -- Children of Men (2006)
- 2/8 -- Boogiepop and Others (2000)
- 2/8 -- T.N.T. Jackson (1975)
- 2/13 -- The Firing Line (1991)
- 2/13 -- Get Christie Love! (1974)
- 2/17 -- Volver (2006)
- 2/17 -- Sister Street Fighter (1974) [aka Onna hissatsu ken]
- 2/17 -- Leaving Scars (1997)
- 3/3 -- The Abandoned (2006)
- 3/10 -- The Host (2006)
- 4/6 -- The Prestige (2006)
- 4/7 -- Ghost Rider (2007)
- 4/14 -- Incubus (1965)
- 4/14 -- Emanuelle: Queen of the Desert (1982)
- 4/14 -- Cutie Honey (2004) *
- 4/24 -- Hot Fuzz (2007)
- 5/6 -- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- 5/13 -- Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
- 5/19 -- 28 Weeks Later (2007)
- 5/31 -- Paprika (2006)
- 6/2 -- Haunting Desires (2004)
- 6/2 -- The Return of Captain Invincible (1983) *
- 6/10 -- Silent Hill (2006)
- 6/14 -- Day of the Dead (1985)
- 6/16 -- Shimotsuma Monogatari (2004) [aka Kamikaze Girls] *
- 6/25 -- The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
- 7/6 -- Ratatouille (2007)
- 7/7 -- The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- 7/15 -- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- 7/19 -- Blade: Trinity (2004)
- 7/20 -- The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
- 7/21 -- Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)
- 7/21 -- The Brides of Dracula (1960)
- 7/21 -- Mazes and Monsters (1982) *
- 7/21 -- The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) *
- 7/27 -- Horror of Dracula (1958)
- 8/2 -- Smoke Signals (1998) *
- 8/4 -- Gun Crazy: A Woman from Nowhere (2002)
- 8/4 -- Yajuu densetsu (1996) [aka Dragon Blue]
- 8/5 -- Sunshine (2007)
- 8/12 -- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
- 8/15 -- The Birds (1963)
- 8/16 -- Stardust (2007)
- 8/19 -- The Simpsons Movie (2007)
- 8/27 -- Natural City (2003)
- 9/8 -- Paprika (2006) *
- 9/9 -- Re-Animator (2005)
- 9/15 -- Mibu gishi den (2003) [aka When the Last Sword is Drawn]
- 9/16 -- Funeral in Berlin (1966)
- 9/22 -- Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
- 9/22 -- Resident Evil (2002) *
- 9/23 -- Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
- 9/27 -- The Limey (1999)
- 9/28 -- The Andromeda Strain (1971)
- 9/30 -- THX 1138 (1971)
- 10/13 -- Tekkon Kinkreet (2006)
- 10/14 -- Wild Zero (2000)
- 10/21 -- The Conqueror (1956)
- 10/23 -- Frostbitten (2006)
- 10/31 -- The Machinist (2004)
- 11/10 -- Habit (1997)
- 11/11 -- The Naruto Movie 1 (2004)
- 12/8 -- The Golden Compass (2007)
- 12/9 -- Youkai Daisensou (2005) [aka Great Youkai War]
- 12/22 -- Wings of Desire (1987) [aka Der Himmel uber Berlin]
- 12/25 -- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
- 12/26 -- Brazil (1985)
- 12/28 -- Blowup (1966)
- 12/29 -- Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
- 12/29 -- Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)
- 12/30 -- If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971)
- 12/30 -- Supermen donuyor (1979)
- 12/30 -- Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977) [aka Zitra vstanu a oparim se cajem]
Other52, All-Star Superman, Amazing Spider-Girl, Amazons Attack, Annihilation: Conquest, Astonishing X-Men, Astro City, Avengers (many flavors), B.P.R.D., Basara, BSG, Berserk , Birds of Prey, Black Gas, Black Summer, Blade of the Immortal, Bleach v.1 (a), Blood Ties, Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8, Captain America, Castle Waiting, Catwoman, Checkmate, Chronicles of Wormwood, Civil War, Criminal, Daredevil, Doctor Who, Dragon Ball GT, Dynamo 5, Fables, Fell, Finder, Girls, Hellgate London, Heroes, H4H, Immortal Initial D season 2, Iron Fist, Jack of Fables, JLA, JSA, KoDt, Laika, Local, Lost, Love and Rockets, Lucifer v.11, Manhunter, MAR v.1 (a), Metalocalypse, Modesty Blaise, Ms. Marvel, Negative Burn, Newuniversal, Nothing Better, Other Side, Planetary, Powers, Prince of Tennis v.1 (a), The Professor's Daughter, Robotech: Shadow Chroincles, Runaways, Saiunkoku Monogatari v.1 (a), Scalped, School Rumble v.1 (a), Secret Six, Shadowpact, Shazam TMSoE, She-Hulk, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stormwatch Phd, Super F*ckers, Super Spy, Teen Titans, Thunderbolts, Torchwood, Ultimate FF, Ultimates, Vagabond, Venture Brothers, Wasteland v.1, Welcome to Tranquility, Wonder Woman, World War Hulk, X-Factor, Y the Last Man * Previously read/viewed
1 comment | post a comment
| Date: | 2006-11-15 15:51 |
| Subject: | |
| Security: | Public |
| Mood: |  stressed |
"Meme" from like four people but the most recent is skipperdee.
This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you've read, strike out the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved.
1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3. Dune, Frank Herbert [*, only on second reading]
4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein *
5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6. Neuromancer, William Gibson
7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15. Cities in Flight, James Blish
16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett [a serious omission, I know!]
17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
18. Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19. The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
22. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card *
23. The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
24. The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
27. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams *
28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin *
31. Little, Big, John Crowley
32. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33. The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34. Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36. The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39. Ringworld, Larry Niven
40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45. The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48. The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49. Timescape, Gregory Benford
50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer</lj>
post a comment
Had a good Halloween this year. I've been really tired for awhile and so not very plan-ny, but at the last minute decided to tweak what I'd worn on Talk Like a Pirate Day. Which was good, because not too many people dressed up at work this year, so every costume counted.
Continuing to build on the Halloween momentum, aizuchi and I left work a little early to carve up a pumpkin donated to us by the lovely Tsvet and Sarah. Finishing in time for trick-or-treating to begin, we were able to hand out candy this year to nearly all the spooks. We didn't take a count but I think we had a few dozen visitors, many of whom were quite young. No really outstanding costumes; several vampires and pirates, plus one iPod silhouette. A couple of kids gave respect to aizuchi's (bright blue) hair.
Once the lights were out we watched the latest Torchwood episode and got to bed almost at a decent hour. And finicky Mr. Yellow Tail ate his canned food for once, meaning he got the good-for-his-kidneys supplements we always add. I count the day as a success.
1 comment | post a comment
|
|
|
|
|
sleepy
happy
tired