| Futurama | Weeknights, 9p/8c | |||
| New Episodes on Comedy Central | ||||
| ||||
(Video may not play outside the US, though -- sorry!)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Yeah, We're Back
And speaking of trailers that have me all excited and anticipatory:
(Video may not play outside the US, though -- sorry!)
(Video may not play outside the US, though -- sorry!)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Trailers Galore!
Here's yet another Doctor Who season 5 trailer, this one from BBC America.
Now I'm really starting to get psyched.
Now I'm really starting to get psyched.
Once More Round The Sun
A very happy B-Day to my sister, Kathy! Who gets a shout-out on the blog instead of a phone call because, alas, I am working all day.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Hmm.
Now that I've got this blog all spiffed up to the point where I'm happy with it, I find that I don't seem to have anything to say.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
One More Change...
I've just changed the comment settings to take you to the comments section of the post page, instead of opening a popup. I think I like this a lot better. Objections?
Future Companions?
I almost forgot... I didn't take many pictures at the Doctor Who convention, but here's a mildly embarrassing one of my sister and me with the TARDIS. I'm on the left, looking, I dunno, kind of happily stoned or something. Very possibly that's the expression I'd have on my face if I ever did actually encounter the TARDIS.
Monday, March 15, 2010
But We Hate And Fear Change!
As you have very possibly noticed by now, this blog looks kind of... different. I've been playing around with the layout. I don't know that I'm entirely happy with it... Blogger kind of lies about how easy it is to customize things with their layout editor; the options are really quite limited unless you're somewhat more adept with HTML than I can claim to be. Still, I think there are some improvements, and it's definitely easier to tweak now than it used to be, at least in certain respects.
Let me know what you think.
Let me know what you think.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Speaking of Geeky...
All right. I've been asked -- more than once, now that I think about it -- to talk about my experiences at the Doctor Who convention last month. Well, your wish, dear readers, is my command! Actually, I did talk about it a fair bit to various people, just not on this blog. So much of this is lazily cut and pasted from e-mail or elsewhere:
First of all, yes, I enjoyed myself immensely and so did not want to return to the real world at the end of it all. I have to say, going with my sister turned out to be an excellent way to do it. The few previous cons I've been to, I went sort of on my own, and no matter how friendly and lovely everyone was, or how many good conversations I had, or how many folks I knew from online, I could never quite help feeling like a teeny bit of an outsider among people who all clearly knew each other very well and were busy being delighted to see each other in the flesh again. So it was great to have someone I knew very well and was delighted to see to hang out and experience the con with. (I also got along well with her friends, who we got together with off and on, mostly for meals.)
And the con itself was awesome. It's always great to be around fans, of course, and this con in particular seemed to have a great energy, a strong sense that everybody was having fun and was just incredibly happy to be there. That includes the con organizers and everybody involved in an official capacity, too. Those guys really know how to energize a crowd, and despite a few setbacks, they also seemed to be very organized and to really know what they're doing. (I guess after 21 years, you pretty much get this stuff down.)
The programming was great, too: the only problem was that there was too much of it, and there was no way to see everything I wanted to see! Since I hadn't been to a Who con before, though, and thus hadn't had the chance to see them in person before, I made a particular point of seeing as many of the guests as possible. (By the way, I like the format they used for the guest appearances, featuring an interviewer who would let them ramble as much as they liked and ask intelligent questions when they stopped.)
Unfortunately, they were missing a couple of guests, as Peter Davison (Doctor #5) had to bow out due to work commitments after they were forced to move the date of the con, and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) had to cancel at the last minute due to a family medical emergency. (I haven't heard how that turned out, but my good thoughts remain with her and her family.) The remaining guests were terrific, though. Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria) told funny stories about practical jokes they played on the set, and you could tell that that particular Team TARDIS really was as close-knit as they've been reported to be. They were very warm and funny and entertaining, and I'm glad they were willing to go into stories that they figured we'd probably heard a million times already, because I hadn't heard them. Georgia Moffett (Jenny) was absolutely delightful, and she and director Alice Troughton (also delightful) did a wonderful and hilariously funny live commentary on "The Doctor's Daughter" as a last minute replacement for Sarah's scheduled interview. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to watch that episode again without thinking about Moffett's fish-phobia and chuckling. Tommy Knight (Luke Smith) is absolutely and utterly adorable in person, and I just want to cuddle him and floofle his hair. John Levene (Sgt. Benton) is wonderfully charming and has an amazing ability to make the oldest, corniest jokes somehow incredibly funny. Katy Manning (Jo) is a cute little bundle of insane energy. And director Graeme Harper rambles entertainingly. (Unfortunately, I missed Nicholas Briggs (who does Dalek voices, plus Big Finish audio stuff), and only caught about half of Anneke Wills (Polly)'s interview. I also missed most of Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake from "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel")'s talk, but did get to see a short interview with him at a podcast show taping later. He comes across as very cute and personable.)
I also did a bunch of other stuff, including attending a demo of the new Who RPG (which I then plopped down far too much money for, even though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, still), and catching a few random episodes of the new K-9 series (which I sort of wanted to dislike, because I look at the robot dog and can't help exclaiming, "That's not K9!", but which was actually pretty cute), and doubtless much more that I'm forgetting now.
Anyway, the upshot is that it was awesome, and I'm seriously tempted to show up again next year.
Also, I have been asked to answer the following questions:
1) Which actor(s) did you have yourself photographed with or get the autograph of?
I didn't get my picture taken with anybody, although I suppose it would probably have been easy enough to do so. Especially if I'd stuck closer to my sister's friend's wife, who had their six-month-old baby in tow. That kid was like some kind of magic all-access pass. You'd have thought the guests had come there to see her!
I did go to one of the autograph sessions, and got my program guide signed by Frazer Hines, Tommy Knight, Nicholas Briggs, and a number of other folks.
2) Were the talks as interesting as their descriptions?
I didn't get to hardly any of the panel talks. As I mentioned above, I mostly wanted to see the guest interviews, and there were always too many interesting things scheduled at once. I did catch the last half of one about adapting stories from one medium to another, as my sister was interested in it, but it was mostly comics-oriented, and not as interesting to me as it might have been.
3) How many fanboys/girls were walking around with big-ass scarves wrapped around their necks? (Bonus points if they were long enough to drag on the floor and everyone kept stepping on them.)
Answer: many. But these folks know how to wear a scarf, so I never saw any tripping.
There were also lots of people in costumes, some of which were extremely impressive. (Including, of course, the inevitable Dalek, who at one point was posing for pictures with the tipsy sorority chicks who were holding some kind of get-together down the hall.) There was also a big masquerade event, which was highly entertaining.
First of all, yes, I enjoyed myself immensely and so did not want to return to the real world at the end of it all. I have to say, going with my sister turned out to be an excellent way to do it. The few previous cons I've been to, I went sort of on my own, and no matter how friendly and lovely everyone was, or how many good conversations I had, or how many folks I knew from online, I could never quite help feeling like a teeny bit of an outsider among people who all clearly knew each other very well and were busy being delighted to see each other in the flesh again. So it was great to have someone I knew very well and was delighted to see to hang out and experience the con with. (I also got along well with her friends, who we got together with off and on, mostly for meals.)
And the con itself was awesome. It's always great to be around fans, of course, and this con in particular seemed to have a great energy, a strong sense that everybody was having fun and was just incredibly happy to be there. That includes the con organizers and everybody involved in an official capacity, too. Those guys really know how to energize a crowd, and despite a few setbacks, they also seemed to be very organized and to really know what they're doing. (I guess after 21 years, you pretty much get this stuff down.)
The programming was great, too: the only problem was that there was too much of it, and there was no way to see everything I wanted to see! Since I hadn't been to a Who con before, though, and thus hadn't had the chance to see them in person before, I made a particular point of seeing as many of the guests as possible. (By the way, I like the format they used for the guest appearances, featuring an interviewer who would let them ramble as much as they liked and ask intelligent questions when they stopped.)
Unfortunately, they were missing a couple of guests, as Peter Davison (Doctor #5) had to bow out due to work commitments after they were forced to move the date of the con, and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) had to cancel at the last minute due to a family medical emergency. (I haven't heard how that turned out, but my good thoughts remain with her and her family.) The remaining guests were terrific, though. Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria) told funny stories about practical jokes they played on the set, and you could tell that that particular Team TARDIS really was as close-knit as they've been reported to be. They were very warm and funny and entertaining, and I'm glad they were willing to go into stories that they figured we'd probably heard a million times already, because I hadn't heard them. Georgia Moffett (Jenny) was absolutely delightful, and she and director Alice Troughton (also delightful) did a wonderful and hilariously funny live commentary on "The Doctor's Daughter" as a last minute replacement for Sarah's scheduled interview. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to watch that episode again without thinking about Moffett's fish-phobia and chuckling. Tommy Knight (Luke Smith) is absolutely and utterly adorable in person, and I just want to cuddle him and floofle his hair. John Levene (Sgt. Benton) is wonderfully charming and has an amazing ability to make the oldest, corniest jokes somehow incredibly funny. Katy Manning (Jo) is a cute little bundle of insane energy. And director Graeme Harper rambles entertainingly. (Unfortunately, I missed Nicholas Briggs (who does Dalek voices, plus Big Finish audio stuff), and only caught about half of Anneke Wills (Polly)'s interview. I also missed most of Andrew Hayden-Smith (Jake from "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel")'s talk, but did get to see a short interview with him at a podcast show taping later. He comes across as very cute and personable.)
I also did a bunch of other stuff, including attending a demo of the new Who RPG (which I then plopped down far too much money for, even though I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, still), and catching a few random episodes of the new K-9 series (which I sort of wanted to dislike, because I look at the robot dog and can't help exclaiming, "That's not K9!", but which was actually pretty cute), and doubtless much more that I'm forgetting now.
Anyway, the upshot is that it was awesome, and I'm seriously tempted to show up again next year.
Also, I have been asked to answer the following questions:
1) Which actor(s) did you have yourself photographed with or get the autograph of?
I didn't get my picture taken with anybody, although I suppose it would probably have been easy enough to do so. Especially if I'd stuck closer to my sister's friend's wife, who had their six-month-old baby in tow. That kid was like some kind of magic all-access pass. You'd have thought the guests had come there to see her!
I did go to one of the autograph sessions, and got my program guide signed by Frazer Hines, Tommy Knight, Nicholas Briggs, and a number of other folks.
2) Were the talks as interesting as their descriptions?
I didn't get to hardly any of the panel talks. As I mentioned above, I mostly wanted to see the guest interviews, and there were always too many interesting things scheduled at once. I did catch the last half of one about adapting stories from one medium to another, as my sister was interested in it, but it was mostly comics-oriented, and not as interesting to me as it might have been.
3) How many fanboys/girls were walking around with big-ass scarves wrapped around their necks? (Bonus points if they were long enough to drag on the floor and everyone kept stepping on them.)
Answer: many. But these folks know how to wear a scarf, so I never saw any tripping.
There were also lots of people in costumes, some of which were extremely impressive. (Including, of course, the inevitable Dalek, who at one point was posing for pictures with the tipsy sorority chicks who were holding some kind of get-together down the hall.) There was also a big masquerade event, which was highly entertaining.
Mmm, Pi(e)
At our regular Star Wars RPG session today, since it's March 14th, three separate people showed up with pie.
Also, one of the players couldn't make it, so they rigged things up so she could participate via webcam. She appeared life-sized on the TV.
I love my geeky friends.
Also, one of the players couldn't make it, so they rigged things up so she could participate via webcam. She appeared life-sized on the TV.
I love my geeky friends.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Currently, On Maximum Verbosity...
Current clothes: Black t-shirt from Mount St. Helens National Monument. Gray plaid flannel shirt over that. Blue jeans. White socks. Black sneakers.
Current mood: OK. A bit subdued and lazy in that "just want to lie on the sofa and read all day" kind of way. I've been sort of fighting against that this week, but today it might be winning.
Current music: Most recently, Transverse City by Warren Zevon, which has been holding its own as my Number One Heavy Rotation Album for a while now.
Current annoyance: I still have big old holes in my mouth. Although they are starting to fill in. At least, the lower left one clearly is. The lower right is less obviously healing, possibly because it's larger and deeper, possibly in part because it's easier to get food stuck in that one and harder to keep from poking it with my tongue. And it's difficult to tell how the top ones are doing, because even with a mirror and a flashlight they're hard to see. I do think they're all coming along, though for the moment I'm still experiencing every meal twice. Once when I eat it, and then again when I wash it out of the holes in my gums. Fun!
Current thing: I have perhaps been on a bigger-than-usual Doctor Who kick lately, what with the convention and all.
Current desktop picture: I finally got tired of looking at the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, and have replaced them with the space shuttle Endeavour.
Current book: Different Seasons by Stephen King. This was a Christmas present from last year. I got a lot of books last Christmas, especially if you count the ones I bought for myself. I'm hoping to read them all sometime before next Christmas.
Current song in head: "K9's Lament" by Chameleon Circuit. It's about the robot dog from Doctor Who, and has pretty much the exact same effect on me as this xkcd cartoon. Stupid robot angst! It isn't like that at all! Stop making me sad!
Current DVD in player: Disc 1 of season 3 of Third Rock from the Sun. Yay, I can watch DVDs on the treadmill again! And John Lithgow is still hilarious. Also, most recently in the other player was a Farscape season 3 disc; I was re-watching "Green-Eyed Monster." I love S3 of Farscape. It never gets old. Oh, and I've also finally started rewatching season 1 of Deep Space 9. I mean, I went out and bought the whole series, so I really ought to.
Current refreshment: Mango-passion fruit tea. Mmm!
Current worry: I am much less worried about things than I was this time last month.
Current thought: All right, who else besides Dad still needs to see the Doctor Who specials and has a birthday coming up that I might conceivably shop for? Captain C?
Current mood: OK. A bit subdued and lazy in that "just want to lie on the sofa and read all day" kind of way. I've been sort of fighting against that this week, but today it might be winning.
Current music: Most recently, Transverse City by Warren Zevon, which has been holding its own as my Number One Heavy Rotation Album for a while now.
Current annoyance: I still have big old holes in my mouth. Although they are starting to fill in. At least, the lower left one clearly is. The lower right is less obviously healing, possibly because it's larger and deeper, possibly in part because it's easier to get food stuck in that one and harder to keep from poking it with my tongue. And it's difficult to tell how the top ones are doing, because even with a mirror and a flashlight they're hard to see. I do think they're all coming along, though for the moment I'm still experiencing every meal twice. Once when I eat it, and then again when I wash it out of the holes in my gums. Fun!
Current thing: I have perhaps been on a bigger-than-usual Doctor Who kick lately, what with the convention and all.
Current desktop picture: I finally got tired of looking at the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, and have replaced them with the space shuttle Endeavour.
Current book: Different Seasons by Stephen King. This was a Christmas present from last year. I got a lot of books last Christmas, especially if you count the ones I bought for myself. I'm hoping to read them all sometime before next Christmas.
Current song in head: "K9's Lament" by Chameleon Circuit. It's about the robot dog from Doctor Who, and has pretty much the exact same effect on me as this xkcd cartoon. Stupid robot angst! It isn't like that at all! Stop making me sad!
Current DVD in player: Disc 1 of season 3 of Third Rock from the Sun. Yay, I can watch DVDs on the treadmill again! And John Lithgow is still hilarious. Also, most recently in the other player was a Farscape season 3 disc; I was re-watching "Green-Eyed Monster." I love S3 of Farscape. It never gets old. Oh, and I've also finally started rewatching season 1 of Deep Space 9. I mean, I went out and bought the whole series, so I really ought to.
Current refreshment: Mango-passion fruit tea. Mmm!
Current worry: I am much less worried about things than I was this time last month.
Current thought: All right, who else besides Dad still needs to see the Doctor Who specials and has a birthday coming up that I might conceivably shop for? Captain C?
Saturday, March 06, 2010
How Is It Already 6:30? For That Matter, How Is It Already March?
You know what's really, really sad? Putting an item on your to-do list just because you're intending to do it anyway and want to be able to check something off... and then not even doing it.
Sprung
I have now seen two cockroaches in the house, and I woke up this morning sneezing. Whoo-hoo. Spring is arriving.
Note to self: buy more kleenex and bug spray.
Note to self: buy more kleenex and bug spray.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
March Of The Random Links
Reading cuts stress levels by 68%: See? I knew it was good for me! If only because I quickly discovered back in college that no matter how strapped for time I was, I needed at least half an hour of pleasure reading a day in order to remain anything remotely resembling sane.
Akinator, the Web Genius: Pick a real or fictional person, and Akinator will guess who you're thinking of with uncanny accuracy. These kinds of guess-the-whatever algorithms have been around for years, but they never cease to amaze and delight me, and this one, I think, is particularly good. Try giving it something really obscure!
New Doctor Who Trailer featuring the Doctor and Amy!: A sneak peak at the upcoming season of Doctor Who. In my opinion, the trailer's a little bit... I dunno, silly? Overdone? Something like that, anyway. But I'm really looking forward to seeing Number Eleven in action.
Codeorgan: Now you can hear what this blog sounds like if you translate it into music! Because I'm sure that's something you were wondering about.
Akinator, the Web Genius: Pick a real or fictional person, and Akinator will guess who you're thinking of with uncanny accuracy. These kinds of guess-the-whatever algorithms have been around for years, but they never cease to amaze and delight me, and this one, I think, is particularly good. Try giving it something really obscure!
New Doctor Who Trailer featuring the Doctor and Amy!: A sneak peak at the upcoming season of Doctor Who. In my opinion, the trailer's a little bit... I dunno, silly? Overdone? Something like that, anyway. But I'm really looking forward to seeing Number Eleven in action.
Codeorgan: Now you can hear what this blog sounds like if you translate it into music! Because I'm sure that's something you were wondering about.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Adventures In Time And Space
In a couple of hours, I am heading off to Gallifrey! Well, the Gallifrey One Doctor Who convention, that is, not actual Gallifrey. That's kind of inaccessible these days.
I am taking with me a large dental syringe and a small jar of salt, for my salt-water dental rinses of food-dislodgement. Any bets on whether I get stopped by airport security and accused of having drug paraphernalia?
I am taking with me a large dental syringe and a small jar of salt, for my salt-water dental rinses of food-dislodgement. Any bets on whether I get stopped by airport security and accused of having drug paraphernalia?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I'm Sick Of Playing Hide And Seek With Pieces Of Food.
OK, this thing of having giant gaping holes in my gums is getting really old really fast. Can't we just stick some spackle in there or something?
The Treadmill Saga: The Final Chapter?
So, the repair guy showed up today, fiddled with the treadmill, said it looked to him like a whole bunch of different things were broken, none of which we had the parts for, and put a call into Horizon, whom he couldn't get to answer their phones either, even though he had an actual direct extension.
Then, while he was waiting to see if they'd call him back -- which they didn't -- he decided that, well, he'd try replacing this one thing they had sent him the part for, even though he didn't think that was it... And lo and behold, it worked! I now have a functional treadmill! And it only took six full weeks!
He did point out that the plastic tray thingy that sits underneath the motor is cracked, apparently due to the incompetent shipping company dropping it at some point. But that isn't affecting its functioning at all. (They might replace it at some point anyway. I think they should. The damned thing is still under warranty and ought to be in perfect shape. But for the moment, I'm not too concerned about it.)
Whew! Now I just need to get up the energy and the motivation to actually use the thing.
Then, while he was waiting to see if they'd call him back -- which they didn't -- he decided that, well, he'd try replacing this one thing they had sent him the part for, even though he didn't think that was it... And lo and behold, it worked! I now have a functional treadmill! And it only took six full weeks!
He did point out that the plastic tray thingy that sits underneath the motor is cracked, apparently due to the incompetent shipping company dropping it at some point. But that isn't affecting its functioning at all. (They might replace it at some point anyway. I think they should. The damned thing is still under warranty and ought to be in perfect shape. But for the moment, I'm not too concerned about it.)
Whew! Now I just need to get up the energy and the motivation to actually use the thing.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Toothless
I seem to be healing up very nicely! Enough so that my mother, having ascertained that I was unlikely to have any major medical emergencies at this point and was now largely capable of fending for myself, packed up and went back home this morning. I'm really glad to have had her here, though, and not just because she cooked me lots of Malt-o-Meal. Thanks, Mom!
I'm still taking large quantities of ibuprofen, but I don't think I'll be needing the Vicodan any more. Strictly speaking, I'm not sure if I needed it after the first day, but I'm a giant baby when it comes to pain. Also, it was very relaxing. I don't know how Dr. House manages to stay snarky when he's on that stuff.
I can also now eat pretty much anything that's not sharp'n'pokey and that doesn't require too much chewing, although it can still be a mildly awkward and uncomfortable process. The really annoying thing, though, is that I have to rinse my mouth out thoroughly with saltwater multiple times per day, and I have to do it every time I eat something. That's getting old fast.
Still, this whole experience could have been a thousand times worse, which I was sort of expecting it to be, so it's all quite a relief. Psychologically, though... Well, I still miss my useless extra teeth. My mouth feels empty without them. *observes a moment of silence for fallen teeth*
I'm still taking large quantities of ibuprofen, but I don't think I'll be needing the Vicodan any more. Strictly speaking, I'm not sure if I needed it after the first day, but I'm a giant baby when it comes to pain. Also, it was very relaxing. I don't know how Dr. House manages to stay snarky when he's on that stuff.
I can also now eat pretty much anything that's not sharp'n'pokey and that doesn't require too much chewing, although it can still be a mildly awkward and uncomfortable process. The really annoying thing, though, is that I have to rinse my mouth out thoroughly with saltwater multiple times per day, and I have to do it every time I eat something. That's getting old fast.
Still, this whole experience could have been a thousand times worse, which I was sort of expecting it to be, so it's all quite a relief. Psychologically, though... Well, I still miss my useless extra teeth. My mouth feels empty without them. *observes a moment of silence for fallen teeth*
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Moment of Tooth
Well, I now have fewer teeth than I did yesterday. Or rather, I guess I have the same number, except four of them are now located in a Dixie cup.
The procedure went astonishingly well. In fact, despite all my worry, from my perspective there was nothing to it at all. The needle prick of the IV was not pleasant, but not watching helped, and it only hurt for a moment. Then the sedation drugs started making me feel very nicely calm... and then the only thing I seem to remember, until they told me I was all done, was a brief flash of people moving around me, talking among themselves in some cheerful, highly reassuring fashion about how good everything was going. Possibly that was right before I started to come out of it.
Now my jaw is starting to ache, which is not much fun, but I have Vicodin, so I can pretend that I'm Dr. House. I also had a very, very large milkshake, which was nice. I'm far less woozy than I expected to be, too, and I suspect to the extent that I am, a fair proprotion of it is due to the fact that I have had no coffee today.
The procedure went astonishingly well. In fact, despite all my worry, from my perspective there was nothing to it at all. The needle prick of the IV was not pleasant, but not watching helped, and it only hurt for a moment. Then the sedation drugs started making me feel very nicely calm... and then the only thing I seem to remember, until they told me I was all done, was a brief flash of people moving around me, talking among themselves in some cheerful, highly reassuring fashion about how good everything was going. Possibly that was right before I started to come out of it.
Now my jaw is starting to ache, which is not much fun, but I have Vicodin, so I can pretend that I'm Dr. House. I also had a very, very large milkshake, which was nice. I'm far less woozy than I expected to be, too, and I suspect to the extent that I am, a fair proprotion of it is due to the fact that I have had no coffee today.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I Still Didn't Get Enough Sleep, Though.
Huh. Apparently, contrary to what I said in a previous post, you can turn off the ringer on my phone. I discovered this yesterday when, during an attempt to see if hiding the handset under the sofa cushions would muffle the ring sufficiently, I accidentally mashed down a button that had an undocumented-in-the-manual "adjust headset ringer volume" feature.
I guess sometimes randomly pressing buttons does work.
I guess sometimes randomly pressing buttons does work.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Only Post I Will Make About The Olympics
My mother asked me to record stuff from the Winter Olympics this weekend so she can watch it while she's here. Which I am quite happy to do, but, doggone it, now my TiVo is going to think I give a shit about ice skating. It still thinks I have an obsession with The Weather Channel from the time my dad came to visit.
I'm Tired And I Wanna Go To Bed...
Yesterday I was reading a discussion about shift work that said that being awake for 20 hours is equivalent to a blood alcohol level of at least .10, in terms of impairment. All I can say is, I'm glad I'm not going to be driving home in the morning.
Also, I really need to get a "do not disturb" sign for my front door.
Also, I really need to get a "do not disturb" sign for my front door.
Two Minute Movie Review
Today's DVD-watching: Moon, which I just got from Netflix. It's well-written, well-acted, nicely put together, and serves as a lovely illustration of the fact that science fiction movies do not have to have explosions in them to be worth watching, which is something I wish were more generally recognized. Alas, it also left me wishing, rather wistfully, that I were less intimately familiar with science fiction, so that anything that happens in it might have had a chance at taking me by surprise. It's to the film's credit, though, that it left me feeling pretty positive about the whole experience, regardless.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Productive And Toothful
I have now crossed off everything on my "things to do before my mother gets here" list. Everything! This is very reasuring, since I am working all weekend, and she's coming in sometime on Sunday.
And then Tuesday, I will become wisdom toothless. I am still not happy about this, you know. They're my teeth! I grew them myself! They belong where they are, doggone it, even if their very existence is a stupid evolutionary anachronism.
Sigh. Maybe they'll give them to me to keep in a jar, and I can take them out from time to time and fondly reminisce about the days when they were still in my mouth.
And then Tuesday, I will become wisdom toothless. I am still not happy about this, you know. They're my teeth! I grew them myself! They belong where they are, doggone it, even if their very existence is a stupid evolutionary anachronism.
Sigh. Maybe they'll give them to me to keep in a jar, and I can take them out from time to time and fondly reminisce about the days when they were still in my mouth.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Treadmill Saga Update
So, the repair guy called me up last Saturday saying that he'd be through town later this week, if I wanted to schedule a time for him to stop by and fix my treadmill. Which would have been great, except for one thing: I still hadn't gotten the parts. Which they told me should arrive in 7-10 days. On Jan. 22nd.
I wasn't too worried at the time, since mail to Socorro can be a bit slow, but when the package still wasn't here today, I called Horizon. Again. Amazingly, this time they didn't make me play phone tag, but instead just put me on hold for half an hour. (It figures. I was planning on only spending a couple of minutes leaving a message, or I wouldn't have called right then.) Anyway, it turns out that the reason I didn't get the parts is because they never sent them. Which, the guy I talked to said, was "kind of a good thing," as one of the parts he thought I might need wasn't included in the order, anyway. Seriously. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER. Let this be a warning to the universe at large: do not buy anything from these people. Unless everything goes perfectly, you will regret it.
He did at least say he'd fast-track my replacement order, and that I should have it in four days, but that kind of doesn't help all that much, since this week would have been ideal for both the repair guy (who is 80 miles away in Albuquerque) and for me.
SO. MUCH. FAIL. It's almost hard to believe.
I wasn't too worried at the time, since mail to Socorro can be a bit slow, but when the package still wasn't here today, I called Horizon. Again. Amazingly, this time they didn't make me play phone tag, but instead just put me on hold for half an hour. (It figures. I was planning on only spending a couple of minutes leaving a message, or I wouldn't have called right then.) Anyway, it turns out that the reason I didn't get the parts is because they never sent them. Which, the guy I talked to said, was "kind of a good thing," as one of the parts he thought I might need wasn't included in the order, anyway. Seriously. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER. Let this be a warning to the universe at large: do not buy anything from these people. Unless everything goes perfectly, you will regret it.
He did at least say he'd fast-track my replacement order, and that I should have it in four days, but that kind of doesn't help all that much, since this week would have been ideal for both the repair guy (who is 80 miles away in Albuquerque) and for me.
SO. MUCH. FAIL. It's almost hard to believe.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
What's Current
Current clothes: Pajamas and a bathrobe. I kind of splashed cold water on my clothes earlier when I was rinsing out the garbage can, and since I have no intention of going anywhere tonight I figured that just slipping into some nice, comfy jammies was the thing to do.
Current mood: Sleeeeepy. And here it is only just past 8:00. I've been waking up ridiculously early of late.
Current music: Nothing at the moment. I'm working on getting caught up on podcasts again.
Current annoyance: Oh, man. Do not ask. Seriously. There are way too goddamned many of them. Suffice it to say that 2010 can bite me.
Current thing: I don't think I have a thing at the moment. Waiting for this year to suck less. That's my thing.
Current desktop picture: Still the same Doctor Who picture as last month.
Current book: In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw. I'm about 100 pages in, and I'm still not entirely sure what I think about it.
Current song in head: "Africa" by Toto. This has been in my head for days, and I have no idea why. What's even more annoying is that I don't remember most of the lyrics, so I mostly just have snatches of the chorus stuck in my head.
Current DVD in player: Disc 9 of The Prisoner. I've only got a couple of episodes left now. And, man, this show gets weird towards the end. Well, OK, it starts out weird, but it gets new and different kinds of weird by the end.
Current refreshment: I must have some tea soon.
Current worry: Everything about having my stupid teeth out. Everything.
Current thought: You know what really does tickle me, and continues to tickle me even though it's been true for a long time now? My cats recognize the sound my TiVo makes when I delete a show I've just finished watching, and when they hear it, they immediately get ready to jump down off my lap. I love my cats.
Current mood: Sleeeeepy. And here it is only just past 8:00. I've been waking up ridiculously early of late.
Current music: Nothing at the moment. I'm working on getting caught up on podcasts again.
Current annoyance: Oh, man. Do not ask. Seriously. There are way too goddamned many of them. Suffice it to say that 2010 can bite me.
Current thing: I don't think I have a thing at the moment. Waiting for this year to suck less. That's my thing.
Current desktop picture: Still the same Doctor Who picture as last month.
Current book: In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw. I'm about 100 pages in, and I'm still not entirely sure what I think about it.
Current song in head: "Africa" by Toto. This has been in my head for days, and I have no idea why. What's even more annoying is that I don't remember most of the lyrics, so I mostly just have snatches of the chorus stuck in my head.
Current DVD in player: Disc 9 of The Prisoner. I've only got a couple of episodes left now. And, man, this show gets weird towards the end. Well, OK, it starts out weird, but it gets new and different kinds of weird by the end.
Current refreshment: I must have some tea soon.
Current worry: Everything about having my stupid teeth out. Everything.
Current thought: You know what really does tickle me, and continues to tickle me even though it's been true for a long time now? My cats recognize the sound my TiVo makes when I delete a show I've just finished watching, and when they hear it, they immediately get ready to jump down off my lap. I love my cats.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Some Thoughts
1. For the first time, the number of volumes on my book wishlist is consistently higher than that on my unread books list. I can't quite decide whether that's a good sign or a bad sign, as far as the book-buying addiction goes.
2. The oral surgeon gave me an itemized cost list for my wisdom tooth extraction. My lower teeth, which are partially below the gum, each cost $11 more to remove than my upper teeth do. I don't know why, but for some reason that figure amuses me ridiculously.
3. It still feels like these thoughts ought to come in threes.
[ETA: Apparently I read or remembered it wrong. The amount is actually $21, not $11. Which is a pity. Somehow, $11 is a much funnier number.]
2. The oral surgeon gave me an itemized cost list for my wisdom tooth extraction. My lower teeth, which are partially below the gum, each cost $11 more to remove than my upper teeth do. I don't know why, but for some reason that figure amuses me ridiculously.
3. It still feels like these thoughts ought to come in threes.
[ETA: Apparently I read or remembered it wrong. The amount is actually $21, not $11. Which is a pity. Somehow, $11 is a much funnier number.]
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Semi-Random Links, With Bonus Stupid Internet Quiz!
Star Wars vs. Star Trek 720p: Cute little nerdy video. Go, Enterprise!
EXCLUSIVE Neil Gaiman Confirms Doctor Who Episode: As the fangirls on the internets say: SQUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEE!
Previously On Lost 2: Lost In Five Minutes: Kind of hilarious. Ah, there's nothing like an attempt to explain this show to bring home how absolutely freaking insane it all is. I love it. (Oh, and spoiler warning! Obviously.)
And speaking of Lost:
Find out Which Lost Character Are You at LiquidGeneration.com!
God damn it!
(But, huh. The image URL was messed up. It tried to link me to the result for Sawyer, which is not what I got. I figured out what the actual code was and fixed it, although I probably should have left it, because that would be much less embarrassing. Come to think of it, as a reward for my technical competence, I think I should just declare myself to be Sayid.)
EXCLUSIVE Neil Gaiman Confirms Doctor Who Episode: As the fangirls on the internets say: SQUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEE!
Previously On Lost 2: Lost In Five Minutes: Kind of hilarious. Ah, there's nothing like an attempt to explain this show to bring home how absolutely freaking insane it all is. I love it. (Oh, and spoiler warning! Obviously.)
And speaking of Lost:
Find out Which Lost Character Are You at LiquidGeneration.com!
God damn it!
(But, huh. The image URL was messed up. It tried to link me to the result for Sawyer, which is not what I got. I figured out what the actual code was and fixed it, although I probably should have left it, because that would be much less embarrassing. Come to think of it, as a reward for my technical competence, I think I should just declare myself to be Sayid.)
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Despite the fact that I'm still occasionally producing big globs of snot, and my sleeping patterns are kind of messed up, and my throat still sometimes hurts a bit -- seriously, I didn't have a sore throat this long when I had tonsillitis! -- I'm actually feeling a heck of a lot better today, in that surprising, "Hey, I woke up and somehow wasn't particularly sick!" kind of a way.
So hopefully now you should no longer have to listen to me whining and complaining about feeling ooky, and we can move on to other matters. Like the season premiere of Lost, which I've just now finished watching because I was up at stupid o'clock this morning. How cool is it to finally have that show back, huh?
So hopefully now you should no longer have to listen to me whining and complaining about feeling ooky, and we can move on to other matters. Like the season premiere of Lost, which I've just now finished watching because I was up at stupid o'clock this morning. How cool is it to finally have that show back, huh?
Monday, February 01, 2010
Medical Updates
My throat still hurts. In fact, it hurts worse today, because I've been talking to people. The sinuses still do, too, a little. And I'll spare you the description of the stuff that's coming out of my nose, but at least it's not coming out too often. (Thank you, decongestants!) But I am more-or-less functional today, and was able to make my appointment with the oral surgeon. I now have an appointment to get my wisdom teeth out. Yay.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Yes, I'm Still Sick. And Still Bitching About It.
Rather than getting better, I appear to have entered Phase II, which involves a complete inability to breathe, and what is quite possibly the greatest sinus pain I have ever experienced.
So far, I kind of hate 2010.
So far, I kind of hate 2010.
Friday, January 29, 2010
My Exciting Sick Day
Bah. I'm feeling just better enough that I no longer desire nothing other than to lie on the sofa in a stupor and/or sleep all day, which is pretty much what I did yesterday, but not well enough that I can be up and around for more than ten minutes or so without feeling like I need to lie back down again. Also, I am now out of Netflix discs to watch. (Note: It is entirely possible that watching The Prisoner while feverish enhances the experience, but for a combination of sickness and surrealism, I don't think anything is ever going to match reading Michael Marshall Smith's Only Forward while mildly delirious from the flu.)
On the upside, in my one burst of activity today, I did get out to the grocery store, so that I now have fresh fruit, orange juice, throat lozenges, extra tea, chicken soup, and chocolate Malt-o-Meal. (I figure I'd better get used to that last, as I suspect I'm going to be eating a lot of it for a while after the teeth come out.) I'm in a state right now where I can tell that my stomach wants food, but my brain, still firmly in sick-mode, is telling it that no, it doesn't. I'm hoping to keep them both happy with, "no, really, this doesn't count as food" compromises.
Also, I just found out the stuff that was supposed to happen at work tonight got canceled, which at least means that some poor sucker won't get stuck covering a night shift for me. Again. After already putting in his full complement of hours this week. This makes me feel slightly less guilty for not dragging my ass in, anyway.
On the upside, in my one burst of activity today, I did get out to the grocery store, so that I now have fresh fruit, orange juice, throat lozenges, extra tea, chicken soup, and chocolate Malt-o-Meal. (I figure I'd better get used to that last, as I suspect I'm going to be eating a lot of it for a while after the teeth come out.) I'm in a state right now where I can tell that my stomach wants food, but my brain, still firmly in sick-mode, is telling it that no, it doesn't. I'm hoping to keep them both happy with, "no, really, this doesn't count as food" compromises.
Also, I just found out the stuff that was supposed to happen at work tonight got canceled, which at least means that some poor sucker won't get stuck covering a night shift for me. Again. After already putting in his full complement of hours this week. This makes me feel slightly less guilty for not dragging my ass in, anyway.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Talking To My Immune System Sternly Didn't Work.
Crap. I am sick. This is Not Good. Man, it had better not be the start of one of those seven-day flus or something. I have a consultation appointment with the oral surgeon on Monday, and I am not missing it. If I don't get those wisdom teeth out in the next few weeks, I have no idea when I'm going to be able to schedule it.
I was thinking about going to the doctor, on the chance that it might be something treatable with antibiotics... I think if it were strep or tonsillitis or something, though, I'd be a lot sicker. And even though I think most of it's melted from the roads now, I don't really want to go out in the snow. I already had to walk home in it this morning.
So I think I'm just going to stay here and sip tea and whine. And hopefully get more sleep.
I was thinking about going to the doctor, on the chance that it might be something treatable with antibiotics... I think if it were strep or tonsillitis or something, though, I'd be a lot sicker. And even though I think most of it's melted from the roads now, I don't really want to go out in the snow. I already had to walk home in it this morning.
So I think I'm just going to stay here and sip tea and whine. And hopefully get more sleep.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Hmm, Scratchy Throat, Achiness, Face Feeling Hot While My Body Feels Cold... It's Sleep Deprivation. Got To Be.
Oh, no, I am not getting sick. I am not getting sick. *glares hard at immune system*
This Is What I'm Reduced To: A Steady Stream Of Complaints About Machines That Don't Work The Way They Should.
One thing that's always annoying: discovering that selecting "ringer off" on your phone doesn't actually turn the ringer off by having it wake you from a sound sleep. Which has, in fact, happened to me more than once now. Clearly the people who come up phone features for a living do not have to work night shifts.
I'm wondering if sticking the handset under the couch cushions will muffle it sufficiently.
I'm wondering if sticking the handset under the couch cushions will muffle it sufficiently.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Random Links: Mostly Funny, With A Dash Of Cute And A Smidge of Thoughtful
LOST characters explain how to make a sandwich: Very funny if you're familiar with Lost. (And very spoilery if you're not!)
Awesomely Bad Lyrics: Meat Loaf -- I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That): The Awesomely Bad Lyrics blog, which mocks the lyrics of rock songs, is a bit hit-and-miss on the humor, but this entry had me laughing my ass off. Possibly because there's just something intrinsically funny about Meat Loaf.
The Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies: I find these picks impossible to disagree with, except for the fact that I'm sure I need to watch their #1 choice a few more times before I can fully appreciate (or even understand) it.
Shiba Inu Puppy Cam: Now with all-new puppies!
SF reading protocols: An interesting article by SF writer Jo Walton about the way readers approach speculative fiction, as opposed to other genres.
The 100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All Time: I defy you not to laugh at this compilation of cheesetasticness! Warning: NSFW language.
Awesomely Bad Lyrics: Meat Loaf -- I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That): The Awesomely Bad Lyrics blog, which mocks the lyrics of rock songs, is a bit hit-and-miss on the humor, but this entry had me laughing my ass off. Possibly because there's just something intrinsically funny about Meat Loaf.
The Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies: I find these picks impossible to disagree with, except for the fact that I'm sure I need to watch their #1 choice a few more times before I can fully appreciate (or even understand) it.
Shiba Inu Puppy Cam: Now with all-new puppies!
SF reading protocols: An interesting article by SF writer Jo Walton about the way readers approach speculative fiction, as opposed to other genres.
The 100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes of All Time: I defy you not to laugh at this compilation of cheesetasticness! Warning: NSFW language.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Treadmill Saga Continues
I finally got to talk to a human being with actual knowledge about the product! Ten days after my first phone call! She had me check the drive belt and the connections, which as far as I can see were all OK, then decided that, yep, there probably was something wrong with it. Maybe there's a short somewhere. So, they're going to send me some replacement parts -- which will take 7-10 days -- and have a technician call me to set up an appointment to install them. (I'd say that the in-home service was nice, but it's sheer necessity. You cannot transport something this heavy.)
Anybody want to take any bets on how long it will be before I actually have this thing running?
Anybody want to take any bets on how long it will be before I actually have this thing running?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thoughts For The Day 2
1. I am very far from being a neat freak, but it's amazing how much better just getting the vacuuming done makes me feel when I'm stressed. Whatever else is going on in my life, by gum, I have clean carpets! Well, clean-ish, anyway.
2. I have got to stop leaving myself cryptic notes. I stared at the one sitting on my desk that says "edit dictionary" for ages wondering what the hell it could possibly mean before I realized that I wrote it after accidentally adding a misspelled word to my Firefox dictionary. (If you're wondering how to fix that, behold!)
3. Maybe thoughts for the day do come in twos.
2. I have got to stop leaving myself cryptic notes. I stared at the one sitting on my desk that says "edit dictionary" for ages wondering what the hell it could possibly mean before I realized that I wrote it after accidentally adding a misspelled word to my Firefox dictionary. (If you're wondering how to fix that, behold!)
3. Maybe thoughts for the day do come in twos.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thoughts For The Day
1. The problem with 1960s special effects is that when the monster is actually supposed to be a guy in a rubber suit, you have to go to rather a lot of trouble to make this clear.
2. Arguing with people on the internet, no matter how full you are of righteous indignation, never, ever, ever leads to anything satisfying. This is worth remembering, and yet depressingly easy to forget.
3. Thoughts for the day somehow feel as if they ought to come in threes.
2. Arguing with people on the internet, no matter how full you are of righteous indignation, never, ever, ever leads to anything satisfying. This is worth remembering, and yet depressingly easy to forget.
3. Thoughts for the day somehow feel as if they ought to come in threes.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Urge To Kill... Rising...
Sure enough, I sat by the phone all morning and waited for the Horizon Fitness folks to call back and talk me through troubleshooting this damned machine, and as soon as I left for lunch, they called back and left the same damned callback number, which sent me to the same damned recording.
Dear Horizon: "We'll call you back in the next 24 hours" is not fucking specific enough! Yes, yes, I know I didn't give you my cell phone number, but this is something I have to be at home for! I am a human being with a life, goddamn it! I have other things to do besides sitting around waiting for you to deign to talk to me, especially since the one and only time I got to talk to a human being, he couldn't fucking help me because helping me wasn't his job. I know it's January and people are buying a lot of fitness equipment and stuff, but this is beyond ridiculous. Dudes! Put me on hold for an hour! I don't care! Just stop doing this to me.
Also, I have been reading up on wisdom tooth extraction a little bit, and I do not like anything I have read.
Well, at least I just had a very nice lunch. *waves gratefully at Captain C*
Dear Horizon: "We'll call you back in the next 24 hours" is not fucking specific enough! Yes, yes, I know I didn't give you my cell phone number, but this is something I have to be at home for! I am a human being with a life, goddamn it! I have other things to do besides sitting around waiting for you to deign to talk to me, especially since the one and only time I got to talk to a human being, he couldn't fucking help me because helping me wasn't his job. I know it's January and people are buying a lot of fitness equipment and stuff, but this is beyond ridiculous. Dudes! Put me on hold for an hour! I don't care! Just stop doing this to me.
Also, I have been reading up on wisdom tooth extraction a little bit, and I do not like anything I have read.
Well, at least I just had a very nice lunch. *waves gratefully at Captain C*
Books Are Comforting.
There is still much stress happening. Did I mention that on my dental visit yesterday, my dentist told me that I really needed to get my wisdom teeth out with no more procrastinating? I don't want my wisdom teeth taken! They're mine! Waaaah!
Fortunately, talking about books is always soothing, so here's a book meme stolen from somewhere or other:
1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
I still have the copy of A Wrinkle in Time that I got when I was eight. It's kind of falling apart now, though, and I think I have another copy of that book in an omnibus volume that's sitting on my To-Read Pile, so I think that at some point I might retire it from the shelves and let it rest in the closet as a childhood keepsake.
2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?
Current read is Falls the Shadow by Daniel O'Mahony, a Doctor Who novel from the 90s. It's... okay. It's trying to be sort of dark and surreal, and I keep vacillating back and forth between finding that intriguingly creepy, and just finding it dull. Last read was Experimental Man, which I've already mentioned here. And next up, I think, is Circumference by Nicholas Nicastro. I was thinking about The Help by Kathryn Stockett, but I think something short and non-fiction-y is called for first.
3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
Oh, let us not discuss my permanent and deep-seated antipathy towards Jane Austen after being forced to read Emma in high school. Yes, everybody tells me that I shouldn't judge based on that, and that I'd find Austen brilliant if I only gave her another chance. No, I don't care. I came away from that book thinking that I'd rather have bamboo under my fingernails than to spend one more moment in the shallow, horribly constrained little woman's world that Austen's characters live in, and that feeling hasn't entirely faded since.
4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?
I fully intend to read every book ever published eventually, with a few exceptions, even though I am aware that this is physically impossible.
5. Which book are you saving for "retirement?"
Nothing specific, although I'm sure there are some books currently on the To-Read Pile that will still be there when I reach retirement age. Sigh.
6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Reading the last page first is an abomination. Abomination!
7. Acknowledgments: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
A long time ago, I used to read the things faithfully, having some vague sense that if I didn't, I hadn't really read the whole book. These days, I skim them, at best. But I don't begrudge a writer the indulgence.
8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Probably none of them. They tend to have much more interesting lives than I'd be comfortable with.
9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Oh yes, quite a few. In fact, sometimes the only way I can remember the date when something happened in my life is to remember what I was reading at the time, and then look up when that was. (Yes, I keep records. What?)
10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
Um... You know, for all my book-buying obsession, I'm not sure I really have any interesting stories about acquiring books. Certainly not ones that would be interesting to anybody but me. ("Dude! I was at this huge library sale, and one of the sales attendants set this copy of Good Omens down right in front of me!" Um... yeah.)
11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
I've given books as gifts, but I can't recall any that were dripping with sentiment or anything. When my nephew was smaller, I did sent him a couple of kids' books that I loved when I was young.
12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry. For years, every time I traveled, I'd throw it in my bag, figuring I'd read it on the trip, and kept not getting around to it. That book has literally been around the world with me. I finally read it last year in Colorado.
13. Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
The stuff I really hated in high school I haven't gone back to. The things I actually liked, though -- Huckleberry Finn, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hamlet -- I made a point of re-reading later under happier circumstances.
14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
I got a free copy of a book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program a while back that the author sent with a bright yellow fake feather stuck in it. Also, it was gift-wrapped and perfumed, and came with a teabag, a biscotto, a tiny rubber duck, and a four-page letter raving about the book and explaining its themes and references, and ranting about people who are incredibly rude enough to mention in public how their books come packaged, because that's private, doggone it! I was not impressed.
15. Used or brand new?
Yes, please!
16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
A bit of both. Unlike some wildly popular writers, the guy actually does have some pretty amazing talent. Unfortunately, he also has some flaws, which editors have long since stopped calling him on.
17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
The Hunt for Red October. Great story, which, in the book, was buried under layers and layers of technical detail and pointlessly digressive backstories for characters with two-page cameos.
18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Most of them, probably.
19. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Yes, although I can't think of any specifics. Probably because it's completely unremarkable for me. It's pathetically easy to make me crave food. Which is doubtless part of the reason why I weigh mumblety-mumble pounds.
20. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?
I'll take damned nearly anybody's advice. I'm a complete slut for books. Some random stranger mentions in passing that something's good, and suddenly I want it. There are reasons why my To-Read Pile and my wishlist are both over 400 volumes.
Fortunately, talking about books is always soothing, so here's a book meme stolen from somewhere or other:
1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
I still have the copy of A Wrinkle in Time that I got when I was eight. It's kind of falling apart now, though, and I think I have another copy of that book in an omnibus volume that's sitting on my To-Read Pile, so I think that at some point I might retire it from the shelves and let it rest in the closet as a childhood keepsake.
2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?
Current read is Falls the Shadow by Daniel O'Mahony, a Doctor Who novel from the 90s. It's... okay. It's trying to be sort of dark and surreal, and I keep vacillating back and forth between finding that intriguingly creepy, and just finding it dull. Last read was Experimental Man, which I've already mentioned here. And next up, I think, is Circumference by Nicholas Nicastro. I was thinking about The Help by Kathryn Stockett, but I think something short and non-fiction-y is called for first.
3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
Oh, let us not discuss my permanent and deep-seated antipathy towards Jane Austen after being forced to read Emma in high school. Yes, everybody tells me that I shouldn't judge based on that, and that I'd find Austen brilliant if I only gave her another chance. No, I don't care. I came away from that book thinking that I'd rather have bamboo under my fingernails than to spend one more moment in the shallow, horribly constrained little woman's world that Austen's characters live in, and that feeling hasn't entirely faded since.
4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you'll read, but you probably won't?
I fully intend to read every book ever published eventually, with a few exceptions, even though I am aware that this is physically impossible.
5. Which book are you saving for "retirement?"
Nothing specific, although I'm sure there are some books currently on the To-Read Pile that will still be there when I reach retirement age. Sigh.
6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Reading the last page first is an abomination. Abomination!
7. Acknowledgments: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
A long time ago, I used to read the things faithfully, having some vague sense that if I didn't, I hadn't really read the whole book. These days, I skim them, at best. But I don't begrudge a writer the indulgence.
8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Probably none of them. They tend to have much more interesting lives than I'd be comfortable with.
9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Oh yes, quite a few. In fact, sometimes the only way I can remember the date when something happened in my life is to remember what I was reading at the time, and then look up when that was. (Yes, I keep records. What?)
10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
Um... You know, for all my book-buying obsession, I'm not sure I really have any interesting stories about acquiring books. Certainly not ones that would be interesting to anybody but me. ("Dude! I was at this huge library sale, and one of the sales attendants set this copy of Good Omens down right in front of me!" Um... yeah.)
11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
I've given books as gifts, but I can't recall any that were dripping with sentiment or anything. When my nephew was smaller, I did sent him a couple of kids' books that I loved when I was young.
12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry. For years, every time I traveled, I'd throw it in my bag, figuring I'd read it on the trip, and kept not getting around to it. That book has literally been around the world with me. I finally read it last year in Colorado.
13. Any "required reading" you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
The stuff I really hated in high school I haven't gone back to. The things I actually liked, though -- Huckleberry Finn, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hamlet -- I made a point of re-reading later under happier circumstances.
14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
I got a free copy of a book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program a while back that the author sent with a bright yellow fake feather stuck in it. Also, it was gift-wrapped and perfumed, and came with a teabag, a biscotto, a tiny rubber duck, and a four-page letter raving about the book and explaining its themes and references, and ranting about people who are incredibly rude enough to mention in public how their books come packaged, because that's private, doggone it! I was not impressed.
15. Used or brand new?
Yes, please!
16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
A bit of both. Unlike some wildly popular writers, the guy actually does have some pretty amazing talent. Unfortunately, he also has some flaws, which editors have long since stopped calling him on.
17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
The Hunt for Red October. Great story, which, in the book, was buried under layers and layers of technical detail and pointlessly digressive backstories for characters with two-page cameos.
18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Most of them, probably.
19. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Yes, although I can't think of any specifics. Probably because it's completely unremarkable for me. It's pathetically easy to make me crave food. Which is doubtless part of the reason why I weigh mumblety-mumble pounds.
20. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?
I'll take damned nearly anybody's advice. I'm a complete slut for books. Some random stranger mentions in passing that something's good, and suddenly I want it. There are reasons why my To-Read Pile and my wishlist are both over 400 volumes.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Relaxing With A Stupid Internet Quiz After A Stressful Day
Your result for The Improved Book Character-Savvy Test...
More than good :)
You scored 71% Best Seller, 67% Classic and 88% Fantasy/Sci-Fi!
Well, well, well... We're pretty good at this, huh? Maybe we can work on our Classics... And if you prefer you can rent the Best-Sellers, yes. But it's quite good. Congrats.
Your rank: Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Just because I can. And he's a nice guy, isn't he?)
Your rank: Lieutenant Kif Kroker (Just because I can. And he's a nice guy, isn't he?)
Take The Improved Book Character-Savvy Test at OkCupid
Yes, Kif is a nice guy. Just looking at him makes me feel better.
Excerise Is Good For My Health. Stress Is Bad For It.
So, as indicated in the previous post, there are many things that are annoying the crap out of me this week. But first and foremost among them is what may be the single stupidest customer service experience ever.
I just bought a new treadmill, because walking, indoors or out, is the only form of exercise I can actually bring myself to do. Those of you following this blog religiously may know that I originally had a very cheap motorized treadmill, which I managed to short out the console on as I was putting it together. They sent me a replacement console, but none of the displays ever worked. After a couple of years of use, the motor started making noises, and I finally gave up on the damned thing. I then bought an extremely cheap manual treadmill, which I used for a while, but, frankly, that thing sucks. It's annoying, I don't get much of a workout on it, and I think the manual foot action, if I may call it that, was aggravating my plantar fascitiis. So I ordered a newer, much nicer motorized one. (OK, it's still kind of a low-end treadmill, by professional standards, but it's pretty darned expensive by my standards.)
Now, how does Horizon Fitness customer service suck? Let me count the ways...
1. They sent this 200+-pound item, clearly marked with "use mechanical lift" instructions via a shipping company who apparently believed that one old dude with not so much as a dolly was perfectly adequate.
2. The manual said to lubricate it before use, but the instructions for lubrication were vague to the point of uselessness.
3. Plastered all over the manual, however, were remarks to the effect that Horizon's friendly customer service reps are willing and eager to help out with any little questions one might have, and repeated instructions to call if unsure about something. So I called them. And got a recording saying to leave a message, and they'd get back to me within 24 hours.
4. Fortunately, it turned out that they had a nice instructional video online showing you how to lubricate the belt. Would've been nice if they'd mentioned that in the manual. So I followed the instructions, lubed up the belt, and turned the thing on for the first time. It failed to work. Every time I started it, the belt stuttered a fraction of an inch, and stopped. So I called and left another message.
5. Today, two days later -- yes, you counted right, that's more than 24 hours -- at 8:00 in the morning, I get a call from a guy who had apparently only heard my first message. He took down all my info -- name, rank, serial number, etc -- then informed me that he'd pass it on to the technical service department. Apparently his only job was to get my info. The guys who could actually help me get the thing working, he said, would call me back tomorrow. Gaaah. Well, at least he was polite.
6. Several hours later, I go out for a dentist appointment -- also annoying. When I get home, there's a message on my answering machine from the fitness people. It leaves a number where the call can be returned.
7. I return the call. I get the "leave a message, and we'll call you back in 24 hours" message. Aaaaargh.
8. I am leaving for work now, and hoping they do not call again while I am gone. Of course, I will have to stay home tomorrow and wait for their damned call. It's no good them calling me at work or on my cell, after all, since I have to have physical access to the machine while they're helping me troubleshoot it. This, fortunately, is not a problem, but it means I will have to take some vacation time. Some more vacation time, since I've been working short hours this week thanks to doing other annoying things. (E.g. the dentist appointment.) I am, however, going out for an hour or so to have lunch with a friend who's passing through town. Anybody want to place any bets on whether they'll call during the precise time that I'm gone?
This damned thing better work when all this crap is done, and it had better be damned well worth it.
I just bought a new treadmill, because walking, indoors or out, is the only form of exercise I can actually bring myself to do. Those of you following this blog religiously may know that I originally had a very cheap motorized treadmill, which I managed to short out the console on as I was putting it together. They sent me a replacement console, but none of the displays ever worked. After a couple of years of use, the motor started making noises, and I finally gave up on the damned thing. I then bought an extremely cheap manual treadmill, which I used for a while, but, frankly, that thing sucks. It's annoying, I don't get much of a workout on it, and I think the manual foot action, if I may call it that, was aggravating my plantar fascitiis. So I ordered a newer, much nicer motorized one. (OK, it's still kind of a low-end treadmill, by professional standards, but it's pretty darned expensive by my standards.)
Now, how does Horizon Fitness customer service suck? Let me count the ways...
1. They sent this 200+-pound item, clearly marked with "use mechanical lift" instructions via a shipping company who apparently believed that one old dude with not so much as a dolly was perfectly adequate.
2. The manual said to lubricate it before use, but the instructions for lubrication were vague to the point of uselessness.
3. Plastered all over the manual, however, were remarks to the effect that Horizon's friendly customer service reps are willing and eager to help out with any little questions one might have, and repeated instructions to call if unsure about something. So I called them. And got a recording saying to leave a message, and they'd get back to me within 24 hours.
4. Fortunately, it turned out that they had a nice instructional video online showing you how to lubricate the belt. Would've been nice if they'd mentioned that in the manual. So I followed the instructions, lubed up the belt, and turned the thing on for the first time. It failed to work. Every time I started it, the belt stuttered a fraction of an inch, and stopped. So I called and left another message.
5. Today, two days later -- yes, you counted right, that's more than 24 hours -- at 8:00 in the morning, I get a call from a guy who had apparently only heard my first message. He took down all my info -- name, rank, serial number, etc -- then informed me that he'd pass it on to the technical service department. Apparently his only job was to get my info. The guys who could actually help me get the thing working, he said, would call me back tomorrow. Gaaah. Well, at least he was polite.
6. Several hours later, I go out for a dentist appointment -- also annoying. When I get home, there's a message on my answering machine from the fitness people. It leaves a number where the call can be returned.
7. I return the call. I get the "leave a message, and we'll call you back in 24 hours" message. Aaaaargh.
8. I am leaving for work now, and hoping they do not call again while I am gone. Of course, I will have to stay home tomorrow and wait for their damned call. It's no good them calling me at work or on my cell, after all, since I have to have physical access to the machine while they're helping me troubleshoot it. This, fortunately, is not a problem, but it means I will have to take some vacation time. Some more vacation time, since I've been working short hours this week thanks to doing other annoying things. (E.g. the dentist appointment.) I am, however, going out for an hour or so to have lunch with a friend who's passing through town. Anybody want to place any bets on whether they'll call during the precise time that I'm gone?
This damned thing better work when all this crap is done, and it had better be damned well worth it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Look How Far We Are Into January Already!
Current clothes: It's sitting-around-in-front-of-the-computer-after-my-shower-wearing-a-towel time again! (Update: That was getting chilly, so in the middle of writing this post I got up and put on clothes. I am now wearing black sweatpants and a t-shirt that says, "WILL WORK FOR BOOKS." Also, slippers shaped like penguins.)
Current mood: More or less OK, except I have this weird (but, for me, not at all infrequent) conflict in my brain, where something in there is going, "Oh, god, we have stuff to do today! When will it get done?!" and something else is rolling its eyes and responding with, "Dude! It's minor, unimportant stuff, and it will take very little time! We have all day! Will you just freaking relax?!"
Current music: Most recently, Parachutes by Coldplay. I got it for free through some promotional thing on Amazon.
Current annoyance: You know what hurts? When you have a nervous cat on your lap and the doorbell rings. *rubs at gouges on thigh*
Current thing: Books! With the new year, I am determined to read more books, better books, longer books, more diverse books! I am determined to cut the Book Pile down to size! Really! Except, um, it's not really working out that way so far...
Current desktop picture: This image of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. Maybe if I spend enough time looking at it, I'll find myself getting used to the new guy. Although, man, that picture does highlight the fact that, age aside, this is pretty much the least radical appearance change he's ever had between regenerations. I know some people have complained about that. But it suddenly occurs to me that, hey, I could make an argument for an interesting possible in-universe explanation for that. Which I won't get into here, because it's spoilery.
Current book: I've just started Experimental Man: What One Man's Body Reveals about His Future, Your Health, and Our Toxic World by David Ewing Duncan, in which the author undergoes every medical test known to man and reports back on the results.
Current song in head: "The Traveler" by The Alan Parsons Project, which is simply the middle link in a persistent chain of associations. I just recently read a (very tiny) book with the same title, which keeps making me think of the song. And the song always makes me think of Doctor Who. Admittedly, many things make me think of Doctor Who...
Current DVD in player: Disc 1 of season 3 of Slings & Arrows, a rather wonderful Canadian show about eccentric theater people, one of whom is, in fact, dead.
Current refreshment: I can still taste toothpaste.
Current worry: I don't so much have specific worries at the moment, as vague, freeform anxieties.
Current thought: Is that a cat hair on my computer screen? *blows on screen* Yep. It was.
Current mood: More or less OK, except I have this weird (but, for me, not at all infrequent) conflict in my brain, where something in there is going, "Oh, god, we have stuff to do today! When will it get done?!" and something else is rolling its eyes and responding with, "Dude! It's minor, unimportant stuff, and it will take very little time! We have all day! Will you just freaking relax?!"
Current music: Most recently, Parachutes by Coldplay. I got it for free through some promotional thing on Amazon.
Current annoyance: You know what hurts? When you have a nervous cat on your lap and the doorbell rings. *rubs at gouges on thigh*
Current thing: Books! With the new year, I am determined to read more books, better books, longer books, more diverse books! I am determined to cut the Book Pile down to size! Really! Except, um, it's not really working out that way so far...
Current desktop picture: This image of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. Maybe if I spend enough time looking at it, I'll find myself getting used to the new guy. Although, man, that picture does highlight the fact that, age aside, this is pretty much the least radical appearance change he's ever had between regenerations. I know some people have complained about that. But it suddenly occurs to me that, hey, I could make an argument for an interesting possible in-universe explanation for that. Which I won't get into here, because it's spoilery.
Current book: I've just started Experimental Man: What One Man's Body Reveals about His Future, Your Health, and Our Toxic World by David Ewing Duncan, in which the author undergoes every medical test known to man and reports back on the results.
Current song in head: "The Traveler" by The Alan Parsons Project, which is simply the middle link in a persistent chain of associations. I just recently read a (very tiny) book with the same title, which keeps making me think of the song. And the song always makes me think of Doctor Who. Admittedly, many things make me think of Doctor Who...
Current DVD in player: Disc 1 of season 3 of Slings & Arrows, a rather wonderful Canadian show about eccentric theater people, one of whom is, in fact, dead.
Current refreshment: I can still taste toothpaste.
Current worry: I don't so much have specific worries at the moment, as vague, freeform anxieties.
Current thought: Is that a cat hair on my computer screen? *blows on screen* Yep. It was.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Goldilocks Cats
I've been making excellent use of my days off this week, including getting my cats in to the vet for their shots and checkups.
Of course, Vir is still way too damned fat. He's actually gained weight since the last time I had him in, in what must surely be defiance of the laws of physics. So he is now off the regular weight-loss cat food and onto the super-duper extra no-cal weight-loss cat food. (After I just recently bought a new bag of the other stuff, too. Sigh. Anybody in the Socorro area want a big tin full of Iams Weight Control cat food?) He's so disturbingly obese that the vet was talking about experimental weight-loss drugs, but, alas, they have so far only been tested on dogs.
Meanwhile, Happiness is still underweight, as far as I can tell mostly because she just can't be bothered to eat. The vet suggested trying canned food to tempt her into eating more -- something I'd tried in the past with mixed success, but which is definitely worth another shot -- but, of course, she had that urinary infection a while back, so it's supposed to be special canned food. Special, expensive canned food.
Meanwhile, Nova weighs 13 pounds and happily eats Cat Chow. But that's OK. He finds plenty of other ways to annoy me.
Of course, Vir is still way too damned fat. He's actually gained weight since the last time I had him in, in what must surely be defiance of the laws of physics. So he is now off the regular weight-loss cat food and onto the super-duper extra no-cal weight-loss cat food. (After I just recently bought a new bag of the other stuff, too. Sigh. Anybody in the Socorro area want a big tin full of Iams Weight Control cat food?) He's so disturbingly obese that the vet was talking about experimental weight-loss drugs, but, alas, they have so far only been tested on dogs.
Meanwhile, Happiness is still underweight, as far as I can tell mostly because she just can't be bothered to eat. The vet suggested trying canned food to tempt her into eating more -- something I'd tried in the past with mixed success, but which is definitely worth another shot -- but, of course, she had that urinary infection a while back, so it's supposed to be special canned food. Special, expensive canned food.
Meanwhile, Nova weighs 13 pounds and happily eats Cat Chow. But that's OK. He finds plenty of other ways to annoy me.
First Random Links Of The Year!
Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2009: The Bad Astronomer presents his top ten space images for the past year. As always, these are both informative and pretty.
The Known Universe by AMNH: Speaking of space, here's an amazing video tour of the entire universe. My own reaction to this one was interesting. I love the idea of exploring space, and yet, at some point here, my little monkey hindbrain started screaming, "Too far! Too far from home! Go back!"
Star Wars Weather Forecast: An entertainingly geeky way of reporting the weather. (Hint: try entering nonsense, or a place that doesn't exist. The results are amusing.)
Simon's Cat 'Snow Business' (Part 1): A new Simon's Cat video! These are always adorable.
The Master's Facebook Page and The Doctor's Facebook Page: A humorous look at the just-aired "The End of Time" parts one and two, respectively, via the medium of Facebook. Warning: serious spoilers! (By the way, my own opinion on David Tennant's Whovian swansong is that it was kind of a mess, but a reasonably entertaining and ultimately surprisingly engaging and satisfying mess. Which is all I ever ask of Doctor Who.)
The Known Universe by AMNH: Speaking of space, here's an amazing video tour of the entire universe. My own reaction to this one was interesting. I love the idea of exploring space, and yet, at some point here, my little monkey hindbrain started screaming, "Too far! Too far from home! Go back!"
Star Wars Weather Forecast: An entertainingly geeky way of reporting the weather. (Hint: try entering nonsense, or a place that doesn't exist. The results are amusing.)
Simon's Cat 'Snow Business' (Part 1): A new Simon's Cat video! These are always adorable.
The Master's Facebook Page and The Doctor's Facebook Page: A humorous look at the just-aired "The End of Time" parts one and two, respectively, via the medium of Facebook. Warning: serious spoilers! (By the way, my own opinion on David Tennant's Whovian swansong is that it was kind of a mess, but a reasonably entertaining and ultimately surprisingly engaging and satisfying mess. Which is all I ever ask of Doctor Who.)
Monday, January 04, 2010
Friday, January 01, 2010
2009: The Year In Books
Happy New Year, everybody!
Traditionally on New Year's Day, I do a round-up of my reading for the past year. You can find a list of all the books I read in 2009, in more or less the order that I read them, here. As usual, it's a big old eclectic mish-mash of stuff. Lots of science fiction and fantasy, and about as much non-fiction as fiction -- I'm still mostly alternating the two -- but an increasing amount of more mainstream fiction, as well. Among other things, I finally finished the Horatio Hornblower series, kept on reading through Miles Vorkosigan, dipped in and out of Jeeves & Wooster, and went back in time to read some old Doctor Who novels.
Total books read: 157, which is slightly less than in the last couple of years, but surely still a respectable number in anybody's book. The teetering To-Read Pile started the year at 454 books, and was down to 428 at the end of it. Less progress than I'd hoped for, alas, but progress nonetheless. I'm hoping to whittle it down below 400 in 2010. Wish me luck!
I find it nearly impossible to pick the "best of" anything, but I looked over my 2009 reading and picked out everything I rated four-and-a-half stars or above, which conveniently worked out to an even 20 books. Whether I could really call this the best books I read in 2009, I can't say. Ratings for me are such slippery things, and what they actually mean tends to vary from book to book. But here, divided by category but otherwise in no particular order, are the results that approach gives:
FICTION
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse
The Cat-Nappers by P.G. Wodehouse
The Ant King and Other Stories by Benjamin Rosenbaum
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Vol 3: Wolves at the Gate by Joss Whedon et al.
NON-FICTION
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato
Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human by Michael Chorost
How Doctors Think by Jermoe Groopman
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
Alien Hand Syndrome edited by Alan Bellows
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
HUMOR
xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe
Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book by Shel Silverstein
Traditionally on New Year's Day, I do a round-up of my reading for the past year. You can find a list of all the books I read in 2009, in more or less the order that I read them, here. As usual, it's a big old eclectic mish-mash of stuff. Lots of science fiction and fantasy, and about as much non-fiction as fiction -- I'm still mostly alternating the two -- but an increasing amount of more mainstream fiction, as well. Among other things, I finally finished the Horatio Hornblower series, kept on reading through Miles Vorkosigan, dipped in and out of Jeeves & Wooster, and went back in time to read some old Doctor Who novels.
Total books read: 157, which is slightly less than in the last couple of years, but surely still a respectable number in anybody's book. The teetering To-Read Pile started the year at 454 books, and was down to 428 at the end of it. Less progress than I'd hoped for, alas, but progress nonetheless. I'm hoping to whittle it down below 400 in 2010. Wish me luck!
I find it nearly impossible to pick the "best of" anything, but I looked over my 2009 reading and picked out everything I rated four-and-a-half stars or above, which conveniently worked out to an even 20 books. Whether I could really call this the best books I read in 2009, I can't say. Ratings for me are such slippery things, and what they actually mean tends to vary from book to book. But here, divided by category but otherwise in no particular order, are the results that approach gives:
FICTION
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse
The Cat-Nappers by P.G. Wodehouse
The Ant King and Other Stories by Benjamin Rosenbaum
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Vol 3: Wolves at the Gate by Joss Whedon et al.
NON-FICTION
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato
Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human by Michael Chorost
How Doctors Think by Jermoe Groopman
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
Alien Hand Syndrome edited by Alan Bellows
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Dayton Duncan
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
HUMOR
xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe
Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book by Shel Silverstein
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Somebody Call Me Tomorrow After It's Charged Up.
My exciting activity for the last day of the year: I bought a new telephone. My old one was prone to bursts of static and annoying clicking noises which finally became a bit too much to bear. This one, although it was very cheap, is a proper 21st century phone, with a phonebook list you can choose numbers from instead of a speed-dial function, and everything.
Slowly, the tech level in my house is rising.
Slowly, the tech level in my house is rising.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Swiftly Now...
Wow, so, there are just over 24 hours left in this year.[*] The end of 2009 really did sort of sneak up on me. First it was Christmas, and then I spent four days working and sleeping and complaining, and then, bam! suddenly 2009 is rushing out the door already, before I can properly take stock of it.
Not that there's much to take stock of, really. It's been a remarkably uneventful year for me, and I'm not sure there's much of anything worth remembering about it. Which is probably a good thing. I mean, any year that doesn't go down as The Year My House Was Demolished in an Earthquake or The Year I Was Diagnosed with Cancer of the Face is a good year, in my opinion.
Next year, of course, will be The Year We Make Contact, so I'll be looking forward to that.
[*] In my year, that is. Your timezone may vary. And, heck, for all I know, you're reading this three weeks from now, anyway. Hello, person from the future!
Not that there's much to take stock of, really. It's been a remarkably uneventful year for me, and I'm not sure there's much of anything worth remembering about it. Which is probably a good thing. I mean, any year that doesn't go down as The Year My House Was Demolished in an Earthquake or The Year I Was Diagnosed with Cancer of the Face is a good year, in my opinion.
Next year, of course, will be The Year We Make Contact, so I'll be looking forward to that.
[*] In my year, that is. Your timezone may vary. And, heck, for all I know, you're reading this three weeks from now, anyway. Hello, person from the future!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Weather!
Wow, will you look at that? Snow!
I don't know whether the fact that I literally started a little in surprise when I opened the door and saw white everywhere says more about how little it snows here, or how easy it is to catch my poor brain off-guard at this hour of the morning.
I don't know whether the fact that I literally started a little in surprise when I opened the door and saw white everywhere says more about how little it snows here, or how easy it is to catch my poor brain off-guard at this hour of the morning.
Monday, December 28, 2009
A Little End-Of-The-Year Whining
I need a vacation. I didn't really get one over Christmas; I got the equivalent of a weekend in a week where I ordinarily wouldn't have had one without shuffling my hours around or taking vacation time.
I want to lie on a beach somewhere sipping piña coladas, or go for long walks in the woods, or something. Why is this not on my itinerary?
Sigh. Back to work I go. Again.
I want to lie on a beach somewhere sipping piña coladas, or go for long walks in the woods, or something. Why is this not on my itinerary?
Sigh. Back to work I go. Again.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Happy!
Hi, everybody! Season's Greetings and all that jazz!
I had a very pleasant Christmas Eve, eating fruitcake and watching DVDs and chatting on the internet and stuff. I was up rather later than I intended to be, though... and then I woke up way too early this morning, for some unfathomable reason. Doggone it, I distinctly remember not having kids so that I could sleep in on Christmas.
But never mind! Presents have been opened -- well, OK, I confess to doing that last night, too. But never mind when they were opened, they are open now, and they are all much appreciated! (The cats appreciated the wrapping paper, too.)
And sometime today, I will call all my relatives... and cook myself a nice holiday meal... and watch Doctor Who... and maybe hang out with friends. And then I'll get some goddamned sleep. Yeah. That sounds like a plan.
Anyway, hope everyone out there is having a wonderful holiday, or has had a wonderful holiday, depending on what you celebrate when. Whether you've gotten enough sleep or not.
I had a very pleasant Christmas Eve, eating fruitcake and watching DVDs and chatting on the internet and stuff. I was up rather later than I intended to be, though... and then I woke up way too early this morning, for some unfathomable reason. Doggone it, I distinctly remember not having kids so that I could sleep in on Christmas.
But never mind! Presents have been opened -- well, OK, I confess to doing that last night, too. But never mind when they were opened, they are open now, and they are all much appreciated! (The cats appreciated the wrapping paper, too.)
And sometime today, I will call all my relatives... and cook myself a nice holiday meal... and watch Doctor Who... and maybe hang out with friends. And then I'll get some goddamned sleep. Yeah. That sounds like a plan.
Anyway, hope everyone out there is having a wonderful holiday, or has had a wonderful holiday, depending on what you celebrate when. Whether you've gotten enough sleep or not.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
I'm Totally Doing A Little Touchdown Dance Of Baking Right Now.
Behold! Fruitcake!
If I do say so, that came out surprisingly awesome. And decidedly non-evil. Although next year -- and, oh, yes, there will be a next year -- I think I will leave out the papaya in favor of more apricots. The tropical note is very slightly discordant.
Still! Non-evil fruitcake! And they called me mad!
If I do say so, that came out surprisingly awesome. And decidedly non-evil. Although next year -- and, oh, yes, there will be a next year -- I think I will leave out the papaya in favor of more apricots. The tropical note is very slightly discordant.
Still! Non-evil fruitcake! And they called me mad!
Yes, Poor Friend. I Hear She's Fruity As A Nutcake.
I have no idea how well it will come out, considering that I made a decidedly half-assed attempt at following the recipe. But, man oh man, if this thing tastes one-tenth as good as it smells, or even as appealing as the batter looked, I believe I will have single-handedly redeemed the reputation of fruitcake.
On a tangentially related note, apparently Weird Al's "The Night Santa Went Crazy" is now tied for the number one most played slot in my iTunes. This is what the holidays do to me, people.
On a tangentially related note, apparently Weird Al's "The Night Santa Went Crazy" is now tied for the number one most played slot in my iTunes. This is what the holidays do to me, people.
HOW IS IT STILL ONLY 1:30?!?!?!?!
My holiday can start any time now. Really. Aaaaaany time. *looks at clock, sighs*
Monday, December 21, 2009
Gimme Cookie!
And there are cookies! Man, that really is a nice, easy recipe. Thank you, grandmom! They came out a bit different this time than the last few times I made them, I think, a bit thinner and crispier around the edges. This is not a bad thing, though. In fact, I think they're about the tastiest I've ever gotten them. Mmm. I've eaten a few too many of them already, but they're best fresh out of the oven! Plus, y'know, some of them fell apart, and you have to have quality control.
Also, for future reference, I must keep in mind that while cranking up the wacky Christmas music is a truly essential part of holiday baking, and while generally the most efficient means of timing things in the oven is to use the countdown timer on my wristwatch, these two things do not necessarily work perfectly well together. At least, not if one is wearing headphones and singing along with said music at a significantly high volume. Fortunately, I managed not to burn anything.
Yay for accomplishment! I think I deserve cookies.
Also, for future reference, I must keep in mind that while cranking up the wacky Christmas music is a truly essential part of holiday baking, and while generally the most efficient means of timing things in the oven is to use the countdown timer on my wristwatch, these two things do not necessarily work perfectly well together. At least, not if one is wearing headphones and singing along with said music at a significantly high volume. Fortunately, I managed not to burn anything.
Yay for accomplishment! I think I deserve cookies.
Bake We Now
So, this is the time of year where, traditionally, I'm simultaneously going, "It's how long 'til Christmas?! I still can't open these freaking presents yet?!" and "OMG, Christmas is how soon? Wasn't I going to do some baking?"
Well, this year, I am pleased to report, there will be baking. Oh, yes, there will be baking. Tonight, I'm going to crank out a double batch of my grandmother's famous chocolate drop cookies. (Which reminds me: I need to call my grandmother.) And then tomorrow or Wednesday, for reasons far too silly and complicated to get into here, I'm going to make fruitcake. Hopefully non-evil fruitcake. That should be interesting, because I'm not sure I've ever even eaten a fruitcake, never mind baked one. So, uh, wish me luck!
Well, this year, I am pleased to report, there will be baking. Oh, yes, there will be baking. Tonight, I'm going to crank out a double batch of my grandmother's famous chocolate drop cookies. (Which reminds me: I need to call my grandmother.) And then tomorrow or Wednesday, for reasons far too silly and complicated to get into here, I'm going to make fruitcake. Hopefully non-evil fruitcake. That should be interesting, because I'm not sure I've ever even eaten a fruitcake, never mind baked one. So, uh, wish me luck!
We Can Has Moar Sun Now?
Happy Solstice, everybody! For the shortest day of the year, it's remarkably warm here today.
[ETA: Except it got a lot chillier by the time I left work.]
[ETA: Except it got a lot chillier by the time I left work.]
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Apocawhat When?
I'm not at all sure how I feel about that. In part because I still haven't ever gotten around to watching that movie.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Pet Peeve #6,057
Pet Peeve #6,057: Charity-solicitation junk mail that comes with a coin in the envelope. Ostensibly, this is some kind of promotional gimmick, but I think the real intent is to punish anybody who tries to feed the envelope through a shredder without opening it. Thank you so fucking much, unnamed charity I was never going to donate to anyway because you're partly about promoting a religion I don't believe in.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Murphy's Law Application #4,972
When you've just hit "post" on something only to realize that you've made an embarrassing mistake that you want to correct quickly before anyone sees it, that is the exact moment your internet will suddenly go down. The length of the outage, of course, will be directly proportional to the magnitude of the mistake. Apparently realizing that you've used the same adverb three times in three sentences gets you about 10-15 minutes.
We're Not Getting Any Further Into December Without Doing This Meme.
Current clothes: Olive-colored sweatshirt with the sleeves bunched up at the elbows. Blue jeans. White socks. Gray sneakers.
Current mood: A little rushed right now, but generally very good. I don't know what it is, but lately even when I'm not really doing much of anything, I feel like I'm having a lot of fun doing it. It's weird, but I'm not going to complain about it.
Current music: Of late I've mostly been trying to catch up on the zillion podcasts I've downloaded, with a rather surprising degree of success. But I was just listening to some random-shuffle stuff while I was hanging up laundry. Most recently played: "Learn to Fly" by Carbon Leaf.
Current annoyance: The discovery that I accidentally left a tampon in the back pocket of a pair of jeans when I put them in the laundry. The results are sort of like when you leave a kleenex in the pocket, only even more annoying.
Current thing: OK, yes, I have been continuing to play The Sims 2 -- see "current song in head" -- but I've been rationing my time on it. Honestly.
Current desktop picture: This image from the Doctor Who Christmas station break thingy I linked to in the last post.
Current book: Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. This was written in 1968 and set in 2010, which makes reading it for the first time in almost-2010 a slightly odd experience. As is almost inevitable -- and, in this case, was undoubtedly a deliberate choice -- it's really not about 2010 at all, but about the issues and concerns of 1968, projected and magnified onto the screen of an imagined future. Needless to say, the issues and concerns of 1968 are largely not the issues of today, so that the only way I can properly appreciate this book is to try to rewind my brain back to 1968 and then spin it forward again. Which is something of a challenge, considering that I was born in 1971. But that mental exercise really is necessary, because that projection is mostly all there is; the characters and plot seem to exist mainly as scaffolding for Brunner's social commentary. It's a very carefully constructed and highly provocative projection, mind you, and I imagine it must have made quite an impact on contemporary readers, but at this point it's mainly only of historical interest. It seems to me that that alone ought to be enough to make it worthwhile reading, but I have to confess that I'm kind of struggling with it.
Current song in head: Various bits of music from The Sims 2, notably that salsa tune they seem to really enjoy dancing to.
Current DVD in player: Disc 2 of season 5 of Numb3rs. I really like this show. Objectively, it's not a work of artistic brilliance or anything, being just another crime-of-the-week show, albeit one with an excellent cast. But the fact that a show about solving crime with math not only made it onto the air, but is actually very successful... I swear, it gives me renewed hope for humanity. And it's immense fun to watch. I don't even care how accurate it all is.
Current refreshment: Nothing, but I'm getting very hungry.
Current worry: That if I spend too much more time on the internet right now, I'm not going to have time to cook and eat lunch before I have to leave for work.
Current thought: Where are my mornings going lately? Or even my "mornings," which partially take place in the early afternoon this week. How is it 1:30 already?
Current mood: A little rushed right now, but generally very good. I don't know what it is, but lately even when I'm not really doing much of anything, I feel like I'm having a lot of fun doing it. It's weird, but I'm not going to complain about it.
Current music: Of late I've mostly been trying to catch up on the zillion podcasts I've downloaded, with a rather surprising degree of success. But I was just listening to some random-shuffle stuff while I was hanging up laundry. Most recently played: "Learn to Fly" by Carbon Leaf.
Current annoyance: The discovery that I accidentally left a tampon in the back pocket of a pair of jeans when I put them in the laundry. The results are sort of like when you leave a kleenex in the pocket, only even more annoying.
Current thing: OK, yes, I have been continuing to play The Sims 2 -- see "current song in head" -- but I've been rationing my time on it. Honestly.
Current desktop picture: This image from the Doctor Who Christmas station break thingy I linked to in the last post.
Current book: Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. This was written in 1968 and set in 2010, which makes reading it for the first time in almost-2010 a slightly odd experience. As is almost inevitable -- and, in this case, was undoubtedly a deliberate choice -- it's really not about 2010 at all, but about the issues and concerns of 1968, projected and magnified onto the screen of an imagined future. Needless to say, the issues and concerns of 1968 are largely not the issues of today, so that the only way I can properly appreciate this book is to try to rewind my brain back to 1968 and then spin it forward again. Which is something of a challenge, considering that I was born in 1971. But that mental exercise really is necessary, because that projection is mostly all there is; the characters and plot seem to exist mainly as scaffolding for Brunner's social commentary. It's a very carefully constructed and highly provocative projection, mind you, and I imagine it must have made quite an impact on contemporary readers, but at this point it's mainly only of historical interest. It seems to me that that alone ought to be enough to make it worthwhile reading, but I have to confess that I'm kind of struggling with it.
Current song in head: Various bits of music from The Sims 2, notably that salsa tune they seem to really enjoy dancing to.
Current DVD in player: Disc 2 of season 5 of Numb3rs. I really like this show. Objectively, it's not a work of artistic brilliance or anything, being just another crime-of-the-week show, albeit one with an excellent cast. But the fact that a show about solving crime with math not only made it onto the air, but is actually very successful... I swear, it gives me renewed hope for humanity. And it's immense fun to watch. I don't even care how accurate it all is.
Current refreshment: Nothing, but I'm getting very hungry.
Current worry: That if I spend too much more time on the internet right now, I'm not going to have time to cook and eat lunch before I have to leave for work.
Current thought: Where are my mornings going lately? Or even my "mornings," which partially take place in the early afternoon this week. How is it 1:30 already?
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Random Pop Cultural Links
Summarize your sex life with a Star Wars quote: Way funnier than it probably ought to be. And I say that as someone who's not even that much of a Star Wars fan.
5 Star Wars Status Updates: Star Wars characters' Facebook updates. Y'know, I think that, as with Lovecraft, I may like Star Wars humor more than I actually like Star Wars.
Are You a Lovcraftian Horror?: Speaking of Lovecraft humor...
The 10 Most Clichéd Character Types in Sci-Fi: Despite the fact that I believe I actually quite enjoyed every single example they give here, I have to agree. These are very cliché.
The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody: It makes me happy that I live in a world in which this exists.
BBC one Doctor Who Christmas Ident 1: Adorable little Doctor Who Christmas-themed station identification thingy.
5 Star Wars Status Updates: Star Wars characters' Facebook updates. Y'know, I think that, as with Lovecraft, I may like Star Wars humor more than I actually like Star Wars.
Are You a Lovcraftian Horror?: Speaking of Lovecraft humor...
The 10 Most Clichéd Character Types in Sci-Fi: Despite the fact that I believe I actually quite enjoyed every single example they give here, I have to agree. These are very cliché.
The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody: It makes me happy that I live in a world in which this exists.
BBC one Doctor Who Christmas Ident 1: Adorable little Doctor Who Christmas-themed station identification thingy.
Truly, They Would Rule The World If Only They Had Opposable Thumbs.
The intelligence level of my cats is really starting to worry me. Twice now -- twice -- Vir has expressed with meows and the placement of paws on my legs that he wishes me to pay attention to him instead of to The Sims 2[*], and, when this wish failed to be fulfilled, he's gone over and stepped on the off button on my UPS, thus instantly shutting down the computer[**][***]. And, yes, OK, once could easily be coincidence, and even twice could be attributable to the fact that, well, he's flailing around at my feet and could possibly hit it by accident. But I can't deny a strong suspicion that he actually knows perfectly damned well what he's doing. Gaaah! Cats!
[*] Sadly, I have fallen off the Sims 2 wagon. I was doing so well with going cold turkey for many months, but, well, there was this one week where I really needed to try to keep myself awake late in order to switch onto the night shift, and it's so useful for that...
[**] And, of course, he had to do it when things were going well. No, we can't lose an unsaved game when somebody's just set their kitchen on fire. It has to be right after they've unexpectedly won $7,000 or successfully potty-trained their toddler or something. (For I am a benevolent god this go-round, and am striving for happiness and fulfillment for my simulated playthings. Mostly.)
[***] And my router, which then got confused and started handing out duplicate IP addresses, thus denying my PC access to the internet when I turned it back on. Fortunately, rebooting the TiVo took care of that problem. Go, me, fixing minor computer issues!
[*] Sadly, I have fallen off the Sims 2 wagon. I was doing so well with going cold turkey for many months, but, well, there was this one week where I really needed to try to keep myself awake late in order to switch onto the night shift, and it's so useful for that...
[**] And, of course, he had to do it when things were going well. No, we can't lose an unsaved game when somebody's just set their kitchen on fire. It has to be right after they've unexpectedly won $7,000 or successfully potty-trained their toddler or something. (For I am a benevolent god this go-round, and am striving for happiness and fulfillment for my simulated playthings. Mostly.)
[***] And my router, which then got confused and started handing out duplicate IP addresses, thus denying my PC access to the internet when I turned it back on. Fortunately, rebooting the TiVo took care of that problem. Go, me, fixing minor computer issues!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Hey! You Can Buy Books Offline, Too!
Just got back from running some errands in Albuquerque. And since, this being only the second day of the month, I hadn't quite hit my book-buying quota yet, I stopped at Page One while I was there and did some book shopping. I hardly ever set foot in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore, since I now do most of my book buying, like most of my everything-else-buying, online. I swear, I was sort of walking around in a daze wondering where the search box was. And, oh what a strange thing it seems, now, to pick up a book I've never even heard of, flip through it, and decide to take a chance on it without even looking up reviews or how people rated it on Amazon, or anything. It's fun! I really must do this sort of thing more often. If nothing else, it's good to throw your local independent booksellers some business now and again.
And now my To-Read Pile sits at 426 books. Which is, um, better than it was at the beginning of the year, at least. Go, me?
And now my To-Read Pile sits at 426 books. Which is, um, better than it was at the beginning of the year, at least. Go, me?
Monday, November 30, 2009
It's What Time Of Year, Now?
Given that the stores have had Christmas crap on display since before Halloween, I'd pretty much taken to tuning out anything relating to the holiday as an annoying irrelevance, for the sake of my sanity. So now that Thanksgiving is behind us and it's very nearly December, it's coming as a bit of a shock to suddenly realize that, oh, yeah, I really do need to think about doing my Christmas shopping.
What's really funny is that years ago I used to start buying gifts in October. I think the whole Christmas Creep thing is seriously backfiring.
What's really funny is that years ago I used to start buying gifts in October. I think the whole Christmas Creep thing is seriously backfiring.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Random Link Dump
10 Geeky Laws That Should Exist, But Don’t: Very geeky, very true laws.
Short Film: Built a Time Machine to Kill Hitler: "You know that roommate who gets an iPhone, and brags about this 'great peice of technology' but he only ever uses it for stupid crap like cats playing piano? It’s that with a time machine."
Cell Size and Scale: A nifty interactive look at the scale of very small things.
The Average Color of the Universe : If you've ever wondered what color the universe is, it's, well, this.
Hey There Cthulhu: The Photomontage Video: Because, y'know, I think I actually like Lovecraft parodies better than I like Lovecraft.
15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee: Mmmm, coffee.
The Skeptics Guide to the Universe Special Report: H1N1 Pandemic Update: I know I've had conversations with a couple of people lately about the flu and flu vaccines, so I thought this might be of interest. It's about a 45 minute podcast in which several doctors discuss in some depth this year's flu issues and the scientific facts on the safety and efficacy of vaccines. (Note: mp3 file. Right-click to download.)
Short Film: Built a Time Machine to Kill Hitler: "You know that roommate who gets an iPhone, and brags about this 'great peice of technology' but he only ever uses it for stupid crap like cats playing piano? It’s that with a time machine."
Cell Size and Scale: A nifty interactive look at the scale of very small things.
The Average Color of the Universe : If you've ever wondered what color the universe is, it's, well, this.
Hey There Cthulhu: The Photomontage Video: Because, y'know, I think I actually like Lovecraft parodies better than I like Lovecraft.
15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee: Mmmm, coffee.
The Skeptics Guide to the Universe Special Report: H1N1 Pandemic Update: I know I've had conversations with a couple of people lately about the flu and flu vaccines, so I thought this might be of interest. It's about a 45 minute podcast in which several doctors discuss in some depth this year's flu issues and the scientific facts on the safety and efficacy of vaccines. (Note: mp3 file. Right-click to download.)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Oh, Wait, It's Past Time For This Thing.
Current clothes: A towel. I just got out of the shower. Any minute now, though, I'm going to get dressed and start doing something useful. Aaaaany minute...
Current mood: Still a bit meh and a bit out of it, but better than yesterday, anyway. Last night wasn't exactly a good night, but at least I got more sleep.
Current music: Random shuffle stuff again. I don't even remember what it served me up last, other than some novelty songs and still more Rush.
Current annoyance: Sleeping problems. Allergies. Aches and pains, especially in my feet. Being back up at a weight where I start to feel unhealthy. Yes, I'm still waiting on that robot body...
Current thing: I don't know. Trying to be a bit more social, maybe.
Current desktop picture: Stars over Easter Island. I might have to change it soon, though. That giant face is oddly creepy.
Current book: St Anthony's Fire by Mark Gatiss, another of the no-longer-very-new Doctor Who New Adventures. It's readable, but kind of boring.
Current song in head: Nothing at the moment, but for some obscure reason, I've had "She Moves On" by Paul Simon in my head off and on for over a week.
Current DVD in player: Nothing at the moment. The last DVD I watched was Monsters vs. Aliens. Which was kind of cute, and I heartily approve of the way the romance part of the plot was handled, but mostly it was pretty forgettable.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I'm kind of hungry, though. Possibly I should have had something more than one banana and half a pot of coffee for breakfast.
Current worry: I really need to get the brakes checked on my car. They've been making worrying noises from time to time.
Current thought: If I can't have my robot body, I really, really want that robot servant. It's the 21st century, damn it, and there are far fewer robots than I was promised.
Current mood: Still a bit meh and a bit out of it, but better than yesterday, anyway. Last night wasn't exactly a good night, but at least I got more sleep.
Current music: Random shuffle stuff again. I don't even remember what it served me up last, other than some novelty songs and still more Rush.
Current annoyance: Sleeping problems. Allergies. Aches and pains, especially in my feet. Being back up at a weight where I start to feel unhealthy. Yes, I'm still waiting on that robot body...
Current thing: I don't know. Trying to be a bit more social, maybe.
Current desktop picture: Stars over Easter Island. I might have to change it soon, though. That giant face is oddly creepy.
Current book: St Anthony's Fire by Mark Gatiss, another of the no-longer-very-new Doctor Who New Adventures. It's readable, but kind of boring.
Current song in head: Nothing at the moment, but for some obscure reason, I've had "She Moves On" by Paul Simon in my head off and on for over a week.
Current DVD in player: Nothing at the moment. The last DVD I watched was Monsters vs. Aliens. Which was kind of cute, and I heartily approve of the way the romance part of the plot was handled, but mostly it was pretty forgettable.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I'm kind of hungry, though. Possibly I should have had something more than one banana and half a pot of coffee for breakfast.
Current worry: I really need to get the brakes checked on my car. They've been making worrying noises from time to time.
Current thought: If I can't have my robot body, I really, really want that robot servant. It's the 21st century, damn it, and there are far fewer robots than I was promised.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
It Could Bring Me Some Fries, As Well. And Fluff Up My Pillow.
I ended up not going in to work today. (I suppose I could have forced myself to be semi-functional if I had to, but they didn't really need me for anything, anyway.) I did fall asleep on the couch for a couple of hours this morning -- not very deeply asleep, mind you, and for a while afterward I felt even groggier than I did before, but I think it did me some good in the long term, because now I only feel slightly crappy. I also managed to get caught up on most of the stuff that had accumulated on my TiVo, so, hey, sick day accomplishment!
And now apparently my body has decided that what it really needs is protein, because I have a massive craving for a hamburger. Which, needless to say, I cannot obtain without leaving the house. Damn it, where is my robot servant, and why is it not fetching hamburgers for me?
Sigh. Well, I suppose some fresh air might actually do me good...
And now apparently my body has decided that what it really needs is protein, because I have a massive craving for a hamburger. Which, needless to say, I cannot obtain without leaving the house. Damn it, where is my robot servant, and why is it not fetching hamburgers for me?
Sigh. Well, I suppose some fresh air might actually do me good...
Suck.
Gaah. I am completely unable to decide whether I woke up at 2 AM and couldn't get back to sleep because I feel unwell, or whether I feel unwell because I woke up at 2 AM and couldn't get back to sleep.
Either way, I am not happy, and if large quantities of coffee do not magically make everything better, I am calling today off.
Either way, I am not happy, and if large quantities of coffee do not magically make everything better, I am calling today off.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Musical Interludes
Thoughts I had while listening to randomly shuffled songs on my iPod this morning:
- I have more songs about Elvis than I have songs by Elvis. I am not entirely sure what this means.
- There are apparently a lot of songs on my iPod that I have absolutely no recollection of putting on there, and more than a few I would have been prepared to swear I'd never even heard of. This is one of the many things that makes random shuffle an entertaining experience.
- My personal religious/philosophical viewpoint can be expressed with considerable precison via the medium of Rush lyrics. I feel as if I should embarrassed about this, but I'm not.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
It's Random Linky Time!
The World of Tomorrow (If The Internet Disappeared Today): Amusing Photoshopped pictures of "what life would be like in an Internet-addicted society learning to cope without it." What a terrifying thought.
Comic Strip Mashups: Cartoon comic strips mashed up with movies or comic books. I didn't get all the references, but the ones I did know are very funny.
I Want to Have Twins Just to Get Them These Awesome T-Shirts: Speaking of funny...
My Life Is Average: Average people with short comments about quirky little things that have happened during their day. Many or most of the "average people" seem to be teenage Harry Potter fans, and for all I know half of them are making stuff up, but it's entertaining.
A 'Lost' Q&A: Damon Lindelof answers (most of) your questions!: OK, he doesn't actually answer that many questions. But it's an interesting interview for Lost fans, anyway. Even if I must strongly disagree with Lindelof on one point: it's totally fair to bag on that awful "how Jack got his tattoo" episode, man.
The Adventures of Lil Cthulhu: Pure evil has never been so cute.
The Sims Horror Movie: This made me laugh out loud. It'll probably only be funny, though, if you've actually played The Sims.
Space Cadets: An SF-themed British comedy quiz show from the 1990s, featuring Greg Proops hosting from a giant Davros chair. Why did I never know this existed before now?!?! If you're familiar with Never Mind the Buzzcocks, it's basically the same thing, only with science fiction TV and movies, rather than music. It's not, I admit, as hilarious as Buzzcocks, but I know a lot more of the answers. Or such is my impression so far, anyway. I've only watched two episodes. Not that it ran a whole lot longer than that...
Comic Strip Mashups: Cartoon comic strips mashed up with movies or comic books. I didn't get all the references, but the ones I did know are very funny.
I Want to Have Twins Just to Get Them These Awesome T-Shirts: Speaking of funny...
My Life Is Average: Average people with short comments about quirky little things that have happened during their day. Many or most of the "average people" seem to be teenage Harry Potter fans, and for all I know half of them are making stuff up, but it's entertaining.
A 'Lost' Q&A: Damon Lindelof answers (most of) your questions!: OK, he doesn't actually answer that many questions. But it's an interesting interview for Lost fans, anyway. Even if I must strongly disagree with Lindelof on one point: it's totally fair to bag on that awful "how Jack got his tattoo" episode, man.
The Adventures of Lil Cthulhu: Pure evil has never been so cute.
The Sims Horror Movie: This made me laugh out loud. It'll probably only be funny, though, if you've actually played The Sims.
Space Cadets: An SF-themed British comedy quiz show from the 1990s, featuring Greg Proops hosting from a giant Davros chair. Why did I never know this existed before now?!?! If you're familiar with Never Mind the Buzzcocks, it's basically the same thing, only with science fiction TV and movies, rather than music. It's not, I admit, as hilarious as Buzzcocks, but I know a lot more of the answers. Or such is my impression so far, anyway. I've only watched two episodes. Not that it ran a whole lot longer than that...
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Post Of Sleep-Deprived Bitching #443
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat = good.
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours = less good.
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours and that those loud power-tool noises coming from next door are not going to stop any time soon = really not good.
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours and that those loud power-tool noises coming from next door are not going to stop any time soon, and that it is thus going to be a long, long night shift tonight = Aaaaargh!
Where's the coffee? Where the hell is the coffee?!
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours = less good.
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours and that those loud power-tool noises coming from next door are not going to stop any time soon = really not good.
Waking up with sunshine in your face, cuddled up comfortably to a purring cat and realizing that you've only been asleep for a little over four hours and that those loud power-tool noises coming from next door are not going to stop any time soon, and that it is thus going to be a long, long night shift tonight = Aaaaargh!
Where's the coffee? Where the hell is the coffee?!
Friday, October 30, 2009
It's Not Me, It's You.
Dear Dollhouse,
I'm afraid the time has come. To be honest, I knew it was coming for quite a while. The fact that your last episode sat on my TiVo for a week, unwatched and barely remembered, was a pretty clear sign. But I figured I'd give you one last chance. Alas, fifteen minutes in, and I find myself having to face the truth: you are boring and unpleasant, and your very rare moments of coolness simply aren't enough to satisfy me. And the fact that the only thing that seems to please me about you any more is the occasional opportunity to watch the main characters suffer, not because their sufferings are interesting, but because I hate them and wish them ill... Well, it's just not healthy for either of us, really.
So, goodbye, Dollhouse. I wish you the best of luck, I really do. Who knows, maybe you'll change, and one day we can get together again and make it work. But I'm not holding my breath.
Don't try to come around any more. I've told the TiVo to stop letting you in. Trust me. It's better this way. If only because it improves the quality of my Friday nights.
Sincerely,
Me
I'm afraid the time has come. To be honest, I knew it was coming for quite a while. The fact that your last episode sat on my TiVo for a week, unwatched and barely remembered, was a pretty clear sign. But I figured I'd give you one last chance. Alas, fifteen minutes in, and I find myself having to face the truth: you are boring and unpleasant, and your very rare moments of coolness simply aren't enough to satisfy me. And the fact that the only thing that seems to please me about you any more is the occasional opportunity to watch the main characters suffer, not because their sufferings are interesting, but because I hate them and wish them ill... Well, it's just not healthy for either of us, really.
So, goodbye, Dollhouse. I wish you the best of luck, I really do. Who knows, maybe you'll change, and one day we can get together again and make it work. But I'm not holding my breath.
Don't try to come around any more. I've told the TiVo to stop letting you in. Trust me. It's better this way. If only because it improves the quality of my Friday nights.
Sincerely,
Me
Time Files When You're... Doing Whatever The Heck I've Been Doing.
I have no idea how it got to be Friday already. Not that I'm complaining. Especially since this week Friday actually is my Friday.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
My Geeky Life
Since my sister's poking me to see if I'm alive again, I suppose it's time for an update. Although I think she's getting more and more impatient these days. Sheesh. ;)
Anyway, so what have I been doing lately? Not a whole heck of a lot, but let's see...
1. Saturday I went to a Halloween party. The costume theme was superheroes. The party's host, a major costuming geek, is a big fan of Captain America and was doubtless going to have a Captain America costume, so some friends of mine cooked up a secret plan: get a big group of people together and all go dressed as Captain America. Or different versions thereof, anyway, both original designs and ones from the comics. Me, I just got a costume t-shirt and went as "Slacker America" (which may or may not have been amusing to anybody but me), since a) I came into this plan kind of late, and b) I have absolutely no skills or ambition when it comes to costuming. Some of the other folks did an amazing job, though. I was particularly impressed with Revolutionary War Captain America, even if everybody did seem to think he was a pirate version. (Probably because of the hat.) Anyway, it got the expected giant laugh, and we won the "best group" prize. And now I have a Captain America t-shirt that I will never, ever wear again, mostly because I know pretty much diddly-squat about Captain America.
2. I hardly ever go out to the movies anymore, preferring to stay in and Netflix instead. It's cheaper, easier, and you don't have to deal with obnoxious jerks who won't turn off their cell phones. But I did get out to see District 9 when it was here in town. It's not very subtle, and it's full of story implausibilities, but despite that -- or maybe because of it, I don't even know -- it's a decidedly good movie.
3. I've finally had to turn on my heater and get out my warm comforter, because it's suddenly gotten really cold here. Well, cold for here, anyway. It's not like I live in Minnesota, but New Mexcio can get a lot chiller than most people who've never lived here assume. I may actually have to wear my coat to work today. Which is OK. I like my coat. It's an army surplus coat, so I can pretend I'm Captain Jack. Who is better than Captain America.
4. Speaking of Captain Jack, I now have reservations for the Gallifrey One Doctor Who convention in February, which I'm going to be attending with aforementioned sister and one of her friends. I'm a little bummed that Peter Davison ended up canceling, after they moved the date for him and everything, but I'm looking forward to it, anyway.
5. What else? Well, as I think I mentioned before, I've started playing in a Star Wars RPG. I'm playing Jedi Daniel Jackson. Pretty much literally. Hey, Star Wars, Stargate... Same thing, right? Actually, it's pretty funny that I'm playing someone who's supposed to have a good knowledge of history, because my own familiarity with the SW universe is almost nil. Sure, I watched the movies. They were fun. I even read Timothy Zahn's trilogy, which I think were the first Star Wars books published. I remember nothing about them, though, except that they were better than I expected. I certainly can't tell you the name of the third alien from the left in the Cantina scene, or whatever, which a surprisingly large number of the people I know can do with ease. Hey, what can I say? I was always a Star Trek gal. Oh, well. Some day, somebody's going to want to game in a universe I actually know well. *eyes copy of Farscape RPG book thoughtfully*
And, yeah, that's about it. Unless you really want to hear all about how I sit around watching DVDs and reading and stuff. My life, it is so thrilling!
Anyway, so what have I been doing lately? Not a whole heck of a lot, but let's see...
1. Saturday I went to a Halloween party. The costume theme was superheroes. The party's host, a major costuming geek, is a big fan of Captain America and was doubtless going to have a Captain America costume, so some friends of mine cooked up a secret plan: get a big group of people together and all go dressed as Captain America. Or different versions thereof, anyway, both original designs and ones from the comics. Me, I just got a costume t-shirt and went as "Slacker America" (which may or may not have been amusing to anybody but me), since a) I came into this plan kind of late, and b) I have absolutely no skills or ambition when it comes to costuming. Some of the other folks did an amazing job, though. I was particularly impressed with Revolutionary War Captain America, even if everybody did seem to think he was a pirate version. (Probably because of the hat.) Anyway, it got the expected giant laugh, and we won the "best group" prize. And now I have a Captain America t-shirt that I will never, ever wear again, mostly because I know pretty much diddly-squat about Captain America.
2. I hardly ever go out to the movies anymore, preferring to stay in and Netflix instead. It's cheaper, easier, and you don't have to deal with obnoxious jerks who won't turn off their cell phones. But I did get out to see District 9 when it was here in town. It's not very subtle, and it's full of story implausibilities, but despite that -- or maybe because of it, I don't even know -- it's a decidedly good movie.
3. I've finally had to turn on my heater and get out my warm comforter, because it's suddenly gotten really cold here. Well, cold for here, anyway. It's not like I live in Minnesota, but New Mexcio can get a lot chiller than most people who've never lived here assume. I may actually have to wear my coat to work today. Which is OK. I like my coat. It's an army surplus coat, so I can pretend I'm Captain Jack. Who is better than Captain America.
4. Speaking of Captain Jack, I now have reservations for the Gallifrey One Doctor Who convention in February, which I'm going to be attending with aforementioned sister and one of her friends. I'm a little bummed that Peter Davison ended up canceling, after they moved the date for him and everything, but I'm looking forward to it, anyway.
5. What else? Well, as I think I mentioned before, I've started playing in a Star Wars RPG. I'm playing Jedi Daniel Jackson. Pretty much literally. Hey, Star Wars, Stargate... Same thing, right? Actually, it's pretty funny that I'm playing someone who's supposed to have a good knowledge of history, because my own familiarity with the SW universe is almost nil. Sure, I watched the movies. They were fun. I even read Timothy Zahn's trilogy, which I think were the first Star Wars books published. I remember nothing about them, though, except that they were better than I expected. I certainly can't tell you the name of the third alien from the left in the Cantina scene, or whatever, which a surprisingly large number of the people I know can do with ease. Hey, what can I say? I was always a Star Trek gal. Oh, well. Some day, somebody's going to want to game in a universe I actually know well. *eyes copy of Farscape RPG book thoughtfully*
And, yeah, that's about it. Unless you really want to hear all about how I sit around watching DVDs and reading and stuff. My life, it is so thrilling!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Things That Make Me Go "Huh?"
I just got season 2 of Burn Notice from Netfix. At the beginning of the first disk, there's an advertisement informing me that season 2 of Burn Notice is coming on DVD. Uh... thanks?
And I just noticed that one of the warnings printed on my new coffee maker's carafe is "Do not hold over people." I don't even want to know what prompted that warning, but I now have this bizarre, hard-to-control desire to wave it around over the top of my head.
And I just noticed that one of the warnings printed on my new coffee maker's carafe is "Do not hold over people." I don't even want to know what prompted that warning, but I now have this bizarre, hard-to-control desire to wave it around over the top of my head.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Linkages
30 Dumb Inventions: Some of these are very dumb.
5 Websites During The Zombie Apocalypse: Amusing glimpse at what the web will look like once the brain-eating starts.
5 Myths That People Don't Realize Are Admitted Hoaxes: Hey, just because the person pulling the hoax actually, you know, admits it, is that any reason to stop believing?
Deleted Flashback Scene House ep 6x06: Scene from the end of this week's episode of House with a few seconds of deleted footage. It kind of made me go "aww."
And by the way, apropos of my last post -- and not entirely off-topic, since, look, I'm including a link! -- Cartoon Network has made good on the west coast feed screwup with the Venture Bros. season premiere. They're re-airing it Mon-Fri nights this week at 12:30 Pacific, and they made the episode available online almost immediately. So, while it may be true that nobody retires from Phantom Limb's shit list, Cartoon Network has successfully retired from mine.
5 Websites During The Zombie Apocalypse: Amusing glimpse at what the web will look like once the brain-eating starts.
5 Myths That People Don't Realize Are Admitted Hoaxes: Hey, just because the person pulling the hoax actually, you know, admits it, is that any reason to stop believing?
Deleted Flashback Scene House ep 6x06: Scene from the end of this week's episode of House with a few seconds of deleted footage. It kind of made me go "aww."
And by the way, apropos of my last post -- and not entirely off-topic, since, look, I'm including a link! -- Cartoon Network has made good on the west coast feed screwup with the Venture Bros. season premiere. They're re-airing it Mon-Fri nights this week at 12:30 Pacific, and they made the episode available online almost immediately. So, while it may be true that nobody retires from Phantom Limb's shit list, Cartoon Network has successfully retired from mine.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Nothing Ventured
You know what's really fun? When you wait more than a year for the season premiere of a show you're really into, and then when it finally airs, the network screws up the fucking broadcast. Thank the gods of technology for YouTube, that's all I have to say.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
*happy sigh*
I got sleep last night! Hours and hours and hours of glorious sleep! Ah, life is beautiful!
It's lovely today, with a nice, cool breeze ruffling my curtains. I don't have to go to work. Indeed, I have nothing pressing to do at all. I thus feel very relaxed, and am fully intending to keep right on being relaxed. Thus, today will be for reading, watching DVDs and/or whatever's still pending on the TiVo, and doing a bit of light housework of the kind with a high satisfaction-at-getting-it-done/annoyance-at-doing-it ratio.
Now that I'm back on a normal-person sleep schedule, I've been vaguely thinking about going up to Albuquerque tomorrow to run some errands, but I'm almost certain I'll end up procrastinating on that. Man, this book-buying quota thing is impacting all areas of my life... A couple of years ago, I would have motivated myself to go by promising myself a trip to Barnes & Noble or Page One while I was up there, but, nope. There was a Friends of the Library sale this weekend, and of course I hit my book-acquisition limit hard. So, yeah, maybe I will just stay home and read, and tell myself that I'm accomplishing something important by chipping away at the To-Read Pile so I can buy more books later.
It's lovely today, with a nice, cool breeze ruffling my curtains. I don't have to go to work. Indeed, I have nothing pressing to do at all. I thus feel very relaxed, and am fully intending to keep right on being relaxed. Thus, today will be for reading, watching DVDs and/or whatever's still pending on the TiVo, and doing a bit of light housework of the kind with a high satisfaction-at-getting-it-done/annoyance-at-doing-it ratio.
Now that I'm back on a normal-person sleep schedule, I've been vaguely thinking about going up to Albuquerque tomorrow to run some errands, but I'm almost certain I'll end up procrastinating on that. Man, this book-buying quota thing is impacting all areas of my life... A couple of years ago, I would have motivated myself to go by promising myself a trip to Barnes & Noble or Page One while I was up there, but, nope. There was a Friends of the Library sale this weekend, and of course I hit my book-acquisition limit hard. So, yeah, maybe I will just stay home and read, and tell myself that I'm accomplishing something important by chipping away at the To-Read Pile so I can buy more books later.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Please Send Caffeine
Was awake for 23 hours yesterday. Slept for 4 1/2. Will not be able to sleep again for another 20.
Days like this, I'm glad my job doesn't involve performing surgery.
Days like this, I'm glad my job doesn't involve performing surgery.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
And Some More Random Links
Yay for lazy blogging!
Top 10 Funniest Google Suggest Results: Fun with google's autocomplete function. People certainly search for some odd things.
10 Science Fiction Concepts Ruined by Human Nature: This is from some kind of testosterone-soaked "stuff for guys" site, and it's frankly kind of vulgar. And some of it's a bit WTF-y. But they're absolutely right about the flying cars.
New Doctor Who Logo: The BBC has just announced a new logo for Doctor Who, and here it is! I'm a bit "meh" about it, myself, but maybe it'll grow on me. They've also provided a look back at past logos here. Ah, nostalgia!
Regretsy: A collection of appalling, and I do mean appalling, handicrafts offered for sale on the web. Seriously, some of this stuff will scar you for life. I'm only linking to it because I want companionship in my trauma. Warning: NSFW. May cause brain leakage, eyeball bleeding, and loss of faith in humanity.
Top 10 Funniest Google Suggest Results: Fun with google's autocomplete function. People certainly search for some odd things.
10 Science Fiction Concepts Ruined by Human Nature: This is from some kind of testosterone-soaked "stuff for guys" site, and it's frankly kind of vulgar. And some of it's a bit WTF-y. But they're absolutely right about the flying cars.
New Doctor Who Logo: The BBC has just announced a new logo for Doctor Who, and here it is! I'm a bit "meh" about it, myself, but maybe it'll grow on me. They've also provided a look back at past logos here. Ah, nostalgia!
Regretsy: A collection of appalling, and I do mean appalling, handicrafts offered for sale on the web. Seriously, some of this stuff will scar you for life. I'm only linking to it because I want companionship in my trauma. Warning: NSFW. May cause brain leakage, eyeball bleeding, and loss of faith in humanity.
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