Paul Haines needs a bit of help
Jul. 24th, 2008 | 01:18 am
posted by: ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
ellen_datlow
Back in September, Paul Haines, an Australian sf/f/h writer was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He had surgery and then chemo for six months and it was gone...or seemed to be. He recently was told that there are spots on his liver. The thing is, although most of his care is covered, he's written this--
He [his oncologist] still wants to wait a couple of months (ideally he wants even more than that) to see how the cancer in my liver is behaving. He also understands our fear, our need, to not be sitting around waiting to do nothing. So in those couple of months we will try the other two forms of chemotherapy for cancers like I have and to combine that with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Chemo fights the tumour, the antibody fights the blood vessels feeding the tumour. Unfortunately, Avastin is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage, so we're having to come up with $20,000 to do it. Our parents have said they will help us here, which is a great relief.
You can read his blog here:
Paul Haines lj
And if you have a few extra bucks to throw in, you can donate here:
He [his oncologist] still wants to wait a couple of months (ideally he wants even more than that) to see how the cancer in my liver is behaving. He also understands our fear, our need, to not be sitting around waiting to do nothing. So in those couple of months we will try the other two forms of chemotherapy for cancers like I have and to combine that with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Chemo fights the tumour, the antibody fights the blood vessels feeding the tumour. Unfortunately, Avastin is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage, so we're having to come up with $20,000 to do it. Our parents have said they will help us here, which is a great relief.
You can read his blog here:
Paul Haines lj
And if you have a few extra bucks to throw in, you can donate here:
Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Jay Lake Colon Build: Day 1
Jul. 24th, 2008 | 01:27 am
posted by: maryrobinette
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] foam'>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<table>
<tr>
<td>
<p><a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_002.jpg' title='Foam'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_002.jpg' alt='Foam' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a>I started working on the colon for Jay today by cutting out a simple rectangle of 1/4″ foam. Ironically, we call this type of foam “crap” foam which I was not thinking about until I started writing the blog post. It simply had the right pore density for what I wanted.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_003.jpg' title='Barging foam'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_003.jpg' alt='Barging foam' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a>I headed for the ventilation hood to Barge the edges of the foam. Barge is fantastic glue, designed for shoe makers, and has the winning combination of being incredibly strong and toxic. Mm-mm, good. It takes a minimum of five minutes to set, but is workable for up to four hours. Gotta love it.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_004.jpg' title='Sticking barge together'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_004.jpg' alt='Sticking barge together' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a> Once it’s dry, I just had to pinch the edges together.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_007.jpg' title='Tube o' foam'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_007.jpg' alt='Tube o' foam' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a> Ta-da! A tube o’ foam.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_005.jpg' title='Cutting tea-strainer'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_005.jpg' alt='Cutting tea-strainer' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a> On to the “mouth” mech. Normally, I mill my own mechanisms, but in this case, I was looking at my tea-strainer and darn if the thing wasn’t the right size. So, I took the rivets out and popped it on the bandsaw to trim the front of it off.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_006.jpg' title='Cutting tea-strainer more intelligently'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_006.jpg' alt='Cutting tea-strainer more intelligently' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a>Before turning the saw on, I played the game, “Know where your fingers are,” and decided to get a pusher so that I was not in such direct proximity to the blade in case things decided to shift.</p>
<p>Which they did. The first cut was a piece of cake. When I got to the second one, the blade caught it and tossed it across the room. I’ve still got no idea where the thing is. I’ll have to pick up a new one tomorrow and try again. With pliers this time, so I have a firm grip.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>
<a href='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=Photo_072308_008.jpg' title='Beginning to "skin" the colon'><img src='http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/wp-content/photos/thumb_Photo_072308_008.jpg' alt='Begining to "skin" the colon' width='120' height='90' class='alignright' /></a> Though I wouldn’t normally start skinning a puppet until the mech is in place, because of how I’m doing this one, I can put the skin on and leave it loose at the end where the “mouth” will go. The biggest challenge here is that the seam is just going to show. I’m making it fairly organic, instead of a straight line. When the rest of the treatment is in place it will, hopefully, be fairly discreet.
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>I knocked off work around 9:00 so I could catch up with the folks who’d gone to the Shirley Jackson reading tonight. The Puppet Kitchen is on the same street so I’d actually gone over at 7:00 to hear the reading, but it was too crowded to get in. Later I heard that there were seats up front. It’s just as well, I suppose, since I was able to get some work done.</p>
<p>Plus, it meant I could join the gang for Chinese food afterwards. I had the colon in my bag. Nick Kaufman asked to see it (blame him) so I hauled it out and made it say hello. Strangely, people found this disturbing. I can’t imagine why.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/jay-lake-colon-build-day-1/#comments">Comments?</a> -- <a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/jay-lake-colon-build-day-1/">Link</a>
Link | | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
A Light in the Darkness
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 10:00 pm
location: Out of nowhere
music: "Siberian Khatru"--Yes
posted by: matthewsrotundo
Warning: Unabashed praise (and spoilers) follow.
It's been three days since I've seen it, and I realize I don't have enough superlatives for The Dark Knight. There was concern that the movie couldn't possibly live up to its hype, but turns out it was the other way around. Those who were calling it one of the best films of the year were hedging their bets. It's actually one of best movies of the last ten years, at least.
Yes, Heath Ledger gave us a brilliant, unforgettable performance. But let's not lose sight of the fantastic script that spawned this Joker. I'm a writer, folks, so you know I believe that if ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. And the rest of the cast is impressive, too, each in their own way. The cinematography, production design, effects, and even the music are all top notch. Be sure to catch this one in an IMAX theater, one with a state-of-the-art, blow-you-out-of-the-back-of-the-theater sound system.
I was stunned at how good this movie was. It was literally breathtaking. By the time the credits rolled, I was panting for breath, completely bowled over by what I'd just experienced. I felt like jumping up and screaming, "That was incredible!" Films like The Dark Knight are why I go to movies: every once in a while, something comes along that shows you just what can be done with the medium, something that vindicates your faith and rekindles the magic you first felt as a child.
Which is not to say, of course, that The Dark Knight is appropriate for children. It most certainly is not. It deals with adult themes. It's complex, violent, and very dark. And it's about that darkness that I'd like to say a little bit more.
An amazing film. Simply amazing.
The only real problem, of course, is that the Nolans will never be able to top this achievement--not with the Batman series, anyway. This is as good as it gets. And Heath Ledger's untimely death has effectively retired The Joker as a villain. I mean, really--who will dare to don that makeup again? No one.
So enjoy this film, folks. We won't see its equal again for a long, long time.
It's been three days since I've seen it, and I realize I don't have enough superlatives for The Dark Knight. There was concern that the movie couldn't possibly live up to its hype, but turns out it was the other way around. Those who were calling it one of the best films of the year were hedging their bets. It's actually one of best movies of the last ten years, at least.
Yes, Heath Ledger gave us a brilliant, unforgettable performance. But let's not lose sight of the fantastic script that spawned this Joker. I'm a writer, folks, so you know I believe that if ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. And the rest of the cast is impressive, too, each in their own way. The cinematography, production design, effects, and even the music are all top notch. Be sure to catch this one in an IMAX theater, one with a state-of-the-art, blow-you-out-of-the-back-of-the-theater sound system.
I was stunned at how good this movie was. It was literally breathtaking. By the time the credits rolled, I was panting for breath, completely bowled over by what I'd just experienced. I felt like jumping up and screaming, "That was incredible!" Films like The Dark Knight are why I go to movies: every once in a while, something comes along that shows you just what can be done with the medium, something that vindicates your faith and rekindles the magic you first felt as a child.
Which is not to say, of course, that The Dark Knight is appropriate for children. It most certainly is not. It deals with adult themes. It's complex, violent, and very dark. And it's about that darkness that I'd like to say a little bit more.
An amazing film. Simply amazing.
The only real problem, of course, is that the Nolans will never be able to top this achievement--not with the Batman series, anyway. This is as good as it gets. And Heath Ledger's untimely death has effectively retired The Joker as a villain. I mean, really--who will dare to don that makeup again? No one.
So enjoy this film, folks. We won't see its equal again for a long, long time.
Link | Leave a comment {1} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Shirley Jackson Awards Benefit reading tonight in NYC
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 01:06 pm
posted by: ellen_datlow
Nick Kaufmann sums it up better than I ever could:
"Tonight is the Shirley Jackson Awards benefit reading at the KGB Bar! Starts at 7 PM, $5 door charge (that's the benefit part) and probably a delicious Chinese dinner afterward for those who can stick around. There is also the rumor of homemade cookies, but if they're baked by Merricat Blackwood, you may want to avoid them.
The KGB Bar, not sane, stands by itself above the Crane Theater, holding the smell of spilled beer in; it has stood so for fifteen years and might stand for fifteen more. I will be there tonight, so that whatever walks there won't have to walk alone."
I'll be hosting our 9 readers, all of whom will be reading from the Jackson oeuvre. It's possible that members of her family will be attending so please behave ;-)
"Tonight is the Shirley Jackson Awards benefit reading at the KGB Bar! Starts at 7 PM, $5 door charge (that's the benefit part) and probably a delicious Chinese dinner afterward for those who can stick around. There is also the rumor of homemade cookies, but if they're baked by Merricat Blackwood, you may want to avoid them.
The KGB Bar, not sane, stands by itself above the Crane Theater, holding the smell of spilled beer in; it has stood so for fifteen years and might stand for fifteen more. I will be there tonight, so that whatever walks there won't have to walk alone."
I'll be hosting our 9 readers, all of whom will be reading from the Jackson oeuvre. It's possible that members of her family will be attending so please behave ;-)
Link | Leave a comment {5} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Adapting my fiction for puppetry
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 11:12 am
posted by: maryrobinette
At Readercon, someone asked me if I had ever made a puppet show from one of my stories. Two. Sort of. Beauty Will Come is something I did for Pixel-Stained Technopeasant day last year and is not really a puppet show, though it might look like one for a moment.
I used toy theater technique to create moving illustrations for an audio story. If it were a true puppet show, I’d have cut the narration and shown with action rather than words. Still, it’s the closest thing I’ve got recorded.
I’ve written for stage, but always adapting someone else’s work. My only original script was for Willamette Radio Workshop’s Murder of Crows. Huh. I just remembered that Shades of Milk and Honey started as a radio script for a serial.
The other puppet show from my fiction is a monologue by a talking dinosaur, which was a short I wrote in first person, so it was kind of a no brainer about adapting it for stage. Most of my short fiction is ill-suited to puppetry either because it’s an all human cast or because there are too many scenic locations to work for stage. Hm… Evil Robot Monkey and Clockwork Chickadee are the only ones that I can think of that might make the transition. Everything else? Too many people and very little reason to need puppets.
Link | | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
more prizes added to the Fantastic Fiction raffle
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 10:22 am
posted by: ellen_datlow
Kathryn Ptacek is donating two subscriptions to The Gila Queen (this item will be raffled off twice). The Gila Queen is a market newsletter for writers and artists, and each issue contains publishing news, anthologies, regular markets, a theme market section, sf/f/h, contests, articles, and a whole lot more.
The Gila Queen, edited by writer/editor Kathryn Ptacek, just celebrated its 150th issue and has been published–first in print and now as an E-mail newsletter–for twenty years.
Normally, subscriptions are 20 issues and cost $20
and Diana Gill of HarperCollins is donating a signed, limited edition galley of Kim Harrison’s THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS (#99 of 400).
One very last item added:
Stephen Segal of WEIRD TALES is donating a Lovecraft Memory Box:
You’ve heard of a memory box. WEIRD TALES now gives you: the “Memory Box.” H.P. Lovecraft’s 1919 flash-fiction “Memory,” specially typeset on 13 miniature pages and placed within a hand-carved Polish art box beneath a matching black-and-orange South African tiger iron sphere. A unique edition of 1.
The Gila Queen, edited by writer/editor Kathryn Ptacek, just celebrated its 150th issue and has been published–first in print and now as an E-mail newsletter–for twenty years.
Normally, subscriptions are 20 issues and cost $20
and Diana Gill of HarperCollins is donating a signed, limited edition galley of Kim Harrison’s THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS (#99 of 400).
One very last item added:
Stephen Segal of WEIRD TALES is donating a Lovecraft Memory Box:
You’ve heard of a memory box. WEIRD TALES now gives you: the “Memory Box.” H.P. Lovecraft’s 1919 flash-fiction “Memory,” specially typeset on 13 miniature pages and placed within a hand-carved Polish art box beneath a matching black-and-orange South African tiger iron sphere. A unique edition of 1.
Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Yay! Sale! & Not-Sale/Not-Rejection
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 08:05 am
posted by: fairmer
I was trying to be professional and not post anything until I had a signed contract in hand, because that seems to be the way it's supposed to be done, or at least I've recently made that up so that I could have something else to worry about, but on the other hand, I realized that there are modifiers in the English language one could use to delineate such a situation.
In other words,sartorias, aka Sherwood Smith, informed me that she and her teen reader panel loved "The Girl-Prince" and wanted to buy it for the Coyote Wild YA issue and that contracts and suchlike things would be forthcoming.
*flails*
I don't honestly know what's cooler:
1) I started writing a new story for said issue, and totally failed, and sent them "GP" at the last minute, not entirely sure it was YA enough.
2)sartorias loving the story.
3) teen reading panel of actual teens loving the story.
Also there's this old writing entry, reposted here from June 2007, which is when I was struggling with the rewrite of "The Girl-Prince":
In completely other news, I got a not-rejection from Quantum Kiss that made me laugh, which was basically, "We are not rejecting you, we just don't know what to do with what you sent us." So, they may yet reject me, but in the meantime, they're going to think about it some more. I had to laugh: I feel exactly the same way about that story, from a selling-it standpoint. The only part about that story that was easy was the writing of it.
In other words,
sartorias, aka Sherwood Smith, informed me that she and her teen reader panel loved "The Girl-Prince" and wanted to buy it for the Coyote Wild YA issue and that contracts and suchlike things would be forthcoming.*flails*
I don't honestly know what's cooler:
1) I started writing a new story for said issue, and totally failed, and sent them "GP" at the last minute, not entirely sure it was YA enough.
2)
sartorias loving the story.3) teen reading panel of actual teens loving the story.
Also there's this old writing entry, reposted here from June 2007, which is when I was struggling with the rewrite of "The Girl-Prince":
Maureen at work (harpist, possessor of long red-blonde hair that belongs in a Celtic tale, and otherwise cool chick) pointed out a site that lets you play with images from the Bayeux tapestry and make a story.
Since I'd been rewriting "The Girl-Prince" and sort of failing at the beginning, I thought, "Hey, let's see what happens in Picture Book Mode." Beginnings are my particular demon. They get considerably less demonic in Picture Book Mode, I am happy to report.
Now, I share with you. It's not precisely the wording I'll use, but it's close.
Beyond helping me turn a page-long beginning into a paragraph, I now have a lovely teaser for "The Girl-Prince." Not that one needs teasers for short stories, but I have one, and it's cool.
I hope it's clear in the last picture that the thing that's not a woman is a rocket. I used the image of a cooker and a castle and stacked them. I was sufficiently convinced that it could stand in for a spaceship. I hope you are, too.
In completely other news, I got a not-rejection from Quantum Kiss that made me laugh, which was basically, "We are not rejecting you, we just don't know what to do with what you sent us." So, they may yet reject me, but in the meantime, they're going to think about it some more. I had to laugh: I feel exactly the same way about that story, from a selling-it standpoint. The only part about that story that was easy was the writing of it.
Link | Leave a comment {30} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Nice Picture!
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 09:08 pm
mood: 
pleased
posted by: catrambo
One last thing for today -- after listening to Kallakak's Cousins on Escape Pod, Stephen G. Boehme was inspired to try his hand at an illustration for the story. Check it out!
Link | Leave a comment {1} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Notes From Podcasting Panel
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 08:13 pm
posted by: catrambo
Here's my notes from the ReaderCon podcasting panel. Please drop me a comment if there's anything you'd add!
Participants:
Jim Freund (moderator) - Hour of the Wolf radio show
Liz Gorinsky - Tor.com and podcast listener
James Patrick Kelly - does several podcasts
Mary Robinette Kowal - voice actors and records podcasts
Cat Rambo - does podcasts of own work as well as others, Fantasy Magazine editor
Balticon was mentioned as a con with a thriving podcasting community.
F&SF Podcasts to look for:
Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing
EscapePod.org
PodCastle.org
PseudoPod.org
Far Point Productions
Dragon Page
The Secrets - Stackpole
I Should Be Writing - Mur Lafferty
Non F&SF Podcasts:
In Our Time - BBS podcast
Digital Planet - BBS podcast
Material World - BBS podcast
If You're Just Joining Us
ZBS
Libravox.org
Cory Doctorow's
New Yorker
CBC tech show called Search Engine
Writing Excuses
On the Media
One place to get public domain music for podcasting: podsafeaudio.com
Podcast Portals - there are some, but nothing that really collects and rates/reviews podcasts and acts as a podcast search engine.
Things that non F&SF podcasts are doing that we should be:
multi-actor dramatic readings
listener call-in
getting audience more involved
professionals talking about what they do
Podcasts are popular because they're relatively easy to do - just need mike and software for editing. (Audacity is one recommended editing tool.) Jim recommends the Zoom H4 for recording.
If you're going to record one -- make it good! Listening to bad recordings is painful!
Jim Kelly records his podcasts in his walk-in closet b/c the best acoustics are in there. He reads to his sweaters.
Participants:
Jim Freund (moderator) - Hour of the Wolf radio show
Liz Gorinsky - Tor.com and podcast listener
James Patrick Kelly - does several podcasts
Mary Robinette Kowal - voice actors and records podcasts
Cat Rambo - does podcasts of own work as well as others, Fantasy Magazine editor
Balticon was mentioned as a con with a thriving podcasting community.
F&SF Podcasts to look for:
Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing
EscapePod.org
PodCastle.org
PseudoPod.org
Far Point Productions
Dragon Page
The Secrets - Stackpole
I Should Be Writing - Mur Lafferty
Non F&SF Podcasts:
In Our Time - BBS podcast
Digital Planet - BBS podcast
Material World - BBS podcast
If You're Just Joining Us
ZBS
Libravox.org
Cory Doctorow's
New Yorker
CBC tech show called Search Engine
Writing Excuses
On the Media
One place to get public domain music for podcasting: podsafeaudio.com
Podcast Portals - there are some, but nothing that really collects and rates/reviews podcasts and acts as a podcast search engine.
Things that non F&SF podcasts are doing that we should be:
multi-actor dramatic readings
listener call-in
getting audience more involved
professionals talking about what they do
Podcasts are popular because they're relatively easy to do - just need mike and software for editing. (Audacity is one recommended editing tool.) Jim recommends the Zoom H4 for recording.
If you're going to record one -- make it good! Listening to bad recordings is painful!
Jim Kelly records his podcasts in his walk-in closet b/c the best acoustics are in there. He reads to his sweaters.
Link | Leave a comment {9} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Family Research
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 10:10 pm
posted by: fairmer
The extremely talented redmomoko has undertaken to become my personal genealogist. I'm not sure how I lucked out there, other than I showed her some gravestone pictures I'd taken one day, and it just went from there. That's how I learned I was Dutch-Canadian at one key juncture, which was a fun revelation.
( In which I discover I am not the descendant (probably) of Cynthia Sleeper and Freedom Beede. )
In any case, Momoko managed to track the family back to Scotland in 1800, which is a total bonus to have my Celtic stock confirmed, and I think that there was some Irish confirmation in there, too, which is double bonus.
redmomoko has undertaken to become my personal genealogist. I'm not sure how I lucked out there, other than I showed her some gravestone pictures I'd taken one day, and it just went from there. That's how I learned I was Dutch-Canadian at one key juncture, which was a fun revelation. ( In which I discover I am not the descendant (probably) of Cynthia Sleeper and Freedom Beede. )
In any case, Momoko managed to track the family back to Scotland in 1800, which is a total bonus to have my Celtic stock confirmed, and I think that there was some Irish confirmation in there, too, which is double bonus.
Link | Leave a comment {5} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
More music, at last.
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 08:12 pm
music: "Welcome to Chaos" - Son of Rust
posted by: amberdine
It has been too long since I posted a list of my musical discoveries... and by "too long" I mean that if I tried to cover everything the post would be so huge no one would read it all. (Well, except asakiyume, but I don't want to wear her out.) So, I will just share some highlights.
First, the reason I haven't posted for a while is...I stopped buying iTunes.
(Gasp. I know. As much as I love Apple, too.) But, one of my favorite groups, Iris, came out with a new album. iTunes didn't have it. Amazon did, and thus I discovered that, in general, Amazon's for-download songs are cheaper and better quality, and none have any DRM. Since I stopped using iTunes cards, and could just buy songs whenever I wanted, I didn't have my once-a-month list anymore.
However, Amazon does provide me with a nice little widget to share some samples with you!
( Read more... )
asakiyume, but I don't want to wear her out.) So, I will just share some highlights.First, the reason I haven't posted for a while is...I stopped buying iTunes.
(Gasp. I know. As much as I love Apple, too.) But, one of my favorite groups, Iris, came out with a new album. iTunes didn't have it. Amazon did, and thus I discovered that, in general, Amazon's for-download songs are cheaper and better quality, and none have any DRM. Since I stopped using iTunes cards, and could just buy songs whenever I wanted, I didn't have my once-a-month list anymore.
However, Amazon does provide me with a nice little widget to share some samples with you!
( Read more... )
Link | Leave a comment {4} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Oh Joy
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 11:59 pm
mood: 
annoyed
posted by: aliettedb
We have apparently managed to dig a deep scratch into our CD of Lego Indiana Jones, to the point that the Wii won't recognise it (don't ask me how we managed this, I have no idea). Brand-new CD (3-4 weeks old, not a whole lot of play).
Arg.
Arg.
Link | Leave a comment {4} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Photos from Readercon
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 05:41 pm
posted by: ellen_datlow
Link | Leave a comment {12} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Back to Our Usual and Some Scattered Thoughts
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 12:26 pm
mood: 
sleepy
posted by: catrambo
I'm having trouble getting started today -- I feel as though I'm still en route back home. Aside from the usual "hurry up and wait, then wait some more" airport experience, though, it was a pretty smooth trip, although plane delays meant I didn't land till 2 am.
ReaderCon was shiny and bright and fun. It's certainly tempting to add it to the permanent roster of cons, aside from the distance. Met a lot of online friends, made some new ones, and got a chance to hang out with the old ones. Plus a lot of undiluted time withkrisname and Ms. A. (you know who you are), which was most excellent.
Of the panels I was on, I thought the podcasting one might have been the most informative, and I'll write up those notes and post them sometime this week. Jim Freund was showing me a very slick microphone that I am sorely tempted by, particularly since I need something better than the one I'm using. We'll see.
I really loved the "How I Wrote ___" series of events, and next time I'm going to try to make more of them. Mowed through a bunch of the books I accumulated on the way home, and I'm about halfway through ALCHEMY OF STONE by Ekaterina Sedia, and really liking it a lot, even more her SECRET HISTORY OF MOSCOW. Mattie is a fabulous, wonderful character.
ReaderCon was shiny and bright and fun. It's certainly tempting to add it to the permanent roster of cons, aside from the distance. Met a lot of online friends, made some new ones, and got a chance to hang out with the old ones. Plus a lot of undiluted time with
krisname and Ms. A. (you know who you are), which was most excellent.Of the panels I was on, I thought the podcasting one might have been the most informative, and I'll write up those notes and post them sometime this week. Jim Freund was showing me a very slick microphone that I am sorely tempted by, particularly since I need something better than the one I'm using. We'll see.
I really loved the "How I Wrote ___" series of events, and next time I'm going to try to make more of them. Mowed through a bunch of the books I accumulated on the way home, and I'm about halfway through ALCHEMY OF STONE by Ekaterina Sedia, and really liking it a lot, even more her SECRET HISTORY OF MOSCOW. Mattie is a fabulous, wonderful character.
Link | Leave a comment {4} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Amusing facts of the day
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 08:53 pm
mood: 
amused
posted by: aliettedb
Reasons that allowed you to divorce your wife in the Tang dynasty:
#9: if she fell incurably ill.
Nice.
Though I do note that they had the right to divorce for reasons of incompatibility between spouses. Pretty modern, that, though I have no idea how often it was applied.
Also, those princesses of the Tang dynasty were pretty scary: "We have a little power? Cool, let's raze entire districts and build ourselves lavish palaces" (there's a particularly hilarious anecdote about one of them walking into the house of a disgraced chief minister and announcing she wanted to buy it--about ten milliseconds before her crew of workmen burst in and started dismantling entire halls under the horrified gaze of the inhabitants).
#9: if she fell incurably ill.
Nice.
Though I do note that they had the right to divorce for reasons of incompatibility between spouses. Pretty modern, that, though I have no idea how often it was applied.
Also, those princesses of the Tang dynasty were pretty scary: "We have a little power? Cool, let's raze entire districts and build ourselves lavish palaces" (there's a particularly hilarious anecdote about one of them walking into the house of a disgraced chief minister and announcing she wanted to buy it--about ten milliseconds before her crew of workmen burst in and started dismantling entire halls under the horrified gaze of the inhabitants).
Link | Leave a comment {6} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Todd Oliver and Irving
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 01:06 pm
posted by: maryrobinette
I’ve been a professional puppeteer for almost twenty years now and I’ve never seen anything quite as disconcerting as ventriloquist, Todd Oliver and his dog Irving.
That’s right. A ventriloquist with a real dog.
Comments? -- LinkLink | | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Progress Report, in which I discuss theater
Jul. 21st, 2008 | 10:19 pm
location: Right Next Door to Hell
music: "What Is and What Should Never Be"--Led Zeppelin
posted by: matthewsrotundo
After a subpar total the week previous, I got back on the horse last week, notching another 5100 words on Petra Released. Here's Magic Meter:
Act Two is officially behind me now. So it's smooth sailing from here to the end of the novel, right?
Oh, come on. You know better than that.
I'm at another of those blank spots in the plot, one that I knew was coming and had hoped to have filled in by now. No such luck. No choice now but to lower my head and bull my way through it.
After this patch, I'll pretty much be at the climax, wherein several loose ends need to be tied up. It's kind of a logistical nightmare. I feel like a beleaguered stage manager, rushing to get everyone to their places just before the curtain rises. Not that I've ever been in theater, or anything, because I haven't. I'm just sayin'.
Adding to the chaos is the fact that my schedule has been quite hectic of late, which leaves me a bit edgy and out of sorts. So make that a grumpy beleaguered stage manager.
Plus, now that the end is in sight, I'm getting a bit impatient to finish this thing. There's a chance--a slim one--that I might actually be done by WorldCon. That would be wonderful. WorldCon could then become a week-long First Draft Completion Party. But as I said, it's a long shot.
So I guess I'm an impatient, grumpy, beleaguered stage manager. Except that I've never been in theater.
No updates for Write Club.
TTFN.
Act Two is officially behind me now. So it's smooth sailing from here to the end of the novel, right?
Oh, come on. You know better than that.
I'm at another of those blank spots in the plot, one that I knew was coming and had hoped to have filled in by now. No such luck. No choice now but to lower my head and bull my way through it.
After this patch, I'll pretty much be at the climax, wherein several loose ends need to be tied up. It's kind of a logistical nightmare. I feel like a beleaguered stage manager, rushing to get everyone to their places just before the curtain rises. Not that I've ever been in theater, or anything, because I haven't. I'm just sayin'.
Adding to the chaos is the fact that my schedule has been quite hectic of late, which leaves me a bit edgy and out of sorts. So make that a grumpy beleaguered stage manager.
Plus, now that the end is in sight, I'm getting a bit impatient to finish this thing. There's a chance--a slim one--that I might actually be done by WorldCon. That would be wonderful. WorldCon could then become a week-long First Draft Completion Party. But as I said, it's a long shot.
So I guess I'm an impatient, grumpy, beleaguered stage manager. Except that I've never been in theater.
No updates for Write Club.
TTFN.
Link | Leave a comment {2} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Five random things make an entry. I solemnly swear, by wilfulcait, that they do.
Jul. 21st, 2008 | 10:04 pm
posted by: fairmer
1) I work with a woman who has had come-and-go vertigo of varying degrees of intensity for ten years and is now going through the vestibular rehabilitation process, and it's a little strange to suddenly have that pop up in light of mrissa's situation. Coincidence? Of course. But it's weird how these things never feel coincidental. Stupid pattern recognition processes, jumping the gun on what constitutes a pattern.
2) I've finally figured out how to defeat my cat, the one that asks me to play with him all night every night, and no, it hasn't seemed to matter how much you play with him, he always wants more. Tonight, I hit upon the brilliant stroke of making him climb on and off the bed forty-three times. Finally, he flopped down, gasping, on the bed, and let me pet him, while he purred and shed and purred and then did his "mrah!" play-question. But he didn't mean it. And I've been in my office for nine minutes and he hasn't come to bug me yet.
3) It is possible that my stepdaughter is using "ironic" correctly in conversation 3 times out of 10 now instead of zero. I know we have Alanis partially to blame for this, but I feel society as a whole has let us down on proper use of the word "irony." This almost fits in with item 1. Please note that item 1 in this list is not ironic.
4) I wrote about 1200 words at lunch today. A landspeed record for Mers born in Michigan in 1975, I'll tell you. Book is coming along swimmingly. I would bore you with status updates, were it wanted, but I suspect it is not. I have finally reached a point where I am confident in my abilities to do some things well in the first draft, and some other things well in the second draft. I also understand that there are a bunch of other things I cannot do well or easily yet, and may not accomplish in any draft. But I'm feeling damn near competent on several levels these days. (Let's revisit that statement when the ego-crushing round of agent rejections comes up in a month or three, shall we?)
5) The spring lettuce is now officially bitter and tough. It is time to plant the summer lettuce.
mrissa's situation. Coincidence? Of course. But it's weird how these things never feel coincidental. Stupid pattern recognition processes, jumping the gun on what constitutes a pattern.2) I've finally figured out how to defeat my cat, the one that asks me to play with him all night every night, and no, it hasn't seemed to matter how much you play with him, he always wants more. Tonight, I hit upon the brilliant stroke of making him climb on and off the bed forty-three times. Finally, he flopped down, gasping, on the bed, and let me pet him, while he purred and shed and purred and then did his "mrah!" play-question. But he didn't mean it. And I've been in my office for nine minutes and he hasn't come to bug me yet.
3) It is possible that my stepdaughter is using "ironic" correctly in conversation 3 times out of 10 now instead of zero. I know we have Alanis partially to blame for this, but I feel society as a whole has let us down on proper use of the word "irony." This almost fits in with item 1. Please note that item 1 in this list is not ironic.
4) I wrote about 1200 words at lunch today. A landspeed record for Mers born in Michigan in 1975, I'll tell you. Book is coming along swimmingly. I would bore you with status updates, were it wanted, but I suspect it is not. I have finally reached a point where I am confident in my abilities to do some things well in the first draft, and some other things well in the second draft. I also understand that there are a bunch of other things I cannot do well or easily yet, and may not accomplish in any draft. But I'm feeling damn near competent on several levels these days. (Let's revisit that statement when the ego-crushing round of agent rejections comes up in a month or three, shall we?)
5) The spring lettuce is now officially bitter and tough. It is time to plant the summer lettuce.
Link | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
It’s not just for freezing Han Solo anymore
Jul. 21st, 2008 | 06:29 pm
posted by: ericjamesstone
Originally published at Eric James Stone. You can comment here or there.
After losing about 500 words of my novel due to a complicated situation involving FTP backups, I began looking for a different way to have an offsite backup of my important files.
I have a portable hard drive in a safe deposit box at my bank, but that’s a rather awkward way of maintaining a backup.
An insurance agent who was training me on how to run an office introduced me to Carbonite. After you install Carbonite on your computer, it automatically backs up your important files to Carbonite’s servers. It takes a while for the initial backup (about 18 days in my case), but once that’s done it only has to backup your new or changed files, which it usually does within minutes after you save them.
That means in the case of a catastrophe, such as a fire, which destroyed my computer, all my writing, all my photos and scanned documents, and all my music files could be restored.
Carbonite costs $49.95 per year for unlimited storage, and I think my peace of mind is worth it. You can check it out here.
The reason I’m blogging this now is that my brother Michael asked about it, since he just had a computer catastrophe. (Hopefully it’s just the motherboard on his computer, so his data may still be safe on his hard drive.)
Link | Leave a comment {3} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
60,000
Jul. 21st, 2008 | 05:43 pm
posted by: ericjamesstone
Originally published at Eric James Stone. You can comment here or there.
I just passed 60,000 words in my novel. My protagonist has just defeated the bad guy and thinks the climax is over, but he’s wrong — the real climax is just about to start.
I’m guessing there are only about 3000 words left in this draft, unless people start monologuing.