Thursday Thirteen
Jul. 24th, 2008 | 12:23 pm
music: Travis - Battleships
posted by: ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
tezmilleroz
Thursday Thirteen. Since I completely changed my To-Be-Read pile a few days ago, it differs more from previous TTs.
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I Can Has LOLcode
Jul. 24th, 2008 | 11:24 am
music: INXS - Devil Inside
posted by: tezmilleroz
I Can Has LOLcode: Check out the slideshow that accompanies this article - they asked (and received) permission to use four of my LOLcats. Thanks to Nikki, Mel and Jodi for the use of their cat photos, and thanks to Suzy, Padme and Kippy for deigning to be photographed.
I've added some new titles (including ones by Rachel Caine and Jocelynn Drake) to my Reading Wishlist.
Now, to await the cat's homecoming for photography, and resisting the urge to buy crisps...
I've added some new titles (including ones by Rachel Caine and Jocelynn Drake) to my Reading Wishlist.
Now, to await the cat's homecoming for photography, and resisting the urge to buy crisps...
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(no subject)
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 06:02 pm
posted by: scusteister in ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif)
book_reviews
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy TooleMy review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
There's more going on here than the humorous escapades of Ignatius T. Reilly and the people in his life. Through extensive use of dialogue and monlogue, Toole gets to pontificate about the inequalities inherent in our flawed culture as well as his own (and all our own) ineffectiveness in changing it. The book is a little hard to take at times due to the slapsticky situations, and the snappy pattter that often goes on for too long. However, the revelation into Reilly's character in the end is profound and worth the effort of wading through the all the silliness and flatulence.
View all my reviews.
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school ooops...
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 12:33 pm
mood: 
confused
posted by: mallory_blog
Okay, so I'm home because my appointment is for Monday at Berkeley. duuuuh. Kinda cool too cause it means I can write more on that ghost story. Oh, I did discover that I AM enrolled in 3 of the 4 classes I need except the discussion group listed is on a Tuesday and it must be MWF so Monday I will have to change that - only one more class to find (yay!) I think it helped that I emailed both of the professors in the drifty classes. They seem to like that. The other monster I'm fretting over is their e-billing system - yikes, like a 50 screen power point - it is rather daunting. ::sigh::
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The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 01:26 pm
posted by: goth_o_bot in bookish
I'm not much at reviewing books, but here goes.
A very simple, easy, and quick read with sooooo much symbolism and emotion hidden in it. It tells the tale of a father and son wondering across the country, following a road, during a post-apocalyptic time. Something has happened that has destroyed the world, and the father and son are walking towards the ocean with the idea that perhaps it will be better there. I won't go into the details of what happens, but the simple structure makes this book so easy to read and so powerful. It could be considered depressing by some though.
A very simple, easy, and quick read with sooooo much symbolism and emotion hidden in it. It tells the tale of a father and son wondering across the country, following a road, during a post-apocalyptic time. Something has happened that has destroyed the world, and the father and son are walking towards the ocean with the idea that perhaps it will be better there. I won't go into the details of what happens, but the simple structure makes this book so easy to read and so powerful. It could be considered depressing by some though.
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Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 01:11 pm
posted by: lady_anemone in bookish
Lois Lowry is a well-known and prolific author of children's books. She has won the Newbery Medal on two occaisions, for Number the Stars, The Giver, both of which are excellent.
Gossamer is the story of a being named Littlest One. She is one of a family of dream-givers. They breathe good dreams into the ears of humans while we sleep. Littlest One is trying to do her job and not get too involved with the people she helps. But the plight of an angry foster child will stir her to her core - and bring her dangerously close to the malevolent givers of nightmares.
This book was written for older children, but held my interest as an adult as well. It is fast-paced but believable. I enjoyed the human and non-human characters. The writing is memorable and poignant. Four stars. If you are looking for a book to give a child, or if you like children's literature yourself, give it a try.
Gossamer is the story of a being named Littlest One. She is one of a family of dream-givers. They breathe good dreams into the ears of humans while we sleep. Littlest One is trying to do her job and not get too involved with the people she helps. But the plight of an angry foster child will stir her to her core - and bring her dangerously close to the malevolent givers of nightmares.
This book was written for older children, but held my interest as an adult as well. It is fast-paced but believable. I enjoyed the human and non-human characters. The writing is memorable and poignant. Four stars. If you are looking for a book to give a child, or if you like children's literature yourself, give it a try.
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Just out of curiosity . . .
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 12:50 pm
posted by: jpsorrow
For the writers out there: Why do you write?
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Lascaux
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 11:25 am
posted by: contessagypsy
Apparently, the cave paintings in Lascaux are being encroached upon by mold (and other things, I think, but mostly mold) because of the volume of human contact. This is greatly simplified, of course, and the article tells more. It's a damn shame, that something 17,000 years old is threatened by basic human presence.
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Why is steampunk controversial?
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 10:10 am
posted by: nayad
If you have opinions about steampunk stuff--literature, art, jewelry, costuming, furniture, lifestyle--I would love it if you'd post comments.
I read BoingBoing, and they post fairly often with pictures of steampunk items that make me just drool my hydration out. Then in the comments on each post there will invariably be remarks from a bunch ofjaded assholes citizens* who hatehatehate anything to do with steampunk. Why? What is to hate about it? Help me understand.
ETA: *I'm not calling you ajaded asshole citizen if you merely hate steampunk; I'm calling you one if you act like one.
I read BoingBoing, and they post fairly often with pictures of steampunk items that make me just drool my hydration out. Then in the comments on each post there will invariably be remarks from a bunch of
ETA: *I'm not calling you a
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Conestoga Schedule and Stuff...
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 07:36 am
posted by: mdhenry
Tomorrow, I'm off to Tulsa Oklahoma, to either die in a twister or from the heat, I haven't decided. And all for the Conestoga 12 and Fangs, Fur and Fey Minicon. Here's my schedule, for those who'll be there and want to track me down.
Fri 02:00 PM - Executive Urban Fantasy: It's Not Just for Chicks
Sat 09:00 AM - Executive The Elusive Snark
Sat 11:00 AM - Signing
Sat 02:00 PM - Chairman Reading: Happy Hour/Road Trip of the Living Dead?
Sat 03:00 PM - Executive The Business of Being a Writer
Sun 10:00 AM - Executive Dark UF/Horror
Along with some speed dating, boozing it up and racing across the street for some Sonic!
Speaking of being there. Who's all going?
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I have a baby!
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 10:02 am
mood: 
cheerful
posted by: madkestrel
He was surrounded by fog when I found him. Please send him some love - it takes a village to
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More progress...
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 02:59 pm
mood: 
tired
posted by: kazdreamer
Revision Progress on DOL (pages revised):
Second Chance (Urban fantasy short story):
Critiquing CP's ms (chapters read):
Yes, I'm counting the reading/crit. And no, I haven't made as much progress on DOL as I would've liked. But still... I'm getting there.
| |
166 / 220 (75.5%) |
Second Chance (Urban fantasy short story):
| |
502 / 5,000 (10.0%) |
Critiquing CP's ms (chapters read):
| |
13 / 26 (50.0%) |
Yes, I'm counting the reading/crit. And no, I haven't made as much progress on DOL as I would've liked. But still... I'm getting there.
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OMG!
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 04:31 pm
mood: 
cold
music: No music right now, but enjoying some trailers...
posted by: yolandasfetsos
How awesome is this? First of all, we're talking TERMINATOR. Yay! And secondly, Christian Bale. Okay, there's a third - Sam Worthington. Great Aussie actor. I can't wait to see this. I loved the first two movies, like to pretend the third one was never made, and am looking forward to checking out the TV show when it's available on DVD. Yeah, Australian TV kinda stuffed this one up as well. Surprise, surprise. :)
You know, I had every intention of lifting some weights when I got home from picking my daughter up from school. Instead, I made myself a cup of tea, made sure all the windows were closed, and sat down to watch some 2009 movie trailers. There are some very cool things coming out.
Last night I got through the line edits for HELLBLAZE. How awesome! It'll be available next month. Not sure about the exact date yet, but I'm looking forward to it. :) Today I had a few things to do before leaving for school, and I got them done. So that's awesome. It means that maybe I can do some brainstorming for a new novella I want to start soon, and also squeeze in weights tonight. Yeah, that sounds good.
Speaking of cool... it's SO darn cold today! :/
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cat rescue...
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 11:15 pm
mood: 
calm
posted by: mallory_blog
Today I finally caved to the guilt. My son's chocolate siamese (I will take photos tomorrow) has been staying in another bedroom in my house. This is due mostly to the fact that I am pretty allergic to him. At the time this started the housemate renting the room was supposed to be there both as company for him and to take care of him. She left for a 2 week vacation 6 weeks ago and
kyranas_blogtook care of him while I was in Kansas. But she works and he is annoying (very needy) and she isn't a small cat person so the upshot is that I've been feeling terribly guilty about how lonely he is since I can only stay in that room maximum an hour before I'm terribly congested.
Today I booted my old cats out onto the deck, blocked the dog door and brought the siamese into my room all day. He got to hang with one of the old cats for about an hour and then stayed in here all day. He loved it, of course. I'm not too congested and I feel less like a heel about the whole thing. My son should be home in about 2 weeks at which point he will happily take said puss back to his quarters.
I think I will do this again on Thursday - after I vacuum out my rooms. With a bit of luck I can keep from being too reactive and he can be less lonely.
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I'm not Jewish, but it's still interesting
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 02:12 am
posted by: contessagypsy
An article on whether it's allowable by Jewish law for Jews to have tattoos. The particular passage they quote from Leviticus really seems to have little bearing on tattooing: Leviticus 19:28 states, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead nor incise any marks on yourself: I am the Lord.”
"Gashes in one's flesh for the dead" sounds more like self mutilation through grief, not a tattoo, though "incise any marks" really seemes pretty clear, unless we want to Bill Clinton what exactly "incise" might mean. According to Dictionary.com, it's "1. to cut into; cut marks, figures, etc., upon. 2. to make (marks, figures, etc.) by cutting; engrave; carve." That sounds a little more like tattooing, but a bit more like scarification, because repetition of the word "cut". I don't know. I'm not a scholar of Jewish law. I am, in fact, Catholic, and so far as I know, neither Jesus nor the Pope cares about tattoos. But it's still an interesting subject that I hadn't ever thought about before.
"Gashes in one's flesh for the dead" sounds more like self mutilation through grief, not a tattoo, though "incise any marks" really seemes pretty clear, unless we want to Bill Clinton what exactly "incise" might mean. According to Dictionary.com, it's "1. to cut into; cut marks, figures, etc., upon. 2. to make (marks, figures, etc.) by cutting; engrave; carve." That sounds a little more like tattooing, but a bit more like scarification, because repetition of the word "cut". I don't know. I'm not a scholar of Jewish law. I am, in fact, Catholic, and so far as I know, neither Jesus nor the Pope cares about tattoos. But it's still an interesting subject that I hadn't ever thought about before.
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Article in the NY Times
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 01:56 am
posted by: contessagypsy
I'm Y.A. and I'm O.K about novels being published as Young Adult that were perhaps written with adults in mind.
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dragging words along like sinkers...
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 10:26 pm
mood: 
creative
posted by: mallory_blog
officially 361 new words on that ghost story...
The thing is, I know exactly where the scene is going yet I am avoiding it like a sore toe. Pesk.
Tomorrow I've decided to head over to Berkeley to sort out my scholarship verifications so they will early pay me on August 5th plus I need to actually BE enrolled in 3 more classes, not faux enrolled. Should be an instructive day and hopefully not too hot. I am officially one month away from the start of classes - EKKKKKEEEEKKKEKKKKK!!!!
The thing is, I know exactly where the scene is going yet I am avoiding it like a sore toe. Pesk.
Tomorrow I've decided to head over to Berkeley to sort out my scholarship verifications so they will early pay me on August 5th plus I need to actually BE enrolled in 3 more classes, not faux enrolled. Should be an instructive day and hopefully not too hot. I am officially one month away from the start of classes - EKKKKKEEEEKKKEKKKKK!!!!
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(no subject)
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 12:23 am
posted by: contessagypsy
134. Antarctica
Claire Keegan
This was a collection of short stories, the author's first release. Her stories reminded me of Shirley Jackson, not thematically (necessarily), but in the detail that she used in descriptions. In one story, in a bar, pool bars "knuckled down onto" the table, which was not a turn of phrase I would've thought of myself, maybe, but was somehow right. The stories were such that you probably shouldn't read them one after another, but rather read them one at a time and savor them individually. I, of course, disregarded this notion (even though I thought of it myself) and read them all in one go. It was a pleasant intoxication of words, and I really hope that she writes more and often. The title story, "Antarctica", was the best of the lot, I'd say, though there weren't any that I skipped over or thought were bad.
Claire Keegan
This was a collection of short stories, the author's first release. Her stories reminded me of Shirley Jackson, not thematically (necessarily), but in the detail that she used in descriptions. In one story, in a bar, pool bars "knuckled down onto" the table, which was not a turn of phrase I would've thought of myself, maybe, but was somehow right. The stories were such that you probably shouldn't read them one after another, but rather read them one at a time and savor them individually. I, of course, disregarded this notion (even though I thought of it myself) and read them all in one go. It was a pleasant intoxication of words, and I really hope that she writes more and often. The title story, "Antarctica", was the best of the lot, I'd say, though there weren't any that I skipped over or thought were bad.
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My 2nd Windows Movie Maker Film
Jul. 23rd, 2008 | 01:46 pm
music: Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland - 4 Minutes (in my head)
posted by: tezmilleroz
Or, if you prefer, Vimeo. Images taken from the author's and publishers websites, and Stock Exchange (a free stock images site). Text is made up by me, taken from the summary...and song lyrics ;-)
Enjoy my amateurism! :-)
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Review: Chelsea Green Guides
Jul. 22nd, 2008 | 09:21 pm
mood: busy
posted by: ysabetwordsmith in bookish
Biking to Work by Rory McMullan. Chelsea Green, 2008.
Greening Your Office: From Cupboard to Corporation: An A-Z Guide by Jon Clift & Amanda Cuthbert. Chelsea Green, 2008.
Chelsea Green publishes a series of guides, each featuring a different aspect of environmental awareness. These handy little booklets explain how to use energy and resources in cleaner, more efficient ways for a healthier culture and planet.
Biking to Work first lists the benefits and how to tell if biking will be practical for you. Then it covers buying an appropriate bike and other things you’ll need. It explains how to get started, including basic bike maintenance. There is a detailed discussion of biker-friendly features that a workplace can have, useful not just to employees but also to employers wishing to encourage this practice. Finally, the book discusses biking as recreation and offers leads for further information.
Greening Your Office is aimed at individuals and companies who desire to improve their workplace’s use of energy and resources. It’s organized alphabetically by topic. There are tips on reducing waste, converting to Earth-friendly materials, and making sustainable choices. Especially useful are the sections on renewable energy and new construction – those move a company away from dependence on nonrenewable resources.
Remember always that the economy and the environment are not in conflict; rather, the economy is a subset of the environment. Thus, the economy can only thrive in a healthy environment. These two books offer concrete steps, ranging from simple to challenging, that people can take toward a sustainable society. Most highly recommended.
Greening Your Office: From Cupboard to Corporation: An A-Z Guide by Jon Clift & Amanda Cuthbert. Chelsea Green, 2008.
Chelsea Green publishes a series of guides, each featuring a different aspect of environmental awareness. These handy little booklets explain how to use energy and resources in cleaner, more efficient ways for a healthier culture and planet.
Biking to Work first lists the benefits and how to tell if biking will be practical for you. Then it covers buying an appropriate bike and other things you’ll need. It explains how to get started, including basic bike maintenance. There is a detailed discussion of biker-friendly features that a workplace can have, useful not just to employees but also to employers wishing to encourage this practice. Finally, the book discusses biking as recreation and offers leads for further information.
Greening Your Office is aimed at individuals and companies who desire to improve their workplace’s use of energy and resources. It’s organized alphabetically by topic. There are tips on reducing waste, converting to Earth-friendly materials, and making sustainable choices. Especially useful are the sections on renewable energy and new construction – those move a company away from dependence on nonrenewable resources.
Remember always that the economy and the environment are not in conflict; rather, the economy is a subset of the environment. Thus, the economy can only thrive in a healthy environment. These two books offer concrete steps, ranging from simple to challenging, that people can take toward a sustainable society. Most highly recommended.