Friday Miscellaney

Eddie II's MD inspection is set for Monday. When I have that certificate, all I have to do is wait for the title to arrive, then go to the MVA and give them a big wad of cash. (My downpayment literally was my vacation stash - I don't think the finance officer at the dealership was really expecting me to drop a huge wad of 20s on her desk.)

I'm watching the reviews of The Island with some surprise. So far nobody's pointed out what struck me right off - this is a remake of a movie so bad that it ended up on MST3K. No wonder the movie business is slumping if they're seriously remaking MST3K movies!

Once Written has come back from the dead; it was apparently caught in massive technical problems, but I've re-established contact and she says my reviews will go up. We'll see.

And speaking of reviews, I'll give a full one when I finish it, but so far For Matrimonial Purposes is delightful.

Teaching Company - Science Fiction, Literature of the Imagination

I was enjoying the Tudor-Stewart class, but I was also trying to seriously learn and retain information from it, and right now if I have to concentrate seriously on anything, my head will explode. So I put my copy of Henry VIII down in favor of the fluffy For Matrimonial Purposes and the Tudor class in favor of the Science Fiction class. (I've decided I don't like the Mozart professor.)

If my reviews of this class interest you, run to and grab it right now because they've discontinued this one. It is available only on tape.

Professor Eric Rabkin of U of Mich has a good lecture voice - clear, measured, but not monotone. Not a particular sense of humor, although there is great interest in his subject. He's basing the definition of SF not on the amount of science in the story, but on these three principles:
1) The fantastic made plausible through the illusion of science
2) The plot contains high adventure
3) It asks the reader to think

( Specifics of books covered and lecture titles )

Unfinished snippet of... something

It started as a daydream, then turned into a daydream about story telling, and finally turned into a few sentences that I kinda like, but have no idea what to do with. There's no fanfic use for it and I don't know what professional market would be interested in the final result, whatever that might be:

"Once upon a time is a real time and place, you know. Ask any old person what it was like to live Once Upon a Time and they can tell you. So when I say that this story starts 'once upon a time' you will know that it took place when grandmothers were young and fairy tales themselves were shiney and new.

It starts with a prince, and he was the princeliest prince that ever rode into a story. His father was a great and noble king who ruled all the land from dim blue horizon to deep blue sea. But the King did not rule what was beyond the sea.

And that is where she came from. Some called it the land beyond the sunset. Some called it the land after the edge of the world. But everyone knew it was the land where magic was bottled behind glass in every house, and wonders were as plentiful as kittens."


The images that this spun out of are part of the most narcissic mary sue that ever sued, so THAT story is staying in my head where it belongs. Which means that I have no idea what will happen to *this* prince or who "she" is.

Random links of interest

Went on cafepress looking for ways to customize Eddie II. Am finding all sorts of fun things people might like to know about...

"I'm a librarian and I WILL shush your ass!" license plate holder
"And the geek shall inherit the earth" license plate holder.
Geeky Wench slogans - "Book Wench," "Computer Wench" etc.
Information Mafia merchandise
T-shirt with the Scarlet Letter on it.
Beer Wench shirt
Pirate Plunder store I wish I dared get the "Pirate Wench - Currently Seeking Cabin Boys" bumper sticker on my car!
Huzzah! bumper sticker
"Garb" t-shirt
"God is my co-pirate" bumper sticker
Assorted other pirate bumper stickers

And for the locals:

Wench.org shop
Local 42 shop
Team Wench "For the Boobies" license plate holder

Technotoy!

Yeah, I shouldn't be indulging after having just bought a car, but I hate my watch. The precise reasons have been deleted as they're boring - suffice it to say that it's battered and over complicated and I can't get it to do what I want. And resetting the thing a couple times a year is a bear.

On sober reflection, I just want a watch that tells the time and the date. No more chime (it's annoying during movies/theater anyway), no more alarm, which I haven't used for years. Easy to reset. Digital.

And what do I discover? Looky - atomic digital watches! Whee! No extra bells, no whistles chimes, and it resets itself. *scampers off to order*